Tuna? I'll Pass.

My social media feed threw up going-ons of what has been branded as 'Sushi-Con'. It also warranted a note in an article by Thomas Beller titled 'Meet the Star of Sushi-Con: A 400-Pound Tuna', published in The New York Times on September 29, 2024.

Of course the star was a bluefin tuna. It always is. Supermarkets, restaurants and events make slicing up a tuna a show, an event worthy to be ticketed. This particular one trotted out at Sushi-Con is 10 years old. 

While commercial fishing for Atlantic bluefin tuna is highly regulated, diners still seek a taste of the fish, and its value as sashimi remains high. This fish has been so plundered from the Mediterranean seas that fishing companies have been accused of illegal catches by the metric tons. The bluefin tuna trade in the black market is totally a thing.

Part trade show and part consumer-facing forum, the event has taken place four times since 2018. This was the first year it had been branded Sushi-Con. True World Foods was sponsoring it with Noble Fresh Cart, a start-up developing a direct-to-consumer delivery service for sushi-grade fish. The all-you-can-eat event featured over 50 vendors offering samples of their fish and other products. Though the cuisine is Japanese, the fish came from all over the world.

Nut only one was the star of the “Ultimate Tuna Cutting Show,” the main event where the bluefin tuna, roughly the size of a torpedo and with shimmering silver scales, would be carved up and served to the gathered attendees.

The priority for top-grade sushi is a round belly, indicative of a plentiful layer of fat. This particular fish was caught in June off the coast of Ibiza, a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea, by the Balfegó Group, a fishing fleet with ties to the area that stretch back five generations.

I don't eat tuna at all. I'm not going to judge you if you insist on eating tuna because you like the flavors of toro / chutoro / otoro, that's your prerogative. But don't tell me to eat it. Sure, I've attended tuna auctions (as a tourist) at the old Tsukiji Market, gone out with the fishing boats and check out how the catch travels from seas to fishing boats to the market vendors. I have also eaten my fair share of tuna and decided that my initial opinions of it hold — I don't like the flavors of its fatty belly or as akami. I don't even like canned tuna, or those mashed versions made palatable with cucumbers and onions in sandwiches. 

The point is, I'm not supportive of illegal fishing and especially not for bluefin tuna, which is oddly isn't considered critically endangered under the US Endangered Species Act. At best, they're 'vulnerable'. The Atlantic bluefin tuna is 'at risk' and the Pacific bluefin tuna is 'vulnerable'. By and by, the yellowfin and big eye tuna will suffer a similar plight because human greed knows no bounds. 

The entire idea of attending a 'Sushi-Con' isn't attractive to me. I like food, but not food festivals. Never mind about hygiene control of food handling on such a massive scale. I'm not sure what the attendees at this Sushi-Con would actually learn about sushi and the idea of omakase. 

Commercial fishing for the Atlantic bluefin tuna, the largest species of tuna, is highly regulated, said Youssef Meski, wholesale sales director for Balfegó. Fishing season starts in late May and extends only five weeks. While some operations use nets, hooks and harpoons, Balfegó captures its tuna alive and says it focuses on sustainable practices that stress quality over quantity. 

The fish, once captured, are corralled into a pen and towed alive to Balfegó’s facility outside Barcelona. There, they are fed herring, mackerel and sardines, which are also wild-caught, Mr. Meski said.

7 Years Old Isn't 'Old' Yet Okay

We walked by a 3-year-old cream Shibe boy. The owner is very very young, kept her head down with hair flapping all over her face that I couldn't really see her features. But it's clear she is no conversationalist. She learnt that Choya is 7 years old and went 'oh'. That told me she has no idea how to react to the idea of older dogs or talk to people walking older dogs, and I'm generalizing along that line by now. 

In the next minute, she totally proved me right. She tried to pull her enthusiastic dog away from annoying Choya, and blurted out "[name of boy Shibe]! Chill out. She's too old for you." 

You should have seen my face. That unintended statement is so ignorant! Good lawwd. I silently turned my back on her and walked away. I was mildly annoyed by that line. So annoyed till I mentioned it to the husband, and complained about it on IG. For the Shiba Inu, given their lifespan, they're considered seniors at about 10-11 years old. 

Luckily my dog's feelings weren't hurt. Sure, she doesn't fancy hanging around puppies because they're just too much energy. If any, she really doesn't like over-enthusiastic dogs, regardless of their age. She's generally calm, and I'd like to encourage that. 

The husband asked if I'm now a tad sensitive to age-related opinions, statements and such. I wonder too. Perhaps. I know what I have to do to keep healthy in body and mind. I don't need to be better than anyone or get huffy about aging. I just need to sort out my own strength and flexibility versus incoming perimenopause. That's on me. It's not about being prickly. It's more likely that I don't appreciate rude or snarky (subjective to one's threshold) statements about age, but I'm not sensitive about MY age. 

I'm sensitive about my dog's.

'A Tuscan Wine Dinner' at GRUB

GRUB Pasta Kitchen organized 'A Tuscan Wine Dinner' and the bistro accommodated our request to sit on the al fresco patio. Of course we brought Choya along. We rarely go for this sort of tasting dinners anymore because I can't be bothered to stay out for hours without Choya alongside. 

Took out a few small cubes of Grana Padano from the antipasto of charcuterie for Choya. She loved it. But she's such a sweet girl that she wouldn't ask or beg for it. She simply accepted the two bites of the cheese and went back to snooze. She doesn't have a habit of eating outside, but she might deign to take a bite or two of something.

We never need extra attention from the hosts, so we're happy to read the brochures and do our own research. This isn't a lecture, I honestly can absorb all the information faster than what the hosts can summarize. This was a wine dinner, not a term test. I was going to eat and drink. I wouldn't have questions to ask. 

The wines aren't exquisite in that sense. They're not showing us the Super Tuscans. The four wines (a Bianco Toscano IGT, a Chianti, a Rosso di Montalcino and a Morellino di Scansano) chosen for this dinner were easy table wines that wouldn't scare away diners, and the price point is acceptable. Importantly, the wines complemented the food. Of all the Sangiovese grapes tonight, I liked it in the expression of the Mantellassi San Giuseppe Morellino di Scansano 2020. 

We were also keen to taste the meats and other pasta coming out of GRUB's kitchen. For logistics, of course the food menu included usual GRUB menu items of San Marzano tomato soup with red miso and basil oil, and the dessert of tiramisu with coffee soil. 

