Recipe for bee koh (glutinous rice with coconut milk)

你知道什麼是bee koh嗎？它是甜椰漿糯米糕，是一種娘惹糕。我家人大多數在拜天公誕時才做bee koh（米糕）當供品。她們做好后，為了使供品有‘红’ 色及好意兆，所以要我用红色素沾水在糕上寫‘福’字之類的，我的書法還好也樂得可以揮字。

我很喜歡吃bee koh，但因很久没吃bee koh了，已没想念它。上次回檳城剛好碰上天公誕，看到三嫂買的一盤bee koh供品，三幾人很快就把它吃完。

最近想起它，就參考了一些其他人的食譜，自己制做了bee koh。

材料 - 可做三盤

糯米 2杯

班蘭葉 3葉 - 可有可無

濃椰漿 200豪升

鹽 1/4茶匙

幼糖 6-8湯匙

做法

1 將糯米及班蘭葉蒸煮，未熟的五分鐘前放入濃椰漿、盬和幼糖，攪拌均勻，然后蒸至熟。

2 棄掉班蘭葉，用盤或模型盤盛裝煮熟的糯米。冷后切塊食用。

Do you know what ‘bee koh’ is? It is glutinous rice with coconut milk; a Nyonya dessert. My family used to make bee koh as one of the food offerings for the Festival of the Jade Emperor, a Taoist god. They wanted the food offerings to have something ‘red’, or a good meaning like福 (fu in Chinese means good fortune), on top of it, so they had me use red food coloring to write a word, because I was good at calligraphy. I remember I was always glad to write for them.

I like bee koh but have not had it for a long time and almost forgot it. Last time I was in Penang was during the festival, and I saw a plate of bee koh, which was a food offering from my sister-in-law. We finished it immediately.

I remembered it recently, so I looked at other peoples’ recipes and made my own bee koh recipe.

Ingredients – Makes 3 plates

· 2 cups glutinous/sweet rice

· 3 pandan (screwpine) leaves - optional

· 200 ml coconut milk

· 1/4 tsp salt

· 6-8 tbsp sugar

Method

Steam or cook the glutinous/sweet rice with pandan leaves. Add in coconut milk, salt and sugar 5 minutes before rice is done. Remove pandan leaves, and press the cooked rice onto a plate or into a mould. Let cool, then cut into pieces.

No deal

我看到馬來西亞的報導涉嫌贩卖婴孩被捉及一篇對此事批評＜生命何价？＞一文章。啊！這世上就是有如此複雜的事。

我就先講講我的小故事，我先父母的年代，没有節育的概念，所以任由我們七兄弟姐妹到世，我之上一位哥哥五歲后就是我，也是最后一位。在我少年時，也不知講到何事，我姐講了关於我出世時，有位朋友是護士，她结婚多年卻没有兒女，有意向我母親要領養我為女，母親並無介意，口頭接受，而我大哥大姐卻反對，但后來是因為我的生辰八字不合領養人，所以没有成交！當時我正在幫忙父親的小販工作，聽了覺得不快，我說，“如果是给護士領養去，一定會比較好命。” 我大姐反駁說，“你怎知道，可能他們會kor tok（虐待）你也不一定！” 哈哈…我是註定留在這個家。

之前我的週圍朋友對我說她們的某人因無生育而花錢購嬰的事… 那時我還單純以為可能是外勞的女性無法扶養而願賣嬰… 原來背后是有集團操作，唉…又是一種無良的人！

I read a Malaysian news article about some people being arrested in connection with baby-for-sale racket and a Chinese article ＜生命何价＞ criticizing this issue. Ahh! This world is full of complicated issues.

I would like to tell a little story of mine. During the time of my late parents, they didn’t have any concept of birth control, so all seven sons and daughters came one by one. I am the last, born after my elder brother was five years old. One day, when I was a teenager, I chatted with my sister and she said: a few days after I was born, a friend who is a nurse but didn’t have any kids after being married many years intended to adopt me. My mom didn’t think much and said okay, but my eldest brother and sister objected. After they checked with an astrologer, it was no deal, because my birth date did not match that adopter! I felt unhappy when I heard; at that time I was helping my dad’s work (he was a hawker). I said, “I might have had a better life if the nurse had been my parent.” My sister retorted to me, “Who knows, they might have treated you bad; you couldn’t be sure!” Haha…my destiny was staying with my family.

