Foot and Fire

1 tablespoon Canola Oil 1 tablespoon of crushed Garlic 1 large Onion, cubed 1 kilo beef tenderloin cut in strips 1 kilo Broccoli 1 can button mushrooms bellpeppers 4 tablespoons of olives 2-3 table spoons cornstarch saved water from canned mushroom salt and pepper to taste Cut meat in strips. Cut the broccoli flowers from the stem and separate into desired sizes. Remove hard outer portions of the stem until the soft center reveals. Cut into bite size. Dissolve 2-3 tablespoons of cornstarch in a bowl of water. In a wok, saute garlic and onion in oil, put the beef tenderloin and cover for three minutes. Remove impurities from the beef liquid, put a little salt and pepper and let cook for another two minutes. Put small amount of water or liquid from the canned mushroom, then place the broccoli, mushroom and bell peppers. Let cook for two to three minutes. Put sliced olives and the liquid from the canned mushroom. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let simmer for one minute. Add the dissolved c...

A screenshot of a Farm Town... (Copyright reverts to owner) A friend sent me a text message about a grandmother who left some inheritance to her grandchild consisting of a farm with improvements and accessories. When the child asked where it is located, the grandmother gave her email address and password. My friend had a good reason to sent that specific message to me. She said, I can so relate with that joke because I am an FB-resident. My cousin was likewise baffled by two yuppies talking casually about their farms and their harvests during meal time or during public ride. She figured out later that it was just a facebook thing. She is now hesitant to open an account as she might get addicted. My sister swears that she does not want to follow my footsteps. She is wiser, I must admit. She saw me how two hours were “wasted” because of my designing and redesigning of the farm. Then, there comes a time when I had to rush eating dinner because I still have to harve...

A pose with a teacup from a premier lacquerware factory in Bagan. The array of products, from teapots to jars and closets, are all handmade. The lacquer taken from a sap of a local tree is applied 8 to 16 times so that they do not fade easily. Aside from this painstaking coating of lacquer (consisting of one coat a day and then sun-dried before the next coat is applied again and the process goes on until the desired number of coating is reached).   The lacquer. *** From a plain bamboo cup to fully coated cup. *** Each cup or piece is then etched with desired design and  then a color is applied on each of the etched design. *** The gracious owner shows a sample of an etched big water glass. ***  A cabinet is painstakingly being etched by this lady. This explains the expensive pricing of the house. *** Another lady doing her piece. *** Pretty engravings. *** Sample of outstandin...

Since Mandalay is a former capital, it is a city with streets identifies by numbers and where most schools and monastery and nunnery as well are located. Mandalay is known as sources for leather and clothing. In this series of photos, I am sharing the shots I had in a factory where they produce silk products. As in everywhere, this is one evidence of a Chinese influence.   *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

             After fininshing the 900 plus steps, the first 300 with shoes and the rest is the way to the temple consisitng of 777 steps in barefoot, I realised that it is not the grandeur of the golden temple atop the hill formation that should be the goal. There is nothing spectacular in the temple perched on top of this formation. I decided that the goal should be feeling one's feet on the ground with all the dirtiness in it, breathing in the warm crisp air, enjoying the view from the top and observing the Myanmarese doing their religious ritual on various temples stationed along the way.  ***                   Southwest of Mount Popa is Taung Kalat (pedestal hill), sheer-sided volcanic plug, which rises 737 metres (2,417 ft) above the sea level. A Buddhist monastery is located at the summit of Taung Kalat. At one time, the Buddhist hermit U Khandi maintained the stairway of 777 ste...

This is the Bule Thi (pronounced as Buledi) Temple. If one is staying in the Wetkyi-inn village in the Old Bagan area, this pretty red temple is just a small-distance hike away. This is not a major temple that is why no information on this temple is indicated in the wikipedia and it is not even in the suggested temple to visit in the tourist map of Bagan. The first three photos in this post was taken before the sunset and the next five is taken when we had a sunrise on same spot. I cannot pinpoint which of the two adjacent temple is Bule Thi but I must say that during our visit in April 2014, the sunset is good in this first photo while in the fifth photo, the adjacent and smaller temple from this one, the sunrise is pretty. ***     This is my walkmate and climbmate.  We had a great time posing in the stupas around the Bule Thi temple. *** I cannot help but mention here that this Myanmarese is the sand-painter of the painting we bought in Bagan...

When we reached Myin Kabar Gubyaukgyi, I posed beside the marionette,  a puppet controlled from above using wires or strings depending on regional variations, which is very popular souvenir from Bagan. Given its wide availability, I guess, there is a marionette show somewhere which we were not able to catch. *** Another Gubyaukgyi temple with the same name as the one in Wetkyi Inn is actually located in Myin Kabar, a different village. This temple is also known as the “Love Temple” following to a popular father and son story. Actually, Gubyaukgyi is also famous for a stone inscription written by four languages, where the first Burmese writing is first seen in the history. The temple featured the first transition period with curvilinear roofs often characterized as Mon architecture. There beautiful plaster carvings on the exterior walls but it is best known for colorful mural painting in the interior walls as the name comes… the great painted cave. The temple is da...