Naomi Ishiguro's 'Escape Routes'

I didn't feel like buying a hard copy of Naomi Ishiguro's 'Escape Routes' (2020). Waited for the e-book to be released—that never happened fast enough, so I reserved a hard copy from our trusty National Library, and had to wait three weeks for the one of the three available copies to be returned so that I could borrow it. 

The nine short stories drew on the world of fairy tales and that itself is enough to make me give it a go. The annoying thing, it's first published in a hard copy, and this means a hefty book that I might not appreciate on the limited shelf space. A borrowed read from the library is the best. Thankfully, short stories tend to make most books bearable. (Reviews here, here and here.)

The opening story 'Wizards' didn't draw me in. It was all over the place, gave me details that I didn't feel I needed. Perhaps the author wanted to paint the thoughts and inner worlds of the ultimate two protagonists Peter and Alfie, but it was just a tad too much. I feel that these stories are not exactly fairy-tale-like. Neither are they fantasy. It's at best, surreal. But what do I know? There must be tremendous pressure in carrying this surname and also calling herself a writer when her father is Kazuo Ishiguro. In an interview with The Guardian on 1 February, 2020, the author explained why she chose her debut book to be filled with whimsical short stories.

I’ve always liked short stories, because I’ve always liked fairytales and folk tales, and Angela Carter has been a huge thing for me. I’m always influenced by kids’ stuff as well – it’s a refusal to grow up properly! Also I love music, and short stories are like songs – so I think of an anthology like an album.

I skipped stories and consecutively read 'The Rat Catcher I', 'The Rat Catcher II: The King', and 'The Rat Catcher III: The New King and the Old'. These stories are spread out and interspersed between others. I took a chance and read three back-to-back. Luckily I did. I wouldn't have wanted to re-read two stories all over again just to get to the third. They're connected, and are a continuation of one another. I'm not sure what element of narrative surprise there is by not putting them one after the other, or putting them into one story with three chapters.

Okay lah. These stories are somewhat similar to fairy tales. Not totally so. There's a little moral tale in each. Naomi Ishiguro's writing isn't as stuffy as her father's. I would read her future writing just to be sure! This debut collection of short stories is promising. 

I love 'Bear'. Hahaha. It's essentially a silly giant cheap stuffed toy Bear some village auction sold to the protagonist and his wife for £65. The wife was totally enamored with the bear; the husband was skeptical and tried his best to accommodate his wife and the stuffed toy. Over time, it took centerstage in the couple's lives. The wife moved it around the house. It became the focal point of the husband's insecurities and unease. Spoiler- the bear isn't alive; there isn't a supernatural element to it either. It's not so much a story about a bear, but rather the growth of the couple as a unit, or the lack of understanding after the honeymoon bliss and the newly-wed years. 

What was it about his presence that caused me such profound difficulties? It couldn't simply be my dislike of his fundamental uselessness. I even forced myself to consider, during one of those too-hot summer nights, lying next to my silent wife, whether I was somehow jealous of the bear? And yet, as I stared hard at his woven, smiling snout and at the worn-out stitching on his shoulder, I simply couldn't understand how such a pointless creature could provoke such a passionate emotion.

It wasn't until the next morning - as my wife was pouring out the coffee and smoothing back my hair with an expression almost like concern - that I realised precisely what it was about the bear that truly troubled me. 

'The Crown' :: Season 4

I firmly ignored 'The Crown' (2016) until this season, Season 4, because I wanted to watch both Gillian Anderson and Olivia Colman in their titular roles as Margaret Thatcher and Queen Elizabeth II respectively. This is typically not my genre of shows I watch. I most definitely didn't want to suffer through an excellent portrayal of a closeted and out-of-touch Royal Family. I wanted to throw my shoes at all of them. 

However, I did scan through the previous seasons, very quickly, just so that I could argue with people who tell me 'Oh you should watch it, it's very good.' You know me. LOL A good show doesn't mean I have to watch it. I'm not discerning like that. Duhhh. 

I'm not particularly interested in any rivalry between the Queen and the Prime Minister. I don't care about either of them as historical figures and they're certainly not female leaders to emulate. Neither am I bothered to fact-check the history of the country, its politics and its socioeconomic policies, etc (bloody hell I had to study it), nor the accuracy of the gossip tabloids with regards to the royal family. I just want to watch the show for these two actors because of their fine acting.   

Vulture's Nate Jones wrote, The Crown Fan’s Guide to Margaret Thatcher' published on November 18, 2020. The article which did an easy fact-check and comparison of Gillian's Anderson's Margaret Thatcher and her relationship with the Windsors to what we do know now, given the notoriously tight-lipped Conservative British Royal Family's inclination to sweep everything under the carpet. 

I was really quite impressed with Gillian Anderson's portrayal of the Iron Lady. I only had televised speeches to refer to, but I thought she did catch loads of mannerisms in the slight tilt of her head, the slow drag in her voice, the way she walked, the way her mouth moved when she talked—these little things form intentional character acting.

As stunning as Gillian Anderson's Margaret Thatcher is, the writer opines that her intonation is not fully in tune with the actual voice and cadences, especially markedly obvious during Iron Lady's televised speeches. He feels that the actor "hasn't quite gotten it."

In the collection of video clips below, you can hear how the real Thatcher had a lightness to her voice, a soft musical lilt, which Anderson’s version lacks. (This lightness was not natural; she adopted it at the suggestion of her image consultant.) However, I’ve noticed that those who lived through the Thatcher era are more convinced of its accuracy. Could it be that Anderson’s heavier, more ominous intonation is giving us not the way Thatcher actually spoke, but the way her voice was perceived by those who hated her?

I did feel for Margaret Thatcher in S4E2 'The Balmoral Test'. That weekend in Balmoral wouldn't be my idea of fun anyway. I would love the hiking, but not the deer stalking. Nature is awesome. However, an extended family gathering is my worst nightmare, and trying to ingratiate oneself into such a snobbish family is a terrible ordeal. 

What I did, was to spend loads of time randomly reading articles and interviews about the actresses and how they felt acting opposite each other, how they felt about each other as a scene partner. Those were fun. Hahaha. The one male that didn't irritate me each time he appeared onscreen is Denis Thatcher. The scriptwriter is brilliant. Denis Thatcher had the best lines in this show, I swear. I loved him (the show persona) from the scene when he commented on what his wife thought of working together with the Queen. 

“Two menopausal women,” he says. “That’ll be a smooth ride.” 

Thanksgiving 2020

We invited the man's parents over for Thanksgiving dinner. They don't mark Thanksgiving. I do. We hadn't had them over for a meal at all this year, so we might as well make this the one meal of 2020. Hahahah. Since nobody is all that fond of turkey, we skipped that traditional dish. It's too much effort to thaw out a frozen Butterball to brine for a day or two and make that cranberry sauce, and to have to cook three other more palatable dishes too.

