Ellebracht family reunion in Cincinnati, Ohio

這張照片是參與Ellebracht大家庭聯歡會的人數，我想沒參與的可能有一半人數。嘩，有這麽多家人，三代同堂，其實姓Ellebracht的只有Steve一人。
怎麼說？原來這裡的習俗是女兒嫁了人，身分證就換丈夫的姓。
Steve已故的父親和爺爺都是單傳，Steve有倆位已故的姑姑，有七位表兄弟姐妹，有倆位姐姐已嫁，當然已不再和他同姓。
為何我沒改姓呢？原因是當我一來到美國急著早一點申請到居留證，填申請單都按照我的出生紙及護照姓名呈上，Steve在如何換姓的程序一無所知，也不介意我姓什麼。所以我就保留華族的習俗，身分證用父姓，除非有一天心血來潮去換夫姓的證件，或等到那一天我的墓碑才放上夫姓。
哎，怎麼說了這麼多，還是得說回大家庭聯歡會。這次的興起應是今年Steve母親的喪禮後，Steve的大姐及姐夫就提議夏天選一週末到他們家聚會。


我們的Missouri州St Louis城市到他們的Ohio州Cincinnati城市，駕車約5小時半。
星期四去，星期天回。


在那期間孩子們去遊樂場或兒童博物館。


我們到花園，IKEA、Jungle Jim商場，還有去看一項紙皮製作的划舟賽。


紙皮划舟賽真有趣，


紙皮舟若做得不好，不僅划不來，


人還會下水。



一晚在Steve大姐及姐夫家聚餐


遊戲


玩牌。


一晚在Steve表姐及女兒租的一渡假村木屋聚餐



大人小孩水槍、水球戰


及慶七月聖誕，想不到還有Steve表姐的準女婿扮聖誕老人。


玩得真盡興。


另一表姐及女兒，他們說住camp（帳棚），回家路上遇到他們，我才知道原來他們的帳棚是高級的，鋼製，還有冷氣。

Homemade salted eggs & Boil eggs in a rice cooker

我們是潮州，想起小時候，母親早上都是煮稀飯（粥）。不知道是不是窮的原因，還是為了簡便，有時候我們一家人就是吃白粥配鹹鴨蛋或罐頭腌菜頭，偶爾有肉鬆…

我喜歡鹹蛋黄，因為有時鹹蛋白非常鹹，但如只挖蛋黄留下蛋白，一定會被父母罵。而且一餐只有吃半粒鹹蛋。現在我不僅自己腌鹹雞蛋，一餐吃了一粒半，蛋白鹹度恰好。

為什麼腌鹹雞蛋，不是鴨蛋咧？因為鴨蛋1粒$0.90，雞蛋1打$0.90！

告訴你簡便的煮蛋法，就是用煮飯鍋煮蛋。無論是生蛋或鹹蛋，不用猜水煮多久才會熟。煮飯鍋跳制煮熟即是熟了。我切開時，黄液留出，我還以為是未熟。不是没熟，原來是蛋黄油！

我吃著我煮的粥配鹹蛋和肉鬆… 回味一段往事！

We are Teochew. I remember when we were kids, my mom cooked rice porridge every morning. I didn’t know whether it was because we were poor, or because she wanted to cook something easy and simple. Sometimes our meal was plain rice porridge with salted egg or canned vegetables.

I like salted egg yolk, because salted egg white is always very salty. But if I just took the salted egg yolk and left the salted egg white on the table, my parents would scold me. I just might have half a piece of salted egg for a meal. Now, I can do homemade salted chicken eggs and I have one and half pieces for a meal.

Why chicken eggs, and not duck eggs? Because the price for duck egg is $0.90/each, but chicken eggs are $0.90/dozen!

An easy way to boil the egg is using a rice cooker, instead of boiling water on the stove. You don’t need to guess when the egg is done; just cook the egg in a rice cooker until the button turns off, then it is done.

