Ingredients
2 Eggs
Sugar
Butter
1 lemon
Sherry or Grand Marnier
How to make it
Separate yolks from the white. Beat egg whites till stiff. Squeeze juice from the lemon and grate some lemon zest ( Use only the yellow part of the lemon rind). Add lemon juice , zest , a dash of sherry or grand marnier and a table spoon of sugar to the egg yolks and mix in. Fold in the beaten egg whites with the egg yolk mixture. Butter the inside of 2 individual souffle moulds and coat the insides with sugar. Pour the egg mixture into the moulds and bake at 200 degree C for 10 minutes........Serve immediately & ENJOY!
Monday, August 13, 2007
How to make Homemade Ice Cream
Ingredients
1 tablespoon Sugar
1/2 cup Milk or half & half
1/4 teaspoon Vanilla
6 tablespoons Rock salt
1 pint-size Ziploc plastic bag
1 gallon-size Ziploc plastic bag
Ice cubes
How To Make It
Fill the large bag half full of ice, and add the rock salt. Seal the bag. Put milk, vanilla, and sugar into the small bag, and seal it. Place the small bag inside the large one and seal again carefully. Shake until mixture is ice cream, about 5 minutes. Wipe off top of small bag, then open carefully and enjoy!
1 tablespoon Sugar
1/2 cup Milk or half & half
1/4 teaspoon Vanilla
6 tablespoons Rock salt
1 pint-size Ziploc plastic bag
1 gallon-size Ziploc plastic bag
Ice cubes
How To Make It
Fill the large bag half full of ice, and add the rock salt. Seal the bag. Put milk, vanilla, and sugar into the small bag, and seal it. Place the small bag inside the large one and seal again carefully. Shake until mixture is ice cream, about 5 minutes. Wipe off top of small bag, then open carefully and enjoy!
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Canine Soul
by Felix Heng
Siva was born a Hindu. His large family was deeply religious. Before he was born his mother made a plea and a vow to the Gods that if her 4th born was a son , she would name him after Lord Shiva and the boy would be a vegetarian on the day he was born. Siva was born on Friday 19th November. He attended the neighbourhood school when he was growing up but soon his parents realized that he was a gifted scholar and should attend a better Government-aided school so that Siva could realize his full potential. After completing his primary school education, Siva was sent to the Anglo Christian Secondary School, a Methodist school. Religious education was part of the school’s curriculum and soon Siva was convinced that his religious affiliation lay with the Christian faith rather than the Hindu one. Initially his parents could not understand how this could happen and wondered what they had done to deserve such a fate that their first born son could grow up rejecting the Hindu faith. They threatened to take him out of the school but soon relented when they realized that no matter what they said and did , Siva’s faith in the religion was so strong that it did not matter and that he was going to make religion his way of life. Siva knew from then that he had the calling and that he would train to be a minister and go to work in some under developed country spreading the Christian faith. That became his dream, to be a servant of his Lord. After leaving secondary school, Siva enrolled in the Bible college he graduated in 2 years and then spent the next 2 ½ years doing his National Service. After completing his National Service Siva went on to do a Degree in Religious Knowledge. He was commited to the cause and was determined to be ordained so that he could fulfill his dream of serving the church in a less developed country. He got his wish a year after getting his degree and was sent to the village of Balomo in one of the remotest islands in the Philippines.
When he told his family and friends about his “posting” all of them were apprehensive. They knew nothing about the place and furthermore he would be completely cut off from modern civilization and amenities like the computer and telephones. Shanta his sister immediately searched the net on any information about the place and came up with a shocking discovery. The village had a dark history. It was so remote that it would take 3 days just to reach it from the main town and that was all on foot. The inhabitants, all 550 of them lived in huts and believed in bizarre religion which was a mixture of rituals that bordered on voodoo and worship of dead souls both of humans and animals. They believed that the souls of man and animal was interchangeable. They believed that certain people had the ability to take on the soul of an animal and become that animal. Most of the reported cases have been that of a human being becoming dogs. It bordered on the werewolf premise where the bitten human then becomes the werewolf and goes in search of blood to quench it’s thirst.
It was a tearful farewell at the airport when Siva left. His mother gave him a gold chain with a pendant shaped in the Hindu Ohm; the Hindu symbol of the eternal word. She made him promise never to take it off and he said ok.
When Siva first arrived in the village he received a luke warm welcome only because the villages were not used to seeing foreigners. Siva did not feel too alienated because his dark skin made it easier to blend in with the villages who all tended to be dark-skinned. He met a couple of villagers who were Christian converts and immediately set about working on building a school and a church. It was not going to be an easy task as there were only three of them. He shared the little wooden hut that Boon and Long made themselves. It was small but comfortable and each of them had their own rooms.
