Thursday Challenge,Food, chilli and how it has affected our culture.

In Singapore, I was given this habanero chilli,
I ate the chilli and germinated the seeds.
I got hundreds of chillis from my two plants.
The plant is gone but I have the photos.

The original chilli came from Mexico,
courtesy from my friend W. on his tours.

I also learnt that to beat this fireball,
sip slowly milk, giving yourself a milky moustache
 or take some yoghurt. It works like magic.
This chilli is one of the best experience
that bonded us together.
We could now be in NZ, USA, Canada, Russia, India,
We laugh when we remembered being burnt
and we all had fun amongst tears.

I found from a Romanian friend L that she eats chilli as though it is a salad. She even beat me. The New Zealanders just stare at us. They say," You can't say it is not spicy.".

I gave an couple in their 80s a ride .
They didn't know exactly their address.
We got lost. I stopped by a diary to ask for directions.
To make matters worse,
the dairy owner said there was no such road nearby. 

The woman told me the man feels depressed

 and feels confined at home, and wants to go out.
I was the second person who had taken them home.

The first time, he fell, and someone got ambulance.
They were very grateful, and invited me in, but I couldn't stay.
The driveway is sloppy  and had puddles.
It is not easy to walk.
I held his hand as he walked with a cane.

I saw her chillis, she plucked a whole lot.
 They are about two inches big.
They looked like capsicums to me,
She said they were very hot.
She gave me a whole bag.
They will keep my heart warm on such cold days.

My students brought
these to see on market day
for Christchurch earthquake victims.
They told me that it is very spicy hot.
But to me, this is hardly hot at all.

Culture of food evolves
When people move
from their homeland to another.
In 1907, my dad's grandfather
 left China for Borneo. 
During this century, 
five generations have been born.
Our taste of food has evolved 
round the food of the region. 
While we eat predominantly
 Chinese food, 
We have grown from
don't eat chilli,
wrong handling will
make you blind,
to I can't eat
without chilli.

I did a project of duality culture
 with my Ethiopian student.
They now eat a lot of food
they didn't eat at home,.
They have given a modified name
or in some cases, simply,
" we eat,
but we don't have a name."