Spider and a Lotus Bloom

Yesterday was the first day of Lotus Bloom, I saw a tiny green spider hiding inside the almost-bloomed lotus flower.
Took my camera, and he gave me a few cute poses.

This is the first lotus bloom at my garden. I planted it from a seed a year ago, finally, she gave me some flowers (see the video slide!!!)

And the Spider says "Good night, I wanna stay inside the bloom tonight"

KumQuats

Here is the picture of our garden's kumquat.
It's funny, it has more rind rather than the juice vesicles; yet still quite sweet (10 Brix) with a bit of citrus oil zing.
Mostly people preserve in heavy sugar syrup, but we like to eat it as it is
They look pretty, don't they?

Lotus Seeds

My quest for hunting lotus seeds been going very slow... All I got is the ones that I collected nearby here. And they have been growing well, but I want more varieties!!! Hahahha

I really want the Thai version which are more plump and fleshy-er than what I currently have.

Ling has been helping me by asking some monks to get me some seeds. 

Here they are, the monk got me 5 packages of lotus (no clue about variety and colour)... seems like all are "still" pink ones. They are now being soaked. We'll see how it sprouts :)

Kids' Report Card :)

I've been supporting 5 needy kids for their education needs since last year.
2 days ago, a friend sent me one of the kids' report card.
He is still in playschool, only 5 years old. I hope I'll be able to support him to higher education level.
Here is his picture and his report card :)

Btw, I pixalated his picture and name to protect his ID and innocence. Thanks to AD for reminding me :)

How to eat Mangosteen / Manggis

Some people cut with a knife, 

Some people squeeze it hard 'til it stained their hands, 

Some people use spoon to scoop the flesh out

But, here it is the easiest-tool-free way to eat mangosteen (without any stains and the flesh will be bruise free too)

Remember, practice makes perfect

The Secret of "a Dad, an Auntie and an Uncle"

Budi, me, and Edwin

I know it sounds like abit too lavish... But I flew all the way to Surabaya just to attend Budi's baby - Darren's 1st Bday was on 8th Jan. His parents made a real party bash for this handsome baby.

And for me, it's quite a reunion with my old uni friends :)

"Uncle" Edwin too came to join the baby party. Hahaha

Budi, Edwin and me were in the same college for foundation year in Australia. We happened to stay in the same dormitory "The Lodge".

We had a fun time there, and of course, I might have shown the darker side of me, like...

- breaking into someone's room (when they locked their keys inside),

- stealing Milo from the kitchen (so we could stand the hunger of midnight-rush before exams),

- breaking coin-operated washing machines (so, we can all wash for free),

and many more mischiveous acts.

I am still very proud of it. Hahahha.

One day gonna tell the stories of our golden time to Budi's son. Sure gonna blow his mind. WTF!

Big thanks to Budi for the hospitality and the chance to gather up again. True friends last forever. Just realised how much I miss you all :)

How Sweet Are You, Sugar?

Bought a refractometer last year, but couldn't get a hold of it until last week.
So here it is: Atago Refractometer :)
Gonna use it to check the sugar level on my garden's fruit, surely gonna be my fave toy :)

Me in Long Hair

This is the look that no one ever seen before "Me in Long Hair"

These hairpieces gave me an instant long hair look without the pain of growing them on my head.

 So convenient. 

So what do you think? Should I get it?

Puppies Adoption List

The four puppies of Chocolate will soon up for adoption. Maybe in about 3-4 weeks time, when they are fully whelped from their mother.
All of them are un-named, except Petir (so I just emergency-ly name them; their foster parents will rename them); here they are:

Petir

1. Petir
Petir means Thunder, was named so, 'cos the mother was in labour when there were big thunders.
He has all white fur except on his head, as if he's putting a mask
He is the bravest, most playful among all of the brothers; not scared of humans
He will be adopted by my neighbour, afterall he is the rightful owner of Chocolate

Brownie

2. Brownie
He has all brown fur, except on the tips of his toes.
He is a shy one, often get bullied by his brothers, they like to bite his hind legs
He will be adopted by local bank's security guard. He'll grow to be a tough boy!

Erick

3. Erick
He is the chubbiest among all. The fastest to get milk from his mom; he somehow got a trick to kick his brothers away while drinking milk.
He's kinda moody, he can be friendly at one time, and being ignorant for next second. Apart from eating, he loves sleeping too, anytime, anywhere.
He will be adopted by Erick, a friend from temple.

Harry

4. Harry
An auntie fell in love with this pup cos of his pattern, it reminds her of her late dog, Harry: the white line on his forehead & his big white collar
He is the shy-est among all. He often run to his box ignoring his brothers who are busy playing or eating.
He likes to hide in small, hidden places and get stuck! Then he'll cry for help.

1st Harvest of the Year

Here's what I harvested from our garden yesterday right on the 1st day of New Year
May 2012 be a bountiful year.

L-R: Passionfruit, Papaya and Grapes

Hello 2012

Is this too late to greet you, 2012?
Welcome...
I don't think the end is coming yet... Haha