Cajun Chicken & Wraps for Lunch

We gathered for another homecooked lunch at E's. She has been generously opening up her kitchen and larder for us to prep food, and host us to lunch at her dining table. 

On the menu today, there were stir-fried peppers with garlic, and tomatoes on the menu. Then there were Lousiana Cajun breast fillets from 68°Chicken. and Mexican black beans. We had it with low-carb wraps. It was quite delicious!

To be honest, chicken isn't my favorite protein. The breast cut isn't my preferred for sure. And I have to pop an antihistamine in order to eat it and not have my eyes swell or rashes flare. Still, today's lunch made for one healthy meal. 

I really enjoy the get-togethers. They're comfortable, leisurely and supportive. We chat in a safe space, and glean insights from one another since we have vastly different perspectives of situations and matters. We bounce ideas off of one another; we get a rounded idea of what we need to separately resolve in our lives.

Claypot Rice from Boon Tong Kee

The friends gathered us to dinner at theirs, and picked up food from Boon Tong Kee at Balestier. It had to be at this branch because they wanted the claypot rice. I never knew that Boon Tong Kee offer claypot rice at dinner at this outlet! Takeout orders are ready only from 6pm onwards, so we couldn't pick it up earlier.

Of course we didn't get the claypot rice in a claypot. But the plastic tub didn't dent any flavors. They even dug out the crisp bits to pack it into this portion. It was seriously tasty. Claypot rice like this has to be shared. There's no way we could inhale it between two people at one sitting.

There were other dishes of tofu, prawn beancurd, marmite ribs (better eat them all now before marmite is replaced with something else), spinach and eggs, and such. The table of food was predictable and comforting. I hadn't eaten this much rice in a while! What a happy meal. We're thankful for the friends' ever-generosity in having people sit around their dining table. 

The baby ate earlier and obediently went to bed. The bigger kiddo didn't want his dinner; he wanted to get onto the floor to roll around with Choya. The Smol Girl wanted cheese, and for cheese, she deigned to suffer the kiddo's hugs. Maddie strolled around to inspect everyone. Hahahah. We kept an eye on all of them. Everyone co-existed peacefully.

Bittergourd & Eggs!

In order to have a homecooked lunch together, we had to clear dates weeks ahead. We did a grocery run at the nearest supermarket. It was really fun checking in with each other, and getting ingredients and meeting in E's kitchen. It was comfortable when you've known each other for years, and we are perfectly fine with whatever food we could do.

There was a bittergourd that needed to be eaten. We all love bittergourd. Easy! We did a stir-fry of bittergourd with omelette, and boiled up a bowl of edamame as well. Loads of fiber and such in the vegetables. 

For protein, we thawed out Japanese shoyu fillets from 68°Chicken. We ordered a bundle of three flavors from the brand. Chicken breast fillets are always a healthy option for many. S and E really didn't mind chicken breast either. I'm not a fan, but I'll eat it if it's well done. There was furikake and Japanese rice to complement the meal. And sambal belachan. Tehehehe. S and I can never move far away from chilli and spices.

This was a really precious meal when we cooked it in an orderly manner, and ate it over great conversation and companionship. It was a rather focused sort of prep; the eating was done unhurriedly, of which we didn't have to think anything else that didn't involve mastication and deglutition. We could shelve work and such till after lunch. That made the digestion so much smoother, I believe. My stomach was pleased. These sort of comfort meals meant that my irritable bowels are kept very happy. 

A Batik Painting Workshop

E organized an afternoon of batik painting workshop for us. Since I wasn't the one to sort out all these, I didn't bother to remember details. Hahaha. I simply turned up at the stated timing for lunch and coffee at the correct venue, and then toddled over to The Art Faculty for the workshop.

This workshop is led by Iolana of Raya Artisans. The batik painting is done on wood — coasters, boards, cups and plates, and even a table lamp. You could buy them. But the bad news for me today is, I have actually sit down and commit the time and effort to produce two coasters to take home. Arrrrrrgh.

