The Prayer

I pray you'll be our eyes, and watch us where we go.
And help us to be wise in times when we don't know
Let this be our prayer, when we lose our way
Lead us to the place, guide us with your grace
To a place where we'll be safe

La luce che tu hai
I pray we'll find your light
nel cuore resterà
and hold it in our hearts.
a ricordarci che
When stars go out each night,
eterna stella sei


The light you have
I pray we'll find your light
will be in the heart
and hold it in our hearts.
to remember us that
When stars go out each night,
you are eternal star
Nella mia preghiera
Let this be our prayer
quanta fede c'è
when shadows fill our day


How much faith there's
Let this be our prayer
in my prayer
when shadows fill our day
Lead us to a place, guide us with your grace
Give us faith so we'll be safe

Sognamo un mondo senza più violenza
un mondo di giustizia e di speranza
Ognuno dia la mano al suo vicino
Simbolo di pace, di fraternità


We dream a world without violence
a world of justice and faith.
Everyone gives the hand to his neighbours
Symbol of peace, of fraternity
La forza che ci dà
We ask that life be kind
è il desiderio che
and watch us from above
ognuno trovi amor
We hope each soul will find
intorno e dentro sé
another soul to love


The force his gives us
We ask that life be kind
is wish that
and watch us from above
everyone finds love
We hope each soul will find
around and inside
another soul to love
Let this be our prayer
Let this be our prayer, just like every child

Need to find a place, guide us with your grace
Give us faith so we'll be safe
Need to find a place, guide us with your grace
Give us faith so we'll be safe

È la fede che
hai acceso in noi,
sento che ci salverà


It's the faith
you light in us
I feel it will save us

Faith see the invisible, Believes the unbelievable and Receives the Impossible!

Man Chou Lau, Meixian

This place is named 1000 Autumn Restaurant(direct translated) and  used to be the residence of  a wealthy Malaysian, It was subsequently sold and now operates as a restaurant specialising in Hakka cuisine. 

Don’t you just love the olden days where there is a centre courtyard in every Chinese  home? If this restaurant were to have someone playing the  guzheng, erhu or some other Chinese Musical Instruments, then that would be bliss!! Unfortunately all they have are rooms to accomodate individual groups. But the surrounding is very nice with fish ponds and bonzai.

These are basic Hakka cuisine of which you will recognise the main ones.

My favorite of Mui Choy Kiu Yoke. Braised pork over pickled mustard leaves.  

Pretty hostess to recommend the food is always welcome in my brother’s books.

These carps were in a small pond in the premises and look at how they are fighting to get the food. Reminds me of the rat race we live in…

 

Meixian to Taipu

From Meixian to Taipu, you have to arrange transport via a van or taxi for the 3hours journey. As they were travelling in a big group of around 10, a 20-seater mini bus/van was arranged that costs 500yuan per day. You will have to pay for the driver’s accomodation and food as well if you are hiring him for a few days. 

On the way, you will come across many small 1-street villages and can stop for a cheap meal. You will be surprised with the delicious food you can get for around only 200yuan for 10pax.  

Salt Baked chicken

Small mushrooms.

Claypot mushrooms(different type). Indeed mushrooms are aplenty in Taipu.

Some deep fried yam dish.

2 different pork dishes..one stirfried with vege(top pic) and another claypot with vege(bottom pic).

Preserved mustard leaves…braised.

More than enough food for everyone in air-conditioned comfort.

Taufoo or beancurd is a must eat!

Another type of preserved mustard leaves . As i mentioned earlier, preserved vege is a Hakka speciality so they do cook them in different ways. Pork is also a must have Taipu dish and the pork in China seems to be more succulent and delicious. 

Infact after the trip, most of the group were abit ‘jilak’ with pork already. They were having 2-3pork dishes at every meal.

I suppose the next time, the trick is to just order 1 pork dish a meal to prevent from over-indulging! Less is more afterall.

Cooking Big Hakka Style in Taipu

You will never guess this old fashion fireplace can produce a feast right? Well thats exactly what my Aunty and her daughter  in Taipu managed to do…with firewood no less! She uses this big wok to cook for big groups.

So the dishes keep coming and everyone’s waiting patiently for all the food to arrive!

Dishes are small but varied and served at 3 tables.

This my Uncle CH( aka Jayzee) in the cap. I think he is quite hungry already? But still have to wait awhile longer…

Finally all the food has arrived and   stacked up no less for prosperity…lots of food for everyone! I think its a Chinese Tradition to serve as many dishes as there are the number of people at the table…hence….

My Aunty cooked the  favorite Hakka dishes..this one you will recognise its the  Sohn Pan Tzai (算盘子) or Àbacus Beads: Made of dough formed of tapioca and yam, cut into abacus-bead shapes, which when cooked, are soft on the outside and a chewy on the inside. This dish was cooked with  dried shrimps, mushrooms and scallions.

I dont know whats the name of this dish but its  a Hakka Dessert -sticky sweet rice dough with radish and ginger.      Roast Duck was bought i think not cooked by my Aunty.

This is just boiled chicken and not Salt Baked chicken which the Hakkas are famous for. But there was salt baked chicken as well tho no pic of it . At the back is Deep Fried Taufoo.

Fried Glutinous rice with shallots and  mushrooms.

This gulp…is my favorite…Stewed Pork(here we call it Yuen-Tai)..!! Yumms…

Soup of Pig’s Intestine with Pepper. Steam Fish(from the lake!) at the top right hand corner. In this part of China, fish from the sea would be very expensive so most of the fish you find here comes from either the rivers or the lakes.  

This is Stir Fried Beef  with Green Bell peppers.

Another classic Hakka dish of Pig’s Intestine fried with pickled Vegetables.

The dish piled on top is Stir Fried Beef with Vege. 

So everyone sits down for  a feast and you can also notice the walls are decorated with brightly coloured red paper with auspicious writings as it was nearing Moon Cake Festival(a week later) which is a Big Festival in China.  

My Uncle also taking pics and note his cap is place backwards…so hip hop leh!

  

In  Taipu or even China, this would be considered a big feast with so much meat as the average families may only have 1 meat dish at normal meals.

Pickled vegetables are very much used in most dishes as the Hakkas are famed for their frugal traits: any excessive supply was pickled for future needs. The most famous pickled vege is of course the pickled mustard leaves or mui choy and cooked with kiu-yoke(pork).

The Chinese believe that to be able to enjoy food  is one of  the major  blessings in life so here’s to more food prosperity!! 

Birds of China

My bro Patrick loves to take pics of the feathered kind and no exception on his recent trip to China. FYI his morning alarm is set to birds chirping!! LOL…       48