What we were here to check out, were the mains which we knew would be different from its usual offerings. The puttanesca dip in the charcuterie plate was absolutely delicious — great with the veggie sticks. Apparently, this dip might go onto the refreshed menu next month. Tonight, we were served a pasta in the form of tagliatelle with pencil mushrooms, mushroom jus and truffle cream, and a meat main of seared duck breast with pumpkin puree, red wine sauce, shiso leaf, chive oil.

I could do without the truffle cream in the pasta, but it wasn't too bad. I like pencil mushrooms; I pretty much like all mushrooms from Yunnan. The duck breast was beautifully grilled. I was glad that it wasn't the usual smoked duck breast. I enjoyed this loads! I kinda ditched dessert. Tiramisu isn't my thing lah. My dessert came in the form of a second glass of red. Heh!

Lowered Fat Percentage & Increased Muscle Mass

I have a Lululemon shrug in Size 4, which fits snug. It's meant to shield me from AC, or it's meant to move with me at pilates or something. So the fit is fine; the length of the sleeves are perfect, sitting slightly beyond my wrists. However, when I dug it out after a year of forgetting about it and wore it last week, it was a bit TIGHT. Walao.

My shoulders and delts have bulked up. Wonderful Glutes have gotten a lot stronger and perkier, but thankfully not going the way of the bubble butt that many want because I don't want those. I am however, fitting my clothes differently. I'm filling them out a lot more. The waistline seems fine, but I have a lot more muscles now. Teehehehee.

Totally making use of the renewed gym membership. It works great with my current schedule, churning at an even pace along with my Gyrotonic class. I'll have to figure Pilates, but the gym's Reformer classes would do for the now. I need to take in more protein (via food; not through powder or supplements) to build muscles, and the bit of carbs wouldn't hurt. I'm not eating that much more though. Keep a calorie deficit is ideal. My weakness is carbs, so I need to be careful not to over-indulge. It's very hard to say no to pasta.

My clothes are fitting okay, although the bustline can be tight. I was seriously wondering whether I put on weight or I bulked up. The body composition analyzer told me that since March 2024, six months on, I've managed to decrease my fat percentage to 20%, and there's an increase in overall muscle mass too. 

Aiyahhh. I should have bought that shrug in Size 6. Except that the sleeves would be too long. Dohhh.

Said Lululemon shrug in Size 4 black.

Kishore Mahbubani's Asian Century

I picked up 76-year-old Kishore Mahbubani's newly released book titled, 'Living the Asian Century: An Undiplomatic Memoir' (August 2024). I hardly think anyone outside of the academic and policy circles would be keen to read this book. It talks ALOT about Kishore's growing up years, his path to a university scholarship, his first posting in Cambodia which saw the Khmer Rouge come in, his ex-wife Gretchen Gustafson Liu and now-still-married-to wife Anne King Markey, his double heart bypass operation in 2016, and all of his 33 years in Foreign Service. Tbh, I really didn't need to know all that, and neither am I that interested to read memoirs, but anyway.

I was at the launch last month and had the pleasure of hearing the rather fun star-studded panel speak — Prof/Amb Chan Heng Chee, Prof Tommy Koh, Prof Wang Gungwu, and of course the esteemed author himself. Tommy Koh called Kishore a consummate diplomat and a 'national treasure'. Prof Wang called him a 'thought leader and builder' in the academia (for his role as founding Dean of Lee Kwan Yew School of Public Policy for over 13 years since 2004, retiring in 2017), and Amb Chan Heng Chee called him a 'public intellectual'.

I have the autographed hard copy, but I chose to borrow a digital book from the library to read that instead. Heh. I knew that there was a high chance I could get a skip-the-line copy earlier, and I did! I can't finish memoirs of any sort in one sitting. Neither was I going to lug around a hard copy, so this digital copy was really convenient. (Comments here, here and here.)

At the launch, Kishore said he tried to summarized his life story in the book five points — deprivation, dissension, diplomacy, deanship and discovery. He knows adversity and triumphed. He knows poverty and a hard life, and rose above it with dignity and education. He lived through years that I didn't know and find it hard to imagine. 

I stifled giggles when he made concrete in print all the talk surrounding him and the late S.R. Nathan when they in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, specifically about him ratting out S.R. Nathan's habit of throwing files at staff when he got angry.

Nostalgia is all well and good. I'm not entirely sure I agree with his opinions on geopolitics. He has astute insights, and he has rich experiences, but sometimes, being a realist doesn't mean studying peace to avoid war. Imho, he has over-simplified the Ukraine-Russian conflict, as well as the Gaza-Israel conflict. Either he doesn't want to go deep into them or he really thinks it's that simple to resolve. Who knows.

The author has written a few books on his own opinions as a highly respected diplomat with a sharp eye on Asian affairs. Many have commented about his 'pro-China stance'. Many would also remember and disagree with his 2017 opinion of using the Qatar-Gulf Cooperation Council conflict to argue that 'small states should act like small states' to ensure their prosperity and survival.

What you make of this book is what you will. It's your own takeaways from the author's experiences. It's a read of another's life, and perhaps you might want to evaluate how relevant it is to your life, your political beliefs and your social causes.

We have begun a dialogue that does not need to be mediated through the legacy institutions of the Western media. There is a vibrant intellectual conversation going on in Asia and beyond; readers and writers are finding their way. We don't need anyone's permission or to follow a road map that is set in London or New York.

It has been my joy to live the Asian dream and perhaps contribute a little to the realisation of the Asian century. I tis truly heartening to realise the path I have trodden from poverty to plenty, from ignorance to education and intellectual curiosity, will now be replicated by millions, if not billions, of fellow Asians. To have been a pioneer in this great Asian renaissance has been one of the greatest privileges, fulfilment, of my life.

Sambal Pomfret & Steamed Ikan Kurau Head

These two months are crunch-time for me at work. Not in the sense of a closing quarter 'peak' period. It's more of a me having to turn up IRL to interpret and facilitate at seminars and panels. These are full-day affairs and even if I end early, it's about 4.30pm. I would be utterly exhausted because I'd have to churn out notes for the sessions and I'm not keen to leave these hanging or to do them a few days later. I prefer to type them out when it's fresh in my mind.

On these days, I'm a tad drained, and I'm not up to any more socials beyond taking the dog out and having a quiet night. Thankfully, the friends are equally busy or traveling and I needn't feel bad about going quiet and not even suggesting a meet.

I'm also not very interested in food during this period, certainly not long-drawn meals. Lunch is usually a hurried affair, usually catered. I'd like my dinners to be quick, and hopefully nutritious enough. I have a serious craving for fish these few weeks. Got a few types of fish done differently. My stomach is very happy.

