Ringing In The New Year

We were invited to a lovely dinner at J and L's on New Year's Eve. In the spirit of the pandemic, we kept things quiet, and didn't have a big party. But the company was equally beautiful because these are friends we see regularly through the year, and conversation at the table is always a hoot. This was a soothing way to close a year, and to begin the new year. It was reassuring, almost. 

We were the Worst Guests Ever. We brought no food or wine to contribute to the table. There were just four of us, so we didn't dare to go OTT. Every one of our past meals had too much food! Hahahah. Our talented and generous hosts listed a full menu for the evening, and we thought that was really more than enough. We were likely not able to fit in dessert! We also claimed to help the hosts clear space by drinking their wines too. Only three bottles were done. A bottle champagne and two bottles of red. It wasn't a copious amount of drinking. These were... imbibed in moderation!

There were glorious French onion soup, burrata salad with seared octopus, warm toasty bread with Bordier butter. Food was so delicious that even before the main of beef came out of the oven, we were stuffed. I saved all my beef quota for this meal. I did say I would cut down on beef intake in 2021. For now, I literally ate the most beef at this table. Wooohooo. It was a lovely little 1-kg slab of USDA ribeye. It went so well with smoked salt, and regular sea salt. There was even garlic mash. I ate a lot of that. I might even have eaten most of it. Hurhurhur. Carbs and potatoes? GIMME.

Now the man has only just regulated his sleep hours and kept insomnia at bay again (there seems to be bouts yearly now), we didn't want to chance it by trying to stay awake till past midnight. That meant we couldn't do any countdown of sorts with the friends. We were literally home and in bed by 11.45pm. That makes us BORING. No choice leh. The dear friends were absolutely tickled, but they were also sleepy by midnight, they confessed. Hahahaha. Nobody likes washing up till 3am, to be honest. So, this sort of a spread should end by 10ish, and we all help with putting the dishes out in the sink, at least, and then continue on with the wine. We don't need to be pedantic and do a countdown lah. Hahahah. 

I'm glad that the friends we hang out with hold similar opinions and approach when it comes to adhering by the country's pandemic restrictions. We don't always obediently play by the rules. But we're situationally aware, and we will manage that properly. I have a problem with people who blatantly flout the rules on capacity limits or don't care about someone else's health. It just screams how irresponsible one can be. Or shortsighted. Or stupid. In the New Year message to the nation, our Prime Minister cautioned, 

“Now is not yet the time to celebrate. That time will come. Meanwhile, I ask for your support to keep up our efforts and not to falter in this final stretch,” Mr Lee said in his annual New Year message that rounded up the “exceptionally testing” year and ushered in the next.