Found mâche!

A favourite salad base that la belle-mère uses is mâche (corn salad in English, a far less enchanting sounding name, if I may say so) a variety of the honeysuckle family. 

I love it - its taste is mild but still tasty, with just a slight crunch and texture to bring interest as well as stand on its own, and grows in cute little bunches of roundish leaves, in the prettiest shade of light/lime green. I was rather woeful at the end of my trip, as I don't recall ever seeing it here in Singapore shops.

Back home, I was mighty pleased to find that I was able to procure it from Le Petit Depot, my trusty source of all the European groceries I miss. And as most things on this dependable site, it was reasonably priced (same or slightly cheaper than my standard spinach/arugula mix in the local supermarkets) and offered in very easy 120g packets. Score. I gleefully added 2 different brands to my cart, alongside some of my standard orders from the grocer. 

I believe this is the most excitement I've ever felt over vegetables, hahaha. But I really do love my greens, and salad is a staple in my home meals, so this was indeed worth squealing over. :D

Split the first packet over two meals now, one as a side to accompany some grilled chicken and pasta, and another as a meal in itself together with tuna, sunflower seeds, dressed simply in a mustard/olive oil dressing with just a dash of salt and pepper. It was most satisfying, heh.

Je l'adore!

 

The siege of jetlag

One of the few trivial things in life that have the ability to faze me is jetlag - as previously mentioned, I sleep well and also easily, and truth be told, I secretly (well, not anymore now that I'm sharing it here) think that sleep is a waste of time. Even over doing nothing, or rather, especially over doing nothing. 

So whenever I suffer any form of insomnia, I get SUPER grumpy.

Conversely, whenever I managed to hack jetlag during/after my travels, I'm exceptionally gleeful. It's like cheating fate, you know? 

The trick I've found, is that if you manage to adjust your sleep during the journey home, to the destination timezone, you can pretty much adapt within a day to the normal sleeping hours of the updated hours. But miss that crucial window, and you will be doomed to contend with it for at least five to seven days.

Alas, this last trip was not one of those where I managed to dodge the dread of the body obstinately refusing to register the updated timezone that it's now located. So for just over a week now, I've been hit by waves of sleepiness in the late morning to noon period, energy crash in the early evening, and then the eyes and brain being annoyingly awake from midnight through to the early morning. I feel like I'm hungover half the time, except that I didn't even have any fun imbibing alcohol, so it's pretty much the cost without the actual procurement. Zzzz. No fun. 

Thankfully, it's finally seeming to fade away so I'm feeling less like a zombie now. 

And no matter how tortured I was, it's still worth dealing with, for no matter how long or fleeting the time was, to cross borders into somewhere else, foreign or familiar. That's the travel bug woes I'm ever willing to shoulder. :p

Testing a new route

Trying out a new routine, just to see if it helps me establish some habits that I keep wanting to reinstate in my life, only to fail time and again.

My main weakness is simply that of my own. The lack of self-discipline and will, to do what I need to, and not just give in to all manners of senseless distractions that deliver no value whatsoever. 

So rather than trying to leap straight to a disciplined routine, I decided that what I need might just be to put myself in a situation where I am much less likely to be distracted. 

If I can't get to my destination via this same route that I keep taking and wandering from, then perhaps this roundabout, apparently less efficient one might work. Getting there using more time and effort is better than just not getting there at all, no?

So here I am, sitting at a coffeehouse, plugged into my earphones and drafting my first blogpost in five months. 

It feels good. It feels hopeful. Let's hope it sticks. 

I may have to finally stop judging people who sit at cafes with their laptops. And acknowledge they are the true wise ones who knew better all along. 

Surprise supermarket find

Chanced across this in the chilled foods section while browsing the aisles of Meidi-ya at Liang Court, and had to give it a try. Eggs are one of my dietary staples and faves, and chawanmushi has to be among the top eggy dishes I favour.

It's quite legit! Has the same silky custardy texture that the usual restaurant versions have, just that I was having it cold (was too lazy to heat up LOL), but it was still really yummy.

