I'm trying to cut down my food intake in a futile attempt to lose weight. It's definitely very hard.
Food is a big feature in our lives. A good breakfast heralds a good day ahead. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee will stir the cogs of one's mind. The golden and runny yolk of an egg is a gentle reminder that the simplest thing in life can be very fulfilling.
Lunch is often a well thought plan where I work. A group of us will take turns to nominate the day's craving. The troop never fails to have a good lunch. It's not just the food. The camaraderie makes the whole affair worth the trip, the wait and the suspense for your order to turn up all the more bearable. Gossip, jokes and idle chit chat are the important fillers toward an enjoyable lunch.
Dinner is the highlight of my day. It's when I get a chance to sit down with hubby, and sometimes the kids, for a meal. It's usually when family catch up, asking about each other's day and highlights. Companionable silence while you eat your food at the end of a disastrous day is a sure way to soothe your nerves. The comforting presence of your family speaks volumes.
Now you can see how hard it is to reduce my food intake. It sounds like a lame excuse, but I find it hard to deprive myself of the joy of eating with someone. The amount of food I eat increases with the amount of fun I'm having.
I conclude that the best way to diet is to eat alone. For me anyway.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Friendship
It's amazing how friendships can withstand time, especially for someone like me. I'm not good at making effort to keep in touch with friends. It's a miracle that I still have friends from 20 years ago. I've not kept in touch with anyone who went to the same primary or secondary school with. I've lost all contact with friends from university as well. The bunch that could really survive my lack of effort were the guys from my junior college, specifically the ones from the students' council.
Maybe it's because they knew me when I was at my best. At a time when I wasn't bossy, aloof and self absorbed. When I was 16, I was more cheery, less jaded and just simply sunshine. Of course there will always be those, like Gabriel, who will beg to differ. He knows too many of my dark secrets and would make a lucrative trade through blackmail or sale of secrets.
Jokes aside, these are the people I trust and most accepting of me, faults and all in tow. Maybe I'm just being too critical of the other people who were once part of my life. Truth be told, those days when I was with this group of friends was when I truly was at my best as a person. I felt good when I was with them.
At other times of my life, I was either trying to figure out what I wanted and ignoring people around me or just plain self centered, going after what I thought I wanted in life then. It was mistake after mistake. That is the part of growing up. I'm taking a defensive approach of "out of sight, out of mind". If I don't see the people who witnessed my mistakes or who were hurt in the process, I would not feel so bad. It's like how some people change jobs to have a fresh start. I did that once and never looked back since.
Marriage and family definitely affected my social life as well but I don't feel the loss. My family is still the most important part of my life.
I'm just glad that I still have this group of friends. They know me and know that my lack of effort does not equate to my lack of spirit. After all, my flesh is truly and undeniably weak. That's my excuse.
Maybe it's because they knew me when I was at my best. At a time when I wasn't bossy, aloof and self absorbed. When I was 16, I was more cheery, less jaded and just simply sunshine. Of course there will always be those, like Gabriel, who will beg to differ. He knows too many of my dark secrets and would make a lucrative trade through blackmail or sale of secrets.
Jokes aside, these are the people I trust and most accepting of me, faults and all in tow. Maybe I'm just being too critical of the other people who were once part of my life. Truth be told, those days when I was with this group of friends was when I truly was at my best as a person. I felt good when I was with them.
At other times of my life, I was either trying to figure out what I wanted and ignoring people around me or just plain self centered, going after what I thought I wanted in life then. It was mistake after mistake. That is the part of growing up. I'm taking a defensive approach of "out of sight, out of mind". If I don't see the people who witnessed my mistakes or who were hurt in the process, I would not feel so bad. It's like how some people change jobs to have a fresh start. I did that once and never looked back since.
Marriage and family definitely affected my social life as well but I don't feel the loss. My family is still the most important part of my life.
I'm just glad that I still have this group of friends. They know me and know that my lack of effort does not equate to my lack of spirit. After all, my flesh is truly and undeniably weak. That's my excuse.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
The Mee Pok Man
I just had an enjoyable lunch of fishball Mee Pok with Gabriel and Adeline. Before I go into other details, I need to state that I was chided for being an inconsistent blogger during lunch.