It was during one of their many chats after dinner that Boon and Tong asked Siva about the chain with the Hindu Ohm he wore around his neck. They wondered why as a Christian he still wore that and he told them that he had made a promise to his mother never to take it off. Siva then broached the subject of the werewolf legend and the 2 men told him this story……….
Many years ago a villager was out hunting in the nearby forest and forgot about the time. Before he realized how late it was , the forest had turned pitch black and he found himself lost and walking around in circles. The forest was not the place to be lost in in the middle of the night. There were many wild animals all looking for food at night. Wild animals are basically nocturnal animals; they sleep by day and prowl the forests at night looking for food. The man was not about to be some animals dinner that night so he climbed a tree to seek refuge for the night. He knew that he was never going to find his way back to the village that night so the best thing to do was to climb into a tree and wait there till daybreak. Just before he dropped off to sleep amidst the scary jungle sounds , he heard something that startled him. It was a cross between a roar and and banshee screech. It sent shivers up his spine and it sounded too close for comfort. The man stayed as quiet as he could although his pounding heart sounded like a bass drum beating in his ears. A shiver ran through his whole body as the thing screamed again ; this time it sounded like it came from the tree behind him. He could hear the branches shaking as the screech pieced the black jungle night. As he turned around trying to see through the blackness in the direction of the screech, he saw a pair of yellow slanted eyes staring back at him . He felt a scream build in his throat but before he could utter a sound, the creature leaped at him. He felt the weight of it on him and fell to the ground with a thud. Razor sharp claws dug deep into his chest and he felt the wet mouth and foul breath of the hairy creature on his neck. He felt a sharp pain as the creature’s fangs entered his throat and a warm liquid dripped slowly down his neck. He could not scream anymore and it was a strange sensation that filled him ; almost pleasurable. The creature leaped off him and vanished as swiftly as he had attacked him. The man raised his hand to his neck and felt two puncture wounds. Apart from the pain on the side of his body from the fall from the tree ; he did not feel any the worse. As he picked himself up , his head started to spin and he fell to the floor. He touched his head as he felt a massive headache coming on. His face felt strangely hairy and as he touched his arms they were all covered with hair. His mouth felt different too and it was then that he realized that his physical appearance had changed and he was almost animal in form. He let out a scream but it came out like an animal screech; quite like a dog baying the moon. He felt very thirsty but it was not for water; he wanted blood. His sense of smell had gotten very intense and he could smell the smell of fresh animal blood. He moved swiftly in that direction. He soon came to a clearing in the forest. It was a small farm surrounded by a wire fence and he could tell that there was a chicken coop nearby. He made his way to the coop but as he neared the chickens sensing danger started making a racket. They were going beserk in the hen house . The beast burst through the door and started attacking the chickens, tearing their necks open and drinking their blood to quench his insatiable lust for fresh blood. The lights of the farm house turned on and soon the farmer and 2 of his men carrying guns and flashlights burst through the chicken coop only to see the hairy beast jump out the window. The farmer opened fire and he heard the beast scream a blood curdling yell as he fell on the ground. The 3 men ran around the coop and as their flashlights turned on the beast , they gasped as they saw that they had shot one of their neighbours in the head. All three of them swore they had seen a hairy beast that night jumping out the window of the chicken coop. It was definitely not a human being. Being a small village , the matter was hushed up but the story was passed down from one generation to the next. Today the villages still make prayer offerings at the edge of the jungle to the beasts in the forests so that they will stay away from the village. The food offerings were also for the numerous stray dogs that roamed the village. Secretly the villagers feared the stray dogs although there had never been any instance where anyone had been bitten by one of these strays.
Siva asked if there were any other occurrences since that first incident and was told that over the last twenty years there had been stories of men venturing into the forests at night and never returning. There were also tales of people being dragged from their beds and never been seen again. The village had an unusual number of stray dogs and no one knew where these dogs came from. The villagers believed that the missing people had become these dogs which now roam the village in search of food. There had also been incidents of farm animals found dead with all their blood drained from their bodies. Siva knew then that he had his work cut out for him. It was going to be an uphill task trying to convince these villagers to stop believing in their old rituals and magic and to convert to Christianity.
