World War Two in Borneo

I was born in Borneo, nine years after the end of the World War Two. An era where there was no electricity, no radio and no televison. Grandfathers, Grandmothers, Mom and Dad spent evenings telling us of The Mukden Incident, or Manchurian Incident, 9-18 , 九一八事变 and the heinous Japanese occupation 日本占领. The favourite hero was Captain Fong.
The impact of Captain Fong was so great that Luke, my Grandfather was still telling about his hero for twenty years. Fifty years later, his grandsons were rehashing Ah Kung’s hero. His great grandchildren in faraway Australia and New Zealand are very proud of this Captain Cina.
The older grandchildren thought Captain Fong was a figment of Ah Kung’s imagination. When I wrote "From China to Borneo to Beyond," 海外华人的中国魂, a journal of my people I did not include it in the Chapter of “World War Two.”
It was only in 2014 when Ann connected with Larry Wong, curator of the Chinese Canadian Military. During our discussion, it dawned on me and my brother Joseph that Captain Fong could be an alias of Captain Cheng. I confirmed it with Larry Wong. I felt by omitting the Chapter on Captain Fong, we omitted an important part of our History.
The Canadian soldiers worked in secret in the Canada military Operation Oblivion, people did not know they existed.
To do justice to Captain Fong/Roger Cheng and his men, I wrote this fiction/nonfiction book.

Nibblish-Guilt-free Snack

Snack smarter with Nibblish-Because Life's Too Short Not to Snack.

The Rugby World Cup is on, it is spring and we don't want to be an arm chair All Blacks tucking in tubs of ice cream, DVDs and decadent chocolate puddings, getting fat while the All Blacks show their prowess.

Here comes Nibblish to save the day,

The Nibblish Story

We have a passion for food. We also snack, a lot! We struggled to find healthy, tasty and affordable snacking options and so Melanie began making them at home. A passion was born and this sowed the seeds of Nibblish. We wanted to bring what we provide to our family to New Zealand. Two years and hundreds of snacks later, Nibblish was born.

What the Nutritionist says:

Gavin is about as qualified and experienced as it's possible to be. He has a Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics, completed a two year post-grad diploma in Sports Nutrition from the International Olympic Committee, and is also a qualified personal trainer. He's worked around the world with many teams and athletes including the Black Caps, the Kiwis Rugby League, NZ Breakers, the Warriors, Auckland Blues, Emirates Team NZ, NZ Athletics, NZ Swimming, England Rugby, England Cricket team, and more athletes than you could catch! Gavin now runs his own private practice seeing a range of athletes and non-athletes.

Nibblish was born out of respect...

... for the world around us so we've started the Nibblish Foundation to give 10% of our profits to feed kiwis who need a little help.
... for the environment which is why everything in your box is fully recyclable and we've developed a special courier bag which is 100% biodegradable.
... for you and your health so you can rely on us to provide nutrient rich, balanced, healthy snacks to get you through the day.

Each snack has been created by a nutritionist using wholesome ingredients in portion-controlled fresh-seal trays.

What I really like is:

The portion-controlled fresh-seal trays have listed all the ingredients.
Nibblish fruit is 100% natural, it counts as part of you 5+ a day.
They respect the consumer and ask if you have any allergies.
For instance, the Tasty Thai pack has Red Skinned Peanuts, and I am allergic to the peanuts. I steer clear of this tray and my husband loves it. His comment is the Nibblish is high quality and the Sultanas in his Chai Crunch is very fresh and better quality.
You can split the trays and share or you can have an individual tray.
Nibblish comes with a fully recyclable box and a specially-designed courier bag which is 100% biodegradble. I love this, as loving the environment rates very high in my philosophy.
Finally, I really endorse this: The Nibblish Foundation donates 10% of all Nibblish to help feed New Zealanders in need. Paki Paki.

So go ahead, have a healthy good for you nibble on Nibblish.

100% NZ Owned & Operated © Nibblish Ltd 2015

I am given a sample of 4 trays.

The Nibblish Snack Box is available for just just $9.99 per week.  Please visit
http://www.nibblish.co.nz/

red pads

red pads among green on a BMX track

http://rubytuesdaytoo.blogspot.co.nz/

Momo Xie, graphic designer

On Friday, I met at Bruce Mason Centre, at the Special Photographic Exhibition Commemorating the 70th Anniversary of the End of the War of Resistance Against Japan.two lovely ladies Momo of momoxtm, designer and Janet Chen Of SkyKiwi. Momo is in the middle)

Perhaps if I were to turn the clock, I would use my writing skills and become a journalist.

  http://momoxie.co/

Hi there!

My name is Momo Xie, an Auckland based graphic designer who is enthusiastic about branding identity, illustration, photography and craft making. I am currently in my fourth year completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Graphic Design) at Whitecliffe.

CONTACT

Please feel free to get in touch with me.
Phone + 64 21 165 6700
Email momoxtm@gmail.com

http://rubytuesdaytoo.blogspot.co.nz/

sedum, stonecrops

1. 

