三鲜火锅的故事

火锅是一款简单而又麻烦的饭食，不得人多不得做之，皆因不大热闹是也。火锅在有国际友人出场的时候，也最好不要登场。原因？其一，外国人不懂涮火锅的妙趣，可能对这种方式感觉不好；其二，外国人不懂何种材料要涮多久时间，配什么蘸水，就算有心感受中国食文化，本人还是觉得当一桌只有一个外国人，九个中国人在的时候做这档热火朝天的团队活动比较好，不然就只得我一个人口沫飞溅而不得好食了。

也许大家都知道这个道理吧，所以在美国`常常可以看到中国人做饺子宴、带饺子赴宴等等，还只在一个中国人家里吃过一道混炖清汤火锅。朋友是从亚洲店买来的清汤火锅底料，配上生菜、豆腐、蘑菇和午餐肉等易洗或易切的菜市。该火锅底料确实鲜美，食后绕齿不忘。自从发现这道简便易行的火锅以后，我就一直计算着何时自己也能享受一把这样清洁简便的大餐。

机会在来到蒙城后不久就出现了！原来，蒙城最大的中国食品超市原来就在居住地附近。中国超市的一层楼占地面积赶上Sears商场了，可超市的两行中英文招牌字小得可怜。如果从公共汽车上经过，没有人会对这个整层楼没有任何装饰的红砖建筑多看一眼，更别说仔细辨认那个招牌了。从这个建筑西北角的单开茶色玻璃小门走进去，我才明白为什么这个超市雄霸蒙城华埠之首。

尽管这之前，居住地周围的好几家连锁超市并唐人街也为我的新居提供了足够两人吃上两周的食品供应，这家中国超市还是激发了我强烈的占有欲望。整整两个半小时，不要说在小石城被冰冻了三年的购物欲望喷涌而出，被困小石城三年训练出来的烹调技术也在令郎满目的商品中碰撞得出了重新组合的灵感。在各种厨房创造灵感的冲动之下，理智还是跳出来劝告我不要轻易在几种火锅底料中做出选择。

"别忘了你在中国沃尔玛超市上过的无数次当！"它在我的耳边悄悄提醒到。

理智又提醒我看看清汤火锅底料的配方。原来姜和海带是主要材料。至于别的，应该有鸡汤和味精什么的吧，现在已经忘却。

虽然没有买上火锅底料，这家超市物美价廉、包装爽利的各种海鲜牛肉丸子、炸豆干、木耳丝、海带丝什么的，我却样样搜集齐全。这些都是现成的烫火锅材料。今天中午的三鲜火锅就得益于这些材料了。经过本人和傅钧的尝试，偷师效果不错。具体操作是准备火锅底料用的葱、姜、海米和紫菜，然后将生菜、豆腐、水萝卜、木耳、香蘑、牛肉丸、四款鱼丸整理成型，待油烧好，爆香葱、姜、海米，下紫菜、鱼丸、萝卜并加水煮开，最后烫入自己喜欢的菜式，如生菜、豆腐、木耳、香蘑等。如果有金针菇、苜蓿菜、苕粉、尤其是莴笋头就更好了！

因为新到宝地，缺少摆看用的盘碟餐具，今天的火锅就是混炖的。白白的汤水和食料，看上去不甚吸引人。不过，这锅菜让我们吃完以后，徒步去了驻地附近的圣劳伦斯河散了一个半钟头的步还嫌饱。午后的一阵云雨，仿佛这顿清汤火锅的下午茶。人在雨中漫步，花儿在风中摇曳，置身其中，不知身在地球的哪一个大陆。

生活在这个世界真幸福

曾经感叹过有Google真好，现在还要加上一句有Skype更好。Google给我辈带来了丰富免费的信息源和信息渠道，而Skype给我等带来的是新通讯方式下的低廉沟通方式。看到marketnews今年7月20日的一则关于Skype新式手提电话的新闻（http://www.marketnews.ca/news_detail.asp?nid=1962），不禁再次感叹：生活在这个世界非常幸福。