After several months of working at building the school and church, Siva began to feel that he was slowly being accepted as one of the villagers. They were beginning to feel that he was not a threat. Most of them were friendly and starting to be curious about what he was doing there. One night as he lay on his bed contemplating the next days events he was startled by a strange howling which seemed to pierce the night air. Boon and Tong had gone to the town that night to buy supplies and since it was quite a distance had decided to spend the night there and return the next day. Siva was all alone that night. The house was at the edge of the forest so the back fence bordered dense trees. His body gave a little shudder as he felt a cold breeze suddenly blow through the small hut. He got up to shut the window. His room faced the forest at the back of the house. As he reached out for the latch on the window to shut it he noticed the bushes near the fence moving . It was pitch black outside but the light from his room threw enough light for him to see the outline of the shrubs and trees outside. There was a lot of movement out there but he could not see who or what was in the bushes. Siva decided to just shut the window and not be a hero and investigate. As he lay down the howling started again and this time it sounded like it came from right outside his window. He grabbed his bible from the side table and held it against his chest. As he started reciting the Lord’s prayer , the window burst open and something landed heavily on his back. He reached out for it and he grabbed a handful of fur. The thing had dug its sharp claws into his back and he felt the hot wet slimy mouth on his neck. The next second a searing pain swept through his neck and he felt a hot liquid trickle down his neck. He screamed in pain and he blacked out. When he came to Siva’s head was spinning and he had a hard time trying to focus. His eyes seemed to be prism like and it was like he was looking through a kaleidoscope . He felt a terrible thirst and his sense of smell seemed to be heightened so that his senses were bombarded by so many smells all at once. He sat up and looked at his hands . They were covered in fur. He got out of bed and turned around to look at the mirror above the dressing table. He could not comprehend what he was looking at. Staring back at him was a face not unlike that of a dog or wolf. His face was covered with hair and there were fangs sticking out of his mouth. He screamed long and hard and what came out of his mouth was a ear-piercing howl. He jumped onto the bed and leaped out the window. The forest seemed like the only place to he could run to. As the black enveloped him , the dog felt safe in it. It still needed to seek out the strong sweet smell that it kept smelling and also needed to satisfy the craving it suddenly felt for fresh blood.
The dog saw a light through the dense forest and headed for it. As it pushed the bushes aside it saw a lighted window. In the room was a teenage girl. She was no more than 15 years old. She was lying on her bed reading a book. The dog approached the open window. She was totally unaware that it was outside. It’s breath was hot and saliva dripped from it’s lips as it anticipated the fresh young blood it was going to taste. It crouched under the window and in one swift leap was on the bed on top of the girl. The dog’s body pinned hers to the mattress. As she screamed it howled in unison and bit her deep in the side of her neck. As the blood pulsed out onto it’s face it licked it’s lips and drank from her pulsating vein. It’s keen sense of hearing sensed noises on the other side of the door. The door was locked and whoever was trying to get in was now kicking the door in. It heard shouting coming from behind the door so it turned and jumped onto the window sill to make it’s getaway. The door gave way just as it leaped from the window and in a split second a shot rang out. The dog felt a sharp searing pain as the bullet tore into his side. It screamed and all that came out of it’s lips was the cry of a wounded animal. It fell heavily to the ground outside and limped towards the dark sanctuary of the forest.
When Boon and Tong returned to the village the next morning they could not find Siva anywhere. They searched the hut and he was nowhere to be found. Just as they were unpacking their bags, a villager rushed in and told them that they found something by the river and that the both of them should follow him. As they approached the river, they saw a lifeless body of a dog lying half in the stream. Its blood was still flowing from a gaping gunshot wound in his side. As they approached the body, both men let out a gasp as they saw a gold chain with the Hindu Ohm sign around the dog’s neck. In the background, the village dogs howled in unison like they were moaning the passing of one of their own.
The End
by Felix Heng
Siva was born a Hindu. His large family was deeply religious. Before he was born his mother made a plea and a vow to the Gods that if her 4th born was a son , she would name him after Lord Shiva and the boy would be a vegetarian on the day he was born. Siva was born on Friday 19th November. He attended the neighbourhood school when he was growing up but soon his parents realized that he was a gifted scholar and should attend a better Government-aided school so that Siva could realize his full potential. After completing his primary school education, Siva was sent to the Anglo Christian Secondary School, a Methodist school. Religious education was part of the school’s curriculum and soon Siva was convinced that his religious affiliation lay with the Christian faith rather than the Hindu one. Initially his parents could not understand how this could happen and wondered what they had done to deserve such a fate that their first born son could grow up rejecting the Hindu faith. They threatened to take him out of the school but soon relented when they realized that no matter what they said and did , Siva’s faith in the religion was so strong that it did not matter and that he was going to make religion his way of life. Siva knew from then that he had the calling and that he would train to be a minister and go to work in some under developed country spreading the Christian faith. That became his dream, to be a servant of his Lord. After leaving secondary school, Siva enrolled in the Bible college he graduated in 2 years and then spent the next 2 ½ years doing his National Service. After completing his National Service Siva went on to do a Degree in Religious Knowledge. He was commited to the cause and was determined to be ordained so that he could fulfill his dream of serving the church in a less developed country. He got his wish a year after getting his degree and was sent to the village of Balomo in one of the remotest islands in the Philippines.
