by linguowei@bmonidea
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
New Year Diet A to Z.
Year 2009 is around the corner. Let us start with our New Year Diet from A to Z.
Activate a healthy lifestyle.
Include whole grain cereals for Breakfast.
Choose food with less salt, sugar & oil.
A good Diet practices balance, moderation & variety.
Eat slowly. Take time to chew.
Limit the intake of deep Fried Foods.
Set realistic health Goals for the year.
A Happy heart is a healthy heart.
Lean meat, poultry &fish are good sources of IRON.
Fruit Juice with pulp gives added fiber.
Have fun while Keeping fit!
Yogurt contains Live culture.
Energize your day with MILO.
Nestle Nutritional compass - a helpful nutritional guide.
Get refreshing drinks On the go!
Practice portion control when indulging.
Spend Quality time with your family.
Take time to Rest & Relax.
Get at least 7 hours of Sleep.
Total body check up 1 x year.
Use the Malaysian Food Pyramid as a guide for a balanced diet.
Eat a Variety of fruits &vegetables every day.
At least drink 8 glasses of plain Water daily.
Eat eXtra servings of vegetables daily.
Yes! To a stimulating cup of coffee.
Zoom in on health: exercise 30 minute daily.
.
Source from Nestle
by 旭日の革
Activate a healthy lifestyle.
Include whole grain cereals for Breakfast.
Choose food with less salt, sugar & oil.
A good Diet practices balance, moderation & variety.
Eat slowly. Take time to chew.
Limit the intake of deep Fried Foods.
Set realistic health Goals for the year.
A Happy heart is a healthy heart.
Lean meat, poultry &fish are good sources of IRON.
Fruit Juice with pulp gives added fiber.
Have fun while Keeping fit!
Yogurt contains Live culture.
Energize your day with MILO.
Nestle Nutritional compass - a helpful nutritional guide.
Get refreshing drinks On the go!
Practice portion control when indulging.
Spend Quality time with your family.
Take time to Rest & Relax.
Get at least 7 hours of Sleep.
Total body check up 1 x year.
Use the Malaysian Food Pyramid as a guide for a balanced diet.
Eat a Variety of fruits &vegetables every day.
At least drink 8 glasses of plain Water daily.
Eat eXtra servings of vegetables daily.
Yes! To a stimulating cup of coffee.
Zoom in on health: exercise 30 minute daily.
.
Source from Nestle
by 旭日の革
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
梅艷芳、奧巴馬、混雜的力量。
九七之後，香港的流行文化為何光環褪色？曾經雄霸四方的港產片，為何今天連本地市場都失守？曾經征服八方的香港歌星，為何今天一走出珠三角就沒人認識？在梅艷芳辭世五周年之時，我們或許可以用梅艷芳的例子、從文化的角度去尋找這些問題的答案。
香港時事評論人洪清田早前談到奧巴馬的成功時，也提到梅艷芳。他說，奧巴馬作為一個混血兒，有多元的文化背景，他曾在不同國家生活，曾有身份的迷惑；這種混雜性令他能夠＂跨越黑白、社會階層、美非亞洲、政治哲學的意識形態，更多幾重深層次矛盾和問題＂（＜香港—中國的奧巴馬式＂第三種文化＂＞，《信報》 2008年11月13日 ）。奧巴馬是＂第三種文化＂的產物，因此他有改變社會的能力；而洪清田認為，梅艷芳同樣是第三種文化的代表。這種文化，身處邊緣與夾縫之地，卻是融合與交流的中心，因此，也成了一種有改變傳統與不斷創新的力量。
如何定義梅艷芳？
＂第三種文化＂在這裡的意思，是超越＂非此即彼＂的新文化；有美國學者指出，一些隨父母到不同國家工作而在異文化中長大的孩子，混合了祖國與異國文化的多元特質，他們代表了有能力創新與改變的第三種文化。至於梅艷芳，雖然在香港土生土長，然而，定義梅艷芳卻又是困難的：在文化歸屬方面，她不是屬於中國傳統的，她也不是完全西化的，她有日本味，又混合了香港味；在性別特質方面，台上的她大膽挑戰性別傳統，銀幕上的她是巾幗英雄，台下的她卻有個相夫教子的夢想。要把梅艷芳歸類，談何容易？
這種難以歸類的特質，一度是香港流行文化的最傲人之處。有人認為舞台上的梅艷芳是＂東方麥當娜＂，但梅艷芳也有非常東洋味的時候，她翻唱了不少日文歌，她的造型也曾受日本殿堂巨星澤田研二的影響，再者，梅艷芳穿起旗袍唱《似是故人來》時，也有濃濃的中國味。然而，儘管梅艷芳的舞台風格有著別人的影子，但結果卻創出了只此一家的＂梅艷芳風格＂。當年香港在政治與文化上的邊陲感與無根性，對於梅艷芳來說是優勢而非缺陷──既然沒多少傳統可尋，既然本土文化的根不深，就不如來一招吸星大法，美國的、日本的、中國的，甚至是阿拉伯的（妖女造型）、拉打美洲的（巴西女郎造型），都是借鏡對象，都可以據為己有，而最後激出無窮創意。
