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?

My Tangerine

I have found a new passion. Taking pictures. Thanks to all the enchanting picture blogs out there. I too want to discover the world with my lens. I need to know that my batteries will not fail me when the right moment comes along. My favourite fruit this lunar new year is this miniature tangerine. Absolutely so sweet. No seeds.

Somewhere out there

The amazing discovery of the 20th centuries has to be the ability to connect on to the world wide web. To connect with so many many unseen strangers out there who share the same passions and woes. To become friends and soulmates to people we have never met or touch. To gain acess to an array of unimaginable information at the touch of the finger tips and of course the many many hours of scouring for the right one. I have found some good reads out there.From these, comforts to know that there are people who are passionate about saving lives. In the world of materialism, we constantly need to question ourselves our values. Our actions. Our emotion.

Reflection

In a week's time, family members will once again come together to rejoice the passing of another year. To reflect on the year's events. To give thanks to all those that had showered upon us barrels of love and laughters. To once again renew family ties. That to me is the reason why we celebrate the lunar new year. The reason for all the goodies decked out. The visitation. To discard all bad tidings with symbolic presentation.

Paper folding

Spending a rainy day at home, we decided to put our nimble fingers to good use. Folding paper . Origami. It never fails to delight me. A plain piece of square paper can be, with a few folds and tucks transform into any shapes.
I thought this is so cute though they are not particularly my favourite.

Still life

The cool cool morning air and the silence of the park. A time to reflect on life. To reflect on the direction in life. It has been raining for the past 5 days. Silence to hear my thoughts. Silence to calm my nerves.

A shaken day

It's still raining. Wonder when it will ever stop.
Had a most unforgetable day yesterday. I had an accident. Shaken but otherwise fine.
My poor car had to be taken away from me.
I need to recover from this trauma.

The day the rain did not stop

It has never rained so hard and so long. Today is the day. As I stumbled out of bed at 3 in the morning I heard the pitter patter on the window pane. It's such a welcoming sight looking out into the park across the road.
Everything so wet and glistening

Mid day and it's still raining. What a wonderful time to walk in the rain. And I did. Put on my jogging shoes, took along my favourite umbrella. Off I went squishing splashing on puddles.
I like the rain. There must be many out there who are at lost at home.

A stomach aid

Truly Ginger gives you a warm yet biting sensation warp round your palate as the pungent odour swirls its way into the olfactory's hair follicles.
Memories of mum's fovourite nourishing soup comes seeping. That aroma of fried ginger with a dash of sesame oil rich soup filled with slivers of pig livers and heart.Oh and a swig of DOM just before serving. So nourishing to the weak not the faint hearted though.
Once my tummy was rumbling and tumbling, mum appeared with a cup of warm ginger tea. A thumb seized piece smashed to release the potent and effective herb secret.. Soon my bread basket seattled into it's routine minus the grumbling.

AND HERE IS FOR A DEAR FRIEND

Did I ever tell you that I like the cool peppermint sensation trickling down my throat? Or to emerge from the bath all fresh and cool from peppermint tinkling all over your skin.
I like it.
Most of all I like peppermint in my laksa!!! Lots and lots of it. Hmm......the aroma is simply so delightful.
A comfort food for a rainy day if add them to your egg soup.
And if you so happen to oops... burbbb...well it's minty too!!!!