When he told his family and friends about his “posting” all of them were apprehensive. They knew nothing about the place and furthermore he would be completely cut off from modern civilization and amenities like the computer and telephones. Shanta his sister immediately searched the net on any information about the place and came up with a shocking discovery. The village had a dark history. It was so remote that it would take 3 days just to reach it from the main town and that was all on foot. The inhabitants, all 550 of them lived in huts and believed in bizarre religion which was a mixture of rituals that bordered on voodoo and worship of dead souls both of humans and animals. They believed that the souls of man and animal was interchangeable. They believed that certain people had the ability to take on the soul of an animal and become that animal. Most of the reported cases have been that of a human being becoming dogs. It bordered on the werewolf premise where the bitten human then becomes the werewolf and goes in search of blood to quench it’s thirst.
It was a tearful farewell at the airport when Siva left. His mother gave him a gold chain with a pendant shaped in the Hindu Ohm; the Hindu symbol of the eternal word. She made him promise never to take it off and he said ok.
When Siva first arrived in the village he received a luke warm welcome only because the villages were not used to seeing foreigners. Siva did not feel too alienated because his dark skin made it easier to blend in with the villages who all tended to be dark-skinned. He met a couple of villagers who were Christian converts and immediately set about working on building a school and a church. It was not going to be an easy task as there were only three of them. He shared the little wooden hut that Boon and Long made themselves. It was small but comfortable and each of them had their own rooms.
It was during one of their many chats after dinner that Boon and Tong asked Siva about the chain with the Hindu Ohm he wore around his neck. They wondered why as a Christian he still wore that and he told them that he had made a promise to his mother never to take it off. Siva then broached the subject of the werewolf legend and the 2 men told him this story……….
Many years ago a villager was out hunting in the nearby forest and forgot about the time. Before he realized how late it was , the forest had turned pitch black and he found himself lost and walking around in circles. The forest was not the place to be lost in in the middle of the night. There were many wild animals all looking for food at night. Wild animals are basically nocturnal animals; they sleep by day and prowl the forests at night looking for food. The man was not about to be some animals dinner that night so he climbed a tree to seek refuge for the night. He knew that he was never going to find his way back to the village that night so the best thing to do was to climb into a tree and wait there till daybreak. Just before he dropped off to sleep amidst the scary jungle sounds , he heard something that startled him. It was a cross between a roar and and banshee screech. It sent shivers up his spine and it sounded too close for comfort. The man stayed as quiet as he could although his pounding heart sounded like a bass drum beating in his ears. A shiver ran through his whole body as the thing screamed again ; this time it sounded like it came from the tree behind him. He could hear the branches shaking as the screech pieced the black jungle night. As he turned around trying to see through the blackness in the direction of the screech, he saw a pair of yellow slanted eyes staring back at him . He felt a scream build in his throat but before he could utter a sound, the creature leaped at him. He felt the weight of it on him and fell to the ground with a thud. Razor sharp claws dug deep into his chest and he felt the wet mouth and foul breath of the hairy creature on his neck. He felt a sharp pain as the creature’s fangs entered his throat and a warm liquid dripped slowly down his neck. He could not scream anymore and it was a strange sensation that filled him ; almost pleasurable. The creature leaped off him and vanished as swiftly as he had attacked him. The man raised his hand to his neck and felt two puncture wounds. Apart from the pain on the side of his body from the fall from the tree ; he did not feel any the worse. As he picked himself up , his head started to spin and he fell to the floor. He touched his head as he felt a massive headache coming on. His face felt strangely hairy and as he touched his arms they were all covered with hair. His mouth felt different too and it was then that he realized that his physical appearance had changed and he was almost animal in form. He let out a scream but it came out like an animal screech; quite like a dog baying the moon. He felt very thirsty but it was not for water; he wanted blood. His sense of smell had gotten very intense and he could smell the smell of fresh animal blood. He moved swiftly in that direction. He soon came to a clearing in the forest. It was a small farm surrounded by a wire fence and he could tell that there was a chicken coop nearby. He made his way to the coop but as he neared the chickens sensing danger started making a racket. They were going beserk in the hen house . The beast burst through the door and started attacking the chickens, tearing their necks open and drinking their blood to quench his insatiable lust for fresh blood. The lights of the farm house turned on and soon the farmer and 2 of his men carrying guns and flashlights burst through the chicken coop only to see the hairy beast jump out the window. The farmer opened fire and he heard the beast scream a blood curdling yell as he fell on the ground. The 3 men ran around the coop and as their flashlights turned on the beast , they gasped as they saw that they had shot one of their neighbours in the head. All three of them swore they had seen a hairy beast that night jumping out the window of the chicken coop. It was definitely not a human being. Being a small village , the matter was hushed up but the story was passed down from one generation to the next. Today the villages still make prayer offerings at the edge of the jungle to the beasts in the forests so that they will stay away from the village. The food offerings were also for the numerous stray dogs that roamed the village. Secretly the villagers feared the stray dogs although there had never been any instance where anyone had been bitten by one of these strays.