梅艷芳最當紅的八十年代，香港歌星大唱改編歌。日文歌、台灣歌、美國歌，甚至是泰文歌、法文歌、粵曲，只要好聽馬上改成廣東話。從創作的角度，＂口水歌＂是股歪風，但過了二十多年回頭去看，這種拾人牙慧的風氣其實有一種多元混亂的可貴，也因此，大家都說那年代是百花齊放的、活力充沛的。看看梅艷芳的金曲：《似水流年》是日本喜多郎的作品，《夕陽之歌》及《夢伴》原唱者是近藤真彥，《將冰山劈開》及《夢幻的擁抱》原曲都是英文歌，《似是故人來》及《女人心》是台灣的羅大佑所寫，當然還有本地創作如《烈焰紅唇》及《情歸何處》。如果沒有這些風格紛雜的各種歌曲，梅艷芳要發揮百變形象恐怕會事倍功半，因為，當時在香港掌舵的仍是顧家輝、黃霑、黎小田等老一派的音樂人，他們未必有能耐在音樂上配合一個妖女形象。
香港時事評論人洪清田早前談到奧巴馬的成功時，也提到梅艷芳。他說，奧巴馬作為一個混血兒，有多元的文化背景，他曾在不同國家生活，曾有身份的迷惑；這種混雜性令他能夠＂跨越黑白、社會階層、美非亞洲、政治哲學的意識形態，更多幾重深層次矛盾和問題＂（＜香港—中國的奧巴馬式＂第三種文化＂＞，《信報》 2008年11月13日 ）。奧巴馬是＂第三種文化＂的產物，因此他有改變社會的能力；而洪清田認為，梅艷芳同樣是第三種文化的代表。這種文化，身處邊緣與夾縫之地，卻是融合與交流的中心，因此，也成了一種有改變傳統與不斷創新的力量。
如何定義梅艷芳？
＂第三種文化＂在這裡的意思，是超越＂非此即彼＂的新文化；有美國學者指出，一些隨父母到不同國家工作而在異文化中長大的孩子，混合了祖國與異國文化的多元特質，他們代表了有能力創新與改變的第三種文化。至於梅艷芳，雖然在香港土生土長，然而，定義梅艷芳卻又是困難的：在文化歸屬方面，她不是屬於中國傳統的，她也不是完全西化的，她有日本味，又混合了香港味；在性別特質方面，台上的她大膽挑戰性別傳統，銀幕上的她是巾幗英雄，台下的她卻有個相夫教子的夢想。要把梅艷芳歸類，談何容易？
這種難以歸類的特質，一度是香港流行文化的最傲人之處。有人認為舞台上的梅艷芳是＂東方麥當娜＂，但梅艷芳也有非常東洋味的時候，她翻唱了不少日文歌，她的造型也曾受日本殿堂巨星澤田研二的影響，再者，梅艷芳穿起旗袍唱《似是故人來》時，也有濃濃的中國味。然而，儘管梅艷芳的舞台風格有著別人的影子，但結果卻創出了只此一家的＂梅艷芳風格＂。當年香港在政治與文化上的邊陲感與無根性，對於梅艷芳來說是優勢而非缺陷──既然沒多少傳統可尋，既然本土文化的根不深，就不如來一招吸星大法，美國的、日本的、中國的，甚至是阿拉伯的（妖女造型）、拉打美洲的（巴西女郎造型），都是借鏡對象，都可以據為己有，而最後激出無窮創意。
梅艷芳最當紅的八十年代，香港歌星大唱改編歌。日文歌、台灣歌、美國歌，甚至是泰文歌、法文歌、粵曲，只要好聽馬上改成廣東話。從創作的角度，＂口水歌＂是股歪風，但過了二十多年回頭去看，這種拾人牙慧的風氣其實有一種多元混亂的可貴，也因此，大家都說那年代是百花齊放的、活力充沛的。看看梅艷芳的金曲：《似水流年》是日本喜多郎的作品，《夕陽之歌》及《夢伴》原唱者是近藤真彥，《將冰山劈開》及《夢幻的擁抱》原曲都是英文歌，《似是故人來》及《女人心》是台灣的羅大佑所寫，當然還有本地創作如《烈焰紅唇》及《情歸何處》。如果沒有這些風格紛雜的各種歌曲，梅艷芳要發揮百變形象恐怕會事倍功半，因為，當時在香港掌舵的仍是顧家輝、黃霑、黎小田等老一派的音樂人，他們未必有能耐在音樂上配合一個妖女形象。
不是東拼西湊，而是個人風格從形象到音樂，梅艷芳兼容並蓄，結果，她不只沒有成為東拼西湊的、沒有靈魂的＂翻版貨＂，更建立強烈的個人風格。這種混雜性，有人稱為＂雜嘜文化＂，有人稱為＂半唐番文化＂，也就是一種可以用梅艷芳為代表的香港文化，這種活力曾令香港流行文化征服全球華人、征服亞洲觀眾，甚至征服西方──港產動作作就是結合中國武術、日本武士片風格，再加上香港技術與港式幽默的另一種混合體。這種文化，在七十年代已經萌芽：許冠傑一時輕唱有如古詩的＂曳搖共對輕舟飄＂，一時又大唱英文歌。這種混雜的特質，由梅艷芳透過其百變形象發揚光大。
在性別特質方面亦然。如果香港的歌影史有張國榮作為顛覆性別的男性代表，那麼女性代表就自然是梅艷芳。《飛躍舞台》時期的短髮造型只是小試牛刀，《蔓珠莎華》的西裝加寬邊帽則是大膽而成功的中性形象。值得留意的是，梅艷芳的中性是仍然帶著女人味的，《蔓珠莎華》一曲就有它的嫵媚憂怨。電影中的梅艷芳也如是，她在《東方三俠》等電影中的女俠形象入型入格，但她又不像楊紫瓊般的硬崩崩打女，她縱化身女俠仍然是俠骨柔腸。是的，中性的梅艷芳不是扮男人，她表現的仍然是真女人，只是，這女人的形象是現代的、有別於傳統的。另外，她的壞女孩及妖女形象也從新定義了女性特質，以及探索了女性情慾自主的可能，開拓了廣東歌的題材，從此情慾也可以入歌。
不過，除了深入民心的革命性形象外，梅艷芳也可以是傳統女性，《胭脂扣》中的她，還有台下那個始終視婚姻為女性歸宿的她，都非常傳統。雖然以壞女孩形象走紅，但梅艷芳沒有走進任何一個單一的性別框架，她的種種特質說明的是：性別就是可以有如此多不同的面貌，並不是簡單的男與女、陰與陽可以劃分。梅艷芳這種性別角色，在中國大陸在台灣都找不到，可見這也是獨特的香港製造；在八十年代的華人社會，只有充滿混雜性的香港有能耐創造一個這樣的女性形象。
梅艷芳的消失，香港文化的沒落
近十年的香港流行文化為何沒落？原因當然有很多。然而，很多人忽略了這文化因素：以前的香港，曾經有海納百川的包容性；在殖民統治下，香港與中國大陸在政治上文化上疏離了，但香港又始終沒有培植深入民間的英國文化，處在這樣的夾縫中，最懂得適者生存之道的香港人吸納了不同文化，最沒有政治包袱的香港人創造了迷人的混雜性。最後，政治的邊陲反而成了流行文化的中心。就如梅艷芳，處在中國與英國的夾縫，卻建立鮮明性格；雖然她某一兩個造型很像麥當娜，雖然她唱了很多日文改編歌，但誰也不否認，梅艷芳是獨一的、是香港的。
九七之後的香港，在經濟上有著祖國的堅強後盾，事事必北望神州，這當然有好的一面。然而在今天，當香港電影總要遷就大陸市場，當藝人最怕得罪大陸網民，香港的整個文化性格亦隨之改變：當年，香港面向的是世界，今天，香港面向的是大陸。於是，香港也就好像一隻曾經狂放曾經迷惘的小鳥終於著地；在文化上，香港失去了當年那種來自邊緣來自無根的混雜性──這一方面好像很可憐很無依，但另一方面卻潛藏無限的可能性、革命性與創造力。這樣的＂第三種文化＂力量，很可能由奧巴馬帶給美國，但是，隨著梅艷芳的離世，這種充滿活力的混雜性已經在香港消亡了。
（《澳門日報》，２００８年１２月２５日）
by 旭日の革
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
The Sexy Power of Your Scent
We surveyed thousands of guys on how they're affected by a girl's fragrance. The results blew us away: Your scent can make a guy lust after you and long for you.
