(wild?) Orchid

Look what I found today in the forest: a kind of orchid growing on the ground.
Lucky of me to spot this tiny beauty.
Pretty pink and yellow hue over its white petals. Beautiful, isn't it?
It has some seed pods too. I doubt I'll be able to manage those seeds.
Btw, I took some of the plants home, wanna cultivate them :)
Anyone knows its proper Latin name?

Searching for Binlang Princesses

Driving across the island, I saw many many glass booths with lots of neon light. I was expecting near-naked ladies sitting inside, but I couldn't see any, only decently-dressed girls. If you search Mr.Google with the keyword “BinLang XiShi”, you’ll find a lot of pictures of girls in bikinis or skimpy dress and heavy make-up. I think Taiwan TV just exaggerating about their raunchy dressed Binlang Princesses (檳榔西施). Either they are just overrated marketing, rumours, or my radar is lame in finding ladies. Hahahhaa

To feed my curiosity  we finally to stop at random BinLang booth. Did I see any sexy ladies? No! In fact, there were a fat older lady and a fat uncle serving me. I couldn't be bothered to take their picture. I bought 2 available types. Each cost me NTD50 per pack.

I tried chewing them, here is my report:

When eaten individually, binlang is awful, the texture is just like the husk of young coconut (they are cousins). Imagine trying to pierce your teeth into coconut husk, no matter how immature the nut is, it is still very hard to chew. Plus with my braces, it was an almost impossible thing to do. Binlang tastes dry and astringent; I couldn't taste any sweetness or sourness, just super dry astringent. Don’t like at all щ(゜ロ゜щ)

 The betel piper leaves. I have no problem with this, I think it taste a little minty with heavy herbal fragrance. OK with me!

Sexy girls you said? This is as far as I got - on a box of sandwiched binlang

See the above picture? The thing sandwiched between sliced binlang? I thought it’s a kind of root or something. I found out this is the flower vine of betel piper. No wonder it tastes so nice. Imagine putting minty toothpaste in your mouth. This is what it tastes like, freshen your breath （*＾3＾）/～☆

I tried eating them whole too. Again, I couldn’t really chew the binlang. It’s just too hard. Those people who were addicted to binlang must have over-worked jaws.

Despite considered low class, judging from hundreds (thousand?) neon-booths on streetside, Binlang is somewhat popular in Taiwan. Usually consumed by drivers to get alertness during their work, just like cigarettes and coffee (since they are mostly males, girls in skimpy dress must made them super alert and manly. Who wouldn’t?) It is also addictive. The side effect is reddish black spit, stained teeth or losing your teeth too. Recent studies concluded that chewing binlang can cause oral cancer!!! 

A question mark! as binlang is not a new thing, why people in past centuries don’t get these side effects? Even in Indonesia, binlang and betel piper considered to strengthen your teeth rather than ruining them (they still stains). I guess it depends on how much you chew. Unlike Taiwanese who chew non-stop, people in the past chew occasionally – usually on religious/traditional ceremonies.

山重重水重重

Main entrance of FGS Buddha Memorial Centre

Have you heard of Fo Guang Shan? It's a big Buddhist organization in Taiwan, they have branches everywhere around the world. On my last visit to Taiwan, we went to Kaoshiung to visit FGS's Buddha Memorial Centre.
It's enormous!Looks like a palace rather than a religious site (@_@;)
Ow, they also have statues of respectable Arhats, my fave is Rahula's statue. He was pictured to have 2 dimples on his cheek. Cute. (top right on the pic below)

Arhat statues + their brief descriptions 

Anyway, there's a room inside the Buddha Memorial Center, where you will be asked to pick a little ball from a bucket of balls. (I wasn't allowed to take pic here)
OK, since I didn't really listen to what the volunteer said, I just followed what my friends did.
So, we all kneel down, prayed, bowed, and picked a ball.
Inside the ball there is a paper with a poem inside! I was so surprised that it's a new kind of Tiu-Ciam! ~(>_<~)

One volunteer then ushered me to a nun, to explain what is written on that paper.
     Nun:What's your problem?
     Me: Huh? What problem?
     Nun: When you pick the ball? What problem did you ask?
     Me (turning to my friend): I didn't ask anything, I just pick a ball... for fun
     Friend: (looking at the nun) She asked about her future

Basically the nun said that my life involved with a lot of roads and sea, many many path to go. And through my journeys I will find my real heart (真心) then, I will settle down.

