Obsessions and Failures

Posted on October 6, 2026 by hafong

Lately I’ve been obsessed with making Chinese sticky rice dumplings known as Zongzi. Who knows why I get this sudden urge so late in life. It’s not an easy task. It involves many steps, many ingredient and a few days. Perhaps that’s the catch. I never like the easy stuff. Needless to say, I haven’t quite mastered the art of making Zongzi.

It is an art, a loving proces though at the end, I could be gnashing my teeth and snarling a mean snarl. The preparating of soaking the bamboo leaves in cold water overnight is relatively easy except for fitting all the leaves into a big enough pot. The next day I boil the leaves for 15 minutes. After it’s cool then rinsing and wiping down the leaves on both sides. Now comes the tricky part of making a pocket out of 2 leaves, filling the pocket and wrapping it all up into a triangle and tying neatly with a string. Sounds easy enough but it’s not.

The wrap is my failure. I get the pocket. I add a 3rd leave. Then comes the close up. 9 times out of 10, a leaf cracks along the vein and rice falls out. By the 7th zongzi, my hair is standing on end and I am swearing. I am lucky if I get one or two nice looking zongzi. Sometimes I have to use 4 leaves to make one. I refuse to go beyond 4. The last time I gave up with 3 more zongzi to make. So I have the leftover fillings still in the fridge.

After all the trial and tribulation I have learned a few more things. Never prepare too many leaves ahead. After storing in the freezer, they are weaker. Maybe that was why I was having so much trouble with the splitting. I thought I would save myself more work by preparing all the leaves (180) ahead of time and freezing them till I need them. So I’ve prepared 11 leaves to finish making the 3 I gave up on. This time I added a little olive oil to the boiling water to make the leaves more pliable.

Wish me luck. I’m off for my morning walk while the leaves cool off enough to handle.

An Eggplosion

Posted on September 23, 2026 by hafong

Last night was another one of those sleepless nights for me. I wasn’t in my best this morning. I thought I would take the easy way out with breakfast by poaching my egg in the microwave instead of in a pot of water on the stove top. I put 1/2 cup of water in a microwaveable bowl. I cracked an egg into it and poked the yoke with a toothpick. I put it in the microwave on high for 45 seconds. It looked raw so I did it for one minute. It still looked not cooked. I added 30 seconds. It ended with a loud explosion.

I opened the oven door. There was egg whites splattered everywhere inside. The yoke had escaped the bowl but was intact. I scraped it into the bowl and proceeded to wipe and clean the mess. It took much longer than if I had just poached in a pot. I thought I would be saving time by not having to wash a pot. Wrong! Being sleepless, I had no energy to despair. I just moped and mopped till it was all cleaned up. I am willing to try again tomorrow with this experience under my belt.

I tried to carry on my regular day. I did not do my 5 minute meditation. I have not done my 100 day project of daily readings from Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life and Surprised by Joy. I still have time to as I read only a few pages of each. However, I did do my morning walk to the mall. I hope that will help me to sleep tonight. I am not thrilled with these fretful nights. But it is what it is. No use fretting about fretting and not being able to let go and empty my mind. Accept and adopt the way of the Tao.

Snapping Out of It

Posted on August 29, 2026 by hafong

Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels.com

At some point a person have to just stop with the worrying, fussing and carrying on. Do the best you can and live. Life can kill you sometimes and you don’t want to add to that. I’ve come to that crossroad. The other evening I got hit with a sudden episode of feeling so bad. I don’t know how else to describe it. I didn’t know how to alleviate it so I threw myself into bed even though it was only 9:30. Mercifully I fell asleep PDQ.

The bad feeling was gone in the morning. I remembered though it was bad enough for me to think, I want to die. It was a bit disconcerting at first. I puzzled over it over my morning cup of tea. Then I remembered my mother saying she wanted to die in the hospital after she had surgery for her broken hip. I think it is my mother’s suffering I felt in my own body. She came to prod me to get on with things. I need not suffer like she had. I still have work to do and a life to live. There are no excuses for not doing either.