You know that when you're sporting a snug, cleavage-enhancing top or a pair of low-rise jeans, guys are guaranteed to take note...if not drool, pant and babble. But you probably never realized that the way you smell can actually have just as much -- if not more -- of a knock-his-socks-off impact. Sure, you've sensed that guys love fragrance, but how much so has never been fully measured...until now. According to the more than 4,000 hot-blooded hombres who responded to a poll we conducted on the Men's Health Website (and the scientists we consulted about the results), a woman's fragrance not only matters, but it also wields tremendous power over the opposite sex. To find out exactly what these powers are and how to harness them to enhance your own man-entrancing abilities, keep reading.
One Whiff Can Hook a Hunk
When asked if they thought a woman's fragrance could boost her overall attractiveness, a whopping 89 percent of the respondents said yes. And 60 percent actually said that at one time in their past, a woman's scent was the main reason that they wanted to meet her. One explanation for this crazy phenomenon: Studies have shown that smelling a fine fragrance can improve a man's mood and make him more eager to socialize, says Jeannette Haviland-Jones, Ph.D., professor of psychology and director of the Human Development Lab at Rutgers University, in New Brunswick, New Jersey. In other words, your luscious scent can make your lad much more likely to stay at your side and get to know you better. Avery Gilbert, Ph.D., president of the Sense of Smell Institute, has another reasoning: "If a guy's brain gets lost in the sensual experience of smelling you for the first time, then he's not assessing your physical traits as critically."
Perfume Power Play: How to make a perfectly fragrant first impression? For starters, only people within a one-foot radius of your body should be able to smell you. "If anyone can smell you outside that invisible circle, you're overly scented," says Gilbert. Go light on the juice -- one spritz or a couple of dabs should be enough. Another tactic is to perfume your hair lightly, suggests Mark Knitowski, vice president of product development for Victoria's Secret Beauty. Then, when you're cruising by the object of your affection, subtly tousle your tresses (a seductive move in and of itself) to release a dose of scent.
Your Aroma Can Arouse Him
If you've ever doubted that your fragrance alone could actually get a man in the mattress-mambo mood, consider this: Fifty-five percent of our randy poll respondents said they've wanted to go to bed with a woman just because they found her scent to be a major turn-on. "If a woman is wearing a sensual, feminine scent that has some erotic oomph to it, men subconsciously tend to perceive receptivity on her part -- as though she has ramped up her scent for a sexual encounter, which is very attractive," says Gilbert. In short, guys know it takes two to tango -- and if your fragrance seems to suggest you'd be a willing partner, they're all the more likely to want you.
Perfume Power Play: So what kind of sensual scent should you be spritzing on yourself to ignite a nookyfest? While heady, spicy oriental-inspired notes are always a safe bet, you don't have to limit yourself to only that category. "Potent florals -- such as those containing ylang-ylang -- are effective too," says Gilbert. In fact, since most modern scents are based on flowers, you can pick from a wide range of fragrance types, as long as your selection exudes the aforementioned oomph. ("There is no scientific way to quantify 'oomph,'" notes Gilbert. "You just have to use your judgment and stay away from light florals and overly sporty scents.") And you're in luck, because this fall, there's a large selection of brand-new sexy fragrances to choose from.
Your Lingering Perfume Will Make Him Miss You
"Scent can powerfully enhance emotional attachments," says Theresa White, Ph.D., assistant research professor in the department of neuroscience and physiology at SUNY Upstate Medical University, in Syracuse, New York. "This happens by way of classical conditioning: If you start to associate a scent with someone, smelling it from then on will call that person to mind and evoke the feelings you have for him or her." That explains why 69 percent of the guys surveyed say that thoughts of an old flame pop into their noggins when they get a whiff of the perfume she wore when they were dating. Even more impressive is the fact that 85 percent said that when a girlfriend leaves behind a lingering trail of scent (like on an article of clothing or pillow, for instance), it conjures up strong feelings about the sexual relationship he shares with her.
Perfume Power Play: There are so many ways to leave tantalizing traces of your scent around: Spritz a naughty-but-nice note and leave it under his pillow, for example. Or you could always "forget" a scented scarf in his car. There's also this trick from Knitowski: When hand-washing your lingerie, spray it with a bit of your fragrance as it dries. Then any nightie, cami or whatever else you wear to bed will transfer just the right hint of scent to his sheets. Note: To make this advice work for you, don't be a scent slut -- stick to just one or two signature fragrances when you're with him so he'll associate them only with you.
Scent Can Make Sex Even Steamier
Though it may seem hard to imagine, even the best sex you've ever had can be made hotter if you add a delicious scent to the mix. Fifty-eight percent of the men we polled said that the alluring perfume of a partner has indeed made their lovemaking moments more erotic. "Scent adds another sensory dimension to the sexual experience, which can heighten sexual abandon and help you become totally lost in your partner," says Gilbert.
