MALAYSIAN AIRLINES CLUB AT THE SATELLITE TERMINAL . LOVELY PRE FLIGHT DINNER

As usual I was flying out of Kuala Lumpur International Airport 1 (2 is where Air Asia flies out of).
I try to arrive a little early, the check in, security and passport control are all rather easy and soon find myself taking the train to the satellite terminal to enjoy the Malaysian Airlines Club
There is a sit down resto inside the lounge with a menu appropriate for the day and my flight was leaving at 9 pm for Doha and I was there around 6 pm and settled down to a small meal as I knew that Qatar Airways will spoil me with their offerings to Doha.

it was nice to see the sun slowly going down while sipping a Teh Tahrek..

 Sarawak Laksa 

It is so nice to be in love with so many countries, Malaysia is one of mine.. Cuba Australia Cambodia Myanmar USA Argentina . the list goes on and on 

Time to board 
Qatar Airways Hospitality awaits
It did not disappoint me 

MAY OCHUN PROTECT YOU, CAME THE MESSAGE FROM CUBA

I arrived back in Miami, on a delayed flight close to midnight last night.
This was my third round the world trip in the last six months, averaging a visit to South East Asia once every two months.
On this trip I felt tired, more than the usual. Apart from the three trips to Asia, I had done a trip to Argentina and another to Easter Island, all in 2019.
I wrote to my sister friend in Cuba, who also is my Landlady, that I was feeling tired, she sent me some images and also some advice you to relax, one of which was to stare at a Yellow Lamp.
In my flat in La Habana, there is a representation of OCHUN and it is always comforting to note her presence.

She sent me a lovely picture of OCHUN this morning 
so cuban
so warm 
so caring 

 Ah Well OCHUN is here with me now.

I also happened to have a yellow lamp, in fact a gift of one of the flight attendants on Qatar Airways flight from Kuala Lumpur to Doha. A very attentive crew member, who is a Parsee from Bombay.

Here am I 
calm and quiet 
resting 
with eating nothing but FOOD 
nothing processed 
no coffee or alcohol 
and give my body a rest 

to face the Indians so that I can be of some help to them 
and then to my ISLA RICA ..Cuba

WHAT ARE FERMENTED FOODS AND HOW MUCH DO WE NEED A DAY

FROM BBC FOOD 

Will a daily dose of fermented foods boost your health?

Fermented foods such as kimchi and kefir are on the up – the worldwide market is expected to top £30 billion by 2022. An internet search gives the impression that they can cure almost everything, from improving your mental health and gut health to boosting your immune system and reducing your risk of heart disease. Ferments have been made for thousands of years, so why are so many scientists paying attention to them now?

What is fermented food?

Ferments are foods that have been transformed by the growth and metabolic activity of living microorganisms, including bacteria, yeast and even moulds. They include yoghurt, kefir and some cheeses, which are produced as a result of lactic acid bacteria feeding on the lactose and other nutrients in milk. It's the effect on our health of these living microorganisms that scientists are interested in. But check the label, because not all fermented foods contain live microorganisms. Sauerkraut and kimchi can be made with vinegar, or pasteurised, which kills the bacteria, and of course many cheeses have been pasteurised.

What's all the fuss about fermented foods being good for health?

Some of these living microbes, when ingested with fermented foods, travel through your digestive tract to support the trillions of microbes already living in your gut, according to research. This really matters, because scientists are beginning to unpick the role of the gut in overall health. Studies have indeed linked a healthy composition of gut microbes to the working of the immune system, the body’s metabolic functions and many other aspects of health.

How much fermented food should you eat?

According to Tim Spector, Professor of Genetic Epidemiology at King's College London, and author of 'The Diet Myth: The Real Science Behind What We Eat', it's the diversity of our microbes that's key to a healthy gut. Modern developments such as bleach, antibiotics and caesarean births play vital healthcare roles, but have reduced our exposure to microbes. One way to increase the diversity of live bacteria in your gut is to eat fermented foods. Spector takes a shot of kefir every morning, along with home-brewed kombucha two to three times a week, and kimchi with cheese twice a week.

