久别了的小岛，又是春天

今天偶然回到久别的小岛，春天的岛还是那么安静那么美，荒废的花园野草丛生可花还是年年的热闹地开，久没人住野鸭子也把园子当作家大摇大摆地来来去去。

Holly 院子里的冬青

 

院子里有两颗冬青树。这种小时候常常在圣诞新年卡上画的植物，原来可以长到两层楼高呢。红色的浆果在萧杀的冬日里为花园添加几分生气。

 

There are two English hollies (Ilex aquifolium) in the garden, one of them 6-7m tall. I used to thing them as exotic plants and enjoyed drawing these delightful red berreis and pointy leaves on Christmas cards in school, without ever seen the real thing.

Sunset Island 日落时分

Took these pics also whilst waiting for the comet in the garden! 不是为了看日落却看到了日落

Ducks are going home. Don't know where home is? 生产队里养了一群小鸭子，它们每天日落的时候排着队回家去

Liked the dimples it left on the river. 那一年的歌，那一年的人 生活静静似是湖水 全为你泛起生气 全为你泛起涟漪 欢笑全为你起 生活淡淡似是流水 全因为你变出千般美

The show is almost finito, the lights are diming, actors are backstage and the curtains are drawing 灯光渐暗 演员退场 一天演出就要结束

The House, The Seasons 小屋与四季

In an attempt to spot the lengendary comet, I spent hours in the garden before sunset, staring into the south-west. Numerous comet-like objects came and went -- we are close to Heathrow and it shows -- but not the lovely McNaught.


传说西南的天空日落时分能看见彗星，我在花园里耐心的等候。看见无数飞机起降在天空滑过，听见群鸟归巢，感觉到周围色温的变化，而彗星的尾巴却没有为我出现。

However, it did give me the opportunity to maybe look around me in this light, for the last time? -- weather report shows rain for the next week.


不管怎样，这应该是在花园里最后一次等待日落了。天气预报说，未来一周，有雨。

I like to hide in this little haven, the west tip of the island, peep through the yews, the magnolia and the willow tree, and the trees I don't know the names.

藏在小岛的最西边，从围绕着的紫杉木，垂柳，广玉兰和其他我叫不上名字的树木中间望出去，是个奇妙的世界。

April. The magnolia is in full bloom, the willow leaves are so fine, the green in the air is so young, so light.

早春，杨柳青青江水平，闻郎江上放歌声的时节。木兰在盛开，柳树在发芽，一切都那么青，那么轻。

June. The magnolia flowers had gone and its leaves are forming shades. The airy willow became a patterned curtain. In a corner, the wild ox-eye daisies are having a party. At another, the wisteria is having their time too.

入夏，木兰花已谢，树已成阴。柳叶婆娑，也不再是毛茸茸的样子。紫藤在狂欢，野菊花也在开派对。

We are moving, and we shall miss the house, and the seasons around it. Sometimes, perhaps?

要搬家了,会想念这里的小屋和它周围的四季的吧。

Christmas Scence in NYC 3) Christmas Tree & Skating @ Rockefeller Centre

The 69th annual Christmas tree @ Rockefeller Centre NYC

Christmas in NYC wouldn't be the same without it...

Don't know why but the skaters remind me so much of the film "Love Story"...although it wasn't about New York. We have seen so many film stories evolve aroud this city that its reality is interwind with its big screen virtuality. After so much imagination and anticipation, it's hard to tell whether you are acually seeing it or just in front of the silver screen.

Apparently after Christmas the tree will be recycled and used in horse jumping training.



洛克菲勒中心每年竖起的圣诞树和滑冰场都有差不多70年历史，它们已经成为节日气氛的一部分了。每年这个时候蜂拥而至的游客都回来这里看看或者下场大显身手。

不知道为什么，看着滑冰的人们，听着场上的音乐，仰望硕大的圣诞树，感受着空气中弥漫的节日气氛，让我想起爱情故事这部电影,尽管这并不是关于纽约的电影。其实对于纽约有实在太多的电影带来的情景想象了，走到哪里都让人觉得很熟悉。香港和洛杉矶都给我这种感觉，又在想有哪一部中国电影看过之后让我想去那个地方看看？苏州桥？

Christmas Scene in NYC 2)

再应节景

small community park, downtown NY

街心公园, 纽约下城


We just walked all the way cross Brooklyn Bridge and were excited but cold, lost, thirsty and bursting at the same time. I said I have to take a brake to enjoy the scenery but actually my feet hurt and what I really wanted was to sit down.

其实拍这张照片的时候我们刚从河对岸走过布鲁克林桥,又冷又累又渴又走丢了,只好详装欣赏美景的样子.

雾景 2 Fog

A.
archive pictures from this time last year
去年的这个时候,原来也是很多雾呢

B.
nothing seems to hinder the rowers
天山鸟飞绝 万径人踪灭
划船的人们可是雨雾无阻

C.
ducks enjoy it too
野鸭们也自得其乐

Five Day Weather Forcast, Christmas 06

The big smoke living up to its name?

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas every one ... ...
from Top of the Rock, Rockefeller building in New York!
Empire State building, green and red lights -- it's the spirit of Christmas in New York... ...

很久没有动笔啦，越忙越多想写的越没有时间写。。。大家圣诞快乐！是在纽约的洛克菲勒大厦顶上，随着落日的余晖帝国大厦的顶灯亮起绿色和红色的光芒，正是纽约圣诞的节灯。


Top of the Rock was recommended to us as to have the best view all over Manhattan and it lived up to its reputation. We didn't have a very clear view of central park but that's just because it was a hazy day. Can't beat the dusk time, purple clouds fading, lights of the city emerging here and there. You can watch people in those clear glass boxes still working and they might be watching you too. The only problem is that they don't have a bag check or cloakroom so don't go there with bags of shopping you just did in the fifth ave because you are going to have to carry it around with you all the time! It took about 15 minutes or so of queuing to get to the top so give yourself plenty of time to catch the sunset.