Decided to do the friendliest meat of them all- chicken. Bought An Xin chicken from my current favorite Toh Thye San Farm — two bone-in thighs and four skinless breasts (outer fillet only, not the tenderloin). Marinated the meat simply with lemon, honey and garlic. Then oven-baked them on a bed of root vegetables. Easy peasy, and super healthy for the parentals. In fact, I went so low on salt that anyone desiring a heavier flavor would need to sprinkle Himalayan pink salt on it upon eating. Well, the parentals are between helpers, and they're not in a position to cook at home, so when they eat out at the restaurants, they would already have an avalanche of salt in their food. #ImpieCooks2020

There was a beautiful box of fine de claire gifted by the dear friends. The oysters arrived in the afternoon and sat in the fridge until they were shucked at dinner as yummy appetizers. The man took care of the carbs in the form of pasta. He wanted to put two chilli padi into the sauce mix. I was like, no. One would do. Even if it was de-seeded. The parents cannot do chilli or anything remotely spicy anymore. Even the mildest chilli is too spicy for them. Putting this much minced garlic into the sauce is spicy to their tastebuds. Spaghetti alla puttanesca completed the meal. The pasta was my only food. I wasn't going to eat the chicken, obviously. The stomach had only just quietened from the bout of spirulina poisoning attack, and I wasn't going to overload it this soon.

The dog got her own Thanksgiving meal too. I forgot about ordering a meatloaf of sorts for her. Hahaha. Luckily Barking Good set up a frozen cake vending machine at Group Therapy Coffee at Cross Street Exchange. It's cleverly placed outside the cafe and made available 24 hours. Picked a frozen beef cake. I'm mindful of too-rich food for her. She can't have the whole cake in one or two meals. I split it into quarters. She could have a quarter over two meals. So her Thanksgiving meal included the cake, raw slices of tenderloin topped with tiny sprinkles of shaved Parmesan, and one oyster. 

Wines Arrived In Time for Thanksgiving

Collected wine that didn't see delay in shipping although Europe went into lockdown again in November. Bought 16 bottles because I wanted to hand them out as gifts to the friends. Many of them have actually imported their own cases earlier. No point giving them more wines when they already have tons. Heh.

R took on the tedious task of collating our random orders for wines; he liaised with the producers and arranged to import the wines into Singapore, sorting out taxes and such. When collective orders hit a minimum amount that makes sense for shipping and doorstep delivery, everyone wins. Yes, R also got some of these cases for himself, but he doesn't run this as a business, hence I appreciated him taking on the challenges of logistics. 

Sometimes it's easier to jump in with the friends' orders when they buy wine simply because I can just put in as little as I want. I've been pretty much doing that all of this year. I could buy from the shops, but I prefer to look at the friends' curated lists. That narrows down the choices and I don't actually have to think very much about what wines to get from the shops. I'm not a collector of any type of alcohol, and there're no plans to install a wine fridge at home. So what I can bear, is literally not to stock more than 12 bottles at home. My preference is to stock only 6 bottles at any one time. They either sit in the fridge or in the music room, both of which don't hold ideal temperatures. The solution is to drink 'em fast. Heh. 

No More Spirulina Ever

I've been super careful about food. So when I went down with a sorta-major allergic reaction, I was floored by my own stupidity. I've been having açaí bowls since forever. No issues.

However, that day, I didn’t order my usual ‘Pura Vida’ or 'Sao Paolo', and absentmindedly ordered a 'Big Surf', of which I've never had. I happily ate the whole thing and wondered why the açaí was blue. Then it hit me. There wasn’t any açaí in there! The ‘blue’ base was all blue spirulina blended into coconut, pineapples and bananas. Good gawwd. 

The bowl was ingested at 2.30pm. By 5pm I was feeling unwell. I thought it was indigestion, but didn't think how it could be so. Didn't bother with much dinner except for five spoonfuls of pasta. (The other three people who ate that didn't fall ill.) Nightfall was when it hit worst. I couldn't sleep. I had weird hallucinations. Skin was itchy and a mild rash appeared in patches across the body. No fever. There was nausea, and then there're the terrible runs and flatulence. OMG. I felt like I was tripping out! I was this close to getting out the EpiPen.

Washing the toilet bowl at 4.30am wasn't the best feeling. But it had to be done. It was that bad. Poor me. Popped antihistamines and lomotil. Then I crawled back to bed to get some rest before sunrise. When morning arrived, the runs subsided, but the stomach was still tender. The head hurt. I felt like I was nursing a hangover. OMG. The last time green spirulina in a smoothie did me in, and it wasn't this bad. I just had terrible runs, but didn't link it back to the spirulina. I haven't been seeking out the supplement to add into my food because... I'm just not a supplements person. So I never made the connection. Then this blue spirulina smacked me across the face and stomach. Woah.

Note to self: Spirulina, at best, is an unverified dietary supplement. People with autoimmune issues, on immunosuppressants, blood thinners or with blood clotting issues, on medication for rheumatoid arthritis, seafood allergies and a sensitive gut shouldn’t be on any form of long-term spirulina supplements. People with PKU (phenylketonuria) should definitely not take spirulina. 

Chicken Varuval & Cabbage

The man did a wetter take on chicken varuval. Masala and curry always taste better when kept overnight. He even intentionally undercook the potatoes so that it will stand up to reheating well. A dish like that is worth bringing out the steamer to reheat. Otherwise the microwave oven is the default.

Dug out a casserole dish to hold the chicken varuval. Clearly this casserole dish is a gift. It's the one item in the kitchen that stands out starkly against the preferred monochrome colors. N's mother gave it to me; it's the one item I will keep and use. I'd have preferred a clear glass pyrex. But since this is useful, there isn't a point to replace it for now. It's somehow quite the perfect size and height. It fits into the cabinets and it fits snugly into the steamer. It's also bringing in a bit of nostalgia into an otherwise contemporary kitchen that has no space for stocking up on vintage items for memory's sake. 

The undercooked potatoes went in first, then the gravy and chicken. The man used a mixture of breasts and thighs. Heh. The chicken varuval was delicious! I love the gravy on basmati rice, but I couldn't deal with all the chicken. I wouldn't have minded some skin but the meat came skinless from the butcher's. Heh. 

I needed vegetables. Had earlier bought half a flat round cabbage, in anticipation of heating up this chicken varuval some time this week. These cabbages keep well in the fridge. They're so easy to jazz up. Love it. Stir-fried it. Randomly threw in dried shrimps and dried oysters. Skipped the soy and used fish sauce instead. #ImpieCooks2020

The man was busy fielding work calls and only took a break for dinner before jumping back onto more calls. I only put these two dishes on the table tonight. They made for a satisfying dinner. We don't bother with too many dishes when having a casual meal at home. 

