Taiwan Markets, Chatswood Mall NSW

Vegetarian pastries, including mooncakes.

Red is the colour of celebration and festive joy.

Freshly prepared pan cakes with moulds, dough and flavour.  Memories of the Shih Lin night markets in Taipei.

A happy Sunday morning!

Puppetry is a treasured tradition and craft in Taiwan, echoing influences from the Chinese mainland.

This fresh sugar cane stall is often operating at the Mall markets.

The Indigenous culture in Taiwan gave rise to the Polynesian nations.

Takoyaki, snacks which are popular in Osaka but which also reflect the Japanese past in Taiwan.   These pan fried  or grilled dough balls are usually combined with octopus (Tako) and are yummy bites on the go in street markets.

Hong Kong Island Revisited 2017

A friendly visitor in Hong Kong with family - Mid-Levels.

Baked pastries like chicken pies and custard tarts, inspired by Western colonials like Britain and the UK in the 19th and 20th centuries.     North Point Markets.

The iconic classic stereotype of a Hong Kong street, with trams, buses, pedestrians and buzz.

A downsized fire engine waits on a sloping street in a busy part of the city - Wellington Street.

A cloudy and humid morning in Central.

The street escalators are still working all right - the other tour experience is to take the train up the Peak.

Upmarket shopping at the IFC Mall, Central.

Midnight at Causeway Bay.

Community game after a passing shower.

Hong Kong - North Point Markets

The most happy veg seller I have ever come across - and I am amazed at the variety he has on offer!

Known in Cantonese dialect as "Pak Kak", North Point offers one of the most interesting corners you can visit in Hong Kong.    Min Nan is also a popular language for this hub of small business, as many people of Hokkien descent settled here after escaping from political upheaval in south-east Asia.    Another group, comprising Shanghainese, came here after the Communist Revolution of 1949;  their legacy includes the Sunbeam Theatre offering Chines opera performances and the Kiangsu and Chekiang Primary School, the first educational institution to offer instruction in Putonghua (or Mandarin).  North Point was also used for a prisoner of war camp by the Imperial Japanese Army.   The Hong Kong Electric Company also set up a significant power station in the early years of the 20th century.

Fresh and delectable seafood can come hard by or are charged at expensive prices in the world's largest cities,  but at North Point, one cannot help buying some.

Housewives, maids and others are like the early birds who can pick the best "worms" - in this case, the freshest, the best looking and the better quality produce.

The best culinary delights here can be traditional, authentic and down to earth.    We saw desserts  (or Tong Sui), hot pots, custard tarts, roast meats, egg waffles, stir fry veg, steamed seafood, snacks, biscuits, dumplings, preserved eggs and more.    A good option is to also head to Java Road, where the Cooked Food Centre distinguishes itself by the Tung Po Restaurant.

On the other side of the foodie spectrum, the Michelin Star winning Lei Gardens has a branch in North Point offering delectable Yum Cha sessions.   Yue Restaurant at the City Garden Hotel is also noted for reliable Cantonese cooking with quality standards.    

In China, the use of red coloured lights accompany the butchers - and this can be seen as well in south-east Asia.

The wide variety of fruits on sale in North Point - bananas from Fujian, cherries from the USA, rambutans from the Equator, longans and citrus fruits.

Located on the eastern districts of Hong Kong Island itself, North Point is not difficult to get to - we just jumped on to the two level and narrow classic Trams that have been operating for untold years.     As our Tram approached North Point itself, I could feel the buzz, the crowdedness and the vibes in even more intensity.   As the Tram was about to turn into a curve, we got off - mind your head on the narrow stairs if you are coming down from the upper level.     We were fortunate to just step out at the start of the street with the markets - Chun Yueng Street.

I was truly captivated by the eyes of this crab variety - the seafood is so fresh we came across an active fish shaking water all over the customers!

No raw chicken meats are sold outdoors in Hong Kong - and their absence is so noticeable in North Point.   The ghastly experience with SARS more than a decade ago, coupled with the penchant for bird flu to raise its ugly head during the cooler winter months - has made the SAR Government very strict about the handling of chicken meat.

You can also get to North Point on the MTR subway lines  (Island Line or Tseung Kwan O Line).