So I am giving myself a shake, rattle and roll. I am pulling up my socks and give everything another once over and see what I can do. I need not worry about being bored and not enough to do. I have bitter melons and cucumbers coming out of my ears. Yesterday I blanched and frozen a bunch of bitter melons. For lunch today I made soup out of leftover turkey, cucumbers, last years carrots, celery and barley. I still have a pail of cucumbers. I’ve been meaning to make some refrigerator pickles for days. Meaning to does not quite get the job done. So I might just get to it soon. I also have celery coming out of my ears. I have alot to do. I can’t afford to feel bad. I better snap out of it and get into the pickle.

One Day at a Time

Posted on August 26, 2026 by hafong

Photo by Fotografu00eda creativa on Pexels.com

Last night was one of those nights that sleep was elusive and impossible. Though I was not restless, I was not restful either. I tried not to waste energy stressing to get to sleep. Instead I relaxed into problem solving. How can I declutter and restore order to my life? How can I unclog the kitchen sink without calling the plumber? How to move forward with my father after he gets out of the hospital?

The end result was not much sleep and not much resolutions. I called the plumber. The kitchen sink is free flowing again. I caught up with bill payments. No movement on clutter and order. I do feel better. Non functioning plumbing can cause so much distress. I will tackle the fridge next. I have alot of turkey left. Then I added a roasted chicken from yesterday’s trip to Costco. It was such a good buy. How could I resist? I was so tired from yesterday’s Costco expedition and unloading everything. That’s when I discovered the backing up kitchen sink in the basement. Cleaning and trying to unclog it did me in. How could I feel like cooking after that? So now there’s also leftover from last night supper out.

Funny how fast things pile up one on top of each other in 2 years. I admit my best wasn’t up to speed since my mother passed almost 2 years ago. I feel I am up to my eyeballs in confusion and neglect. I do not know how to get with it and where to get with it. I guess I will just dig in first with the fridge. I will freeze some of the turkey and chicken. Then there’s the question of room in the freezer. One thing leads to another. I will get to somewhere one day at a time, one thing at a time. It’s time to stop with the excuses and get moving again. I can free flow now like the kitchen sink.

Making Bamboo Sticky Rice

Posted on July 13, 2026 by hafong

I’m having a second cup of tea on this 13th day of July and the Ultimate Blog Challlenge. Good thing it is not Friday, the 13th. I am superstituous. It is a cooler morning. Hallelujah! The last 2 days have been wicked, especially in the evenings. We seldom have the air conditioning on but it couldn’t keep up with the heat. Perhaps cooling via a heat pump isn’t as good as a traditional AC unit. Perhaps there’s a malfunction. Whatever, 27℃ made me cranky and not nice.

I am thankful that we didn’t have any storms here in the city. Other areas in the province suffered storm damages. I am foregoing my walk this morning. Instead, I am starting the next phase of making bamboo sticky rice. I’ve already soaked my rice and peanuts overnight . I’ve fried up the seasoned pork belly and boiled the peanuts. The split mung beans, dried shrimp and mushrooms are soaking. The Chinese sausages will have to be sliced. I have to find the duck eggs. I can’t remember where I stashed them. The frozen bamboo leaves are defrosted. Now, I just have to defrost myself.

I will proceed after I get my head together and a little rest. I’ve read various instructions and watched a few videos. The trick lies in the wrapping and tying. I will wing it and hope for the best. Follow up tomorrow.

Having a Daily Plan

Posted on July 12, 2026 by hafong

Today, the 12th day of the Ultimate Blog Challenge not only promises to be a hot day. It is hot already at 9 am. I woke at 6:30 to 24.5℃ in the house. It felt cool to the 28℃ at bedtime. I had to put my housecoat on. It’s all about relativity. Now it is heating up and I am seeking ways to block out the sun in the sunroom where no venetians are possible. I go through this every summer. I should have been more prepared. One forgets quickly once the crisis is over.

I think I will cancel my walk this morning and hunker down in the house. There are lots to do that I have been actively avoided. It helps to have a plan. I haven’t made a to do list yet. Writing this post would be one. I will do the next step in making my bamboo sticky rice. I will watch the video again before I start. Yesterday I prepped 160 bamboo leaves. They are nicely wrapped in bundles of 20’s in the freezer. I am sure they will be easy to defrost. I’ve measured out 1 pound of glutinous rice and defrosting 1/2 pound of pork belly. It’s a small but good start.

