Only the mummies...

(this should've been last saturday's posting. Infront of me STILL stands a snake-like queue of backdated posts. Good Gad!)

Armed with Waitrose cupcakes, grapes and a punnet of strawberries, we commuted to North London for brunch at Val's. With chef du jour, Alan, at the helm of the kitchen, our tummies rumbled hungrily, eager to sample his cooking for the first time.

Alan, it seems, does not only possess a flair for cooking, he also has a flair for blogging his cooking adventures in a way that titillates our tastebuds. By the end of his food postings, we're sucking in GLOBS of saliva, and voraciously wishing we could join him on his gastronomic journeys.

Discontent with eating vicariously through his blog postings, we badgered Val into asking Alan to whip up something (anything!) for us shameless folk.

And dazzle us, he did.

We were treated to an amazing spread - oven-baked ham with curdled milk gravy, chicken liver pâté served with warm sourdough, and sauteed mushrooms. Val made a delicious tuna pasta tossed in pesto, and a refreshing fruit salad. The ham, soaked in its milky gravy, was succulent and baked to perfection. The chicken liver pâté was smooth, creamy, and oh-so-decadent. I'm sure our cholesterol levels sky rocketed that day, not that any of us cared. Alan suggested countering the richness of the chicken liver pâté with pickled cornichons. The saltish sourish flavours from the vinegar-soaked cornichons worked perfectly with the slightly bitter aftertaste of the liver. Divine!

Kids at lunch

After lunch, Val, Ros & I scuttled out of the house, leaving the daddies to take full charge of their scion. We'd negotiated a 'day off' with the dads and were keen to enjoy some 'girly time' with each other, sans kids.

We chose the lengthy shopping strip at King's Road, Chelsea, for our girly outing. With its panoply of high street shops, it was the ideal place to engage in some retail therapy.

Papas United

Mama Sisterhood

Despite the bizzare sunshiney rainy weather, we trudged on, unfazed. We visited VV Roleaux, a craft shop that sells all sorts of notions, we browsed at Warehouse, Oasis, Monsoon, but lingered most at Zara. We stopped for a teabreak at Patisserie Valerie, where we shared family anecdotes, giggled and guffawed, and complained to each other over tea and cakes. But all too soon, it was time for us to return to our familes, and slip back to our mummy roles.

We weren't greedy. A couple of hours was all we needed to rejuvenate, recharge, and rediscover ourselves. As we stepped into Val's house, arms laden with supermarket dinners, I felt (in fact, I think we all did) incredibly moved when our kid(s) charged towards us - leaping into our arms for a cuddle, screaming 'Mummy, Mummy!' - their round faces beaming, genuinely happy to have us home.

It's certainly nice to go out and do things the way we used to before we became mums. Every once in awhile, we need to reconnect ourselves with the other roles that help shape our lives - we're also friends, sisters, wives, daughters.

But of all the roles I've taken on in my life, this 'Mummy' role? It remains my most rewarding to date. And I pray it will always, always be.

Me & them Blogger Mums

The problem with backlog entries is it takes forever to plough through them. I've been storing half-written entries in the 'draft' box telling myself I'll get to them soonish.

Right...

A week has passed and I'm now suffering the repercussion of my own indolent blogging behaviour.

I won't be able to give a blow-by-blow account of what we did on Wednesday because of memory lapse. Also, I'd like to avoid a lengthy entry. So, I'm going to do the next best thing - write them out in (semi) point form?!

Wednesday:

• met blogger mums Val & Luke, Ros & Louisa and Lavigne

These 2 Singaporean mums are the ones I most frequently meet up with in the UK. Ros doesn't live in London so her travelling down to the City was a treat for us all. And because her visits are few and far between, there were a few places she wanted to look up. And that, leads us to our

• First stop - Japan Centre

Cheeks and I met Ros' family at noon to explore the newly-opened Daiso at the Japan Centre in the heart of Picadilly Circus. Unfortunately, the Daiso-priced (1.45pd) selection was extremely dismal - a mere peppering of 'cheaper' household and food items. I did discover, however, that Japanese curry packs, dofu and rice are cheaper there. Sugoii...