Siva asked if there were any other occurrences since that first incident and was told that over the last twenty years there had been stories of men venturing into the forests at night and never returning. There were also tales of people being dragged from their beds and never been seen again. The village had an unusual number of stray dogs and no one knew where these dogs came from. The villagers believed that the missing people had become these dogs which now roam the village in search of food. There had also been incidents of farm animals found dead with all their blood drained from their bodies. Siva knew then that he had his work cut out for him. It was going to be an uphill task trying to convince these villagers to stop believing in their old rituals and magic and to convert to Christianity.
After several months of working at building the school and church, Siva began to feel that he was slowly being accepted as one of the villagers. They were beginning to feel that he was not a threat. Most of them were friendly and starting to be curious about what he was doing there. One night as he lay on his bed contemplating the next days events he was startled by a strange howling which seemed to pierce the night air. Boon and Tong had gone to the town that night to buy supplies and since it was quite a distance had decided to spend the night there and return the next day. Siva was all alone that night. The house was at the edge of the forest so the back fence bordered dense trees. His body gave a little shudder as he felt a cold breeze suddenly blow through the small hut. He got up to shut the window. His room faced the forest at the back of the house. As he reached out for the latch on the window to shut it he noticed the bushes near the fence moving . It was pitch black outside but the light from his room threw enough light for him to see the outline of the shrubs and trees outside. There was a lot of movement out there but he could not see who or what was in the bushes. Siva decided to just shut the window and not be a hero and investigate. As he lay down the howling started again and this time it sounded like it came from right outside his window. He grabbed his bible from the side table and held it against his chest. As he started reciting the Lord’s prayer , the window burst open and something landed heavily on his back. He reached out for it and he grabbed a handful of fur. The thing had dug its sharp claws into his back and he felt the hot wet slimy mouth on his neck. The next second a searing pain swept through his neck and he felt a hot liquid trickle down his neck. He screamed in pain and he blacked out. When he came to Siva’s head was spinning and he had a hard time trying to focus. His eyes seemed to be prism like and it was like he was looking through a kaleidoscope . He felt a terrible thirst and his sense of smell seemed to be heightened so that his senses were bombarded by so many smells all at once. He sat up and looked at his hands . They were covered in fur. He got out of bed and turned around to look at the mirror above the dressing table. He could not comprehend what he was looking at. Staring back at him was a face not unlike that of a dog or wolf. His face was covered with hair and there were fangs sticking out of his mouth. He screamed long and hard and what came out of his mouth was a ear-piercing howl. He jumped onto the bed and leaped out the window. The forest seemed like the only place to he could run to. As the black enveloped him , the dog felt safe in it. It still needed to seek out the strong sweet smell that it kept smelling and also needed to satisfy the craving it suddenly felt for fresh blood.
The dog saw a light through the dense forest and headed for it. As it pushed the bushes aside it saw a lighted window. In the room was a teenage girl. She was no more than 15 years old. She was lying on her bed reading a book. The dog approached the open window. She was totally unaware that it was outside. It’s breath was hot and saliva dripped from it’s lips as it anticipated the fresh young blood it was going to taste. It crouched under the window and in one swift leap was on the bed on top of the girl. The dog’s body pinned hers to the mattress. As she screamed it howled in unison and bit her deep in the side of her neck. As the blood pulsed out onto it’s face it licked it’s lips and drank from her pulsating vein. It’s keen sense of hearing sensed noises on the other side of the door. The door was locked and whoever was trying to get in was now kicking the door in. It heard shouting coming from behind the door so it turned and jumped onto the window sill to make it’s getaway. The door gave way just as it leaped from the window and in a split second a shot rang out. The dog felt a sharp searing pain as the bullet tore into his side. It screamed and all that came out of it’s lips was the cry of a wounded animal. It fell heavily to the ground outside and limped towards the dark sanctuary of the forest.
When Boon and Tong returned to the village the next morning they could not find Siva anywhere. They searched the hut and he was nowhere to be found. Just as they were unpacking their bags, a villager rushed in and told them that they found something by the river and that the both of them should follow him. As they approached the river, they saw a lifeless body of a dog lying half in the stream. Its blood was still flowing from a gaping gunshot wound in his side. As they approached the body, both men let out a gasp as they saw a gold chain with the Hindu Ohm sign around the dog’s neck. In the background, the village dogs howled in unison like they were moaning the passing of one of their own.
The End
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Monkey Gourmet by Felix Heng
Mike was 30. At 5’6” and weighing 250lbs , he was definitely one of those who lived to eat. He loved his food especially if it was fresh and by that it had to be almost jumping off the plate. Steaks had to be dripping blood; he loved it rare. Sashimi was good only if the head of the fish or lobster was still moving when you were feasting on its body. Last year for his birthday , his friends brought him to a restaurant which served a specialty which featured a live fish which had half it’s body deep fried. It was served so that the head of the fish was still moving and wriggling while diners ate the deep fried bottom half of the fish. All Mike’s friends knew of his bizarre eating habits and one Halloween they stewed him a plate of innards which he slurped down much to their disgust. Mike loved going to the wet markets to watch the fishmonger chop off the heads of frogs and then skin them in one deft move or watch them chop the heads off live fish and lay them in straight rows. Their mouths and eyes would still be moving on the decapitated heads. Mike took a picture of that once and that was his Christmas card to his friends and family that year. He was glad he lived in Hong Kong as they still did the slaughter of poultry and other animals right there in the market and he liked that because it meant that everything was fresh.
