红酥手

少年时很喜欢的两首词，觉得它好虐，也有点浪漫。然后，“红酥手”也让我联想到“红烧猪手”！（哎哟没错，我就是个吃货啦！）

今天重读一遍，只觉得惋惜。她抑郁，因为她放不下。

“病魂常似秋千索。“ - - 她快窒息了，我仿佛听见了她那无声的呐喊。

“怕人寻问，咽泪装欢。“ -- 唐琬，你辛苦了。

陆游十九岁（绍兴十四年）与唐琬结合。唐琬的才华横溢与陆游的亲密感情，引起了陆母的不满，遂命陆游休了唐琬。公元1151年（绍兴二十一年）的一个春日，陆游在家乡沈园，与偕夫同游的唐氏邂逅相遇。心中感触很深，遂乘醉吟赋这首《钗头凤·红酥手》词，信笔题于园壁之上。1156年，唐琬再次来到沈园瞥见陆游的题词，不由感慨万千，于是和了一阕《钗头凤·世情薄》。同年秋，便抑郁而终。

钗头凤 · 红酥手

宋 · 陆游

红酥手，黄縢酒，满城春色宫墙柳。

东风恶，欢情薄。一怀愁绪，几年离索。

错、错、错。

春如旧，人空瘦，泪痕红浥鲛绡透。

桃花落，闲池阁。山盟虽在，锦书难托。

莫、莫、莫。

钗头凤 · 世情薄

宋 · 唐琬

世情薄，人情恶，雨送黄昏花易落。

晓风干，泪痕残，欲笺心事，独语斜阑。

难，难，难！

人成各，今非昨，病魂常似秋千索。

角声寒，夜阑珊，怕人寻问，咽泪装欢。

瞒，瞒，瞒！

蜗牛与黄鹂鸟

《蜗牛与黄鹂鸟》

银霞演唱 ｜陈弘文作词 ｜林建昌 左宏元作曲 ｜1979年发行

Photo by Krishnan Menon May 2015

阿门 阿前 一棵葡萄树

阿嫩 阿嫩 绿地刚发芽

蜗牛背著那重重的壳

一步一步地往上爬

阿树 阿上 两只黄鹂鸟

阿嘻 阿嘻哈哈 在笑它

葡萄成熟还早地很呀

现在上来干什么

阿黄 阿黄鹂儿 不要笑

等我爬上它就成熟了

BRUSSELS SPROUTS

When we visited Melbourne last month, Charina and I ate roasted seasonal vegetables in a restaurant next to our hotel. It was such a simple dish - roasted broccolini, brussels sprout, carrot and potato, sprinkled with course sea salt - yet we ate it twice in the same week.

Today I was alone at home while my mum is out for physio therapy.  What better way to enjoy Me Time than taking control of the kitchen?  So I roasted some vegetables.

I used whatever I found in our fridge: brussels sprout, carrot and zucchini.  I also discovered a small sweet potato in the basket we usually keep onions in.

This is the first time that I cooked brussels sprouts at home.  My mum was pretty curious.  I explained that this was something they had plenty of in Oz, that I had enjoyed eating it and wanted her to try them too.  She then enquired about them a couple more times, asking the same questions she had asked just 30 secs earlier.  She forgets quickly, she was recently diagnosed with mild to moderate dementia. 

I pushed most of the charred pieces her way because I thought those were the best part of any roast vegetable.  Unfortunately, my mother cut away every charred bit and left them all on the side of her plate. 'I do not like skin," she said.  

I kept my mouth shut as she continued. "The carrots need to be cooked further."

"The zucchini are too soft."

By tomorrow, she may not remember that I ever made roast vegetables.  

故意鼓励固执

对于固执的人，不要想改变他，反而要鼓励他，赞扬他，让他在错误的道路上越走越远。

世上有大多人宁愿喝着迷魂汤上路也不愿喝了良药而回头。少给固执的人建议，你的金玉良言不会换来一丝改变。坚持改变对方可能会遭人嫉恨和报复。你不如说两句漂亮的话，结个善缘。

成年人最顶级的自律是克制纠正他人的欲望。一个人成熟的标志，就是不再急着与人争辩自己的看法。

WHERE'S MY 23 DEG C?

Stayed indoors all day today.  Stuck in lousy weather - thunder, heavy downpour, light shower, then rain again.   Temp of at least 30 degrees.

I remember that on October 17th, while having dinner with Mian and gang, a message like the one below had popped up on my mobile phone.  I showed it to Mian and we asked each other, "For real or not?"  I was so looking forward to cooler weather (especially since I had just returned from a lovely spring week in Melbourne!)

I waited and waited for 23 degrees to happen!  Can the Singapore weather forecast be more reliable please?

