Visit to the Orchard/Farm

Been here in London for 2 months and went twice to my favourite spot - the Orchard/Farm. It is my fourth visit. My first two visits were the most memorable ones.

First trip - about 5 -6 of us, we took a train there. I picked a lot of strawberries, blueberries and a little of raspberries and one apple (cos not in season). Walked around the farm joking and had so much fun and found many other vegetables like potatoes, carrots, huge bourgettes, cauliflowers, cabbage and brocolli. I was the oldest there but the most childish when it comes to picking fruits. They keep calling out 'Aunty Penny look here - taking photos' I just told them.you all go ahead, I am very busy..... hahahahaha!!!! Then comes the highlight of the day. We looked, searched and asked everyone/everywhere and OMG there was no toilet. The only toilet available is the one at the shops before you come into the farm. We were somewhere in the middle of the farm. So the boys went behind the raspberries plants, and the younger ladies says they are fine and me......oh gosh I need a pee. Looking around frantically, arrrhhhh! I saw a huge pile of twigs. So I told Wendy, I am going to pee behind the pile of twigs, you 'watch water' for me.
As you know, when you have waited for a long time, it takes you ages to finish doing it. Still at it for a couple of seconds cos it went like long and short then long and short................ still at it WHEN I HEARD THE SOUND OF A TRACTOR COMING THIS WAY. Oh! no, not coming to collect this pile. I wanted to pull up my pants but cannot it has not finish yet and not like tap can turn off......... just didn't know what to do but pray lor. Thank GOD, they did not come for the twigs. After this incident, I never dare to keep my pee for long long time and never dare to do it in the open.

Second trip - Wendy hired a car and five of us ladies only drove there. We ate a lot of strawberries, corn and sugar plums. Was so fasinated cos we had to squat down to pick the sugar plums cos they were all at the tree trunks orhanging down from the branches. We actually had to crawl under the tree to reach those fruits. It was so beautiful and amazing and that is one of the reasons why I keep yearning to come back to london for visit.

The farm closes at six, the crazy ladies decided to drive 2 hours to Brighton for a bowl of curry noodles. By the time we reached home it was almost 2am.

One thing good was for the first 2 trips, we started he journey very early so it was not so hot and we get to spend more time looking around for other fruits and vegetables.

Besides coming to see the little sweetheart and taking care of Wendy during her confinement, I wanted very much to pick cherries. I was still not well by May so I prayed very hard and took all kinds of medications to get well and fit for the journey. I was still a little breathless but I dare not complain cos when and if I do, my family will not let me come as I was travelling alone on the long flight. Praise the LORD, I made it.

Unfortunately this time around, I find it totally different. No more umph!!!!!! Ok, perhaps it is just me. Like my daughter said, everything is just me, me and me. Perhaps I am just over reacting/sensitive whatever. First of all this time we went with different groups. Secondly, Wendy must have gone a hundred times thus lost interest and moreover there is BB to feed and sleep and so on. And thirdly, we went there so late.


This time, the first trip went with Wendy, BB, Wendy's sister in law and son, the weather threatens to rain, so BB and Wen had to stay in the car. Only manage to pick some strawberries and raspberries. Cherries is only available two weeks later. We were in the farm probably for about an hour then went to the shops for another half hour.

Second trip went with Wendy, Jon and BB too. It was so hot Wen and BB had to stay in the car with the air con on. Spend less than 1 hour there. Only harvested 3 cauliflowers, some sweet peas and 2 miseerable potatoes. Cherries were not available anymore. SSSSSSSSsssssoooooooooooooo disappointed.

The only cheeries I get to pick was the few that Pearly purposely left for me from her cherry tree and the ones I stole from a neighbour. According to Pearly, well at least you have picked some. Hahahahaha!! Good thots Tks Pearly.

Nevertheless, I must say thank you to Wendy and Jon for the time and effort. Thanks.

Old Age

Old age comes with forgetfulness, clumsiness, uselessness, brainless, strenghless and breathless.

I am only 53 yrs old and I already encounter all those mentioned above. I used to be very systematic and energetic in my house work when my kids were young. We were staying in a single storey house when I only had my two girls, before my son came.
First thing I do when i get up is to take whatever I want to cook out from the fridge, then rinse the clothings already prewashed the night before. And next, sweep the floor, then hang up the clothings and after sending them off to school, I will mop the floor or manage to change all the furnitures from the hall to the second hall or from the first room to the back room when I am bored with the settings. Then I will put the soup to boil and season pork/chicken or fish and cut the vegetables and place them back into the fridge. Everyday, I wud prepare different menu for lunch for my kids. There were chicken chop, scramble egg on toast, fried rice, soup noodles, fish and chips, fried wanton with ikan bilis soup and sometimes just milo with cornflakes. I am done by noon. Then start to prepare dinner at 5.30pm.

Where have all those energy gone?????? I hate myself for being so useless. Not that I wanted to be forgetful or something like that but it really hurts when you are shouted at or screamed at the slightest mistake you make.

