It was twenty three years ago when I had Christmas with my parents and brothers and their families in Australia. This year, I made an impromptu trip to Australia and celebrated Christmas with them at Joseph's house.
What is Christmas like Down under without the snow?
Joseph roasted/smoked his turkeys in an American Weber BBQ, and Charles did his yummy ham. We had a great time despite the hot Australian summer. There were prawn platter, chicken, salad, salami, beef jerky, fruit platter and the fiercely claimed by Australia and New Zealand Pavlova. And plenty of champagne and vodka to wash down the food.
All my three brothers are great cooks. Cooking is not their career. Charles and Joseph are lawyers, and Henry is an anthropologist.http://annkschin.blogspot.com/2008/12/begger-chicken.html
Michelia Alba or Michelia champaca is a flower of my childhood. My grand ma, Great grand ma and all the women of that era wore their hair in a bun. They stuck a magnolia champaca bud in their bun. Their hair always smelt heavenly. My Great grand ma had a big tree. They collected the buds and soak it in alcohol to make their own perfume.
This native of southern China has a large delicate white flower. The scent is used extensively in aroma therapy products as well as Joy perfumery. This perfume is the world's most expensive perfume and I think my own female ancestors were making them decades ago.
It is an esteemed tree of Hindus and Buddhists, and it is often planted on temple grounds. Trees begin to bloom at 1-2years of age. This is also known as white sandalwood, BAI YULAN. This photo was taken at a Johore Buddhist temple.
http://annkschin.blogspot.com/2009/01/magnolia-2.html
The name is Lantana and is originally from Mexico. In Malaysia and Singapore, the common name is Bunga Tahi Ayam or in Cantonese, KAI SEE FA, both meaning Chicken Shit Flower.
http://annkschin.blogspot.com/2008/12/lantana.html
This fruit has a reputation because of it's good smell or terrible odor depending who is describing it. It is spoken with such a passion that many people are curious.
It is used in the Fear factor series and some contestants say it is the worst things they have tasted. My European Sis in law's dad pinched his nose as he briskly walked along a road selling durians and likened it to walking past a row of out house where there were lots of drunken puke.
Yet, My American teacher Miss. F after some years in Sarawak got to like the fruit, and so does my UK friend A.
Hating the fruits are also the newly arrived Chinese camp. The Chinese name for durian is LU LIAN. There is a saying, once you learn to like the durian, you will either settle or come back to the country.
http://annkschin.blogspot.com/2009/09/durians.html
http://showyourworld.blogspot.com/
Most tourists to New Zealand are taken to Rotorua. Their first impression is the sulphur smell. "Whangapipiro (Rachel Pool) - Rotorua, New Zealand"
Rachel Pool is a historic alkaline hot spring located in Government Gardens. Signage at the springs reads: "Water from this boiling cauldron is alkaline and reaches 212 degrees Fahrenheit. Silica-laden water from here was originally piped to the Pavillion Bath, later to the Bath House, and is still reticulated to the modern Polynesian Spa. Whangapipiro was renamed Rachel Pool after Madam Rachel, a notorious English cosmetician who promised youthful complexions because of the softening effect of silica water on the skin."
Hot spring is open to view 24 hours per day but it is not for using because of its high temperatures and no cold water to moderate the temperatures. The temperature (F): 212 or
(C): 100. So be careful not to put your fingers into the water to see how hot it is.
http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM412V_Whangapipiro_Rachel_Pool_Rotorua_New_Zealand
http://mytownshootout.blogspot.com/
http://mytownmrlinky.blogspot.com/
On to the "Member Voice" for August 6 - Smells by NanU.
In her words:
For the Taste and Smells theme, I was originally thinking just Smells. Food smells like barbeque and the bakery down the street bring in the Taste aspect, but also other smells: fresh-cut grass, asphalt being laid down, low tide, dumpsters, clean laundry, a loved one's perfume. There are so many things that make up part of our environment and add their particular scent to it without our really noticing. What makes your town smell like home?
(the theme was originally posted as taste and smells, now changed to just smells as suggested)
