Tour of the Kranji Countryside : 30th January, 2013

By Lydna Sellars

Photos:  Heather Lussier

The day started at Boon Lay MRT station and after gathering for a morning coffee, we boarded our bus and proceeded to Thow Kwang Industry (Jungle Pottery).  We were greeted by Mrs. Tan Teck Yoke (Yulanti) who is the daughter-in-law of the owners and she gave us some historical insight on the kiln and the family business. 

Years ago, there were several such kilns in the Jurong area, but as technology progressed, their use became redundant and very time consuming for production and eventually most of the kilns disappeared.  This kiln has continued to operate because the family has a keen interest in preserving the art and firing technique.  Firings are usually conducted once or twice a year, but for the year of the dragon, they are planning a few more.  They were actually preparing the kiln for a firing two days after our visit.  Hence we were able to walk inside the kiln to see where the pieces would be placed and saw the wood ready for burning to raise the internal temperature to 12000 degrees.

We wandered through the wonderful collection of pottery.  There are lovely pots for outdoor plants, vases, dishes, figurines...too many items to list!!  Since there is much construction in the area, the Pottery Jungle’s future is unknown.  They have a lease for another year and then they are uncertain, so a visit to this lovely facility really should be made while they are still there!

We then proceeded further north to Bollywood farms.  We were given a tour of the garden by the herbologist.  They farm completely organically and we were able to see, taste, and smell the delicious produce grown on their farm.  In place of pesticides are pools of water with turtles or fish to eat insects.  Flowers are also planted at roots of plants to attract insects away from fruit.  We were served a delicious lunch made from ingredients from their garden.  Our morning was then complete and we had run out of time, but I am sure many will return to the area for another day!

Healthy Gums means Healthy Teeth

If you have not started your New Year resolutions yet, one of the ways to help you get started on a healthy lifestyle is by keeping your oral health in shape. It is as simple as brushing your teeth twice a day every day.

A common misconception that we have experienced is that people assume that bleeding gums are a normal occurrence, and probably caused by using wrong toothbrush or by flossing.

It is important to note that experiencing bleeding gums is not normal. This is a sign that there is gum inflammation as a result of plaque accumulation and bacteria in gums. When gums bleed and you see your dentist to address the issue, chances are, that after a good dental cleaning, the bleeding gums issue will resolve in one to two weeks.  

Tips for those with gum problems

•           Schedule a regular dental check-up that includes scaling and polishing twice a year with your dentist
•          If required, your dentist (or periodontist, i.e. gum specialist) will provide gum treatment that includes deep cleaning to your gums
•          In some cases, a graft (new piece of tissue) can be placed over the exposed root to bring the gum tissue back to its original form and position

To find out more about other dental issues or to make an appointment to visit the dentist, visit www.specialistdentalgroup.com

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Specialist Dental Group is a corporate sponsor of the Canadian Association of Singapore (CAS). CAS members enjoy a special rate for dental services. For details, send an enquiry via www.specialistdentalgroup.com or call 6733 7883

Book Club

By Isabel Jones

The evening book group read Upstate by Kalisha Buckhanon for our November meeting. The book is a powerful story comprised of letters between a teenage couple from New York. Their young love is tested as Antonio finds himself in jail in upstate New York accused of his father’s murder while Natasha tries to continue her life without him. Spanning a decade, the letters provide the reader with just enough information to see the couple change, grow, and find separate paths. Most of us enjoyed the book and the natural unfolding of the story and the characters’ personalities through the letter format. The style of the letters and the language used reflected Antonio and Natasha’s development in their lives so early on some expressions were repetitive and full of local slang. We found that it was a bittersweet story and thought the book perhaps best suited to a young adult audience.

In December, a small group met to discuss Practical Jean by Trevor Cole. While several of us were unable to meet due to holiday season commitments, many still voiced their enthusiasm for this book. Jean has supported her mother through a painful illness and drawn-out death. After witnessing that degree of suffering, she decides the best gift she could give her loved ones is an escape from a similar fate. Jean proceeds to plan and execute a wonderful last day and a death tailor-made for each friend. Of course, readers can sympathise with Jean’s motivation, but it’s harder to appreciate her actual actions. Dark as it sound, many of us found the story funny and entertaining. The male writer did a phenomenal job capturing the female psyche and the essence of female friendships.

Crispy and Crunchy: The Wet Market, Part 2

By Herb Pilles

You can’t wander through a Singapore wet market without noticing that stuff in the mud that someone is always scraping away at.  What is that stuff, and what do you do with it?  Well, it’s lotus root, and once it’s cleaned up, you can take it home to meet the family.  They will be glad you did! (You can also buy lotus root in the supermarket, shiny and clean and shrink-wrapped, but what’s the fun in that?)

Lotus root is incredibly versatile.  It can be eaten raw, boiled, braised, deep fried, stir fried, steamed, sautéed, curried, or tempura’d.  No matter what, it will always be crispy and crunchy, but tender at the same time.  It’s delicious and packs an impressive range of health benefits, including fibre, vitamins C and B-6, and some important minerals.  For centuries, lotus root has held a special place in the culinary traditions of India, China, Japan, South East Asia, and the Pacific. 

We are going to make chips with it, known as renkon chips in Japan. 

Peel the tubers with a vegetable peeler and slice them cross-ways, as thin as you can with a sharp knife.  Soak in a bowl of water with a squeeze of lemon juice, to keep the lotus from turning brown.  If you don’t care, skip this step.  Dry the lotus slices between paper or cotton towels.  In a shallow pan, heat vegetable oil to medium high.  Slide the lotus slices into the hot oil, and remove with a slotted spoon when they are nice and golden.  No need to turn them.  Drain on paper towels or on a small plate inverted inside a larger plate.  Sprinkle with coarse sea salt, and crushed dry seaweed flakes. 

Crunchy and delicious!  Enjoy.

The Dance of Fallen Stars (A student's Robert Browning mock poem)

On pavement does the gray fog cloak thy feet,

Under the chandelier of scattered stars.

Whilst hand in hand thou dance reflects on street

Despite thy clouds they sing, the night is ours.

Above us trees are fire, bright fall hues,

By feet that dance and splash to their own song

In thy bright eyes of night I see my muse,

To wait for love one waits too long.

The love of life, and thou will fall

Thy night you find yourself a star

If love is joy then fear it all,

For stars are souls whom fell too far.

Thou life severed by breaking dawn

A bandit thief, the name of love

To fear and hate and loathe thereon

Love broke thou throne, no mourning dove.

For love is life

and life means death                                                                

To love is end

and fear the rest.

 

This poem follows several traits that the poet, Robert Browning often followed. One common trait of Browning’s poems is the dark tone, where love and death are often paired together. For example, Porphyria’s Lover was a poem about death and love, although the exact events are up for interpretation.

The poem above is a study of love, life, and death.  Although there is a fleeting sense of hope, especially in the second stanza, the theme is dark and ends leaving a somber connotation on an otherwise happy word, love. Browning also uses a rhyme scheme in most of his poems. The rhyme scheme above is mostly Petrarchan, which most Shakespearian sonnets also follow.

My poem also follows Browning’s use of old English and an earlier era, where words such as ‘thy’, ‘thou’, and ‘art’ are used.  Browning’s poems have been seen as studies of psychological disorders, such as depression caused by the heartbreak of love. 

Both my fourth stanza and last stanza, carry a dark and depressed connotation and a sense of anger towards life and love. We can also leave this to interpretation.