Art classes used to be compulsory for me in school, as well as on the weekends. I'm not particularly interested in them. I ended up being half decent at certain things, but not others. Often, it's a matter of putting in the hours and effort to practice.

The Art Faculty loans out its space for artists to host their events. My only complaint — it's so eco-friendly that the AC is almost non-existent, and the temperature hovered at like 27dC, and I perspired like crazy. I skipped the complimentary drink since I just came from lunch, and was fed and hydrated. I also had a bottle of lovely chilled water, so I didn't need extras. 

Now, this batik thing. Batik is the art of wax-resist dyeing techniques used to create intricate patterns on the cloth. I've seen artisans at work. I have done some on fabric, but with stencils, not freehand. Today's workshop is done freehand using a tjanting to drip the hot wax over the wooden coasters. Haizzzz. Tracing and drawing patterns. I'm not patient, and it really tests my grit in tracing those lines. And painting them. My hand isn't that steady, and without the experience of the professional artisans who've had years of practice, I know my coasters are going to turn out juvenile. So I opted for the easiest patterns. I wouldn't even call it replicating. They looked nowhere similar to the ones (hand-drawn) on retail. Hahahahah.

Iolana has done these workshops for a few years, and it's obvious she's got her logistics down pat. I have sufficient information and guidance in dripping the hot wax over the wood. Whether I can create the neatness or lines I envision, is quite another thing. These workshops can travel to someone's living room with a big enough table to seat 6-8 pax, or to a corporate seminar room. As long as there're electrical points for the bubbling pots of wax, a water point and sink for hand-washing nearby, the workshop is a go. The set-up is clean and not messy. Hot wax isn't dirty that way. 

Our coasters are made of untreated mahogany wood. Once we were done, we waxed it, and then added another layer of resin (food grade) to seal it. Mine didn't turn out too bad. E and S made much nicer ones since they really put their hearts into it. I simply wanted to complete it without them looking too crappy.

Our completed coasters.
It's obvious who put more heart into having them look presentable.
Teehehehe.

Loads of Dal and Homecooked Goodness

We had a meet and made lunch that day. Decided to sear fish and stir-fry some easy okra. S had made dal a few days ago and had loads frozen. She brought tubs over. We had that too. A tad odd, but we were too lazy to do fish curry, so this would do. 

Unfortunately, we didn't choose the right fish to sear. These are Nile pre-cuts. It's tilapia, so it would do best in batter as fish and chips. Or in fish curry, as what we had intended. At least it's not powdery like some weird dory. We marinated it enough anyway. They were edible. This sea-water farmed tilapia (from Indonesian waters, I think) oddly offers a high protein count.

The okra provided sufficient fiber. We didn't overcook it, so there was still crunch to offset the softer fish. E's helper had fried up sambal ikan bilis and peanuts. I loved it! That went great with the entire meal. E wasn't having rice. S and I needed some rice. We added furikake to it. Heheheheh. Very very weird I know. But I love furikake! The rice complemented the plant protein provided by the dal. 

If we're trying to eat healthier and do homecooked meals a little more, then this was a lovely lunch. We cooked it ourselves too. Heh. It's nothing gourmet, but it filled our hearts and tummies. Mmmmm.

Lunch with the girls.

I took home a tub of S's dal. She said that her pressure cooker can do another batch quite easily. So she generously gave it to me. I would not reject such a royal gift. She warned that it would be low in sodium (as it should be), and I could sprinkle additional salt if I wished.

That night, the husband and I decided to stay in for dinner. For these last minute decisions, we're glad for the frozen food. The freezer had basmati rice, S's dal and chicken breast from 68°Chicken. Thawed out the 'royal Indian masala' fillet, and everything else. 

I didn't care for the chicken breast. I had leftover mushroom masala for myself, so I thawed that out and ate it. Heh. That dal anchored the meal. It was delicious. The husband loved it. He was perfectly cool with the sodium levels. That made a really good meal. Healthy enough and satisfying. 

