N 110    Traditional Tai Food        (Part  1  )

      Concerning Tai food people would immediately remember pe poak, which is fermented and dried soy bean flat pieces.

      Every people have their own staple food. People from the west eat wheat flour as their staple food whereas Asians mostly eat rice. But only bread and rice are not enough to become meals. So  meat and fish and vegetables along with a wide varieties of ingredients are also used to make dishes of these days.

       People have their own ways  and ingredients in cooking their food. People from the west use dairy products like butter and cheese in their food. But I know they also use spices and herbs. Listen to the song which is one of my likes….Scarborough Fair.  Parsely, sage, rosemary and thyme……They are names of herbs , aren’t they ?So though these herbs are unfamiliar  to  us we know they are used in western recipes.

       Indian foods cannot be made without  peppars and spices . Chinese have their own spices and  herbs.Our own people the Burmese use fish paste called ngapi in their curry , and we the Tais use this pe poak or fermented soy in our curries. And I think we may have been consuming this food for centuries.

        According to history Tai people originated in China, but they were suppressed by the Han Chinese . So they moved south. First to Nan Chou ( Yunnan ) and then eventually to the Burmese border where they established the Merng Mao Kingdom. And then from there spread westward towards Burma proper, where they settled from northern throughout southern Burma, but  mostly in the mountainous regions of  eastern Burma which became known as the Shan State.

      But there were some Tais who branched out to find better places to settle. Some continued towards the west via Hu Kaung valley until they reached Manipur and Assam and became Tai Assam. Some migrated to Laos and are acknowledged as Laotians and some settled in Thailand where they became known as Tai  Thai. There are also people of Tai origins in Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and also in other parts of the world. Tai population is estimated to be about 93 million worldwide.

     I am a descendant of Shan people of the new Shan State of Burma, a Tai Yai. As about food I know only  about our food, what we are eating and how they are prepared. So I am writing about some of them in this blog.

      Mistakenly all Tai people eat rice until now. But unlike the Burmese people old Tais also eat sticky rice.The way to cook sticky rice is not the same as ordinary  rice. It  is steamed in a wooden or bamboo steamer. When it is cooked it is spread to cool down a little and then put back into the steamer to be consumed later. If someone has to go to work or somewhere else the sticky rice is put into a bamboo  container with some curries wrapped in plantain leaves to eat with the sticky rice.This curry may be some pe poak  powder pounded with chillies and onion and garlic or some grilled or steamed meat or fish.

     What the Tais eat with rice are very different from Burmese. Burmese curries resemble those of the Indians because fish and meat are cooked with gravies using much oil. But Shans (Tais ) don’t use much oil in their cooking. I will describe some recipes of Shan cooking.

      As much as I know Tai people in our Shan State had lived a simple and peaceful lives. We blend well with nature,using and eating what nature provide for us. If someone doesn’t have anything to cook for curry he or she would just go into the woods nearby and pick what are  found there, edible vegetables such as tender leaves of puc hi,( a family of the banyan tree ) puc le(a family of fig tree ) puc kut (fern )etc:

     The vegetables Tais usually grow are puck kat (mustard ) puc puk (pumpkin) puc noi (ridge gourd ) egg plant, chillies etc and some herbs.

       To make soup about 2/3 spoons of soy powder, some onion and tomato,a little oil, some chilli and salt are put in a pot and boil with water for some time. If there is meat or fish some are added into the soup to enhance the flavor.

When eating time is near pieces of tender pumkin, ridge gourd, ladies finger, beans are put into the boiling soup to be followed by the main vege, which is being selected for tender parts and washed, and let it cooked for a little time so as not to let it overcooked and turn yellow. Before  the pot is put down some herbs may be added to the soup according to the vege cooked. If it is mustard a little crushed ginger, and if it is pumpkin leaves a handful of basil will be put into the soup pot.

      Another kind of popular soup is puc saw. It is a simple sour soup mostly stewed with tangerine. The veggies that are mostly used to make puc saw are mustard, water cress, and puc kut (fern )If pork or pork bone is available they can also be put into the stew .But this soup has to be stewed a little long time. Eating this soup with muc pit tam (chillies pounded with garlic and salt ) can result in a hearty meal.

