Oct 28, 2010

台灣人的碎碎念

這要從國父和蔣中正那時代說起,戰敗的國民黨,遷到台灣,開始了不是那麼民主的民主政治,"創建"了中華民國這個不是那麼民主的民主政府,台灣的人民,不管是不是當時來的"外省人",還是更早之前從福建省來的,或是更早就在島上的原住民...大家始得"統一",成為了中華民國台灣人...
不管喜歡與否,歷史沒得改...只不過不同的立場有不同的詮釋和加註,中間的冷暖若不細說,大概的情況就是這樣...

由於共產黨和國民黨,當年都同樣是革命黨派,推翻了滿清,同樣都稱孫中山為國父;因此,台灣雖小,也是個獨立政府運作的國家,雖然中國不承認,但當年沒光復或統一的,如今還是存在著... 就這樣,我們這段特別的歷史,造就了我們今天這樣個特別的局面... 其中的愛恨糾結,可能連526集的'意難忘'也演不完吧~哈哈 XD

今天,在朋友的留言板上,看到了一則這樣的留言,說"不管你喜歡它(大陸)、討厭它(大陸),你都一定要認識它!" 這樣的語言我是認同的... 可之後的討論卻說,"不管是中國還是其他國家,總比留在台灣好..." 很想問"為啥?"
不過心底深處早有太多個可能的答案...台灣舞台太小了? 國力太弱了? 政治太不穩定了? 有能力的都出走了?考的上北大的,就不屑上台大了?
其實幾年前人在深圳的時候有過這樣的想法: 若中國的經濟有天超越了台灣,也許台灣就不會那麼介意是不是被稱作中國了? 多年來,台灣花太多的力氣和時間,在爭一些很基本的東西,例如:奧運會用自己的國旗,運動比賽上要以台灣還是中國台北代表出賽...etc. 感慨是真的,可悲不是我們的錯,但,是有些人必須做這樣的事的... 所以我沒做並不代表我不贊同,我若不贊同全部,也能理解部分,每個人都有自己相信自己必須做的事,我深信...

Kirk前陣子在讀一本Douglas Coupland寫的傳記,他提到Marshall McLuhan在加拿大慶祝百年獨立的時候說 "Canada is the only country in the world that knows how to live without an identity."
我一聽,眼淚都要在眼眶裡打轉的... 我說"那他還不知道台灣..." 這句話形容台灣真是恰當... 一個沒有身分的國家... 我們試著以此生存,跌跌撞撞...
其實放下一切,只要大家不忘本,不管是在地球上的哪一個角落做努力,都是在為台灣盡一份力,何必拿自己的想法套在別人身上爭的你死我活的呢~ 台灣,你我,都加油!

p.s. 不過想想,也許Marshall (1911-1980)是知道台灣的,只是在他有生之年,尤其是說這話的當年(1967),他沒有辦法斷定台灣是否會'live'下去...所以自然是要把我們排除的,呵呵... (苦笑)

Oct 26, 2010

Menu this week


Mon. (Chinese)
Steam dumpling + Fried Woo Dong + Bok Choy

Tue. (Italian)
Spagetti + Basil Tomato Pizza

Wed. (French..?)
Pumpkin Squash soup + Homemade Bread + Mushroom risotto + Asparagus
& Wine


Thurs. (Thai)
Green Curry Chicken + Da Pao Beef + Rice





Fri. (Italian)
Chinese broccoli & Chorizo Penn

Sat.
Steaks + Baked Veggies + Broccoli

A weekend in Kingston


Kingston

100多年前 加拿大的舊首都,當地有名的旅遊景點,叫 Thousand Islands
1千多個小島散撥在加拿大和美國交接處的湖面

自己介紹沒有別人的好...大家看一下轉貼的資料吧...Thx (我懶)
Kingston Thousand Islands 位於聖勞倫斯河與安大略湖的交匯處,是一個擁有1865個小島的景點,分屬加拿大、美國兩國。千島湖雖說是千島,但實際上湖面共有1865個島嶼,分別落在加拿大與美國的領土中,加拿大約佔千島湖的三分之二,位於聖羅倫斯河(St. Lawrence River) 最美的一段上,有不少美國和加拿大的富翁、藝術家,都被小島與世無爭的生活所吸引而定居於此

總而言之,這就是我朋友Steph和她"性感的"老公(她堅持要這麼稱呼他)現在居住的城市,上次見到她,是三年前我們的婚禮上了,再次相見,大家都非常的開心,重點是,他現在有一個這麼棒的老公,看到朋友這麼幸福,真是件很棒的事!
我,一如往常的,帶上相機,記錄美好~ :)

A walk on the streets
......


對我來說,窺探是很具有故事性的....
..... .

A walk in the market

A walk in the park



View front the water front


The strangers

A walk in the town







Thanks to our dear friens, Steph & Corey~
the cutest couple of the world ;)

3度C

10.21

今晚發瘋似的抓起三腳架,和Kirk一起溜狗去...
這禮拜,Kirk接到了新的課程安排---黎巴嫩的外交官家教,晚上要回到家都8:30了,吃個飯也九點了...加上他學校的assignment...
晚上10:30,兩個人各抓了一支狗、一台相機、三腳架,圍上圍巾,穿上兩層外套,往家附近一片靜寂的腳踏車道走去....
今晚的月亮藏起來了,不像兩晚前,走在漆黑的腳踏車道上,一點都不覺得暗,月亮照出的我兩的影子,清晰可見,一點都不模糊...

