有一天，在广惠肇关怀后，我与Peter师兄一起搭地铁回家。闲聊中，我得知他每个礼拜三都到香积组帮忙。出于好奇，我答应他明天也去帮忙。至此之后，直到我飞往波士顿，我差不多每个礼拜三都到香积组帮忙。
I was chatting with Peter SX one day during the MRT train back home after a morning at KWSH. He mentioned that he helped out at Tzu Chi kitchen every Wednesday. Out of curiosity, I told him that I will join him the next day. After the first experience, I helped out in the kitchen almost every Wednesday till I fly off to Boston.
大多数时，我会在九点到达会所。但是礼拜三香积组负责人，曾师兄老早就到了，确定蔬菜都买齐了，并早点开始熬汤。我与一两位师姑会先把蔬菜切好、把菜叶和菜茎分开、再分两次水浸泡以去除泥沙、最后捞起让水滴干。同一时候，Peter与曾师兄会把晚一点需要的红萝卜、姜或土豆洗好、切丝或切块。
Normally, I arrive at 9 am, but the person-in-charge for Wednesday, Zeng SX arrive much earlier, to ensure that all the vegetables are bought and to start cooking the soup early. I, together with 1 or 2 SG, first helped to slice and wash the vegetable. Peter and Zeng SX will slice up the necessary carrot, ginger and/or potato. For the vegetable, we need to separate them into leaves and stems, soak them in 2 rounds of water to remove the dirt and finally scope them up to dry.
我们的主厨，金樱师姑，会在十点多时到。她看过当天的材料后会决定煮什么菜。再把所需的香料和浆料准备好后，金樱师姑就开始下厨。
At 10 plus, Jin Yin SG will arrive, she is our big chef. She will look at that day ingredient and decide what to combination of food to cook. After further preparation of the necessary vegetables, spices and sauces, she will start cooking.
尽十一点时，我会开始煮饭。十一点半左右，饭菜煮的差不多了，大家就都坐下，小休一会儿，聊聊天。至到十二点，金樱师姑就把酱汁弄热，淋在煮好的菜上。同一时间，大家把煮熟的饭从饭锅取出，装入大容器中。最后，我们把饭、菜、汤和水果都摆放在食堂的一张桌子，准备好让大伙用膳。
Close to 11, I will start to cook rice. At around 11.30 am, most of the food will be ready or almost ready. We will all sit down, rest and chat till 12 noon where Jin Yin SG will reheat the sauces to pour over the vegetables, while we transfer the cooked rice from the cooker to a container and set up the table for lunch.
午膳十二点半开始，再一点半左右结束。当大家都用过膳食后，我们就把桌子稍微抹一下，再把锅都洗干净（因为大家都带自己的环保碗筷，并自我清洗，所以没什么碗需要洗）。剩余的饭菜，我们就各自拿点回家。整个厨房洗洁完毕，息好灯，大家就在两点多时离开。
Lunch start at 12.30 pm and end at around 1.30 pm, when everybody finished lunch. Then we will clear the table and wash all the containers (no much bowls to wash since everybody bring and wash their own bowls). Any leftovers will be distributed among us and we end the day at around 2 pm.
在香积组的时候，我学到了不少厨房中的小窍门。比方说，如何拿菜刀：把手指弯曲、手指头要向着手掌心、让第二个指节骨最靠近菜刀。这样切菜，就不容易切到手指。菜叶和菜茎分开后，菜茎因为较硬，必须先下沸水煮，菜叶稍后。洗菜去泥的最佳方法，不是在水龙头下冲，而是在装满水的水盆里浸。把水盆装好水后再把蔬菜浸下；而不是把蔬菜放在水盆里，再加水：水的冲力会把菜叶弄伤。菜煮熟后，要浸在冷水数秒，菜叶才不会发黄。
I learnt quite a bit in the kitchen, especially on how to hold a knife: the tip of the fingers must be pointing towards the palm, letting the 2nd joint be closest to the knife. This way will greatly reduce the chance of cutting myself with the knife. Vegetables must be separate into their leaves and stem as stem is harder and thus cooked longer. The best way to remove dirt is to soak vegetable in water instead of washing them under running water. Fill the basin with water before putting in the vegetables and not the other way round; running water hitting the leaves of vegetables will damage them. To prevent cooked vegetables from turning yellow, soak them in cold water for several seconds after they are cooked.
