At the Supermarket

NTUC Supermarket.  8.30pm.  Post-dinner.

The queues were long as I joined one just behind a very loaded shopping trolley.  The 60-something couple with the very loaded trolley looked at me and my active boys, talked a bit between themselves, then the lady spoke to me "You go first...." gesturing me forward with my 2 cans of tomato.

The world is full of beautiful people.  Thank you, life, and thank you angels.

Fruit infused waters

I made some changes to my morning routine.  Woke up earlier to stretch and exercise.  Managed to go for a half hour walk by the beach yesterday (Monday) morning.  Drank lemon infused water to clear the digestive system.  Actively working on my health and wellness now....

I dug around in google and there is a lot of information out there about various combinations of herbs, fruits and vegetables that tout various health benefits.
Here is one FB post that appeared on my news feed.

(1) Green tea, mint, lime - fat burning, digestion, headaches, congestion and breath freshening
(2) Strawberry, kiwifruit -cardiovascular health, immune system protection, blood sugar regulation, digestion
(3) Cucumber, lime, lemon - water weight management, bloating, appetite control, hydration, digestion
(4) Lemon, lime, orange - digestion vitamin C, immune defense, heartburn

Citrus

I am partial to citrus scents.  I love Earl Grey and Lady Grey teas, most marmalades and happily sniff lemons, oranges and grapefruits at every opportunity.

During a busy workday, I sip Magnolia's Yuzu juice drink taken warm.  It calms my stomach and makes me dream of yuzu baths in a Japanese onsen.  Ah......

On my way down the escalator in my workplace, I bumped into an old colleague and we chatted about our lives, work... somehow the conversation turned to bergamot and what exactly it is.  Neither of us knew.... The short chat made me curious enough to google and wiki for more information on bergamot.  I learnt that

• Bergamot essential oil is extracted from the rind of a Bergamot orange, grown commercially in Italy. 
• The Bergamot orange is supposed to be intensely aromatic and juicy with a flavour that is slightly bitter, bracingly sour, and floral.  The fruit itself is not generally considered to be edible...  Cultivated more for the scent than the taste.
• Earl Grey tea was named after Lord Charles Grey, British Prime Minister in the 1930s

You never know where a question leads you to. 
Back to work then :)

Meow?

I brought both boys out for a post-dinner walk around the neighbourhood a couple of evenings back. Medium Boy and Small Boy wandered through the apartment blocks behind the primary school, then turned to the basketball court to watch people shooting hoops. A cat came by…. Medium Boy approached it quietly, then shushed his brother who was being a little bit too noisy.  Small Boy ran after the cat, shouting “Come here, cat!” The cat FLED.  I would too if I were a small animal being approached by 2 noisy energetic boys who look as if they wanted to pull my tail.

Undeterred, Medium Boy chased another cat to a thicket of palm trees next to the basketball court.  Small Boy moved as quietly as he could, so that the cat was not spooked.  This was the conversation that they had with the cat (still hiding in the palm trees) when squatting beside.

MB: Dun be scared ok.  Meow meow meow

SB: meow meow meow

MB: meow meow meow…. come….

SB: hey cat, look, these people are playing basketball.

MB: NOOOOOO didi, you must say meow to the cat.  The cat doesn’t understand English.

- Mama tries hard to stifle laughter -

SB: *perplexed look but figured that his brother is older and presumably wiser * (looks back at the cat) meow?

- Mama is laughing out loud now -

Nope, the Cat did not eventually come out. It stayed safe in the shelter of the trees. 

A Room of My Own

The first thing that came to mind, and popped out of my mouth, when answering Medium Boy’s question of why do I go to work was…. Money.  That is true, but not entirely true.

Dear Son.  Work is my unique contribution to making the world a more orderly place.  It is a room of my own (in Virginia Woolf’s elegant phrase), where I am free to be me. Fully and wholly myself.  Money is one part of the equation that gives me the space and time to be fully and wholly myself.

I have not figured out the other parts of time and space yet.... I will let you know when I get to it!

PS.  The answer is 42 (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy).  I love you.  Your geeky mom.

Walk boy walk!

The boys were at their favourite weekend haunt – Gardens by the Bay – on Saturday morning.  After going around the 2 air-conditioned conservatories, Medium Boy went with Ah Ma and Ah Kung to ride on the Garden Cruiser.  Small Boy got busy chopping down trees on the Flower Dome touch screens.

Managed to entice Small Boy away from the touch screens by telling him that if he exits, he will get another circle (re-entry stamp) on his arm.  He happily followed me out…
Then I had to think of how to motivate him to walk the 1 or 2 kilometre to Satay by the Bay where the car was parked…  Sang the Christmas carol “Little Drummer Boy” to him when he drummed away with 2 tiny tree branches.  He is soooo cute at this age.  Mama jukebox needed a cool fruity juice to soothe the throat after that!

What to buy from London airport

Just got to know that one of my teammates will be transitting in London airport on her way back to Singapore.....  Off the top of my head, here is my shopping list.

1. Dried porcini mushrooms
2. Bay leaves
and... not much else.

What else what else shall I ask her to buy?  I am thinking of herbs, spices, and cooking materials that cannot be easily found in Singapore, or are waaaaay more expensive here.