 

to be continued…..       

 

N 109     The  Making of a Grass Lawn

I have always liked grass lawns.Compared to other earth coverings grass lawns are always pretty,their green color soothing to the eyes, and they prevent unwanted weeds and bushes from growing out of the earth surface. Moreover they are also eco friendly, because the roots of the grass prevent soil erosion and loss of nutritions.

Many developed countries grow grass lawns extensively, in their parks and playgrounds, hotels and resorts and people also grow them in their compounds.  Places like football grounds, tennis courts, and golf courses cannot do without grass lawns.

Our town Taunggyi is a pretty town and it is also famous for its cleanliness, though it is not perfect in my eyes. People are not that conscious to keep their town clean and green. Public places are also unkempt with trashes and unwanted long grasses and bushes.

If grass is grown in these places they would not be like that. Instead they would be clean and tidy with no unwanted grass and weeds. Parks in big cities are made like this. Grass lawns dotted with a few big trees and some seats to sit on and relax make a perfect park. 

I have a plot in Golden Valley Taunggyi where a few avocado and mango trees are grown, Because the soil is not good they do not grow well, but only unwanted grass thrive. They are rough wild grass that to clear them after the rain we have to use cutting machine or a back hoe.

I planned to start growing a grass lawn in this plot. A friend who lives in Thanlyin had grown some in her compound and so have some experience , offered to help me grow some bae sar grass.It is a kind of local grass, which is strong and suits our soil and climate well.

To grow grass is not as simple as growing other plants. After the land is ploughed and cleared of roots of wild grass  the soil has to be spread evenly and mixture of water sand and burnt paddy husk covered over it. Not a thin layer but a layer of at least four to six inches thick. As Taunggyi has no streams or rivers water sand has to be sent from Mandalay District or Merng Pawn which is thirty miles away.So it is expensive . One Kyin ( 100 cubic feet ) cost 80000 Kyats. But burnt paddy husk is not that much expensive.

After preparation of the land we started to look for the grass. I had thought it was not hard to find bae sar grass around Taunggyi, and so I sent some men with a car to look for it. They went to Nam Kok which is about  thirty miles away, but when they sent back a photo it was not that grass. They could not find the grass I needed. So the first quest to find the right grass failed.

I also asked my nephew in Kunhing to acquire and send me some, which he did . He sent 2 sacks of that grass taken with soil by car and we started to plant them. But the 2 sacks cover only about 9 or 10 square feet of the prepared land.

Meanwhile Ma Wah asked her acquaintance in Thanlyin if it is possible to get the grass there. She replied she will asked her workers to get them and send to Taunggyi by express car. So 13 sacks of grass (without soil ) got to us at the cost of 5000 kyats (bus fare only )for each sack. The taxi fare from Thanlyin to Aung Mingalar and the labour costs for the workers not included yet.

So with the land and grass ready we have only to plant the grass. But before planting the grass have to be prepared in a special way. They have to be gathered by the roots and after we get a handful they are binded by rubber rings and some roots and their tips cut off. After that they were lined in rows in a tub with the roots at the bottom . A little water was put in the tub to let the grass soak in water  for one night.

To plant the grass a few plants were taken from the bunch and plant them in a hole made in the soil. Ma Wah said we have to plant them closely ( 1 or 2 inches apart ) to form a lawn. So it is not easy but labour intensive

To sort and prepare the grass and to plant the grass I had to hire workers.Some day about 10 and on some days more than that.I had expected the grass will be enough for the plot I have prepared (  5o  by 40 feet) But it didn’t became like what I expected. When the planting was finished we saw that it covered only about (20 by 15 ).

And then after planting the grass need watering twice a day . For that I have to hire a girl who lives nearby, paying her 30000 a month. Water has to be bought from a water selling car at the cost of 6000 kyats for one car and this last for only 3or 4 days. A pressure pump and mortar have to be installed to give pressure to the water pipe. Thank goodness that I already have an overhead tank.

