Can Succulents Improve Room Humidity? - Science 6

Fig 01- A kind of succulent, Aloe vera

We may surprise that there are more than 200 species of succulents, and each species may consist of 40 varieties.

When we went to one of nurseries in my city, Baton Rouge, Louisiana that we saw more than 20 species and varieties of succulent plants.

Around 35 important species have been planted in gardens or small industries all over the world, some of them are:

- Aloe vera
- hens and chick succulent
- burro’s tails
- Panda Plant
- Roseum
- Pincushion Cactus

One of special about succulent that they could store water in their body (leaves and stems), thus, many people believes that succulent is a symbol of enduring love.

Fig 02- Variety of hens and chick succulent

I myself have one species of succulent, Aloe vera. I put the plant inside when temperature drop during winter season, and outside when spring and summer.

Fig 03- Variety of burro’s tails

I use Aloe vera to treat my hair some times. It is because the succulent contains “proteolytic enzymes” to make smooth and shiny hair.

Then, Can Succulents Improve Room Humidity? Yes, sure. Several other benefits of succulent include:

- Improve skin cells
- Function as conditioner to take care our hair
- Improve hair growth
- Prevent itching on our scalp
- Improve purify the air, thus enrich fresh oxygen
- Brighten the room
- Improve pain tolerance

Do you have succulents indoor or outdoor (in your garden?) What kinds of succulent do you have?

A Cactus?

Have You Tasted Matcha Latte with Soy Milk or Almond Milk? - Food 6

Fig 01- Matcha Latte

Do you like coffee latte?

How about matcha latte?

Matcha is green tea (Camellia Sinensis) leaves powder.

Matcha is from Japanese word that means ground tea because the leaves of green tea have been done by grinding in the stones or granites to produce very fine powdered green tea leaves.

So what's fascinated me about matcha?

The ways how to produce matcha.

I just knew that before harvesting, all tea trees have to be covered to block the direct sunlight.

After the tea leaves grow rapidly, in the Spring, about three week before harvest, men in the tea fields prepare the poles and reed woven mats or dried rice stalk woven to shade the tea fields.

Blocking the sunlight is to block the process of photosynthesis.

Fig 02- Matcha Latte with soy milk.

These fresh green tea leaves must be immediately steamed for about 20 seconds to prevent oxidation so that the green color remains bright, the aroma and nutrients are maintained, then the leaves ready for the next step, drying process.

Fig 03- Cookies eat with tea

After drying, the next process is to select and remove fine branches or parts which are not needed, then the leaves are made into powder by using millstone or granite, so that they become very fine powder.

We do not drink tea leaves, do we?

After the tea leaves soaked in water, we get rid off the tea leaves. But matcha green tea is in powdered form, so that when we drink matcha means we drink the whole tea leaves. Nothing to discard.

My experience for the first time drink matcha tea seemed like taking herbal medicine. Since the some of coffee shops serve matcha in their menu, sometimes I like to have matcha latte, either with soy milk or almod milk.

Have You Tasted Matcha Latte with Soy Milk or Almond Milk?

Measles Outbreak in a Recent year – Part 2 – Healthy Life 11

Koplik 's Spots or small red spots in the soft palate mucosa

(CDC/ Heinz F. Eichenwald, MD)

You might not read the previous post:

- Measles Outbreak in a Recent year – Part 1 – Healthy Life 11

Koplik Spots

Two or three days after initial symptoms, the small spots with white in the centers appear in the inside of the cheek or soft palate.

These spots look like grain of salt with red color as their background (reddish halo).

Their size are very small, about 1 or 2 mm.

Koplik's spots also can appear on the conjunctiva, and vaginal mucosa.

These red spots lesions can last for one or two days. See the picture below.

The measles rash.

Within 12 or 24 hours after the Koplik's Spots are shown, the rash or skin eruptions of measles will appear starting below the ear and spread over the body.

Cartoon, illustration only, credit: Shutterstock

After one or two day the rash can cover all around the body surfaces. When the rash is appearing, usually the fever is high.

The complications from rubeola could be very serious. It can cause ear infections, broncho-pneumonia, croup, and also inflammation in the brain.

The person who never get vaccine measles and the person who has problem with immune system, they are in high risk to get contagious of measles virus.

To prevent from the infection of measles, the series of shot measles vaccine are required.

The vaccine is live vaccine that combine with Rubella and Mumps (MMR).

Do You Know that Some Musical Instruments Made from Bamboo? - Art 2

Ya Li could not find the flute, but she got an umbrella

 It's said that music is a good therapy for better quality of life.