So far, I have only seen one man who is very filial and patience with his parents. His name is David. His mom is sickly and he is the only one to take care of her in spite of having 3 other siblings. She is one difficult lady. In one day, she can demand to be send to the doc 5 times. Even in the wee mornings. The poor chap will do it. And he will conspire with the doc to say that all is ok. He will feed her with so much love while she, having lost her sense of taste will throw tantrums. This is a daily affair. He took care of her for years before she is called home. His dad is still around at he age of 80+. He is staying in another town and the cute part is the old man will not eat until he hears the son's voice. So he makes it a point to call his dad daily no matter how busy he is.

I don't wish to be like his mom (sickly and dependant) BUT I DO WISH TO HAVE CHILDREN LIKE HIM

Like everyone else, wish I can turn back the clock and do justice to myself. Not that something bad has happened but then I just wish to be wiser.

How I wish.......................

At this very moment, staying in the room of my niece's father-in-law' flat, feeling very hungry and do not feel like going out to the kitchen to find a bite, (got up at 8am and it is already 11.10am) how I wish that I have enough money to sponsor my niece to get an apartment of her own. Yes, my niece bought me a lot of biscuits and other stuff, but if u have to eat that daily, it sucks. Oh that makes me miss all those, chee cheong fun, mee yoke, char kuey teow, curry mee, nasi lemak or even a simple char kuey wit coffee back home.

Staying in a stranger's house is really torturous. Not that he is not nice, but each time we do something, you know that there is a watchful eye which makes me VERY UNCOMFORTABLE so I opt to wait for my niece to have breakfast/brunch together.

If I have plenty of ££££ then I can pay for her operation to remove her gallstones and then I can go HOME and maybe come again to see the little sweetheart. She is so cute really. At 6 weeks she already knows how to 'ang ku ku'. I love it when she laughs heartily in her sleep and when she does that, she is such a beauty. But she has been spoilt in a way by many people around. She is used to being carried so now we have a little problem with that. She wants to be cuddled all the time.

Anyway, since I have travelled to many hundreds thousands of miles, I might as well move around a bit to other places cos i don't know when I am coming this way again. So nice to have some relatives/friends around. Planning to go to Leicestershire, Holland, Germany and New York.

So how I wish..................................... (I KNOW EVERYBODY DOES TOO) have plenty of $$$$$$$$$$$$$$.

Mis-communications

I bought some fruits (apples, bananas and oranges) from Sainsbury cos I need fruits after taking so many types of medications. When I saw the fruits I wanted to buy many many more types cos it is so cheap......... I mean dollar to dollar. £1++ for a bag of 8 nice sweet crunchy green apples and 5 big navel oranges. 5 Bananas is less than $1/- .

In all the supermarts, I noticed that they only sell one type of bananas that is Montel. I was explaining to Jon's family (sister/bro-in-law and dad) that in our country, there are so many kinds. We have pisang:- emas, raja, susu and berangan and those big big ones where they make kuih kodoh (sp) and the green ones used for making goreng pisang besides raja. They were surprised there were actually so many kinds.

Then after taking the bananas for a couple of days, I noticed I had alot of wind and keeps on farting which is so embarrassing. So I stopped eating. Jon's dad saw the balance and asked why I did not finished it. I told him that after taking the 'kong chiew' (banana in cantonese) I felt my tummy bloated with wind. Then he said, it happens becos u eat 'kong chiew' (male banana) - u should eat 'na chiew' (female banana). To my surprise, I exclaimed - eh! u have a different kind here too. He also claim that it is very good for diabetics. Then I said - ok , the next time u see those, u buy some for me to try. So, the very next day, he went out early and bought 4 huge pcs back which only cost $1/- He told me that these are specials ones and sold by the africans. When I saw it I thought eh! it looks like the ones they make kuih kodoh. Anyway I have to try it to show my appreciation since he is so nice to go all the way to the wet market to buy for me and keep repeating that it is good for diabetics.

I took one and cut it into half to share with him cos I said it was too big for me. He refuse to eat saying that he is not a diabetic and I end up eating the whole thing. Altho it has turned yellow, it still has the raw kind of taste. but I ate it all anyway. Does not nice lor. Then I said - oh! so the 'na chiew' is like that one arrrrrh! He just smile saying that maybe it is till not ripe enough. Ok, I shall wait till it is a bit soft.

Then on Beatrix's full moon, Jon's eldest brother and family came. The SIL prepared dinner while I just stayed in the room to tend to BB. During dinner, I noticed that 2 of the 'na chiew' was missing. So I asked - oh! someone has eaten it. Then the SIL said, no, I fried it. And showed me the balance. I took one and I said it definitely taste better after being fried. Then she started laughing and said that of course - this type of bananas have to be fried. NOBODY eats it raw.........then, the father laughed till he almost got chocked when I told them that the father purposely went to buy this 'na chiew' for me.

So naive of me, taken for a ride.

I can communicate with Jon's dad but then his hakka slang is terrible. One morning he was making ' kau yuk' (steam pork with some veg and herbs) . I heard 'kow yuk' (dog meat). Then I asked, huh! u eat 'kow yuk' one arrrrh! First time he said --- ya. Then I asked again, really arrrrh! u eat 'kow yuk' ?????? He roared into laughter and said NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IT IS 'KAU YUK' ................................... There is plenty more of these mis-communications. I must say, it irritates him at times but it makes his day most times.