Life is About Rainbows

Published in The New Yorker's October 5, 2020 issue, 'Rainbows' by Joseph O'Neill is oddly arresting. The story opened with the narrator remembering her young 23-year-old self at college, with a mentor whom she had respected enormously. There was an account of an incident of sexual harassment (hinted at), and her mentor advised her to drop it and not file charges, and get over it. That was the last time she met said mentor.

The narrator Clodagh, is an academic, a migrant from Ireland. She lives in America with her husband Ian, and her 18-year-old daughter Aoife. The daughter was in the last semester of her senior year, and has an issue with harassment on Instagram by a James Wang in her school, and who apparently stalked her too. The school authorities were brought in, and James Wang was suspended from classes.

Then the narrator realized the relationship between the laundromat she had used for ten years, the Chinese owners and their son, who is the said James Wang. The narrator wished they had sorted this out differently, family to family. She didn't make the link between the school harassor James Wang, and the laundromat's James Wang. Aoife didn't state it clearly. She would have known that it's the same James Wang who has made the delivery drop of their laundry for years. 

I know when my daughter is lying and when she isn’t. The missing-panties detail was absurd, but the rest of it added up. It didn’t add up to much, to my mind, because James was a child. He had feelings that he couldn’t understand or manage. The important thing was that I was informed. Information enables action.

Right there, on the sidewalk, I called Ms. Vincenzullo. It was a Sunday, but it couldn’t wait. That is my core skill, I believe: making phone calls promptly and persistently. It is a surprisingly rare skill. I left a message. I wasn’t optimistic about hearing back.

But Ms. Vincenzullo did ring back, right away. It took me by surprise. I hesitated to accept the call.

The action I’d had in mind was to advocate on behalf of James and to ask if the complaint could be struck from his record. But I knew how American organizations worked. It was a dark wood of decision trees. Either Aoife had had a well-founded grievance or she hadn’t. Either she would have to retract her complaint or the school would have to retract its decision. The school would not retract, and neither, I knew, would my daughter, nor would I advise her to. To admit to second thoughts would be to invite trouble.

Everything was a mess, everything was wrong. I didn’t answer Ms. Vincenzullo.

She had a discussion with her husband. They decided there was cause to protect their daughter. Life went on. They found a new laundromat. Aoife got into college. She ran into her college mentor on the train, and was confident enough to have a conversation with her, wanting closure to that incident all those years ago and trying to find out what she really thought.

She was condescending to me, and the encounter now felt fully anachronistic. I wasn’t that girl from Newcastle West, and Paola was no longer the cool professor who jingled keys to an enigmatic adult world. My former self would have wanted to know what she was thinking—about me, about everything—would have wanted to assure her that I wasn’t in the habit of ambushing near-strangers with autobiographical monologues. But I felt sorry for her, this childless, too-thin woman in her sixties who couldn’t quit smoking and was still interested in her air of mystery.

I finished my drink and smiled. Quite amiably I said, “It was very nice to see you, Paola.”

“Goodbye, Clodagh,” Paola said, just as amiably. Giving nothing away, she smiled once again. She picked up her book.

The story wouldn't be complete if we didn't know what happened to James Wang, or if this incident and how it had been handled would always be a sore point for the narrator. Towards the end, it had to include a chance meeting in the checkout line with Mrs Wang of the laundromat, mother of James Wang. The narrator learnt that the boy had gotten into an Ivy League college. The meeting was brief and finished with pleasantries, and it answered Clodagh's questions if she had inadvertently killed James Wang's future with a sexual harassment record in his school years. 

The title. Well, make of it what you will. The story suggested that Ireland is full of rainbows. Hahaha. The family made a trip to Ireland to visit the narrator's family. And they landed on a windy spring day, they saw many many rainbows all the way during the drive from the airport to their destination Adare. 

Lunches with V!

The girlfriend is the loveliest. As crazy as her WFH schedule is, she still makes time to lunch or coffee with me because it's hard for me to do dinners. I'm so thankful that we can keep to regular meets. I feel that it takes a lot more effort to step out from the (comfortable) home to meet friends than if we're perched in an office, and looking to take a break in the middle of the day. 

Lunch nowadays, is utilitarian. When I meet friends for lunch, I'm not looking for a long-drawn four-course meal. It's too fancy. I can do that, but there's gotta be a good reason for it. I can easily eke out two hours. But I simply don't have the luxury of time to sit down to a three-hour meal with alcohol. At this point of my life, these types of meals aren't relaxing because I have a zillion other things on my mind. The time spent on a meal is all the time I need to review a contract or an essay before translating it. How fast I work is not just a matter of how much I earn. Income correlates to taking on more challenging projects and working harder. How fast I work, is proportionate to how much me-time I can free up. Heh.

That day, when V and I were discussing about lunch over texts, I also concurrently booked us into an outlet of Crystal Jade Hong Kong Kitchen on Chope. Well, it's kinda a default venue (when nobody has any cravings) and most importantly, it can be easily canceled via the app. Then I read her next text and I was FLOORED.

She suggested Two Men Bagel House! OMG. WHUT. I was just thinking of it, and she suggested it!!! This was over typed-out words okay, not voice, no audio, no visuals. She was like 10km away from me, and of all foods, she narrowed it down to bagels and the exact eatery I was thinking of. How??!!! What sorcery is this!?!

I didn't even know Two Men Bagel House has an outlet at Holland Village. The eatery was crowded but the tables cleared fast and the queues moved easily. We didn't have to wait long for a table. The menu is different from what I'm used to at the Tanjong Pagar outlet. The Holland Village outlet didn't have my favorite vegetarian 'Lulamon', which is padded with really good cashew hummus, then there's avocado, onion, charred cauliflower and lotus chips. Oddly, smoked brisket of any sort isn't on the menu; no pulled pork here either. So I took the porchetta. It really tasted more like siew yoke. Aiyoh. Luckily I added avocado which balanced it out perfectly. No complaints about the bagels. They're generally super decent, and rather filling. I can never finish a whole bagel though. I always end up packing home a half.

Sewing Up Choya's Toys

The other day I stared at Choya's toys. I was like, 'did we like spend $500 on toys alone over the past year? OMG.' And also those cuddly things we bought for her — but that's an excuse because we wanted it for ourselves. LOL I replace the toys when they've been thoroughly chewed. That explains why. The replacement rate was crazy in the first six months. She had a grand time chewing things. Then it suddenly stopped. 

She has lost interest in chewing. Like, totally over it. She only rips apart toys that she's not interested in. Now she likes to hold them in her mouth as a comfort chew, or treat them as fweends. She will carry them to bed in the nights. She also likes to 'present' us (or visitors) with toys when we come home. I'm sure there're plenty of good brands selling stuffies. But the dog has gravitated towards the stuffies and fluffies from P.L.A.Y and Fringe Studio. They're non-toxic and very well-made. It has probably got nothing to do with the brands. Hahahaha. It's got everything to do with sizes and shapes. 

