Elephant Ear Fig Tree

               A very interesting name, it gets its name from its big leaves which like an elephant ear.  We found this tree in the Hort Park.

A short tree, not really tall.

The reddish young leaves

growing bigger and turns green, does it look like an elephant's ear?   :)

Clusters of fruits attached at the bottom of the tree trunk.

The fig turns red when matured

Home-made Chocolate Chip Muffins

Easy-to-make and delicious, these muffins are good for afternoon tea.

Ingredients

110 g butter, 100g brown sugar, 120 ml milk, 1 egg,  210 g plain flour,  1 tsp baking powder, 

170 g chocolate chips

Method

• Preheat the oven to 190C

• Melt the butter at room temperature.

• Whisk the egg and milk, add the butter, mix and set aside.

• Sift over the flour and baking powder.

• Fold the flour into the butter mixture.

• Pour into muffins cups, add the chocolate chips

• Bake at 200C about 20 min  or until golden brown

My two cents

• Don't mix the dry  and liquid ingredients until you are ready to bake.

• Don't over mix the flour with butter mixture, simply fold , otherwise, the muffins will be rough.

• To prevent soggy bottoms, remove the muffins immediately to a wire rack after baked and let them cool down.

The Lim Chu Kang Jetty

                  At the end of Lim Chu Kang road lies a busy jetty.  This so-called jetty is actually a wooden pontoon for mooring boats which travelling between the offshore kelongs( fish farms) and the mainland island.

A road sign seldom find on this island country o.O

The wooden pontoon

Look like a fish was on hook!

Fishmen scraped off barnacles attached to the mussels.

The pontoon stretches out for these boats to moor.

Kelongs or Fish Farms

The Mangrove next to the pontoon

Alexandra Arch and the Forest Walk

From the Hort Park, via the Alexandra Arch to the Forest Walk

 The Forest Walk

 OMG it's landslide

An Unexpected Flight

                   This happened in January 1987 when we visited Harbin.  On our way home, we were supposed to take the flight from Harbin to GuangZhou Bai Yun Airport广州白云机场.  However, due to the heavy traffic of the latter Airport, our flight was diverted to Beijing Airport.  All of us were gathering in an open area, with the airport vehicles travelling around us!!  Waiting about half an hour, we were lead to board on a smaller plane which took us to FoShan Airport (佛山机场).

                  We were all welcome by these military aircrafts.  FoShan Airport was a military airport then,  it was later changed to the dual use of military and commercial flights. 

                   

Harbin, PRC 中国哈尔滨

          We visited Harbin during the Lunar New Year in the late 80's
TaoShan (桃山)

                A Lunar New Year Parade, Stilt-walking...they trampled on a pair of bamboo poles and swinging back and forth!

      

Took a ride up, just sat properly, didn't move, gripped the wire tightly and prayed ... LOL

Skiing ...Um...I mean kept falling :(

Having fun with playing

The temperature at daytime with sun is about -15C to -25C

The temperature dropped to -30C or even lower at night

      

      

Who needs the freezer?  *wink*