Perfume Power Play: Simply spritzing on some scent before sex will spice things up, but if you want your romp to rank among the greatest of all time, take advantage of what White calls "the high level of integration between sensory systems." She explains: "When you experience something, it's never through only one sense -- and the more senses you play to (like touch, sight, taste and sound in addition to smell), the more heightened the overall sensation will be. In fact, lots of studies suggest that when an experience is strongly perceived through multiple sensory systems, you remember it better." If you want to work his senses to the hilt and create the right ambience to have some of the most memorable sex ever, stock up on sensory multitaskers: candles that give off a seductive scent and a romantic glow or a body oil that makes your birthday suit smell and feel amazing.
This article is from Cosmopolitan.com.
by 旭日の革
One Whiff Can Hook a Hunk
When asked if they thought a woman's fragrance could boost her overall attractiveness, a whopping 89 percent of the respondents said yes. And 60 percent actually said that at one time in their past, a woman's scent was the main reason that they wanted to meet her. One explanation for this crazy phenomenon: Studies have shown that smelling a fine fragrance can improve a man's mood and make him more eager to socialize, says Jeannette Haviland-Jones, Ph.D., professor of psychology and director of the Human Development Lab at Rutgers University, in New Brunswick, New Jersey. In other words, your luscious scent can make your lad much more likely to stay at your side and get to know you better. Avery Gilbert, Ph.D., president of the Sense of Smell Institute, has another reasoning: "If a guy's brain gets lost in the sensual experience of smelling you for the first time, then he's not assessing your physical traits as critically."
Perfume Power Play: How to make a perfectly fragrant first impression? For starters, only people within a one-foot radius of your body should be able to smell you. "If anyone can smell you outside that invisible circle, you're overly scented," says Gilbert. Go light on the juice -- one spritz or a couple of dabs should be enough. Another tactic is to perfume your hair lightly, suggests Mark Knitowski, vice president of product development for Victoria's Secret Beauty. Then, when you're cruising by the object of your affection, subtly tousle your tresses (a seductive move in and of itself) to release a dose of scent.
Your Aroma Can Arouse Him
If you've ever doubted that your fragrance alone could actually get a man in the mattress-mambo mood, consider this: Fifty-five percent of our randy poll respondents said they've wanted to go to bed with a woman just because they found her scent to be a major turn-on. "If a woman is wearing a sensual, feminine scent that has some erotic oomph to it, men subconsciously tend to perceive receptivity on her part -- as though she has ramped up her scent for a sexual encounter, which is very attractive," says Gilbert. In short, guys know it takes two to tango -- and if your fragrance seems to suggest you'd be a willing partner, they're all the more likely to want you.
Perfume Power Play: So what kind of sensual scent should you be spritzing on yourself to ignite a nookyfest? While heady, spicy oriental-inspired notes are always a safe bet, you don't have to limit yourself to only that category. "Potent florals -- such as those containing ylang-ylang -- are effective too," says Gilbert. In fact, since most modern scents are based on flowers, you can pick from a wide range of fragrance types, as long as your selection exudes the aforementioned oomph. ("There is no scientific way to quantify 'oomph,'" notes Gilbert. "You just have to use your judgment and stay away from light florals and overly sporty scents.") And you're in luck, because this fall, there's a large selection of brand-new sexy fragrances to choose from.
Your Lingering Perfume Will Make Him Miss You
"Scent can powerfully enhance emotional attachments," says Theresa White, Ph.D., assistant research professor in the department of neuroscience and physiology at SUNY Upstate Medical University, in Syracuse, New York. "This happens by way of classical conditioning: If you start to associate a scent with someone, smelling it from then on will call that person to mind and evoke the feelings you have for him or her." That explains why 69 percent of the guys surveyed say that thoughts of an old flame pop into their noggins when they get a whiff of the perfume she wore when they were dating. Even more impressive is the fact that 85 percent said that when a girlfriend leaves behind a lingering trail of scent (like on an article of clothing or pillow, for instance), it conjures up strong feelings about the sexual relationship he shares with her.
Perfume Power Play: There are so many ways to leave tantalizing traces of your scent around: Spritz a naughty-but-nice note and leave it under his pillow, for example. Or you could always "forget" a scented scarf in his car. There's also this trick from Knitowski: When hand-washing your lingerie, spray it with a bit of your fragrance as it dries. Then any nightie, cami or whatever else you wear to bed will transfer just the right hint of scent to his sheets. Note: To make this advice work for you, don't be a scent slut -- stick to just one or two signature fragrances when you're with him so he'll associate them only with you.
Scent Can Make Sex Even Steamier
Though it may seem hard to imagine, even the best sex you've ever had can be made hotter if you add a delicious scent to the mix. Fifty-eight percent of the men we polled said that the alluring perfume of a partner has indeed made their lovemaking moments more erotic. "Scent adds another sensory dimension to the sexual experience, which can heighten sexual abandon and help you become totally lost in your partner," says Gilbert.
Perfume Power Play: Simply spritzing on some scent before sex will spice things up, but if you want your romp to rank among the greatest of all time, take advantage of what White calls "the high level of integration between sensory systems." She explains: "When you experience something, it's never through only one sense -- and the more senses you play to (like touch, sight, taste and sound in addition to smell), the more heightened the overall sensation will be. In fact, lots of studies suggest that when an experience is strongly perceived through multiple sensory systems, you remember it better." If you want to work his senses to the hilt and create the right ambience to have some of the most memorable sex ever, stock up on sensory multitaskers: candles that give off a seductive scent and a romantic glow or a body oil that makes your birthday suit smell and feel amazing.
This article is from Cosmopolitan.com.
by 旭日の革
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
November Recipe: Roast Duck
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Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 60 minutes
Ingredients:
One 4 1/2 lb (2 kg) oven-ready duckling
2 teaspoons salt
4 tablespoons maltose or honey
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon red food coloring (optional0
about 1/2 pint (280 ml) warm water
For the Stuffing:
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped spring onion
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger root
1 tablespoon caster sugar
2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry)
1 tablespoon yellow bean sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons five-spice powder
Preparation:
Clean the duck well. Remove the wing tips and the lumps of fat from inside the vent. Blanch in a pot of boiling water for a few minutes, remove and dry well, then rub the duck with salt and tie the neck tightly with string.
