Just move on

For some reason I woke up feeling really happy today. I made breakfast, walked the dog, dropped the kids in school, breezed through traffic and arrived at the office at 8am.

The rising sun was peeking through the clouds and I told myself it's going to be a great day. And that will be today's tip on Happy Ideas - When you wake up, tell yourself you want to be happy today. And chances are, you will be.

The irony is, by 9am, I was already in tears. Only one person in this world is capable of driving me to tears that easily, and that is my ex. He called out of the blue, from another continent, asking about the kids. The conversation started civil enough but soon escalated into a shouting match. We both slammed the phone down in anger.

It's hard to imagine that even after so many years, we still can't conduct a decent conversation. All that can be forgiven and forgotten had already been done. Still, some bitterness lingers. That, combined with his temper and my defensiveness, can become a mixture potent enough to make one (him) explode or implode (me). Whatever it is, it just makes the day suck.

After the tears had been shed, I reminded myself that it's supposed to be my happy day. And then suddenly, I snapped out of it. Just like that!

It goes to show that the theory works. I could choose to wallow in self pity and misery all day. But I decided to focus on the other good things in my life, and the entire day takes a different turn.

I have learned over the years that we are the ones in control of our emotions. If I allow a bad incident to affect my mood all day, I'm the foolish one. The other person would have moved on and there I am, still nursing and licking the emotional wounds hours later.

So the earlier we move on, the better it is for us, isn't it?

The weekend

I was so tired and lethargic on Saturday (it's that time of the month), I practically did nothing all day. Then suddenly I woke up to a whole mountain of chores on Sunday! Thank goodness I had regained my vitality and tackled them throughout the day.

In fact, after I loaded the last set of bedsheets into the washer, the boys and I popped by best friend's place to help her pack our gardening products. We're taking part in a funfair next Sunday to help raise funds for the church. It will be the first time we're launching our product.

We had been busy getting our act together all of last week. While I'm in charge of design and printing, best friend is an expert in production. Hand in hand, we've managed to put together a decent product.

Everything is done in the backyard for now. We like the fact that our business is one that starts this way, like the way Bill Gates and many successful entrepreneurs did.

It was drizzling when we arrived at best friend's house. I found her working diligently with an apron on while the rain pitter-pattered on the roof.

YK and I quickly chipped in to help. The labels were pasted and products were packed into carton boxes. The job was done within a couple of hours.

I brought a bottle of wine but we didn't even sit down to relax as we wanted to get home for dinner and watch Harry Potter which started at 7.45pm. Before I left, I took a peek at our other product in the shed. The seeds have not sprouted yet, I hope they'll be ready in time for the fair.

A perfect day

We had a perfect day. It began with breakfast at the Kopitiam in Katong where CH ate roti prata while I had fried carrot cake.

We drove to Telok Blangah Hill so that we could see the sights along the Southern Ridges, an area steeped in history and is home to some of nature's greatest gifts of flora and fauna. The walk began at the shady park.

We walked in the direction of Mount Faber and arrived at the Henderson Waves, an unique bridge built to connect the two hills of Mount Faber and Telok Blangah.

The bridge has a unique wave-form made up of seven undulating curved steel "ribs" that alternately rise over and under its deck. The curved "ribs" form alcoves that function as shelters with seats within and also to accommodate large number of people during public events. I like the timber decking.

The Mt Faber hilltop offers a panoramic views of the city, harbour and the Southern Islands. Here, you can see the tree canopy in the foreground and the CBD in the distance. The buildings in between are residential apartments.

We walked back to Telok Blangah Hill park again and continued our journey in the other direction. The vegetation in the park is very diverse. I like the coconut groves very much.

Then we entered the forest walk, an elevated walkway that meanders through some 50 metres of secondary forest and connects to Alexandra Arch. The raised walkway with heights ranging from 3 to 18 metres brushes the canopy of trees and offers a bird’s eye view of the forest.

From the elevated platform, I looked down and saw a small stream flanked by large elephant ear plants.

When we arrived at the beautifully manicured gardens of HortPark, the weather was becoming very hot and humid. We were very tired.

CH jumped on the first opportunity to relax when he saw the garden swing.

We walked through the gardens and found a bench under the shady tree to settle down for a well deserved rest. We had been walking for several hours!

I brought out the birthday cake (without candles!).

I brought too much food. We didn't pop the bottle of champagne or make any sandwich.

From the park, we could see some beautiful black and white bungalows (my dream house) in the distance.

I love the mosaic mural on the wall in the foyer.

We decided to walk back to the car before the sun got any fiercer. We spotted a bird house high up on a tree. We didn't encounter any interesting animals like monkeys or squirrels throughout the walk. We spotted a vine snake and lots of birds.

Then we got home and soaked in the pool before heading out for dinner.

We went back to Santa Fe, the Tex-Mex restaurant that was too full to admit us last Friday. The buffalo wings were delicious!

