Spain series (2)--- Fallas and flower offering and senorita from Royal Albert

It's that time of the year. The time of saying farewell to Spring and welcoming Summer. It's time of celebration and time for me to feel the vibe of the festival even though I am not physically there in Spain. Yes, it's the time of Fallas.

If you have been to Valencia, Spain. You would have heard of the Fallas festival for it's one of the most celebrated festivals in Valancia, Spain.

It's said that Fallas was originally just a common practise by carpenters. During winter time, carpenters made the candle holder in the shape of a doll. As winter passed, they no longer needed it so they burnt it. To pay respect to the saint of carpenters, San Jose. They have this tradition of making wooden figurines and burn them. Nowadays, the artists need one year to complete the figurines as they are very large, some are as high as a 3 or 4 storey building. On 19 March at midnight, all figurines are burnt.

Starting from 12 March leading up to 19 March, a fire crackers show is displayed at the plaza in front of the city hall at 2:00PM every afternoon. The show aims at using different fire crackers to make the different tones and sounds and by placing the fire crackers at different distance, it creates a beat. So it's like the fire cracker musical show. Hearing the beats and feeling the explosion of the fire crackers, it seems that every bit of your low emotion/bad luck was taken away. I remembered making a wish while watching the show, I really felt lifted and light hearted and all the bad energy was taken away and so my life begins again.

On 17, 18 March, those who have donated money to the church are allowed to participate at the flower offering parade. The statue of Saint Mary is placed outside the plaza of virgin mary. Trained men climb up the statue and put the flowers on the statue and make the 'dress' for Saint Mary.

They took 2 days to complete the 'dress'. Every year, the pattern of the dress is different. The year I was there, the back of the dress shows the face of a girl.

Look at the black veils the girls wearing, I suspect that Royal Albert china maker got their inspiration from the Fallas parade

We call those flower offering girls and boys Falleros. People of all ages can participate in this parade as long as you have donate money and are catholics. From infants to adults, we can see people of all ages.

Look at this grandfather, he is holding flowers and waiting for his family members walk pass.

Two men in traditional custumes leading a group of children.

The dress of Virgin Mary takes 2 days to complete. On 19 March, the Saint Jose day, she is on full display.

In one of the areas near city centre, there is the street light display. The whole street is decorated in light and it's like the light building. At the two sides of the street, you can find a lot of booths selling traditional snacks and drinks.

Almost every corner of the city has a figurines. The picture shown above is the figurine on the street from where I lived. Actually there are many statues/figurines, this one is my favourite.

At midnight on 19March, all the statues are burnt. Before lighting the fire, the fire fighters must arrive and if it's necessary, they will wrap up some buildings to prevent the fire from damaging the wall of the buildings.When everything is ready, first, there is a firework show at the area where the statue will be burnt, and then the most voted 'Falleros'-- the selected girl in custume will light the fire crackers that lead to the figurines, and then seconds later, the whole figurine is on fire.

Actually all people can stand close at a safe distance, you can really feel that it's a purifying method to wake up your soul as if all the bad/evil things are taken out/burnt down by the fire. The whole city is lifted and cleansed.

The main structure of the figurine is shown.

The 'La crema' ---cremation is completed and everyone leaves with a light soul and a pure spirit.

After being purified, it's really time for a cup of tea.

The bracelet above is often worn by 'Falleros' during the parade. Walking pass a shop that offers hand-made bracelet for Fallas one day, I could not  help but buy one for myself. I admired the neatness of the pearls. Not to mention that I enjoyed a chat with the sales lady there who hand-tied the bracelet.

The lovely white hair comb was given by my friend.

Writing this blog, I feel like I am back to Valencia again witnessing the Fallas and all the events that are surrounding the festival. And that there is always a Spanish heart in me!

Happy San Jose Day!


(All photos about Fallas were taken by me in 2011)

I am joining Terri and Martha for tea.

Spain series (1)--- Flamenco and polka dot cup

I always think that if Lady Fate does not give you what you want now, be prepared to receive something even better in future.

So with the slight regret of not having learnt ballet, I went to university. There I tried to rekindle my passion for dancing. After taking the jazz dance and folk dance courses, I found that I must take dancing seriously because I could not forget the joy dancing gave me so I searched online for dancing courses offered by local schools. Initially I was looking for Chinese dancing classes but I came across Flamenco dancing classes instead. Out of curiosity I tried to take Flamenco classes. Little did I know that my little journey of self-discovery in Spain was set in motion already.