记得2005年夏天，一个由在校国际学生和小石城热心传教的基督教人士对话方式的英语俱乐部活动小组交流会上，不知缘何，我说到八十年代中国年轻人的生活方式。我是八十年代末进的大学。因为离家较近，家里要求每周都回去。到时如果不回，势必要找人带话回去以免家里担心。

"为什么不打电话回家呢？"从侧面看象古典希腊美女的Becca小姐温柔地一问。

"噢，大家有所不知。当时的中国电话并没有普及。只有家里父母做到一定级别的官员，才有一部公家电话。"我微笑着，想起了一位高中同学。

说来也奇怪，自从踏入那所高中，我们就一直是同桌。下课以后，我们总会有说不完的话题。如果碰上值日，我们就会一起欢笑着去打水回教室擦老师的讲台和黑板。无数次进出教室的门口，我们都曾经异口同声地发出一字不差的问题或者惊叹。出了她，我的生命中还没有出现第二个这样心心相印的人。因为没有电话，高中毕业后，我们失去联系长达一年，直到我终于鼓起勇气，独自去离我家有五六站路的她家碰碰运气。在今天的我眼中，别说五六站汽车的路程了，就是开车二十分钟的地方，也是不远的。

七十年代人的交通工具是汽车和火车。直到八十年代中，家里有架自行车，已经是普通中国人家的一"大件。"七十年代，身为国家处级干部的外公享受了他人生的最高级待遇，即坐飞机去内蒙出差。二十年以后，他那翅膀刚刚长成的小外孙女就坐上飞机去了比当年外公走到的地方还要远几十倍上百倍的地球一角。外公地下有知，不知道是否会象我们这些新生代一样嫉妒起比我们更有"穿透力"的新新人类。

人类进入了二十一世纪，八十年代出生的千千万万的中国学生已经不再像我等七十年代的腐儒，身背大小行囊，坐着火车南下去找寻属于自己的天空了。这些新新新人类们即便是跨越太平洋，也不过是一只双肩袋，两口小皮箱，外加一张父母亲给办的信用卡。

新新人类和父母的通讯方式也从古老的平邮进化成用手机煲电话粥。记得当年的我，虽然疏懒，每一封家书还是要花上不少于40分钟来向家长汇报自己的心路历程。以至于同事们看见我都要笑话说是给男朋友写信--太多了！

新新人类们成长的岁月中，我和傅钧各自完成了我们的北美迂回站。从把汽车开到每小时三十英里还战战兢兢，到独自开长途恨长路漫漫，三年的美国生活，四次搬家，我悟出许多生活的道理，也培养了一些在汽车轮子上生活的习惯，如开车二十分钟不算太远的心理。

和傅钧的团员，让我终于从对英特网的以来中逃离出来，却发现想和远在太平洋那头的家人偶尔说两句家常的不易和昂贵。母亲总是抓紧每一次我给他打电话的机会千叮万嘱，一个小时的电话有半个小时都是在听她老人家叮嘱我如何小心开车；而小外甥更是让我们有说不完的话题。

眼下，Belkin的这款新Wi-Fi
电话合并了Skype网络界面的所有功能，并拥有比普通手机更优的外形设计。加上可以不用电脑直接利用因特网路，将来和家人通话次数就可以非常频繁了，即减去拨号的烦扰、有节约了相当的通话费用，就算是150美金也是无超所值。

从自行车到飞机，从写信到用网络摄像机和母亲跨洋通讯，人类在短短三十年中的改变不是七十年代的我曾经梦想过的。我的现实成就了别人的梦想，别人的梦想成就了我的幸福感。不知道谁能成就我下一个三十年的另类幸福，只知道生活在这个世界真幸福。

Chinese KungFu - female contestants in HangZhou

My eyeballs were attracted by a green girl, whose body rolled up and
her right leg is kicking toward the sky. After I clicked open this URL
（http://www.taiji.net.cn/Article/Class7/Class11/200606/3672.html）, I
found that this girl is a PLA. On the same Web page, I found one more
great posture. This is a girl in pink. She is practice Long Fist. She
is tall and slim. I can tell that she is a strong competitant. There
are two more pictures, posting two teenagers practicing two other
kinds of KungFu. The sort of KungFu by the girl in white is South
Fist. It looks like that the girl in red is practicing a kind of
KungFu imitating an animal because her mouth is howling.