• 2nd stop: The Muffin Man

After a quick pit stop at Macca's to pick up Happy Meals for the famished kids, Ros and I hopped onto bus no.9 and made our way to High Street Kensington to meet Val and Luke. I'd surfed the internet for tearooms in the Chelsea area and was directed to 'The Muffin Man' at High St Ken. Whilst the tea was extremely value for money, and the carrot cake I ordered was delish, I thought the tearoom was sorely lacking in ambience. It didn't feel like an English tearoom at all! Ros ordered a coffee cake which turned out to be a huge disappointment - dry, bland, extremely forgettable. Sorry Ros, will choose a better locale the next time. Promise! Perhaps we should have stuck to ordering muffins only...

Ros & her sweethearts

Val and her lil champ

• 3rd stop: Holland Park

After tea, we mums walked our little troops to Holland Park to expend their energy. We needed some time to catch up with each other and the best idea was to have the kids busy themselves, playing. We made the playground our resting ground and chatted on benches while the kids played in the sandpit, went on the play structures, rocked to and fro on the 4-seater spring see-saw etc.

• 4th stop: Whole Foods

I admit, my interest to visit this store stemmed purely from the tabloids. I'd had enough of seeing pictures of Keira Knightley, Gwyneth Paltrow, Posh Spice et al, traipsing fashionably out of the store with Whole Foods reusable bags filled with organic products. I had to check out the store for myself. I would love to go completely organic. If I could. But I can't. My pockets are not deep enough for us to eat organically. So fully-organic meals at the Chan household will have to wait... long, long.

Whilst at the store, I bagged me some rice cakes (2 for 1pd), a scrummy chocolate bar (99p), and... a Whole Foods reusable bag. What can I say? I'm shallow. But hey, I now use that bag while out grocery shopping. And that's the whole point of it, isn't it? Save the environment, lay off the plastics? ;P

After Whole Foods, we parted ways with Val and Luke. Ros and I, together with our girls, made our way to Leicester Square by bus. Ros wanted to buy some pastries for her husband (awww... so sweet!). On the way, we stopped for some quick snaps at Trafalgar Square. Lousia and Lavigne had never taken photos with the famous bronze lions (that surround Nelson's Column) before. So I asked Ros if she'd like to take a couple, just for the memory.

Once at Leicester Sq, we rushed to the bakery, picked up the pastries/buns, made a quick dash into New Loon Moon to search for the chilli I'd tried over at Joanne's. We found it, thankfully, and both Ros and I grabbed a jar each. Then it was home sweet home for all...

++++++

We will miss these 2 families v dearly once we... but I thank God so very much for placing them in our lives.

Oh. Let's not forget I still have to complete my '12 days of Termbreak' ditty: (help!!!)

" On the 4th day of termbreak my mama gave to me - 4 new experiences at 4 new locations, 3 turkish delights, 2 summery dresses, and a choc-caterpillar from Marks&Sparks!"

Pathetic, I know. (Trust me. It gets worse.)

On the 3rd day... she ate CORN.

"On the third day of termbreak my mama gave to me - three turkish delights, 2 summery dresses, and a choc-caterpillar from Marks&Sparks!"

Alright, so I'm cheating a little here. The 'turkish delights' are actually our friends Zubeyde and her 2 lovely daughters, Yasmin, and baby Suheyla. But hey, the 3 of them are Turkish and they are delightful, so technically I'm not wrong. Right? Anyway this is my song so nobody gets to complain about the choice of lyrics!

...

I have been filling Cheeks' termbreak with playdates.

Today, we met up with Zubeyde and kids. We'd arranged to go over to hers for a playdate, and Zubs suggested lunch - maybe try a little home-cooked Turkish cuisine?

Needless to say, I leapt at the offer! (Who wouldn't?)