The BBQ pork ribs were so tender, the meat literally fell off the bones. The best part of the dish is the tangy BBQ sauce. It's fruity and sweet, the best I've ever had. Oh, and the fries were heavenly. They stayed crispy throughout dinner. I ate every single one of them!

We felt the fajita (beef) lacked the oomph. I can't really pinpoint what was wrong with it but I suspect the dish lacks seasoning and the dough is too thick.

By the time our chocolate dessert arrived, we were stuffed. The chocolate ice cream tastes very ordinary like the ones sold by the ice cream trucks down the road. Thank goodness the chewy pieces of brownies saved the day.

Still, we had a wonderful day. I give it a perfect 10!

A happy day!

It's CH's birthday today and we're taking the day off to go for a leisurely breakfast followed by a hike along the Southern Ridges, a 9-km trail that connects several parks along the southern ridge of Singapore. I've got a bottle of American bubbly with me, maybe we can have a picnic along
the way!

It's also best friend's wedding anniversary! A happy day indeed!

All grown up

I had breakfast with YK in the city this morning. Not a big deal but to me, it's quite a milestone.

Until recently, my suggestions to eat out together were usually met with lukewarm reception. Maybe it wasn't cool for a teenage boy to be seen about with his mummy. But lately, I'm beginning to see some changes.

Firstly, he suggested going out for dinner, just the three of us. Well, we went to Porta Porta and had a great time. We're already planning the next one - fish head curry at Muthu's. Lately, he's been talking about going on a family vacation again. Our last one was more than 2 years ago. After that, he wasn't keen on anymore family vacations. This change of heart is great news for me and I'm starting to make hay while the sun shines!

Last night, when he suggested going for breakfast in the morning, I was quite skeptical. Firstly, he doesn't normally take breakfast and secondly, he's asking me out?

We ended up at Killiney Kopitiam in Purvis Street, the same cafe where SK and I had our Wednesday brekkies in the past. When we arrived, YK offered to line up for food and pay for breakfast. I like this reversal of roles.

Sitting there, watching my son, who's all grown up and taking care of me, filled me with motherly pride. He returned to the table bringing a tray of noodles and my favourite steamed yam cake. We ate, chatted and raved about the food like good friends. Then we continued chatting as I drove him to school.

I really cherish the good relationship I have with my kids. I do enjoy chatting with their friends too. Incidentally, YK has been showing his friends my blog. As his mother, I take it as a great compliment.

Things happen for a reason

This morning, a lady at Joan Bowen told me "Things happen for a reason" and I like that.

You see, I stumbled upon a quaint cafe while walking to the bank near our office and was instantly attracted to the creative motifs and charming graphics on the walls. The decor reminds me of the cafes in the French countryside. After visiting the bank, I made a detour to take a closer look at the cafe called Joan Bowen.

Maybe I should pop in for a cuppa. It's not something I do very often but for some reason I was drawn to that place. Three ladies were huddled over a laptop as I entered. In the kitchen, I could see a group of teens with eager faces moving about, keeping themselves busy.

"Can I come in for a cup of coffee?", I asked.

The ladies stepped forward with smiling faces and explained that they're not ready for business but yes, they're very happy to give me a cup of coffee (for free). As it turns out, I'm their first customer even though the cafe is slated for opening on 9 August 2009.

There I stood, gushing over their generosity, the gorgeous decor and nice little touches in the cafe. It's really my cup of tea! Suddenly I felt very comfortable in the bright cafe, amongst the ladies.

We began talking like friends. One of them has green thumbs like me. She grows lemon grass, basil and lots of herbs in her garden at home. We talked about dogs, travel and the little French cafes that we all love. I showed them my blogs and they showed me theirs.

What impressed me most is the philosophy behind the cafe. I learned that 5,000 students with special needs enter the job market every year and these kids face alot of challenges trying to get a foothold in the market. The 6 youths I saw in the kitchen had just started culinary training this week and should be skillful enough to whip up a meal by the time the cafe opens.

Joan Bowen aims to empower youths and children with special needs by training them with a range of skills that will enable them to make their own mark and contribute as an active member of the larger community. Ultimately, it aims to be the link between youths trained in culinary, print and craft and the industry to provide them with a pool of trained and confident workforce.

Talking to the women behind this company makes me feel very inspired. In fact, I hope to be able to participate in their activities in future. They had invited me to their opening cum flea market and I've promised to attend. I could even sell my gardening products for a charitable cause.

It was by sheer coincidence that I ended up on that street today. What started out as an errand for a friend led to a wonderful discovery. When I said that, the lady beamed and said, "Things happen for a reason."

Yes, indeed!

Close encounter

Rusty and I started hurrying home when we saw dark clouds gathering very quickly in the sky. We were walking several metres behind a teenage girl who was sauntering ahead of us, lost in her thoughts. I think she wasn't wide awake yet at 7am in the morning.