天边海边的落日，欲说还休的落霞
若隐若现的女神，渐起渐灭的晚灯
你在楼上看风景，看楼上风景的人在看你。

You have seen a thousand sunset by the sea
a thousand times the purple fading clounds
The green lady beckons but you couldn't see
a thousand warm orange lights emerge and they know it's dusky
You watch the people in the small boxes, busy
they are not watching you watching the city

FB4 MoonChiu 潮式早茶

在香港喝一次潮式早茶，店子叫满朝。在黄埔花园，我们住的附近。

Chaozhou style dimsum at Moon Chiu in Whampoa Garden, Hunghom Bay, Hong Kong.



点心都和广式相似，大概是改良的吧。不过开桌和买单的时候都上了功夫茶，算是特色。
This restaurant is actually not that different from your everyday Cantonese style. They did serve two courses of Kongfu Tea at the beginning and the end of the Dimsum, so to make up for the specialties.



绿豆水晶包 糯米饭团
Mung bean buns
Steamed glutenous rice buns



每样点心反而上来两碟沾酱的，好玩。

传统的烧麦，春卷
Traditional Siumai, spring roll

本来潮式嘛，应该叫粥，可是想起来的时候已经撑得不行了，只好作罢。
Chaozhou style normally calls for congee but we were too full to complete the course!

FB3 More tea drinking and meals at home

在两个倒时差和睡在床缝里的不眠之夜后，终于回来了。

Finally, after three cities and two sleepless jet-lag nights in transit, we landed in Guilin .



朋友说回来的这么不是时候，早两天空气里还弥漫着浓的不能再浓的桂花香味，而今年的暖秋让满街的银杏叶还是欲黄还青，欣赏不到黄叶的美景！

Friends felt sorry for us: we missed the sweet osmanthus scent in the air -- if only we were here the week before; and because of the warm autumn we are having here, the ginkgo leaves are still green so we miss the sight of golden ginkgo leaves too!

只好说人生总是充满遗憾，这样可以永远计划下一次。

Oh, it's always next time. Or is it?

在家里每天乖的不可想象地吃妈妈饭（爸爸饭），只抽闲出去喝过一次龙井，在解放桥边能看到七星公园的七星的左岸咖啡店和过两次蓝山咖啡和花旗参茶。左岸的炸香蕉也很好吃！热热的端上来，甜甜的糯糯的，暖胃。

Then we ate at home every night, trying to be very nice children. Only once we went out at night for some Longjing and old friend catching up. We did, somehow through all the mad rush, managed to visit the Left Bank cafe, where the bridge and the seven star park could be enjoyed through the windows, three times. Their deep fried banana is a treat: searved fresh out of the pan, hot and sweet, perfect for longly hearts.

房子我回来了 Hi house I am back

记得小时候看一部好象是日本电影，里面独居的男主人公出远门回家，对着空空的房子说，房子我回来啦！妈妈还说这些外国人真奇怪，和房子说什么话呢？不过现在我出趟门回来也会说房子我回来了！看见窗外落得一地的红叶，空气里湿漉漉的，一片萧杀的气氛，厨房窗台上的一小盒青菜苗竟然自顾自活得好好的，人说物随主人形，很让我惊喜，呵呵。

I remember when I was little we were watching this Japanese movie and the guy was greeting his flat after arriving back from a long trip. Mum couldn't understand why this guy was talking to a lifeless object like a house. Now look at me, I am doing the same thing, greeting our house after trips. Everthing seemed so cold and wintery compared to the warm weather we had whilst away so I was even more surprised and pleased that the veg tray on the kitchen sill is still going strong after a week or so us being not around!

FB纪实2 邮电大厦早茶 China Cuisine Tour Nov 06 DimSum

坐下来一杯茶，一天最好的时光就这样开始。

Sit down and have a cup of tea -- best way to start a nice day.


蒸肠粉，虾肠牛肠素肠粉，都那么好吃。

YumCha -- Tea doesn't really mean tea only, of course you know that. It involves dim sum, all sorts of them.


Steamed rice noodle rolls, with pawn or beef or vegitarian, all delicious and my favourtie.

还有艇仔粥，多种原材料慢火熬成，此地独有，风味独特。图片不见了，只好在众生相中找寻。

Boatman's congee, meal of its own, lots of goodies and yet perfectly balanced and calming.

梧州龟灵膏，下下四处奔波劳累的火气。


榴莲糕，外脆里香，回味绵长。现在还在想着！
Durian cake, crisp layers outside, rich durian inside, dream match!

FB纪实1 广州川国典藏 China Cuisine Tour Nov 06 Chuanguo Signature Delicacies

很久没吃正宗的火辣辣的。。。
Red, hot, delicious Sichuan cuisine


酸菜鱼：
Hot-pot Fish & Pickle Stew
猫的正餐。好过瘾啊，喵呜~~
Dinner for kittens
D.e.l.i.c.i.o.u.s..


宫保鸡丁(无图)：
GongBao Chicken - the original version
经常在这里吃些假冒的

麻婆豆腐：MaPo Tofu
每次都点但很少吃到满意的



干煸四季豆：
Dry-fry Hot French Beans
十年前去九寨沟一路每天吃留下的念想

Weekend Gardener

A brand new long border. Lots of humus soil, I am looking forward to the next summer already.
出发前扩挖的长花圃。土质很好，明年春天应该生机勃勃吧。

玉米和青菜

种上了墙花（很奇怪为什么叫墙花）