Thursday, August 11, 2011

I Berry Like Cherry

One of my favourite fruits in the world are cherries. Because of that, I've always had dreams of going cherry picking. Just pluck and eat – right of the tree – how nice and how refreshing! But... we ain't got no cherry trees around here. So that's not going to happen any time soon. =(


Instead, all I get to do here, is pay ridiculous sums of money to eat them out of plastic bags. Sigh. So not worth it and so tak feel, man. But... beggars can't be choosers. So I'll take them cherries any way they come. Even if that means eating them out of a plastic bag.


 One cherry in a plastic bag.


Went downstairs yesterday afternoon to hunt for some food and spotted that lonely cherry on Posing Queen's table. (Her dad sells fruits so it's not surprising to find little bags of fruits on her table.) Over-excitement over that discovery ensued on my part which subsequently led to me walking back upstairs with the cherry in hand. MY cherry now. =p


My cherry looking red, rosy and shiny.


First bite.


Mmmm... yummy! It wasn't quite as sweet as the ones The Husband and I ate in London but... hey, I'm not complaining. Semi-sweet cherries still waaay are better than no cherries as all. =) Thanks, Posing Queen!

43 comments :

Zhen Ying said...

Come visit me in Adl at the end of the year and I'll fulfil your wish of plucking and eating cherries off the tree. Also, you'll be able to try white cherries. They're awesome. Different texture and taste to the normal cherries. *teehee*

Pam Song said...

ATTN: Zhen Ying
- WAH!!! Tempting offer! Bunk with you? Haha.

p/s: I've never even HEARD of white cherries. What the heck are those!?

Zhen Ying said...

You can bunk with me. Not a prob at all, my dear. White cherries are cherries with white flesh. Their skin is more on the pink side rather than the usual red colour. It has a unique tarty flavour and its not super sweet.

Pam Song said...

ATTN: Zhen Ying
– Wahhh... I'll definitely consider the offer! When will you be free? And how long do you plan to be there? When's cherry picking season?

White cherries sound sour. HAHA.

Zhen Ying said...

They're not sour. They have the right amount of sweetness. Cherry season begins end of Nov/early Dec till late Jan/early Feb. White cherries are only available early in the season. I may be a little busy considering I'm taking the Christmas-New Year week off. But I'll definitely make time for you if you do plan to come.

Pam Song said...

ATTN: Zhen Ying
– Issit? Haha. And dang! How come cherry season is during Summer? I hate Australian summerssss!! T_T Bah! Does that timing just apply to white cherries or cherries in general? Cos I wouldn't mind just eating red cherries if that means I get to escape the Australian heatwave. :-/

Zhen Ying said...

Cherries are a Summer fruit. The white cherries ripen during late spring-early summer when there's no heatwave yet. The other red varities ripen throughout the whole of summer which means there's different flavours to try throughout the whole summer ;p

Pam Song said...

ATTN: Zhen Ying
– Issit?? So means all the cherries we're eating now are from the North?? Eh, then when not ripe you all eat meh? Sour, right?

Zhen Ying said...

Yeah, the cherries you're having now are from the North. I've seen Chilean and USA cherries in Cold Storage before. When not ripe, its hard and crunchy. Sometimes it wouldn't sweeten after its plucked from the tree.

Pam Song said...

ATTN: Zhen Ying
– I liked the ones I ate in London. Those were very nice. But according to The Husband's dad, while we were away, they bought even sweeter cherries in Malaysia. Goodness knows where they were from but... I WANT! But there were none left. T_T

Australian, Chilean or American cherries nicer?

Zhen Ying said...

Hmmmm.... I prefer the Australian ones coz I get to pick them fresh from the tree. The Chilean or American ones are also not too bad. It all depends on when they were picked. Sometimes they're sweet, sometimes they're not. Go take a look at Cold Storage or Tesco or ask the fruit seller whether they have the Chilean or American ones and try them for yourself.

Too bad, I won't be going back for CNY next year. If not, I'll definitely bring some Australian cherries for you.

Pam Song said...

ATTN: Zhen Ying
– Eh! Show off about cherry picking lagi! Hahaha. I just ordered more cherries yesterday. Will probably be getting them today. YAY! Will be sure to ask where those little red babies came from.

WEI... why you not coming back again? T_T Got bf in Aus then no wants friend and family in Malaysia liao. T________T

Zhen Ying said...

What to do? Cherry picking's fun. All the delicious red and white babies hanging from the tree asking to be picked and eaten on the spot.

I'm not coming back next year coz its my final year of PhD and I want to get it done and over. I'm hoping to get all my experiments done by mid year then hopefully I can take some time off to write in Pg. Then I'll be able to meet up with yous. I still cherish my friends and family a lot.

As for bf, he's already back in Singapore. He just graduated and won't be coming back to Aus anymore. :(

Pam Song said...

