Ginger, Anise, Onion, Cilantro

These were the smells borne aloft by the steam from my cooking pot tonight, when I tried out the Hainanese Chicken Rice recipe suggested by my eldest daughter Jenny after we Skyped a bit this morning.

Everything tasted simple and clean and good. The clear broth felt restorative, especially at the end of this week.

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It is almost unbearable watching TV coverage of post-earthquake Japan. Brings back memories of a similar (8.8 in our case) earthquake in my home city, Baguio in the Philippines, on July 16, 1990.. Praying for all of those who have lost homes, property, families, loved ones...

Events like these are grim reminder that we in our puny selfish little orbits are never ever the center of the universe.

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And this is "After Hokusai's Thirty Six Views", my poem today now up on Via Negativa.