Vietnamese Fried Rolls

Vietnamese Fried Rolls


Prepare to taste... Julienne cabbage, flakes of boiled 
chicken, slices of boiled shrimps, Julienne tofu, spring 
onions cut to desired length, cucumbers (no seeds), 
vermicelli or glass noodle (soak in water), eggs, sesame oil,
salt, pepper, chopped shitake, Vietnamese roll wrapper
(dried).

Okay, I told you to get the dry kind of Vietnamese spring 
roll wrapper, but first thing we need to do is soak the wraps 
in water. Do it separately, piece by piece, or they are going 
to stick to each others. Don't soak too long. Just until they 
turn a bit softer. Then mix all other ingredients. Set aside.

Spread out one piece of wrapper and put the mixture on it. 
Wrap well. Set aside. Do next roll.

Put lots of oil in the frying wok or skillet. Wait until it
boil. To see if the oil is boiling, stick a wooden chopstick
in it. If there are bubbles... It's boiling.

Deep fry the rolls until almost golden brown. Remove before 
it turns black. Serve hot. Eat with fresh vegetable (basil 
leaves and mints are common side fresh vegies for Vietnamese 
food). Dip with one of the sauces for Fried food in the Thai food recipes.

The Philippine Jeepney

(This article was first published in Small World Ezine on 19 May 2003)

Thank you our subscriber Barbara, who asked about the 
Philippines' remarkable "Jeepney". I search around and found
that they even had a "Jeepney" forum and listings! What is
a "Jeepney"? Why do I have to be amazed to the fact that 
they have a chat forum? Read on...

 

A "Jeepney" is a form of public transportation here. 
Actually it is the most popular transportation in the 
Philippines. With the minimum fare of 5 pesos (about a 
dime), you can travel across a town. 

But the cheap fare is not what made Jeepneys "Philippine's
pride". 

At the beginning, Filipinos built their own Jeepneys out of
U.S. army jeep surplus after WWII. The back of the jeeps 
were extended and installed with two inward-facing benches. 
A steel roof is added to protect riders from sun and rain.
One Jeepney can accommodate 22-23 passengers (20 at the back 
and 2 beside the driver). 

Then drivers started to add their identities to their 
Jeepneys. Designs and decorations highlight every square 
inch, from mudflaps to headlights, including much of the 
windshield. Prominent adornments include Catholic 
iconography and multinational corporate logos. A crucifix 
mounted on a Mercedes-Benz grill is not unusual, and hubcaps 
of any brand can be attached to most parts of the vehicle's 
exterior. Vehicles are christened with names ranging from
"Jesus is Lord" to "Sex Machine." Some jeepneys require a 
second battery just to power gratuitous lights and horns.

Nowadays, there is no more U.S. army surplus. Jeepneys are
made from parts salvaged from exhausted Japanese trucks, 
and probably Toyota engines. Also, some owners won't
decorate their Jeepneys that much anymore becuase the bad 
economic situation had taken away their resources and 
spirits. However, Jeepneys will still remain the main public
transportation of this country for a long time.

Read more about the Jeepneys and see the pictures at...
Jeepneys of the Philippines (see an over-loaded Jeepney)
Jeepney Mania (with Jeepneys all over the Philippines)
Gerard's Jeepney Collection

 

 

More:

I don't like riding on these Jeepneys very much... actually.
I found very few safe drivers. There are no door both in 
the front and at the back. The receive the fares and give 
changes while driving. And I'd never seen a slow Jeepney 
(unless when they are passing a school or department store 
and slow down to look for passengers). 

However, safety issues are not the reasons I don't like 
travelling with a Jeepney. My problem is... Filipinos are 
tiny people, and the Jeepneys are built based on their 
average size. I am from Thailand, which is a neighbouring 
country, but Filipino XL size is sometimes too small for me. 
Actually I am only 1.64 metres (5'4") tall and usually weigh 
65 kgs (1.35 lb.) -- not too huge by International 
standard -- or is it? 

When people get on a Jeepney, they have to walk in with
their knees and back bent down until they find a seat 
(because the roof is low). When I do that, my chin almost
get knocked-out by my own knees. And when I sit down, my 
knees point out farther that anyone else in the Jeepney. 
People step on my feet all the time. I guess my butt takes 
too much space on the long bench too. I guess drivers don't 
like me much either because they can't charge me double
(laugh).            