It was only recently that Mike was introduced to a little Chinese restaurant which served a delicacy which he had heard about but never tried……fresh monkey’s brain. The consumption of animal brain is common in many cultures. In the Southern states in the US, you can buy canned pig’s brains. In France you can buy tete de veau or head of calf. The Chinese eat pig’s brain and believe it is full of nutritious value. It was a popular belief in China that eating monkey’s brain can prevent impotence. God knows he needed all the help he could get in that department. Every girl he ever went out with never went further than the second date. Maybe it was the choice of restaurants he brought his dates to or maybe it was his choice of dinner items that repulsed them. None of the girls he went out with thought that visiting the wholesale fish centre at 5am was an exciting date or would even try live raw food other than the occasional salmon or tuna sashimi.
The little restaurant called China Herbal, where Mike first tried the delicacy, was one which served mostly herbal exotic dishes. Monkey’s brain was its specialty and you had to order it weeks in advance. A special table was used when you ordered this dish. It had a hole in the center and the live monkey was pushed under it so that it’s head was locked in place and only the top part of the head protruded out the hole. The monkey’s eyes are just at the level of the table so that it could actually see who was at the dinner table eating it’s brain. The monkey was securely tied under the table and it was also muzzled so that it did not make a sound when the top of the monkey’s skull was removed with a knife. Liquor was mixed with the brain and guests used long ladled spoons to dish out and eat parts of the brain in it’s raw form. The liquor helped “cook” it. After that first taste , Mike was hooked. He would go back to the restaurant every month. It was an expensive meal but he was making more than enough as an investment analyst so he indulged himself once a month.
Mike walked to work as his office was only ten minutes away from where he lived. China Herbal was on his way to work and one day while taking a short cut through the alley behind the restaurant, Mike noticed a large cage about 10 feet by 10 feet which housed about 10 monkeys. He was fascinated by the monkeys and figured they were being reared specially for the monkey brain’s dinner. After discovering the cage he made it a point to walk that way every morning. He would stop at the cage and spend ten to fifteen minutes watching the monkeys and soon he was bringing bananas to feed them. The monkeys seemed afraid of him. It was almost like they knew that he was one of those who ate their brains. The first few times when he stuck the banana through the cage none of the monkeys even came close. They feared him. He was the enemy. Mike grew impatient and just threw the bananas into the cage . Once as he held the banana, a small monkey moved to within 2 feet of him and just as it reached out to grab the banana, Mike pulled back his hand. The monkey threw itself on the cage screeching. Mike fell backwards in shock. He had not anticipated that. He was furious at himself of being afraid of a stupid monkey. He reached out for a large wooden pole he found next to the cage and hit the side of the cage with all his might, denting it. The monkeys screeched their high pitched yells and swung madly around the cage. Mike got up , threw down the stick and ran out of the alley before anyone in the restaurant could come out to check what the commotion was all about.
Over the next couple of weeks, Mike would disturb the monkeys whenever he walked past the cage. They almost could sense it when he neared the cage as all the monkeys would retreat to the back of the cage and wait for his taunting with the large stick. He would usually bring a banana and stick it through the bars baiting them to come to him. Then , as they reached out for it , he would pull it back through the bars and poke them in the ribs with the stick. This gave him so much pleasure to see the frustration on the faces of the animals. He would stand there eating the banana and then walk away, leaving them shrieking in frustration.
It was on one of these occasions when he stuck out his hand a little too far and too long when one of the monkeys swung down from the top of the cage and ripped not only the banana from his hand but also his wrist watch. His $20,000 Frank Mueller watch now lay in the middle of the cage. Mike was furious and now desperately looked for a way to get his watch back. It was too far in the cage to reach with the stick. He also banged the stick on the side of the cage to stop the monkeys from grabbing the watch . He noticed that the door to the cage was unlocked. There was a rusty old padlock hanging on the hinge but it was not secured. He opened the lock and made his way carefully into the cage. It was large enough for him to stand upright . He carried the stick with him as a weapon. The monkeys were strangely silent as Mike made his was to where his watch was. Always keeping one eye on them , Mike bent down to pick up his watch . In that split second when he turned to pick up his watch , all 6 monkeys in the cage pounced on him. Two were on his back , there was one each clinging on to his legs and another two on his chest . He screamed and tore at them as he felt their sharp claws and razor-sharp teeth dig into his skin , ripping it apart as warm blood flowed down his limbs onto the cage floor. The monkeys screeching mingled with Mike’s screams. He was on the floor of the cage now and everything was spinning. The screaming monkeys had retreated again to the back of the cage and Mike lay on the ground . His clothes had been ripped to shreads and as he opened his eyes he noticed that his body was covered with brownish grey hair which was caked with the mud from the ground and blood from the multiple lesions he had on his now completely hairy naked body. He screamed as he looked at his hirsuite limbs. Instead of a human voice what came out of his mouth was the piercing shrill screech of a monkey. He thought to himself , “ This is all a nightmare.” As he screeched , the monkeys in the back of the cage screeched in unison. It was almost like they were saying “ Welcome to the family, Mike.”
