2026年1月20日 香港中東音樂團

看藝穗節的中東音樂表演，由香港The Saffron 樂隊四位成員負責，主要是Ottoman 時代的樂曲。首次如此欣賞個半小時的中東音樂，意外的音色豐富、節奏明快。

當中那女郎彈的卡農琴 Qanun，有點似古箏，但有三倍多的弦線，和以皮托底，聲音更圓潤多變。

打鼓那位表演了三種中東鼓的不同效果，鼓音時快時慢，帶領樂曲節奏。

中場和他們談天又看背境資料，才知道當中只有那女郎是正規讀音樂出身，在演藝學院主修古箏。往後見識到卡農琴的音色，主動學習，成為得奬表演者。

打鼓的在中大修哲學，一直玩口琴，旅行時聽到中東鼓表演，即刻投入學習，達到可以表演和教學的水平。

那玩大提琴的，讀人文學，現在美國大學進修音樂和人民歷史碩士學位，已有數篇論文在音樂雜誌中刊登。

而那位玩中東「結他」Oud 的英土混血兒，其實是受聘來港大教書，閒時玩Oud, 在英國常有演出。因為是駐港土耳其領事兒子的友人，被領事找到，在土耳其節日中表現音樂，速成四人組成 The Saffron 樂團，久不久在不同場地演出中東音樂。

看到這些背景，很能感覺到四位表演者對音樂的狂熱，投入時間學習。

同來看表演的友人，尚有兒子在學，坦白說現今父母若有能力，容易接受兒女向嗜好發展，而不是似我們一代，少想到志趣，多以找到穩定和賺大錢的工作為目標。

樂見台上的表演者，愉快地學習喜歡的東西，投入演出和教學工作，可以追求滿足心靈的人生。

Dry herb/spices shop

While wandering around Prince Edward and Shek Kip Mei area, went past this shop that sells all sorts of dried herbs and spices. The supply is phenomenal, from herbs in cooking, drinking to medicinal use, in a bright, tidy and well displayed shop. 

Airfryer crispy chicken mid-wing

I have been hoping to make this childhood favourite for a long time, but unable to source this section of chicken wing in Ireland delayed my plan. Finally in Hong Kong, I can enjoyed having crispy skin chicken mid-wing easily. 

Season chicken wing with salt, pepper, spices mix, puree garlic etc. Place skin side up on a plate to dry in the fridge for at least one day, the dryer the skin the faster it get crispy. 

Place in air fryer and bake for 15 minutes. 

Shum Shui Po ex-Service Reservoir

Visited this dug into a hill reservoir that was built a hundred years ago to supply water to residents in that area. It stopped function in 1970 when a much bigger underground reservoir was built to serve the expanded residential area. 

A long flight of steps goes up to the top of this hill, then more steps to get down to this dug out space. The reservoir is supported by 105 granite pillars, reminded me of Moorish palaces I have visited in Spain, in a smaller scale.

Stewed beef tendon dishes

The stewed beef tendon that I prepared and kept in freezer, in pieces, is ready to enjoy everyday, for nourishing my joints and skin. 
I make sure I have a portion everyday, add into stir-fried veg, or make a quick soup with miso and coriander, love that texture. 

Airfryer pork & okra dish

It is fun to prepare dishes with this glass air fryer, not just fast but also easy to see when it is ready.

This is Iberia pork rib meat, seasoned with salt, pepper, 5 spices powder for a couple hours, place on top of okra, cut into pieces, and seasoned with salt. 

Air fry for 12 minutes, then rest in the remaining heat for another couple of minutes, mix well and serve. 

Fermented Kumquat

I bought kumquats and found them quite tasteless, no sour flavour at all. In order not to waste them, I cut them into slices, seasoned with 2% salt, some sugar and lemon juice. Keep at room temperature to ferment, pretty slowing at the below 20˚C temperature. 
Serving a small plate every day, it is more interesting this way. 