Make the stuffing by heating the oil in a saucepan, add all the ingredients, bring to the boil and blend well. Pour the mixture into the cavity of the duck and sew it up securely.
Dissolve the maltose or honey with vinegar and red food coloring (if using) in warm water, brush it all over the duck - give it several coatings, then hang the duck up (head down) with an S-shaped hook to dry in an airy and cool place for at least 4 - 5 hours.
To cook: preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. (200 degrees C./Gas 6). Hang the duck head down on the top rack, and place a tray of boiling water at the bottom of the oven. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F. (180 degrees C., Gas 4) after 25 minutes or so, and cook for a further 30 minutes, basting with the remaining coating mixture once or twice.
To serve: let the duck cool down a little, then remove the string and pour out the liquid stuffing to be used as gravy. Chop the duck into bite-sized pieces, then serve hot or cold with the gravy poured over it.
Source from Internet.
by 旭日の革
Cooking Time: 60 minutes
Ingredients:
One 4 1/2 lb (2 kg) oven-ready duckling
2 teaspoons salt
4 tablespoons maltose or honey
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon red food coloring (optional0
about 1/2 pint (280 ml) warm water
For the Stuffing:
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped spring onion
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger root
1 tablespoon caster sugar
2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry)
1 tablespoon yellow bean sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons five-spice powder
Preparation:
Clean the duck well. Remove the wing tips and the lumps of fat from inside the vent. Blanch in a pot of boiling water for a few minutes, remove and dry well, then rub the duck with salt and tie the neck tightly with string.
Make the stuffing by heating the oil in a saucepan, add all the ingredients, bring to the boil and blend well. Pour the mixture into the cavity of the duck and sew it up securely.
Dissolve the maltose or honey with vinegar and red food coloring (if using) in warm water, brush it all over the duck - give it several coatings, then hang the duck up (head down) with an S-shaped hook to dry in an airy and cool place for at least 4 - 5 hours.
To cook: preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. (200 degrees C./Gas 6). Hang the duck head down on the top rack, and place a tray of boiling water at the bottom of the oven. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F. (180 degrees C., Gas 4) after 25 minutes or so, and cook for a further 30 minutes, basting with the remaining coating mixture once or twice.
To serve: let the duck cool down a little, then remove the string and pour out the liquid stuffing to be used as gravy. Chop the duck into bite-sized pieces, then serve hot or cold with the gravy poured over it.
Source from Internet.
by 旭日の革
Friday, October 10, 2008
The Ever-living Anita Mui
There's 
a certain bittersweet irony that in Rouge, Anita Mui's most
acclaimed film role, the star plays a ghost from Hong Kong's bygone past lingering into the present day. It's been almost five years since the world lost the 40-year-old Anita Mui Yim Fong to complications from cervical cancer, yet in Hong Kong - and indeed the entire Chinese-speaking world - the woman once dubbed "The Madonna of Asia" continues to be an almost palpable presence. Countless memorial shrines, compilation CDs, even a Mainland TV biopic have kept her spirit alive and center-stage in the East Asian pop cultur442e landscape. In life her flashy, constantly evolving onstage personas earned her another nickname - "The Ever-changing Anita." In death, her immortal place in entertainment history might well warrant a new title - "The Ever-living Anita."
Solid Gold Idol
Her rise to fame is the stuff of fairy tales. Mui Yim Fong was born October 10, 1963 to a family of modest means. Her father died when she was only five, and Anita helped support her mother and four siblings by performing Cantonese Opera and pop songs on the streets of Hong Kong, eventually dropping out of school to keep food on the table. For the next thirteen years, Anita and her older sister Ann worked the nightclub circuit, singing whenever and wherever they could find work. After more than a decade of grim prospects, Anita suddenly found herself on the fast track to stardom when TVB held its inaugural New Talent Singing Awards in 1982. Beating out over 3,000 contestants, Anita took top honors and the grand prize, a record deal with Capital Artists.
In addition to Anita, Capital Artists signed another promising talent in 1982, a young man named Leslie Cheung Kwok Wing. Anita and Leslie became fast friends, and although they remained solo acts, the pair quickly set about reshaping the Cantopop landscape in their own image. Along with Alan Tam, another close friend, Capital's two new stars set off an idol craze of Beatlemania proportions in Hong Kong. Anita's first album, Crimson, sold a strong 250,000 copies, with each subsequent album snowballing to higher and higher profits. By the release of her fourth album, 1985's Bad Girl, the Anita craze had shifted into high gear. Bad Girl not only sold an astonishing 400,000 copies in Hong Kong alone, it also cemented her reputation as the "Bad Girl" of Cantopop. The title track's risque lyrics and Anita's often gaudy, domineering onstage presence may have earned her a temporary ban in Mainland China, but her undeniable singing talent, charisma, and unconventional looks earned her a devoted following and a deserved place in Asian music history. In what is perhaps the greatest testament to her star power, Anita was named Best Female Artist five years in a row from 1985 to 1989 at TVB's Jade Solid Gold Top 10 Awards.
Let's Make Movies
Any good Hong Kong singer worth their salt enjoys a second career as a movie star, and Anita was no exception. Yet her film career was exceptional, because Anita was not merely a singer trying to pass herself off as an actress. She proved to be a natural on camera, easily essaying comedic performances and serious dramatic roles with seeming effortlessness. After all, who else can claim to have upstaged Stephen Chow and Jackie Chan in their own movies?
Right out of the acting gate, Anita demonstrated her dual knack for comedy and drama with supporting roles in two very different but both wildly successful films. 1983's Shaw Brothers smash Let's Make Laugh is Kenny Bee and Cecilia Yip's show, but Anita makes the most of a limited role in an essentially formulaic romantic comedy. She made an even stronger impression in the following year's Behind the Yellow Line opposite her pal Leslie Cheung and another rising superstar, Maggie Cheung. Anita's turn as the unrelenting third point in a complicated love triangle earned her a Best Supporting Actress win at the Hong Kong Film Awards.