关于宗教之神的谕示

据我所知，英文中有不止三个单词来表示一个人对宗教的看法和态度等等，而中国人就仅仅将对神的认识分成两种方式：有神论者和无神论者。事实上，对于大多数人来说，相不相信这个世界上是否还有一种超生物冥冥中主宰了我们的命运并不是一个黑白分明的简单问题。信与不信之间，还有犹疑和无知。所以，不妨偶尔听听世人传颂的神谕。就象常常和高僧一起参禅悟道的苏东坡一样，做一个世内之人。在陶陶然享受物质带来的功名利禄之中，更给自己创造一方飘然出尘的心灵空间。以下这段文字是今天在"认识神"网站的首页发现的，觉得颇为有趣，又很是赞赏这个母亲对人生的态度，特收录在此。

鹰是这样死的

有人告欣我，鹰死的时候，是面向太阳站在岩石上的，多麽动人！
家母在天家度过其七十四岁的生日。去世前数个月她的健康还很好，医生也说她没有大碍。但是她还是到了殡葬处挑选棺材，并且撰写追悼词和挑选经文，然後将最漂亮的衣服寄给在爱尔兰的妹妹，说道∶"亲爱的菲利斯，这些是我最喜爱的衣服，但我已用不著了，我要归天家了！我爱你。玛莎上。"
不知怎的，她知道自己离世的时候到了。数周後，她因胸口绞痛入院；第二天，她坐在病床上，既不痛苦也不畏惧，不消两分钟就离世了。我们把她葬在爱尔兰我先父的墓旁，墓碑写道，"分离只是小别，再聚才是永恒。"当你确定你站在磐石上、面对人子时，死亡的恐惧便会消失。请记住，若你能确认生存的意义，就是离世也算不得什麽。

What a mess! What a hilarity!

It is the eighth day when we arrived in Montreal. I have something bad and something good to say. First of all, I don't want to complain but it looks like that I had some difficulties now. First, I was confirmed that my friend could not find her VCDs that I left in my apartment so that my friend who delivered me to the Little Rock airport could hold for her and then find a way to let her take those VCDs back. Unfortunately, the one drove me to the airport totally forget that he has this responsibility.

Since last Friday, I had spend several hours calling people and reply e-mails so as to keep my promise - to return VCDs! Now I was disappointed. Fortunately, my female friend did not blame me at all. She even said something to let me feel good. Oh, Lord. If man were made to make women happy and keep us safe, I blame you for the neglegence.

After this trouble gets to a final two hours ago, I found that the English piece of blog I sent to blogspot were not published. After I corrected one of the two publishing e-mail addresses, the corrected one published my piece successfully, but the one that I did not have to correct was blocked as well. I had to post this piece up to the two blog accounts. 555555, not happy with this encountance.

Talking about those good things, one is that I have seen sorts of pretty flowers, another one is that I have see lots of lively and youthful women on the streets, the third is that I can sit in a spacious, luminous, and very modern library for anything. There are more joys than I can tell. The best thing to me is that I feel so relaxed since I now finally can stay with my family, my husband, and do whatever I want to do. Since he has promised that he would be with me and would not leave me in these three years. Now I can plan a lot.