I have no words against it. She's right, I think I travel quite a bit in my life. As for my real heart, I assume the nun talked about Dharma. She can't be talking about my future spouse, right? It would be very odd to discuss about spouse and marriages to nun (or monk).

Anyway, I think the reading doesn't mean anything in particular, bad or good. I think it depends on how you see and interpret it.
There were like 6 people (apart from the nun) try to interpret my paper. Some said it's a bad omen: many paths means many problems and obstacles. WTF!!! Or some said you have to find a spouse to stop all the wandering  (✖╭╮✖)
What's wrong about lots travelling and being single?
Am I the only person in the world that think I am a lucky person??? I know I am.
Well...As long as I am happy with myself, that's good enough, isn't it?
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My paper reads: 山重重又水重重。透出重重重见功。重重妙义重重意。不管东南西北风。
Google translate it as: Numerous mountain numerous water. Revealed a numerous to see result. Numerous wonderful righteousness numerous meaning. Regardless of the wind of East South West North.

it's me

I think I look quite good in this pic, need to immortalise it on my blog * big grin*

Emergency Laundry

A friend asked how do I manage washing during my travelling. I usually only wash little things like underwear and socks, sometimes I wash my scarf too, that’s when I accidently spill something on it.

Here is a trick how to have your little laundry to dry up within a night
1. Prepare your washed laundry (in this case: my little socks) On top of a towel, lay the socks. Place it on the edge of the towel.
2. Pull the other edge of the towel to sandwich the socks
3. Flatten the sandwiched towel
4. Roll the towel
5. Roll the towel
6. Wring the rolled towel, wring as tight as you can. All the excess moisture is transferred to the towel.
7. Un-wring the towel.
8. Now you can grab the socks, they’ll be quite damp now.
9. Hang it in open air area. I promise they’ll be dry by tomorrow

Update about Robi. Part 3

The project was done a couple of month ago. I was just lazy to write. Hahaha

But I guess I owe you a report. Here are the before-after pictures of the house make-over.

the bathroom

the front yard

the new room

The project was running well, but just like other mercy-project, there were some obstacles. I even doubt that the new room will be given to Robi.

Mostly because of greed, Robi's family member asked for more and more, kept on complaining that they needed more which none has anything to do with Robi. Of course, not all their wishes are fulfilled, we insisted to focus on Robi's welfare, rather than the whole extended family.

The leftover fund for Robi is not fully handed-over. I still wait for Robi's legal ID, so he can open a bank account under his personal name, rather than borrowing name from others (I even doubt his relatives)

But that's just me, I know I am abit way over-reacted about his relatives' attitudes. But one can't be too careful about money, right? Especially when it involves needy people.

Previous Posts: Part 1, Part 2

Tail-less Pui (part 2)

The latest news about Apui's condition is "Apui is recovering, and he is a happy doggy"

WARNING:
The following writing contains pictures that some may find to be disturbing. Reader Discretion is Advised.

Searching for Love under The Moon

It costs us 80NTD to get there from Taipei Station by cab. The name is 霞海城隍廟 (pinyin: Xiá hǎi chénghuángmiào) or translated into:  Xiahai City God Temple. The temple is small, yet it is crowded.  The crowd was endless, the pot was full with incenses, the temple was flooded with candies, cakes and flowers.

霞海城隍廟

The guardian of temple is 月下老人 = Yuè xià lǎorén - The Old Man Under The Moon (abb. Yue Lao)  – a Chinese god, who is responsible for matchmaking. Yes, those people who came here have one purpose in mind, to find their significant others.

As the temple received a lot of foreign visitor (last week when I was there, a troop of Japanese girls was there too), the temple staffs are responsible to teach newbies for the proper worshipping procedures. They are super friendly, they’ll teach you step by step patiently.