She still doesn't have a formidable toy box because I don't want that — can you imagine how much washing and sunning I've got to do? She gets a few toys to choose from, and she favors them differently depending on her moods. Of them all, the Starfish and the Clam are her favorites. She does nibble on them a bit, just to stake her claim on what she deems 'hers'. She especially nibbles on them after each wash. Gaaah. The fluff does come out after she does that, and if I don't close up those gaps, I can't wash them. That means, STINKY. To ensure the toys get their weekly baths, and to prolong their lifespan, I had to finally sew them up. 

Meanwhile, another batch of Starfish fweends arrived. HAHAHAHA. The brand had better don't stop producing it. Otherwise I'd have to scramble to find alternatives for the dog. She KNOWS if there's no more fweend. She might even mope, which was what she did the last time I threw it out and didn't replace it. She didn't want other fweends. Oh dear. 

El Cocinero at Novena Regency

The friends have mentioned about the decent quesadillas and tacos at this eatery. After the friends and I checked out Barry's latest outlet at Orchard, we stopped by El Cocinero at Novena Regency for lunch. There's a new branch at Mediapolis, but this one at Novena is more convenient for us. 

We never need mind-blowing tacos and quesadillas. To me, these are basic foods that I prefer, as great alternatives to burgers and pizzas. Hahahah. So to me, tacos and quesadillas simply needed to be super edible and reasonably priced. That said, I really miss tamales. I haven't found a good one here.

El Cocinero is located inside the mall alongside the ground level shops. Many shops are still devoid of tenants. The eatery's space is mostly used for cooking. The limited seating indoors has moved outside. There're tables and chairs set up along the narrow corridor for the patrons of El Cocinero. However, the exhaust fans on this ground floor are non-existent and the ventilation isn't ideal. So when we finished lunch, faint smells of grease and grill lingered on our clothes, face masks and hair. 

We shared a portion of carnitas quesadillas, a large bowl of guacamole, tacos of picadillo (ground beef and potatoes) and lengua (ox tongue). And two portions of baja fish tacos! It was quite a fair bit of food for three people! I gave in to a bottle of guava-flavored Jarritos. Kekekek. Too bad the eatery had no ice-cubes to offer along with the chilled bottle. The food was honestly rather satisfying. Decent enough for us to return on another day to eat these again. 

'liTHE' 2020-2021

As much as I enjoy watching dance live on stage, there're many times I couldn't make it to a performance, and I'd have appreciated paying for a ticket to a digital recording of the show. I'm pretty happy that the pandemic lockdowns have forced many theaters to go online. Even when things calm down and we get back a semblance of theatre-going, I'd still welcome the option of a digital ticket.  

T.H.E Dance Company has gone digital to showcase their works. #THEGOESONLINE I was pleased because I wanted to watch a show from T.H.E's Second Company, but that weekend was filled; with a livestream, at least I could walk the dog, appear at dinner with the friends, chat, and not miss this show.  The Company's Artistic Director Kuik Swee Boon said,

While art essentially allows us to interpret life in a myriad of different ways, digitalisation has transformed our interactions with reality and it can be a double-edged sword. We are normalising a different way of socialising, and how we consume and view images and sounds.

T.H.E Second Company's works-in-progress themed 'liTHE' this year were streamed online. The incubation of these works take two years, and the ticketed shows over the weekend gave audiences a glimpse of their development and collaboration progress. They used Peatix for audience who wish to pay for the show. But it's publicly streamed via YouTube, and a Q&A session after on Zoom.  

Four works by five artists (dancers and choreographers) were presented. There was a crackle in the audio streaming over YouTube for the first two works. It sounded like the crackle of an old record playing on a gramophone. Heh. Within a limited budget, the choreographers really had to step up to the digital showcase by considering astute camera angles in their works, doubling up as camera(wo)man, lighting and sorting out audio and resolution of hosting the livestream. How much the audience is able to see, is totally dependent on what the eye of the camera sees. 

(1) Re:Writing by Goh Jia Yin and Maybelle Lek

Every artist from the various performing arts must be doing this theme for this year and the next. We're all struggling to make sense of the new normal. Something which is normal to us might not be the 'norm' for governments or organizations. Whatever we feel, if we can't articulate it, it saps us of mental strength and fortitude. If we're tired of reading about it, watching it being expressed through dance is an option.

Re-Defining space. Re-Writing stories. Re:Writing explores two disparate chapters: Home & Chaos.

Six dancers filled up the stage space with two chairs and a cushion, and raincoats, set to a light-hearted tango-bachata beats. The space between home and work has integrated fully, and people with their stories move and adapt to new spaces and new concepts. 

(2) “Kawayan” by Klievert Mendoza

"Kawayan" is Tagalog term for ‘bamboo’. Drawing out the fluidity of bamboo swaying in the breeze in this piece, the artist loves bamboo and he's inspired by,  

how even the strongest of winds are unable to break it. And I should know very well, as I have seen and experienced natural calamities that destroy homes, but still, a bamboo at the end of the day will stand strong.

Five dancers, set to the chirping of birds and bubbling of streams to some sort of religious chanting. It was quite stunning visually. If this was meant to be an 'ohm' piece, it was rather mesmerizing. 'Be like bamboo.' Okaaay.

(3) IDEAL by Zunnur Zhafirah

This is a solo piece, set to a mash-up of spoken word, hip hop and jazz. It's a pre-recorded eight-minute clip because the Zunnur (or Zee) is in Australia. The artist asks, 

What is Your Truth?

When we spiral downwards into our own dark thoughts and persist in digging a hole for ourselves and staying there, we lose grasp of the truth, or perhaps what is real. This piece is raw and leaves no doubts that it's exploring the inner mind's thoughts and turmoil. I was quite enthralled till I didn't take screenshot of this piece. Arrrrgh. 

I thought that the artist bared her soul, but in the Q&A, she said she kept a part of it private. That's a dichotomy I wasn't expecting. That didn't come through, but yes, it's nice for artists to keep part of themselves private, and not feeling to pressure to share everything with the world. 

(4) This Appearance by Nah Jie Ying

Form is empty, emptiness is form.

That is a learning from the Heart Sutra in Mahayana Buddhism. I understand that rather well. However, after this line, the blurb lost me. The choreograhper stated, 

So I question: where is the start and where is the end to an occurrence? Is it important, or does the momentum of an existence flow regardless?

I'm like, this is too philosophical for me. Translated into dance set along to music by Tommy Khosla, the movements are beautiful. The piece opened with a solo before he was joined by four other dancers. The five dancers moved with intent, and a deliberate absence of touch. Are we alone, or are we with people? Or we are all alone at the end of the day? 

One could interpret in whichever way, I guess. To view it as a dance mirroring our lives and how those unfold, or which ideals we hold dear in a time of crisis, and look back on these if we do get to an older age of say, 85. But I didn't think too much into it. I simply admired the form of the dancers. 