I've never had real Turkish food before. Other than kebabs. They are a type of Turkish food, are they not? Zubs introduced me to bulgur - a cross between rice and couscous. It was scrummilicious! And apparently, really easy to prepare. According to Zubs, all you need is to:

• fry chopped onions together with tomato paste,
  
• add the bulgur,
  
• add water, (as much as needed to cook the bulgur, similar to cooking rice actually)
  
• salt/pepper to taste,
  
• some dried mint/basil,
  
• let it all simmer till the grains get fluffy
  
• serve!
  

Sedap!

She also let me try Tarhana soup which was hmmm... interesting. It wasn't bad. I just wasn't used to it. Definitely an acquired taste.

Tarhana soup

The kids had the soup for starters, and rice with corn.

Now this I have to document - Cheeks ate corn!!! The yellow kernals were in her mouth! She chewed! (More importantly) She SWALLOWED!!!

Girl who picks on veggies chews on corn

*faint in disbelief*

I really wanted to let out a celebratory yelp. My mind was screaming 'OH.MY.GAWD' in the same irritating, nasal tone as Janice from 'Friends' (don't even ask how, or why. The brain has a mind of its own?). I could've done an impression of a real 'Injun' wardance if I knew the steps.

But no. I had to play it cool. You had corn, eh? Sure. No biggie. Cool. Groovy. Peace out, sista!

It was a 'Thank You God! Hallelujah!' moment. Truly it was.

Now, snaps!

Zubs and me, in GREEN!

With 7MO Suheyla

Yasmin & Cheeks having fun at the playground

Tea buds do Ladurée ...

In part 3 of our continuing 'Tea Buds' series, the fanteastic foursome, Valelee, Saggs, Cheeks & Woof (better known as Luke, but he likes to pretend to be a dog sometimes so let's call him 'Woof' today, shall we?), found themselves in the more upmarket part of London - Knightsbridge, home to the world-famous Harrods department store.

Knightsbridge is the epicentre of the rich and richer, and trawling haunt for fashionistas with a penchant for expensive, high fashion.

As Cheeks and I ambled along Brompton Road, gazing into shopwindows, I chanced on a pretty, pink display at Harrods that featured a joint promotion between Moët et Chandon and Ladurée, the renowned french patisserie. The display made mention that a Ladurée tearoom was located on the ground level at Harrods. I'd never tried Ladurée's famed macarons, much less experience a quintessential french salon de thé, so the idea was extremely appealing. I wasn't sure if Woof and Val'lee would be ok with my suggestion but they were very sweet and obliged, despite having visited Ladurée while on holiday to Paris.

The Ladurée tearoom is situated at the far end of Harrods, through the foodhalls, past the Krispy Kreme counter. It doesn't have a lot of seating and is split to 2 areas - dining in the brasserie, and a 'tea only' section. We were offered a table by the windows by the friendly waitstaff. I was very taken with the pastel-hued surroundings and wall display neatly stacked with giftboxes, tea cannisters and the prettiest satin ribbons you ever did see! A pity photography was not permitted in the tearoom, but under the guise of taking shots of the kids, I surreptitiously snuck in a snap or two, like this one of Woof:

how's THIS for sneaky? heh.

After surveying both menu and the irresistable panoply of pastries at the counter, I laid my bets on Macaron Pommes Caramel, while Val'lee opted for her favourite, Ispahan, which she adores because it contains lychee. We each ordered a pot of tea - Val had Thé Royal aux fruits, a blend of China and Ceylon tea with cornflower and scented with black wildfruits, red berries and flowers, whilst I had Thé Mélange Spécial Ladurée, a delicious blend of orange, rose, vanilla and cinammon. Comforting!

I now understand why Ladurée is a much-lauded patisserie. Unfortunately, I'm an amateur when it comes to writing up a proper food assessment. I have but a tacky hyperbole to describe the moment I bit into my crisp-shelled, apple and caramel filled macaron - I thought I'd died and gone to heaven.

It was gorgeous. Fragrant roasted apples paired with thick, gooey caramel cream. Together, they were a match made in dessert heaven. I was sweetly sated.