Sambal Pomfret

Stopped by Lai Huat Seafood at Horne Road, Jalan Besar area that night for its sambal pomfret. At S$48++, it's pretty all right. It's fresh enough. It's fried, of which I'm not terribly hot about, but its flesh is fine, so no issues. I'd just have that, with a bit of vegetables and rice, and call it a good meal. 

Once we parked and strolled towards the eatery, we ran into two good friends also in search of dinner. They didn't mind the non-air-conditioned kopitiam. I didn't mind eating together. So we did. Had a few big bottles of beer (only Carlsberg, will do) and no-sugar Ayataka green tea with a ton of ice to beat the heat. Lovely. The table ordered prudently — one sambal pomfret, one plate of choi sum with garlic, one cabbage soup, and one ginger pork. 

Lai Huat Seafood
72 Horne Road Singapore 209075
T: +65 6229 3024
Hours: 5.30pn to 10pm daily. (Public holidays might alter these timings.)

Ikan Kurau

Then on a quiet night, I wanted some bak but teh. To be specific, I wanted the soup, not the pork. I somehow am not interested in the ribs. Hahahah. Toddled out to Legendary Bak Kut Teh at Rangoon Road. The only problem I have with this venue, is the pungent durian smells wafting over across the road one block away from that corner durian shop. 

Besides the pork ribs and soup, and the husband's preferred tau kee (beancurd skin) and preserved vegetables, we also ordered a serving of ikan kurau head. They have garouper head on the menu too, but I prefer threadfin. At S$38++, it was just half a head, and it was enough for the husband and I. 

Steamed Teochew style, the threadfin head was ridiculously fresh. The tangy garlic-chilli served alongside totally hit a spot. I thoroughly enjoyed it with a bit of rice. That was absolutely satisfying. 

Frozen Traditional Knife-Cut Noodles!

L thoughtfully checked with me on my freezer space situation before sending over four packs of frozen noodles from dotdotbowl. I felt a tad bad making her spend on shipping for just four packs; I really didn't have space for more. These were rather big packs and my freezer space was extremely limited. 

I didn't know anything about this webstore till tonight. I asked for the traditional knife-cut noodles (刀削麵). L sent over two types — one regular with veggies and minced meat and a fishcake, and another with an additional pack of seafood. Both chilli paste. I like how the ingredients are split in separate plastic packs. Not exactly environmentally friendly, but it is practical and hygienic, securely packed and coherent.

The dotdotbowl packs arrived at 6.15pm! Wow. We were staying in to wait for Choya's frozen packs of food to arrive too, and would be getting take-out. The man was just going to toddle downstairs at 7pm to get something simple. Now that the noodle packs arrived so early, we might as well have them. 

I heated these packs up in a pot. Since the man's pack held seafood, I heated them up separately for him and for me. For my own bowl, I didn't add extra stuff except an egg and fried ikan bilis from the larder. For the man, I threw in an egg too, additional frozen scallops, and upon serving, topped it with chilli paste, the shallots provided, and ikan bilis as well. The broth is good and surprisingly not overly salted.

Black Bursa Figs

When the fruit stall saves me a few boxes of in-season figs over a few weeks, and I happily pop down to collect them, I'm literally rolling in them. Lovely. I'm most certainly not complaining about ingesting many fig wasps. 

Different figs ripen over different months. Black Bursa figs are in season late summer to fall, say end August to early October. These are also caprifigs and require the fig wasps to pollinate them. Apparently the harvest numbers are declining. 

These black Bursa figs from Turkey are gigantic and crunchy. A box holds 12 figs. I love fresh figs over dried ones. Fruits are my preferred dessert. I usually munch on them at all times of the day. I don't wait to have them immediately before dinner or after. I simply eat them as and when. There's no designated 'fruit time' after dinner typically. As a child, my fruits are generally my breakfast or as an after-school snack. 

Choya has no interest in fruits at all. Not in the small piece of momo I offered her, and certainly not these figs. Zzzzz. She would simply sniff and scoff at them. She would, however, take all the cheese offered along with the fruits. She ate cheese ever so delicately, skirted the fruits and left them.  

Eating Bursa figs clean is my favorite manner. It's absolutely delicious. With the skin of course. I simply eat one or two a day. They are super rich in fibre and potassium, and they do have a laxative effect, though milder than what a yellow dragonfruit could induce. 

I could also have them with cheese and parma ham or prosciutto. The friends piled me with loads of ham from their summer trips to Spain and Italy. The indulgent bit is to top these with a dollop of Japanese cherry jam (preferably made from 月山錦/ gassan-nishiki cherries). Thanks to the dear friends, I'm lucky to have three jars of it this season! Am savoring them. Mmmmm.

Lamb Chops & Mooncakes

We didn't actually mean to mark the Mid-Autumn Festival. It was simply a gathering to catch up with one another before the friends fly out again. It was totally an excuse for wine and whisky. The mooncakes were more of an afterthought as dessert since the moon was nearly full by the weekend.

Not everyone at this table enjoys mooncakes. I took a quarter of something. I'm not fond of mooncakes at all, and stayed far away from the durian ones. These from Golden Moments were totally filled with durian purée. Ugh. THE STENCH.

N and B hosted everyone to dinner and generously cooked a delicious rack of lamb chops. I rarely order lamb chops at restaurants because they tend to turn out disappointing, even at Michelin-starred fancy tables. I like my lamb chops done at home simply — seared with salt and pepper, maybe butter, and with tarragon and thyme or rosemary. Tonight's lamb chops were on point. The sides were great too — homemade baba ganoush, pomegranate salad, seared asparagus and broccolini. I love all the vegetables, and always love a luxurious pomegranate salad. 

I didn't remember anyone actually seeing the moon that night. At least I didn't, and nobody else commented about the moon. LOL It was like... obstructed by clouds. Hahaha. No matter. It was a wonderful evening of food, wine, conversation and company. 

照江叠节，载画舫之清冰；待月举杯，呼芳樽于绿净。拜华星之坠几，约明月之浮槎。 风雨满城，何幸两重阳之近；江山如画，尚从前赤壁之游。槁秸申酬，轮嗣布。

~ 宋代文天祥的《回董提举中秋请宴启》

The Series of 'Noodle Shop Mystery'

When I borrowed Vivien Chien's 'Death by Dumpling' (2018), I didn't realize this was a full series of books known as the 'Noodle Shop Mystery'. I took a look at the titles and thought they were quite interesting. How could I not want to read 'Egg Drop Dead' (2020), fifth in this series? If this first book was good, I would continue. 

Set in modern day Cleveland, Ohio, where the author currently resides, 27-year-old Lana Lee has quit her job and is working at her family's Ho-Lee Noodle Shop in Asia Village at Fairview. The first book sees her trying to solve the murder of the shop's landlord and Asia Village property owner Thomas Feng's murder. Someone killed him by utilizing his shellfish allergies and taking away his EpiPen. He ate one shrimp dumpling and died. She also has her roommate and best friend Megan Riley to help her.