Heh, perfect for those days when I just want to have sashimi, some cold edamame (available from the same mart, just wash straight out of the packet and sprinkle some salt!), glass of ocha (or sake). Yay. Simple fuss-free meal done.

💖

Not vain enough

"Is that even possible?" Some of you close to this vainpot may wonder, reading this title. Heeheehee.

Afterall, I am a self-proclaimedaware one. The many habits I have due to this trait has been prevalent since I was a toddler (probably also when I was an infant but I haven't heard any anecdotal evidence, and I can't remember that far back, so let's just say it started since I was really conscious of my appearance). I have long since accepted that I care about how I look and present myself, and fully embrace that most of the time.

Those last few words are critical, because I have a theory: Not all vainpots are made equal. Some are more vain than others, and what we are vain about differs.

For instance, as much as I like to look good, most days than not, I barely bother with putting on much makeup on a daily basis - sure I do the basics like fill in my barely there brows, swipe on some lippie, and if I'm feeling diligent I will put on some eyeliner, just so I look presentable. To me that's basic courtesy to fellow humans around me, not even about looking good.

That's not the same as the next vainpot who spends half an hour or more in the morning to put on proper makeup, such that when you look at her in the morning, you see someone who takes proper pride in her appearance, and cares enough about how they look to actually devote time to beautify themselves.

By the same vein (hehehe) of logic, I care enough about makeup and sometimes fashion to make the effort on those fronts. But for the life of me, as much as I admire people who can style their hair in a variety of looks - curls, braids, buns, accessories etc, I can never quite muster up the effort to do anything about my hair, beyond what's practical or functional. I keep wanting to, because I think it always looks so chic whenever one puts just the merest effort with their tresses, but I never really get round to actually mastering anything elaborate.

There really isn't a rhyme or logic to this post, just my random musing inspired by my hair which was done for a recent dance performance, where I got it professionally styled, then looked at the results, and bemoaned my lack of interest to learn how to do this myself. "Not vain enough," I tsked. :o

Nice right?? Sigh

Cultivating a green finger

Back in March when AB's parents visited, they noticed our empty planter area, and thought that we can do with a touch of life added to the area. AB's mum being a huge plants lover, headed out to the garden markets and came back with some six pots of orchids, gardenia, and fern-like leafy things. "He likes orchids!" she explained, and states that contrary to common perceptions, they are not that delicate nor high maintenance, and in fact the biggest danger to them is actually over-watering. Hahaha.

I have to say, that was reassuring to know, because frankly, I know literally next to nothing about keeping plants alive. I vaguely remember helping my mum water some plants with the water left over from rinsing rice (which I'm still not sure if it's the right thing to do) some 30 odd years ago, but that's about the amount of botanical experience I had. Not to mention that both AB and I travel quite frequently for work, so you can imagine the trepidation I felt about having the responsibilities over these newly acquired living things weighing on my shoulders.

Fast forward some nine months later, I'm happy to report that both the plants and I are still happy and alive. Additionally, for a person who always thought herself to be ambivalent towards flora and green, I found myself strangely fascinated with cultivating these inanimate living things. They really did liven up our living space, despite my initial skepticism. Also, there's an odd sense of delight that comes with spotting flower buds, and the spark of joy that flares when those buds bloom so elegantly, often when you least expect them to (eg after you were unable to water them for a week or so while travelling). It's a great lesson in respecting the natural timing of the universe indeed - that effort does not always reap the results you desire, and oftentimes, things will unfold when it's the right time. Shrugs. C'est la vie. It's all part of the beauty of life I guess.

Ultimately, as much as I have come to appreciate and adore these pretty beauties of nature, I don't see myself becoming an avid gardener. I may add some more blooms of my choice or preference when and if I have more space, but it's all also based on the level of commitment and time required.  So let's see how this budding relationship (hurhur) goes.

New-ish love

Making breakfast

I don't have much of an appetite for breakfast in the morning - most days, all I really need to function is a strong cup of black coffee (americano or kopi-o gao) and I am a happy camper for the day.