With Flamenco in mind, I choose this polka dot cup by Royal Albert. It's got the spirit of Flamenco as polka dot is one of the signatures of Flamenco dancing. It is said that Flamenco was the dance of gypsies and Romanians. In the old days, the gypsy women sewed the small pieces of mirrors all over their dresses because it's believed that those small round mirrors can ward off evil spirits. Later people use polka dot pattern to signify this tradition/supersition and now you can always see Flamenco dancers in polka dot dress.

I was so happy that I tried Flamenco dancing because it's unique in its own way. It's the combination of foot tapping, hand clapping and the graceful movement of body in fast and slow pace with great contrast of weakness and strength. What is most important is that Flamenco allows dancers to shine even when they are in their middle age because it's the dance of emotions and self-experience.

Later in my learning of Flamenco, I tried Bata de Cola, it's another genre of Flamenco dancing with dancers wearing a ruffle dress/skirt with train. The dancers need to keep the train of dress unfold while dancing. I just admire the elegance this dance allows dancers to have.

Though I no longer practise Flamenco, I still enjoy watching Flamenco shows. Why do I stop dancing? Well, it's because I am very stubborn and focus so much on perfections.(once i hurt myself while forcing myself to do the split because of harsh practising) I cannot bear to see myself making mistakes while dancing and there are only one or two teachers here teaching Flamenco. I have to work so I am not able to take dancing as a full time job/hobby. I guess it's too late to take it as a profession. Plus the teachers are more interested in making money than training with a heart. I did make friends with one good teacher but she's in Spain perfecting her skills and she's not interested in teaching Bata de Cola(Flamenco with long trained skirt). I am so happy to have met her and was her student for some time. During my dancing days, I had met nice people and we remain friends still.

The folds are like the secrets of the heart, it's up to you to reveal it or not.

Now I look back, I think that Lady Fate has tied my life to Spain in some way. In my university year, first I came to know Flamenco dancing and then I met a Spaniard a year later (when staying in a host family in Australia), who became one of the most important people in my life. Being friends with him made me understand myself better and open up myself to another world that I had not known and my journey of Spain began with him. We were mirrors to each other. Lessons were hidden in most of our interactions and so I have to thank him and Lady Fate for bringing the opportunity. Well, for some myteries and non-sense, he decided that our friendship should die with the death of his father. And so after the funeral of his father, we never see each other again. I do hope that he finds peace finally because he deserves happiness and peace as much as I do.

It's a pity. Yes, but what I had learnt in Spain made me the person I am today. And so, to salute my favourite country--Spain, I give you the Spain series.

I am joining Tea cup Tuesday with Terri and Martha

Aynsley and ballerina dream

Have you ever had dreams that you would like to fulfill but you missed the opportunity to do that?

I always think that dreams or aspirations are like those soap bubbles that children blow in the playground. When they are fresh, they go with the wind and after a certain period of time, they are meant to be broken or vanish suddenly and they become part of the wind.  Yes, some dreams are like soap bubbles. The wind is everlasting time.

The tea trio I am choosing for Tea cup Tuesday is by Aynsley. The pink ground of the set reminds me of ballet shoes (yes, it's in ballerina pink) and the small checks in cream color remind me of the organza from tutu.

Only the cake plate was numbered 19, I think the set dates to around 1943.

Since I was a child, I always knew that I liked dancing but the desire to learn ballet rose only when I was in secondary school. The school I attended offers many activities but ballet classes. With the desire to dance, I chose the second choice--Chinese dancing. I was good at it though it's not my first choice. For a few years I was in the school dancing team participating in competitions. I did enjoy my time with the team members but still it seemed there was something lacking. Now I looked back and wondered why I did not take ballet lessons. Probably it's because the fee was a bit expensive and I was not willing to give extra burden to my family or I had no idea as to where to take the lessons. Now I come to think of it, probably this is just a slight regret I have to live with.

To make up the feeling of loss, every year I go to watch at least one ballet show. This year, I am happy to be able to watch 'Romeo and Juliet' performed by American Ballet Theatre. Yes, they came all the way to Hong Kong. It's always a delight to watch a ballet show. Ballerinas are light as feather and they made ballet look so easy.

