While we are ready to welcome the year 2007 with o…
December 31, 2006
While we are ready to welcome the year 2007 with open arms, many Indian Buddhist youngsters are ensuring that they get married before the new year, which they believe will be ‘the year of the pig’ to be inauspicious by many individuals.
It is believed undertaking new ventures next year will bring misfortune. Therefore, many of the superstitious Buddhists want to start their new ventures this year itself.
Buddhism is followed widely in Lahul-Spiti and Kinnaur regions of Himachal Pradesh and parts of northeastern States of the country.
Interestingly, in China, the Pig is associated with fertility and virility. To bear children in the year of the pig is considered very fortunate, for they will be happy and honest.
Last in the cycle, Pig Years follow the Year of the Dog (2006 is a Dog year) and recur every twelfth year. The Chinese New Year does not fall on a specific date, so it is essential to check the calendar to find the exact date on which each Pig Year actually begins.
The Chinese New Year will start on February 18, 2007.
Chaos’ Wish for the New Year
December 31, 2006
May those humans learn to live together in peace, harmony & be kind to each other, regardless of creed, race or religion.May the Chaos catch more zzzs & treats ….. & tum-tum rubs!
Happy 2007! *yawn*
Chaos
PS May Tua Tao get well really soon so that mommy can quit telling us about him! Hehehe :-p
Litterbugs Litterbugs Shame on You!
December 31, 2006
This was taken with my camera phone. The rubbish bin is less than 10 steps from the lift & yet this is where some people prefer to dump their rubbish!
Story of a Goat & a Priest
December 31, 2006
Once upon a time, there was a little goat and a priest.
The priest wanted to sacrifice the goat to the gods. As he raised his arm to cut the goat’s throat, when suddenly the goat began to laugh.
The priest stopped, amazed and asked the goat, “why do you laugh? Don’t you know I’m about to cut your throat?”
“Oh yes,” said the goat. “After 499 times dying and being reborn as a goat, I will be reborn as a human being.”
Then the goat began to cry.
The priest asked “Why now are you crying?”
The goat replied, “For you, poor priest. 500 lives ago, I too was a priest and sacrificed goats to the gods.”
Tried this wonderfully easy recipe. Great for a la…
December 30, 2006
Tried this wonderfully easy recipe. Great for a lazy Sunday breakfast … 
Ingredients (serving for 1)
2 eggs – beaten
1 small onion – chopped
1 medium potato – sliced
1 tomato – sliced
Method
1. Fry the onions & potatoes for about 10 minutes under low heat
2. Add fried onions & potatoes to the beaten eggs
3. Pour the mixture back onto the pan
4. Cook slowly under low heat for about 20 minutes.
5. Gently shake the pan & when the top quivers, place a plate larger than the pan over the pan, overturn the egg onto the plate.
6. Place the pan back on the heat & gently ease the omelette back onto the pan.
7. Cook for another 2 minutes.
8. Serve with tomatoes.
My friend G accompanied me to my office this morni…
December 30, 2006
My friend G accompanied me to my office this morning. We hope to see the Auntie & the trio. As usual, the Auntie was walking her rounds, cleaning up after the cats.
I passed her the kibbles for the weekend, more canned food & cod liver oil.
She happily told us that Tua Tao is looking better now. The cod liver oil works! We didn’t see Tua Tao but the Peanut & Sesame were there.
G commented how healthy & big Sesame & Peanut look. Although the Auntie stood quietly aside when we talked, I know she is happy that her love & care for the cats have paid off.
🙂
Lettuce Ladies is one of PETA’s efforts to educat…
December 29, 2006
Lettuce Ladies is one of PETA’s efforts to educate the American public about vegetarianism.
Wearing strategically placed lettuce leaves, the Lettuce Ladies serves up delicious veggie food such as veggie burgers outside McDonald’s, airports and even hosted a veggie party on Capitol Hill.
Lettuce Ladies alumni include international film stars Pamela Anderson & Elizabeth Berkeley & model Aditi Gowitrikar (right).
Bryanna Clark Grogan, vegan food writer shares tip…
December 29, 2006
Bryanna Clark Grogan, vegan food writer shares tips on how to ease into vegetarianism on The Enquirer.