I was introduced to the characters, Lana's family and her mother's best friends Esther and Nancy, and the main tenants in Asia Village What followed is a tale of uncovering Asian family intrigue, illegitimate children, secrets, jealousy and a murder and a poisoning, as well as eye-rolling romantic possibilities. The language isn't too bad. Parts were relatable to an Asian child who grew up in an Asian or Chinese mixed-race family. 

She turned to Nancy. "Ai-ya, why did you come to work today?"

Nancy replied to her in Cantonese, of which I knew none. My mastery of Hokkien, the Taiwanese dialect her family spoke, was shaky from the lack of use and my Mandarin was starting to fizzle out of my brain. I swear my mother and her friends spoke Cantonese just to keep secrets from me and my sister. 

I was expecting a juicy tale and fun. The plot is okay. But it's a bit simplistic. For a 27-year-old protagonist, her investigative methods, opinions and approaches are like an 18-year-old's. The entire book didn't feel like adult fiction. It felt like what I would have enjoyed more as a teen. It's too... simplistic. I shouldn't compare Lana Lee to Nancy Drew, but it does feel like it, except the plot and language both books are equally cringe-worthy. 

'Fatal Fried Rice' (2021)

Since our NLB offers the entire selection of digital books, I decided not to bother reading chronologically or even read the whole series. As much as I like the titles, those aren't going to help with the holes in the plot and the language. I skipped the books written in 2018 and 2019 because I figured there wouldn't be any improvement in the writing. LOL 

I went straight to 2021's 'Fatal Fried Rice' and opened up the first page, fingers crossed. The author dedicated this book to her dog Sasha, for her "15 years of unconditional love and companionship." Awwwwww. But a few intervening years didn’t seem to have improved on any fun twists to a case. 

Lana Lee and Megan Riley are still co-renting an apartment, and are still best friends and partners in all these odd cases that come by their way. No, they're not professionals and they don't earn anything from it, except satisfaction and uncovering the truth. 

In this story, Lana has gone to take up a Chinese cooking class kept secret from her mother. It would be very embarrassing for anyone to find out that she, as the manager of Ho-Lee Noodle House couldn't cook and had to take eight weeks of Chinese cooking classes out in Parma. Of course her cooking instructor Margo Han was murdered right on the first night of the term. And Lana was the one who found her body. 

The case was investigated by the Parma precinct police. There’s a pompous and shortsighted Detective Bishop who seemed hellbent on making Lana his main suspect, and the community college’s janitor the accomplice. The case plodded along really slowly. At the end of the day, it was a matter of a step-daughter Bridget Hastings who is angered by her stepfather’s cheating ways and betrayal of her mother. Bridget’s anger got better of her and she ended up stabbing Margo Han, who was once involved with the stepfather. 

The story and plot are okay. But the writing and the manner Lana Lee investigates are both not quite to what I hoped for. I could only surmise that I’m really not the book’s intended audience.

Officer Weismann, the young police officer who had taken my statement the night of Margo's murder, had come to see me in place of Detective Bishop. Weismann didn't come out and say it, but he did hint—with a smirk—that it was because Bishop didn't want to face me knowing that he'd clearly been wrong about my and Larkin's guilt. The young officer updated me on what happened after Bridget and I had separated that day. He assured me that she was considered a flight risk and would mostly like not be released on bail.

Aside from not visiting me himself, Detective Bishop avoided me to the best of his ability on any matters in regard to the case, and all further communication was handled by Henry, who was still acting as my lawyer. He'd managed to also get me out of trouble somewhat, but told me if Bridget didn't plead guilty, I'd have to go to trial and testify. Kimmy too.

For now, I was safe, and no one was going to come after me for withholding evidence. Sabrina, for all it was worth, took on the brunt of the blame. She did agree to fully cooperate with the police, and since she was an otherwise upstanding citizen, they were going to go easy on her.

From the paragraphs above, it took me a while to consider that "and would mostly like not be released on bail" might be a phrasing issue and not a typo. It could have been easily edited to read "would likely not be released on bail." Right? 

'Peking Duck and Cover' (2024)

Undaunted, I finally read the most recent 'Peking Duck and Cover' (2024). Dunno about you, but the title is very funny to me. Occasionally, I have a rather lame sense of humor.

Nobody died from eating Peking duck in this story. There was simply Peking duck served at Lunar New Year banquet in which a performer at the backstage was fatally shot. Fingers were pointed, secrets unveiled, past relationships, infidelities, perspectives, feuds emerged. At the end of the day, Rhonda Hong's death was really needless, all embroiled within an effort for Nelson Ban to get back at David Hong. I'm sure there's a morality tale in there, but I wasn't going to go so deep into it. 

Come 2024, the style of writing hasn't changed. Lana Lee's voice still shone through. I thought, if it reads like an amateur piece of detective work, that's because she is an amateur detective, in spite of having a boyfriend who is an actual detective with the city's police department. She's still getting guns pointed at her, but she remains unscathed. 

In fact, I didn't even have to read any in between books, and as long as I have read the first book of the whole series, then I didn't seem to have missed anything between that and this book. Every character was still alive and existent in the book; nobody was estranged, and all was well, including the Mahjong Matrons who dutifully turn up at Ho-Lee Noodle Restaurant every day at 9am (except on Sundays when the Lee family has dim sum over at East Village's Li Wah) for their breakfast and tea. The sense of community within the tenants of Asia Village seems to be at the forefront of every book.

Like what Lana said, in her new career move back to working at her family's restaurant and not really going out to get another job, she was happy. She has found her community, her tribe in this Asia Village comprising family and friends, and a non-jerk boyfriend. She is home.

A burst of laughter escaped me at the absurdity of the conversation. As I scanned their faces, I realized there were no other people in this world I'd rather go through hell and back with. "Think larger," I said to the group. "The bat signal would be more apropos."

Okayyy. I'm done. Three books are quite sufficient to tell me that I'm either not its intended audience, or I'm never meant to be its intended audience. The mysteries don't engage me, and don't appeal to my dark side. I won't be reading any more books in this series. 

豬肉白菜餃子與蔥油餅

I haven't made dumplings for a long time because Choya's fur is everywhere. You can find the fur in the microwave oven, the fridge (and the freezer), and the oven. Our small flat's kitchen is so open that it's not possible to keep it fur-free. The dog routinely plonks herself in the corner if she feels like, and the larder serves as her safe refuge during thunderstorms.