招人嫉妒

今早8点钟还赖床不起，被母亲念了一番。有些人年纪越大，控制欲越强。我和朋友在外面和咖啡，她会拨我的手机。

“哎哟，我们这里下雨呢！ 下的好大！你那边也在下雨吗？”

“没有，我这边没有下雨。”

“没有吗？你快要回来了吧？”

“没这么早回哦，我不是告诉过你我今天在外面吃晚餐吗？”

“啊？你不回家吃？那我只好煮个方便面随便应付就好咯。” （可怜兮兮的。）

有好长一段时间，我会对她的话很在意。家里有一大堆好吃的，又有帮佣让她使唤，偏偏选择吃方便面？搞得我虐待老人似的。

但现在的我已经释怀。母亲这是一种 attention seeking. 就好像我告诉她我想去旅行，她从未对我说 “你玩开心点“。她会说“其实家里有老人，你是不应该出门的。要是你在外，我在家里有事，你赶不回来可怎么办？” （她这句 “赶不回来” 一说就是十年。）

***

能招人喜欢 从来不是真本事

能招人嫉妒 往往是真的有点东西。

不过，你有没有想过为什么 “嫉妒” “贪婪“ ”奴“ “妖” 等字都是“女”字旁？

乐龄聚餐

今天被姑姑邀去“圣工会新加坡教区华文部 2025年教区乐龄聚餐”。有大概800人出席，午餐非常的丰盛，有婚礼办桌般的架势。

SAFRA军人俱乐部里的

欢喜楼 Jubilee Garden

前菜是六彩拼盘

蟹肉“鱼翅”

脆皮烧鸡

酱蒸金目芦

黄金虾球

XO酱带子西兰花

干烧伊面

一共上了八道菜 （最后一道是莲子红豆沙，我没有拍下来）。

Chilli Crab Kitchen is on IG.

退休生活

Follow Chilli Crab Kitchen on IG.

退休后，早上都要出们走走。Light grocery shopping，回家交代帮佣午餐为母亲煮点什么。

然后喝上一杯黑咖啡，写字，拍照记录生活小点滴。日日如是。

与朋友小聚 (今天吃的是法式可丽饼) 。她刚从北海道回来，送我一盒“薯条三兄弟”。她说：我知道你喜欢“薯块三姐妹”但我没找到。

姑姑邀我明天到教会主办的 lunch 聚会。我不是信徒，就单纯想陪她到教会，表明她家里有人支持她的选择。

 

 

练字

已有N年没碰过书法。

我年轻时曾写得一手好字，都归功于祖母。我从三岁开始她便教我认字和书法。后来工作上依赖上电脑，动手写字的机会几乎为零。

今年退休后，惊觉自己写的字竟退步到那么 awkward 的程度。一个字：醜！

立心要重新把字给练回来！真的好难啊！无论怎么努力，都象是幼儿园的小朋友的字迹。

三周前从墨尔本回来后，突然整个人离奇般开窍了。大脑和手终于连上线了，不但笔画变顺畅，字体也变好看多了！ It's a miracle - 哈哈哈！

所以一定要多出国，四处看看，心情好了，心态也变了。字，一定会越练越棒。只会越来越棒。

Chilli Crab Kitchen is on IG.

少和人缘好的人来往

 

高人讲真诚 小人玩心眼

善者独来独往 恶人成群结队

少和人缘好的人来往

人缘好和人品好是两码事

人越假 朋友越多

人越真 圈子越小

人越直白 越不招惹人待见

人越虚伪 狐朋狗友越多。

MY FAULT - FOOD MATTERS

Fri 10 Oct 

On the day of our departure from Melbourne, Charina and I arrive at the Tullamarine Airport way too early. Our hotel check-out time was 12PM. Our flight departure time was 4:40PM. 

It was a good thing we checked in early.  There was a short delay on my part while checking in my luggage bag. The machine just wouldn't capture the barcode on the tag. I tried, Charina tried, an airline staff tried but the bag moved forward then slid back again. It was frustrating. Then, another airline staff appeared. She smoothed out the tag and voila! 

Once we were safely on the other side of the departure gate, Charina wanted to eat udon. I had told Charina that I had eaten udon for dinner the night before. She decided that she, too, wanted udon. "It's your fault," she joked. 

Inside the airport, we pounced upon the first cafe that offered "noodles". Udon wasn't on the menu so char kway teow seemed like the best next thing. I didn't ask Charina whether it satisfied her craving though.

Thu 2 Oct 

On my way to the airport to catch my red-eye flight to Melbourne, the Malay cab driver and I were chatting. I said I'm spending a week in Melbourne and when I return to Singapore, I'd probably be craving for some local food. Like prata. "I like a good prata too," he said.

It was late night as we approached Changi airport. I asked the driver, "Are you going home after this? What time does your shift end?" His reply: "After this, I'm driving to Changi Village to eat prata! It's your fault." 