在香积组里，我也学到如何惜福。塑料包装袋全都拿去环保、浸过菜的水留来洗地和饭锅里的每一粒米饭，一定要取出。
I also learned about recycling in the kitchen, all plastic wrappers are recycled. Water used to soak vegetables is all retained for washing the floor. Cooked rice in the rice cooker must all be removed, every single grain.
在厨房里，也有不少趣事。有一回，Peter师兄叫我晒米，听得我一头雾水。原来，大德们捐的白米很多，存在储藏室太久，引来很多米虫。要除虫，但不能杀生，最好的方法是把米拿去太阳底下晒， 让米虫自己逃离去避暑。我就晒过一回米，把大型容器都拿出来、洒上薄薄的一层米、摆好阵法、不时把米翻翻。大太阳底下，三十多摄氏度，出了我一身汗。忽然感觉我好像少林寺的小和尚在练基本功，还好不用劈柴挑水。
There are interesting things happening as well. Once, Peter SX asked me to bring the uncooked rice grain out for sun-baking. Our rice is donated by people and in huge quantity. After storing those for too long, rice bugs start appearing. To get rid of them but not killing them, we pour the rice grains out in various containers and bake them under the sun. Under the hot sun, all the rice bugs will run away and we collect back the bug-free rice. I was asked to carry out this task once. Arranging these containers of rice, I suddenly have the impression that I looked like a junior monk in Shaolin temple performing the daily chores.
金樱师姑炒菜时更有趣。大家在她背后列队，她要盐给她盐、她要糖给她糖、她要碗给她碗、她要碟给她碟。大家穿着围裙，一排列开，在金樱师姑后面看着她炒菜。感觉很像《大长今》里的小尚宫，特别是金樱师姑的名字跟“崔今英”的同音！
Even more interesting was when Jin Yin SG starts cooking in the kitchen. All of us will be behind her, passing whatever she wants, be it salt or sugar or bowl or plate. All of us are wearing aprons and standing in a line behind her, watching her cook. It feels just like Da Chang Jin, especially when her name sounded actually like that used in the show!
I was chatting with Peter SX one day during the MRT train back home after a morning at KWSH. He mentioned that he helped out at Tzu Chi kitchen every Wednesday. Out of curiosity, I told him that I will join him the next day. After the first experience, I helped out in the kitchen almost every Wednesday till I fly off to Boston.
大多数时，我会在九点到达会所。但是礼拜三香积组负责人，曾师兄老早就到了，确定蔬菜都买齐了，并早点开始熬汤。我与一两位师姑会先把蔬菜切好、把菜叶和菜茎分开、再分两次水浸泡以去除泥沙、最后捞起让水滴干。同一时候，Peter与曾师兄会把晚一点需要的红萝卜、姜或土豆洗好、切丝或切块。
Normally, I arrive at 9 am, but the person-in-charge for Wednesday, Zeng SX arrive much earlier, to ensure that all the vegetables are bought and to start cooking the soup early. I, together with 1 or 2 SG, first helped to slice and wash the vegetable. Peter and Zeng SX will slice up the necessary carrot, ginger and/or potato. For the vegetable, we need to separate them into leaves and stems, soak them in 2 rounds of water to remove the dirt and finally scope them up to dry.
我们的主厨，金樱师姑，会在十点多时到。她看过当天的材料后会决定煮什么菜。再把所需的香料和浆料准备好后，金樱师姑就开始下厨。
At 10 plus, Jin Yin SG will arrive, she is our big chef. She will look at that day ingredient and decide what to combination of food to cook. After further preparation of the necessary vegetables, spices and sauces, she will start cooking.
尽十一点时，我会开始煮饭。十一点半左右，饭菜煮的差不多了，大家就都坐下，小休一会儿，聊聊天。至到十二点，金樱师姑就把酱汁弄热，淋在煮好的菜上。同一时间，大家把煮熟的饭从饭锅取出，装入大容器中。最后，我们把饭、菜、汤和水果都摆放在食堂的一张桌子，准备好让大伙用膳。Close to 11, I will start to cook rice. At around 11.30 am, most of the food will be ready or almost ready. We will all sit down, rest and chat till 12 noon where Jin Yin SG will reheat the sauces to pour over the vegetables, while we transfer the cooked rice from the cooker to a container and set up the table for lunch.