I don't actually dare to make dumplings as a gift for friends. I can't guarantee the hygiene, and I especially can guarantee the presence of Choya's fur in the filling and the dough. I suppose by now, the man and I are resigned to eating bits of Choya's fur. Hahahaha. So I decided to make a batch of cabbage and pork dumplings (豬肉白菜餃子) for dinner. 

I made 50 dumplings, the maximum my utensils and freezer space allow. We would be having about 25-30 dumplings for dinner. The man would require a little bit more savory things. I had spring onions and everything else, so I simply did a scallion pancake (蔥油餅). #ImpieCooks2024

I still don't own a rolling pin. I use an old bottle of whisky, fill it with water and use that to roll the dough. I made the skin a tad thick. I was rushing lah. But all turned out pretty well. Heh. I'll do another batch soon, for ourselves. That batch should see thinner skin rolled out the way I like it.

I had 15 dumplings for dinner. The man took 12 pieces and also enjoyed his scallion pancakes. I didn't have time to make chilli sauce. Also, I was too lazy to bother. The contractors just cleared a leak in the kitchen's false ceiling two days ago, and I did a fair bit of cleaning up and I was still tired. So for a bit of spice, I added laoganma chilli oil to the man's bowl.

I was very pleased to have dumplings for dinner. I didn't need chill sauce, fish sauce or additional soy sauce or anything else. Just fried shallots will do. I salt my cooking just right. I totally define this as 'eating clean'. Heh. 

Chartreuse, the Liquor, and Its Carthusian Makers

I vaguely read about the origins of the green and yellow Chartreuse used in cocktails, and the monks of Chartreuse in their self-imposed isolation. Then I heard about the worldwide shortage of Chartreuse, and how it came to be so.

Chartreuse is an herbal, bitter liqueur product made using a blend of 130 plants, herbs and flowers. The original recipe this dates back to 1605 when a manuscript k own as the 'Elixir of Long Life' was bestowed upon the Carthusian monks by François Hannibal d’Estrées.

Green Chartreuse is an essential ingredient in the cocktail aptly named 'The End of the Road'. That's a simple mixture of a peated whisky (usually Laphroaig), Campari and Green Chartreuse. Yes, only three 'ingredients'. 

The recipes of both green and yellow Chartreuse are kept highly secret. I read the information again with renewed interest as stocks of Chartreuse dwindled and its impact felt across all bars in the world. 

In 1840, they formulated a milder, 55 percent alcohol version, Green Chartreuse, and a sweeter, 40 percent Yellow Chartreuse. Both have become popular cocktail ingredients, while the Elixir continues to be sold medicinally for ailments such as indigestion, sore throat and nausea. 

Today, the order sells about 1.5 million bottles of its three hallmark products annually, with the yellow and green liqueurs going for about $60, and cask-aged versions for $180 or more. About half its production run is sold in France, with the United States the largest export market. 

Royalties go back to 380-some Carthusian monks and nuns residing in 22 charter houses spread across the globe, including Argentina, Brazil, Britain, Germany, Italy, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain and the United States. 

Remarkably, among them, only two monks know the full 130-ingredient recipe.

The monks of Chartreuse, also known as the Carthusians, survived 900 years of external turmoil, from avalanches to religious wars, fires, plagues and of course, COVID-19 lockdowns. They make Chartreuse, the liquor. Their business arm Chartreuse Diffusion oversees the operations and logistics of selling to the world. The sales of the liquor Chartreuse sustain this lifestyle. 

But I think the troubles of the modern world is encroaching on the order. And although the order doesn't seem to need that much to survive and for continuity, they decided to make a business decision that that is incoherent, yet so right for the environment. They simply refused to increase the volume of production of the liquor and quietly scaled back the production itself. 

“There’s only so much Chartreuse you can make without ruining the balance of monastic life,” said the Rev. Michael K. Holleran, a former monk who oversaw Chartreuse production from 1986 to 1990.  

This shortage of Chartreuse isn't unexpected. Older stocks have been sold out and current stocks depleted. It's a conscious decision undertaken by the monastic order to not meet the demand. In January 2023, the order sent a letter their partners to explain their collective decision to brew less, protect their monastic life, and focus more on their solitude and prayer. Wow.

Right now, the demand for Chartreuse from retailers, restaurants, bars, consumers outstrip the supply from the monastic order. Still, distributors support and stand by the order's decision. Let the waiting lists grow and the world will understand scarcity a little more, perhaps. At the very least, it's friendlier to the environment.  

“They’re thinking about the long term,” said the German filmmaker Philip Gröning, who waited 16 years while the monks pondered his request to capture life at the Grande Chartreuse monastery, “what’s going to be best for us, and for the planet, over the next thousand years.”

At bars that still stock green Chartreuse, the husband would ask for a glass of 'The End of the Road'. He saw a bottle of green Chartreuse at Kizuna that night when we had dinner and sake there, and couldn't resist asking for a glass. I passed. I'm very much not a cocktails person.

One could choose not to use peated whisky, but even a non-cocktail drinker like me would prefer it peated. Much more 'herbal' that way. Heh. Kizuna made a good mix. Well-balanced ratios. The husband enjoyed his drink loads.

“The Carthusians have a wonderful perspective,” Father Holleran said. “The days pass very quickly when you’re immersed in the shadow of eternity.”

Pastaro's 'Singapore Fried Noodles'

Popped into Pastaro for an easy dinner. It's a pretty convenient venue for many of us. Although it's a casual venue and takes walk-ins, I usually prefer to make a booking or at least call to check if there's space for walk-ins. It's packed out for now, and walk-ins at peak hour tend to need to wait an hour minimally for a seat. 

J wanted the Har Jeong Fritters of prawn paste and slices of pork belly. It's good if you like pork belly I suppose. I had to have the charred Napa cabbage with miso butter, nori and bonito. Loved it! This version with all its Japanese flavors works beautifully. 

The bistro makes its pasta fresh in-house. That's nice. J predictably ordered the Carbonara Fettucine. What's not to love about it? It's a great iteration of yolk, Sarawak pepper, parmigiana and lovely thick slices of pancetta. It totally satiated her cravings. I took antihistamines and went for broke — Singapore Fried Noodles — crustacean oil, prawn, chilli and kaffir. It was pretty much a prawn aglio e olio. Nicely done lah. 

My glasses of highballs just kept arriving. LOL J decided to also have a highball tonight. She isn't much of a drinker, but she felt like one tonight. So I told her to order whatever I would finish whatever she didn't want. Nope, none left for me. She merrily finished her glass of highball.

J wouldn't have minded the pandan, caramel and gula melaka pudding. But they ran out of it two tables ago. Oh well. I didn't care. I had a highball as a dessert and that completed the meal. It was a good evening.