To make a lawn is not easy at all. As I am not young I cannot do any manual work . But in the end it was finished(cos no grass left to be planted) at an expense of 1.2 million kyats. I thank Ma Wah and some family members especially my youngest daughter Pan who helped me in making my small wish come true.

But this will not be the end. The best  time to grow grass is the rainy season. So when the right time comes I will continue growing some more grass. Maybe I will hire  people who are doing this business, to do the work for me and maybe the cost may be lower than doing by ourselves.

But for the time being let us hope our grass grows well and reproduce more newgrowth  that we can use them in our lawns to come.

 

           Penang
 

 

 

 N 107       The Good Old Days in Singapore

Round about 2005 to get passport and visa became somewhat easier , so like many people we each  tried to get one  ( even then had to get help from a friend who was an officer in the immigration department ). And after some tiring efforts we got our passports.

About 2007 my youngest daughter and eldest  granddaughter were studying in Singapore. So we went to visit them that year. My eldest daughter who have more experience travelling abroad took us there . And so along with my another daughter and 2 granddaughters we arrived in Singapore for the 1^st time.

We stayed at the flat my daughter rented with her niece and 2 nephews  near Chinese Garden. We mostly cooked and ate at home and went out after lunch to visit places and go shopping. We had to walk some distance to the MRT station and boarded the train which is very convenient. I who don’t like to stand much always got a seat then, when some of us had to stand.

The train always announces the stations it is arriving….

Jurong East…. Bukit Batok…Chao Chu Kang …. Woodlands…. Red Hill….Yi Shun… Ang Mo Kio. The names got into my mind that they are familiar to me when I see or hear them to this day

We visited Singapore for 3 consecutive Decembers  staying at the   Chinese Garden flat ,and the last time in a condo my daughter own for sometime. The 2 granddaughters always went with us , so our company was made up of 5 or 6 people. So with that much people we were never lonely or desolate but merry and full of joy.

Needless to say we visited all famous places such as Sentosa Island, the Botanical Garden, and Bird Park. Back then Gardens by the Bay did not exist yet. The whole of Singapore and all places are all clean, modernized, and all signs of good  discipline can be seen everywhere. Even around our flat and every places we visited are all clean and trash free. Trees, and greeneries are planted everywhere to suit the eyes and also for eco friendliness.

The thing that inspired me most are the libraries. I said I want to see some libraries and I was taken to one. It is not Central Library but a district one. But even then I was amazed by its appearance and format. There is a glass waterfall at the entrance that make the place cool and catch the eyes. When we went  in we saw that all 3 or 4 stories are stacked with all kinds of books according to their subjects, on separate shelves.The place is air conditioned , the  floor s are all covered with carpets and there are comfortable places to sit and read. I thought , no wonder the people of Singapore are highly  knowledged  because the gold pots of knowledge, the books are within their reach. 

Our family like shopping much. But not for luxury goods. So we didn’t go much to Orchard Road, but only to other shopping malls, like Bugis Junction, Suntac City and Peninsular.I remember I went to Pasir Ris to buy some old books from the bookstore there. And I got some Reader’s Digest condensed book at cheap prices , ranging from 2 to 5 dollars . To buy a Seiko womens’ watch my daughter took me to Mustafa once.

When we went shopping after walking around some time I would get tired and want to sit down. In some malls there are places to sit but in some there are none. At these times I  mostly wanted to fall down to the floor and not  getting up again.Bugis Junction (I think )n is one of these malls with no resting places.

IMM is near our place and we often went there.As usual after walking around I would get tired and by this time we would ger hungry again. So we would file into fast food shop like Mcdonald and Fried Chicken. By the time to go home as I don’t want to walk the little distance from MRT to home I would insist on taking the taxi which is expensive.

In the mornings ,we sometimes went to Chinese Garden which is near our flat. It is a nice and pleasant place, where we can walk around, doing exercise, and also take photos.