That said, I do have a weakness for soft-boiled eggs, and I have found that they are quick and easy to make as part of my routine for getting ready, to pack and have alongside the coffee while I arrive at the office. There's a certain comfort in having them as I go through the emails or my task list, starting my work day.

happy eggs

Not to mention they cost a fraction of what I would pay buying them at the foodcourt with my coffee. LOL. #cheapo

The bizarre love affair

I took this happy OOTD and sent it to the bestie. Love this pair of comfy capri leggings which may not be the most flattering pair I own, but definitely ranks high on the list of those which just brightens my mood wearing them.

Flashback to just two years or so back, when I remember famously whinging on Instagram the possibility of having to don a pair of leggings for my very first dance performance. I actually went to H&M to try on leggings to try and desensitize my repulsion towards them.

Such a drama queen, eh. 

Who would have guessed that within months, I would start slowly liking the feel and look of leggings. And that this piece of active wear which I used to cringe at, would now be a staple in my sportswear wardrobe?

It just shows how fickle my brain is. Or perhaps, it's just fashion doing its usual, when something takes off in popularity, the variety and choices available then expands such that it's much easier to find a cut or fit that flatters. #stilltryingtoselfjustify

Heh. *shrugs*

I likey :)

Seeking space

blue and white

Whenever the brain gets cluttered with tasks and various (adulting) projects, I subconsciously seek out wide expanses of air or water. Somehow, staring into all that free space helps to settle the thoughts a bit, as if that external room to breathe helps provide the allowance to reorganise and tidy up the internal clutter.

I suppose that explains my obsession with collecting shots and shots of cloudscapes and sea-side views whenever I travel. Heh.

Breathe, and reset.

Trying pre-workout

Been reading up and studying sports nutrition and supplements more extensively, in a bid to learn more about how I might be able to use some of these - in moderation - just to give a mini boost to my exertions.


Nothing crazy, but really just curious to test out how some of these might help give better results. Still not going into the whole creatin/casein shebang, but just venturing a bit more into BCAAs for muscle recovery, and the continued quest for a yummy protein shake that doesn't come with dodgy long lists of chemicals in their ingredients.


So after hearing mixed reviews on the effectiveness of pre-workouts, I bit the bullet and bought a pack of it to try out. Picked this one that had some good reviews on the taste and ingredient mix, and tested out a small shot of it before my run today.


Pretty much like a fruit punch so no issues with the taste. I was conservative with the serving size too so it didn't make me feel like jumping out of my skin, but gave that nice buzz that I sometimes feel, that slight antsy feeling which just makes me feel like getting to move and do something, anything but stay slouched over my keyboard and desk.


Verdict? Pretty positive, and I'm keen to see how much it will help to get over that dreaded inertia of starting a workout. Now to make sure I don't succumb to the inertia of fixing this up too! Haha.

Cheers

My funny cat mug

Coffee and Meow

One of those random purchases from Typo some time back (I love that shop for all these nonsense fun stuff!), and still one of my favourite things. A cute black coffee mug in the shape of a cat's head.

Just one of those little things that make me smile, always a great start (or break) to the day when I have my coffee. It makes my mediocre instant coffee taste 10 times better, so I consider this a great purchase that's returned many times its value. :D

Weekday lunch staples: 饭桶版 (rice bin mode)

Another go-to for my lazy take-away options

Been patronising this "mixed vegetable rice" stall in the foodcourt located in the office building for almost as long as I have been with the firm, and it's one I will certainly miss, too. While nearly every food court or hawker centre here in Singapore will have at least one stall offering this - an array of various vegetables, meats and seafood dishes for selection with rice or porridge, it's actually not easy to find one which doesn't douse its dishes with too much oil or MSG/salt, and vary their repertoire often enough that on nearly any given day you can find a nice variety that you can choose from.

This is not the cheapest dining option in the foodcourt, but I like it simply for the fact that you get much more fibre and protein than most other local food options. It's always a no-brainer on days when I crave some rice and cooked food, over the healthy greens and browns of my preferred salad bars. It's less healthy for sure, but at least I know I'm getting a good dose of my required veggie intake for the day, since my selections comprise of at least two greens. Plus those curry sauces always go so well with the rice. Heehee.

