A message to whom I think is my only reader in China!

Hello my lonely reader in China. You are either someone who knows me from the time I used to host Chinese Language students at my home many years ago, or maybe you just stumbled on my blog. There is another possibility of course. A minion in the Communist Party is reading my blogs and then banning them because some of my messages accuse your party of being just a modern day dynasty. I have been critical of the human rights issue in China too, so I know that doesn’t go down well.

Hey, I criticise everybody and many ideals, including my own behaviours and beliefs, so as we say in NZ—‘don’t get your tits in a tangle!’ I admire much about what China has become. I am impressed by the way in which you have lifted hundreds of millions from poverty into the middle-classes.

I just wonder at your adherence though, to real Communist ideology. How can that co-exist alongside the new capitalism of the present? Perhaps we can say that it is reality politics, a uniquely Chinese way of meeting the needs of many, whilst retaining overall control of the policies and people.

I suspect that the many protests at the actions of Central and local Governments; the steam rolling of communities when massive infrastructure is built and the suppression of that wacky Fu long Gong movement, all sort of label the Party as being in the mould of Stalin’s Soviet Union, but then again, I believe that the Chinese people are capable of bringing about a change that fits China. The ‘new Green movement’ is one that will become stronger.

Now, why don’t you let my blog through, nice censorship man (Women don’t yet really figure on the upper echelons of power in China, despite what Communist ideology says!) Let people post their comments---I dare you. Please let me visit though. As I said before--- I admire so much about your journey, China.

Greetings from New Zealand--- that little blip in the South Pacific.

Bariatric surgery appoinment next week (13th Dec) So here's my menu for tonight!

Yes, I the first of many appointments next week before I undergo Bariatric surgery. I am surprised that I haven’t attracted the comments along the line that I should go on a diet. Well let’s stop that in its track and say---If you haven’t managed to take weight off and keep it off by the time you are 40, then you won’t succeed unless you are in that group that has the luck, resolve, like torturing yourself and other ‘perfection characteristics,’ (Maybe less than 5% of you) then perhaps you may be having a discussion with your doctor.

I have looked up the ‘negatives online’ and spoken to quite a few people who have had one of the options available  for Bariatric Surgery and none of them regret their decision, because they did what they were told by their surgeons and support team. I am going to be in that group.

OK, in celebration and because I still can, here is a menu for a pre-bariatric dinner. It actually nods in the direction of saneness and if one does not have seconds, thirds and keeps the portions sensible--- well---go for it.

SOUP:  I made a chicken stock from scratch, using three raw carcasses and water. I strained it and removed any fat and then froze it until today. Place the stock in a large pot, throw in a bunch of cut up fresh asparagus, some shopped carrot and mushrooms along with a generous amount of garlic and ginger. Cook slowly for an hour or two and then salt to taste and add cracked pepper. Just before you serve (you can either smoothen it out with a blender of leave the veggies whole) add some fresh chervil, parsley and coriander---it’s up to you. If you feel really decadent—add a slop of cream to each bowl.

MAIN:  Marinade a shoulder of Lamb with Chilli, garlic and ginger paste along with any of your favourite sauces and a squeeze of lemon. Use your imagination or if you don’t have the courage, only use sauces you like with other things. I cooked mine in a large flying saucer-shaped earthen ware dish but an oven bag would be fine. Cut a pattern like you do for ham and rub the mixture well in. Cook it long, low and slow—maybe for3 hours at 150 and then take it out of the bag and rest. Serve with your favourite roasted root veggies and a green or two.

DESSERT: Crush your favourite biscuits (Cookies--- I used ginger nuts) on the bottom of a serving dish, then add some ready-made custard. Sprinkle a few frozen blueberries. Add some yogurt and finally any other berry you love. I used the Dew berries I grow in an old wine barrel.

Now, as long as you don’t go crazy, this meal is not so bad eh?

POST SURGERY? Well I shall just down size and then some---and then some more!

A tribute to Paul Holmes--love him or hate him---no middle ground

The nurse who was the recipient of the hoax the other day is dead. How on earth could this happen. Yes, she was the target for many cruel barbs and the hospital ion question apparently did their best to support her. I don't know what has happened behind the scenes and what sort of pressure the nurse was under, from her employers or the Royal Family. Maybe we will never know. There has been a report that the RF has been supportive. After all, the only real victim here is the nurse. That the hoax actually went as far as it did was not the fault of the nurse: It was clearly a situation where security surrounding the RF failed. That is not something that the nurse had anything to do with.

I hear that the two 'hoaxers' have gone to ground.

OK--- Let's stop all the witch hunting, and that includes that pressure that will come onto the 'hoaxers.' Maybe they did the RF a favour; by pointing out just how lax things were. Lessons will be learnt. Support must be focussed on the family and loved ones for the nurse’s sake.

We can never know in advance how our actions will play out; not in their fullest sense, but perhaps we should stop before we begin when it comes to our actions. Stop---think----act. Isn’t that what we tell our kids? Let us all go and look in a mirror and ask if that has been what we have done in the last 24 hours for many of our actions. My heart goes out to the family of the hard working nurse.

The hoax was funny but not the result. Time to think?

The nurse who was the recipient of the hoax the other day is dead. How on earth could this happen? Yes, she was the target for many cruel barbs and the hospital in question apparently did their best to support her. I don't know what has happened behind the scenes and what sort of pressure the nurse was under, from her employers or the Royal Family. Maybe we will never know. There has been a report that the RF has been supportive. After all, the only real victim here is the nurse. That the hoax actually went as far as it did was not the fault of the nurse: It was clearly a situation where security surrounding the RF failed. That is not something that the nurse had anything to do with. I hear that the two 'hoaxers' have gone to ground.

OK--- Let's stop the witch hunting, and that includes the pressure that will come onto the 'hoaxers.' Maybe they did the RF a favour; by pointing out just how lax things were. Lessons will be learnt. Support must be focussed on the nursesfamily and loved ones for the nurse’s sake.

We can never know in advance how our actions will play out; not in their fullest sense, but perhaps we should stop before we begin when it comes to some of our actions. Stop---think----act. Isn’t that what we tell our kids? Let us all go and look in a mirror and ask if that has been what we have done in the last 24 hours for many of our actions. My heart goes out to the family of the hard working nurse.