North Point is a walk about place -  apart from the markets, try covering at least Java Road, Tin Hau Temple Road , Tsat Tsz Mui Road, Tong Shui Road and Wharf Road.  There are also other educational institutions of note in North Point -   the Hong Kong Japanese School and the Chinese International School are both on Braemar Hill.

The North Point markets do remind me of Shantou streets, in a city up the coast of Guangdong.   There is an adrenalin of the people moving about and working, buying and selling, walking and watching - all this can at times be lost in large swaths of territories and nations which have less urgency and more comfort in the course of daily life.    I can envisage that the residents here may not need to cook, as in other parts of Hong Kong where freshly cooked food is so easily accessible - and there is no need to keep a fridge or freezer at home.  We dropped by a pop up shop selling IT accessories - and the lady was friendly in attending to us.    There may not be many fancy contemporary hipster barista cafes at North Point - I did not come across any - but it is all right, for the delights of North Point continue to be unique in a fast changing world.

Fishballs, rolled yummies with bean curd skins, calamari, octopus, dried shrimp and more -  some of the essential ingredients in southern Chinese cooking.

Asian vegetables are now mostly sourced from Guangdong province.

Budding up at Brickfields

You can recognise a well settled place when you walk through one.    The vibes cascade in to your heart and gut feel.   It is not just the multitude of colours, noise and people.  It is as if you have to instinctively acknowledge the layer upon layer of culture, religion, happening and interaction.   You are not a trained archaeologist, but you readily know there is  trail of the preceding before the present.     One such place is an inner city suburb in the Klang Valley in Peninsular Malaysia - Brickfields.


Even the English name belies that not all is what it seems to be.   The colonial British named the suburb, but today they are no longer here or in  charge.   What strikes a first time visitor is the diversity of the main strip - Tun Sambanthan Road.     The thoroughfare is named  after an independence fighter for Malaya in the middle of the 20th century   -  TS came from an immigrant south Indian background.    


The Golden Cheronese, or what the Peninsular was referred to at the height of the Greek golden age, was already playing out its strategic and inevitable role of being at the juncture of trade routes, adventurer conquerers and migrating peoples.   In the context of the long history of mankind, South-east Asia was clearly more under the influence of significant Indian political, religious and cultural emphasis, until the advent of harnessing of the monsoon winds that propelled sailing ships from the Middle East and Europe.   Hindu kingdoms with names like Sri Vijaya exerted power and homage upon the ordinary masses and remnants of the Indian sub-continental influence can be seen in Angkor Wat and Borobudur.   


With this historical perspective, labour was recruited under the auspices of the British East India Company and then the British Empire (that never saw the sun set), to work on the then profitable rubber plantations scattered across the west coast of the Peninsular.   The political stability, strong standards of governance and reliable economic structure proffered by the colonial Brits also attracted migrants from around Asia.    These colonials loved to divide and rule, perhaps starting with their experience in Ireland, then spreading to Africa, India and the so called Far East.    The need for a firm bureaucracy and political system to lord over the ethnics across the world required a mindset of effective business management and rule.    A  trend developed to develop geographical sectors according to racial background, for the colonials did observe the varying attitudes and behavioural characteristics of each ethnic group.


In Malaya, the hype was about the working attitude of the three main races in the 18th to 20th centuries.    The Malays were seen fit to be administrators, the Chinese as profitable business people and the Indians as workers.   I wonder why the British did not consider the Indigenous people of Malaya within this plan.


So the segmentation began, resulting in the layout of cities, rural areas and estates echoing this rather interesting mindset.   Brickfields began to be a strong Indian community hub.   Today it is promoted as the Little India of Kuala Lumpur ( "Muddy Confluence"), as tourism soared with the advent of greater mobility, air travel and rising incomes.   Sited on the western side of the city centre, Brickfields has had vibrancy further enhanced with the contemporary development of adjoining Sentral, with its train platform convenience, shopping facilities, accommodation hub and airport access.  This has a historical basis, for Brickfields long ago was the main depot built for the transportation network known as the Malayan Railway in the colonial period.


Against this background, I had a recent opportunity to check out this inner city delight buzzing with various aspects of Indian heritage, foodie offerings and traffic buzz.   More often than not, I would stay in the suburbs outside the city centre when in the Klang Valley, especially with the network of shopping centres, coffee shops and friends.   This time around, in five minutes, I could go for walks along TS Road, soak in with the flowered garlands and pancake rotis for breakfast.   I enjoyed coming across individuals with a painted dot on their foreheads.