午膳十二点半开始，再一点半左右结束。当大家都用过膳食后，我们就把桌子稍微抹一下，再把锅都洗干净（因为大家都带自己的环保碗筷，并自我清洗，所以没什么碗需要洗）。剩余的饭菜，我们就各自拿点回家。整个厨房洗洁完毕，息好灯，大家就在两点多时离开。
Lunch start at 12.30 pm and end at around 1.30 pm, when everybody finished lunch. Then we will clear the table and wash all the containers (no much bowls to wash since everybody bring and wash their own bowls). Any leftovers will be distributed among us and we end the day at around 2 pm.
在香积组的时候，我学到了不少厨房中的小窍门。比方说，如何拿菜刀：把手指弯曲、手指头要向着手掌心、让第二个指节骨最靠近菜刀。这样切菜，就不容易切到手指。菜叶和菜茎分开后，菜茎因为较硬，必须先下沸水煮，菜叶稍后。洗菜去泥的最佳方法，不是在水龙头下冲，而是在装满水的水盆里浸。把水盆装好水后再把蔬菜浸下；而不是把蔬菜放在水盆里，再加水：水的冲力会把菜叶弄伤。菜煮熟后，要浸在冷水数秒，菜叶才不会发黄。
I learnt quite a bit in the kitchen, especially on how to hold a knife: the tip of the fingers must be pointing towards the palm, letting the 2nd joint be closest to the knife. This way will greatly reduce the chance of cutting myself with the knife. Vegetables must be separate into their leaves and stem as stem is harder and thus cooked longer. The best way to remove dirt is to soak vegetable in water instead of washing them under running water. Fill the basin with water before putting in the vegetables and not the other way round; running water hitting the leaves of vegetables will damage them. To prevent cooked vegetables from turning yellow, soak them in cold water for several seconds after they are cooked.
在香积组里，我也学到如何惜福。塑料包装袋全都拿去环保、浸过菜的水留来洗地和饭锅里的每一粒米饭，一定要取出。
I also learned about recycling in the kitchen, all plastic wrappers are recycled. Water used to soak vegetables is all retained for washing the floor. Cooked rice in the rice cooker must all be removed, every single grain.
在厨房里，也有不少趣事。有一回，Peter师兄叫我晒米，听得我一头雾水。原来，大德们捐的白米很多，存在储藏室太久，引来很多米虫。要除虫，但不能杀生，最好的方法是把米拿去太阳底下晒， 让米虫自己逃离去避暑。我就晒过一回米，把大型容器都拿出来、洒上薄薄的一层米、摆好阵法、不时把米翻翻。大太阳底下，三十多摄氏度，出了我一身汗。忽然感觉我好像少林寺的小和尚在练基本功，还好不用劈柴挑水。There are interesting things happening as well. Once, Peter SX asked me to bring the uncooked rice grain out for sun-baking. Our rice is donated by people and in huge quantity. After storing those for too long, rice bugs start appearing. To get rid of them but not killing them, we pour the rice grains out in various containers and bake them under the sun. Under the hot sun, all the rice bugs will run away and we collect back the bug-free rice. I was asked to carry out this task once. Arranging these containers of rice, I suddenly have the impression that I looked like a junior monk in Shaolin temple performing the daily chores.
金樱师姑炒菜时更有趣。大家在她背后列队，她要盐给她盐、她要糖给她糖、她要碗给她碗、她要碟给她碟。大家穿着围裙，一排列开，在金樱师姑后面看着她炒菜。感觉很像《大长今》里的小尚宫，特别是金樱师姑的名字跟“崔今英”的同音！
Even more interesting was when Jin Yin SG starts cooking in the kitchen. All of us will be behind her, passing whatever she wants, be it salt or sugar or bowl or plate. All of us are wearing aprons and standing in a line behind her, watching her cook. It feels just like Da Chang Jin, especially when her name sounded actually like that used in the show!
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