Rant: Unspoken rules

I was livid earlier last week, and hated it. Not for my anger (some displeasures are warranted if one's principles or priorities are compromised), but more because it reflected a poor call of judgment on my part, and even more because the party who caused it was so nonchalant that it made me question myself if I was being petty.

So here is the petty tale:

A colleague returned me a paperback I had loaned her some nine months ago, with the poor book looking much worse for wear than the condition in which I had passed it to her. Sure, it wasn't in mint condition, but I was also dead sure it didn't look like I had dropped it in a bath or tossed it into an empty check-in luggage for a 20-hour flight with three layovers in between.

The woman didn't even had the cheek to pass it back to me in person, but left it on my desk while I was away.

And we sit in the same room, mind you.

W.T.F.

When I first saw the book on the table, it had taken a good five seconds to recognise that this piece of giam cai (dialect for salted mustard, a Chinese pickle that look like what a leafy veggie would look if you soaked it in brine for months - all wrinkly and scrunched up) is the book that I had, against my better judgment, loaned to her. You see, I am quite the selfish bookworm, I only lend my books to my closest friends. However, during a random chat, she was raving about the movie adaptation and how she really wanted to read the original book that the film was based on, and I thought, no harm since it wasn't exactly a prized possession. One should be a friendly colleague and trust other humans sometimes.

Big mistake. Pfft.

The aftermath: I spent a good half day texting and ranting about this to my closest galfriends, who were obviously equally appalled, and that helped soothe the ire a little - just this reassurance that I wasn't overreacting. These are people who take great care of their books, and handle loans with even more care and painstaking caution, from putting them in ziplock bags if they are commuting with these, to replacing a book if they so much as accidentally bent a tiny corner.

I started to understand why they say "Your vibe attracts your tribe." This was my tribe true and true, the fist-shaking bunch of book-lovers who cry murder if you deface a book with no good reason.

If you are shaking your head in bafflement while reading this post, please let me know. Not so I can explain to you the intricacies of what is wrong, but because we really need to reconsider our friendship (if I know you in real life). If we don't know each other, you can assure yourself that I am one of those annoying OCD types who is not worth knowing. :D

But yes, there you have it. There are unspoken rules that you may breach unknowingly in situations like these. There is no defense in saying "You didn't tell me this was unacceptable", simply because it is considered such a basic form of courtesy or respect for another being, that I didn't expect it necessary to state the conditions for a book loan.

If you don't understand that, you probably never will. *shrug*

And that's my petty tale. The irony? A few days later, a dear friend returned me a book she had loaned from me some 12 years ago. We used to see each other more often, but our busy schedules and her new and young family just made catching up much rarer in recent years. Yet, the book, which had gone through two house moves and raising three little infants/toddlers, was in the exact condition that I had passed it to her more than a decade ago.

You see now why I love my friends? 💕💕💕

Love comes in many forms

Yummy chirashi

Lunching at Nude has become almost like a "thing" for the darling galfriend and I when we do our weekday lunch dates. This angel hops by to catch up over lunch hour nearly every week whenever our schedules allows, and we often come here due to the trusty quality of the fare here. The lunchtime crowd can be pretty busy, but by now, we know what's the ideal window to pop by for minimal waiting time for food and seats. Heh. :p

Now that countdown to my current position is ticking away, and the new office will be in a different part of the CBD (and I know I am too lazy to walk over for a fix), am having as much of it as I can. Love. 

Hello Kitty flight!

I was extremely tickled to get on one of the famed Eva Air/Sanrio flights coming back from Taiwan to Singapore. AB's mum was amazed and went trigger-happy with everything from the façade to the interior and the meals throughout the flight. She also surreptitiously collected a small pack of the various small decor and items (nothing that wouldn't have been disposed of post flight anyway, of course) for her little imp of a granddaughter who is a huge HK fan (yes, she gets exposed and access to these all the way in Europe, that's the reach of this mouthless kitty!).