Gordon Koh’s Prawn Vadai & Ayam Buah Keluak

Went to pick up a big bag of prawn vadai and chillies from Gordon Koh. Also bought two tubs of ayam buah keluak. We've been very spoilt by the friends, so this was the first time I ordered the items on my own and picked it up. I was a bit stunned that he didn't ask for payment upfront. He said to pay him upon collection. Gordon is so old-school. Wow. I hope people don’t take advantage of this. 

[Gordon’s son, Gavin and his wife Khae run Eats Payao in Bangkok. They’ve got an awesome menu of Singaporean and Thai food. Those spices!]

We couldn't resist it. Once the pack of food was collected, we each ate four vadai straightaway. And five green chillies. There's something to be said about eating a freshly fried oily prawn vadai straight out of the wok. It must be one of life's greatest pleasures. I don't eat the prawns, peeling them out to pass it to friends or the man, but the dough is to die for. Mmmmm. He seasoned that flour so well. CARBS. Yummy. 

Once we were back home, I repacked the prawn vadai into smaller bags. Some would be frozen so that the man could have them for breakfast over the next two weeks. More green chillies would have to be bought though. Hahaha. We're all chilli fiends here. How could Gordon sell these vadai at S$1 each? I would gladly pay $2 for a vadai.

I wanted the ayam buah keluak for dinner. Okay, the man would have the ayam and I wanted only two buah keluak. Hahaha. One tub contained a whole chicken thigh with four nuts. Wow. For S$12 a portion, this was pretty decent. We've had this before, and we were relieved that today's batch was much better than last month's. The rempah was thicker and more flavorful. Even the buah keluak too, was more pungent and piquant. Boiled up some rice and stir-fried baby kailan and shiitake to go along. Now that was one satisfying dinner! #ImpieCooks2020

'PAP v PAP'

Had to buy Cherian George & Donald Low's 'PAP v PAP: The Party’s struggle to adapt to a changing Singapore' (2020). Reading it is slightly more challenging. It isn't a difficult read, and I didn't want to sit on it for too long, but it's not a book that I wanted to finish fast.

I'm not unfamiliar with the writers' formal academic opinions on matters of Singapore's social and economic policies. It's just nicer to see them presented in a book that takes into account the campaigning and results of the General Election we have in the pandemic year of 2020. However, it's also a book that I don't particularly want to delve deep into because these two writers can ramble on damn lengthy when they're trying to be tactful but somewhat frank and forward in their political opinions and criticisms. They did a thing online last week and talked more about it. 

The irony isn't lost on me. Two Singaporean professors living in Hong Kong and lecturing in its universities got together to co-author a book on Singapore politics. While it's great they get to live overseas and develop their career and perspectives, it's a little telling how Singapore closed her doors to their careers. (Google will tell you all that you need to know about that.) They now live in a city where freedom of speech might have once been deemed vibrant but now, the new national security law has extensive reach over social media, journalists, and citizens' right of expression, especially within academic campuses. 

I liked the results of our General Elections 2020. It indicates hope. And when going up against such a polished machinery, hope is all we need. A fair voice and representation is all I ask for. I confess I'm not keen to hear all about the old guard and such. I'm really not interested to listen to the going-ons of say, pre-2000. I get Operation Coldstore, but I don't know what else we can do about besides to keep its story alive, to remember the whys and the hows, and to always question. The government of the day is never always right. The government has exerted its force and legal reach over the said names arrested and detained without trial. They have fought, some have survived. We know it's hard to go up against the incumbent government. Most people die doing that. In Singapore, you get whole lives destroyed and ostracized. 

The book's content doesn't offer solutions. It offers a look at the methods of governance and how the citizenry believes the government's words as we move from General Election to General Election. Opinions and the political climate change from generation to generation, and the greatest enabler of everything is, education. Ah well. I'm paid to write, that's my bread and butter. Hahaha. So I won't bother to dissect the book here in that much detail as I do when doing analytical essays for work. Political opinions differ from people to people. I'll just type out an extract here from its closing portion themed 'Parting thoughts'. The single chapter is titled 'Riding the populist tiger', 

Today's PAP has a split personality. The elite technocrat within the party's psyche wrestles with a new populist alter ego. Perhaps some PAP politicians assume that populist tactics — like other illiberal methods described in this book — are compatible with the party's core values and positions. They may sincerely believe that this is a time to rally around the flag with nationalist rhetoric. But there is a big difference between an inclusive patriotism — a love for country that is also open-minded and open-hearted  and an exclusive, 'us-versus-them' nationalism. The former can rally all who call Singapore home to rise above their individual interests and embrace their responsibilities to one another. The latter is unhelpful, even dangerous: it tells dissonant and dissenting voices that you show your loyalty by keeping doubts to yourself.

That shouldn't be the way to deal with a crisis or to solve complex problems. It also promotes the frankly seditious notion that the flag we're supposed to rally around is a symbol of the ruling party, rather than of our shared values of democracy, peace, progress, justice and equality — as represented by its five stars.

By releasing the populist genie against liberals, civil society activists and other opponents, PAP politicians are abetting a broad assault against reason and diversity, risking both its own elite-governance model and Singapore's multi-cultural foundations. The current crisis makes this an even more dangerous gamble. Economic stagnation generates frustrations that are exploited by populist demagogues who pander to majoritarian sentiments at the expense of minorities and immigrants. Economists say the coronavirus fallout could be as bad as the Great Depression of the 1930s — a crash followed by a world war and the deadliest genocide in history.

A Pie Chart of Life's Responsibilities

My life now revolves greatly around the husband and the dog. She needs two to three walks a day, physical exercise and mental stimulation. I like dogs, but I really didn't mind the freedom of not having one for many years. I still think a cat is easier to care for. I know exactly what having a pet entails, and that's why I wasn't hot about getting a dog. Right now, the responsibilities of caring for Choya are pretty much what I expected.

The man steps up to the plate where the dog is concerned. Yes. Must. He pushed to have this dog more than I did. He takes on his fair share of walks and such. But he's hopeless with her diet and uhhh... balancing her gut flora. And the dog never listens to him when he calls for bedtime especially if I'm not at home or if I'm not moving to the bedroom. Hahahah. Pandemic lockdowns are great for the dog — she has us all to herself without the interference of work travels or leisure vacations. 

Having a dog impacted upon our social life initially — simply because we don't have extra help with the dog. We had to severely cut down on dining out. It wasn't done to be out gallivanting five to six nights a week and leave the dog at home alone. The transition wasn't hard that because we started that two years ago before the dog joined us, as an acknowledgment of age and health that saw a conscious reduction of alcohol intake and an increase in the level of exercise. Also, pandemic lockdowns ensured compliance. Hurhurhur.

Up to three years ago, I'll never acquiesce to a home situation like this, to have the daily schedule revolve around the husband and a dog. OMG. SO BORING. Hahahah. Well. It's mundane for sure. To retain some semblance of me, I have to fight to keep on top of my own work and charity projects, staying the course with the exercise regime and getting alone-time. A pet is always a delightful idea till I have to make a decision to welcome one into the home and look after it on my own, then it's a whole new ball game. Which is precisely why I've never proactively wanted a pet. 

