Blue on tooth?

My brother has obliterated my one valid reason for not picking up calls. He has added an accessory on my ear. A bluetooth headset.. With a few twitches of the swtiches, I now am receiving calls from my mobile AND line phone. Light and inconspicuous, I sometimes forget it's still on my ear, till a call comes through that's. I am keeping it after the trial period. Thanks Ming.

To remember

"He who has contentment is rich;
He who perseveres in action has purpose.
Not to lose one's station is to endure;
Not to be forgotten when dead is to be long lived."
Lao Tzu

The dreamer

I would like to share with all out there this favourite humming tune of mine. First heard when it was sung by Kermit. Yes, Kermit the frog from the Muppets. I felt like a real oddball to like it until Kenny Loggins made a rendition of it. Do have a listen to the tune.

Constantly

When do we call it a day. Throw in the towel. Sit back and enjoy retirement. This is the question that has been going on in Singapore recently. When do we stop earning a living. The crucial question is how do we retire.
I want to go on doing what I am doing till the day I drop dead or invalid. I want to be ready to wave ta-ta when my children leaves the nest. Then to go on to taking arty classes, botany classes not forgetting my stretching classes. I want to be too busy for idle chatters. Too busy for armchair travelling. I want to be ready to once again be a part-time nanny, a chauffeur and a chef when my grandchildren finallly arrives. I want to be sought after as a friend, an advisor but most of all a mother when my children needs me.

Small wonders

Times indeed has changed. Everything has to be very dramatically bigger and very expensive. Once, a single rose is now replaced by 999 stalks. Dinner for two now comes with all the fuss
Expectation is at it's all time high. It's that the one day in the year the spouse's attention and affection that counts?
Would I be taken for granted for the next 364 days then?
Well, I want none of that then.
I want him to give me a smile and a peck every morning before he starts his stressful day of work.
I want to spend time with him over our nightly dinner.
I want to hold his hand on walks.
I want him by my side comforting me, when I am frustrated with life.
I want him to suprise me with gifts on impulse.
I want a hug when I had a bad day.
To reassure me, I am still his honey after 40 years on.

It may seemed nothing but it cost a life time of commitment.

Chicken stew for the busy

I like to come home to a delicious hot meal waiting for me. I like my children upon returning home, to smell the aroma that wharfs in from the kitchen. It's good to be home. Where the heart is. Alas, I am a terrible cook. However, I recently discovered the joy of making chicken stew. So heavenly the aroma. The gravy thick and sweet just right to eat with pipping hot rice. Delicious to eat on it's own too. I would like to share this with all those who do not have the time to cook or have never try cooking. I do really really hope you will give this dish a shot. It is really quick and simple. This is what I call a one pot meal. Healthy and nutritious.

Ingredients:
A whole chicken cut in pieces
One large yellow skin onion shredded
One clove of garlic
2 thick healthy australian leek
One capsicum preferably red
3 potatoes cubed
2 tomatoes quartered
2 thick carrots cubed
A healthy slice of pumpkin cubed

Marinade the chicken with the following:
A good swig of red wine
a handful of spaghetti bolognese spice( masterfood brand)
a dash of worcestershire sauce(optional)
a twist of black pepper
Marinade upon returning home from the supermarket. Leave it in the fridge till you are ready to cook.

Seasoning:
2 table spoon of conflour in quarter bowl water to thicken the gravy.
salt to taste.

Utensil:
A large heavy base pot for simmering. It is good investment to get the AMC pot. Though pricy but it's multi purpose.
A must have for the busy professional: electric stove and a timer.

Method:
To keep the juice sealed in the meat. Heat up the pot and add 3 table spoon of oil. Once oil is hot, Placed the chicken piece by piece ensuring all the pieces are seared well.
When all the pieces are browned add in the onions and garlic.
When the onions are transparency looking give it a stir and add in the rest of the vegetables.
Add in the liquid from the marinade too.
Cover the lid. If you using the AMC pot, put on the alarm, adjust to 3o'clock i.e. get it to simmer.
Let the stew simmering for at least 45min.
If using the electrical stove, switch off the power but leave the pot on the stove.
Add in the cornflour solution. If you prefer it thicker than more cornflour.
Lastly salt to taste.
This stew can be done anytime. Just heat it up when you are ready to serve.
It also taste wonderful if you fridged it.

Hopefully someone out there would give it a try and give me a positive feedback.

That grey matter

Much has been said on maintaining that grey matter in our head. Use it or lose it. Keeping the synapse twitching by reading, learning a new skill, a new game or even a new language.
Out of interest I have picked up a new language 5 years ago. Japanese. The writing intrigues me. All the curly wurly hiragana. However, kanji( chinese character) is my nightmare. Into my unmentionable age, I am having a hard time memorising all these characters. It is times like this that my heart goes out to those poor children trying very hard to learn two languages or three silmulaneously. I am finally ready to throw in the towel.
I need to progress into learning a new skill. Pondering if I should take up something totally alien to me. I must be brave to venture into the unknown. Nothing ventured nothing gain. Life is all about constantly adapting to new situations.

My home

I have been living in a foreign land for the past 17 years. Returning to my little island every year. Always on the look out for those familiar landmarks, sights and sounds. Holding on to those thin thin threads of belonging. However, progress has arrived in leaps and bounds. I no longer drive around without getting hopelessly lost in the mangle of roads. The road has gone one way. Majestic pre-war bungalows are savagedly torn down for faceless concrete blocks. That little quaint temple once bustling with worshippers is now in the middle of a dusty of beaten road. Forgotten. In the name of progress. History and charm no place in progress?