We have so much heat. There’s so much hate. Seemed like a good time to watch Mississipi Burning again last night. It’s a long time since 1964 – 62 years. Things have changed and yet they have not. I asked Ms. Google if the KKK is still active today. The answer is: “Yes, the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) still exists, but it operates as a heavily fragmented, shadow of its former self. Rather than a single unified organization, it is made up of dozens of independent, small chapters with an estimated combined membership of just a few thousand individuals.”

I am still reading both Heathers’ (Cox Richardson and Delaney Reese)posts every morning. It’s probably not good for my mental health. Yet it is hard to turn a blind eye to what is happening in our world. Whether we like it or not, it is happening to all of us. It is so hard to witness how much hate there is. Yet I must witness and learn from it. At the same time I must not be blind to all the good there is in us. It is good for me to have a daily plan and not fall into sadness and inactivity. So onward to the end of the UBC, morning walks, more sticky rice and more to do lists.

About To Do Lists

Posted on July 11, 2026 by hafong

A hot July Saturday, the 11th day of the Ultimate Blog Challenge. I’m feeling lethargic, in the slow after dinner slump. The dishes are not yet done, sitting in the sink. I feel least like writing but here I am, tapping away. A few days ago, I started a to do list with just 4 items. One of the 4 is write a post for UBC. Another one is going for a walk. The list works for me, getting me unstuck. I get at least 4 things needing/wanting doing done.

I’ve already gone for my walk this morning. Before that, while it was still relatively cool, I boiled the bamboo leaves for 20 minutes to sanitize them for making sticky rice. I’m waiting for the leaves and water to cool before wiping them down. This method is very labour intensive. I’m breaking it down in daily steps so I can succeed. I love the aroma of the bamboo leaves. I smell it and think sticky rice. I think the process of making the sticky rice will be a good exercise for my brain. I will talk about the next steps tomorrow.

I can feel the heat coming through the sunroom windows even though the blinds are drawn. The house is at 25℃ with the central fan running. I am comfortable though feeling sleepy. Outside it is 29℃ with a 31℃ promised. No thunderstorms in the forecast and none materialized last night. I do not like hot summer days. They drain my energy and mood. They still remind me of childhood days in our small town. Everyone is on holiday and gone out of town. Everyone except the Chinese people with the cafes. It makes me feel as if I have no life.

Funny how feelings and impressions are hard to dispel even if they are erroneous. This time around, having a to do list grounds me. I’m anchored, feet to the ground, a sense of purpose, a sense of direction, a starting point, followed by….and so on and so forth.

Struggling

Posted on June 8, 2026 by hafong

I have been consumed with garden and yard work for the last few days. I’m ready for some rest. The only way to do it is not to step outside because once I do, I get called in so many directions. The work outside is so much easier than the work inside. I’m resisting the calls. Sometimes it is hard when the sun comes out as it has now. I’m tempted to step out to see what is happening. There’s also dark clouds overhead. It is close to lunch time. I better stay and stir up something to eat instead.

I struggled making lunch. It would be easier to slap two sandwiches together. I want to make a better effort since the greenhouse has produced some snow peas. It’s good to make a tasty stirfry using things we grew. So I suffered the pain, chopping up our home grown garlic and onion. I diced some store bought ginger and chopped celery from the Co-op. Our celery are still pretty small. First I fried the garlic, then tossed in the onion and ginger. Next was the pork cut in small pieces. The snow peas and celery came last. It was worth the effort. It was a very tasty meal.

I’m struggling writing this post. I’ve been fighting off sleepiness since after lunch. It’s difficult but I haven’t given in. I know how Donald Trump feels. Lucky I’m a few years younger and probably healthier. That brings up another thing. I am appalled and disgusted at how corrupt he and his merry gang are. Where is their conscience? They look like a bunch of gangsters. What flows in their veins? And talking about being appalled and disgusted, I’ve just became aware of the 2 recent incidences of domestic violence.