Huff and puff!  Some people are so easily influenced.  :D

Thu 9 Oct 

After we had udon for dinner, Chester walked me around the city. He showed me a popular prata shop where the price of one prata (or roti canai as it is known in Oz) is AUD 11. It is served with two curry dips and spicy sambal sauce.  

Chilli Crab Kitchen is on IG.

MELBOURNE EATS

A week of sleeping a lot and eating too much.  One week is just too short for Melbourne.  There are way  too many food places I want to try.

Fri 3 Oct 

Our first meal in Melbourne - dinner at Steakhouse Grill 66, a restaurant right downstairs of our serviced apartment.  I haven't eaten a lamb cutlet in ages and this restaurant cooks them really well.

herb & garlic lamb cutlets, roasted seasonal vegetables = AUD 68.00

Sat 4 Oct 

Breakfast at Brick Lane Cafe before heading off to The Tesselaar Tulip Festival.

Breakfast for two (including two black coffees) = AUD 68.75

Sun 5 Oct

Charina bought asparagus from the South Melbourne Market.

Mon 6 Oct

No holiday is complete without a serving of pancakes so here we are!

Pancake Parlour, Melbourne Central

2-stack pancakes + tea = AUD 21.94

Country Breakfast + Peppermint Tea = AUD 33.46

Mon 6 Oct.  Back at Steakhouse Grill 66 for dinner.  Those grilled prawns!  Possibly my best meal in Melbourne!

grilled tiger king prawns, roasted seaonsal veggies = AUD 64.48

Tue 7 Oct 

We spent a morning at Queen Vic Market.  While I dived into retail therapy, Charina happily lost herself in the poulty-meat-seafood sections. 

Breakfast: avocado smash + a very tasty pork sausage 

Charina said the grilled prawns that we had the previous night were super good and it set off her craving (and her desire to cook).  So she bought fresh prawns from Queen Victoria Market and cooked lunch!  She even rendered her own pork fat!  #effort

 

Tue 7 Oct. We had dinner at Max On Hardware in Hardware Lane.  Many restaurants flank both sides of Hardware Lane but this one seems to be the most popular.  When I told Chester I had dinner in Hardware Lane, his immediate question was, "Did you go to Max?"

pizza, and mussels (entree) = AUD 48.72

Wed 8 Oct

We've returned to Steakhouse Grill 66 for the third time.  The calamari was super tender. 

beer battered fish & chips, lemon pepper calamari = AUD 49.04

Thu 9 Oct 

Today we had breakfast in the historical  Hopetoun Tea Rooms 1892.  It's really a High Tea Menu but we had opted for a 9:00AM slot.  Thus High Tea for Breakfast!  #indulgence

High Tea is served on a 3-tier stand: Quiche Lorraine, Roast Beef Sandwiches, Chicken Sandwiches, Tea Room Pinwheels, Chicken Liver Pate, Vegetarian Quiche, an assortment of petits fours, a selection of fresh seasonal fruits.

Each person gets to order a pot of freshly brewed tea of her choice.  

That's not all!  Freshly baked scones came next.  Followed by another pot of tea.  This means that we get four different choice of teas between us. You can also opt for coffee or cold pressed juices.

Hopetoun Tea Rooms 1892

Hopetoun Tea Rooms 1892

Hopetoun Tea Rooms 1892 is inside The Block Arcade.  I find these Victorian shopping arcades very charming.

Hopetoun Tea Rooms 1892

Hopetoun Tea Rooms 1892

Hopetoun Tea Rooms 1892

Hopetoun Tea Rooms 1892

High Tea for Two = AUD 150.00

After the enormous but satisfiying breakfast, I ditched Charina for the rest of the day.  It was her turn for retail therapy - she'll be travelling to Finland next month (I'm so envious!) and will need to buy coldwear.  

I took my time in my kind of Wonderland a.k.a. Coles Supermarket, and had Chicken McCrispy(er) for lunch.  I like to eat in McD's in different parts of the world and try out items that isn't on the Singapore menu.  For instance, the McD's in Bangkok offers pork burgers, and McPatongko (a sweet donut-youtiao).  In Taiwan, you can have Pork Sausage McMuffin for breakfast.

Later, I met Chester for dinner after his work ended.  I suggested udon because I had been eating only Western food since I arrived.

Udon Izakaya Maedaya, Bourke St

Udon Izakaya Maedaya, Bourke St

Fri 10 Oct

The last morning: crumpets for breakfast.  I had bought a pack of crumpets from Coles supermarket the day before.  Charina warmed them up over a frying pan.  She also quickly scrambled some eggs.

We managed to check-in early at the Melbourne airport.  Had plates of piping hot Char Kway Teow at BAXA Noodles & Dumplings just before we boarded our flight home.  A plate of noodles + a cup of cappuccino =  AUD26.88.