The door to the restaurant flung open and a man ran out to see what the racket was all about. He carried what looked like a long pole with a noose at the end and a sack. As he opened the cage door , he stuck the noose in and looped it over Mike’s head. Mike screamed and tried to tell him what had happened but all that came out of his mouth were the futile screeches of a monkey. Mike was dragged out of the cage and flung into the large sack.
It was pitch black in the sack and all Mike could hear were sounds like they were in the kitchen. He had screamed himself hoarse and there were only quiet whimpers coming from his sore throat. He could tell that there were people rushing to and fro and that there was a lot of activity going on. Suddenly he felt the sack open and a large gloved hand grabbed him by the neck and he felt like it was choking the life out of him. He could not breathe. He was blacking out. Then he felt his body being held by metal straps. But he could breathe once again and swallowed huge gulps of air. As he slowly opened his eyes he saw that he was in a brightly lit room surrounded by eight people all talking and laughing. He saw cutlery laid out on the table and soon it became familiar to him. He realized where he was. It was the special dining room of the restaurant where he dined on his monthly indulgence. The room with the special table where they served their house specialty ……..monkey brains. He screamed as he very quickly realized that he was going to be the special treat for the night. His head was clamped so tight that he could not move an inch . There was a muzzle around his mouth so that only the barest whimper could be heard. He struggled to get out of the clamps but it was totally useless. The more he struggled and tighter the clamps became. He was helpless. From the corner of his eye he saw the chef walk in with a chopper whose blade glittered as it caught the light from the chandelier hanging above the table. He felt a sharp pain on top of his head; like an intense migraine , only thousand times worse. Everything started to spin right then. There was strong smell of alcohol; it was XO Brandy. It actually felt strangely intoxicating. Mercifully his body started to shut down and everything started fading to black but not before Mike watched in horror as the man right in front of him reached out with his long–handled spoon and dished something warm and greyish into his mouth……….a spoonful of delicious monkey brain.....his brain!
The End
It was only recently that Mike was introduced to a little Chinese restaurant which served a delicacy which he had heard about but never tried……fresh monkey’s brain. The consumption of animal brain is common in many cultures. In the Southern states in the US, you can buy canned pig’s brains. In France you can buy tete de veau or head of calf. The Chinese eat pig’s brain and believe it is full of nutritious value. It was a popular belief in China that eating monkey’s brain can prevent impotence. God knows he needed all the help he could get in that department. Every girl he ever went out with never went further than the second date. Maybe it was the choice of restaurants he brought his dates to or maybe it was his choice of dinner items that repulsed them. None of the girls he went out with thought that visiting the wholesale fish centre at 5am was an exciting date or would even try live raw food other than the occasional salmon or tuna sashimi.
The little restaurant called China Herbal, where Mike first tried the delicacy, was one which served mostly herbal exotic dishes. Monkey’s brain was its specialty and you had to order it weeks in advance. A special table was used when you ordered this dish. It had a hole in the center and the live monkey was pushed under it so that it’s head was locked in place and only the top part of the head protruded out the hole. The monkey’s eyes are just at the level of the table so that it could actually see who was at the dinner table eating it’s brain. The monkey was securely tied under the table and it was also muzzled so that it did not make a sound when the top of the monkey’s skull was removed with a knife. Liquor was mixed with the brain and guests used long ladled spoons to dish out and eat parts of the brain in it’s raw form. The liquor helped “cook” it. After that first taste , Mike was hooked. He would go back to the restaurant every month. It was an expensive meal but he was making more than enough as an investment analyst so he indulged himself once a month.