Me? I was thrilled but not squealy, just gleefully taking various snaps of the merchandise (and the horror of the Hello Kitty embossed toilet paper!) for records. I did sneakily asked for a pack of poker cards for keepsake. :p

All in all, it made for a cheery end to this much needed break, thanks for the memories Taiwan, am sure I will see you again.

The plane in all its glory

Pastel cabin!

Donkey fits right in

A friendly kitty that is not making rude signs

Very decent toiletries

Oh the horror

Green, brown and yellows

Not my favoured colour palette usually, but there's just one exception when this combination brings me lots of smiles and joy.

Specifically when I am tucking into a delicious hearty lunch post gym session, with all these colours in their naked glory - fresh, unadorned and undressed. Mmm hmm. 

These salads from The Daily Cut impress with their generous and tasty protein options that definitely fill you up. In fact, I seldom get them on days that I don't work out - it almost feels like I haven't done enough to need such a hearty meal! Also their dedication to taste never fails to impress, even with my mediocre tastebuds, I can tell that they are constantly working to make their selections appetising without compromising on being clean and natural with their cooking. When even their tofu taste good, you know these peeps mean business. 

A happy meal, everytime. Also because when I have these for lunch, it meant that I made it to the gym for a workout. Double win. ;)

All my faves! And no, I don't eat with a pen, heh.

The self-praise expert

The other day, AB skimmed through my Luxembourg entries and couple more of my posts, then sniggered, "Your blog is mostly about you saying how great you are and how much you like being by yourself and being in your own head!"

Pfffft. He remarked that in half-jest, and I didn't take offense (used to his so-called sense of humour by now), but then when I checked through my posts, those are definitely recurring themes. :p

Hmmm.

For a nano second, I seriously pondered if I was perhaps one of those deluded narcissists who think they are nice well-loved individuals but actually deplorable self-centred nuisances.

My conclusion? I'm just a well-adjusted introvert who has a healthy dose of self-awareness, and prefers to see the positive in everything, herself included.  Pretty certain that these positive thoughts are way better than reading rants and grouses, no? At least so far, I've yet to hear any complaints about my self-exhortations. In fact most of my friends love me enough to even further fan those affirmations. *raises brows*

Then, there's that age-old argument that "It's my space so I have full right to decide what I write about." You, dear reader on the other hand, equally possess the right to choose not to read if my content irks you for whatever reason. I've always believed that to be the basis of a writer-reader relationship. So there. #sorrynotsorry

Ah well, I guess that's what you get when an introvert is dating an extrovert, we give each other the opportunity to see what it's like on the other side of the spectrum. ;)

Homemade apple cake!

AB's mum is quite the quintessential domestic goddess that I couldn't even dream of becoming. I had witnessed her prowess as a hostess in Luxumbourg, keeping her home in tip top condition while cooking and preparing a dizzying amount of food with barely any repetition. I should also mention that for lunch and dinner nearly everyday that we were there, she prepared three different versions of dishes, to cater to varying nutritional and dietary needs. Impressive is an understatement to describe her aptitude as a hostess.

Here on vacation, she declared leisurely over breakfast that she felt like baking a cake. "Nothing complicated," she said, just a "simple apple cake" for us to have for tea one of these days. She waved her hands dismissively, "I will get some ingredients from the supermarket, just show me what you have in the kitchen."

O_O That was the moment I knew how far away I was from her on the dom-goddess scale. I can't imagine ever thinking of baking anything during a vacation. Not even slapping spoonfuls of ready-made cookie dough onto a baking sheet and chucking it into an oven. Baking are special projects I embark on as assignments for myself once in a very blue moon. If I could, I would probably have shrank into a tiny kitchen elf and slunk away in dejection at my unworthiness.

But I don't animate (thankfully), so I just gave a weak smile and showed her where the flour, sugar and scale were. She smiled, "Cést parfait! I will get the rest." She winked.

And so a few days later, we had this beautiful cake sitting on the dining table. A generous piece was cut and served to me. The aroma of the apples reached my nose as I lifted the first bite to my mouth, and the cake tasted gorgeous. It wasn't very sweet at all, which was perfect, and the chunks of Granny Smiths lent a nice balance with its subtle tartness too. This was a cake made with pleasure and I was almost certain I could taste that, too. The coffee and conversations that afternoon around the table were the perfect accompaniment to it.