Though I have never learnt ballet, I did take up another dancing and it leads me to somewhere more wonderful, somewhere that I feel like it's my destiny. I will save it for the next post.

Right now, enjoy a cup of tea, everyone!

Breakfast in Florence with ''A Room with a View''

Would you like to join me for breakfast (with tea of course) in Florence with a room with a view over looking the Arno?

Come and sit down, let's have tea!

Florence, the birth place of Renaissance, has been a dream city for many people. Walking on the stone paved pavement and looking at the architecture, you will find yourself back to the Renaissance period. Is that a deja vu? Maybe. Or.. Had you really lived there once before? Maybe.

Florence, with its magic and mystery, has inspired many writers. No doubt British writer, E. M. Forster, found inspiration and made Florence as the backdrop for his book ''A Room with a View''.

photograph courtesy of the film 'A room with a view''

''A Room with a View'' starts with Lucy's adventure in Florence with her chaperon Charlotte, there they meet the unconventional Emersons--a father and a son who always mean to be kind but because of the lack of tact, are often considered ill-bred by their own countrymen. Something happens between Lucy and George Emerson after George rescues Lucy during a scene of a fight between two Italian men. However things are stopped with the interference of Charlotte and the return to England of Lucy and Charlotte.

Back home, Lucy accepts the proposal of the socially suitable gentleman Cecil. Will Lucy really get married to Cecil or is she going to break free and chooses George at the end?

In the movie, we can find two afternoon tea scenes.

tea in countryside (phtograph courtesy of the film)

''Tea at a Renaissance villa? Nothing had been said about it yet. But if it did come to that---how Lucy would enjoy it!''--- A Room with a View

tea in the garden (photograph courtesy of the film)

The tea set trio I present here today is by Royal Doulton. The simplicity of the set reminds me of the innocence of Lucy in ''A Room with a View''.

I love the hand-applied turquoise beads and hand-coloured rose buds on the cup. They are like the decorations you can find in Edwardian gowns.

According to the seller, Royal Doulton started using this pattern from 1902. I guess the set dates from 1902--1920.

The laurel wreath around the cup shouts victory. Will George Emerson gain victory over Cecil in ''A Room with a View''? Does love triumph all? Why dont you find out yourself?

''A true Florentine smell!''--Miss Lavish in A room with a view. Nice to smell Florence in sleep.

In the meanwhile, I am going to hug my pillow covered by the hand emboidered linen pillowcase bought from Florence during my first visit and dream a Florence dream.

And hopefully I wake up with breakfast and tea in front of me!

Roses wear make up too

Do you wear make up? Sometimes I do.

blue leaves look so artificial, luckily the plain pink saucer balance it out.

Whenever I wear make up(just foundation and blush and darken my eye brows, no eyeshadows), some people have a bit of reactions. Some tell me that make up is bad for the skin because they are made from chemical materials. Some hint to me that the days they dont wear make up, people think they are sick so they give up wearing make up. Others--my best friends just have some uneasy look at the first sight of meeting me.

(photography courtesy of Makeup artist). Well, this style is too exaggerating for me. Nude make- up make up is for me.

I used to be like that too so I understand them. I used to think that wearing make up is a superficial act and people who wear make up lack confidence or are fake. I had a very negative view point towards those who wear make up. I changed my opinions when I was in university because sometimes I had functions to attend and sometimes I was invited to a wedding. I thought that wearing a cocktail dress without a proper hairdo and make up looks a bit strange so I slowly learned how to do my own make up so that i didn't need a professional to do it for me. I learnt that wearing make up can be an act of showing respect to the occasion.


Nowadays when I feel like it I wear make up because to me every day can be a special occasion to celebrate. If I am meeting friends I have not met for a while, I try to make an effort to look good for them. This is the way I show I care. Sometimes putting on make up can brighten up my days. Putting on make up is a kind of meditation for me. I know my weaknesses and I do not try to cover them all up. Instead I just try to bring out my strength/nice features. I like nude make up so even though I am wearing make up, my little freckles still come through and I like every bit of it because they look so natural. I learn to appreciate what I have and accept my imperfections.

But if people must wear make up in order to go out/do grocery shopping, then they need to be careful because it can indicate some mental blocks.

I think as long as I wear my make up in moderation. That's fine. But i dont understand since when it's ok to not look your best and dressing your best/wear make up is objected.