Spector believes “everyone would be healthier if they had some fermented foods every day of their lives.“ If you start to add fermented foods to your diet, don’t be surprised if you find them a bit hard to stomach in the beginning. Spector says that most people, himself included, will find the taste very difficult to start with.

Some tips from Spector for incorporating fermented foods into your diet include:

• Little and often is better than consuming a large amount of fermented food once a week because you need to keep energising the microbes in your gut.
• Choose foods that have multiple microbes, to keep your diet as diverse as possible. Kimchi is a good example of a diverse ferment because it contains plenty of ingredients which act as fertilisers for the microbes. Diversity can also be achieved by consuming a variety of fermented foods, such as yoghurt, kefir, artisan cheeses, some olives, fresh sauerkraut and fresh kimchi.
• Making fermented foods is fun but also beneficial, as your hands get covered in microbes too!

• What should I eat for a healthy gut?

Tim Spector, Professor of Genetic Epidemiology at King's College London.

Make your own kimchi

Sauerkraut recipe

Homebrew kombucha

What are the benefits of live microorganisms?

Many fermented foods are teeming with live microorganisms. Some of these foods, such as fresh kimchi and fresh sauerkraut, are populated by wild microorganisms (like a sourdough culture), while others, such as yoghurt, kefir and kombucha, typically have a culture of microorganisms added to initiate fermentation.

A number of these microorganisms will not survive the hostile environment of the digestive system, but studies show that many do. Survival capabilities and rates vary greatly depending on the strain of microbe. One example is this 2016 study from Gyeongnam National University of Science and Technology, which suggests a link between high kimchi consumption and a healthier composition of microbes.

According to researchers, our gut microbiota play an essential role in fermenting non-digestible fibres. This fermentation supports the growth of other specialist microbes that produce short-chain fatty acids. It is these fatty acids that scientists believe play a key role in the microbiota’s impact on health.

A 2017 review of the health benefits of fermented foods published in Current Opinion in Biotechnology references numerous studies suggesting links between fermented foods and our health. These include an association between consumption of fermented dairy and weight management, and potential anti-diabetic and anti-obesity benefits of kimchi. More work is needed to substantiate these findings.

Fermentation is thought to increase the levels of B vitamins available in foods, as well as the levels of antioxidants, according to a review of the health benefits of fermented foods. It is believed it can result in the removal of toxic or undesirable food constituents too.

What are 'probiotics' and are they in fermented foods ?

In 2001 probiotics were defined by the Food and Agriculture Organisation/World Health Organisation (FAO/WHO) as ‘live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit to the host.’ The FAO/WHO and the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) have guidelines for defining a probiotic.

But this framework does not exist in the EU. In fact, in 2007, along with 'superfoods', the EU banned the use of the word 'probiotic' on food and supplement labels unless accompanied by an authorised health claim. Since then there have been 129 health claims submitted to the European Commission for approval, but to date, none have been approved due to a lack of evidence.

Studying the probiotic effect of real food is a challenge because it is difficult to control the species and strains of living bacteria that develop through fermentation; it is also tricky to control the levels of bacteria present. For this reason, experts recommend that fermented foods are best described as ‘containing live and active cultures’, but should not be labelled ‘probiotic’.

Where next?

What should you eat for a healthy gut?

Where are you on the UK healthy eating scale?

How bad for you is a boring diet?

TALK TO THE PALMS, THEY WOULD RECOGNIZE THE CHANGO

Walking around the Les Corts neighbourhood of Barcelona I saw very many palms, knowing that this climate is not that suitable for the palms. But also could see some new planting as well as some decades older.

La livistona és una palmera d’origen xinès, de creixement lentíssim, fulles en forma de ventall i tronc un xic recorbat, d’aspecte molt particular. A finals del segle passat, tenir un exemplar de livistona al jardí era senyal inequívoc de distinció, elegància i bon gust. Avui al pati de l’Ateneu Barcelonès, la silueta inconfusible de la livistona, d’extraordinari desenvolupament, en parterres sobrealçats amb recobriment de ceràmica a l’entorn d’un brollador 
central, perpetua, com una veritable peça de museu, l’ambient de l’època.