The next few years saw Anita continue to alternate between screwball comedies and romantic drama. She holds her own against Chow Yun Fat and Joey Wong in the darkly ridiculous 100 Ways to Murder Your Wife, and she elevates the most predictable of situation comedies in Trouble Couples. But it was her re-teaming with Leslie Cheung in the 1987 supernatural romance Rouge that established Anita Mui as an A-list actress. Director Stanley Kwan's unusually affecting tale casts Anita and Leslie as star-crossed lovers in 1930s Hong Kong who agree to a suicide pact. When only Anita finds herself in the afterlife, she begins a ghostly search for her beloved that spans 50 years of Hong Kong's history. A poignant balance of fantasy, mystery and romance anchored by Anita's haunting performance, Rouge is still remembered as a high water mark of Hong Kong Cinema and earned its star a much-deserved Best Actress trophy at both the Golden Horse and Hong Kong Film Awards.
Ever-changing Fortunes
After simultaneously conquering the Cantopop music scene and racing to the highest ranks of movie stardom, Anita began to fall victim to the inevitable fatigue, pressure, rumors and scandals that plague any major celebrity. In the years following a record-setting 28 consecutive evenings of concerts, an Opening Ceremonies performance at the Seoul Olympics, a sellout show in Hammersmith, England (an incredible feat for an Asian pop music celebrity), and an endless stream of tabloid gossip linking her to everything from illicit lovers to Triad connections, Anita announced her retirement in 1991. Had this truly been the close of her already amazing career, her place in entertainment history would already have been secure, and her constantly changing fashion tastes and song styles over the past decade had already earned her the epitaph "The Ever-changing Anita." But like so many other celebrities, the world was not about to let her rest so easily. She kicked off her "retirement" by shattering the record for number of consecutive concerts she herself established, performing 33 straight evenings of farewell shows. The ever-changing Anita was destined for even more changes to come.
She continued to be a prominent presence in Hong Kong movie houses, taking major roles in films as diverse as Tsui Hark's A Better Tomorrow III, Jackie Chan's The Canton Godfather (a.k.a. Miracles), and Corey Yuen's Shanghai Shanghai. She memorably played the ruthless title role in Kawashima Yoshiko, an historical biopic about the Manchurian princess and wartime Japanese collaborator. Her most enjoyable movie outing from this period, however, is likely her dual roles in the 1991 comic-book fantasy Savior of the Soul. This weird and wacky action vehicle lets Anita play both the no-nonsense, tough-as-nails love interest of Andy Lau and her demented twin sister, a crazed sorceress with a knack for mortally wounding herself with her own magic spells.
Savior of the Soul is an entertaining enough but sometimes messily uneven superhero movie, a genre Hong Kong cinema seldom nails. One of the few exceptions is Johnnie To's celebrated 1993 adventure flick The Heroic Trio. Anita headlines the title band of superheroines as Wonder Woman (no, not that Wonder Woman), who teams up with Invisible Girl (Michelle Yeoh) and Thief Catcher (Maggie Cheung) to combat an undead Ming dynasty eunuch threatening modern-day China. The star power of the three leads, coupled with To's directorial panache, made The Heroic Trio and its follow-up, The Executioners instant cult classics.
Queen of Comedy
The biggest box office success to showcase Anita's acting abilities, however, was the previous year's Justice, My Foot! . 1992 was the Year of Stephen Chow in Hong Kong; Chow owned all of the top five highest-grossing pictures of the year, and Justice, My Foot! (directed by Heroic Trio helmer Johnnie To) was the Number One Champ. Chow stars as a shifty Qing dynasty lawyer at odds with his overbearing wife (Mui), who insists he follow more straight-and-narrow legal practices. As his less-than patiently suffering better half, she naturally keeps her husband on his toes, but more impressive is the way in which Anita gives Stephen Chow a run for his comedic money. It's probably impossible to completely steal the spotlight from a manic force like Chow, but Anita Mui comes closer than anyone else.
How do you follow up stealing scenes from Stephen Chow? Steal
them from Jackie Chan. In what is perhaps her best-known role in the West, the then 31-year-old Anita stepped into the shoes of the then 40-year-old Jackie's stepmother in Drunken Master II (1994). As a willing collaborator in her stepson Wong Fei Hung's mischievous schemes, Anita gives what is easily the best comedic performance of her career. Forever manipulating and outmaneuvering her stern and humorless husband (Ti Lung), Anita almost magically invokes Lucille Ball in a 19th-century Chinese setting. It's so endearing a performance that Jackie has to keep the character offscreen for the entire climax to prevent her from diverting the audience's eye from his trademark acrobatics.
Drunken Master II owed no small part of its success to the combination of Jackie's jaw-dropping stunts and Anita's comedic charms, and the two returned for a contemporarily set encore in the next year's Rumble in the Bronx. The film proved to be Jackie's breakthrough to complete global stardom, and served for many Westerners as an indirect introduction to Anita's talents, as well. She also found a degree of underground popularity abroad thanks to a few lesser wuxia pictures that made the bootleg and independent label rounds in America during the mid-1990s, Sammo Hung's Moon Warriors and Benny Chan's The Magic Crane.
Final Curtain
Following another dramatic performance in Ann Hui's 18 Springs (1997), Anita took a break from the silver screen, although she was never far from the public eye. Her musical "retirement" had been moot since 1994; she continued to release albums in both Cantonese and Mandarin, and her ongoing stage concerts featured the increasingly eclectic costumes that were her stock-in-trade. In 2001, Anita returned to cinema screens in a handful of pictures, the standouts of which were Johnnie To's gender-bending period comedy Wu Yen and Ann Hui's low-key family drama July Rhapsody. Whether she was mugging it up as a Warring States prince opposite fox fairy Cecilia Cheung and Amazon warrior Sammi Cheng, or coming to grips with a marital crisis with Jacky Cheung and Karena Lam, Anita proved she still had what it took to hold her own with a new generation of Hong Kong starlets.
