不求圆满

人生一定不要太追求圆满 

人旺财不旺 财旺人不旺 

人财两旺寿不长 

所以人生最好的状态就是求缺不求全 

而且求全一定要加上委屈这两个字 

因为委屈才能求全 

所以福不可享尽 留三分给子孙 

利不可占尽 舍三分给别人 

功不可贪尽 让三分给他人 

这也就是所谓的自古人生最忌满 

半贫半富半自安 

人生哪能多如意 万事只求半称心 

人生总有遗憾 不能过分强求

ABLAZED

The sky is on fire.

AN EVENING WITH JOE HISAISHI

Another super HOT day! I hid indoors until about 6:00PM, when it was time to leave for The Arts House.

Tonight I had the urge to rewatch all of Hayao Miyazaki's films after immersing myself in "The World of Joe Hisaishi".  I do love a good string quartet, don't you?

I even wore my Totoro jeans!

BRUNCH ON A SUPER HOT DAY

Early morning. Woke up to a crimson "yolk" in the sky. It's going to be another HOT, HOT, HOT day!

Still, I dived right into the heat and blinding sunlight and made it to Chinatown Point by 10:30 to have brunch with friends. (My love of food clearly outweighs adversity.)

Four friends from secondary school went out to brunch but one decided to sleep in so we became three.  

Three friends turned up at Victor's Kitchen for the Minced Pork with Dried Veggies Congee (菜干肉碎粥) but sadly it wasn't something to write home about. Instead my favourites were the Victor's King Prawn Dumpling （超级虾饺皇）and Poached Szechuan Dumplings in Spicy Sauce (酸辣红油抄手).

Photo by Mayz

Photo by Mayz

Soph and Mayz couldn't stop raving about the "whole prawn inside the Har Gow!". I guess Victor's Kitchen will be the venue for our next secondary school gathering.

 

61

Thanks to all my beloved friends who celebrated my 61st birthday with me. 

On my actual birthday, Lee Ling drove me to MacPherson Road to eat crabs!  The crabs in Steamed White Wine was something to write home about.  The seafood fried rice was also fab. I might eat there again. 

In the evening, Eunice treated me to dim sum at Victor's Kitchen. Unfortunately, I was already (over)stuffed with crab.  We later watched a dance performance together at the Drama Centre. 

Yesterday, Serena bought me sumptuous sashimi at 千両 sen-ryo @ ION Orchard.  I haven't been there in ages.  I'm pleased to report that the food is still good.

Today's weather is still super warm.  I thought we'll be having a thunderstorm but the tangerine in the horizon foretold it all.  Joanne bought me a rather expensive buffet lunch in the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel. Her mum sewed me a cute bag, which I really, really like.

Thanks for the love, everyone.  You make me feel so young.

YELLOW

I was on my way to have lunch with Eu and Ev and my sense of direction got the better of me. The weather was at least 36 degrees (well, it certainly felt like it) and not a good day to take a wrong turn. Nevertheless, a great day for snapping photos of an overgrown bush that's bursting with vibrant yellow blossoms. Yes, I did turn up late for lunch. :)

IF I HAD THREE LIVES

 

If I Had Three Lives 

After “Melbourne” by the Whitlams 

If I had three lives, I’d marry you in two.
 

The other? Perhaps that life over there
 

at Starbucks, sitting alone, writing – a memoir,
 

maybe a novel or this poem. No kids, probably,


a small apartment with a view of the river,


and books – lots of books, and time to read.


Friends to laugh with, and a man sometimes,


for a weekend, to remember what skin feels like


when it’s alive. I’d be thinner in that life, vegan,


practice yoga. I’d go to art films, farmers markets,


drink martinis in swingy skirts and big jewelry.


I’d vacation on the Maine coast and wear a flannel shirt


weekend guy left behind, loving the smell of sweat


and aftershave more than I did him. I’d walk the beach


at sunrise, find perfect shell spirals and study pockmarks


water makes in sand. And I’d wonder sometimes


if I’d ever find you. 

 by Sarah Russell, first published in Silver Birch Press