Thursday 30 April 2015

TREATS FROM SERENA: JAGA PIRIKA

Made a savoury loaf for Serena last week.  In return she brought me back Jaga Pirika potato snacks from Japan!


Also known as 薯條三姐妹 it contains three kinds of Hokkaido premium potatoes -"Northern Rupee", "Kita Purple" and "Toyoshiro".  So crispy!  SO GOOD!

Friday 24 April 2015

THE BEST WAY TO SAY IT 2015


Greeted by lots and lots of fresh flowers in the office today!  The bosses went all out to impress us.

Happy Administrative Professionals Week.





Wednesday 8 April 2015

HELP I'M ALL CONKED OUT!


Took a day off yesterday to accompany my father for an eye test. He’ll be undergoing cataract surgery on Apr 21.

Dealing with one parent is frustrating. Going out with two is downright exhausting. The appointment is at 9:20AM.  If I were on my own I'd probably have left around 8:50AM but Dad is prone to anxiety attacks so we planned to leave home at 8:30AM to catch a cab.  At 8:00AM I was in my bedroom changing when Mum knocked on my door.

Mum: Your father says he wants to leave a little earlier. He wants to walk over to the taxi stand across the road.

I was ready by 8:10AM but my parents showed no sign that they wanted to leave. So I waited. We left home at 8:25AM.

Me (to Dad): Do you still want to walk to the taxi stand?

Dad:  I had intended to take a walk to the taxi stand IF we get out of the house at 8:15AM but it’s TOO LATE! Since you refused to leave, I WILL NOT WALK TO THE TAXI STAND NOW!

Me: (WTF, he's in hysterics already!) No worries, I’ll call for a taxi now.  It'll just take a minute.

The tests went very well. We were done by 1PM.

Me: What would you like for lunch Dad?

Dad: Anything is fine.

Me: How about going to the hospital food court?

Dad: (Made a face)

Me: How about Han’s?

Dad: (Shook his head)

Me: How about porridge at Square 2?

Dad: OK

We rode the crowded hospital elevator.

Mum: Are we going up, or down?

Me: Down

Mum: Down? Are you quite sure?

Me: Yes

Mum: Are you sure we should be going down, not up?

Me: Yes and we’re here. Let’s step out.

Mum: (Not moving)

Me: Mum, you need to step out first so I can wheel Dad out.

Mum: (Not moving)

Me: (Gesturing with my hand): Out! Out!

Mum: (Stepping out) Why are we taking the wheelchair with us to lunch?

Me: We’re not. Let’s just leave this crowded lobby then decide what to do next, ok?

Mum: Will they allow us to wheel your Dad all the way to the café?

Me: No, we have to leave the wheelchair here inside the hospital.

Mum: So why is your father still in his wheelchair.

Me: I’ll just wheel as far as the hospital exit.

Mum: I don’t know what you mean! Where are we going now?

Me: Just follow me, Mum!

We arrived at the hospital exit.

Me (to Dad): You need to get out of this wheelchair now that we’re stepping out of the hospital.

Dad: I know.

Mum: Nooooo! You should push him right through to the café.

Me: We can’t, Mum. The wheelchair belongs to the hospital. We’re leaving the hospital now. Dad has to walk across to the mall.

Dad: (Stepping out of wheelchair).  I know, give me a hand.

Mum: Nooooo! You can push him through to the mall, can’t you?

Dad and Me: CANNOT lah!

Mum: I saw someone push his wheelchair right through! I just did! We can do the same!

Me: No, Mum. I don’t care what the other person did. The sign (I pointed) here says this is as far as hospital wheelchairs go.

Mum: (Getting worked up) But I JUST saw that man push his wheelchair right across!

Dad (to Mum): Why can't you just read the sign??

Mum: Tsk!  I didn’t see the sign mah!

We stepped inside the overcrowded café.

Me: There isn’t a seat inside. Are you fine with eating outside, Dad? Too warm?

Dad: Fine here. (Dad settled himself at table outside

Mum: We cannot sit outside.  The weather is too warm.

Me: Shall we eat elsewhere then?

Mum:  But your father wants to eat porridge.

Mum and I went back inside to look. We found a table that has 4 seats. Two of the seats were empty.

Me: Look, Mum. There are two empty seats here. Why don’t you and Dad sit here? Meanwhile, I’ll go queue for food. With luck the other seats would be available by the time I return.

Mum: But there are only two seats ...

Me: It'll be fine.  You and Dad sit.  I'll order food.  When I come back, the other two seats will be available.

Mum: …

Me: Mum, why don’t I chope these two seats. You go bring Dad back in here.

Mum: (Not moving)

Me: Mum, go get Dad.

Mum: (Spaced out)

Me: MUM! GO GET DAD!

People were staring.

Mum: Ok, you go order.  I want curry sauce.

I came back with food. The other seats had become available.

Mum: We need spoons. And don't forget the curry sauce. And where’s our coffee?

Me: Our drinks are on another tray but I could manage only one. I’ll go get the other tray now.

I went to grab the 2nd tray and returned to find Mum helping herself to the curry sauce.

Mum (mutters):  I told you I wanted curry sauce …

Me:  (Hell, it is as if I'm starving you or something!) Here, let me take the sauce off your hands.  You go back to the table to sit with Dad.

I returned with 2 bowls of curry sauce.  Dad doesn’t like spicy food, I thought, so 2 bowls should be sufficient.

Mum: Only two??! Where’s yours?


Sunday 5 April 2015

END OF THE WEEK

Went to Eugene's Sushi Bar at Far East Plaza yesterday for take-away.  It was a little before 12:30PM and there was a long queue of people waiting to get in.  Business is thriving and I'm so happy for him!

This afternoon, Eugene's parents came over to our place.  Mum was busy chatting with them, left me in charge of the kitchen.  I fried a fish.

Then I gave another go at roasting a chicken leg.


Saturday 4 April 2015

WEEKEND MATTERS

Good morning, folks!

Here’s what’s happening this weekend, in no particular order:

Reading (for my intellect)
Sushi (for dinner)
Baking (for my sanity)
Eggs and bacon on fried rice (for big breakfast)
Supermarket (for groceries)
Chicken (for roasting)
Library (for more books)

Happy weekend!

AU REVOIR

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