The tabloids continued to hound her, with gossip about her perpetual spinsterhood being favorite fodder, in addition to more unsavory rumors about drug addiction and plastic surgeries. So it was in September 2003 that the 39-year-old star reluctantly made public that she was battling cervical cancer, which had claimed her sister Ann in 2000. Publicly, Anita stated that she expected to beat the disease, but to the world's dismay it quickly became clear that her time was short. Unable to complete her role in Zhang Yimou's highly anticipated wuxia film House of Flying Daggers, Anita instead chose to devote her final days to her fans, holding eight farewell concerts at the Hong Kong Coliseum in December 2003. For her last-ever costume change, the ever-changing, ever-single Anita appeared in a white wedding gown. In a moment of rare poignancy, she symbolically wed her one life partner: the stage.
Weeks later, Anita Mui was gone, following the untimely passing of her friend and fellow legend Leslie Cheung by a mere eight months. The news of her death was broken by none other than Jackie Chan, who tearfully called 2003 "a tragic year for Hong Kong entertainment."
She left behind her a legacy unmatched by few performers, be they Eastern, Western, stage, or screen. Disproving the Shakespearian adage that the good men do is interred with their bones, the media no longer remembers the gossip and allegations surrounding her life. Today, Anita Mui is remembered for her charity work, establishing medical care facilities throughout Asia and America, donating her concert proceeds to battle SARS, and writing a book to benefit children's cancer research. And of course, she is remembered for entertaining a generation of fans worldwide. But most important of all, perhaps, she is simply remembered.
This article is written by Mike Crandol
by 旭日の革
a certain bittersweet irony that in Rouge, Anita Mui's mostacclaimed film role, the star plays a ghost from Hong Kong's bygone past lingering into the present day. It's been almost five years since the world lost the 40-year-old Anita Mui Yim Fong to complications from cervical cancer, yet in Hong Kong - and indeed the entire Chinese-speaking world - the woman once dubbed "The Madonna of Asia" continues to be an almost palpable presence. Countless memorial shrines, compilation CDs, even a Mainland TV biopic have kept her spirit alive and center-stage in the East Asian pop cultur442e landscape. In life her flashy, constantly evolving onstage personas earned her another nickname - "The Ever-changing Anita." In death, her immortal place in entertainment history might well warrant a new title - "The Ever-living Anita."
Solid Gold Idol
Her rise to fame is the stuff of fairy tales. Mui Yim Fong was born October 10, 1963 to a family of modest means. Her father died when she was only five, and Anita helped support her mother and four siblings by performing Cantonese Opera and pop songs on the streets of Hong Kong, eventually dropping out of school to keep food on the table. For the next thirteen years, Anita and her older sister Ann worked the nightclub circuit, singing whenever and wherever they could find work. After more than a decade of grim prospects, Anita suddenly found herself on the fast track to stardom when TVB held its inaugural New Talent Singing Awards in 1982. Beating out over 3,000 contestants, Anita took top honors and the grand prize, a record deal with Capital Artists.
In addition to Anita, Capital Artists signed another promising talent in 1982, a young man named Leslie Cheung Kwok Wing. Anita and Leslie became fast friends, and although they remained solo acts, the pair quickly set about reshaping the Cantopop landscape in their own image. Along with Alan Tam, another close friend, Capital's two new stars set off an idol craze of Beatlemania proportions in Hong Kong. Anita's first album, Crimson, sold a strong 250,000 copies, with each subsequent album snowballing to higher and higher profits. By the release of her fourth album, 1985's Bad Girl, the Anita craze had shifted into high gear. Bad Girl not only sold an astonishing 400,000 copies in Hong Kong alone, it also cemented her reputation as the "Bad Girl" of Cantopop. The title track's risque lyrics and Anita's often gaudy, domineering onstage presence may have earned her a temporary ban in Mainland China, but her undeniable singing talent, charisma, and unconventional looks earned her a devoted following and a deserved place in Asian music history. In what is perhaps the greatest testament to her star power, Anita was named Best Female Artist five years in a row from 1985 to 1989 at TVB's Jade Solid Gold Top 10 Awards.Let's Make Movies
Any good Hong Kong singer worth their salt enjoys a second career as a movie star, and Anita was no exception. Yet her film career was exceptional, because Anita was not merely a singer trying to pass herself off as an actress. She proved to be a natural on camera, easily essaying comedic performances and serious dramatic roles with seeming effortlessness. After all, who else can claim to have upstaged Stephen Chow and Jackie Chan in their own movies?
Right out of the acting gate, Anita demonstrated her dual knack for comedy and drama with supporting roles in two very different but both wildly successful films. 1983's Shaw Brothers smash Let's Make Laugh is Kenny Bee and Cecilia Yip's show, but Anita makes the most of a limited role in an essentially formulaic romantic comedy. She made an even stronger impression in the following year's Behind the Yellow Line opposite her pal Leslie Cheung and another rising superstar, Maggie Cheung. Anita's turn as the unrelenting third point in a complicated love triangle earned her a Best Supporting Actress win at the Hong Kong Film Awards.
The next few years saw Anita continue to alternate between screwball comedies and romantic drama. She holds her own against Chow Yun Fat and Joey Wong in the darkly ridiculous 100 Ways to Murder Your Wife, and she elevates the most predictable of situation comedies in Trouble Couples. But it was her re-teaming with Leslie Cheung in the 1987 supernatural romance Rouge that established Anita Mui as an A-list actress. Director Stanley Kwan's unusually affecting tale casts Anita and Leslie as star-crossed lovers in 1930s Hong Kong who agree to a suicide pact. When only Anita finds herself in the afterlife, she begins a ghostly search for her beloved that spans 50 years of Hong Kong's history. A poignant balance of fantasy, mystery and romance anchored by Anita's haunting performance, Rouge is still remembered as a high water mark of Hong Kong Cinema and earned its star a much-deserved Best Actress trophy at both the Golden Horse and Hong Kong Film Awards.