Mike walked to work as his office was only ten minutes away from where he lived. China Herbal was on his way to work and one day while taking a short cut through the alley behind the restaurant, Mike noticed a large cage about 10 feet by 10 feet which housed about 10 monkeys. He was fascinated by the monkeys and figured they were being reared specially for the monkey brain’s dinner. After discovering the cage he made it a point to walk that way every morning. He would stop at the cage and spend ten to fifteen minutes watching the monkeys and soon he was bringing bananas to feed them. The monkeys seemed afraid of him. It was almost like they knew that he was one of those who ate their brains. The first few times when he stuck the banana through the cage none of the monkeys even came close. They feared him. He was the enemy. Mike grew impatient and just threw the bananas into the cage . Once as he held the banana, a small monkey moved to within 2 feet of him and just as it reached out to grab the banana, Mike pulled back his hand. The monkey threw itself on the cage screeching. Mike fell backwards in shock. He had not anticipated that. He was furious at himself of being afraid of a stupid monkey. He reached out for a large wooden pole he found next to the cage and hit the side of the cage with all his might, denting it. The monkeys screeched their high pitched yells and swung madly around the cage. Mike got up , threw down the stick and ran out of the alley before anyone in the restaurant could come out to check what the commotion was all about.
Over the next couple of weeks, Mike would disturb the monkeys whenever he walked past the cage. They almost could sense it when he neared the cage as all the monkeys would retreat to the back of the cage and wait for his taunting with the large stick. He would usually bring a banana and stick it through the bars baiting them to come to him. Then , as they reached out for it , he would pull it back through the bars and poke them in the ribs with the stick. This gave him so much pleasure to see the frustration on the faces of the animals. He would stand there eating the banana and then walk away, leaving them shrieking in frustration.
It was on one of these occasions when he stuck out his hand a little too far and too long when one of the monkeys swung down from the top of the cage and ripped not only the banana from his hand but also his wrist watch. His $20,000 Frank Mueller watch now lay in the middle of the cage. Mike was furious and now desperately looked for a way to get his watch back. It was too far in the cage to reach with the stick. He also banged the stick on the side of the cage to stop the monkeys from grabbing the watch . He noticed that the door to the cage was unlocked. There was a rusty old padlock hanging on the hinge but it was not secured. He opened the lock and made his way carefully into the cage. It was large enough for him to stand upright . He carried the stick with him as a weapon. The monkeys were strangely silent as Mike made his was to where his watch was. Always keeping one eye on them , Mike bent down to pick up his watch . In that split second when he turned to pick up his watch , all 6 monkeys in the cage pounced on him. Two were on his back , there was one each clinging on to his legs and another two on his chest . He screamed and tore at them as he felt their sharp claws and razor-sharp teeth dig into his skin , ripping it apart as warm blood flowed down his limbs onto the cage floor. The monkeys screeching mingled with Mike’s screams. He was on the floor of the cage now and everything was spinning. The screaming monkeys had retreated again to the back of the cage and Mike lay on the ground . His clothes had been ripped to shreads and as he opened his eyes he noticed that his body was covered with brownish grey hair which was caked with the mud from the ground and blood from the multiple lesions he had on his now completely hairy naked body. He screamed as he looked at his hirsuite limbs. Instead of a human voice what came out of his mouth was the piercing shrill screech of a monkey. He thought to himself , “ This is all a nightmare.” As he screeched , the monkeys in the back of the cage screeched in unison. It was almost like they were saying “ Welcome to the family, Mike.”
The door to the restaurant flung open and a man ran out to see what the racket was all about. He carried what looked like a long pole with a noose at the end and a sack. As he opened the cage door , he stuck the noose in and looped it over Mike’s head. Mike screamed and tried to tell him what had happened but all that came out of his mouth were the futile screeches of a monkey. Mike was dragged out of the cage and flung into the large sack.
It was pitch black in the sack and all Mike could hear were sounds like they were in the kitchen. He had screamed himself hoarse and there were only quiet whimpers coming from his sore throat. He could tell that there were people rushing to and fro and that there was a lot of activity going on. Suddenly he felt the sack open and a large gloved hand grabbed him by the neck and he felt like it was choking the life out of him. He could not breathe. He was blacking out. Then he felt his body being held by metal straps. But he could breathe once again and swallowed huge gulps of air. As he slowly opened his eyes he saw that he was in a brightly lit room surrounded by eight people all talking and laughing. He saw cutlery laid out on the table and soon it became familiar to him. He realized where he was. It was the special dining room of the restaurant where he dined on his monthly indulgence. The room with the special table where they served their house specialty ……..monkey brains. He screamed as he very quickly realized that he was going to be the special treat for the night. His head was clamped so tight that he could not move an inch . There was a muzzle around his mouth so that only the barest whimper could be heard. He struggled to get out of the clamps but it was totally useless. The more he struggled and tighter the clamps became. He was helpless. From the corner of his eye he saw the chef walk in with a chopper whose blade glittered as it caught the light from the chandelier hanging above the table. He felt a sharp pain on top of his head; like an intense migraine , only thousand times worse. Everything started to spin right then. There was strong smell of alcohol; it was XO Brandy. It actually felt strangely intoxicating. Mercifully his body started to shut down and everything started fading to black but not before Mike watched in horror as the man right in front of him reached out with his long–handled spoon and dished something warm and greyish into his mouth……….a spoonful of delicious monkey brain.....his brain!
The End
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