Sometimes people prefer to the tone and rhythm from a specific musical instrument, and it's happening to one of my friend, Zhao Ya Li.

She was so excited about this therapy and texted me about it.

Ya Li is a person with peculiar favorite things. She only enjoy the music whenever the flute is dominant.

The matter is the flute that she needs is a bamboo flute. She got some of bamboo flute musics in her gadgets.

But that isn't enough. She's missed to play the flute. She ask me join her looking for the flute in Asian Markets.

We could not find one but we got out with an umbrella from the Market.

This umbrella looks gorgeous, with ribs, stretchers, caps, springs, and runners made from bamboo.

Bamboo trees in the right side of LA Interstate 10.

Ya Li loves every single thing made out of bamboo.

In her kitchen, she has kitchen and table wares from bamboo, and many beautiful bamboo chopsticks.

She was grown in Panda's country. Whenever she introduce herself, proudly she said, “I am from the Kingdom of Bamboo”.

I understand how her love to bamboo.

Especially her lucky bamboo in her antique hand-painted porcelain flower pot that she put among of the bamboo lanterns.

Now, she just need to release her anxiety by playing bamboo flute. She believes that playing music can relax her mind and energize her body.

She just texted me that she just placed a classical bamboo flute order by online.

Measles Outbreak in a Recent year – Part 1 – Healthy Life 11

A measles infection (Image from patch.com/Shutterstock)

It was surprising that within four months, January to April, there were about 704 individual cases of measles in the America. There are about 22 states affected by diseases.

This is a big number since the US declared that measles was eliminated in 2000 (CDC, 2019).

What is Measles?

Measles is a disease that caused by virus (family Paramyxoviruses). Measles virus causes the potentially serious infection.

This disease is characterized by fever and maculopopular rash or rubeola, and it's more severe than rubella.

The disease is super contagious and highly transmissible disease.

The transmission of measles is by inhalation of large droplets aerosols from the infected person.

What are the symptoms of the measles?

Wild flowers, just for illustration.

The initial symptoms.

During the early phase, between one and four days, the symptoms develop an upper respiratory, such as runny nose and hacking cough, and also pink eye (conjunctiva).

Sometimes, the symptoms will not shown until one or two week, so that the person does not know that she/he already get contagious.

# To be continued to part 2

The Best Steakhouse in my City, Louisiana – Food 5

Raw meat, just illustration

We have dozen of good steakhouses in our city, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Some of them close to my neighborhood. Around 100 meter from my house.

What do they sell? Here are some of them:

- filet mignon
- cowboy ribeye
- t-bone cooked medium
- filet cooked medium rare
- the bone in ribeye.

Very fresh for my own standard, and the beef quality is approved by United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

So, we feel safe to consume it.

The steakhouses usually provide other products as well, such as Louisiana cuisines (jambalaya, oxtail soup), shrimp, Louisiana oysters, tamales and fried asparagus.

Steak and shrimp, credit to Louisiana Steakhouse

Few steakhouses are vegetarian friendly and have gluten free menus.

Some favorite menus are mashed potatoes, creamed spinach, crab cakes and cheese cakes.

However, it is said that the best steakhouse in Louisiana is in New Orleans, not in my city. Distance between New Orleans and my city (Baton Rouge) is around 81 miles (130 km).

Dickie Brennan Steakhouse locates in the French Quarter, 716 Iberville St, New Orleans, Louisiana 70130 provides the highest quality of prime beef.

This best steakhouse provides local tastes include jumbo Gulf shrimp, fried oysters and New Orleans Abita beer.

What is the best steakhouse in your state or country?

A Bouquet from Combinations of Flowers and Vegetables

Fig 01- Roses and vegetable

I am quite surprising that a kind of vegetable is combine with roses to make a bouquet. In term of colors, we may see:

- Green
- pink
- white
- and many others.

The color combinations look so pretty for me.

As far as I know that people mixed the flowers only, rarely from vegetable for bouquet. They choose variety of flowers, include:

- calla lilies
- dahlia
- gardenias
- peonies
- and roses.

Fig 02- Yellow rose with others

I love very red, yellow and white roses. I like white because the color could blend with other. 

Fig 03- Vegetable and roses

Red and yellow refer to warm feeling. Other colors are:

- pink
- burgundy
- peach
- purple
- green
- orange
- and blue.

I just know that green flowers in bouquet mean resilience, health and good fortune. Also, could mean renewal and optimism.

What are Your favorite flowers?