La palmera blava és endèmica de Baixa Califòrnia i Mèxic i es considera la palmera amb les fulles més blavoses. Situada en un parterre de la plaça de Pius XII, en plena Diagonal, es considera una espècie de creixement lent.

When I told my cuban sister Bety about the palm trees and sent her a photo of it, she said, please the next time you see a palm tree, you must talk to it.
She had given me a red and black bead necklace for protection blessed by the priest of the afro cuban religion. She felt that the palm trees on touch with the blessed necklace would recognize the presence of Chango and would listen to me.
Dutifully as I walking along the long Diagonal street, I saw a palm tree and did what my sister asked me to do.
I wanted to think of so many people 
the many friends in Myanmar Cambodia Malaysia Iran Austria and Cuba and family in various parts of the world..

Palm trees always had the calming effect upon me.
Nice to see that they are planting more Palm trees around Barcelona.

EVERY ONE IS AFTER HAPPINESS BUT IT IS NOT GOING TO COME FROM BOOKS OR YOUTUBE

In Siem Reap, when you meet a stranger you smile at them and the smile is returned, does not matter who the stranger is and where you meet them.
Walking along pristine clean streets of Barcelona a middle aged man was walking his dog and i smiled and he immediately turned his head to the other side.
What is the source of unhappiness?
It does not lie outside of yourself, it lies within yourself.
SO many books on how to be happy, so many videos on how to be happy 
I was sent this video from a jewish website this morning and looking through that I realize that every one is saying the same thing
Be grateful
Be oriented to your goals 
surround yourself with happy people 
do good to others 
I have heard this from the American Indians, have seen Sadhguru preaching it on his website and jewish philosophy also advocate them. We know that the buddhists believe in that.
so at last we have found something in common 
Searching for Happiness..
we can all do it our own way as long we realize that all roads lead to the same goal and the road is far more important that the destination.

PABLO NERUDA IN COLOMBO, IN YANGON, IN BATAVIA AND IN MY HEART

Last night in conversation, Pablo Neruda's name came up again,as I was describing my recent trip to Myanmar. I have written many times before about Pablo, Rangoon, Josie Bliss all of which have counterparts in our own lives.

My Spanish friend who leads /has led a wonderful full life had summarized a complete life as 

Have Love and Affection in your life ( it could be partner and children or love people )
Enjoy your work and be innovative in it. Just dont go to work thinking of it as a chore
Be passionate about things in life, in his case Photography, Travel and Jazz..

to put the wonderful philosophy he was talking about and our dear poet Pablo Neruda, we could always look for some lines from Pablo about the wonderful life he had lived.

I have read this poem many a times before but it is always refreshing to read it again and again.
Here is an English translation
For much of the people who are unhappy with their daily life situation, listen to Pablo, listen to my friend Luis ..

The least you can do is to TRAVEL and see how the others are living and coping with their lives 
Why are the poor people in Rangoon and Siem Reap so happy whereas the people in the west seem unhappy?

listen to music 
read books 
talk with friends 
and If you do not have a friend to talk to, write to me, and I will be your friend 

LIVE JAZZ IN BARCELONA

Last night, my friend Luis, whom I had met in Baracoa, Cuba, invited me to a Jazz Club to listen to a trio and a singer ..
Luis is a grand aficionado of Modern Jazz, having been deeply involved in live performances of the artists whenever they came to Spain and many a time, got to know them personally. He has a collection of hundreds of recordings of Modern Jazz and also he has filmed many concerts. Photography is his pastime.
We went to a Jazz Club called MILANOs and the quartet was playing.
Once I entered the dimly lit, in red shades of the stage and the busy bar and the waiters in crisp clothes, I was reminded of the very first time I went to a Jazz Club in the USA. I was a student then, and Ahmad Jamal was playing at a hotel near the Airport. He began with his signature tune . Ponciana
I enjoyed the two sessions. The singer was making jokes about male/female relationships with a heavy bisexual innuendo, and had a wonderful stage presence. She had a good control of her voice and she reminded us of Billie Holiday. The drummer obviously was enjoying his contribution and the pianist was the best among them all.
Nice evening. The bar had hundreds of Cocktails but i opted for a simple glass of local wine.