On one trip we visited Malaysia and from then to Penang. This time only the 3 of us, we 2 and our daughter Pan who led us there. We took the crossborder train, stayed there 2 nights, visiting places and then departed for Penang by plane. It is a pity that we didn’t take the train  , so that we miss the chance to see the Penang Bridge.

Each time we visited Singapore we stayed 1 month. But because it is not our home and things like time ,money are limited  we have to come home when the time comes. Actually I don’t want to live there all my life, though it is modernized and everything convenient and clean and pretty. I am glad that I can visit it  sometimes.

I like to take photos to keep as a rememberance. Where we went , what we did , what we ate, who we met will go out of our mind after some time. What is left from the experience , from the trip will be left in the photos. Photos remind us of the past. So as I changed some old photo albums and rearrange  old photos the past experience of Singapore came back to my mind that made me produce this blog.  

 

 

N  106   Covid 19 and Me

2020   is a disastrous year for everyone because the whole world is suffering from the Covid 19 pandemic. Only some countries in remote areas like Bhutan, N korea and some island states do not have impact from the pandemic.

The pandemic emerged in late December in Wuhan, China, and it was  named Covid !9. Since then it has spread across the world at an alarming rate topping 10 million cases until now . The virus is everywhere.

Our country , along with a few neighbouring countries like Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam is fortunate that it doesn’t  has  an outbreak. But anyway the central  government  and district administrations are taking precautious measures to prevent and face it when there is one.

We, the people are asked to wear mask and stay at home. Even if someone has to go out to wear mask and keep a distancing space from other people, so as not to catch the virus.

During the early period the outbreak is not so alarming that I sometimes went out as usual. The last time I went out was the 23^rd of March and it was to buy offetries to monasteries during Thingyan. I usually buy them  beforehand as the shops are overcrowded when it is near. After that day I was not allowed to go out because warnings said that old people are more vulnerable to catch virus.

But  young people in my household like my 2 daughters and son in law go out when they have to. My son in law is a member  Covid 19 relief committee set up by the chairman of KBZ bank U Aung Ko Win.So He often goes  out to help with the distribution of relief measures at their centre and accompany the chairman on donation trips. My hubby also go there sometimes to help out or donate food to the volunteers working there.He also went to Kunhing with the chairman once. I couldn’t  help thinking ….. what difference would it make if they are going out and only some of us  stay at home.

But it is fortunate that there isn’t many covid cases in our town. According to news released by the health ministry  there are only 299 cases as of today (30^th June )in the whole country. Among the afflicted there are 6 casualties and the number recovered is 215.

But if we look at the whole world it is disastrous. I learned from news that the number afflicted by the virus has topped 10 million , and among this number more than 500000 had perished. the number  recovered is 5.5 million .The hardest hit countries are developed countries such as USA with 2.5 million afflicted and 126893  fatalities, followed by Brazil, Russia, India and  nearly every countries of the world.

Until today it is not showing signs of slowing down, but still surging. So lockdowns of countries and cities are not coming to an end but still extending.

There is no need to say that the virus had hit all economies. Many governments have to help industries and businesses to keep them going on. Even in our country the government is giving out loans to hard hit businesses, but many may have met their end.

Everybody can see that the hardest hit are the grassroots people. People who are daily wages earners. Most grassroots people in our country live on the daily wage of the breadwinner. They have no savings, no insurance,not even decent places to live. So if the head of a household cannot work for some days the whole family will have nothing to eat.

But the good thing in our country is people who are rich, who are well off like to donate, to share to the have nots.Rich people  like Saya Kyaung, Max Zaw Zaw , Sai Myo Win and many others donated every needy things like PPE suits, masks, ventilators, testing machines, and so on. Our country also received these things as donations from other countries. So far I haven’t heard about people going hungry and have nothing to eat.

As for me I am not rich enough to make big donations. The 20^th of March was my daughter’s birthday and as she wanted to make some donations we went out together to do so.   We each donated 500000 kyats to Nam Kone  charitable foundation   (which will be busy if there is a breakout in town ) and 500000 each to Sao San Tun Hospital to buy PPE suits or use where necessary. Later I also bought some  food to make food packages for donation. But as I didn’t see much people in need around me I donated to 10 household only.