Whilst their mums basked in sweet, heavenly decadence, the children entertained themselves by being 'LOUD & LOUDER'; they pretended to call their dads on their mummies' mobile phones, played nicely, then bickered with each other. It was clear they cared nothing for the propriety of the tearoom!

Woof wolfing down his pistachio macaroon

the customary 'after tea' shot

So after taking a last, lingering swig of my tea, we reluctantly left Ladurée and adjourned round the bend to Hyde Park.

Once at the park, the children took off like a bunch of feral monkeys on the loose. They scurried hither and thither, refusing to heed our frenzied hollers directing them to go 'this way!' and 'that'! They made their poor ol' mums run races with them. They pretended to be firefighters, taking turns to use Cheeks' yellow umbrella as a waterhose to put out fires which were 'torching': 1) their mums (!!!), 2) trees, 3) dustbins, 4) postboxes. For the rest of the time, they happily picked up twigs, walked hand in hand, sang silly songs, held private conversations with each other.

They had a GRAND time.

And what of Val'lee and me? We became human icicles.

Damsel in distress, Cheeks, calmly calls Firefighter Woof on
her mobile, then patiently waits to be rescued

not quite lapdancing but there were
pretty nifty lap-patting moves goin' on there!

Tea buds

A cup of tea solves everything.

(age-old British saying)

For a nation that consumes a staggering 165 million cups of tea per day (surpassed only by water), refusing a warm cuppa, when proffered, would almost be considered a sacrilege.

To the English, Tea is comforting, Tea is therapy, Tea is the happy pill for a bad day, Tea is the anti-depressant, Tea is be all and end all of British life.

The consumption of Tea is an experience in itself, and can be heightened by dunking shortbread, rich tea biscuits, hobnobs, digestives, or buttery biscuits. Better yet, Tea is perfect when accompanied by a selection of delectable tea-time nibbles - assorted finger sandwiches, scones, cakes, cupcakes, and the like.

Tea is also better shared with a friend. Friendships can be developed over a hot, milky, comforting cuppa.

After Makiko & Dan returned to Japan, Cheeks and I cut down our visits to tearooms and cafes. It was only when we got to know Val and Luke - who seem to share a similar passion - that we rekindled the weekly jaunts to some cafe-out-there-not-Starbucks.

Together, we began trawling London's best-loved tearooms and cafes. With a greedy vengence!

For the past 3 'playdates' (more like teadates for the mummies, really), we've been to different tearooms/cafes around London. Between sips and chomps, we catch up with each other. And we've kinda begun DVD swopping with each other, mostly tear-jerkers or heart-warming classics. What a bunch of sentimental sops we are!

2 Fridays ago (1 Feb), we caught up at Shipp's Tea Room in Borough, nearish London Bridge. Cozy and exceedingly quaint, the old-fashioned tearoom exudes warmth with its pastel hued walls, country-styled tablecloth, and wooden furniture. I loved the ceiling with its white chandeliars, and pretty array of teacups suspended near the shop entrance. Against the walls were rows of shelves and display cabinets stacked with bone china tea sets. It had the perfect ambience as tearooms go - charming, and inviting.

Then last Fri (8 Feb), we popped over to Ottolenghi, a swanky cafe located in Islington. With its modish interior and vast selection of pastries and savouries, I was sold at the shopfront. Once inside, the cakes did not disappoint. The apple vanilla cake I ordered and Val's chocolate rum were divine.

My teensy weensy grouse on the place? That it lacked a certain...'soul' - something I found more evident at Shipp's Tearoom. Perhaps it was a tad too pristine, too tailored for young, fashionable yuppy types? So whilst I found the pastries pukka, I still prefer a comfy spot to nestle in and while away the afternoon. But I doubt it'll be long before I drop in at Ottolenghi again though. Afterall, I did say the cakes are DIVINE, did I not? :)

the heavenly bevy of beauties

my apple & vanilla cake - gorgeously good

the little chocolate monster!

The Stuffed & The Sulky

Treats, por favor

'Vi hoy a esclavo hacer más de gran alcance que el emperador de Roma!'

