Veterans Day Parade 2009 (Boston)

The Veterans Day Parade, a parade that is typically the hotbed of anti-war protests is pretty mild this year.

I was disappointed with the disbandment of the Boston Police Mounted Unit, which I do miss a lot but I was there in fact for only one other thing -- the Boston Police Gaelic Column.

I have a few friends who are really into dressing up in Kilts and play music like the piper!

The parade starts at 1pm, but these dedicated officers arrive around 11:30am and start changing from their regular clothes into these awesome uniforms.

Every little thing has to be perfect, and they took several minutes to change and then practiced a lot.

Bob here is pretty good with the bagpipes and he's very friendly and he explained to me the significance of his uniform.

There were lots of tone testing and sound testing to make sure the bagpipes were tuned correctly.

Then there were more practice.

Meanwhile, the chief is coordinating the parade and there are many special operations officers directing traffic.

Everyone had to play their part for this parade to be safe and successful, and at 1pm, the parade started.

There was a large crowd watching the parade, and it was colorful indeed. The weather is cool and there was lots of cloud cover. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the parade!

There was much fun in the celebrations, everyone including the officers who kept the parade in order seemed to have fun. Then it was group photo time.

I had a good time, see you next year!

--Iron Bowl

Bak Kut Teh Recipe (Cooking in Boston)

I'm preparing to cook Bak Kut Teh, a very famous soup in Boston, and I was wondering if I can find the ingredients in Boston. As you may know, even though cooking some Asian dishes in Boston is not difficult, finding the right ingredients may be.

For the soup I'm cooking, the following are the ingredients:

Ingredients: (Serving Size: 4 pax)

• 1 Pound of Pork Spareribs

• 5 Whole Star Anise (broken pieces equal to 5 stars)

• Soy Sauce (with thinly sliced fresh red chilies for dipping)

• 2 tbsp Crisp Shallot Flakes

• 1 tbsp Cloves

• 1 tbsp White Peppercorns

• 1 tbsp Black Peppercorns

• 5 cloves Garlic (peeled)

• 1 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce

• 1 tbsp Cinnamon Powder

• 2 liter Water

• 2 tsp Sugar

• 2 tsp Salt

As expected, the "American" Supermarket do not carry some of the spices required and even if they do, they are much over priced. Even Garlic costs $3.99 where as the Garlic I got from Asian Supermarkets cost $0.99.

So if possible, shop at an Asian Supermarket to get the ingredients.

Now to the instructions to cook this yummy soup.

• Take a large pot and put sparerib pieces in it. Add enough cold water to cover them completely. Boil until foam rises to the surface. (You need to remove this foam)

• Drain the water and rinse the meat with cold water and return it to the pot. Add garlic and 2 liter of water.

• Put cinnamon, star anise, cloves and peppercorns in a cloth; tie it and add bag to the pot.

• Bring water to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 1 ~ 2 hour or until the meat shrinks from the bones.

• Skim excess oil from the surface and discard it.

• Remove the spice bag from the pot.

• Season the prepared soup with salt, sugar and dark soy sauce to taste, and stir.

• Bak Kut Teh is ready.

• Serve with white steamed rice.

-- Iron Bowl

Halloween in Boston 09'

Halloween is the time for people to dress up to amuse other folks. It is an excuse to drink lots of liquor and be stupid as well. This is one of my favorite time of the year as on Halloween, especially in Boston and here are the following reasons.

1) You get to dress up and have fun!

(Thanks Jason Liu for the photos)

2) It is very interesting to see many other people dress up.

Most of the folks are fun and love to show up what they came up with and groups with theme costumes are the best!

3) Halloween ladies costumes are often "Slutty". When you go Halloween shopping, you can see that the models for Halloween costumes often look like porn stars!

4) Everyone out there wants to have fun!!

5) There are lots of free hugs!

6) Live bands are cool!!

7) House party = loads of alcohol.

8) Warm house = less dress

9) Tons of ladies come to your party!! Even those you don't know! You get to know them if you are good at picking them up!

10) People sit around and tell stories, you learn a little more about your friends, especially after 4 beers!

Generally, I love to be in Boston for Halloween as the weather is nice for most costumes, not too cold, and not too hot, and the people are fun!

Being back and having fun + drinking good Boston Larger is great, and I love it here!

So have fun and Rock on!

See you next Halloween!

--Iron Bowl

Got a nice chain email from a friend today.

"Good, better, best

Never ever rest

Until your good gets better

And your better gets best"

HOW TO STAY YOUNG

1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay 'them' 

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.

3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever.. Never let the brain idle. 'An idle mind is the devil's workshop.' And the devil's name is Alzheimer's. 

