Old Skeletons New Demons

The bones ache, the brains muddled

The ears blocked, the person’s fuddled

Old skeletons of the person’s past danced away

In her fuddled and muddled mind in disarray.

Away in the misty shadowy corners of the mind

Once she was a girl, good and proper

With a brother, mother and father

Then she was alone, the family lost

No mother, no brother, the skeletons lock

Away in the hidden corners of the mind

Once she was a wife, moral and proper

With sons, daughters and husband altogether

Then she was alone, the family lost

No husband, no daughters, the skeletons lock

Away in the far corner of the mind

Once she was a mother, strict and proper

With sons, to feed, cloth and keep together

Then she was alone, the family lost

No one to care about her, the skeletons lock

Away in the far corner of the mind

Now she is alone, abandon altogether

With sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons together

Still she remains alone, the family lost

No one able to face, the skeletons lock

Away in the recess corners of their mind.

The bones ache, the brains muddled

The ears blocked, the person is fuddled

Old skeletons dance with demons new

Looming large, the demons grew

Within the, muddled and fuddled mind.

Old skeletons once locked, now rattled

In a mind now lost, muddled and fuddled

Old skeletons once buried, now uncovered

New demons grew from skeletons uncovered

Within the muddled and fuddled mind.

New shadowy demons from old skeletons, now danced,

In a mind now lost, muddled and fuddled

Old skeletons, new demons fused and gathered together

No one to trust, no one to care altogether

A person lost in her muddled and fuddled mind.

So a tragic tale of old skeletons, Rattling and toxic

From there new demons breed, festering and acid

New demons borne from bones of skeletons past

No one care nor brave enough to bare the past

Of an Aged, Muddled and Fuddled mind.

How are you today?

I am alright, it is the rest

It is the rest of the world,
do you not know
It is the rest of the world,
do you not understand
I am alright, I am
I eat and I sleep, I will survive
I am alright, I am
I do not need nor do I want
Anything from anyone
I am alright, I am
It is the rest of them
and the rest of the world
I am alright, I tell you
I know I am alright.
Why do you not understand
I am alright,
It is the rest of you.


(A glimpse into a world of one in denial)

Lost Soul

I am Poor, Yes I am

 

My pocket’s full, I am poor  

I have a family but I am poor

I am healthy and I am poor

My stomach’s full, I am still poor

I am loved but I still feel poor

I am wealthy and I know I am poor

My plate’s full now, my soul is poor

I want nothing but I still feel poor

I have plenty but I am born poor

Yes, I am definitely poor

Everyone is rich but I am poor

Can you not see I know I AM POOR.

A Restauranteur's Thoughts

Why am I running a restaurant?  Some new migrants and previous migrants might reply; 'Cos I have no choice'. This is not so in my case.  It was a 'pride, shame and disgust'.Shame because 'How can the cuisine of my ancestors be so badly represented in the UK?'. Disgust because 'How can anyone served such rubbish to another person? Is there no pride in themselves or in there culture?'  Then 'Pride'.  I am proud of my ancestry, my culture and who I am.  My cuisine is one of the way I expresss myself and one of the way I can promote my culture.  Yes, I have a passion.

My career started as a nurse, then a housewife, after that an accountant/financial management, then a quality facilitator.  So, why exchange a cushy life for a life of uncertainties and toil, working all hours of the daylight hours, including the early hours of the morining.  My sons informed me that I must enjoyed the work, because it is the hardest work going.  Someone yesterday declared that one must be a 'masochist' to be in the catering trade.  

To-date I have project managed four restaurants, some sucess and some failure, each project, unique with sharp learning curves.  Along the way, many misgivings, much tears, great heartaches and many tribulations.  However, the overwhelming feeling is one of great personal satisfaction.

I am new to this 'blogging game'.  When I was young, I wanted to be a writer.  Part of me still yearns for this unachieved childhood dream.  My first cheque was a RM5 cheque for a poem I wrote for the magazine 'Her World' when I was 15.  Following that, being a sub-editor of the Class magazine.  All these were in my teens.  In my career life, my writing skills were channeled in writing 'Reports' in the jargon and methods of the financial management world.  There is a book of peoms I wrote in my teens lost somewhere in the baggages of my life.  Somewhere amongst these baggages, exist a half finished novel.  Some of things, I had filed away, to get on with 'Real Life', raising a family, having a career and paying the mortgage. 

'True Fusion' is a means to accomplish some of my forgotten dreams.  My blogs is the vehicle for me to document the events around my life as a caterer and a nonya living in UK, to share my joys, anguish and tribulations.   So, to all fellow bloggers who visit my blogs, 'Welcome'.  I am on my maiden journey as a blogger and hopes to learn soon all the technicalities of making my blog interesting, e.g. with photos, etc.

Ha Moon Vermicilli

The dish called 'Ha Moon Vermicilli' was concorted by the UK Chinese catering businesses (takeaways and restaurants) for the UK market.  The main characteristics of this dish is sweet and sour, with a hint of chillies.  The recipe is a variation of the Singapore Mee Hoon ( in UK curry powder is used ) and the Mee Hoon Goreng recipe ( where chillies are used ).  The word ' Ha Moon' is the cantonese word for 'Amoy' (Hokkein) or 'Xiamen' in mandarin.  This dish is purported to be from the 'Xiamen' region of China, however, this is an illusion created for the UK  and American dining market.

I have decided to put this on the net as my British born son could not find any recipe for 'Ha Moon Vermicilli' on the worldwide net.  This is not surprising as this is a fusion created in the West by the Cantonese catering personnel for the palate of the West.

Having carried out various research and tastings, herewith is 'The Recipe'

The Recipe ) For 2 persons

    2 packets of pre-soaked (fresh) vermicilli from Sainsbury, Morrison, Tesco, etc
    or use dehydrated rice vermicill ( soak enough noodles for two person)
   
    half of medium size onions, sliced thinly
    1tbsp cooking oil
    cup of small shrimps / chicken / pork (or combination)
    2 tbsp tomato ketchup
    3 red chillies blended ( pounded) with 3 garlic and 4 shallots
    salt to taste

    handful of beansprouts
    3 stalks of spring onions ( cut to 1 inch strips)
   
    1 tsp sugar ( or to taste and optional)
    half cup of boiled water ( optional)
    2 tsp dark soy sauce
    2 tsp light soy souce
    Lime or lemons to taste

1.    Put cooking oil in a non stick wok or pan and heat up.  (throw in few strands of beansprouts, when it sizzle, then the pan is ready to be used )

2.    Put the blended chillies, tomato ketchup, onions and shrimp ( or chicken or pork or combination ) and stir fry till fragrant on medium heat.,

3.    Once the mixture in the wok scented fragrant ( smells good), add in the rice vermicilli.  Mix throughly, again on medium heat.

4.    Add in the sugar, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce.  Mix throughly with the vermicilli.
    Test taste and adjust to taste.

5    Continue to stir fry till the noodles are well blended with the seasonings and the chillie mixture.  Still on medium heat.  Add water when necessary to keep the noodles from being too dry.  ( Noodles should be moist but not dry or wet )

6.    Note step 1 to 5 should take no longer than 10 minutes

7.    Once the noodles are ready to be plated.  Throw in the handful of beansprouts and spring onion. Put up the heat to as high as your hob can allow. Mix throughly for about 3 to 5 minutes or when the spring onions and the beansprouts had seared by the heat.
   
8.    Plate and served with two slices of fresh limes and a sprinkle of fresh coriander or mint.

In Malaysia and Singapore, this dish would be eaten at breakfast, lunch, or supper.