ข้าวมันไก่และขนมหวานไทยดั้งเดิม

P came into town for a short three days on a work trip. His schedule was packed but he had an evening free. We had him over for dinner at home. Then we could really chill out, have a drink and chat at will. I just had to clean up the floors and clear the dining table which has been piled high with nonsense. Heh. Scrambled a little to do that. I don't have people over often for meals, if at all, so there hadn't been a need to clear that dining table. :P 

Of course I didn't cook. That would be madness when my schedule is packed out for the month. I ordered chicken rice from the ever-dependable Five Star. That's comfort food for all of us. They had many dishes we could order. Had sambal sotong, omelette and tofu, and broccoli. Added a salted egg pork ribs for a different protein.

P came bearing royal gifts of dessert. Wow! He picked very traditional desserts from a new-to-me brand, Childenutt (ชายณัฐ). He knows I have grandma tastebuds when it comes to Thai desserts — I like them traditional.  He brought the harder and crumbly sampanee (or khanom sampanee / ขนมสัมปันนี) in the shape of a purple flower. (It can be pink, yellow or white too.) The other is honestly my Number 1 favorite traditional dessert — thong ek (ทองเอก), the bright yellow gold leaf, which is a soft wheat flour dumpling with egg yolk.

The brand promised that their products to hold 35% less sugar than the norm. It was indeed true! I love these desserts, but I won't eat them if they're too sweet. It's very hard to hunt down my ideal at the shops. The friends' families make them the way I love. The sampanee and thong ek were freshly made and bought the night before P flew out. They don't keep that well in the fridge, and best eaten now. It must be all savored tonight. So we did. These were such a treat tonight!

Pumpkin Soup, Soba & Perilla Oil!

Stopped by J's to collect our bulk orders of bak zhang. Instead of simply doing a pick-up, she had also invited Choya and I to stay for lunch. Wheeeeee!!! I didn't want to put her out, but she said she would simply do a portion for me of whatever she was having for lunch, and it would be easy. OKAY!

She has been food-prepping loads for easy lunches and dinners, so I was glad that she didn't have to rush to cook things 'fresh' that morning. Except to boil up the soba. J didn't mind Choya having lunch at hers either; Choya was comfortable enough to eat too. So I brought along lunch for Choya in her little jars and her plate. She was happily slurped it all up. She was especially thrilled with pieces of cheese generously offered by J.

There was a rather excellent bowl of pumpkin soup. And a happy bowl of Korean soba noodles tossed in perilla oil, and topped with a giant heap of seaweed. I loved it! I was in an absolute food coma after that. 

Then I had coffee. That was a very lovely afternoon catching up. Sooo thankful to have a comfy space to hang out for a few hours on an afternoon that I had intentionally cleared for J. When we don't meet often, an afternoon like this after months of not meeting, is precious. 

Grilled Eggplants & Brussels Sprouts

Happiness is managing to find a night to catch up with the friends before they flew out for their usual mid-year thing. For the comfort of the floofs, everyone's sanity and in case of mad rains, we decided to gather at home. They generously didn't mind cooking at all. 

There was good conversation to be had. Lots of hilarious things that went on. And an early birthday celebration for B. May this trip for them be all smooth without crazy flight delays. When you're doing these many flights across three time zones, it's exhausting!

There was so much food. We wanted to clear the fridge for them before they took a flight out two days later. Hehehe. That was the whole point. But they also added on a ton of ingredients for dinner tonight. Awwww. We felt the love.

There were starters of crab blinis and a lovely gazpacho that was perfect for this humidity. Then we had the main of a ribeye steak with grilled eggplants with spring onions and peppers, and beautifully charred brussels sprouts. Loved all the vegetables. Then a cheesecake and fruits for dessert. We were absolutely stuffed.

