Sweet Potato Breakfast

A simple breakfast with sweet potato which I steamed prior to grilling it. On top of it, I smeared some peanut butter and topped it with some berries. Breakfast was ready.

She

Have you ever given a thought of who loves you the most in this whole wide world? I definitely have.  The answer for me would not be my mother, because she has gone to a better place, joining my father and accompanied by my sister.  If she is still around, so naturally, the answer would be my mother, a woman who amazingly survived and raised nine kids after my father died at merely 48 years old. I am not sure how anyone could go through this kind of ordeal, having a five-month old baby girl as the youngest child and having an oldest son of only 20 years old.  She also had no job and nobody that helped. Everyone was afraid to get close to us as they were frightened to be put in a situation requiring them to give us assistance. It was extremely challenging, but she faced the challenges the best she could. My young teenage brothers rose to the occasions and took charge.  We were all properly educated and we never starved. God works wonder, constantly.

It does not have to be on Mother's day or her birthday to think of her.  While there are always exceptions to the rule, mothers deeply care of their children, beyond any children can possibly imagine. Whether they were helpless babies or independent adult sons or daughters. It doesn't matter whether they chose to care about her or simply ignore her for most of the time. Irregardless how they have loved or hurt her. It's extremely difficult to break mother's love, it takes so much more than horrible fights and hurtful words aimed at her. 

I was reading a quote below and reminded of my mother, a woman who never scolded me for once, but I still turned out alright. “SHE holds the hand to help you in your First Step,
She is your First Teacher,
SHE holds your hand when You Fall Down,
SHE is the one who guides you in Life,
SHE hides you from all Trouble,
SHE is sometime Mentor,
SHE even nurses you when you Fall ill,
SHE gives you the confidence,
SHE never give False Appreciation,
SHE is the one who will scold you the most on your mistake,
She is the one who even Fight for you when you are right,
SHE is the one who believes in you when others do not,
SHE is the one who Loves you even if You don't love her,
SHE is the one who gave you LIFE,
Do You know Who is 'SHE'??
'SHE' is Mother your own MOM...”

― Debolina Bhawal

Dim Sum At Imperial Nan Bei

It was raining and I started thinking about xiao long bao.  We made plan for the next day to have them. DH, as usual, picked the place that he likes so much, Imperial Nan Bei at Ngee Ann City.  I would pick a different place for this lunch. He thinks the dim sum here is good. I believe, there are other places with good dim sum as well. Agree to disagree.

We had a few other dishes as well including trying their water chestnut cake (the last picture in the bottom) for the first time. 

Little Girl With Two Ponytails

It was another day in September, Singapore's haze was a common sight. It was warm and humid, it was grey just like most days here.  I was waiting for my appointment and decided to sit by the playground. My eyes caught the sight of a little girl, maybe two years old, walking with her mother by her side. She had two ponytails, looking so much like the girls that I used to know. It suddenly hit me right in the chest, I felt a little pain there and I started thinking of my little girls.

I started to remember how adorable they were at that age. How much they loved and adored me too. How I got lots of hugs and kisses from them. How they always wanted to be near me, to be with me. They wanted to sleep with me and they looked for me when they woke up. How they cried and looked for me when they were hurt. I was their world. The only one. 

They laughed over little things. Nobody had to prove that they were smarter than others. Sadness was wiped away easily. Laughter burst just like that.  We giggled, we laughed out loud over simple things.

Flowers were beautiful, butterflies were gorgeous. Being princess were their dreams. Pink, purple and yellow were their colors. Not black. Not white. 

They were a lot of work but they never hurt me with their actions and their words. Everything was simple and straightforward. No misunderstanding, no complications. There's no need to think hard of choice of words, no big words coming from their little mouth. 

Those times. Those precious moments. The ones that I could never get back. 

Being Misunderstood

A single moment of misunderstanding is so poisonous that it makes us forget the hundred lovable moments spent together within a minute. -  unknown 

... and I have been misunderstood too many times. I am doomed.

In my defence, I'd say, I am responsible for what I write and say, but not what you understand.

Matcha Chia Pudding

Chia pudding is cooling and soothing and with added fruits, it becomes such a nice and healthy breakfast. It doesn't require cooking, but simply mixing liquid and the chia seeds the night before and by morning, it would be ready for consumption. 

Unfortunately it can't wipe away sadness and broken hearts. Maybe someday,  someone will be able to make a pill to cure them. Dream big! 

My Existence

Too many times I forget that I exist when you need something from me.

Prawn Fried Rice

Making fried rice is easy and quick, I wonder why I don't do it more often. This one was with prawn, carrot and sliced spring onions.

Life Lesson

Making mistakes is part of life and part of growing up and growing old and how we learn.  We fall, we get up and we move on. 

I am in the position to take care of your welfare, the job, by default, I have.  I let you do things your way and make minor mistakes. Because you need to learn. Because you need to grow up.

I, however, have to do the best I possibly can, to prevent you from making major mistakes in your life.

You do not need to learn everything the hard way. There are better ways to live life. 

Hide Yamamoto Lunch

The three of us went to Hide Yamamoto at MBS for lunch. The online review about this place seem to be favorable. DH had dined here before and obviously he liked it and he wanted us to have try their  food as well.

Miss K and I selected their $68 lunch. DH selected a couple of ala carte dishes, some of which did not have their pictures taken.

Our first course from the set lunch was Appetizer. There were three kinds, all of which were not our cup of tea, they were not anything we'd like to have.

Their sushi was so much better. They were nicely done and quite delicious. Miso soup was.... like any other miso soup, nothing spectacular and not memorable. I can't remember how it was like.

DH ordered Futomaki, there were eight pieces of them. He knew ahead of time that we would not be able to finish them and we took the rest home. Their futomaki is one of the better ones that I have had.

He also had a bowl of ramen and made me tasted the broth. I did not find it extraordinary, maybe other people like it better than I do.

Last course was our ice cream dessert. It was basically matcha ice cream. Done.  I was still craving for more food. 

I don't believe it's worth the price we paid and the effort we made to go there. It's good to have tried, because now I know.