BM #3: Blue Trucks in Business

Blue Monday #3 - Blue Trucks in Business

 I live in Taipei County, 20 minutes away from Taipei City by local train and about an hour by bus. What I like most living in this place is very convenient. The train station is just in front of the place where I live. We have morning and evening fresh market. The morning market is what they called "Traditional Market", it's along the alley and whatever you need fresh is all in there. The evening fresh market is located under the train station, not much vendors like in the morning. I like the evening market best, even my relatives who came here for a visit enjoyed buying anything fresh in that evening market.

Aside from the two markets, there are also lots of places to eat if I don't like to cook. Store breakfast are different from afternoon  or evening store and night market. Another way to buy food are from the blue truck vendors. I haven't seen any color but blue, that's why I titled this blog "Blue Trucks in Business".

Here are captured blue trucks:

Fruit Vendor @ Night

Barbecue Fresh Corn @ Night

Selling Dumplings @ Night

Selling Chinese Pancakes

Selling Peking Duck (Roasted Duck)

This truck sells fruit in season, like this time -

watermelon season!

My husband in blue jacket, posing with his watermelon! :)

Happy Blue Monday!

Chinese Tea Appreciation

I attended a free seminar about Chinese Tea Appreciation offered by Mandarin Language Center of Chinese Culture University. I love drinking tea, specially green tea and I get used to drink without sweetener. Here's the PowerPoint of the seminar in Chinese, but I translated it in English just for my reference and I'm sharing it to all of you. Sorry if some characters are not be able to translate. I'm still struggling with my chinese. :)

中國茶道
Chinese Tea Appreciation

起源：
西元前2732，離今5000多年前
茶本來是一種藥; 唐以後，成為大家都喝的飲料
500 years ago, Chinese originally thought tea is a kind of medicine because it would make someone feel better. Only those rich people can afford to buy it. Later on, a lot of people opened tea store and became famous. From then on, tea is a kind of drink either hot or cold.

茶區一產茶的地：中國 (西南茶區; 江北茶區; 江南茶區; 華南茶區) Different kinds of tea are famous in different parts of China.

茶區一產茶的地：台灣 (茶是一種全世界都會喝的飲料，茶的種類很多,以台灣來說，最有名的茶是烏龍茶、包種茶等)

Even in Taiwan, different kinds of tea grows in different places. Since all over the world, people drink tea as a kind of refreshment, the most famous is red tea. Actually, there are different kinds of tea. For Taiwanese, the best tea is called Oolong Cha (Clear Tea) that comes from the tall mountain known as Alishan.
茶的種類：綠茶類; 烏龍茶類; 紅茶類; 普洱荼類
The 4 most famous tea are: green tea; oolong tea; green tea; clouds tea. Each tea has its own category.
茶具介紹：茶壺/ 茶盅/ 茶盤/ 聞香杯/ 茶杯
The things needed for making tea are: tea kettle (cha hu) / a kind of cup (?)/ tray/ cup for smelling the tea/ cup for drinking. Right now, the tea cup for smelling is no longer needed.
泡茶的方法：溫壺、溫盅、溫杯/ 方茶葉/ 倒茶/ 聞茶/ 品茶
How to make tea? Make sure no things in both wrist and sit properly.
Prepare the cups as seen in the picture below: cha hu in the left side; cha zhong in the right.
1. Pour hot water in cha hu, pour in a cha zhong (don't raise arm when pouring), then our hot water in a cup.
    (This part in only washing the cups).
2. Put 1/3 of tea in a cha hu, cover, shake, and smell
3. Pour 90% of eater in a cha hu, wait for 1 minute
4. Pour the tea in cha zhong, smell.
5. Pour the tea in a cup for drinking (When holding 4 fingers together and a thumb on the other side.)

泡好茶的方法：(The best way to make tea differs)
茶量：可從少到多 (?)
水溫：不同茶不同溫度 (different kinds of tea, different temperature)
時間：可長可短 (time should not too long or too short)
暍荼的好處：(Benefits of Tea Appreciation)
交朋友 (can find friends)
有精 神 (can keep us awake)
快樂、開心 (gives happiness)
對牙齒好 (?)
對身體好 (makes one body well)
除嘴巴裡的味道和幫助消化 (?)

Sorry for the question marks, i couldn't find words how to explain. If anyone could read this and willing to help me translate, I would appreciate it very much!

BM #2: Missionaries of Charity

Blue Monday #2
I thought of blogging the 25th Anniversary Celebration of the Missionaries of Charity last May 22nd in St. Francis Church of Assisi here in Taiwan. It was a successful celebration, we had mass in the morning then feast afterwards. I snapped some photos containing blue.


Here are some captured blue:

The altar, with the words "I Thirst"

and the 25th anniversary poster

The founder, Mother Theresa of Calcutta (India)

The 25 lighted candles

(look at the background, there's a fresh blue flowers)

The image of Mother Mary

Aboriginal kids dancing

The sisters during offertory

Happy 25th Anniversity Sisters!

*****

Have a greet week everyone!

Traditional Foot Massage

I love massage! In the Philippines, I had once a week massage at home or in a mall. In some countries I visited like Beijing and Bangkok, massage is a must. Here in Taiwan, my friend and I have a ritual of facial and body massage every month. I like the Thai Massage for 2 hours the best.

Living here for many years, I never tried this Chinese Traditional Foot Massage. They are all over the place and I heard so much about the benefit and the pain :). Here I am, out of curiousity...

First, I soaked my feet in a warm salt water for few mintues.

The lady started the massage, it was hurt but I can resist it!

After 30 minutes, she wrapped my legs with hot towel.

Here I am, It's worth!

I still had body massage for one hour.

I paid NT$1,500 (US$46) for 1 1/2 hours.

BM #1: All About Me

My name is Lani

LANI means Heaven

Hawaiian Etymology is langi means sky

Indonesian and Philippines Etymology is langit

My friends call me Lan

In Chinese lan means blue

My favorite color is also blue

That's why I decided to join Blue Monday too!

In the beginning, I thought of blogging blue food. I guess that would be difficult, knowing that we only have limited food in blue. Perhaps, whatever comes to my mind will do! Anyways, for the first entry I'm sharing you this Boiled Eggyolk Cookies I made, decorated with blue coated chocolate in the middle.

Happy Blue Monday!

Chinese Paper Cutting

Mandarin Learning Center @ Chinese Culture University is hosting Chinese Culture Seminars once a month for free. For the month of May is Chinese Paper Cutting using paper cutter. I remember 5 years ago, I attended the same seminar in NTNU but we only used the scissors.
I learned a lot today! I thought using paper cutter is harder than using scissors. It was a nice experience!

The figure pattern, cutter, and board. The white in the pattern will be removed.

The facilitator, she's helping me to cut the face... it was difficult for a beginner like me!

My finish product, time to stick it in a colorful background using a spray glue.

Chinese paper cutting is one of the oldest livin arts of the Chinese Culture.

Chicken @ Long Xian Ju

I used to live in Dazhi, Taipei for 4 years, and I'm still longing to go there at least once a month. First, my bestfriend lives there, we also have our  routine facial and massage in that area, and some of my favorite places to eat are there like "Long Xian Jun". That chicken house always serve fresh, healthy, and affordable dishes. My favorite are the Chicken Soup with Clams (without Chinese Herbs), Chicken Rice in a Bowl, Milkfish in Soybeans, Noodles in Sesame, and Sauteed Vegetables (whatever in season). The place is clean and has a touch of homey feeling with all those bamboo and lantern as decorations.

Chicken Soup with Clams

The ambiance

Our favorite