Oven-baked Chicken Fillets

Since I was making a batch of chicken-pumpkin bake (I call it a 'fake quiche') for a small floof and her moms, I had more than enough ingredients to do something else for Choya and the man too. I didn't bother to do the egg-bake for them. Decided to do them straight-up chicken breasts fillets for the man and Choya as an easy bake, with no eggs. 

The man's version was heartier with the salt, garlic and shallots, along with an easy marinade of paprika, parsley and oregano. He likes vegetables. Grilled or baked vegetables can be really tasty. He does like broccoli and pumpkin loads, and he liked them done this way tonight. #ImpieCooks2024

Choya's version was not marinated of course. A few drops of olive oil, bit of salt flakes with dried oregano and parsley on the chicken, broccoli and pumpkin would do. She asked for a taste of her portion even as it was cooling. I don't know how she knows there's food for her. So she had a bit of it as a snack. She even deigned to eat the broccoli. Wow. 

Cooking things using mainly the oven is super clean. There isn't much oil splatter at all. I don't even have to scrub the oven. A simple wipe-down would do. Of course I cover those trays in foil, especially if it's chicken breasts baking. That would keep them fillets tender in the oven-heat. Once done and out of the oven, the trays would need to rest, and the foil is perfect for that.

The Papal Visit to Asia-Pacfic 2024

This is the week of Pope Francis's Asia-Pacific tour. I did a double-take at the itinerary. I have no idea how the 87-year-old Pope would cover four countries in 11 days — Indonesia (Jakarta), Papua New Guinea, East Timor and ending in a three-day-stay in Singapore. The humidity...

Sui-Lee Wee for The New York Times noted in her article published on September 9, 2024 that, 

The pope chose four island nations as he extends his outreach to what he calls “the peripheries,” a term for overlooked, faraway places with small, minority or persecuted Catholic communities. The trip is also one of Francis’ boldest engagements with Asia, a fast-growing part of the world, which the pope has always regarded as a strategic objective. 

I did wonder why the Pope would put Singapore in this category. Aren't we largely pluralistic even as we are kinda religious, multi-religious? Catholics are certainly not persecuted here, nor are they that much of a minority. But yes, Buddhism still accounts for ~31% of the population. Whatever. You know where I stand on the matter of a religious nation versus a secular republic. 

The Catholic Foundation, the fund-raising arm of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore, has been raising funds for the papal visit, such as through the sale of specially designed souvenirs for the visit. 5000 over volunteers from the 32 Catholic parishes in Singapore have been hard at work doing what Singapore does best, get events done right efficiently for the Pope's arrival on September 11. There're about 300,000+ Catholics in Singapore. 

I blinked when I learnt that East Timor, a Catholic nation, allocated US$12million for the papal visit and constructed new hotels.  Erm. Okaaaay. That is a mind-blowing budget for a country in a fiscal deficit and a large external debt, and neck-deep in ADB loans.

Of course there would be the very familiar strategies to 'hide the ugly', so to speak, routinely employed by all governments in the world before any major global event happening in the city. 

In East Timor, the same NYT article flagged that there have been outcries against the government-mandated eviction of unlicensed food vendors, and homes along the streets in which the Pope would pass by. Apparently the people have accused the government of forcibly evicting vendors and arbitrarily demolishing their shops without prior notice or talk of compensation.

Joana Fraga Ximenes stared at rubble in the district of Bidau that had been her home and a street stall, from which she sold sundries. Earlier this year, she said, the authorities had given her three days to move because the pope was going to be driven down her street. Eventually, they sent bulldozers. 

“Why do we have to hide the poverty?” Ms. Ximenes, 42, said over the weekend. “This is reality. The pope is not coming to see good things in Timor-Leste. The pope is here to see our real lives.”

Also, who could forget Bishop Belo, the former head of the Catholic church, who alongside President Jose Ramos-Horta, won a Nobel Peace Prize in 1996 for their role in bringing about the peaceful end of the conflict. We remember the very public accusations of sexual abuse of children by Bishop Belo dating from 1980. 

The Vatican finally sanctioned him in 2022, while he is supposedly based in Portugal. Belo has never been officially charged in East Timor and never addressed in publicly either. The one person that has been accused, tried and sentenced to 12 years in prison in 2021 is American missionary Richard Daschbach. During the visit to East Timor, Pope Francis mentioned sexual abuse and being upfront about preventing and mentioning them, but did not directly mention Bishop Belo. 

There's an entire discourse about how priests caught up in paedophilia scandals are routinely sent to the 'Far East', which is now the Pacific. More than 30 Catholic priests and missionaries who have been accused of or convicted of abuse are unsurprisingly moved to serve communities remote island nations. 

According to court records, government inquiries, church officials' comments, survivors' testimonies and news media reports, at least 10 of these priests have been moved to Papua New Guinea (PNG), and continued their pattern of abuse of children. For example, the now-deceased Roger Mount who was moved from Australia to PNG in the 1980s. But the Pope didn't seem to have addressed these issues directly in his three-day visit to PNG.

And this is my biggest beef with the Catholic Church, or any religion, which extends also to large corporation or organization, including sports federations and such. The sexual abuse of the most vulnerable children, and cover-ups by informed adults and people in positions of power. Yet people trust or knowingly turn a blind eye. WHY. I'll leave the rest unsaid.

Francis has apologized repeatedly for the church’s global sex abuse scandal and ordered clergy to report allegations of sexual abuse. Last year, he told The Associated Press that the allegations against Bishop Belo had to be out in the open, but that the church had a different way of handling matters like these in the past.

Asked whether he thought the pope should talk about Bishop Belo during his visit, Mr. Ramos-Horta said the matter had “already been addressed years ago by the Vatican.” He said any restitution had already been made between the church and the victims, who he said did not want to bring their cases to court.

“Bishop Belo is still very much revered by the majority of the people because of his role in the past, a lot of courage in sheltering people, protecting people,” Mr. Ramos-Horta said. 

In the wake of the news about Bishop Belo, many Timorese people were angry — but the fury was directed at the alleged victims. A journalist who tried to pursue the allegations received death threats, according to Mr. Trindade, the former government adviser. 

“When a child is raped in a devoutly Catholic country, and the predator is both a bishop and national hero, survivors will feel especially helpless and intimidated into staying silent,” Anne Barrett Doyle, a co-director of BishopAccountability.org, which tracks allegations of sexual abuse committed by Catholic clergy worldwide, said in a statement.