I heard before about a few friends whose relatives didn’t have kids and bought babies… I was simply thinking that maybe some foreign workers who couldn’t afford to raise their babies… Nowadays, the fact is the racket dominates behind the scenes. Sigh…more unkind people!

Please don't...

我從檳城買了一大包的油炸蔥，有幾次煮麵放一些炸蔥，增添美味…

不久前收到email講述說，有些賣者為了讓所炸的食物保持酥脆，所以先用塑膠罐放進油内熔化，再炸其食物，炸蔥也是用此方法！嚇得我趕快拿出这包炸蔥來仔細端詳，我發現這些炸蔥有白白的碎塊，硬硬的，有些還沾着蔥…真的有点怀疑是塑膠冷固后的塑膠塊！為了健康，不如整包丟進垃圾桶算了！

唉…怎麼要做如此無良的供應者／賣者呢？

Travel around the world

最近TLing每星期有一、两天來載我去她中心帮忙圖書館的工作，她常稱讚人當然包括稱讚我，也說應該是菩薩將我送來這裡帮助她。我反而覺得是很感恩可以向她學習，也讓我做一些義務工作，生活不那麼單調。其實能不用為謀求生活工作而當義工，是我的願望之一。

我還有一個願望是能和丈夫環遊世界！

Recently TLing came to pick me up to help work for the library at their center one or two days a week. She always praises others including me, and says she thinks a Bodhisattva sent me here to help her. I think the reverse; I feel gratitude that I can learn from her and that she lets me do some volunteer work. So my life is not too boring here. In fact, I wish I could volunteer instead of work for a living; this is one of my dreams.

I still have one dream: that I go travel around the world with my husband!

Loh mai kai or bak chang?

在馬來西亞的點心茶樓，一定可以吃到 loh mai kai（糯米雞）。Loh mai kai（廣東話kai即是雞），當然是有雞肉，然后其它可放臘腸、香菇的，放在小碗蒸熟。

我家人在端午節時，會做bak chang（肉粽）來祭節。Bak chang也是用糯米，福建話bak即是肉，但通常是有肥豬肉，及鹽鴨蛋黃、蝦米、香菇的，包裹在竹葉蒸熟。

我没有買竹葉，但我的糯米是有肥豬肉、臘腸、鹽鴨蛋黃、蝦米的。也不知道應該是loh mai kai還是bak chang？管它是什麼，好吃就好！

You can easily get ‘loh mai kai’ (chicken & glutinous rice) at any dim sum restaurant in Malaysia. Of course loh mai kai (kai in Cantonese means chicken) should have chicken, Chinese sausage, and mushroom. Then put them in a small bowl and steam it.

My family always made ‘bak chang’ (glutinous/sweet rice dumpling) for the rice dumpling festival, called ‘duan wu jie’ in Mandarin, on the 5^th day of the fifth lunar month. In bak chang (bak in Hokkien means meat) they normally use pork, with salted duck egg yolk, dried shrimp, and dried mushroom. Then wrap them in a bamboo leaf to form a dumpling, and steam it.

I didn’t buy dried bamboo leaf, but I made glutinous rice with pork, Chinese sausage, salted duck egg yolk and dried shrimp. I don’t know; should I call it loh mai kai or bak chang? I don’t care about this, as long as it is tasty!

You are one of the stars in my sky

時間很快的，我住在美國已一年，感受了四季的生活，接触新的環境、人、事、物，大致上都還好，身心已比較能安定。

雖然還是會想念馬來西亞的人、事、物，但日子不會因為我的回憶而停頓。在馬來西亞認識的朋友，你們都好嗎？我很納悶有幾個朋友不再给我email，不知何故？再過幾年不知是否會變成陌生，漸漸在記憶中淡化？也許我是你天空的一片雲，我卻願你是我天空的一顆星！

Time is flying; I have been living in the USA through four seasons for one year in a new environment, met new people and seen new things. My body and mind are both more settled down.