Ever-changing Fortunes
After simultaneously conquering the Cantopop music scene and racing to the highest ranks of movie stardom, Anita began to fall victim to the inevitable fatigue, pressure, rumors and scandals that plague any major celebrity. In the years following a record-setting 28 consecutive evenings of concerts, an Opening Ceremonies performance at the Seoul Olympics, a sellout show in Hammersmith, England (an incredible feat for an Asian pop music celebrity), and an endless stream of tabloid gossip linking her to everything from illicit lovers to Triad connections, Anita announced her retirement in 1991. Had this truly been the close of her already amazing career, her place in entertainment history would already have been secure, and her constantly changing fashion tastes and song styles over the past decade had already earned her the epitaph "The Ever-changing Anita." But like so many other celebrities, the world was not about to let her rest so easily. She kicked off her "retirement" by shattering the record for number of consecutive concerts she herself established, performing 33 straight evenings of farewell shows. The ever-changing Anita was destined for even more changes to come.
She continued to be a prominent presence in Hong Kong movie houses, taking major roles in films as diverse as Tsui Hark's A Better Tomorrow III, Jackie Chan's The Canton Godfather (a.k.a. Miracles), and Corey Yuen's Shanghai Shanghai. She memorably played the ruthless title role in Kawashima Yoshiko, an historical biopic about the Manchurian princess and wartime Japanese collaborator. Her most enjoyable movie outing from this period, however, is likely her dual roles in the 1991 comic-book fantasy Savior of the Soul. This weird and wacky action vehicle lets Anita play both the no-nonsense, tough-as-nails love interest of Andy Lau and her demented twin sister, a crazed sorceress with a knack for mortally wounding herself with her own magic spells.
Savior of the Soul is an entertaining enough but sometimes messily uneven superhero movie, a genre Hong Kong cinema seldom nails. One of the few exceptions is Johnnie To's celebrated 1993 adventure flick The Heroic Trio. Anita headlines the title band of superheroines as Wonder Woman (no, not that Wonder Woman), who teams up with Invisible Girl (Michelle Yeoh) and Thief Catcher (Maggie Cheung) to combat an undead Ming dynasty eunuch threatening modern-day China. The star power of the three leads, coupled with To's directorial panache, made The Heroic Trio and its follow-up, The Executioners instant cult classics.Queen of Comedy
The biggest box office success to showcase Anita's acting abilities, however, was the previous year's Justice, My Foot! . 1992 was the Year of Stephen Chow in Hong Kong; Chow owned all of the top five highest-grossing pictures of the year, and Justice, My Foot! (directed by Heroic Trio helmer Johnnie To) was the Number One Champ. Chow stars as a shifty Qing dynasty lawyer at odds with his overbearing wife (Mui), who insists he follow more straight-and-narrow legal practices. As his less-than patiently suffering better half, she naturally keeps her husband on his toes, but more impressive is the way in which Anita gives Stephen Chow a run for his comedic money. It's probably impossible to completely steal the spotlight from a manic force like Chow, but Anita Mui comes closer than anyone else.
How do you follow up stealing scenes from Stephen Chow? Steal
them from Jackie Chan. In what is perhaps her best-known role in the West, the then 31-year-old Anita stepped into the shoes of the then 40-year-old Jackie's stepmother in Drunken Master II (1994). As a willing collaborator in her stepson Wong Fei Hung's mischievous schemes, Anita gives what is easily the best comedic performance of her career. Forever manipulating and outmaneuvering her stern and humorless husband (Ti Lung), Anita almost magically invokes Lucille Ball in a 19th-century Chinese setting. It's so endearing a performance that Jackie has to keep the character offscreen for the entire climax to prevent her from diverting the audience's eye from his trademark acrobatics.
Drunken Master II owed no small part of its success to the combination of Jackie's jaw-dropping stunts and Anita's comedic charms, and the two returned for a contemporarily set encore in the next year's Rumble in the Bronx. The film proved to be Jackie's breakthrough to complete global stardom, and served for many Westerners as an indirect introduction to Anita's talents, as well. She also found a degree of underground popularity abroad thanks to a few lesser wuxia pictures that made the bootleg and independent label rounds in America during the mid-1990s, Sammo Hung's Moon Warriors and Benny Chan's The Magic Crane.
Final Curtain
Following another dramatic performance in Ann Hui's 18 Springs (1997), Anita took a break from the silver screen, although she was never far from the public eye. Her musical "retirement" had been moot since 1994; she continued to release albums in both Cantonese and Mandarin, and her ongoing stage concerts featured the increasingly eclectic costumes that were her stock-in-trade. In 2001, Anita returned to cinema screens in a handful of pictures, the standouts of which were Johnnie To's gender-bending period comedy Wu Yen and Ann Hui's low-key family drama July Rhapsody. Whether she was mugging it up as a Warring States prince opposite fox fairy Cecilia Cheung and Amazon warrior Sammi Cheng, or coming to grips with a marital crisis with Jacky Cheung and Karena Lam, Anita proved she still had what it took to hold her own with a new generation of Hong Kong starlets.
The tabloids continued to hound her, with gossip about her perpetual spinsterhood being favorite fodder, in addition to more unsavory rumors about drug addiction and plastic surgeries. So it was in September 2003 that the 39-year-old star reluctantly made public that she was battling cervical cancer, which had claimed her sister Ann in 2000. Publicly, Anita stated that she expected to beat the disease, but to the world's dismay it quickly became clear that her time was short. Unable to complete her role in Zhang Yimou's highly anticipated wuxia film House of Flying Daggers, Anita instead chose to devote her final days to her fans, holding eight farewell concerts at the Hong Kong Coliseum in December 2003. For her last-ever costume change, the ever-changing, ever-single Anita appeared in a white wedding gown. In a moment of rare poignancy, she symbolically wed her one life partner: the stage.Weeks later, Anita Mui was gone, following the untimely passing of her friend and fellow legend Leslie Cheung by a mere eight months. The news of her death was broken by none other than Jackie Chan, who tearfully called 2003 "a tragic year for Hong Kong entertainment."
She left behind her a legacy unmatched by few performers, be they Eastern, Western, stage, or screen. Disproving the Shakespearian adage that the good men do is interred with their bones, the media no longer remembers the gossip and allegations surrounding her life. Today, Anita Mui is remembered for her charity work, establishing medical care facilities throughout Asia and America, donating her concert proceeds to battle SARS, and writing a book to benefit children's cancer research. And of course, she is remembered for entertaining a generation of fans worldwide. But most important of all, perhaps, she is simply remembered.This article is written by Mike Crandol
by 旭日の革
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