I pulled Rusty close to me so that he wouldn't wander too near her legs. Maybe she heard our shuffling feet, she suddenly stopped and turned around. Then she let out a blood curdling scream as if she had seen a gremlin instead of a dog.

I didn't know whether to be amused or apologetic, so I stared at her with my eyes wide open. She looked shocked and mumbled "Oh my God!" with her hands on her chest.

Well, to be fair, nobody was at fault here. Rusty didn't go too near her, she just didn't expect to see a dog so close behind. That must have jolted her out of her sleepiness.

I decided to apologise anyway. After walking ahead, I turned back to say sorry but I think she was too traumatised to notice.

True enough, it started raining when we got home. By the time we left the house, it was raining cats and dogs. There were reports of accidents and traffic jams on all the major highways. It is on wet mornings like this when I'm so thankful I no longer have to drive across the island to get to school and to work.

Healthy obsession

CH makes a face when I say I'm having mixed cereal (again) for breakfast. I wonder what he'll say if I tell him I'm having it for lunch too.

Everyday, I carry a thermal pot filled with piping hot gruel to my office. Before I go to bed each night, I pre-boil a cup of mixed grains in the cooker and let the mixture soak overnight. In the morning, I toss in some Japanese sweet potatoes and let the porridge simmer away. YK thinks it smells lovely but will not eat it under any circumstance.

It became a healthy obsession after my friend gave me a small bag of mixed grains. I got hooked, I went out and bought another bag from the Korean supermarket. It's certainly not cheap (almost $30 for 1kg) but there's brown rice, soy beans, black beans, black glutinous rice, barley, wheat and a whole lot of other grains in it.

As if not enough, I add barley, green beans, black-eye bean, rolled multi grains, raisins, pumpkin and sunflower seeds to the mixture. A bowl of thick gooey porridge is chockful of goodness.

My colleague thinks it is disgusting. It brings back memories of an improvished childhood where they were fed brown rice gruel instead of fragrant rice. The porridge made her gag and she would secretly empty the entire bowl into the bin below their flat.

While I didn't have to eat brown rice gruel in my childhood, mum made me finish a bowl of oatmeal porridge before I left for school every morning. Oh, how I hated it! But now I thank her for my strong bones.

It's strange how I'm beginning to embrace the food that I used to avoid. It's probably a sign of aging. I've acquired a taste for simpler things. On most days, I adopt a completely vegetarian diet. Sometimes I supplement my dinner with steamed or grilled fish.

For the boys, I make sure they eat a more balanced diet as it's important for their growth. If only I could make them eat a bowl of oatmeal porridge every now and then.

Based on sound medical and nutritional advice not to routinely eat the same foods every day, I should really adopt a more varied diet instead.

My BFF

I chuckled when I read about Paris Hilton testifying in a civil trial involving the box office bomb Pledge This!

The trial is being heard by Chief U.S. District Judge Federico Moreno, who reacted with surprise when Hilton gave him a little wave before testifying. "I've never had a witness wave at me before," the judge cracked.

In another exchange, Moreno was puzzled by the title of Hilton's current reality show, "My New BFF."

"What does that mean?" he said. After Hilton gave the title — "Paris Hilton's My New Best Friend Forever" — the judge remarked "This will be my best case forever."

Without missing a beat, Hilton replied "You're my best judge forever."

I think Paris is a real smart lass. While there are plenty of girls as rich as her, none is as shrewd and clever at making news as her. Who cares if she's really dumb or not, she's on the front page news almost every week!

Thanks to her, now everyone even those living under a rock, knows what BFF is. Soon, the term BFF will be rolling off the tongue of every granny in the USA.

Today I met up with my BFF, that's why I think of Paris. Incidentally BFF and I were in Paris together not too long ago, but that's not what today's post is about.

My BFF is a kind and big hearted person but she's often misunderstood, by me that is. I'm guilty of whinging about how she's often indifferent towards me but in reality there's nothing wrong with her. She's a wonderful girl who calls me whenever she has the opportunity but her work load is so hectic, it makes me look like a slacker.

She only managed to read my e-book today (a week late) and gave me some good suggestions in between her meetings. She encouraged me to forge ahead and never give up. And the whole time I thought she didn't give a hoot.

I realised that I'm the one with the issues. While I love her as a friend and am always very happy to see her, somedays I just can't deal with her success. Instead of focusing on her attributes (she has many), I was busy looking for faults in our friendship, one that has spanned over four decades. How many people have this priviledge to have an enduring friendship like ours?

I want to tell my BFF that I'm sorry for misunderstanding her sometimes. I know she doesn't read my blog (not because she doesn't care about me, she just doesn't have the time and habit to do so), but I cherish her and treasure her as my best friend.

We'll stay Best Friends Forever!