I'm just glad Choya isn't a human child. I've never wanted those. A dog isn't a replacement for the desire of a human child to call my own. Eiyerrrrr. I doubt I've ever experienced maternal instincts or any urge to have one. I'm not even keen on carrying a baby because I don't feel a need to. I carried some babies, and then I was like, 'Then? 'So what?' Was I supposed to have an epiphany of sorts? I cannot be bothered. I have zero interest in babies, toddlers and children, and am even less enthusiastic about anything to do with children. A dog is a dog. I have slightly more interest in one. To be very honest, I'm not totally at ease with the responsibilities required to care for a dog, but I'll live. I guess this is uhhh... aging? Settling down? Ha! I think a pie chart illustrates these responsibilities nicely. 

'PAP v PAP' :: In Conversation, Online

I've read Cherian George and Donald Low's 'PAP v PAP: The Party's Struggle to Adapt to a Changing Singapore' (October 2020). So I might as well have a listen on their thoughts about it as they do an 'In Conversation' webinar with fellow academics and moderators Teo You Yenn and Walid Jumblatt Abdullah. The 90-minute conversation is still available on YouTube. The book puts forth this opinion, 

A strong society comes from embracing diversity: not just in terms of having people who think differently and routinely challenge received widows and government decisions, but more from having the requisite institutions that check and constrain the state — civil society, Parliament, independent court, a free media (not just one that sees its role as 'nation-building'). It also means that our 'unity-in-adversity' narrative needs to be adjusted. The PAP government does not necessarily reject diversity and dissent, but it insists that in a crisis, it is time for debate and dissent to be suspended and that we should unite behind the authors. Yes, but only up to a point. In a crisis, the biggest cognitive threat a decision-maker faces is not disunity; rather it is the tunnel vision that comes from 'being in the trenches' for too long.

After 15 minutes, it was a bit painful to hear them struggle with audio, and minimal tech support. It worked fine over YouTube. Apparently it didn't stream well on IG Live. I didn't bother with facebook or Zoom. Hmmm. I think they're very noob at this livestream thing. Hurhurhur. They took a quick three-minute break just before 9pm to sort out the connectivity issues. I was highly disturbed by the panelists sharing a earbud, both sides. It was rather unnerving to see the earbud being passed between Donald and Cherian, and also Walid and You Yenn. This and grainy video? Okay, I stopped watching the visuals and simply went on audio-only. After all, I'm not there to see their faces. 👀😂

Anyway. The moderators noted the skepticism among tonight’s audience comments for the possibility of reform in our political system — not just because of internal dominant-party dynamics and also a weak civil society, as well as a general population that is politically immature and has been criticized as "soulless". The authors clarified that the book doesn't make predictions about the PAP making reforms or pushing for that change. The authors simply discussed the "possibility of change" in the book.

While the authors don't look at politics as a zero-sum game, the book did call PAP "a national movement, comparable to a religion." The authors opined that it's imperative to marry a strong state (technocracy or democracy) with sufficient democratic argument and participation. Then they totally sidetracked to lighthearted jibes about Raffles Institution and Hwa Chong alumnae. All right, gentlemen, moving on now. However, the football metaphors and analogies flew right over my head. Nope, I didn't understand that.

They discussed the definition of 'liberal' and also whether academics are too caught up in their own bubbles when they write or talk about politics that it ironically is as far removed from the Party or systems they critique. They admitted that while they're trained to poke holes in their own hypotheses, they will have blind spots, and hence they appreciate fellow academics' comments. Of course the authors had to mention Neo-liberalism and populism. 'Champagne socialists' are popping up everywhere. So are you living in a liberal bubble? I am. *shrug

Hua Bee Restaurant :: 華美餐室魚丸麵

I have never eaten at Hua Bee Restaurant (華美餐室) or tried its famous mee pok noodles. I know. Hahaha. It has been here for over 70 years, and it was also the film site for Eric Khoo's 'Mee Pok Man' (1995). 

The last time we came, the man sat down for a bowl of noodles, and he described it as 'an okay bowl of bak chor mee'. I only had a coffee. It was too early for my stomach to eat anything. This round, I was up since 5am, and by 9.45am, I was happy to have a small bowl of noodles.

The man is a Hill Street Tai Hwa bak chor mee person. I'm not. I'm not terribly fond of bak chor mee. Sometimes, it really stinks; I can't stand the vinegar in there either. I prefer fishball noodles and am fine with bits of minced pork. I was pleased when our food arrived. Hua Bee's old school fishball kwayteow (魚丸肉碎粿條) hit a spot. I always prefer kway teow over mee kia or mee pok. As far as yellow noodles are concerned, I bloody hate mee pok. I'm sorry, mee pok. It's not you, it's me. I just don't like my noodles curly.

I was super surprised by the soup. I haven't had this kind of soup done so light and not salty, not for a long time! The soup had so little MSG, if none additional. The MSG present would have already come from the fishballs and the slices of fishcake. The minced pork was a small chunk, so that was nice. I no like pork meatballs done this way so I gave them all to the man. Some might pan this version of fishball noodles as bland. Imho, it was pretty all right. Nothing robust, nothing offending, and nothing horrible. It was decent for brunch. Oh, skip the chilli. I would go as far as to say that the chilli sucked. I wouldn't even call it chilli. It had no heat, and was simply full of oil and I don't even know where the red came from. It tasted vaguely like some diluted 辣醬 that I heartily dislike.

Actually, what I really want to talk about is here is the kopi at this shop. The drinks stall is separate from the noodle stall. They also serve up eggs and kaya toast. The kopi that it produces, is definitely by far one of the best I've had in the kopitiams around the island. And this is super accessible to me if I want a cup of strong and thick Nanyang-style brew. The kopi-o-siu-dai is fabulous. The blend of coffee powder they use is good, and whoever brewed it, knows what she's doing. The small cup packs a solid punch. One cup of coffee in the morning is enough to power me through the day. Mmmmm.

Hua Bee Restaurant (華美餐室)

78 Moh Guan Terrace #01-19 Singapore 162078  

Hours: 7.30am to 2pm; closed on Sundays and Mondays

Baybeats 2020 :: Livestreamed

It's really not the same watching gigs on livestream... versus getting to a venue in-person. But seeing the bands play and enjoying themselves is great too! Baybeats 2020 had a line-up that I'm actually familiar with. 😂 The joke is of course I'm a tad old and sometimes I'm not clued in to what's happening in the music scene anymore, since that tends to be dominated by the 20 to 30-somethings. 

At the friends’ lounge, we had two screens- one for these gigs and the other to catch up on SWF panels that happened earlier in the day which we missed. It was nice to see the bands play at Esplanade venues, albeit with masks and no live audience. It’s a semblance of normalcy. To be honest, I quite like not being squished by crowds. Festival organizers Esplanade left the videos online so that we could either replay or view it slightly after the start timings too. 