4. Enjoy the simple things. 

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive. 

7. Surround yourself with what you love , whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge. 

8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help. 

9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.

10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity. 

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER :

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but  by the moments that take our breath away.

Ahhh, The fun of chain emails never cease

--Iron Bowl

Dambulla, Sri Lanka

The city of Dambulla lies approximately 148 kilometers (roughly 91 miles) to the Northeast of the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo.

Dambulla is close to many interesting sites and Golden Temple of Dambulla is definitely a must see. Dambulla is also surrounded with many mountains and beautiful Greenery which makes getting around pleasant to look out.

Kandalama lake is also a spectacular sight to behold.

Getting to Dambulla: 
Since Dambulla is relatively close to Colombo, Sri Lanka, you are best advised to hire a private car in Colombo for safe travel to Dambulla. There are ample drivers available for hire in Colombo and most are very knowledgeable of the cultural sites and local history of Sri Lanka, making for an informative, guided tour on the road from Colombo to Dambulla.

I would advice getting a driver because the roads are unmarked and the Hotels are not even properly located on Google Maps. There is no street numbers which makes Navigation hard. Self drive is almost impossible unless you are local.


View Larger Map

Though it is about 150km, the trip can take 5 hours as the roads from Colombo are small and slow. Traffic can be heavy at times on Kandy road and together with 1 or 2 breaks, getting to Dambulla in 5 hours is common.

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When you arrive at Dambulla, there are a few world class hotels to stay at. Heritance Kandalama Hotel Dambulla offers offers its guests great luxury. The hotel is conveniently located between Dambulla Cave Temple and the Sigiriya rock fortress and offers upscale, air-conditioned rooms with private balconies with spectacular views of forests or the lake. The hotel is a definite must visit as it is situated at the Kandalama Lake and offers breathtaking sights.

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Places of Interest

Kandalama Lake

Surrounded my mountains, Kandalama Lake is a wildlife refuge and the views around the lake and the Island in the middle is spectacular.

The sky and the lake is in such a great harmony that you feel a lot more relaxed in the area compared to Colombo, the experience is great and is hard to forget.

The views around the lake and the occasional wildlife grazing lazily on the side makes it a perfect place to take a break and take some photos.

Don't let the mountains in the picture fool you. Kandalama is just about 200m above sea level so, it is not a cold place at all, but the close proximity to the large body of water constantly keeps the vicinity of Kandalama Lake nice and cooling.

Across the lake is Heritance Kandalama, it looks part of the landscape from far.

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Golden Temple of Dambulla

Also known as Dambulla Cave Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site, this temple is a great place to visit. Comprised of 5 caves and a picturesque facade carved into the side of a steep rock face, the Dambulla Cave Temple houses ancient statues and paintings depicting the Buddha and his life.

Don't be fooled by the clean and nice appearance of the Temple. There is an ancient cave temple up in the mountain. It will take some time and effort to get there, so be prepared. Drink lots of water, leave early in the morning and climb it. It will be worth it. The tickets for tourist is Rs$1750, but it is definitely worth the money!

The front entrance is a recent addition and the real views are on top of the mountain. Save your photos until you get up there. The trip up hill is pleasant and cooling as the trail is shaded and has plenty of monkeys and friendly dogs. The trip is also very scenic and nice. REMEMBER: Buy your tickets before going up, tickets are available near the entrance and they only check for tickets on top of the rock!

Remember, there is lots of stairs, take your time and climb it slowly.

And Stairs...

When you get to the top, there are still steps!

The views from on top is spectacular. Remember your ticket, you need tickets to get in and if you have not got one, you need to make your way down again!

Take a short break, relax for a bit. Take off your shoes and enter the temple above.

The temple consists of 5 caves with nicely painted walls and lots of statues. Built at the base of a 150 meter rock face during a long period stretching from the first century B.C. to 1250 A.D, the Dambulla Cave Temple is comprised of five distinct caves, each of which functions as a shrine room. While all five of the Dambulla Cave Temple caves are worth exploring, these three stand out:

• Cave of the Divine King: the first of the Dambulla Caves, the Cave of the Divine King is home to a 14 meter tall Buddha statue carved out rock.
• Cave of the Great Kings: the second of the Dambulla Caves, the Cave of the Great Kings contains 56 statues of the Buddha
• Great New Monastery: the third of the Dambulla Caves, the Great New Monastery contains 50 statues of the Buddha and a statue of King Kirti Sri Rajasinha.  During the King's rule from 1747-1782, the ceiling and walls Great New Monastery were painted in the traditional Kandy style of the times. 