Now back to the tea cup. It's a lovely set with roses with blue leaves all around. Its maker is Aynsley. I find the number 28 as part of backstamp. I read it somewhere long ago that starting from 1924, Aynsley started to use number to indicate the year the set was made. So you add the year number--24 + (number at the back; in this case 28 = 52 (so this set was made in 1952). Please experts here correct me as I am not sure if it's the way to find out the manufacture year.

The other side also has a rose so if you are left-handed, you can still enjoy your tea while admiring your cup.

The roses with blue leaves look a bit artificial, it reminds me not to overdo it when it comes to putting on make up for myself.


I hope all of you have a nice week and that sometimes beautifying yourself does not hurt and it's one of the ways to love yourself and care enough to look best for others too.

Roses for ladies from Royal Albert

It's love at first sight.

Unwrapping and seeing this beauty, my heart jumped.

It has the quality of a lover.

It inspires me when the fountain of inspiration is dry;
It brightens up my day;
It gives me strength when my days are gloomy;
It brings a smile on my face whenever I see it;

And of course, I am never tired of it.

It is the cup from Royal Albert in my favourite colour--hot pink/barbie pink.


The well of the cup is decorated with roses with petals in different shades which make the roses more lively.

The roses in the cup can compete with the real roses.

Speaking of roses, I always prefer pink roses to deep red roses. They are lighter. Red roses for me are too solid.

Anyway, whichever the color of the roses, they are the flowers of love, they are the best messengers of love and they are the best agents to bring you love.

With this post, I wish everyone a happy Valentine's Day. The day to celebrate and spread love to your other half, families and friends.
May cupids look after those who are single as well and make each one of them a perfect match!

Fairy wishes! Cheers!

White and blue china from grandma

This coming Sunday marks the beginning of Chinese New Year. Every year, my families and I would go back to mainland China from Hong Kong to celebrate this important festival with my grandma. This is the first year that we are here for the new year without her. Last year in October she suddenly felt ill and lost her appetite. After staying in hospital for some time and without getting better, my relatives and my mother decided to send her back to her old home in a village(because the villagers believe that if one's time on earth is up, one has to remain in one's own house rather than making a death bed in a hospital or elsewhere.) Doctors came to check on her from time to time.

My aunts and uncle took turn to take care of her and my mother sometimes went back to China to see her. After a month we lost her. We had a hard time believing that she could leave so quick. But I guess at the age of 91, even the lightest illness can be too much a burden for her.

I took out the china that are passed down to me and had a good look at them as a gesture to celebrate this festival with her spiritually. There is nothing fancy here. They are just china used by villagers in their everyday life.


The first one I am going to share is this plate the size of a biscuit plate. In the middle there is a hand-painted carp. Carps are considered the creatures that can bring good luck. And because the word 'fish' has the similar pronunciation of the word 'remainder'/'left-over', it's often the subject painted in oriental china. In the old days, people were concerned about food supply so they often worried about their next meals, so having something left for the next meal is very important and so this carp signifies 'remain something for next meal/there is always food for next meal."

You can see that there are scratches in the middle. My mother told me that they used to eat off from this plate very often.

The next I am going to share is this rice bowl with four cranes painted around. Cranes signifies living a long life. Yes, every subject found in oriental china carries meaning. It is said that blue and white and cranes bring a sense of harmony.

This crane pattern was used during the 40's/50's up to the 80's for in the 80's I still saw this crane pattern. It's marked with what looks like an 'S'.

Next is this bigger bowl usually for containing meat or dishes with sauces. When my mother got married and held banquet in the village, she used all the bowls to contain food. This adds more meaning to this type of bowl.

Funny pattern is painted around but I could not make out what it is. I guess this one was made from the early 30's.

It has one of the Chinese characters from my grandfather's name engraved at the well of the bowl. This means hopefully he was blessed with enough food througout his whole life.

I guess this piece is the earliest example of all three pieces. The well is a bit rough.

I used the carp plate to contain sesame crunch/also called smiley crunch because it's like a blooming flower when cooked. It's one of the typical snacks for Chinese New Year.

These are the three pieces I choose to present here today. Looking at all three pieces and using them, they bring me back to the time of simplicity,  it connects me to the past when many people were struggling with food/life, the past of people who lived during the civil war/WWII and felt lucky to be alive.


         In memories of my grandma, Mrs. Wong Ma Tai Hou.