The senses experienced from my childhood, even if I did not grow up in Brickfields, came rushing back, for I had lovely and caring Indian neighbours when growing up in Penang - such is the hidden benefit of living in a harmonious multi-cultural society, when people still exchanged home cooked dishes, children were colour blind and there was more emphasis on sharing commonalities than bringing out differences.   The cultural familiarity put me in a safe and comfy place in my heart, enhanced by the cooking aromas, the colours of clothes, the tilt and accent of languages spoken and the appetising lure of niche food.   All at once, the layers were peeled from under Australian norms to reach back to feel another world which had been forgotten and buried in time.


So despite the advent of "divide and rule", the colonials under rated the power of the human instinct to enquire, interact and socialise.    It all starts with simply food, that first item across the fence that builds up friendships.   I was back to freshly made rotis with simple curry gravy, the quintessential breakfast amongst working colleagues in this country as well.   I was so glad my Aussie mate was partaking this kind of food with me on this visit.   The Tamil music, the scent of sandalwood joss sticks and the dazzling but still natural colour of blooms on garlands  -  TS Road revealed all these.  The perfumery can be too strong on some passer-bys.  The traffic can build up to a buzz.   The script on sign boards contrasted with the Roman alphabet.  No matter how the level of activity in Brickfields was carefree and random, it was at the same time purposeful.  


One lazy afternoon on this recent visit, I had the opportunity of trying the lunch of long ago in my mind - getting steamed rice or Briyani, and then going round the table to pick your own servings of the various dishes that catch the attention of your eye and palate.    Call it Nasi Kandar, name it Chap Fun or whatever.    The selections are all cooked that morning by Big Mama, usually a petite lady with heaps of experience in southern Indian cuisine, surrounded by her sons.   Every dish is a labour of love and passion that she puts in.  The quality of curry gravy is often above average.   So I could sample this and that, with memories of the aromas that drifted to my nostrils on walking back from school.  I do not recall the humidity nor the bright sunlight.  I only remember the spices, the appetising experience and those unassuming afternoons.


People I knew then were not laden with much money and yet the level of happiness was so much better than I see in so called rich suburbs around the world.  Individuals and families did their best to rise above challenges.   The country was relatively young, promising and with positive possibilities.   So I watched with interest this current younger generation, walking along the road, with their own kind of hope in their eyes.


One evening, the nearby Maha ViharaTemple held their biggest event of the year - the street parade with various floats sponsored by different parties to mark Vesak Day, an occasion to remember the birth, Enlightenment and passing of the Buddha.    This is Little India, but it is not just Hindu, for in a multi-cultural place like Malaysia, there is still the embracing of diversity like I recall from my childhood.   Brickfields reminds me that it is still all there in the 21st century, even if some quarters have chipped away the extent of such racial tolerance.   You can also get Halal food, not far from a single Chinese restaurant - and Western backpackers can still roam the streets with relative impunity.  


Brickfields boasts of more than garment shops and ethnic cafes.    There is the Temple of Fine Arts.   The Sri Lankan community also congregate at the Sri Kandaswamy Temple at Scotts Road.   The Malaysian Association of the Blind, the YMCA and the Global Indian International School have sizeable operations here.   Churches include Our Lady of Fatima, the Zion Lutheran Church, the Holy Rosary Church and the Indian Orthodox Church.  The Three Teachings Chinese Temple and a Surau complete the multi-cultural profile of Brickfields.


Societies which are open to the world, absorb the best from foreign influences and share inner core values will still do well in the future.     History has demonstrated this observation, from the rise of trading city states to the cosmopolitan nature of capitals of great empires.   At times there may be discouragement and setback, but the wisdom and leadership of key individuals do significantly count in the progress of mankind in this respect.


So what is the foreseeable future for the Indian community in the current Federation of Malaysia?   Their compatriots from the Mother Country have been making huge strides in other nations  - think of the Silicon Valley in California, the contributions of Indians in the United Kingdom and their long economic presence in South Africa.   Indian families have seen their members transported to various corners of the globe like the Chinese - and whether they are in Canada, the Caribbean, Dubai, Thailand, Hong Kong or Australia, the journey and story of their Diaspora continues.