I Lost My Heart in Heidelberg

(First published in Small World Ezine on 9 July 2002)

 

Writing about Germany in the Neuschwanstein article, I can't help myself thinking of Heidelberg... The place I used to stay for 2 years. And, like they said in the song, it's so beautiful that "I lost my heart in Heidelberg".

Europe's oldest human skull was found here. I saw it in the 
museum and could not understand how they knew it's a human 
skull. If I found a small piece of stone like that, I'd not 
give it a second glance. However, from all the bones and 
tools found, it was concluded that traces of human existence 
around Heidelberg had dated back 500,000 years ago. The 
stoneagers found here are named Homo Heidelbergensis after 
the city.

Then there came the Celts in about 800 B.C., Roman followed, 
and then the Alemannic tribe. The name "Heidelberch" was 
first mentioned in 1196, in a deed of the Cloister Schönau. 
The history of the castle starts in 1225, when the 
Wittelsbach Ludwig I., Count Palatinate, gained a castle as a 
feudal tenure from the Cloister Lorsch, with the aim that he 
might protect the trade road into the Neckar valley. The 
castle was renovated, ruined, burnt, and rebuilt several time
in history. Read more at this link. 

Heidelberg

 

Nowadays, the castle becomes the town's herbal medicine
museum, and convention center. They have events, plays, 
operas, and concerts all the time, esp. this time of the 
year. I used to attend parties in the castle's hall twice... 
one Christmas Party of our University, and the other time was 
the wedding party of a friend. The rest of the time I went to 
the castle just to walk or have a picnic in its garden (open 
to public).

Oh almost forget, the world's biggest wine barrel is also in
the Schloss (castle). The castle looks red... I think it's 
built of sand stones.

In 1386, Ruprecht I. founded the University, which is said to 
be the centre of higher education in Europe at the time. It
played a leading role during the age of Humanism and the 
Reformation. Martin Luther was received here with great 
honors and defended his 95 theses. Today the university has 
expanded to be the centre of philosophy, medicine, law and 
theology studies in Germany. The university is what makes the 
town alive. Because Germans study for free, they'll keep 
studying until Ph.D. Two-thirds of Heidelberg populations are 
students, professors, or academic personnel. With the recent 
opening of Heidelberg's TechnoPark, the demography is slowly 
changing, but they still recruit work forces from the 
University. And workers from the park also attend courses
there.



With the beautiful scenery, Heidelberg became the favorite 
of an illustrious group of poets including Arnim, Brentano, 
Hölderlin, Eichendorff and Goethe, to name but a few. No city 
was so beloved by the Romantic poets as Heidelberg. And don't 
forget the music Composers such as Schumann, C.M. von Weber, 
and Brahms also captured their impressions of Heidelberg‘s 
unique blend of river landscape, historic town, and hillside 
castle in their music.

 
Heidelberg used to be Hitler's headquarters during the war 
too, but we shall not go there. Just a note that Heidelberg, 
somehow, or miraculously, survived the bombs without a 
scratch.  They said when the allied bomber pilot saw the 
castle, they could not make themselves let go the bombs, and
destroy such a piece of art. Thus, they had to drop the bombs 
in the nearby city of Mannhein instead. In WWII, Mannheim was 
completely destroyed. (This was told to me by a half-American 
Mannheimer who felt sorry for his home town but was also glad 
Heidelberger Schloss was not hit). 


Today Heidelberg resides the headquarters of NATO in the 
region. There is a large U.S. army base together with all the 
American stuffs (i.e. supermarket, Laundromat, U.S. post 
office, U.S. ATM, U.S. satellite TV and video rental, etc.)
inside. I lived in the same apartment building with a U.S.
sergeant and attended Management classes with a U.S. captain, 
they took me there a lot. 

 

More:


Summer and Christmas are the best time to visit Heidelberg.

The Castle lighting and fireworks always take place on the 
first Saturday in June, second Saturday in July (this coming
Saturday?), and first Saturday in September. There will be
light shows for remembrance of the time the castle was on
fire. And after that -- 15-20 minutes of fireworks.

At the time people will gather on the bridges and the other 
side of the river, eating drinking and enjoying the summer
night. There are also Wurst (hotdog), beer and Sekt (German
sparkling wine) stands all over the place.