When I cut the salted egg, the yellow liquid came out. I thought I hadn’t cooked it enough. No, it is the salted egg yolk’s oil.

I cooked rice porridge for a meal, served with salted egg and bak hu (pork floss)… recalling a past memory!

食譜The recipe: http://eheartrecipe.blogspot.com/2011/07/egg-homemade-salted-egg.html

Kuih Ketayap

通常要做糕點，都希望與人品嚐，才有做的勁，不然自己一個人又吃不完。

我做了娘惹糕之一的Kuih Ketayap/Kuih Dadar，給倆位朋友品嚐。

一位說: 這是什麼？她是台灣人沒吃過。

一位說: 很香，皮有些薄，味道很像。他是馬來西亞人，果然識貨，評估得很确實。

Normally I am in the mood to make the desserts/snacks, when I can share them with people. If not, I can’t finish them by myself and so don’t have the desire to make them.

I made Kuih Ketayap/Kuih Dadar, a Nyonya dish. I took them to meet two friends. One said: What is this? She is Taiwanese and never had this before. Another one said: Smell the fragrance, the wrapper is a bit thin, the taste is right. He is Malaysian, of course he knew and his comment is true.

The recipe食鐠

http://eheartrecipe.blogspot.com/2011/06/snack-kuih-ketayapkuih-dadar.html

Smelly smoke

“A cigarette after a meal, happy like an angel.” This is the Chinese phrase from a smoker.

I say, “A cigarette in the toilet, the secondhand smoke is smelly.” Back when I used to live with my family, my brother was a smoker. If I needed to go in the toilet after him, it wasn’t easy. I needed to hold my breath, but unfortunately I could never hold it for the whole process.

When I went back this trip, I didn’t see him smoke. I asked my sister-in-law, and she said he listened to the doctor and quit. I am glad and happy for him, his wife and kids, and others around him.

He was a smoker for about 40 years. I think it must be hard for him to get rid of the cigarettes. He did it.

I want to thank him, and wish him good health.

“飯後一根煙，快樂似神仙。” 這是一般好煙者的口號。

我說，“廁所里一根煙，臭味是二手煙。” 這是以前我住在舊家哥哥好煙的情境，經他進廁所後，如果我急要進去，那會很難受，每次撇着呼吸，但功夫不夠，總撑不住整個過程。

這次回去，看他沒抽煙，從嫂嫂知道她聽醫生，戒煙了。真替他高興，也為他妻兒女及周遭人少了二手煙歡喜。

他抽了大約四十年的煙，要戒時一定不容易，他還是做到了！

我要謝謝他，祝他健康安好。

Own cup not allowed in American Airlines!

Before the trip, when I was packing things in my luggage at home, I was thinking whether to bring a little thermos along. I don’t like using disposable utensils, because they create unnecessary trash for the earth.
The thermos did not get to travel with me finally. I didn’t take it.
在那旅行未出門前，我在家打點装行李時，我考慮是否要帶保温水罐。我不喜歡用丟棄的餐具，理由是要减少地球垃圾。
不過最終，保温水罐沒與我同行。

I regretted I didn’t have it when I saw a westerner guy hand his cup to the flight attendant in the Cathay Pacific plane. The flight attendants always have good manners and smile.
While staying in my friend’s house in Penang, she was so kind to give me one cup from set of 4 Tupperware cups. I filled it with water and it went out with me everyday.
I emptied it for the airport’s security.
當我看到有一洋男士挮他的水罐給國泰航空的空姐時，我後侮了。這些空姐都很禮貌臉帶微笑。
我在檳城期間，是住在朋友家，她剛買了一套四個水罐Tupperware，她送我一個。每天我装水帶着出去。
只在機場時沒装水。