.Taunggyi is still locked down  like other towns and cities, there is not much difference with other times. Only the shops of Myoma Zay are allowed to open alternately according to their numbers. If even numbers open today odd numbers have to open the next day. So only half of the shops open on each day. Other markets also have to move to larger place and keep at a distancing space of 6 feet apart.

 But I notice that Taunggyi people are not so scared of the virus now and are going about their activities as before, some wearing masks while most don’t. I also started to go out sometimes when I have to after staying home for about two and a half months. But at the present because mass gathering is banned there are no weddings, no parties, no religious gatherings and such things. Many businesses had come to a stop and surely people are hard hit.

Covid 19 had a dreadful impact on people’s lives. Everyone cannot have a normal life like before. People cannot do business as usual,cannot go to religious and social events, children and students cannot attend school. People who have awareness of the danger of the virus cannot stay calm or unconcern.

So everybody including me would like to see this contagious virus which is disrupting the whole world comes to an end , so that we all can continue our lives as before.

N 105  Coffee and Me  ( Part  1 )

Though  many people in Myanmar don’t drink coffee throughout their lives I am not one of them.

What we eat and drink and how to prepare them come to us from family traditions, especially the parents, who are the nearest kin to us. The staple foods for us Shan people are sticky rice and curries prepared by using soy powder and other ingredients. As for drinks the Shan people like to drink hot green tea. This tea is drunk throughout the day and guests are also entertained with it,  which is fragrant and delicious when roasted over fire. Coffee is something which is alien to Shan and also other ethnic people of the rural areas.

But this coffee had been an important beverage to people of the west, though it is not their native crop.

Excerpt from the book ; How to make Coffee….

( The coffee bean is believed to have originally evolved in the wild of East Africa. One popular legend has it that coffee’s introduction to human race came about when a young Ethiopian found his goats prancing tirelessly after chewing on an unusual plant. Having sampled some of it himself and feeling energized as a consequence the goatherd brought some of the magical plant back to his community . Words spread and the rest is history.

The earliest evidence of human cultivation of the coffee plant has been traced back to the 15^th century in Yemen. From there it travelled to the Arabian Peninsular and then to Europe, and the rest of the world.)

for our country it may be the English who introduced it  to us after they had taken our country. So at the time I was born coffee culture had take firm roots in big towns and cities.

I remember that my family had been drinking coffee since I was small. As cows were raised in Taunggyi by Hindu Indians we could easily buy milk from them. These milkmen came and delivered milk regualarly at people’s homes. They weighed  their milk by tin cups of 25 or 50 ticals and collected the bill at the end of each month.We usually boiled the  milk  first before consuming. Maybe to reduce water added to it , and also to kill viruses if there were some.

To make coffee by our way we put  one or two teaspoons of coffee into a cup and then poured  hot boiling water was over it. After adding  sugar and  milk and  stirring well the coffee is ready for drinking. I remember that beside  some locally produced coffee powder there were also imported coffee like Polson in those days.

We didn’t  think it was so bothersome to make coffee like that in those days , because there were no other options but to do it this way. But nowadays when there are readymade 3 in 1 coffee of various brands people who do not know the disadvantages of coffee mix prefer these coffee mix .Because the prices  are so cheap manufacturers cannot use real coffee, but substitutes like pounded outer coverings of coconut with some coffee essence added. So even when we are drinking these coffee mix we will not be able to enjoy the effect of real coffee.

Coffee does not have much nutritional value. Only caffeine is the most significant component in it . The  beneficial effects of caffeine are improved attention, alertness and physical performance, but there may also be adverse effects like disturbed sleep patterns.

Despite its advantage or disadvantages, I will not refrain from drinking coffee. There are many people who are addicted to drugs and and alcohol . Some to tea and or other kinds of foods. It can be said I am addicted to coffee. If I have  not taken a cup of coffee in the morning I would feel as if something is missing, something not yet accomplished.

So as long as my life and my health permit me I will be satisfied if I have a cup of coffee in the morning and another at tea time.