During the summer day, just lying on the grass yard by the 
river's bank and enjoy the sun is relaxing enough. You can
also hike up the hills, ride a bike, or run on skates. There
are certain bike-lanes that people are not allowed to walk on
them and cause traffic to bikers. Isn't it a biker's heaven?

Every Saturday, there will be markets in several places 
nearby the castle. You can get anything from fruits, flowers, 
candies, souvenirs, clothes, etc. I even got my Bayern 
Munich scarf from the market. Just take a walk on 
Hauptstrasse (Main Street), and you won't miss them. 
Haupstrasse itself is already interesting -- full of artists, 
musicians, magicians, ... There are University facilities 
everywhere, and museums, restaurants, cafe (where you'll 
enjoy the tea) They say Germans can't cook. I am not sure 
about that, but it's certain to me they can bake. Talk about 
Pretzels, Cakes, Pies, Icecream with such fruity toppings... 
There are also other European restaurants on Hauptstrasse... 
Turkish, Greek, You name it... The most delicious Kebab stand 
is also here. What's more... McDonald's, Hard Rock Cafe, even 
a Thai restaurant.


If you happen to visit in winter there are still Christmas 
markets and parades. Don't forget to try the Glühwein (a warm
wine available only during Christmas). The Christmas market 
is open everywhere in Germany from end of November to mid
December (just before the Christmas break). Though Heidelberg 
is located on a higher place, but the valley helps keep the 
place warmer in winter and colder in summer. (Don't ask me 
how).  It's one of not many places in Germany with steadier 
weather. 


How to get there and around:

Nearest airports are in Stuttgart and Frankfurt. Frankfurt
International Airport is one of the modernest and most
equipped airport in the world. If you arrive at Frankfurt,
you can either

- Rent a car and drive there. Just get on to the Autobahn
and follow Stuttgart direction. Be reminded that they drive
VERY FAST on Autobahn (160 km./h or 100 mph up). Keep right
if you are not sure where to go. 

- Take Lufthansa's Airport bus from Terminal B directly to
Heidelberg's Marriot Hotel. From the hotel, just take a taxi
to Bismarkpaltz which is the town centre. Hauptstrasse starts
from here.

- Take a train to Heidelberg's Hauptbahnhof (Main station).
And from there, take a tram or bus to Bismarksplatz. The
Tourist Information is just in front of the Train station.
But they work office hours only.

You can also take the train until Heidelberg's Karlstor 
station at the other end of Hauptstrasse, but taking a 
tram or a bus provides you better scenery of the town.


A tourist can get a Heidelberg Card, and ride on trams/buses
in Heidelberg free for 3 days. The card pay your entrance to
the Castle, Old University, and 10 more museums too.

To go to the Castle, walk on Hauptstrasse or take a bus until 
Kornmarkt, and walk or take the cable car (Bergbahn) uphill. 
Do not drive up there. The driveway is steeper and normally 
difficult to park. The castle is only the first stop of the 
cable car. You can go until the top of the hill, and enjoy 
the scenery very far away. But from the castle you can see 
all over Heidelberg already. The Castle's garden is free to
go, but you'll have to pay DM 1 or 2 for the Castle (free for
Heidelberg Cardholder). Everywhere in Germany, there are
always discounts for juniors and students. Just ask.

Coming down, don't forget to stop by at Alte Brüke (Old 
Bridge). The bridge itself is beautiful. And the castle view
from there is incredible! 


If you have time, take a cruise along the Neckar, come back 
to the castle at night, and see Heidelberg's romantic view 
from the garden. Oooohh I miss Heidelberg...

I Lost My Heart in Heidelberg

To stay the night, there are hotels, Youth Hostels, Guess 
Houses, and camping sites.

Best Western Rega Heidelberg Hotel

London Bridge

(first Published in Small World Ezine on 21 May 2002)

 

I saw the story of the London Bridge in yesterday's Disney
Channel, and thought it was interesting. You probably know
it already. But it's still something to talk about for our 
kind of ezine, right? :-)

 

The above picture is the old London Bridge, not the one you see below...

    (Tower Bridge)

The first time I went to London (1992), I went looking for the
London Bridge because I wanted to know the story behind the
"London Bridge is Falling Down" song. And I was pretty 
disappointed that the London Bridge was "just a bridge". Oh 
it's only until I found out that normal looking bridge was
not the bridge in the song.