Although I still miss the people and things in Penang, time doesn’t stop when I go back in my memories. All my friends I met while in Malaysia, you guys doing well? I have doubts, since a few friends don’t send me email any more, I don’t know what happened? Will we be strangers and disappear from memory after several years? Perhaps I am like a cloud in your sky, but I hope you are one of the stars in my sky!

Bring up your life energy

两天的中華日在Missouri 花園舉辦，我們協助國際佛光協會義賣為四川地震賑災籌款…

花園的水仙、鬱金香、櫻花等的季節已過去了，現在花枝招展的是鐵線蓮、杜鵑花、蝴蝶花等。五顏六色的，真美！

如你看了太多沉重的災情照片報導，希望這些花花綠綠的照片能提高生命的能量…

Every year, the Missouri Botanical Garden hosts a two day Chinese Culture Days. We helped the Buddha’s Light International Association charity sale to raise funds for earthquake victims in Sichuan, China…

The daffodils, tulips, cherry blossoms, etc. were already over at the garden. Now, the shows are clematis, azaleas, iris, etc. So many colors, they are beautiful!

If you have seen the many pictures and reports of disasters, and they have made you feel down, I hope these colorful flower pictures will bring up your life energy…

Your efforts and merits

5月3日和12日分别是緬甸和中國的天災，實在讓全球人民都感到震驚。很多團體為這些災難人民籌款捐助、祈禱…

我的blog遲遲還未達到或賺到Google商業的US$100，我曾說（http://lktansinee.blogspot.com/2007/11/process.html）若得到第一張支票，就會把它捐出去。不過既使未有，我就代表大家而先捐款给緬甸和中國四川賑災各US$50，敬告各位讀者，這是你们的努力和功德。

May 3 and May 12 were the disasters in Myanmar and China; they shocked the whole world. Many organizations are helping raise funds and praying….
I still haven’t reached US$100 from my blog’s Google commercials, but in my post (http://lktansinee.blogspot.com/2007/11/process.html) I said I intended to donate it when I receive the first check. I wanted to inform all my readers that now I represent all of you, and have donated US$50 each to the Myanmar and Sichuan relief efforts before I have received a check, even though I am not sure when I will get it. These are your efforts and merits.

MAY

星雲大師法語﹕

人生之大病，不在無用，而在無明﹔事業之成功，不在學歷，而在學力。

The greatest handicap lies not in lack of ability, but in lack of understanding.

The key to success lies not in your credentials, but in your drive to learn.

By Master Hsing Yun

No self

每天有人朝我跪拜

口裡念念有詞

目不轉睛定視着我

我不知長得何模樣

只知道某人用雕刻刀

向我刻着刻着

經過許多過程

輾轉到很多地方

現已不知身在何處 只記得

我本是木！也許不

Somebody bows to me everyday

Praying

Focused and concentrated, looking at me

I don’t know what my image is

But I know someone used knives

To carve me

And more processing

Passing through many places

Now, I don’t know where I am, however I remember

I was wood! Perhaps not

Mother Day

我們给Steve的媽媽一幅十二生肖圖，她覺得很特别，當天就找一處牆，即把它掛上。我們在她家與她有個愉快的母親節。
在回家的路途，我們去了Kansas City的Powell 花園… 啊，這花很大，原來是牡丹花。一間玻璃透視的小教堂…

We gave a plaque with the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac to Steve’s mom. She likes its uniqueness and found a place to hang it in her house. We had a nice Mother’s Day together.

