Busy Bees

Crepe for Breakfast

Sprucing Up for A Quick Sale

Just before lunch today, the estate agents came calling to my neighbour new house. They brought with them potted plants and planting them around the house. They are trying to drum up interest for this afternoon open house inspection. So far they have little successs selling the house.

My Kaffir Lime Tree

Last week we had a surprised. Our potted Kaffir Lime Tree had a fruit on it. We were delighted. Like anything, there is always a story behind it. This is the story of our Kaffir Lime Tree.

When we first came over 20 years ago, it was hard to fine Asian spices and groceries. Asian groceries store were rare, then. Most Asian spices we needed were brought over by friends and visiting relatives.

My Aunty migrated over here 10 years ago and she misses Malay cooking during her first year. She cannot find some spices and one of them is Kaffir Lime. Kaffir Lime is one important ingredient in Malay cooking.

When she was a young teacher having just graduated from college, she was posted to Kota Bahru (KB) in the state of Trengganu, East coast of mainland Malaysia. She came from a Teow Chew family and is so used to Teow Chew cooking. When arriving in KB, it was like a cultural shock for her. Almost every food was spicy and she found it hard to adapt since Teow Chew food were different and “Chng, Chng”. She was longing to finish her posting and quickly apply for a transfer out of this place, back to KL or Klang nearer to the family.

But what man or woman may plan, it is God who direct his or her steps. She fell in love in KB, got married and having little choice, she learned to adapt. Slowly and surely she fell in love with the spicy Malay food. Her servant and her Malay friends began to teach her how to cook delicious Malay food. It was an adventure for her. She began to collect recipes of the delicious Malay foods that she learned from her friends.

So in one of trip back home, she went looking for Kaffir Lime fruits so she could get the seeds and propagate it over here. She told us it was hard to find Kaffir Lime fruits and by some stroke of luck she found 2 fruits in her Malay’s friend house, who has a large tree. The total number of seeds she got out of it was six.

We were all excited when she bought the seed back. My BIL who has a green finger was given the task to propagate them. He specially bought a heating pad to propagate these seeds. Out of the six seeds only four survived. The four plants were distributed among the family and one of them was lucky me.

Today, my Kaffir Lime tree is 10 years old and we used it regularly for our cooking especially Beef Rendang which I learned from my Aunty. Whenever we have a gathering or potluck, friends would ask for Beef Rendang.

Of the four trees, mine is the only tree with fruit. The remaining 3 trees were taller and larger but no fruits and everyone was surprised that mine has fruit. They said it is the sign of good luck. Ha, ha, ha.

Inside the fruit, there were 4 seeds and my BIL is handed the task to propagate these four seeds. Now we have to wait and see how many seedlings will pop up.

By the way, I have tried to propagate the Kaffir Lime through cuttings and I have not succeeded yet. Any good suggesting?

Mending Fences

Our wooden fences require fixing every now and then. The exposure to the rain, the sun, the constant battering by the strong wind, the shrinking timber and rusty nails does not help. The fences will slowly aged and fall apart unless it is maintained regularly.

On the left side, my German neighbour will look after his side of fence. Not long ago one of the fence vertical supports broke and the fence was leaning precariously over his side. My German neighbour rang the door bell and asked if he could come over and mend the fence tomorrow.

He cut off the rotting end, dug a bigger hole, joint the end with another good timber with bolt and nuts, put it back into the hole, straightened the fence and poured concrete into the hole all by himself while I was at work the next day. And on top of that it cost me nothing.

On the right side, I have a Hong Kong Chinese neighbour. The man of the house does nothing. He will sit at home, watch television, watch DVDs, walk the dog or goes to the casino and gamble away to till wee hour into the morning. The poor wife helps to run a DVD rental shop part time in partnership with some friends. She cooks, does the housekeeping and gardening except mowing the lawn which was subcontracted out. While we are out at work, she helps to mend the fences especially the loose pickets. It was a good gesture and she need not do it.

Last Saturday, I was free and decided to do my part as a good neighbour. Armed with a hammer and nails I began fixing the loose pickets. It was a nice warm sunny day and it was so nice to be out in the sun. I felt good doing my part as a good neighbour.

As I was hammering away, my thoughts turned to my family and friends. We all have broken fences too. Sometime it needs mending. I guess we would wait it out to see who would make the first move to mend the fences. As I worked away, I realized I am guilty of it too. Relationships, too, will fall apart due to work pressure, hectic deadlines, distances, time and money. The longer, the less we communicate, we will be like the fences slowly aging, dying and falling apart in the end. I need to make an effort and the first move to mend fences with my neighbours, my family and friend. I need to communicate more with them. I am sure I would feel good, warm and fuzzy on the inside if I do.

“Good fences make good neighbours.”

Wishing and Hoping

Remember I told you about my neighbour's new house in my previous blog. After almost 18 months, it is finally finished. Me and my our other neighbours wondered when will the new house ever be completed. We keep seeing different trade persons coming in and out and it is never ending. My German neighbour reckons the new house is built on the cheap with the owner looking for cheap trade persons and looking for sales items to build the house.
Now it is finally finished and it is a relief to us all. No more heavy trucks or machinery, no more grinding or hammering noises and no more loud music from the trade persons radio. Sigh.
But, but, spluttered, cough, cough, the damned street is blocked on weekends. The owner is not going to live in this house. He put his house up for sale. The weekends is inspection time for prospective buyers.
Kepala pusing, I tell you. Between 2 to 4 pm, the street is fully parked with new buyers cars. New buyers dragging the misses, kids, dad & mum, father in law and mother in law. Off course there are also kepohs who got nothing to do on weekends popping in to look at the house.
I want to tell you a secret, why so many kepohs come inspecting the house. I secretly wish the owner get to sell his house quickly. Wah, if he can sell his house at his asking price, I tell you I will be laughing. Really, Me and my neigbours will be laughing with joy and even open champagne to celebrate if the house is sold. Oh, no not because of the nuisance we have to put up. It is............because
Ok, ok, I won't keep you in suspense anymore. It is because of the the asking price for this new house the owner wants ............trallalalaaaaalll

A$1,000,000,000+

Home & Alone

Yes, today I am home and all alone. The wife packed the bags and left me. How sad!
Oh, don't get me wrong, she packed her bags and went away for the weekend down to Wilson Promontory with her sister, brother, nephew, niece and some friends. This is the first she ever went on a holiday without me. I have used up all my annual leaves. I went to Tasmania for a week and later my younger brother came with his son, I took off another week. So no leaves left, I have to stay at home.
This current trip was planned a year ago. Yep, you heard it right. The accommodation is so popular that you have to book a year ahead. Well it suited my nephew who just migrated over here and my niece who too, just came over for her studies in Melbourne University.
The only consolation is I get back is my PC, my blogging, my favourite corner, a bit of peace and quiet.

Spring Fever

Today is the 1st day of spring. The sun is out and blazing away its full glory and the temperature today is 17 Celsius maximum. Everything looks so beautiful. The garden after having a mow together with the blooming flowers and shoots brings out beauty of the garden.




It make the heart joyous and everything I look at is so beautiful. Spring brings the life out of you.
The Spring Fever is out too. This year my hay fever is bad. Itchy, runny nose and itchy tearful eyes I am suffering now as I write. It is awful and irritating.
Spring carnival is on but there may be not be any horse racing. NSW and Queensland horses are down with Equine Flu. Victoria is so far lucky and hopefully it will stay that way otherwise the carnival is over.