    

    

    

   Sedum is a large genus of flowering plants in the family Crassulaceae, members of which are commonly known as stonecrops. Wikipedia
2. 
   
3. 
   

Beschorneria yuccoides

Beschorneria yuccoides (Amole) - A stemless rosette native to Mexico that is related to Yucca and Agave, reaching 5-6 feet tall. The tough and pliable leaves are 1 to 2 feet long by 2 inches wide and a gray-green color. In summer, the red flower stalk rises high above the foliage and displays bright green pendulous flowers embraced by red bracts. Plant in full sun, little water.


grown in Western Springs in Auckland.


Used as a majestic floral arrangement during Mt Albert Baptist Church centenery,


http://floralfridayfoto.blogspot.co.nz/ 

Brunfelsia latifolia, yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Brunfelsia latifolia

http://floralfridayfoto.blogspot.co.nz/ 

Anthurium

Anthurium has a personal sentiment, tinged with sadness. Mum used to grow this plant. No matter how she nursed it, it was to no avail. The plant would not give her the pleasure of blooming a single bloom. She refused to give it up.

 Mum died prematurely in an accident. Every time I see a giant Anthurium flower here in Auckland New Zealand, and there are plenty here especially in the Winter garden greenhouse at the Domain, I think of Mum and want to ask the plant why it denied Mum even of one tiny flower.

http://floralfridayfoto.blogspot.co.nz/

Red: Car park

not sure what that rectangle at the car  car is for. By coincidence, 3 cars parked there were red.


http://rubytuesdaytoo.blogspot.co.nz/

cilvia

Clivia /ˈklaɪviə/ is a genus of monocot flowering plants native to southern Africa. They are from the family Amaryllidaceae, subfamily Amaryllidoideae

http://floralfridayfoto.blogspot.co.nz/

.Dimorphotheca...

.Dimorphotheca...

is a genus of plants in the sunflower family, native to Africa and Australia. is one of eight genera of the Calenduleae, with a centre of diversity in ...

Dimorphotheca - Osteos

red: condensed milk

We didn't open the can this way, Mum made two holes at opposite sides of the round surface. Without Mum's knowledge, some times, we sucked the milk out straight from the holes. Mum would wonder why the milk went so fast. We didn't have much lollies then.

I was a Nestle's Condensed milk child known in Sarawak as an Ang Gee Gu Nee Child. Mum said no wonder I was a fat baby with the sugar in my milk.

This company marketed their product so aggressively to the third world that many mothers stopped breast feeding. Babies were fed with powder mixed with contaminated water. I boycotted this and am glad I am in New Zealand where there is a choice.

In the mid 1965s, there were on the reverse side of the tin paper, there were fish pictures. The salesman gave the wrong impression that the completed album can be exchanged for something. All the kids were pestering their mothers to buy the milk and swapping the paper. There was always a couple of fish that was not available. So the mothers had to buy more.

Then the salesman said, the final thing was the complete album. The kids enjoyed collecting the pictures.

You can imagine how angry the mothers were.

http://rubytuesday2.blogspot.co.nz

Ginseng Jawa (Talinum paniculatum gaertn.) 土人参

Ginseng Jawa (Talinum paniculatum gaertn.)  土人参surprised to see this in my friends garden in Auckland. Growing wild. They grew wild in my Singapore garden. I picked the flowers as cut flowers, but they drop off in a day. My aunty told me that it can be used as ginseng and the leaves are edible.


AT LYNDIA'S GARDEN in Sandringham.

Talinum fruticosum is an herbaceous perennial plant that is native to Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and much of South America


http://floralfridayfoto.blogspot.com/

Peanut allergy

Photos: Martin Lo

Children at high risk of developing a peanut allergy should be given food with traces of nuts to prevent an allergy developing, experts suggest.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued interim guidance endorsing the results of a study published earlier this year.

The findings revealed that children who eat food containing peanuts three or more times a week from under the age of one rarely have reactions in later life.

Less than 1 per cent developed an allergy, compared with more than 17 per cent of youngsters whose diet was peanut-free.

It marked the first major study to show that eating the nuts could reverse the huge rise in peanut allergy – the number of cases in children has doubled in 20 years.

I am appalled by this reporting., Peanut allergic is very real.  I am allergic to peanuts, fortunately, mildly. Still I feel uncomfortable the whole day when I have eaten peanuts. I get reflux,

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3219730/Prevent-children-developing-peanut-allergy-feeding-PEANUTS-say-experts-new-guidance-parents.html#ixzz3kdHbNICP
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My wheat grass experiment

 best quality wheat kernel

 soaked overnight, put in layers of handitowel, and kept in the hot water cupboard.

 rinse every day, wisps of shoots germinate

 a few more after a few days.

 some grow longer but pale in colour. Those that did not germinate, begin to smell. I threw them out. My few days of fun. May be I really should have used potting mix as a medium.