And I asked why the whole place is called Brickfields.   Kuala Lumpur was a village built by the various racial groups, including the Kapitan Cinas of old.    Kapitan Yap Ah Loy reserved land for the setting up of a brick making industry here after the British Resident of the State of Selangor - Sir Frank Sweetenham - ordered for buildings to be built of brick.    Kapitan Yap Kwan Seng established the kilns.    This is one glorious example of why historical names of places should not be forgotten, abandoned or changed - I am glad that this has not happened to Brickfields.

Meeting at Meekatharra

Our fellow diners - two well worn fellas, having simple meals - were perhaps at the same time surprised, delighted and wary - when the four of us, three women and a guy - asked if we could share the worn out wooden table to sit with under the early night sky.    We had left over canned tuna, instant noodle soup and ten days of being on the road when we got social with two prior strangers as if we were at a pub.   Two individuals who taught me a lot in under an hour of conversation.


So how did we landed up here that evening?   We had driven out of Karijini, out of the southern Pilbara region which is better known for its mining, road trains, dirty red sand dusted trucks, occasional camper vans - and headed to Perth, in a more benign and lush corner of south-western Australia.   I had been advised by the owner of Miss Nuggets, a fiesty small sized doggie with not much fur, to be more mindful of our belongings in this hub of Meekatharra, which has a population of not more than 950 permanent residents.  We had booked this caravan park from the internet, not knowing enough that there are other accommodation options in Cue, another place a hundred kilometres south.    Meekatharra, which in Indigenous Australian, just means a place with little water, had,  on us arriving, a small Chinese eating place, a rather silent main street and a pub in an old heritage building from Victorian English days.   I had looked for a wee wee spot there in that pub hotel, on a nippy evening at the start of the cool season, and found the indoor facilities very satisfactory - and clean.


A place with little water - to me, it also lacked progress, as if it had been abandoned.  It was a transient place, a dot on the map along the inland highway mid-west of the state of West Australia,   a settlement on the edge of a vast desert and depending on  the extraction of resources.   We had arrived seemingly furtively under the cover of a clear cloudless night sky  - where are the Indigenous people?   I saw worn out and dirtied mine workers sitting around the pub counter  - and mind you, there were only several people in the rather large indoor space.   Every thing can be relative in impression  - and after being in the unique Woop Woop further north, in another place, our accommodation at Meekatharra seemed heavenly, with attached bath, toilet and small kitchen.   There was even a central facility building with hot food, television and clean eating tables.   Mind you, there was no coverage from Optus, no wi-fi, except if you hang around the central facility and the whole place still dark enough to fully appreciate the stars.


Back to the two rather interesting elderly men at our make shift picnic table.   The two of them must be catching up on a regular basis daily.   There was a bond between them.  I was curious but dared not ask - how did they come to be here?   The more friendly one asked me instead, where have you all been?   Karijini!   He replied, what and where is that? This National Park, which just meant "a hilly place"  is around 700 km north but he had never heard of it.   Polite conversation then led to what do they do there to pass the days.  It turned out to be gold prospecting, but not the kind the movies put into my mind about panning in creeks in Victoria or in California.   Here the elements are as hardy, cruel and dry as the rocks - and we learnt about fossicking.


The cynic in his mate got this other guy to blurt out that gold searchers are very patient or stupid or both.   With his big eyes in a placid look, he was truly convinced of his statement.   The more chatty fella ignored this and came back to show us some small pieces of gold nuggets on his right hand palm.     There, nestled upon a rather worn hand, were hints of gleam under what needed to be brushed and properly cleaned of.   They were smallish, but could possibly fit into ear rings.   As he spoke, the gleam in this fella's eyes increased in the dark evening ambiance.   He took special effort to show these to the women, as if he was behind the counter in some Amsterdam goldsmith shop.   Every one must have a passion - whether it is sport, work, fitness, love or looking for gold.


In the eighties, I am told, when we were wee laddies, there was a gold rush in the region around Meekatharra.    I felt as if in some future scenario, we had landed in some dusty outpost in the Silicon Valley, with tales of the cyberspace rush from where back when.  Now this place looked so forlorn and remote until the mention of its gold mining history.  It is still an important centre for the Australian Flying Doctor Service, which I first got to know from the Tv series Skippy the Bush Kangaroo.   Our motley group of travellers did notice a road sign to Paddy's Flat - and that was where the last serious gold rush occurred nearby, around twenty years ago.    So the dream is still being kept alive.