Some Day 1 and Day 2 bands.

A tad odd- because the atmosphere was just not the same viewing gigs on a screen. But hey, we’ll take it. Brought out the wines and beers and had a small party in this unusual year. We’re thankful that the bands were even allowed to gather to play and stream a gig live. Happy that the bands were enthusiastic about getting together to play! Haven't heard Day 1’s bands in a while — .gif, Hanging Up the Moon and Riot !n Magenta!

I caught a replay of Day 2’s bands since we got home only at 11pm after dinner. I was a bit stumped because I've only heard of two bands- Forests and Subsonic Eye. Unsurprising. As I said, I've been so out of it. I blinked at Approaching Aphelion, okay, math rock. Also Remnants, not quite hardcore or metal-core, but I've vaguely heard its recent EP 'Sever the Ties'.  Surprisingly, I haven't heard anything from M1LDL1FE till tonight. Its indie-pop sounds are super friendly to the ears and oh-so-cute.

Day 3’s bands were what I was looking forward to hear. I made sure to catch Cockpit, Cloakroom and Astreal at their stated timings. Cloakroom's set was pre-recorded but while on livestream, it went into a technical glitch for a bit. YAWN. I've always liked hearing Astreal play. It’s never the same catching a gig live versus hearing their vocals and guitars plus drums and effects over the soundbar at home. (Obviously we didn’t bother fixing up a 7.1 surround home theatre system.) Many layers weren't captured. Still, it was very enjoyable. 

蒜蓉蠔油炒窩筍

We were up early and thought we'd get nasi lemak at Chinatown Complex Food Center. But K.R. Banana Leaf was closed, even though they said they open for breakfast. Zzzzz. Never mind, we'd just have a coffee. Not keen on the rest of the food stalls. I was psyched to eat nasi lemak, not bak chor mee or fried beehoon, and definitely not nasi padang although I was mildly curious about the stall.

Decided to check out the wet market for Chinese celtuce or stem lettuce (wo1 sun3, 萵筍). Picked up spring onions, yellow onions, garlic, coriander and some other stuff from the nearest vegetable stall I chanced upon. The auntie said she doesn't carry wo sun, and only one stall here sells it. Okay. She waved in the general direction. I toddled off and randomly found it. Some guy was also looking for it. I grinned and waved the two stalks in my hand at him. These were it. He merrily went over to look at the stalks on display. The shopkeeper looked a little befuddled. He must be wondering why on earth so many people wanted this vegetable today.

I've never cooked this vegetable. But hey, it's a Chinese stir-fry/boiled thing right? It wouldn't be difficult. Plus I have retained memories of its taste and how it was cooked during my time in Yunnan. I know those leaves could be eaten. But this batch wasn't the freshest. The leaves looked sad. Didn't bother to stir-fry them into 油麥菜. The stems would suffice. Forget the vegetable peeler. It doesn't work on these stems. I literally used the cleaver to slice them up and skimmed off the rough edges. Decided to boil them a little in the pan, then tossed it in oyster sauce and garlic. Threw in a chili padi as well. #ImpieCooks2020

We had loads of frozen beef, bones and fat from all the tomahawks at O'maJ. We ought to use them soonest. There were decent pieces of meat to fry up. But there were also tons of fats. The man rendered them down into oil in the oven. Tallow. He used it to do a beef fried rice. No sambal in it. We could always just dish it out by the side. It was a heavy sort of fried rice. (Leftovers could be jazzed up by adding toppings of hae bee hiam or kimchi.) I was glad for the vegetables. The crunchy stems and bit of heat and spice went great with it. 

SWF 2020 Wrapped Up

The second weekend of Singapore Writers Festival (SWF) has passed and the event wrapped up. I watched a lot more sessions than I bothered to blog about. It's well curated, and in a way, going digital reached out to more writers in their own time zones, and while it's less exciting because of decreased traveling, it's more exciting too, to see who is willing to come on board as a speaker. Both speakers and audiences, we're no longer restricted by traveling schedules.

I was waiting to hear how Liu Cixin "views the world through the lens of science and imagination." However, his session titled 'The Possibilities of Science and Imagination' (刘慈欣: 科学与幻想的无限可能) was never put up online in spite of the blurb stating that it would be available as video-on-demand with English subtitles. Oh well.

This first digital edition has allowed many good friends living in different cities to catch the sessions too. We could either catch it together live, or we schedule another timing to watch the video-on-demand-replay. It was fantastic! Being able to catch these speakers and events from the comfort of home makes it so awesome. I'm pretty sure 2021's edition will not see physical seats being filled to capacity either (looking at the idiocy across cities and how many are actually falling ill, the virus is not going away so soon), so this digital format should take root and be an option for future editions of the SWF.

In Conversation: Margaret Atwood

Moderated by Balli Kaur Jaswal, Margaret Atwood's session was a little eerie. Held on the momentous day of the US elections on the night of November 3 at 9pm (8am in Toronto where the author lives), she talks about "the power of a writer engaging with critical conversations, and the ways in which fiction can witness, resist and inspire regardless of where we are in history."

The 80-year-old author makes a differentiation between science fiction (say from H.G. Wells) and speculative fiction (Jules Verne). I laughed when she said she "do[es]n't do Martians, aliens, zombies or dragons in novesl", but happy to put them into her poetry. The moderator pointed out that Margaret Atwood's fiction might not be necessarily speculative, but it contains lots of worlds, and parallel worlds. She said that reading takes us to parallel worlds, and it isn't too far away from how we live. She said she tries not to put in things in her speculative fiction that humans haven't done already. 

Margaret Atwood was witty and sharp, and didn't allow the US elections or talk of the Republic of Gilead take hold of the entire conversation. It was a lovely little chat. She noted that all of us are ordinary people living in an extraordinary situation (the pandemic), and being hampered from just 'getting on with it'. She talked about "equitable social structures", and I hope we do get there, eventually. Not in my lifetime for sure. 

'The Craft of Horror in Korean Storytelling', Janet Hong and Ha Seong-nan

Giggled and decided to catch 'The Craft of Horror in Korean Storytelling'. Moderated by Anya Goncharova, literary translator Janet Hong and South Korean author Ha Seong-nan speak about their creative process, and discuss the horror genre in contemporary Korean storytelling. She writes about everyday horror, and the horror that women face.

I'm not interested in Korean dramas, but a tad keen on their horror films. (Not 'Kingdom' though, that's so long-winded.) Films are now so easy to imagine. I wanted to hear how the writers translate their genre onto paper, and how translators do their job without re-interpreting the authors' intent and meaning in each scene. 