And my obviously brilliant riposte:

Si, si, muy bien, gracias, lo hicimos, buonas noches, rapido! and every other friggin Spanish exclamation I picked up from 'Dora the Explorer'!

HA!

The husband is watching 'Gladiator' in español now. I'd like to refer to him in the '3rd person' from now on, if that's alright with you? It is? Oh, I knew you'd understand. Muchos gracias!

We live in strange times.

I, live in strange times, with, I might add, a very strange man.

The choice of Spanish for an English language movie eludes me. He says it's to help him sleep. I say conversing with me should do the trick.

...

And here is where I digress...

In a season where overabundance and overindulgence take precedence, our family has certainly been spoiled rotten with a plethora of treats.

Take for instance, Saturday.

FREE TREAT: We met Yumiko, Yuki, Mari & Kensei at Empire in Leicester Square for a free movie. Yumiko had secured free tickets (from the good people at Dolby. Husband's friends) to the screening of Dreamworks latest animation flick, Bee Movie, and had kindly invited Danielle and me along. This marked Danielle's first experience watching a movie at the cinema, and my 1st ever cinema visit in the UK!

The movie was hilarious! But, I'm going to leave it at that in case I blabber out spoilers.

Post movie, we went for bubble-tea as was Yuki's favourite drink eversince I introduced it to her months back. Mari and Kensei tried it for the very first time. Everyone was bubbly chewy smiley.

And very hyper after.

Yuki & Cheeky

Kensei slurping his Taro pearl milk tea

COMPANY's a TREAT: Hopped onto bus 29 towards Camden for tea at V's. She was leaving for Stockton that evening so was eager to pass her Mabes' & Zach's gifts so they could unwrap them at Christmas. We always enjoy V's company as she's so unpretentious and unwittingly funny. Danielle made herself right at home in V's room - helping herself to pens and whatnots for doodling, strumming Angela's (V's flatmate) guitar and coercing V to sing 'Baa Baa Black Sheep' with her. Repeatedly. And oh, she asked V to show her how to draw people with 'no clothes' after flipping through V's life sketchings. Which, I'm happy to report, V failed to comply.

doodlin'-a-doodlin'

And finally.

SWEET SEXY TREAT: After V's, we returned home to an errant but repentant Papa (who stayed home nursing a hangover brought about by the office christmas party). I wanted to make a fresh batch of Christmas cookies for Val's steamboat do on Sunday so whipped out my cookie cutters and began readying the dough. This time, Papa happily chipped in - probably hoping to absolve himself from his unacceptable drunken stupor which had me fraught with worry and barely 2hrs of sleep! Gaaah!He turned out to be quite the cookie decorator, creating many a 'fanciful' icing embellishment, like this blog-stopper:

There's no mistaking it - my man's bringing sexy back this Christmas. Oh yeah Santa baby yeah...

* realise this doesn't quite explain the excess we've been indulging ourselves in. I'll try to illustrate that in my next blog entry. Probably in español .

(en)Raptured by Richmond

Although it was rather misty & grey, I still think this a pretty shot of the River Thames running through the borough of Richmond.

Cheeks and I ventured to Richmond today to catch up with Cassandra and her baby Gabby. Although we had to endure 2 Line changes, the journey continued largely unfrazzled. Cheeks amused herself doodling princesses, kings with crowns heavily bedecked with jewels, tall pointy towers, and men with long, long, looong beards. There's been a recent obsession with fairytale folk, see.

As Cass walked us from the train station to her house, I took in the sights surreptitiously amidst conversation. Richmond High Street is awash with a hodge-podge of shops - independent speciality shops juxtaposed with mega chainstores, quaint cafes opposing dime-a-dozen coffeechains and fastfood outlets. A fantastic trawling ground, thought I, as we weaved in and out of major streets and minor alleys. Not unlike Northcote Road in Clapham Junction, only bigger.

Rory, Cass' almost 2YO, was away at nursery so Cheeks had full access to his toys. She explored the living room - taking time to acquaint herself with his musical Thomas the Engine, then sighting his masak masak toys, promptly emptied the lot and began playing chef. And once Gabby woke up from her nap, she asked eagerly if the wee babe could play with her.