There are lots of things to see, and remember to take your camera!

For something that ancient, you cannot get them elsewhere in the world!

This is the world famous reclining Buddha. Its pretty big, but not the biggest I've seen.

The construction and modern maintenance of the Dambulla Cave Temple occurred along the following rough time-line:

7th to 3rd century BC: Early inhabitants
1st century BC: Paintings and statues
5th century AD: The stupa was built
12th century AD: Addition of the statues of Hindu gods
18th century AD: Most of what we see today
19th century AD: An additional cave and some repainting
20th century AD:UNESCO restoration and lighting

I am pretty impressed at the cleanliness and maintenance of the temples.

There are many Stupas around, but few in caves!

You get a fantastic view outside the cave temples and this place just blows me away.

In the last few caves, you can find another reclining Buddha.

Definitely a great place to visit.

I'll come again... Dambulla, Sri Lanka

--Iron Bowl

A Day in Colombo

I'm am in Colombo for some training, and I had a chance to visit some spots around town.

Here are some photos I'd like to share.

The night before, I had Kottu, it had Cheese and Chicken and it was awesome! On this trip, I traveled with Soorensena and Navin (Naveen) as the others call him... Or the gay Indian Guy which everyone loves so much.

On the three wheeler, everything seemed more exciting, cars overtaking you left and right, pedestrians running across the roads, the potholes and not forgetting the diesel fumes in the air. A short while later, I was in Colombo.

Kollupitiya a city in Colombo is filled with people and things to do, one of the stops was at Branas, a store selling Asian food like the Supermarket chain, Super 88 in Boston, except that it is 100 times smaller and 2x more expensive. However the city is filled with hidden treasures in terms of its rich culture and heritage.

But remember, Spitting is prohibited here.

In the middle of the city, there is a green lake. It looks pretty good from far, and there are some interesting things on the lake.

Having something like this in the city is such a great way of escaping from the busy city life.

Seeing lots of Buddha everywhere, finding more here is not surprising, but you get to find the treasure of truth too!

There is a sense of calmness and the structures are very pretty indeed.

The seamless merge of tranquility and city is a great feel, and though the day was hot, I felt calm and cool in the shade overlooking the lake.

Here's some stock photos!! of real Stocks!

Damn, it would be cool to get on the bridge for some photos!

The structures and architectures are amazing as Sri Lanka had been taken over by several countries before. The above photo was taken across the road from Odel in Colombo, where I had lunch and lunch was great even when it was just from a food court.

From a tall building, the river still looks rather green.

The roofs of many buildings are very interesting, so just look up!.

Its interesting to see the contrast in the city as short old building stand beside tall modern ones.

The city is great and there are many things to discover! There are some ingenious designs which I love very much!

Come visit it!

--Iron Bowl

Mount Latvinia

Traveling around Colombo, I reached Mount Latvinia Hotel to get dinner one night, and the following is my experience.

From the time you enter till, the uniformed staff leap into action to greet you. The experience was rather wonderful.

When I arrived at the pool side terrace, the view was spectacular. The breeze was refreshing and the music was .. um not fantastic, however, it was a rather relaxing atmosphere to have dinner.

The atmosphere was great and the food was ok, however the deserts were pretty amazing.

I'll definitely go there again!

--Reviews Guru.

Temples in Colombo! Gothami and Gangaramaya Buddhist Temple

There are many temples in Sri Lanka, in September, I visited some cool ones in Colombo.

The Gothami Viharaya, located on Gothami Rd in Borella is in a convenient location that seemed pretty tucked away and tranquil.

There are several nice paintings inside and it only take 15 minutes to check out the place.
(But the no photography rule inside make it a little lame!)

Gangaramaya (Vihara) Buddhist Temple.

Address: 61 Sri Jinaratana Road Colombo, Sri Lanka

This is an awesome religious site that is a definitely must visit if you are in Colombo. It has tons of things to see inside, and you have to visit in person. I'm taken some photos which I'm sharing here.

The architecture is definitely worth checking out, and there is just so much to see.

There is even a 1930's Mercedes Benz 170V Salon I believe...

Damn, the face of the wall is definitely amazing to see.

Now, to the insides of Gangaramaya, you get to discover many wonderful Statues!

This is definitely cool, and you can see so much in Gangaramaya.

And elephants!! Every temple has elephants!

And the fishes!

Wait.. More vintage cars?? Yeah, tons of them in here!

More old stuff here to see too! With the artifacts here, you do not need to go to a museum!

Lots of stuff to see. I promise!

You got to visit this when you are in Colombo!


--Iron Bowl