The day we travelled back home, I almost forget I had a cup in my carry-on bag until we were in the American Airlines flight from Dallas to St. Louis.
I handed my cup to the assistant: “I would like to have coffee in my cup.”
“No, we are not allowed to do that. We use only our cups.” She sounded loud and didn’t even say it in a polite way or smile. She passed me a foam cup of coffee, and I was unhappy to take it.
After a while, she came back and said; “I hope you understand, some people bring their big containers and ask us to fill them.”
“This foam is not good for hot drinks.” I don’t know why I said this, instead of saying I didn’t ask to fill full my cup.
She said again: “That’s what they told us.”
What kind of service? Does American Airlines worry and are afraid of customers trying to ask much more than a cup of coffee? Please care about peoples’ health and the environment!
回美國的行程，我已幾乎忘了我有水罐在包里帶着至到最後的America航空機，從Dallas到St. Louis。
我挮我的水罐給空姐: “請用我的水罐給我咖啡。”
“不能，我們不會如此做，只能用我們的杯。” 她有些大聲而且也不禮貌臉不帶微笑，她挮一保麗龍杯的咖啡，我很不情願的接了。
一會，她來對我說: “我希望你明白，有些人拿很大的罐装。”
“這保麗龍對熱飲不好。” 我不知為何回應她這句，而不是說我沒要求装整罐。
她再說: “他們是這麽跟我們講。”
什麼樣的服務呀？American航空担心計較在意顧客多要一些咖啡？請關心人的健康或環境吧！

Do you think I can sue American Airlines or sue her for rejecting me using my own cup on the airplane?
Steve said no, they don’t have to provide you drinks!
I think Steve prefers to argue with me rather than others.
你認為我可以控訴 American航空或控訴空姐拒絕我用自己的水罐嗎？
Steve說不能，他們可以不提供飲品！
我想Steve是要跟我爭論多過跟別人爭論吧。

Cambodia - Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh is the capital of Cambodia, but the city is a little bad compared to the cleanliness of Siem Reap.

Phnom Penh是柬埔寨的首都，但比起Siem Reap的清潔度，這城市有點差。

It doesn’t have tourist crowds like in Siem Reap, which has the attraction of Angkor Wat.
不及Siem Reap有Angkor Wat吸引眾多遊客。

However, most Cambodians are friendly.


雖然如此，大多柬埔寨人都很友善。

Chinese-Cambodians speak Chinese.
柬埔寨華人會說華語。

It is weird. The same thing happened at the last night in the hotel in Siem Reap.
What thing? If you read my post about the last night we stayed in the hotel in Japan about the light turning on at night time. http://lktansinee.blogspot.com/2010/05/impressions-of-japan.html
The same thing happened. Steve went to bed before me, I switched off all the lights and got in the bed. I did not sleep very well that night. When I realized outside of my eyelids was bright, I was sure that a light was on. I opened my eyes a little, and a stand light was on! I was annoyed and I pushed Steve to turn off the light, but he didn’t want to get up. He said the switch is on my bedside table. I tried to ignore it and hoped I could sleep, but couldn’t. Ah… I had to turn it off finally!
很奇怪的事又發生了，相同的在酒店最后一晚。
什麼事？如你有讀我寫關於在我們住日本最后一晚酒店的夜晚燈亮事。 http://lktansinee.blogspot.com/2010/05/impressions-of-japan.html
一樣的，Steve先上床睡了，我關了所有燈，就躺下。這晚却不大能睡。不知何時我威覺到眼皮外亮亮，我知一定是燈光。我睜開眼一點點，一站燈亮著！我很不自在，推Steve要他關燈，但他不肯起來，他說燈制在我床邊桌枱。我試不理，希望能睡，但不能。啊…最終我還是得關它！

The next morning, I tried to turn on that stand light but it didn’t work. Weird huh, why could it automatically turn on in the middle of the night?
早晨，我試開那站燈，但却不能亮，我記得前幾晚我們都沒開亮過那站燈。奇怪哦，為甚麼它半夜自动亮呢？