When I gushed my appreciation, she helpfully wrote down the recipe for it - four ingredients in total, and really straightforward measurements too. Alright, it looks doable enough - I might just make it one of my special projects this year.

New gym buddy!

So chuffed that the dear galfriend finally caved and signed up to be a member at the gym I go to. Whee!! How fun.

The woman, who has a willpower of steel has managed to stay resistant to the lures of this awesome "cult" (her words, not mine) for months. She's heard me raving about this wonderful place I race to during lunchtime and whenever I could squeeze in time, then subsequently when her partner joined the same gym and morphed into an even more avid gym-goer than he already was. I guess that piqued her curiosity even more and when the new outlet opened with her favourite Pilates Stott machines, it kinda sealed the deal.

Was amused to see and hear all the classes she's been signing up for. For some reason, she never struck me as a "group class" person - this lady doesn't like to waste time so individual classes afford her the maximum she can get out of an hour or so. I guess it speaks volumes on the quality of the instructors available at the gym.

Quite frankly, neither of us are the type who needs an actual gym buddy for our workouts. We don't do heavy weights that require someone to help "spot" the exercises, nor do we need a "gym date" to motivate ourselves to go for our workouts. But it's just fun to be able to book classes for each other, and once in a while when our schedules tee up, attend a class together, or head there to do our separate training, then reconvene for a coffee or meal thereafter.

I just love that we have yet another option for our catch-ups, other than the usual weekday lunches, the bar, and/or theatre or other random activities. Heh.

Playing tourist: An evening by the Marina

As luck (or Murphy) would have it, this first week that AB's parents are here, he was scheduled at the last minute for a week-long business trip. o_O While he had said it's fine to let them self-entertain, it just didn't feel right to leave them alone while I do my own stuff. In any case, I had nothing of huge importance that I needed to do by myself, so was happy (though slightly nervous) to keep them company for a week. 

Luckily as mentioned before, they are very independent, mostly taking their time to relax and explore town and the areas nearby in the day, so I only really needed to meet them in the evening for dinner, after which we usually just went back and retire for the night.

One afternoon, they decided to explore Gardens By the Bay, with the plan to catch the Garden Rhapsody show that was featured at the Supertree Grove area. Since my office was in that area, I trudged over to join them for the 7.45pm show before dinner.

It was quite a spectacle - I had never watched it upclose before, having only caught glimpses of it the previous week while having drinks at one of the rooftop bars in the vicinity. Viewing it upclose, complete with the music that accompanies the show, was an experience. There was obviously some thought on the song selections - this particular one we caught was part of the "Journey Through Asia" theme, which featured recorded songs that are supposedly representative of the region, the likes of Bengawan Solo, Singapura, 夜来香, performed by local artistes. Not entirely certainly that the sound system did their voices justice, and the lights on the Supertrees were choreographed to coincide with the music being played, so there were quite a bit of flashing lights, ombre colour changing, pretty dramatic to watch. It kinda reminded me of the "fancy" electronic lanterns of my childhood years, also with flashing lights and music, except this was on a much grander scale. Not sure how I felt about that, really.

The entire session lasted about half an hour, and AB's parents were utterly charmed by it, and I was glad to hear that. This was quite a unique experience for them, they found the light display really creative, an it was fascinating to hear the songs in various languages.

After the show, I walked with them briefly through the part of the Gardens we were in - we do have a very lovely and well maintained garden full of luscious plants in a gorgeous array of greens, reds, pinks and violets. We then proceeded to Marina Bay Sands for a quick dinner at the food court for them to sample more local food, before heading home on a nice quiet bus ride home, a treat to my ears and eyes after the psychedelic assault earlier on.

All in all, it was a worthwhile evening - I wasn't interested in the show nor how I felt about it - that wasn't my objective in watching it. I was much more interested in making sure that AB's parents are enjoying their time here, so in that aspect, it was time well spent.

A pretty sight before the show.