'เพลงนี้พ่อเคยร้อง'

Had to watch this Thai production — 'This Song Father Used to Sing (Three Days in May)' / เพลงนี้พ่อเคยร้อง. This play is written and directed by playwright Wichaya Artamat and produced by Sasapin Sriwanij. The actors are Parnrut Kritchanchai (plays the sister) and Jaturachai Srichanwanpen (as the brother). 

This is a story that allows audiences to see how ordinary people can survive in a world in which they will never win, dead or alive. A world that will repeat itself May after May, day after day. A world that plays its people into the politics of the invariably unpolitical story of life. 

Ordinary, simple and mundane. A younger brother and older sister reunited at their old childhood home on the death anniversary of their father in remembrance for a few years after his death before they stopped the practice and sold their home. 

The siblings and the family were Thai-Chinese, and hence they used to know the old Chinese songs and follow the practice of burning joss paper for the deceased, and having a few meals over three days each May. The siblings talked about nothing in particular, yet reflected on the bittersweetness of life and what they have experienced. and they didn't seem that clued in on each other's lives, although they seemed to still care for each other. 

ละครยังให้รายละเอียดระหว่างทางอีกเต็มไปหมด อย่างความน่ารักของสองพี่น้องที่จู่ๆ พี่สาวก็หยิบกระดาษกงเต็กมาพับเป็นกระดาษใส่นิ้วเสี่ยงทาย “เอาเลขอะไร กี่รอบ” หรือการพูดถึง ‘กล่องเขา’ ที่เก็บความลับในวัยเด็กของน้องชายที่พี่สาวเคยแอบเปิดดูแล้วเพิ่งบอกกัน แฝงการพยายามเลียบเคียงถามเรื่องเพศสภาพของน้อง ซึ่งเป็นตัวตนอีกด้านที่พี่สาวไม่เคยได้เข้าไปรู้จัก และคนน้องก็ไม่ได้มีท่าทีอยากเปิดเผยหรือหยิบขึ้นมาแชร์กัน พี่สาวเองก็ไม่ได้เผยด้าน

17 May 2015, 19 May 2018, and finally some years later on 22 May.  

These dates in May on different calendar years seemed to be politically significant in Thai political history — May 1992, May 2010, and May 2014 all were protests against the military regime, and the establishment of the junta regime for five years. The politics references were breezed over. I suppose no Thai play really wants to linger on these publicly. 

The familiar Chinese melodies that came on hit a spot with the audience. It's called nostalgia, which will tug at everyone's heartstrings because we all remember the days of our grandparents, the older folks. Those were simpler days. Life was hard, but kinda easy. Yeah, it's an oxymoron. 

It's really quite funny with all the word play of Thai pronunciation, song lyrics and such. You know what bothered me a tad? That the surtitles came on in fully before the actors finished their lines. I was bothered because I wasn't reading the surtitles and people started laughing, and I couldn't hear properly what the actors said, so I had to look up at the surtitles. AIYAHHHH. 

Towards the end of the play, at the third reunion, the brother finally asked his sister the question that I was sure everyone was thinking; at least I was — 'Why do you always wear the same clothes on this day?' LOL She was in the same set of pyjamas. FWIW, she said simply liked wearing it. Hahahaha. 

I raised eyebrows at the squares of joss paper 'cash/money' left on our seats at the start of the show. Well, at least it's in red and gold instead of the standard funereal gold and white. Otherwise the messaging is quite wrong. Ermmm. I left mine behind. I had no interest to take it home. Luckily Seventh Month is over. As much as I'm not superstitious, I follow the adage, 'why tempt fate'. Heh.

Eggs and Ham at Beastly Girls

I haven't had a chance to hang out with Smol Girl in the mornings. I've been tied up in calls, panels and conferences. When I finally had a morning free, I decided not to go to gym and took Choya out for a long stroll and then chill out at Beastly Girls. 

I like the cosy and casual vibes of this brunch joint. It serves up familiar favorites, and offers me to the choice to build my own brunch plate. I'm not a fan of sourdough, and prefers not to have that with my eggs and such. 

My go-to is always scrambled eggs, hash browns, and always, awesome avocados. Ham is optional. But today, I was hungry, so ham was wanted. Choya had burnt off all her morning energy, soaked up enough Vitamin D. She was happy to nap while I ate, and read a book. Yup. I even managed to finish a book over brunch. 

I've swopped out to having iced blacks now. Too hot lah. Need something cold. So after a coffee, I'm totally awake. During brunch, a cold drink is also wanted. I'm fine with iced water. But a freshly pressed cold OJ always feels so luxurious. That's my one indulgence for sugar. 

金瓜鸡饭和云南的鸡枞油

Couldn't let N's gift of a cute little pumpkin go to waste. It was the type that you could eat the skin. Decided to do a one-pot chicken-pumpkin rice for the humans and a chicken-pumpkin-egg bake for the dog. I didn't even have to step out to get ingredients. I had all that I needed in the larder. Kept the pumpkin skin for us, and removed the skin for the dog's tray though. Heh. Had to add chicken since that was the main protein for the husband and the dog. 

I needed to sear that chicken leg before putting it into the rice. I didn't feel like using the stove, so I used the oven. Chicken breast was used as well for both the man and the dog. I used basmati rice, so the cooking time would only be 35 minutes or so. I would need to sear the chicken leg to 80% before putting it in. Breast is tender, and I wanted to keep it tender, so keeping it oven-seared then throwing it into the rice cooker for the last five minutes worked. 

I didn't bother with the chicken. The husband could have all that. I just wanted the pumpkin, and I also added loads of dried mushrooms to the mix. Had soaked those and dried scallops earlier in the day so that they were rehydrated plump. #ImpieCooks2024

Choya somehow knew there was food for her. She didn't bother coming out to the kitchen when I was prepping dinner. She only came out when the food was all done. SO SMART. This chicken-pumpkin-bake was meant as a topper to her raw food base. To her, chicken breast is a treat, and somehow she likes them gently cooked (sous vide or steamed) than having it raw. Eggs are always a winner in her books. By now, she has come to enjoy pumpkin. During this week when she's having pumpkin, I'll scale back Greek yoghurt and completely skip the weekly psyllium husk in her food. 

There was also S's gift of a small jar of 鸡枞油 that she brought back from her Yunnan vacation. For the lack of an English translation, it's pretty much mushroom oil with a tinge of chilli that's surprisingly not Sichuan peppercorn. How I use this oil is similar to how I used preserved olives and fried scallions — as a topping to whatever food/dishes. 

Tonight, I used a spoonful of 鸡枞油 atop my bowl of rice. Such umami. Delicious!

