A Kiss And A Hug

The kiss and the hug. The eyes closed. The pout. The hair. The hands. The arms that closely wrapped the body. The smiles. The co-stars. The background colour. I just love these two pictures. Everything about them. One of the best unedible food in my bistro.

Lilikoi

A fruit that is from Passionfruit family; I was firstly introduced to it in a form of cordial drink sold by Cosway agents. I thought it was nice but was not too crazy about it. On my recent trip to Bali; I was introduced to the fruit fresh served by the hotel like apples and bananas - a token for guest to take from the lobby or cafe anytime they feel hungry. I was sold!

The sweet jello like flesh that came with crunchy seeds are just delicious. I went into a bit of exploration in the markets of Denpasar (my wanting to take a few boxes home) and also on the internet and found interesting facts on Lilikoi aka. Markisa.

Scientifically named as Passiflora edulis or passion fruit is cultivated commercially for its fruit in northwestern South America, India, the Caribbean, Brazil, southern Florida, Hawaii, Australia, East Africa, Israel and South Africa (where it is known as a grenadilla or granadilla). The passion fruit is round to oval, yellow or dark purple at maturity, with a soft to firm, juicy interior filled with numerous seeds. The fruit can be grown to eat (my favorite way together with the seeds) or for its juice, which is often added to other fruit juices to enhance aroma.

The two types of passion fruit have greatly different exterior appearances. The bright yellow variety of passion fruit, which is also known as the Golden Passionfruit, can grow up to the size of a grapefruit, has a smooth, glossy, light and airy rind, and has been used as a rootstock for the purple passionfruit in Australia. The dark purple passion fruit (for example, in Kenya) is smaller than a lemon, with a dry, wrinkled rind at maturity.

The purple varieties of the fruit reportedly have traces of cyanogenic glycosides in the skin, and hence are mildly poisonous. However, the thick, hard skin is hardly edible, and if boiled (to make jam), the cyanide molecules are destroyed at high temperatures.

The flesh and seeds of one Lilikoi

Other names for Lilikoi:

On the island of Puerto Rico, the fruit is called parcha. In Venezuela, it is called parchita. In Colombia, it is known as maracuya. In the Dominican Republic, it is called Chinola. In Malaysia and Indonesia, it is also known as markisa and the yellow variety is called konyal in Sundanese language. In Hawaii, it is called lilikoʻi in Hawaiian or lilikoi in English, although "passion fruit" is widely recognized. In South Africa the purple variety is called a granadilla whereas the golden/yellow variety is called guavadilla. In Brazil the fruit is known as maracujá. In Portugal it is called Maracuja. The distinctive flower of the passion fruit plant is called Passion flower or Passionflower, and is noted for its unusual visual characteristics. The leaves and roots of the plant have medicinal uses and are also called by the name Passion flower. In Australia, passion fruit is the most common topping for the pavlova (a meringue cake) and the vanilla slice. It is also used to flavour soft drinks such as Passiona. In Puerto Rico, it is widely believed to lower blood pressure. In Brazil passion fruit mousse is a common dessert, and passion fruit seeds are routinely used to decorate the tops of certain cakes. Passion fruit juice is also very common.

In the Dominican Republic it is commonly used as an ingredient in a fruit drink containing strained passionfruit juice, sugar and water. It is also eaten fresh and used to flavor things from hard candies to popsicles. In Indonesia it is eaten straight as a fruit. Nevertheless, it is common to strain the passionfruit for its juice and cook it with sugar to make some sort of thick syrup. It is then mixed with water and ice to be drunk. In Hawaii it is normally eaten raw. Lilikoi flavored syrup is a popular topping for shave ice. Ice cream and mochi are also flavored with lilikoi, as well as many other desserts. Lilikoi fruits are not widely available in stores, so most of the fruit eaten comes from backyard gardens or wild groves.

Lovely.

They, Who Must Know.

If something happened to yours truly:

My family - My mother, because she is my beloved mom. Mak Anjang because she always have something sweet for me; Abang Tar, Kakak, Mak Nita, Mak Ann, Mak Awa, Ben and their off springs because they are my siblings and family. Muz, tho unrequited nonetheless must know, because he's The love of my Life. The eLearning Team old and new; the Education Team plus Ian and Jeffrey because they are the people I got to know from work. Moi Lin of Aveda, Liza of Grace, Fenny of MobileShop, all because they always make sure I fell good and look great. The WSU Wazzu gang from WA. My friends Elaine, Wati, Val, Chow Yuan, Amy, Prashant, Lynn, Fa, Lee Henn, Nai Ann, Boy, Liza, Vicky and Mark, Nasreen Ayeng, Zsa Zsa, Kim-mi Chong and Kong Meng, Dennis and Heather, Suying, Samantha & Mike, Madam Tyan, Farah Lodin, Kak G Ruziah, Siria, Hanim, Ronald Aw-Yong, Puds Narayanan, Wei Haw, Khee Bee, Bee Leng, Katherine, Mee Lin, Eric & Claire, Patrick Lau, Andrew & Diah, JY, Yit Loong & Jan. My pet cats and kittens because I love them and they need care. And last and not least, Chu Kha, Ayah Da, Intan, Abang Joe, Kak Yah, Kak Baie, Che Are because they are the closest relatives that I know today.

In Loving Memories

Colourful (25 May 2006 - 9 June 2007)

In loving memories of my beloved cat Colourful & her 4 kittens whose lifes were progressively cut short by Feline Panleikopenia.:(















Colourful with her kittens: Baby Grey, All Black, Baby Yellow & GAle
(6 April 2007 - 9 June 2007)

Colourful was an attentively good mother; a no-fuss, and a dear cat who could jumped far and responded everytime her name was called. She gave birth to four babies in early April - yellow, GAle (Ginger Ale), all black and all grey.














Baby Hal (22 March 2007 - 10 June 2007)

In loving memories of Baby Hal(ia) whose live was cut short by the same virus. :( Baby Hal - kitten of Lady Yellow and Taby possessed the same trait of the mother - scurrying like a squirrel and loved to play hide and seek with the cats and fellow kittens by hiding her face in a pillow, underneath a couch; behind cupboards while the tail were left jutting out giving the seeker the ultimate clue ; and the same trait of the father - unique body & leg stretch - back leg, right and then left.

I am greatly missing they presence. :(

My Visual DNA

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

This is my Visual DNA. Be prepared for a surprise but if I could have it my way, this is the perfect world for me. I think this is sooooooo cool! :)

The Holiday

Bali Sunset

The hotel staff nod a polite thank you and placed my order on a small white table next to the round gazebo bed; which stood firmly on the beach's front.

This is today, the holiday get-away which if I could have desribed in a blog a year ago - the time when both my family and friends had encouraged me to go.

To mend a broken heart.

It didn't happen then, it just happened now. Now sitting here, blessed with God's creations widespread in front of me; I do agree now that taking The Holiday, wherever that may be, does help one who just suffered a love lost to recover. If not completely, definitely more than slightly.

Should it have happened much sooner? I still think the best time for one to take such holiday is not as soon the love was lost; but as soon as one is ready.















It was a breezy evening. The moon was full reflecting its shadow on the ocean water below. The stars were shining brightly. I counted - there were 27; I connected each to complete a diagram; I had wished upon the stars. The weather was just so, not too hot, not too cold. It was perfect.