我假好腳架,任Kirk帶著Coca朝漆黑走去,我站在原地,聽著風呼呼吹的樹枝嘎嘎響的聲音,望著月亮,突然好喜歡這裡,一切的一切,都可以這麼的美麗,那晚我在3度C的夜裡,見識到了夜的美麗,幸運的,這次帶上了相機,記錄了回憶...

The bike path

The moon in 3。C

Oct 15, 2010

Another new thing I learned in Canada

今天在網路上瀏覽時看到一個加拿大的網站,寫著"Proudly Canadian owned and operated"...
讓我不禁思考...加拿大雖然坐擁面積世界第二大的排名,但因為大部分的土地都太冷,人口不多,農夫得趁沒雪的的時候趕緊工作;很多東西還是得靠進口,因為國家關稅高,很多奢侈品的價格都比不上就幾小時遠的美國... 更別提要獨自擁有一個會賺錢的企業卻不靠大資本家的幫忙....
最近看到一則新聞,由於K-cups的風行,讓美國的Green-Mountain Coffee股市四年內漲了9倍,由於K-cups包括的品牌很多,其中在Quebec省興起、總部位於Montreal的Van Houtte (你在這裡的各大超市都可以買到他的咖啡豆),和Timothy's coffee of the world也是其中獲利的咖啡品牌,這兩個都是加拿大人熟悉的所謂"加拿大"品牌...
然而,去年11月Green Mountain買下Timothy's coffee,今年九月又買下了Van Houtte,這兩個你會以為是加拿大擁有的品牌,其實都是美國擁有的...
雖說這就是開放經濟,沒有什麼不好的,不過我也許為自己剛搬來加拿大的時候很好奇的一個問題,找到了部分的答案...
"加拿大為什麼很少有大品牌呢?" 原因之一,也許是"因為成型的初期就被美國併購了..." 哈哈哈(苦笑)

Oct 9, 2010

記錄...

就只是一個記錄,記錄自己曾有的感受.... 沒有誰好誰壞...

- 在加拿大,一位朋友被法院抓去關,人們覺得他的朋友一定是做錯事了;在台灣,一位朋友被法院抓去關,人們覺得政府一定頭殼壞去了.... 因為我們不相信政府,相信朋友...

- 在香港,專櫃小姐推薦28歲的女生用熟齡提拉抗皺霜,說"女生過了25歲就要小心皺紋了!";在加拿大,專櫃歐巴桑看著30歲的亞洲女生拿起同罐抗皺霜時尖叫"不不不! 你還不用用這麼貴的!!"

Oct 6, 2010

Dinner for two tonight


Mushroom risotto + Grill Salmon + Baked Vegetables

It's a sunny Fall Tuesday.

My plan is to draft the menu and grocery list for this week. And bike 40mins to Chapters and browse a book I like to buy- On Food & Cooking: the Science and Lore of the Kitchen. I noticed although my job had absolutely nothing to do with Food Science, my major in university, I'm still interested in the science part about cooking. After that, I can bike back home and maybe take some pictures on the way.
However, shortly after I made plan for this week menu, Kirk called and suggested to see 'the Social Network' tonight.
With the movie plan jumped in, this leisure plan suddenly became a mission to complete in limited time. (the mood is totally different)

With that rush, I manage to get the dinner done within a hour but I think if risotto is one of the dish that better not prepare in rush. If there's limited time, maybe switch the risotto to Uncle Ben to make things easier.

Mushroom Risotto
adapted from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cup chicken broth
300g Mushroom, thinly sliced(suggested half portobello kind of mushroom and half white mushroom)
1 tbs olive oil
1/2 tbs onions or shallots
1/2 Arborio rice
1/3-1/2 cup dry white wine (I like strong wine flavour)
2 tbs finely chopped parsley & rosemary
1 tbs butter or margarine
1.5 tbs freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt & pepper for taste

Steps:
Total use- 3 sauce pan
No.1 pan(pot): Heat chicken broth to boil then turn the heat down to remain it hot
No.2 small pan: Add 1/2 tbs Olive oil in over medium high heat. Stir in mushroom till it's soft. Keep aside.
No.3 large pan: Add 1/2 tbs Olive oil in medium heat, fry onions for 1-2mins then add rice, let the rice coated with oil for about 3mins. Through in 1tbs of rosemary & parsley in.
Turn down the heat to simmer heat, add white wine (I added red wine once and it gave the risotto a light purple colour to go well with the pumpkin shell). **If the pot is too hot, the wine will disappear right away. So must turn the heat down before adding the wine.
Let it simmer till the wine is all absorbed by the rice, add 1/2 cup of chicken broth, stir constantly. Wait till the rice absorb the broth, add another 1/2 cup chicken broth a time. Separate to about 4-5 times by adding the broth. It takes about 25-30mins. Taste the rice while all the broth is done. If it's still hard, get more chicken broth to add in, it should not take more than 1 cup. If you need more, maybe means you turned the heat too high.
Once the rice is soft, turn off the heat, add the butter, rest herbs, parmesan cheese. Stir evenly and close pan cover let it set for 2mins before serving.




Oct 5, 2010

Menu this week


Mon.
Homemade bread + Chicken & Vegetable chowder
Lunch: Chicken sandwiches


Tue.
Risotto+ Grill salmon+Baked Vegetables (Green/Red peppers)



Wed.
Bake chicken legs with potatoes, tomatoes, chili, garlic and basil + Steam vegetables (broccoli)

Thurs.
Ma-Po To Fu + Eggplant dish + Asian rice

Fri.
Early dinner: Chorizo & Chinese Broccoli Penn + Cesar Salad
Dessert after photography class: Cream Brulee or Apple crisp

Baking this week:
Artisen bread
Banana bread
Pumpkin cheesecake
Cream Brulee or Apple crisp