The rail tracks did play a significant role to keep Meekatharra alive and grow in the past.    So there was a way to transport out all those natural resources from the ground.   Not many visitors take the Central or Great Northern Highway in Western Australia   - maybe only adventurers, mine workers and natives.    There are wild flowers wowing people who come in the correct season, late winter or early spring, but these are mainly from the Perth area.    We had our first significant rainfall south of Meekatharra, during the early afternoon when we were almost close to Perth via New Norcia.     It has been a dry start to the southern Hemisphere winter.    I suspect the area is more affected by the behaviour of the monsoon cycles playing out in the Indian Ocean a thousand kilometres away near to Broome and Exmouth.   Then I realised that this was not even in the dry season, which usually occurs between August and November for Meeka.


The second chap asked for forecast minimum temperatures for the coming week.  Mary, who had wisely invested in a Telstra SIM card, could get the information from her mobile phone.


The next morning, I had a spring in my step waking up, looking forward to the hot bacon and egg roll I knew was sold in the central facility bar.     This was after a week or so of canned tuna sandwiches, I reminded myself.    Oh yes, and there is also the wi-fi   - my social media withdrawal phase was going to be soon over.   This day I was going to cover so much territory, not just going back to Perth city centre, but flying back across the Great Southern Land to the Big Smoke of Sydney, located in a different time zone and five hours by flight away.    The Man withe the Nuggets on hand was already up, perhaps already having his breakfast on the very same table my group and I met him and his buddy last night.    I waved to him and he did likewise.   It was 6 am - the birds were beginning to chirp but the sun was still asleep.

Street Scenes from Beijing

A variation of Beijing duck with other dishes.

Chrysanthemum shrub.

The walls and well used lane of the Forbidden City.

Qianmen Avenue.

Central Asian cuisine is popular in Beijing.

High tea at the National Museum of China.

Entrance to the Wan Fu Xing markets.

Wheat based dough is utilised to hold a diverse variety of fillings in Xian Bing -  inside the wraps can be minced pork, chopped fennel and other tasty delights.

Beijing duck slices.

Gorgeous Gu Lang Yu - Architecture and Ambiance

The reef surrounding Gu Lang Yu Isle gave the origins as to its classic Chinese name, which means "Drum Wave Island".  The nature of the reefs contributed to the shape of the rolling waves.    The island is reached by a  short ferry ride from Xiamen, taken from Heping for the local ferry, or from Dongdu for the so-called foreigner's or tourist ferry service.

   This  small island had played an important role in the relationships between the Western powers, particularly the United Kingdom, France and the United States of America, with a China still under dynastic Qing rule in the 19th century.  Its proximity to rich seafood sourcing grounds, valuable tea plantations in the hinterland of Fujian Province and the north side of the South China Sea seemed to have determined its history.   National hero Zheng  Cheng Gong ( or referred to as Koxinga by the West) stands out in local sentiment in defending the political, regional and military interests of the Ming Dynasty for southern China.  You can visit the Full Moon Garden on the isle and there is an impressive statue honouring him and his achievements for China.

The nearby city of Xiamen, becoming a treaty port for Western powers in the first half of the 19th century, had tremendous consequences for Gu Lang Yu.    Dynastic China was defeated in the First Opium War and this resulted in the unequal terms of the Treaty Of Nanking in 1842, beginning an epoch of national, military and cultural humility that resonates strongly even today in the Chinese psyche and mindset,  especially when dealing with world affairs.    Thirteen foreign nations, including Holland, Japan and France,  combined to exert its political authority on Gu Lang Yu becoming an international settlement - imagine that happening to the Isle of Wright or Nantucket Island.


The British took the leading involvement in transforming the isle, constructing Euro styled buildings that organised the town area of Gu Lang Yu.   This third largest island off the coast of Xiamen began to see transformation that had occurred to various other outposts of colonial power like in Penang, the Caribbean, Malta, Gilbratar, Colombo and Shanghai.  Hong Kong began new life as a British settlement in 1842.    From political colonisation came greater efforts in missionary work of the Protestant and Catholic Churches, evident in the 21st century on the isle - Xiamen historically is where Protestantism successfully first arrived in  China and embedded its influence.