At The Final Leadership Development Workshop

This final two-day workshop completed the full Leadership Development Program that S put together for her client. To think July's workshops were only two months back. It felt like ages since. Yay! We did it! Okay, mainly S still. I honestly had zero contributions to it. When this isn't my bread and butter, it really is no sweat simply assisting and doing note-taking.

Yes, I had the time and mind-space to do this project. I made time for it. Initially, S and I didn't discuss a full commitment beyond the first workshop. I didn't even know her set dates, which moved a couple of times because of the client's availability as well. Somehow, it evolved to this, and somehow, I always had the window for her dates.  

It has been really fun working with S, and through the entire series of workshops, I got a refresher in leadership structures and methodology, as well as change management approaches. It was great. Hearing the different and diverse opinions and analyses expressed by the participants keeps my own edge. These are your APAC and regional heads and directors, as well as their deputies. I was privileged to hear from people in a different industry (from mine).

I'm just tickled because in these final workshops, S and I were totally color-coordinated even without discussing it, albeit in our individual styles. LOLOLOL This had happened even right from our first workshops. It was great doing this with S. I thank her for the trust and confidence in me. 

Are There 'Quiet Luxury' Mooncakes?

This is a fairly thoughtful piece of writing, I thought — 'Luxury Mooncakes and the Battle of the Alpha Consumers' published online on CNA on 1 September, 2024. 

It's written by Terrence Heng, a senior lecturer in Sociology. Ahhh... no wonder the article coherently held some substantial proposed thoughts with backing social trends.

Ahhh, riiight. It's Mid-Autumn Festival coming up on 17 September. The mooncakes were out and about even before the start of the lunar Hungry Ghost Month (4 Aug to 2 September 2024). It's the trend to have the boxes look fanciful and even prettier than the actual mooncakes. The focus is all about packaging and presentation. 

People who are entrepreneurs or in any people-facing businesses or a list of 'valued customers' will be 'forced' to get some sort of mooncakes to go with the trends. It might not be a 'luxury' mooncake per se, but it has to be hip. LOL It's for show, and a 'Hi, I remember you and let's stay in touch'. And many welcome a freebie/gift in this manner. Nowadays, it's also fodder for social media, bit of a boast and a flex. 

If anything, the “mooncake race” seems to be emblematic of society’s capacity and demand for relentless one-upmanship through material and symbolic actions. Material in the sense of objects, symbolic in the sense of owning, gifting and receiving such objects. 

One only needs to watch the roads in Singapore to see this. Where once the most expensive car was a Mercedes-Benz or a BMW, the game of one-upmanship shows itself through a proliferation of Maseratis, Ferraris and Range Rovers. 

Whatever. I'm not interested in mooncakes, and I don't want to eat them. I'm not in the business of needing to send out any. Neither does the husband. Or rather he simply eschews all of these polite practices, and makes it known that he has no interest in mooncakes. People do get the message. We don't receive many mooncakes now. If we have to get anyone a box or two because they really like mooncakes, it's literally just for a few people. We'd rather get two mooncakes in a set over the standard four pieces. 

Mooncakes for dogs and cats are on a different category. LOL I’m biased! BUT, I’m not bothered to feed Choya mooncakes because they don’t fit my nutritional quota for her, not even as a treat. Not the ‘freshly made frozen’ ones and not the dehydrated versions. This dog doesn’t need grains or starch. So no point. Raw quail with bones is her idea of treatos. 

If you like mooncakes, good for you. You won't be wasting them. There're so many choices and flavors to choose from. It's quite mind-boggling. This is the season to eat all that you want, and may you receive lovely boxes, and in turn, bless others who like them with equally yummy pieces.

Did a whole television series simply coined 'quiet luxury'? ('Succession', four seasons on HBO from 2018-2023.) Or 'stealth wealth', 'old money aesthetic', etc. That's just the opposite of owning, wearing and being seen with brands whose products have logos printed loudly all over screaming its name. Think Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Balenciaga and whatever else.

Singapore fashion can be ostentatious. Or be boiled down to Uniqlo and Muji. Now we have a few talented Singapore labels that do clean lines well, with no weird patterns and prints. Sorry, cheongsam prints, lace, tulle, frills and batik, I'm not a fan.

I like plain and boring things. Even as a kid. If I don't even like flowers, then I'm not into colors. I can deal with some graphic prints, but it's not much. I like my things minimalist with clean lines, the same way I like my home. No knick knacks, not paintings and nothing of those sort. I highly doubt it's called 'quiet luxury'. At least it's unintentional. I’m not a collector of anything, beyond memories and experiences. I just like a pleasing aesthetic in neutrals and monotones. Also, I do not want to pay S$500 for a baseball cap or S$300 for a tee. I don’t care about designer furniture either because I’d have to cover them in the home insurance plan. How could they be valued more than my dog in those plans? Tsk. To me, it's a matter of common sense. I'm financially comfortable, not ultra rich. What I take out of my bags and clothes budget, will fund the old folks on my charity roster.

Quiet luxury eschews the showiness of brands with an apparent focus on simple designs and understated colours. One might think that embracing a trend like quiet luxury suggests that we have matured as a society and are striving towards “stealth-wealth”. 

I do not think this is the case, because while the showiness becomes more muted, the hierarchies of visibility I mentioned previously simply become hierarchies of invisibility - that is, hierarchies still exist and one-upmanship continues unabated, albeit in the shadows. The desire to acquire new things for the sake of newness persists. 

Instead, perhaps what we need is to question the desire to make everything newer and whether we are seeking luxury for the sake of luxury. Are we, as the saying goes, spending money that we don’t have to buy things we don’t want to impress the people we don’t like?

Comfort Foods

I really love the variety of food we have in Singapore, and the relatively easy access to them. I'm absolutely spoilt by not having to eat the same things for every meal. There's something for every budget, and something for each craving. Even as the prices of food and supplies increase, we can still find a decent meal if we have no wish to cook. 

On days when we have no food cravings, an easy takeout at a convenient food center / kopitiam would do. We were in Potong Pasir that morning. The kopitiam at Block 120 Potong Pasir Avenue 1 offers a range of decent stalls. There was also an okay Indian-Muslim stall with surprisingly tasty rava dosai.

Today, we decided that duck breast with eggs and tau pok from the braised duck stall sounded good. We got greedy. Also had to get noodles. Got a regular bak chor mee (kia) for the husband and my preferred 'white-white kway teow, no chilli and no vinegar'. It's too much food for us. But that kinda sorted out lunch and also covered dinner. 

Sometimes, happiness is very simple. I was getting takeout lunch. I'm waiting for the food to be prepped. Then I turned around and saw a seriously cute Shibe staring unblinkingly at me. When I grinned at her, she dropped her jaw and gave me the widest smile. She patiently waited for me to be done.