The Shreveport shooting on April 19, 2026. 8 children between 3 and 11 were killed. 7 were the gunman’s children, one was his nephew.
April 16, 2026 Justin Fairfax, former Lt. Governor of Virginia shot his wife and then himself.

It’s no wonder I struggle. I read nothing but bad news stories. Are there any good news? Seems like most news are fake. Then there’s the weather. It is just plain unpredictable. After a couple of weeks of heat, it is all over. We are in the cool and cloudy stretch. The sun does come out to tease you now and then. And you never know what to wear. This morning was jacket and glove kind of weather. At least I am not sweating it.

All Gardened Out

Posted on June 2, 2026 by hafong

A cloudy and cool June 2. A tired me. This is my usual state at this time of the day. Living seems to be a busy affair. There’s no end of things to tend to once you get out of bed in the morning. Once I started moving, there was no stopping. There’s laundry to put away, floors to vacuum, lunch to be made and dishes to do after. If I stop, I won’t be able to start again.

Today is a rest from the garden. I am itching a bit to do some more planting but I am tired. I have done a pile of gardening in the last few days. Our allotment is all done. I did most of the seeding and planting as the guy’s back is acting up again. He does the stand up stuff and I do the squatting chores. I am sure my thigh muscles are pretty strong now. At times they were screaming with pain as those rows of onions went on and on. Then there was the beets and peas. The beans and corn seemed easier and faster. The potatoes were the easiest, as I only have to drop a seed potato in hole the guy made. I have the pea and bean picking to look forward to in the fall. I will take a stool along for that job.

On the home front, all 6 raised beds are planted. There’s still parts of the ground garden to do but all the squash are planted. It was the hardest part as the bed was overgrown with weeds and hard as rocks. It took me a good part of the morning to weed, mulch, add manure and plant. Of course, it was when it was really, really hot. I was sweaty as a pig after but I was happy with how happy the squashes looked. I hope they each will have enough elbow room.

These are the 3 raised beds in the backyard. I will show the 3 in the front and our community garden another time.

Meanwhile in the greenhouse, things are looking pretty good. I’ve harvested some snowpeas for my dad. The lettuce and Chinese cabbage are doing great. The cucumbers are slow and still small. I think I will get some bitter melons this year. I have 11 plants in the greenhouse. I put 2 in the raised bed outside to see if they will have enought time and heat to produce.

My Raisin Sourdough Bread

Posted on May 21, 2026 by hafong

It pays to rise early. It pays to have a plan. I can get a lot done by doing both and still have time to doodle, scroll and nod off. I was up by 6 this morning and had my sourdough folded and molded and in the fridge to chill by 6:30. I will bake it at 12:30. Sourdough bread is actually very easy to do. There’s no strenuous kneading and all the rest that goes with it. It takes me a good part of a day to make 6 loaves of bread. And I’m pooped at the end of it.

With sourdough the process takes 2 days but the steps takes little time. I am free to do other things in between. I’m not wiped out at the end. After breakfast, I finished trimming the grass in the front yard and worked at cutting out some of those hated creeping bellflowers. I’ve decided it’s a futile job to dig them out. I am sure their roots are deep and goes all the way to China. So it’s trimming and mulching to keep them at bay. There’s no point in killing myself over them. I will save my energy to plant some tomatoes later in the day.

It is almost the end of the day. I’ve taken my father out for coffee at the mall. We did a little shopping at the Dollar Store. I bought 2 plastic containers to store my log cabin quilt strips. It pays to be a little organized. One container for darks and the other one for lights. I’ve been just piling them on the table and digging, searching through them each time. It’s a bit time consuming. Let’s see if I can get my shit together. I haven’t sewn a quilt block for awhile now that planting time is here.

My raisin sourdough bread turned out pretty fine. After one small slice, I want another. Having little to no will power, I give in. Why not, eh? It’s fresh out of the oven. I might be paying the price when I weigh in tomorrow. I did lose 1.8 pounds this week. I’ve been doing some heavy duty gardening this week, burning alot of calories. All is good. I really, really enjoy the bread. Could eat another slice but I won’t.

onethousandandtwo

Looking at Infinity

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