For FIRST timer:
- Get some gold-paper-money and incense, you can buy it on the spot for NTD50. You also need to buy some red-thread, and material for Blessed Tea material: sugar+red dates. Also available on the spot for NTD250. (please pay it yourself, do not lend money from others… or your love may goes to your friend. Hahaha)
- Go to the frontyard, pray to Ti-Kong / Jade Emperor

Yue Lao Shrine

- Get back to the temple, pray to Yue Lao. You need to tell him your name, birthday, and address. And then tell him the expected criteria of your future spouse. Be detailed, be VERY VERY DETAILED.
Don’t forget to promise Yue Lao, that if you have find your love, you’ll come back to personally thank him and bring him some “Happiness Cookies” as a token of thanks.

More shrines at the back

- After Yue Lao, continue your prayers to other gods in the temple. You won’t be lost, they put numbers on the shrine. Just follow the numbers, k?

- After praying to all gods, get back to the front yard and place your incenses in the big burning pot. For the gold-paper-money, you can just leave it on the table in front of the temple, they’ll help you to burn it.

pouch for red thread for sale

- The staff then will give your red-thread and place it in a special pouch (you get it for free – special for foreign visitor). You need to “add power” by circling the red-thread into the smoke from the front yard incense pot. Do it clockwise. Make a wish! Now place the red-thread pouch in your pocket or bag. Remember to carry it with you always, love can be found anywhere, you know!

- The staff will also give you some “Happiness Cookies” ie. candy, cake, or biscuits. – which was offered by successful couples as a thank you to Yue Lao. By eating those, may you get infected by their love-success.

Blessed Tea for Sweet Life

- And at last, the staff will offer you “Blessed Tea” (remember you bought some ingredient for tea? – this is the result). By drinking the tea, may your life will be sweet and peaceful. The tea is hot, but please do not blow your tea. As the action may also blow away your chance to find love

- Voila, done!!!

For SECOND timer, you can omit buying the tea-ingredients and the red-thread. After all the above procedures, all you need to do is to “add power” to your previously owned pouch. And you can take more "Happiness Cookie" and drink some Blessed Tea too :)  

What a lovely afternoon tea...

I visited the temple earlier this year. If you asked me, does it work? I have to admit that, IT DOES. It works, exactly like what I requested to Yue Lao. The problem is, my request wasn't detailed enough.

As for this second visit, I couldn’t bring myself to ask for a new love candidate. The one that he got me before was perfect, but ... (sorry, I can't tell you)

So, this time, I wasn’t really “panicky” to go to the temple. My friends were. Hahaha.

Btw, according to the temple staff, they received about 20something packages of "Happiness Cookies" DAILY. That means there are more than 7000 marriages a year!!! OMG, Yue Lao is so busy!!! Yue Lao, please pay more attention to me. >.<~

NOTE:
When I took these pictures, I overheard 2 boys who were sitting in front of the temple saying “Look at them, praying so seriously, why can’t they just open their eyes and pay more attention? Can’t they see that there are choices, right in front of their eyes”

I laughed, those boys were right. We prayed so hard asking for prince charming to sweep our feet away, but in fact, the perfect guy is right here, right in front of our eyes. Yet we choose to ignore them.
Pathetic, isn't it?
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Who is Yue Lao?
Here is the legend behind it (Believe it or not, I heard this story from mom long time ago when I was a little kid)

Yue Lao’s legend dates back to the Tang-Dynasty story “The Marriage Tavern.” A scholar named Wei Gu meets an old man in a tavern. Watching him thumb through a barely legible text by moonlight, Wei realizes he’s the netherworld official who binds together couples listed in the registry of those predestined to marry.

When the curious Wei asks who he is destined to marry, the old man replies that he will marry the three-year-old daughter of a blind vegetable seller in the market. Upset by the news, Wei orders a servant to kill the little girl. She survives the attempt, but scarred and is adopted by a provincial governor, who marries her to Wei Gu some 14 years later. After his marriage, Wei discovers that the flower petals his wife sticks to her forehead hide a scar from a knife wound received as a child, and realizes that Yue Lao’s prophecy was accurate.