ATTN: Zhen Ying
– Why would you pick and eat the white ones? Nice meh? I don't even really like the lighter red ones that are sold here amongst the really dark maroon ones. Zesty!

And boo hoo... So you not going back to Aus after that since bf also not going back there anymore? Where will you be after you grad? Penang? Singapore? And writing? You're planning to write a book??

Talk to me, woman!

Zhen Ying said...

Why would I eat the white ones? Coz that's the white variety. They're the white cherries I was telling you about. They're totally different in taste from the red ones. Grown on different trees too.

I don't think I'll be going to back to Aus after I grad. Honestly I'm tired of living here. I'm so far away from everyone and life here is so different from home. I'm thinking and hoping to work in the US for a year or 2 to get some experience there after I grad. After that I most likely will be in Singapore. You can come visit and bunk with me and I can go back anytime. It'll be much closer to home than this place.

What I meant by writing is writing my thesis. I'm not looking forward to writing it. I'm procrastinating.........

Pam Song said...

ATTN: Zhen Ying
– Aiya you need to quickly go pluck and educate me with this white and red cherry thing lah. *noob*

And wahhh... not going back to Aus? You willing to give up your potential for PR and all that meh? Eh... means I have till when to visit you while you have a place there? When will you be returning again? Next year?

US now going downhill wor. Sure bo? Singapore's a safer bet at the moment, I think. Plus, it's near! And you can go home anytime! And you get to be with bf! Wheeee!

Haha. Procrastination is my middle name. I didn't know we were related. =p

Zhen Ying said...

I'm already a PR la. The reason I took PR was for PhD scholarship. To be honest, I'm sick of this place. Aus in general. I'll still be here till the end of next year and maybe a little into 2013. You still have some time to get your butt here to come cherry picking. Come late next year, bunk with me and we can go cherry picking together.

I hope by the time I do decide to go US, they'll be picking up. Medical research in California is apparently really good. I'm trying to get myself there and learn as much as I can. I'm afraid I'll regret if I don't do it.

Yay, we're related!!!! How could we not know we're related especially since we knew each other since we're toddlers?!?!?! =p

Pam Song said...

ATTN: Zhen Ying
- Haha. I see, I see. You're the exception, I suppose. So many ppl wanna go over there and you can't wait to get your butt out. Why not take dual citizenship? You might as well apply now while you're there. Dun have to be in Adelaide ma. Can go elsewhere next time for your kids' sake. Or at least get local rate if they choose an Aussie Uni.

Haih, cherry picking sounds so good. Hopefully can lah.

You still doing that cancer thingy?

YA MAN... HOW COULD WE NOT KNOW??

Zhen Ying said...

Hahaha, sorry for the late reply babe. I haven't checked this post for awhile.

Malaysians can't take dual citizenship. We have to give up our Malaysian citizenship. And no way will I give it up. Although our government sucks, I'm proud to be Malaysian, what more a PENANGNITE!!!! Its in my blood and will forever be in my blood. I'm too proud to let that go :)

I'm still looking at the blood cancer that targets the bones. Its tough, very tough....

Pam Song said...

ATTN: Zhen Ying
– Haha. No worries.

Yeah, I know we can't take dual citizenship but... urm... lots of ppl do it and get away with it! (Just don't say I told you so. @_@)

But these are exciting times for Msia. With the opposition rising up against the government, lots of the younger generation are starting to be a lot more patriotic and have begun to display a love for the country. I'm pretty proud of what we have done so far and how far along we've come. =)

So what does that entail? Marrow transplants and all that?

Zhen Ying said...

Currently treatment for that cancer is chemo, stem cell and bone marrow transplant. The worse part is that this cancer is incurable so patients will forever be on therapy to keep the cancer cells under control. I'm trying to find new treatment to kill the cells and also restore bone growth. These cancer cells not only invade the bone marrow space but they also start chewing the bone. Hence patients also have brittle, punched-hole like spaces along their bones.

Pam Song said...

ATTN: Zhen Ying
– Wow... that sounds like a sad and sorry way to go through life – forever living with cancer and fighting it daily. I do hope you guys find a way to beat it. Are things looking up?

Zhen Ying said...

Yeah the drugs i'm trialing looks promising in the lab and in an animal setting. Its seems to prolong the life of the mice and slow down the bone disease. A lot of research still needs to be done coz these cells are pretty smart in changing the bone marrow environment to suit and protect them from harm.

Pam Song said...

ATTN: Zhen Ying
– Whoa... you could be one of those famous people who saves the world from cancer. Imagine that! AND I KNOW YOU! WAHHHHH! =p

Eh, so what do you guys do? Inject the mice with cancer?! So sad!

Zhen Ying said...

Hahaha. I wish I can make a difference to the world one day. Imagine the world being cancer and disease free one day. Everyone will be healthy and dying naturally without any health issues.