We went to Powell Gardens near Kansas City on the way home…. Ah, this is a tree peony; the flower is big and pink. They have a chapel with glass…

Stores

每星期我們的郵件都會收到各商店的廣告單，優惠的貨項… 我見ALDI連銷店的某些貨項優惠，真的很便宜，如無子葡萄价格是一盒USD1.58／两磅裝，而Steve喜歡去的Schnucks 連銷店，我們曾買過的無子葡萄最優惠也要USD1.50每磅，平時价是USD2.90每磅。

剛開始我要Steve帶我去ALDI，他很免強，他不喜歡ALDI，認為廉价可能是品質不好、貨物品類不多、不提供免費購物袋等… 但我買的葡萄、橙，都很甜、好吃。我堅持再去，幾次后他才慢慢改觀，比如一些他熟悉的牌子Pringles薯片，ALDI平時价是USD0.79，而其它商家優惠時是USD1.00（平時价格當然更高），若我們消費的話那是節省至少21%，以此類推其它消費的貨項，實能讓我們省了一点錢，在這貨物高漲的時期，還是要貨品三家，盡量節省。可是ALDI是小規模的商店（约1/5的Schnucks面積），只有两、三位的收銀員（没有包裝員，購物者須自行整装所購的東西），但我想應該是它的成本較少，所以是其中一個使其貨品標价廉宜的因素之一吧！

其實我也欣賞ALDI不提供免費購物袋（但它有售塑料／纸膠袋），那可減少塑料／纸袋的消耗，環保地球的一項。

ALDI可没付我廣告費哦！

We receive grocery store sales ads every week…. I read one from a franchise chain, ALDI, which had some very good deals, likes seedless grapes for USD1.58 for a 2 lbs pack. Steve likes to go Schnucks and we have bought seedless grapes there, with the cheapest sale price USD1.50/lb, and the normal price about USD2.90/lb.

Steve didn’t like ALDI but I wanted to go there. He thought, since ALDI’s prices were so much cheaper they might not be good quality. They don’t have many varieties of products and you have to buy the shopping bags for your groceries if you don’t bring your own. After I bought some grapes, oranges and other things, I thought they were good. So, I wanted to go there again and after a several times there, he changed his mind a little bit. He likes Pringles potato chips, which is a brand he is familiar with. ALDI’s price is only USD0.79, but its sale price is USD1.00 at other stores (of course the normal price will be higher). If we bought it, the savings is at least 21%, and similar savings on other items. These will save us a little money. Recently many products prices have increased, we will compare and try to save money. However, ALDI is small (about 1/5 the size of Schnucks) with two or three cashiers and no bagger. Maybe because their cost is lower compared to others, so their prices are cheaper!

In fact, I appreciate that ALDI doesn’t provide shopping bags (they sell plastic/paper bags). That reduces the quantity of plastic/paper bags, which is one solution to help protect the environment.

ALDI didn’t pay me for commercial ads here!

Ice kacang

前幾天分别買了巧克力豆漿、罐裝玉米、冰淇淋、红腰豆。红腰豆让我想起馬來西亞的冰甜品 – ice kacang（红豆冰）／ABC（ice batu campur in Malay）。
我很喜歡我自制的冰甜品，有别與ice kacang…

A few days ago, I bought chocolate soy milk, creamed sweet corn, ice cream and red kidney beans. After I had bought all of these, the red beans made me think about a dessert in Malaysia – ice kacang (red bean ice).

I made a dessert that is a little different than ice kacang, but I like it…

红豆冰食谱 Ice Kacang Recipe - http://eheartrecipe.blogspot.com/2009/02/dessert-ice-kacang.html

Vesak Day celebration at MABA

TLing告诉我們，有位法師是馬來西亞人，即三慧講堂竺摩長老的徒弟在這兒創辦中美佛教會（MABA），他是继如法師。

上星期天，中美佛教會預先慶祝衛塞節，我們和TLing夫婦共乘車前往，駕車约一小時到遠离市區的地點。继如法師選擇了這風景幽靜的地方修行，TLing說這裡的殿堂都是他自己建造的… 有不少其它佛教會，如南傳佛教、漢傳佛教、日本禪宗、藏傳佛教的僧眾到來參與，但继如法師現在進行閉关，所以没有參與。南傳、漢傳師父各别帶領誦經，而日本禪宗師、藏傳喇嘛（他們教派的禪宗師／喇嘛是可结婚的）各别给講座。

TLing said they met a venerable who is from Malaysia; he is Master Ji Ru, one of the disciples of Ven. Zhu Mo. He built a temple called Mid-America Buddhist Association (MABA) just outside of St. Louis.