2026年1月12日 台南小食和文化品味

和家人來台南玩幾天，名勝、風光不多亦不特出，但小食、小店多籮籮，樣樣都想吃，眼闊肚窄，只恨胃納不夠，已經很久沒有這樣饞的感覺。

不少只做單一食物，簡單老實煮法，已經很少見，來台南吃幾天才是重點。

廟宇異常的多，媲美京都，大大小小隔幾條街定有，很多夾在其他商店之間，當年，是否不平安，得多多祈福？

鹿耳門天后宮，建在十七世紀鄭成功登陸之地，屋簷橫樑雕塑多、大件、生動活潑、顏色豐富，有異想天開的童真感覺，眾多廟宇中最精彩的一座。

飛高雄去台南玩幾天，吃得滿足，對高雄沒有期望，第二大城市，繁忙喧鬧。只留一天，在酒店看介紹資料，發現三個近年完成的景點，值得一遊。

衞武營迷迷村
如何翻新老區，加添色彩活力？辦個國際壁畫節，由畫家設計136幅畫！

題材多樣化，作品異常吸引，是個可以留連很久的地方，只恨有些路太窄，仰望看得頸痛。

鳳儀書院
清朝時代建的書院，二百多年歷史，曾有三十七個屋舍，詳細介紹書院經歷的多過用途，最後是民居，是看歷史和民生的好方法。

各空間放置人像介紹用途，神態活潑生動，不卡通不老土，揸拿精準，看見生笑意。

逍遙園
位於繁忙市中心，有大花園兼水池，建於近百年前的別墅，屋主是日本探險家和種植愛好者。在多個文化團體要求下收作古蹟，請來日本專家教導，以原建築方法復修。

介紹屋主背景和設計心得，最欣賞是特別找來的四株原木，作為「精神」柱，放在廳房。走過看到，在工整平直設計中的唯一自然曲線，十分醒神。

看完三個項目，各有各精彩，都吸引，做得很有水準，品味上佳，令我對台灣印象加分。

Flowing light in Artistic Realm, Pier 2 Art Center, Kaohsiung

Tour of south west Taiwan 5/5 - Kaohsiung

Stay in Kaohsiung for a day, second biggest city in Taiwan, a busy commercial place. Didn’t see much interesting sites on internet search before arrival. 

Surprisingly found on local tourist pamphlet 3 new sites that sounded very attractive. So we ended the south west Taiwan trip on a high note, great eating in Tainan and good sites in Kaohsiung. 


Cijin Island 旗津島

A very short ferry ride to this long thin island off the harbour of Kaohsiung, for a relaxing atmosphere and some seafood. A big dry goods market selling dried fish, skin, squid, seaweed and knife. 

 

Interesting display of seafood available to serve in the restaurants. Tried mullet stomach, shark skin and a local green.

山蘇菜

台灣絲瓜

Art 2 Pier Open art center

A large area and former warehouses, with a lot of giant installations outside, and some exhibitions inside. 

Joined a Light exhibition, a theme in each room, a combination of attractive lighting effects with movement, voice, fragrance etc,. Very special, unique and memorable effects that I will remember for a long time. 

The 3 super interesting sites are:
1. Wei Wu Mi Mi Village International mural festival 衛武營迷迷村 

What a way to renovate and add colour to an old quarter! Over 135 murals designed by international graffiti artists. Amazing effect and very good artworks. 

2. 鳳儀書院

Built 200 years ago, the best preserved Qing Dynasty style school. It had been lived in for many years and finally renovated into the formal style. There is very detail description of the works involved in the renovation and the history of the area. 

Most fascinating is the life size human sculpture to show case the uses of different areas. The facial expressions are so cute and the presentation interesting and of quality. Free to take photos with the sculptures. 

3. 逍遙園

This is a villa built nearly a 100 years ago by a Japanese explorer and keen gardener as a winter escape from Japan. Right in the middle of Kaohsiung commercial centre, being used after 2nd world war as army family dormitory until strong request from the art circle to preserve the building. It was renovated in the old building techniques with advice from Japanese specialist.

The background of the owner is well presented, the design theme explained and renovation work well documented. I like most the 4 ‘energy’ pillars in the building.