We met up to enjoy my father-in-law's fishball noodles. My father-in-law sells fishball noodles at Beo Crescent. His stall is quite famous and has many followers. One of Gabriel's friend, who is one such loyalist, was the catalyst for our lunch. He craved the noodles but never fail to go to the stall during their rest day. We don't understand why he cannot follow instructions. The conclusion was that his craving was so strong that it drove away all logic and sensibilities from his mind.
Yes, the fishball noodles are that good. It is all about the chilli and ba-yu pok. What is ba-yu pok? It's fried lard! It adds the fragrance to the noodles. Nan Yuan (南园) @ Blk 38, Beo Crescent, #01-68. It's a must try. The unfortunate thing is no one wants to inherit the business. Even my in-laws do not encourage their children because it's a hard life.
More about this later.....
We met up to enjoy my father-in-law's fishball noodles. My father-in-law sells fishball noodles at Beo Crescent. His stall is quite famous and has many followers. One of Gabriel's friend, who is one such loyalist, was the catalyst for our lunch. He craved the noodles but never fail to go to the stall during their rest day. We don't understand why he cannot follow instructions. The conclusion was that his craving was so strong that it drove away all logic and sensibilities from his mind.
Yes, the fishball noodles are that good. It is all about the chilli and ba-yu pok. What is ba-yu pok? It's fried lard! It adds the fragrance to the noodles. Nan Yuan (南园) @ Blk 38, Beo Crescent, #01-68. It's a must try. The unfortunate thing is no one wants to inherit the business. Even my in-laws do not encourage their children because it's a hard life.
More about this later.....
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Away again
I'll be away for another 2 weeks. It will be painful to be away from my kids for another 2 weeks. Work calls......
I told Ryan that I'll be in China for 2 weeks. His initial reaction was "No.....". That tore my heart. The second time I tried to tell him, he said, "I want to go to your office. I want to go to China." I had to bribe him with a trip to Universal Studios in November. Guilty as I am, I still have to go. How do I cope? I'm not sure. I guess it's very routine for the kids now. See mom during the weekend and occasionally on weekdays. I think what's more important for them now is routine and stability.
Thankfully the domestic helper is working out well so far. The kids like her. A bit too much maybe. Don't misunderstand....I'm not jealous. They like her very much because she is easy to bully. That's not a good sign. The kids are becoming too reliant on her, especially Xavier. He is now asking Auntie Perla to shower him, dry him and help him wear his clothes. That's moving backwards 2 years. I put a stop to it today. Just talked to him and asked him to mind his manners - no shouting instructions to the help, must use "Please" and "Thank You" when asking for things, no more asking her to do things like shower and helping him wear his clothes.
Xavier followed me to the salon for my facial today. He enjoyed himself drinking honey and playing games on the iPod. He's doing well in school, gets along well with his friends, excellent scores in topical tests, independent and helpful. But he is not very keen on certain activities. I'm still unable to put my finger on the issue. Maybe I'm just thinking too much.
Ryan is very sweet. He was eating a piece of mooncake and asked, "Do you want to eat this?". He is an adorable child. He is very shy and is not participating in the school concert this year. He refuses to dance in front of strangers. His favourite movie now is Rio and he would sing, "All the birds of a feather......" very loudly at home. Kid with a strange temperament.
Keane is showing much improvement in his speech. The other day, he drew a picture of a cheetah. Although the cheetah looked more like a snake, it had 4 legs, 2 eyes, 1 nose and a big smile. It was excellent effort on his part and he received much praise for his accurate coloring. He is still grumbling at the slightest provocation. Today he cried because his dad played a phrase "Fatty Bom Bom" from his phone. He thought that his dad was calling him a fatty. We notice that every time he is playing, he cannot bring himself to stop. He will cry or grumble very loudly whenever we ask him to put away his toys or to go home. He is still sensitive.
I guess I need to pay more attention to him.I shall bring my net book with me on this trip. Hopefully I can get a good connection using a colleague's mobile 3G gadget.I am considering a "Dear Xavier" series....till then......
I told Ryan that I'll be in China for 2 weeks. His initial reaction was "No.....". That tore my heart. The second time I tried to tell him, he said, "I want to go to your office. I want to go to China." I had to bribe him with a trip to Universal Studios in November. Guilty as I am, I still have to go. How do I cope? I'm not sure. I guess it's very routine for the kids now. See mom during the weekend and occasionally on weekdays. I think what's more important for them now is routine and stability.