Ha Seong-nan shared that for some of the works that were written 20 years ago, the language used and slang are starkly different from what are used today. She agreed very much with what Janet Hong has done with the English translations. When Janet Hong translated them as were written in 2002, and the collection is published in English in 2020 as 'Bluebeard's First Wife', she tweaked them slightly. I've never read any of Ha Seong-nan's translated works. But after this, perhaps I will. The author has five collections of short stories. The translated works hold short stories, and those always work well for me. 

SWF Closing Debate: This House Believes Singapore Would Survive the Zombie Apocalypse

With a title like that, of course I had to watch the festival's Closing Debate. Hahaha. The catch- I will have to sit in front of the screen at the appointed time because it isn't slated to be a video on-demand-replay. 

Moderated by Shamini Flint, the teams had four members each. Many pop references made too. They brought in city planning, underground train stations, HDB bomb shelters, migrant workers, etc. I'm definitely on the opposing side. How on earth can Singapore ever survive a zombie apocalypse without locking everybody underground or at home for months on end? And that was how the proposition said we could survive because we could really stockpile. Hahahah. 

The Opposition's Rebekah Sangeetha Dorai's points were hilarious. The Q&A segment before teams' final speakers concluded the debate was quite funny too. The moderator was in great form. Hahaha. Zombie Singlish. Oof. The audience voted online for the winner of the debate. I cast my vote 20 seconds to time. 67% of us voted for the Opposition as the winner. So without cries of 'recount' or 'voter fraud', the debate ended with 'Singapore Would Not Survive the Zombie Apocalypse'. But of course. 😂

Grow Up, Singaporeans

Popped out to supper and a quick drink at Bar Orihara Shoten. Made it to the call for last orders at 9.45pm. It was surprisingly uncrowded for a Saturday night. Of course we opted to sit at a table outdoors. It was a cool night after the rains, and the overhead fans made it even more comfortable to chill out for a bit. 

And since the bar shares a kitchen with Toritama, we could order food too. Had yakitori and a portion of oden. The oden was completely unnecessary, but it was so delicious. Hahaha All those processed fish cakes. No eggs tonight. The dashi here has always leaned on the salty side, but I love it. The big slice of daikon in there makes it feel so healthy.

Well chicken. BUT. I can never resist chicken hearts. Sambal, grilled, masala stir-fried, etc. LOVE. Toritama does theirs so well. I didn't understand why they offered the option of halves or whole for chicken hearts. Why on earth would I want halves? Gimme the whole heart! Hearts. Two skewers お願いします, ありがとう. 🤎

I wanted sake, but they didn't have the one I wanted in the manageable 300ml. I couldn't finish a 720ml bottle on my own, not in 30 minutes. Ah well, I'd do beer and a highball then. A super gorgeous pint of Suntory Master Brew on tap and a Kaku highball made our night, and we quaffed it down easy. By 10.30 pm, our glasses were empty and ready to be cleared away.

I sighed and shook my head at one table of five women celebrating a birthday. Yup, I totally judged them. They were loud and annoying and didn't respect personal space. But this wasn't a big deal. The deal was- they didn't let the server clear their alcohol from the table when 10.25 pm came around. The women took their glasses and bottle away and refused to hand it to her. They said that she was making it difficult for them, "stressing us [them] out”, and they felt "so pressurized". WHAT THE.

I didn't step in because the situation didn't need my interference. The entire crew at both bar and restaurant was ready to back up the server, waiting for the minute hand to turn to 10.30 pm  so that they could take more forceful actions. They should be allowed to do their jobs. I did however, give the group of women very scathing looks. All the rest of us patrons at the al fresco tables did, as we left the bar at 10.35 pm.

I wouldn't take a photo of the group and upload it to the baotoh app. Because that app is so damn stupid that it ends up being abused by kaypohs. It isn't clever enough to discern that it's the patrons who're causing trouble, and leave the restaurants be. If there’re potential legal and criminal repercussions, it would take a lawsuit to sort it out. The current laws (Part 7 Covid-19 Control Orders, 34 and 35) deem it the responsibility of the restaurants to manage their patrons. The onus is on the staff to become bouncers and enforcers every night come 10.25 pm. 

Ladies, y'all obviously Singaporeans. Your loud conversation made that clear. Last I checked, we're still in Phase 2 of lockdown Circuit Breaker and living in a pandemic with leisure travel closed off to us. Grow some brains can? By obstructing the server from doing her job and letting alcohol remain on the table after 10.30pm, you're being obtusely selfish and overly self-entitled. The restaurant didn't set the rules. The government did. If you don’t like it, feel free to protest to your Ministers. The world doesn't revolve around you. If your selfish acts cause this bar and restaurant to close for 10 days or so, you're killing off the income and livelihoods of all the kitchen staff and service crew. Grow the fuck up.

The Dog Came to Pilates With Me

Decided to tote the dog over to K's for pilates class. She doesn't usually take dogs. But she made an exception for Choya. Hahaha. Choya is a super chill dog, and I don't expect her to be disruptive, so I thought of bringing her along, and K wanted to meet her anyway. Heh. 

Popped in 15 minutes earlier to allow for 'play' and the dog to familiarize herself with the space. She's not a dog who bites blinds, legs of chairs, plugs, cables or shoes or furniture. Without exertion, she wouldn't be panting, so she wouldn't drool or lick the floor or whatever. So she's quite easy to have at the friends' homes. K grew up with dogs and she lived with dogs before she moved out of her parents' home, and still visits them now, so she's all good with canine fur and uhh smells. Heheheh.

When class began, the dog settled down in a corner to watch us intently. She did move around the space though, but she didn't dare to run into the kitchen and such. When we toggled the reformer settings and made loud noises, she came over to investigate to see what was going on. For that I had to pause for three minutes to eyeball her, to ensure that her nails doesn't scratch the leather or wood on the reformer carriage. Then I picked her up to use as a weight to continue the exercises. 

The dog isn't useful as a weight. She's only 7kg. Hahahaha. She's lighter than a side of my weight bar at Grit Strength, and lighter than a dumb-bell I train with nowadays. She wasn't impressed. She wasn't enthusiastic to be used as a weight either. Too bad. She would just have to deal with it till I finished this side. It is my weaker side anyway, so might as well use an additional weight to stretch deeper. 

K asked if she should prep water trays or some treatos for Choya. I was all like, no need! This dog is low-maintenance when visiting friends' homes. I'd have her water bowl in my bag anyway, and she definitely doesn't need treatos when she would have just finished breakfast. She can't be bribed with food anyway, and doesn't need to be kept quiet by chewing on tasty treatos. I most certainly wasn't going to feed her cheese. Shitsplosion recent, I remember. Eeeeeps.

Glad that the dog caused no disruption to my pilates class. K was perfectly fine with her today. Oof. I most certainly don't take Choya along weekly. Just this once. The dog definitely doesn't have separation anxiety. Neither do I need to take the dog along everywhere I go. I just wanted to expose Choya to another new experience. Someone's home, new sounds, new smells. Perhaps it'll let her know what I'm up to when I leave her alone at home on some days for a few hours.