It was heartwarming seeing her interact with 4mth old Gabby. She took a genuine interest in the sweetpea, stroking her hair and oh-so-puffy cheeks, talking to her in gentle hushed tones, even linking their fingers together the way I do with her when we're reading stories in bed. I think my daughter would like to be a che-che soon. So please God, hear our prayers...

After a comforting meal of spaghetti bolognese (a recipe by River Cottage ?), I took the opportunity to leaf through some of the MANY recipe books Cass has in collection - Jamie Oliver (practically the whole series!), Nigella Express, River Cottage etc. Spoilt for choice, I finally decided on Nigella's, simply because...well, I like her. She is rather pretty, isn't she?

Before we headed for home, Cass brought me to a tea place she likes to frequent called The Tea Box.

It was perfect.

From pretty hanging chandeliars to heavy, wooden antique furniture, the newly-opened cafe offered more than a welcome respite from the blistering cold. Its vast range of teas and irresistable array of home-made cakes made the experience unforgettable. I ordered a Vanilla Black tea which was smooth, sweet and smelled absolutely gorgeous. Each sip from the brew was so warm and comforting, I felt like I was all tucked up, nice and snug, in a woolly blanket. Cheeks nodded off to sleep on the way to the cafe leaving Cass and I to enjoy our cuppas and chat in peace.

As we parted ways, and Cheeks and I made our way slowly back to the station, I took one last lingering look at Richmond and promised myself that I'd be back. Soon.

With its romantic riverwalks, sprawling heath, secluded cafés, and pretty bespoke shops - it's hard not to fall in love with a place like Richmond.

And, another one because it's Christmas...

A League of Our Own

I am trying VERY VERY hard to blog but am finding it difficult to multi-task. You see, I have a slice of my friend Roslyn's pandan cake sitting seductively on a plastic IKEA plate infront of my keyboard. It's squashed up from being in my bag but nevertheless delish. The cake is sooooo good I need all my digits to pinch out bite-sized portions for myself, just so I don't finish it too quickly. But there in lies my dilemma - I want to blog about today's wonderful adventures yet I can't type. Resort to using pursed-up lips to tap on keys? There's an idea...No wait, I can't. Need lips to be ajar as is only passageway to mouth, which, pandan cake must make its descend into. Ok, what about toes? Too challenging. Drats. Hang on, I'll just savour the light green morsels and get back to y'all....soonish.

Ok, have finished 1 of 2 slices of Ros' pandan cake. Darn, am tempted to have the other slice but promised Ros I'd share with Dee. But he doesn't know of cake. Yet. So maybe...? Oh crumbs. Am blogging thoughts. He will know of said cake. Must get rid of evidence somehow.

What?!!

Okok, enough facetious sproutings from me.

Perhaps we should divert our attentions to
THIS.

No prizes for guessing what was served at Ros' today. I imagined myself home, tucking in to my all-time fav local delight at some dingy Al-Amin joint in Bt Timah.

It was that surreal.

Oh I worship you, O Kitchen Goddess disguised as an accomplished SAHM with 2 kids! *katow katow katow*

There are so many nice things to say about today's get-together, it's ironic how I'm finding it difficult to put them down to words. But I'll try.

This morning, Cheeks and I took a South West train from Waterloo station to Surrey for a playdate with our Singaporean friends, Ros & her daughters Louisa and Lavigne. Besides us, Ros had also invited another Singaporean mum, Cassandra and her adorable 4mth old Gabrielle. Ros and Cassandra got to know each other through a thread Ros had created on a Motherhood forum, and they were meeting for the first time today.

Cassandra (or what we can see of her) & her
cherubic little pumpkin, Gabrielle!
I love her pillowy cheeks!

I'll let you read more about our time together here because Ros has put up such a lovely post.