Last Sunday, MABA had a Vesak/Wesak Day celebration and we carpooled with TLing and her husband – the place is out in the country, so it took about an hour to drive there. TLing mentioned that Master Ji Ru chose this beautiful, scenic place, and built these halls himself…. Several Buddhist organizations, like Hinayana/Theravada Buddhism, Mahayana Buddhism, Japanese Zen, Tibetan Buddhism and others came for the celebration. However, Master Ji Ru is in a silent retreat and didn’t come out. The chanting was led separately by venerables from Theravada and Mahayana traditions, and talks were given by a Zen master and a Lama (both of these branches of Buddhism allow masters/lamas to get married).

Zoo talk

St. Louis的動物園没有什麼特别，好在你卻不須付入門票，但听說它的停車场是每輛車要付US$10，不過你可停車在附近的Forest Park，走幾步去動物園。這天，就去给動物們看看我和Steve。

雄孔雀當街示愛，雌孔雀 ‘吊价’ 不理，雄孔雀再施展着渾身解數！

一對豹子在拍拖…

“呀…為什麼把我關在這里？” “有什麼不好呢？我們不須勞動就可享有‘長期飯票’！”

“去你的！我才不要，我宁可要自由。” “不要再嚷啦…你看，至少這里蠻熱鬧的，可以看到很多穿不一樣衣服的‘動物’！”

“你真是的，這有什麼好玩？” “至少讓我們知道這些動物叫着‘人’ 啊，而且有不同國家、種類、顏色、体形樣貌等等。”

“啍！那些‘人’ 常拿着相機拍我的裸体照，簡直侵犯‘動物權’嘛，實在可惡！” “不要傻啦！裸体對我們來說是多麼自然的事。”

“那為什麼不给我們自然的生活呢？” “嗯？這我也不知道。”

“不知道？你還說我傻，你才笨啦！” “是… 以后拍拖不要再說這課題了，好不好？”

“不說這那要說什麼？還不去看送食物來了沒…” “哦…”

There is nothing special in the St. Louis Zoo, but you don’t have to pay an entrance fee. We heard someone say that the parking fee on the pay lot is US$10, but you can park free anywhere else in Forest Park and walk a little to there. Once, Steve and I went there to let those animals see us.

A peacock showing his love to a peahen in a street, but she is ignoring him. So he is still trying hard to show off all his skills!

A couple of leopards ‘dating’…

“Ah…why are we locked up in here?” “What did we do? We don’t need to work but have all our meals provided!”

“Damn you! I’d rather have freedom instead.” “Stop yelling…you see, its fun, at least we get to see some other ‘animals’ wearing their different clothes around here!”

“Huh, why do you think it’s exciting?” “At least we get to see these animals called ‘human’ which are from different countries, types, colors, shapes, etc.”

“Shh! Those ‘humans’ like to carry a camera and shoot my naked photos – it’s an offence to ‘animal rights’. They are mean!” “Don’t be silly! This is nature, so we are naked.”

“So why doesn’t anyone allow us out in nature?” “Emm? I also don’t know.”

“You don’t know? And you say I’m silly. You are foolish!” “Ya… next time we don’t talk about this topic again, ok?”

“If we don’t talk about this topic then what else shall we talk about? Let’s go and see if the food has been delivered or not…” “Ahhh…”

Guanyin

觀音 - 是佛教徒熟悉的菩薩。一位大學教授在St. Louis 博物館给講座…

下方那座是唐朝（618-907）及上方那座是宋朝（960-1127）的觀音像﹔這座是隋朝（516-618）的菩薩像﹔北齊（550-577）的佛像﹔北魏（386-535）的佛及菩薩像。

‘Guanyin’ – is a well known Bodhisattva to Buddhists. A professor from Washington University in St. Louis had a talk – Buddhism and Guanyin, at the Art Museum…

The lower Guanyin statue is from the Tang dynasty (618-907) and the upper is from the Song dynasty (960-1127). The standing Bodhisattva statue is from the Sui dynasty (516-618) and the standing Buddha is from the Northern Qi dynasty (550-577). The Buddha and Bodhisattvas in limestone is from the Northern Wei dynasty (386-535).