On the first day of arrive, i.e., July 13, we located our apartment. Yesterday (July 18), we finally get our lease. During the waiting-lease period, we did several trips for food, furniture, and home electric appliances. Last Saturday or Sunday is the first day, we got into the Internet. It looks like that I will have to make a milestone to memorize my immigration steps. So far for today.

7th day arrived in Montreal

I have been running around the city for daily food and ingredient,
also for furnitures and other facilities. Since we have to rely on the
subway and bus connection, every outdoor purchasing is a hiking. It
makes me feel tired, makes me feel good, makes me healthier.

All the low- and middle-price apartment in Montreal does not provide
air conditioning system. In addition, every apartment has more than
three entrance doors so as to keep heat inside of the building. Out
neighbor is a family with kids. Their window air-con runs 24 hours a
day. When we open the back door for ventillation, we have to enjoy the
heated wind.

For seven days, this is my second time to go Internet and I finally
had a chance to write a peice of blog. This is because I was
dissapointed by the young generation. In one week, I called several
times just to keep my promise -- to return a bag of VCDs to two
friends. This is what I have entrusted the young man to keep until I
tell my friends so that they can know how to come to him to get back
their VCDs. Just this simple request, he forgot! Today, I spent more
than half an hour to explain what I have done and what happened.
Still, I have to call my roommate to see if she can help me out.
Although, my friend is generous enough not to blame me for one word. I
did feel bad. What can I say?! The seventh day in Montreal is to pay
back my debt. (7/18/06)

July 4th

This morning, I went to downtown to farewell and give gifts to my
friends before I leave. Since this action was only planned by last
Friday, I did not tell anybody in my plan that I wanted to pay a visit
before I leave. It is interesting to find out that different American
people celebrate their July 4th holiday differently.

I went to a bank to cancel my account there first. I was told that
banks are opening today. This bank is a federal union only open to
people with a certain membership. It has a small office locates in an
university here. It took me little time to cancel this account.

Everything went smoothly before I arrived the agency I worked as an
intern in the past several months. I was told that the people who I
planned to visit for thanks and gifts are all out on vacation today. I
met somebody that I did not expected to see and give gifts to them
instead.

After that, I went to a river-side apartment. There, I knew a very
kind lady but I only met her two years ago when I paid a service to
her. She wrote me a check to pay this service. Unfortunately I lost
the check until last August, right before I wrecked my first car, I
found the check under one of the seats in the car. I did not know if
the check was still good or not and did not post it at that time. This
spring, I thought of try the telephone nubmer on the check and see if
the check owner can remember the check. The lady told me that she
finally understood why the check she wrote had never been posted. For
two years, she had never moved and her telephone number had not been
changed. What a bless!

The lady had a little finance problem at that time. She asked me to
wait until June 9 and wrote me a new check. The second time I arrived
at her apartment, she was out for business. She had two jobs. The
Vontage apartment looks shabby and old. The day I went to her
apartment for the new check, nobody opened the door. I found the new
check was lying in the mailbox in front of the apartment as she told
me. The amount of the check was exactly the same as the check I
claimed money for. I put the old check in the mailbox and left with
the new check, feeling a little bit of pity that I did not have a
second chance to see her.

When I knocked her door this morning, expecting that she might be not
at home another time, a little girl at her 10 or 12 opened the door.
"Mom," she sticked out a head and found a stranger in pink asking if
Ms. Dawn McNeice was in. A dog tried to squeeze out from the narrow
space of the opened door.

In a moment, a lady looks exactly like the girl came out. I told her
who I am and showed her the gifts I brought to thank her. "Oh, how
nice it is!" The mother acclaimed. "Oh, it is beautiful," she
continued. "Oh, it is so beautiful," the girl echoed the mother. I am
happy that they are very happy to see their life rewards. I am also
happy to see that Ms. McNeice did not show any surprise to see me
coming back for a visit. There is no more expectations except their
joyful words. They don't know me. They don't expect any rewards. They
don't want any further contacts. And I only know that I remembered how
to get to Vontage Apartment B105.