We really enjoyed ourselves, Cheeks and I. Although it was (only) our 2nd meeting with Ros & family, there was a warm familiarity and I found myself completely at ease with them. Conversations were relaxed and ran smoothly, we chuckled over our children's antics, shared mothering woes and nerve-wrecking episodes. And I found myself in complete awe of the ladies - both mothers with 2 kids, surviving well in a foreign land with no family support. I wondered whether I would have been able to cope if I had had no. 2 here.

enjoying a fried rice lunch with Lavigne

Part of the visit included a trial lesson for Danielle at Lavigne's Music and Dance class. Although it was Cheeks' first experience, I was happy to see her uninhibited and game to try all the moves the teacher demonstrated. I hope to find something similar for her in our area - seeing how she enjoyed the session and all - but I haven't seen anything quite like it, really. And that teacher was brilliant. He really engaged both children and adults alike. I was impressed by how he managed to meld everything so seamlessly. The kids were exposed to all sorts of different sounds and instruments, taught to mimick movement and move to a beat, and sing catchy tunes.

After the entertaining lesson, the 4 of us (Cass had to tend to a rather unsettled Gabby, unfortunately) went to pick Louisa up from school, then headed back to Ros' for a quick cup of tea and pandan cake. Before long, we were getting our coats and on the train back to London. It's so true how time whizzes by when you're having fun!

Getting Louisa from school.
She must've been thrilled so many people
came to pick her up!

Louisa & Danielle watching 'The Sound of Music'
and snacking on yummy pandan cake

Now besides Cassandra, Ros has also introduced me to Val, who's in the UK with hubby Alan and very-soon-to-be 3YO, Luke. We first met Val & Luke at Lavigne's party and managed to catch up with them again some 2 weeks back. They ventured to our side of town for a 'exploratory' walkabout so Cheeks and I took them to some of our haunts - the pond where we feed the geese at the Common (sorry 1 nipped you, Val!), showed them our usual walking routes. We enjoyed a chat over a curry lunch at an Indian eatery nearby, and had a cuppa at Starbucks. They also stopped by our flat to shelter from the blustery winds, and warm up over a cup of tea. I feel blessed knowing another little family - better yet, a Singaporean one - and look forward to calling at Val's soon! (actually, I will! This Saturday, YAY!)

our day with Val and Luke,
beginning at the Common, feeding the bold & snappy geese!

Val reading Thomas to the kiddos

Some thoughts on Ros...

Her sincere desire to reach out to Singaporean mums here is truly - for lack of a better word - commendable. Being a SAHM herself, she understands how lonely it can sometimes get - how frustrating and lost a woman can feel being away from family and friends - so she takes it upon herself to look out for, and get to know other Singaporean mums living in the UK, then connect them.

Before I knew her, I didn't know of any other SAHM from Singapore. We joined SUKA but even that couldn't connect me to other Singaporean mums in the way Ros has. She has made, all of us who know her, part of a coterie - one that shows promise of meetup sessions, playdates for the kids, and chats with someone who knows exactly what you mean when you say you miss 'bar chor mee' . Even though we don't know each other all that well yet, just knowing there's someone from our home country who's in the same boat as us, fighting similar battles, experiencing the same joys and fears, is somewhat... comforting.

I am also in constant awe of Ros' boundless energy. Besides caring for her 2 daughters and hubby, she still finds time to blog, read blogs, do digital scrapbooking, and is adept at baking, cooking and gardening. She truly is a rare find.

People like Ros ought to receive awards for being the wonderful, generous people they are. But doing that would somewhat denigrate their efforts, and make it look like they're out for recognition and personal glory. Ros, you are so deserving of a stone-carved plague that expounds your many achievements as wife, mother, friend. But I have none to give you. Instead, I offer you my friendship and hope it blesses your life as much as yours has blessed mine.

Have a safe and fruitful trip back to SGP! See you when you get back. Steamboat!

+++++

Ohoh, and another thing! It's my gorgeous girl, Mabes' bday today. And Pekpek's too! Happy Birthday to you both! Muack muack muack!

The Beautiful and the beautiful

McHoratio recruits yet another defenseless spawn
for his crime-fighing pursuits!