Thankfully the domestic helper is working out well so far. The kids like her. A bit too much maybe. Don't misunderstand....I'm not jealous. They like her very much because she is easy to bully. That's not a good sign. The kids are becoming too reliant on her, especially Xavier. He is now asking Auntie Perla to shower him, dry him and help him wear his clothes. That's moving backwards 2 years. I put a stop to it today. Just talked to him and asked him to mind his manners - no shouting instructions to the help, must use "Please" and "Thank You" when asking for things, no more asking her to do things like shower and helping him wear his clothes.
Xavier followed me to the salon for my facial today. He enjoyed himself drinking honey and playing games on the iPod. He's doing well in school, gets along well with his friends, excellent scores in topical tests, independent and helpful. But he is not very keen on certain activities. I'm still unable to put my finger on the issue. Maybe I'm just thinking too much.
Ryan is very sweet. He was eating a piece of mooncake and asked, "Do you want to eat this?". He is an adorable child. He is very shy and is not participating in the school concert this year. He refuses to dance in front of strangers. His favourite movie now is Rio and he would sing, "All the birds of a feather......" very loudly at home. Kid with a strange temperament.
Keane is showing much improvement in his speech. The other day, he drew a picture of a cheetah. Although the cheetah looked more like a snake, it had 4 legs, 2 eyes, 1 nose and a big smile. It was excellent effort on his part and he received much praise for his accurate coloring. He is still grumbling at the slightest provocation. Today he cried because his dad played a phrase "Fatty Bom Bom" from his phone. He thought that his dad was calling him a fatty. We notice that every time he is playing, he cannot bring himself to stop. He will cry or grumble very loudly whenever we ask him to put away his toys or to go home. He is still sensitive.
I guess I need to pay more attention to him.I shall bring my net book with me on this trip. Hopefully I can get a good connection using a colleague's mobile 3G gadget.I am considering a "Dear Xavier" series....till then......
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
From my iPhone
This is the first time I'm trying Blogger from my phone....
Well done!
Here's a funny translation of a shop name in Hangzhou. Do you get it?
Well done!
Here's a funny translation of a shop name in Hangzhou. Do you get it?
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Back home finally......
I went on a 2 week business trip to China and returned today.
I spent most of today travelling - to Guangzhou on a 2 hour domestic flight then on a 4 hour flight home on SQ. I am beginning to feel the pain of travelling during the day. It makes me feel idle because I don't like using my laptop in public places. I prefer to take an overnight flight to Shanghai or Beijing and connect on the first domestic flight to my final destination. I can sleep on the plane and I can maximize my day.
I still cannot accept the standard of hygiene in most of the public toilets in China, especially in government buildings like airports or train stations. There is no soap at the sinks which never fails to irk me. Of course, there are also places in Singapore which do not have hand soap in the toilets. Every time I have such an encounter, I feel uncomfortable until I can lay my hands on some hand soap. I was complaining about this to a friend. "How can people eat after they going to the toilet and not wash their hands with soap?", I asked. His reply was, "Why bother when the people who prepare the food don't wash their hands with soap too?". That really shut me up.
I also find that the food is oilier and saltier than what we can find at home. A lot of things take some getting used to. It is fortunate that I am pretty easy going when it comes to food. Of course that means that my waist line never gets smaller.
My trips always make me appreciate Singapore more when I return.
Xavier wants to use the PC now......till next time.
I spent most of today travelling - to Guangzhou on a 2 hour domestic flight then on a 4 hour flight home on SQ. I am beginning to feel the pain of travelling during the day. It makes me feel idle because I don't like using my laptop in public places. I prefer to take an overnight flight to Shanghai or Beijing and connect on the first domestic flight to my final destination. I can sleep on the plane and I can maximize my day.
I still cannot accept the standard of hygiene in most of the public toilets in China, especially in government buildings like airports or train stations. There is no soap at the sinks which never fails to irk me. Of course, there are also places in Singapore which do not have hand soap in the toilets. Every time I have such an encounter, I feel uncomfortable until I can lay my hands on some hand soap. I was complaining about this to a friend. "How can people eat after they going to the toilet and not wash their hands with soap?", I asked. His reply was, "Why bother when the people who prepare the food don't wash their hands with soap too?". That really shut me up.
I also find that the food is oilier and saltier than what we can find at home. A lot of things take some getting used to. It is fortunate that I am pretty easy going when it comes to food. Of course that means that my waist line never gets smaller.
My trips always make me appreciate Singapore more when I return.
Xavier wants to use the PC now......till next time.
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