A delightful and surprising feature of Gu Lang Yu is the passion for pianos amongst its residents and it is estimated that there is a piano on the island for every 29 residents.    Most of them are rather old, originating from a strong taking up of the instrument in the first half of the 20th century.    Two of China's well known pianists, Xu Feiping and Yin Chengzong, hail from Gu Lang Yu.


I also observed wooden panelled guitars in shops.   Westernised music influences sat side by side with traditional music of the Hokkiens.  You can hunt for records from the Sixties and still enjoy a live rendition of the Pipa in a cosy hall with a stage assemble of experienced  musicians with their traditional Eastern instruments.   We did feel the silence of the ages at times in certain aspects of the island, particularly along the lanes that harked back to a religious past.   The rhythm of Nature can be felt on the breezy sandy shores of a beach.    

There are many young people curious enough to visit Gu Lang Yu.  If you ponder over the map of eastern Asia, this isle can be its geographical centre.    Millions of people with rising purchasing power levels and income live at its door step.   It has a relatively warm climate,  contemporary trading routes continue to thrive and its industrious people have contributed a great deal to the development of south-east Asia.   How the geopolitics between West and East play out can have repercussions to Gu Lang Yu and Xiamen.   Both places have witnessed the opportunities and pitfalls of a nation which historically have looked inwards,  balanced the challenges and benefits of rising Western powers coming to their shores and always reaffirmed themselves with the concept of a Chinese family. 


Gu Lang Yu may not be sited near the Great Wall to the north but intrinsically understands its vital role on the southern borders of a huge nation like China.

Shades of Spain, England, Holland, China, Japan, Portugal and Italy can be felt in the design and shape of the heritage buildings found around Gu Lang Yu.    The Portuguese first reached Xiamen,  itself an island, in 1541.  Some pre-date the British Victorian era, others are so obviously so.   We find ourselves walking around plazas reminiscent of Macau, Rome and Lisbon.     The isle is relatively clean, especially the grounds of heritage mansions, where you can dwell in enjoying the patterns of well laid out tiles, the angles of partitions, the frescoes that peek at you when you least expect them and in the airy corridors with porticos and balconies.


We found ourselves entering gardens, pavilions, doorways and staircases from another era.   The buildings are well preserved, having escaped the ravages of war time bombings, tropical cyclones and political events.    Visitors may fancy themselves caught in a time warp.   More than this, I also felt the vibes of a community and a village atmosphere.   For many across the world who are now caught in a rather unwelcoming city environment, Gu lang Yu reminds them that there is an alternative.  It is also a place where the past is appreciated better, the present is more balanced and the future, however, is dependent on others.

The Jinmen Islands, which are administered by Taiwan, lie only around six kilometres from Xiamen City.   Xiamen itself was known by other names, notably Amoy , and also in the 17th century as Siming or Remembering the Ming  (Dynasty).    


Will Gu Lang Yu continue to play a significant part in the affairs of mankind in the future?   I do not see any current digital push in its pulse, but China as a nation is transforming in leaps and bounds.  What other industry can Gu Lang Yu see itself as it leaps into the 21st century   - for now revenues are earned mainly on tourism and a hark for the past.   Its future is definitely tied in inevitably with the role of Xiamen, which has three reputable universities,  a full fledged airline and a solid cultural base.

We did not make it to Sunlight Rock  or the nearby Shuzhuang Chinese Gardens. Attribute this to the rainy aspect that day, or we had almost run out of steam walking around the various sights on an unusually interesting isle.    Gu Lang Yu is under two square kilometres in size and has a heart that is so much bigger that leaves good memories for its visitors.   The island is also extraordinary in banning vehicular traffic, only allowing electric run buggies to run on its cobbled stoned lanes and otherwise tarred roads.


A day's visit to Gu Lang Yu does not do it justice in appreciating what it can offer.   The wealth of culture, history and lifestyle on the island at times do require soaking in a few days of stay.   Just the seafood makes me want to linger further.   Most of all is the pleasure to interact with people, whether they may be tourists, residents or working there.   It is worth having a guide with knowledge and passion like we were fortunate to have - Ms. Khaw.