(Battersea Bridge)

When the Roman was there, ther was no London (yet). The first 
bridge was probably built around 80 AD from timber in order to
cross the Thames. We do not know how the Roman (or the Saxon
who arrived arter them) called the bridge. A later record 
written in 984 AD was probably the first document to mention
the "London Bridge".

Two other timber bridges followed, one being swept away 
entirely in a storm in 1091. A third was built in 1163. The 
man who built it, a priest named Peter de Colechurch, vowed 
that his next bridge would be of stone. That was around the 
time of King Henry II.

This bridge took 30 years to build. It had a road 20 feet wide 
and 300 yards long and was supported by 20 arches, curving to 
a point in Gothic style. This time it lasted over 600 years. 

There were gatehouses, a drawbridge and the street houses to 
provide rent for the upkeep of the bridge. Then, People and 
merchants began building houses and shops on the bridge and 
this continued in the years to come. They projected far out 
on both sides of the bridge supported by stout Timbers. Many 
tradesmen brought their specialties to the bridge and it was 
soon nearly completely covered with buildings.

  (Early London Bridge)

In 1450 the bridge was held against Jack Cade and his rebels.
There was fire. Houses were burnt. People were slaughtered.
But the worst time was the 1633 fire. Forty-three houses were
destroyed and many of the shops were also burned and damaged. 
But this helped prevent the damage from the great fire in 1666
because the 1633 fire had left a big gap before the bridge 
and the fire of 1666 could not reach the other side.

When they rebuilt London after the great fire, they also 
rebuilt the bridge. This time they replaced the drawbridge with a 
big arch in the middle. 

 

In 1825, the new bridge was built 100 feet west of the old 
bridge. It was finished in 1831. And they demolished the old 
bridge. However, more traffic came with civilization -- 
trains, buses, etc., this bridge did not last very long. It
sank unevenly as years passed and could no longer cope with 
the extent of modern traffic. So, the British Government sold
the bridge to Robert McCulloch of Arizona, USA for $2,460,000. 
They moved it to Lake Havasu, Arizona in 1960's. And it's been
a tourist attraction of Arizona until today. It is here:
http://www.oldlondonbridge.com/images/arizona.jpg 

(London Bridge 1909-10)

They built a new concrete bridge in the same place over the 
Thames. 

 

Nice Picture of The Construction of Tower Bridge London 1892-1894

 

 

Novotel London Tower Bridge

The Kumari of Nepal

The Kumari of Nepal

(This article was first published in Small World Ezine on 28 January 2002)

 

The "Kumari is Nepal's living goddess. Once chosen, the 
girl's feet will never touch the earth anymore until she is 
retired from the position.

The Kumari is not born a goddess nor does she remain one all 
her life. She is usually chosen from a goldsmith family when 
she is about five years old. And will be retired when she 
reaches puberty.

To be selected, it is essential that she has been never hurt 
or shed blood. 

After careful screening by a number of people, including the 
astrologer the selected candidates, about ten candidates are 
locked in a dark room where fearful things are kept inside 
and frightening noises are made outside. The girl who shows 
least fear is selected. 

She is installed on a throne in a room in a three-storeyed 
house in Kathmandu, the Capital city of Nepal. She will be 
living there and never touch the earth again until she reaches 
puberty. Then the Kumari becomes human once more and a new 
Goddess must be chosen. 

The selected friends and teachers are sent up the house to 
entertain and educate the Kumari.

For three days during each September at the time of festival 
of God Indra marking the end of the mansoon seasons the 
Kumari is taken by chariot around Kathmandu to give blessing. 
She also blesses the king of Nepal on this occasion. It is 
said that the Kumari gave her blessing to one king very 
reluctantly in the year that he died. People said that she 
was feeling very sleepy and had to be literally forced to 
mark his forehead (for blessing). 

There is a belief that a man who marries an ex-Kumari may 
die within six months. And that's why many of the ex-Kumaris 
are living their lives miserably lonely.


Some ex-Kumaris and International organizations are now
debating the "Human-Rights" issue with the Nepali Government.
But since it's a belief and the parents take it the pride of 
the family to have their girls chosen, it's probably almost 
impossible to change.