For my study, I'm using a strain of mice that naturally develop this disease naturally as they age. So what we did is, inject that mouse cancer cell into younger mice and let it develop then we treat them to see whether the drugs we have can slow the disease progression.

We'll kill them at the end to scan the bones to compare the number of pits on the bone between the treated and untreated mice. I'm really happy with our findings.

Pam Song said...

ATTN: Zhen Ying
– OMG, you breed cancer mice??? T_T That sounds so sadddd... How long do they get to live then?

So things are looking promising?

And eh... do we really need to cervical cancer jabs ah? I know you took them lah. But need meh?

Zhen Ying said...

They naturally develop the cancer when they're about 2yrs old. Mice generally do not live that very long anyway. Its a special breed of mice. The mice I use are around 6-8 wks old. I inject the mouse cancer cell into these young ones and they generally live for another 4 weeks or so before they suffer from hind limb paralysis.

Things are looking promising. There's still a lot of work to do. We have results showing the drug is slowing the disease progression. We're working on the bone side right now.

Cervical jabs ar? I took it coz its free. The results has shown to be effective ie lower numbers of cervical cancer.

If both of you have not and are not sleeping around, I don't really think you need it. Even though you've taken the jab, you still have to go for pap smear tests. The jab is a prevention only.

Pam Song said...

ATTN: Zhen Ying
– Wow. So you could be one of those really famous people who discovered a cure for cancer! Amazing. PLEASE TELL THEM I'M YOUR OLDEST FRIEND!

Hahaha. If cervical jabs were free here, I'd take them, too. Just cos I'm kiasi that way. But they cost a BOMB! RM1,500 or so for the full course of 3 jabs. *wallet bleeding*

Now that you mention it, I think I should go for a pap smear after all this hospital nonsense I'm going through right now dies off.

Zhen Ying said...

RM1500?!?!?!? That's *tai si lang* leh!!!!! I wouldn't even pay for it lor. Its so expensive. Dunno how many times gotta sell backside to pay for it.

Pam Song said...

ATTN: Zhen Ying
– Now you know!! If not why do you think I'm thinking twice, three times, a million times before going for it?? -_-''' Malaysia memang boleh lah.

Zhen Ying said...

Hahahaha, I know Malaysia apa-apa pun boleh. To be honest, people who wanna take a vaccine now in Aus have to pay AUD$500. The government no longer subsidises anymore. At AUD$500, I wouldn't even pay for it. -_-"

Pam Song said...

ATTN: Zhen Ying
– Oh, means same price for you guys now lah! x3 ma. But not dollar for dollar lah, of course. It's still cheaper. You guys spend $10 AUD on fried rice, but pay $500 AUD for vaccination. We spend RM3.50 on fried rice but pay RM1,500 for vaccination. Haihhhh...

Zhen Ying said...

Hahahaha, when you think about it, both sides also no win. Here cost of living is through the roof. Home pulak, everything relatively cheap but the vaccination is nearly a whole month's salary. So if someone wanna have it, both also have to save to get it. Haihhhhh.....

Pam Song said...

ATTN: Zhen Ying
– Being healthy and staying illness-free is not cheap. Boo.

Zhen Ying said...

I totally agree with that. There's nothing cheap and free these days. *sigh*

Pam Song said...

ATTN: Zhen Ying
– YOU'RE WRONG!!! The new Malaysian budget just came out and our vaccinations for HPV are free now!!! Wheee!! Thank goodness I didn't pay for it earlier. PHEW!

Zhen Ying said...

COOL!!!!!!!! Now are you gonna consider getting the vaccination?? Take it while its free. Thank goodness the government subsidising it. Many women will go unprotected against this virus/cancer without their help.

Pam Song said...

ATTN: Zhen Ying
– If it's free, I'll go lah! Free who dun wan? Hahahaha. But some newspapers mentioned "unmarried" women. BOO. We'll see if it comes to pass first lah. You know lah Malaysia. Talk a lot, do very little. Now before elections ma.

Zhen Ying said...

Hahahaha, that's so true. The current government will do anything and everything to make sure they have the majority. Fingers and toes cross that they will provide it to every woman single or married. Our country, semua pun BOLEH!!!

Pam Song said...

ATTN: Zhen Ying
– Yeah! Now got new rule. EPF naik also. Haha. Suddenly only. Cheh.

Pam Song said...

ATTN: Zhen Ying
– Still no news on whether married women can get though. :-/

Zhen Ying said...

EPF naik, good for everyone. I don't get it. Why not give to married women too. Its better provide it based on age gap rather than basing on marital status. o_O"

Pam Song said...

ATTN: Zhen Ying
– Ya lah. Good for employees, not employers. And it's kinda obvious they're doing it now before elections. Just to suck up to the general population.

And yeah! I totally agree! Age group is better than martial status!

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