The season of decadence is ending, and the season of promises is beginning.
In honor of each new year, many of us resolve to try new things. If you would like to go veggie in 2007, plenty of tricks can ease the lifestyle transition.
In theory, vegetarians choose not to eat meat and vegans choose not to eat meat, dairy, eggs or anything made using animal products. In practice, the definitions are a little looser.
Some people choose to become vegetarian slowly, by eliminating certain foods one at a time. Other people ban meat products overnight.
Either option can work. Pick the way that’s right for you. It’s important to remember that food is culture, so in some ways you’re choosing to change your culture.
“It takes about a year to change your mindset,” says vegan food writer Bryanna Clark Grogan. Creativity and a sense of adventure are key. New vegans and vegetarians should be willing to experiment with new foods – Grogran suggests trying one new food each week – and it definitely helps new converts if they can cook.
Grogan recommends taking a vegetarian or vegan cooking class to expand your cooking repertoire or checking out cookbooks from the library. Going to ethnic food restaurants is another way to get ideas for new recipes, she says. Grogan’s Web site, www.bryannaclarkgrogan.com, also features a selection of recipes.
“Going vegetarian is not as hard,” she says. “You can pretty much find good food anywhere.”
Becoming vegan – and giving up milk, ice cream and cheese – is harder for some people.
“For a vegan, most people have the hardest time giving up cheese,” says Grogan, who is putting together an eBook on seitan, or wheat meat. Over the years, Grogan has been able to find a few vegan cheeses that taste good and melt. She also developed a white sauce that has a “creamy, mouth feel” without any dairy products.
Most vegetarians quickly learn their decision to give up meat sparks a lot of interest, but Grogan recommends not discussing your choice, especially at the dinner table, where debating meat can ruin a nice dinner. It’s also important to understand that just because you’ve changed your eating habits, it doesn’t mean that others will be accommodating – always offer to bring a vegetarian dish to share.
“Allow a little flexibility in social situations at the beginning,” she says.
If you’re not getting enough support from family and friends, don’t be afraid to join a vegetarian-friendly group. Connect with like-minded people at local food co-ops or on college campuses. A thriving vegetarian community also exists online.
As with anything new, keep in mind that practice makes perfect. Give yourself some time to figure out what and how you want to eat. Grogan says new vegans and vegetarians often make the mistake of being too hard on themselves.
“They have to learn to forgive themselves if they mess up,” she says. “There’s no vegan police.”
"When you realise the truth of things,you realise…
December 28, 2006
“When you realise the truth of things,I wondered how is Tua Tao today. The rain & the co…
December 28, 2006
I wondered how is Tua Tao today. The rain & the cold wind is back again. The poor fella has only half a body of hair, I reckon he must be feeling colder than the rest. I hope he seeks the warmth of the kittens & a decent shelter somewhere …
I went back to see him yesterday and the Auntie said Tua Tao dislikes the Transfer Factor now & he wouldn’t touch his food if she adds the supplement. So she stopped adding it to his food. Thankfully, he seems to like the cod liver oil.
I didn’t take any pictures of him yesterday but the colour of his skin on his left side appeared a little tan now. I hope this means his skin is healing.
I know I have only mentioned in passing other cats in my area and focussed my attention on Tua Tao & the kittens. Xiao Hei & Ah Hua are very popular cats. Everyone dotes both of them. Elusive cats like Ah Wang comes & goes.
The kittens are growing up & out of their cuteness. The neighbours are starting to see them as another black cat & an ugly face tortoiseshell. Tua Tao is worse. Everyone finds him dirty, ugly & fierce. He is an outcaste, shooed away by everyone.
Just last week, a colleague was chatting with me on the phone & the cats came up. She made a remark that made me cringed. “I just realised Sesame has a mid-length tail. That spoils the whole ‘look’. A black cat should have a perfect long tail. And I can’t stand Tua Tao. He is so ugly & dirty. I don’t understand why you would go through all these trouble for such a cat. He won’t even let you touch him!”
It saddens me very much when I hear such ugly comments. At the same time I know it is futile explaining anything at all to someone like her. Sadly, there are many more like her in this world.
Chaos in the House of Cat 