Feminism and Nationalism in the Third World (Third World Books) - Kumari Jayawardena - Print On Demand (non-refundable)

 

More:


We mentioned above about the Hindu God Indra. God Indra (his 
body is green -- I guess it's to resemble the fertility of 
a land) is the God who takes care of our well-beings.

It is said that whenever there is a disaster on earth, his
seat/bed will turn so hard that the god cannot ignore it.
Then he'll use his magical glasses to search who is in pain 
or where's the disaster, and come down (or send somebody) to 
help.

This is from what we know in Thailand. The myth could be 
slightly different in India and Nepal. Similar to how the 
Greeks and Romans believed in the same gods but different
names and sometimes also in different manners.

Easter Island

(First published in Small World Ezine on 19 March 2002)

   

Easter Island (or Rapa Nui) is one of the world’s greatest 
archaeological sites, and also one of the most remote. The 
Rapa Nui is in the Pacific just about in the middle between 
Chile and Tahiti. If you do not recall, see the tiny pic at your 
left.  Yep... That's the statue and place we are talking about.

The tragic of the people of Rapa Nui (Easter Island) was just 
because somebody thought (and are still thinking) that people
who looked, acted, or believed otherwise were uncivilized, 
and, to those barbarians, they can do anything (even more
barbaric) without guilt. 

First, this island is called Rapa Nui, but the Dutch 
explorer, Jacob Roggeveen did not care. He found it on the 
Easter Sunday of 1720 A.D., 1400 years after the first 
Polynesian had moved in, and decided to call it "Easter 
Island" without asking the tenants how the place had been
called by them.

Then came the Spanish captain, Don Felipe Gonzáles, who 
calimed the island for the King of Spain in 1770. Captain 
James Cook and the French admiral and explorer, le Comte de 
La Pérouse were also there a few years later. But not much
damage had been done (Some islanders were killed because they 
looked dangerous to Europeans. And the mainland diseases 
such as VD, TB, small pox, ... were brought to the island 
where people had no natural immune or medical knowledge to 
any).

Once a while when ships needed more labors and/or women 
would stop by and kidnap islanders from their home. The 
real major life-taking threat was when the slave-traders 
discovered the place. One after another, they kidnapped men 
and women of Rapa Nui to the slave markets. When this was 
finally over, it was said that only one-thirds were left in 
the island with health problems from the outside.

Now came the missionaries who tried to help with their 
medicine, but in the process of conversion, they destroyed 
almost all the evidences of old believes including ancient 
scripts, tablets, and wooden artifacts.

Finally, In 1888 a Chilean Captain, Policarpo Toro Hurtado, 
took formal possession of the island in the name of the 
Republic of Chile. Twelve Rapanui chiefs ceded sovereignty 
to Chile "for ever."

With the amazing sculptures on the shore of Rapa Nui, there 
were hundreds of theories on WHO, HOW and WHY. The lost 
continent, UFO, Egyptians, etc. I'd like to quote from  
http://islandheritage.org/mysteries.html   that...

"To suggest or intimate that the ancient Easter Islanders 
did not carve their statues and build their shrines is to 
deny them their past. Easter Island has a rich history, 
coming out of the Polynesian tradition, which in turn derives 
from Southeast Asia. They created a remarkable civilization, 
out there, isolated in the vast South Pacific Ocean. Let’s 
give them a little credit!"

The mysteries of Easter Island

 

More:

How to get there...

Only one Airline flies from Chile (takes 5 hours).  You can 
also buy a package cruise from there, but I think taking a 
cruise from New Zealand might be a better idea. It is
probably too far and dangerous for a private yacht or 
sailboat.

Stay for longer (like a week). There are 1000+ archeoligical 
and historical sites to see. Bring your food and water. Food
is expensive (to tourists), and safe drinking water is rare.

It is recommended to attend the mass in the Catholic church
if you are there on Sunday (if it's not against your belief).
The singing is "not missable".

Locals speak Spanish, but Rapa Nuis speak their language.

Last but not least, the Easter Island Foundations is raising 
funds for preservations of the island's magnificent 
archaeological heritage. Visit their web site for the 
information on upcoming projects, and donation at:
http://islandheritage.org/projects.html

 

TIKI Rapa Nui Easter Island Wall Calendar