It was also Ryo's dinner-time. He was hungry. This Choya insisted on having a bit of whatever Ryo had for dinner. She was sooo greedy that it was mildly embarrassing. But she would still need her supper and bedtime pee. So we don't usually stay out past 11pm. Plus our dear friends need to clean up and rest too. Of course we didn't stay beyond 10.30pm tonight. We never do. We are sleepy by then too. Heh. 

Coffee at J's

Happiness is going to J's home and getting two gorgeous cups of coffee. It was a rainy morning, but no matter. The rains weren't the white-out sort. So it was very manageable. I haven't seen J for a bit. It's always nice to catch up IRL. Although our schedules totally do not match, and it takes like two months to find a common slot. 

Choya was invited too, and she was so pleased about it. (I made sure to brush out her coat so that she doesn't shed everywhere.) She followed J around for a bit, and found her comfy corners. This Smol Girl is really very 'guai'. She's fairly respectful of other people's space and wouldn't jump up on the bed or on the couch unless she's invited to. I can take her everywhere. 

J's got a gorgeous and practical coffee station set-up. It's her thing lah. So she's pedantic about coffee. Maybe more so than I am. Hehehe. I didn't want espresso things even though she has a lovely nifty 9Barista stovetop. I asked for filter coffee. J generously obliged. Two cups with two rather different beans. The different flavors totally hit a spot. 

We always have got good beans. Different sort of roasts. It's fun figuring out each roastery's quirks. Mmmmm. These cups have got to be the best coffee I've had this week. It was perfect weather to sit and chat for a bit. She had ordered financiers from Little Favors. Ahhhhh. What a treat! Those always go so well with coffee. Wheeeeeee. I wasn't able to do lunch per se. So it had to be a morning thing. 

Gifts of Food from the Heart

The friends decided to feed me. They knew I was having it rough these few weeks, and while it's not as rough as what some other people are going through, I'm grateful for their kindness and friendship. 

They didn't exactly ask me if it's convenient to deliver food — they knew I would be home worrying about Choya and not going anywhere. Hurhurhur. When friends are being 'presumptuous', I don't view it as over-stepping boundaries. I see their concern and their lovely hearts, and I'm soooo thankful. My dearest friends are truly angels. 

I got cakes! Two cakes and a tub of rice! There's a cake as a dessert, and a savory one for meals. Ahhh... these friends know. I'm not too opposed to cakes, but many cakes are simply too sweet and not worth the calories or me bouncing off the walls. I only eat cakes that friends bake, and even better if they go low on the sugar.  

Asian Turnip Cake and Glutinous Rice

J realized that it's super hard to find Asian turnip cake (蒸蘿蔔糕) and glutinous rice (糯米飯) to deliver to friends outside of the lunar new year festive period. Teheheheheh. She cleverly found these items at Pine Garden and sent it over.

These were delicious! They were honestly better than Crystal Jade's versions. The sizes were just nice too. There was nothing to portion for the freezer. The portions went to the fridge and we ate everything in 2.5 days. Even the husband didn't mind these carbs at lunch — he was blown away by how delicious they were.

I was very extra, of course, and added lupcheong and yuncheong plus braised baby abalones to the mix. I had plenty of XO sauce and chilli at home to sort out a delicious few meals. Absolutely satisfying and filled my tummy. 

Chocolate, Banana and Walnut Cake

Dear D baked a cake and sent it over still piping hot. It had to sit on my counter to cool. Woah. This cake came loaded with rum-soaked raisins. I can't even... ... Her bakes are the best. She went low on sugar and was generous with the ingredients. It's a dense and magnificent cake that we ain't getting at the commercial bakeries. 

This is one dessert I'm not throwing out and eating up all the crumbs. We froze half the cake. Sowly ate the other half over the next three days. Even the husband decided to inhale 40g and 150 calories once a day. Hahahaha. 

No regrets. I still have a frozen portion to savor for the next week. Wheeeeeee. 

A Breakfast Meet

It was a lovely morning meeting E and S for breakfast at home. I've missed them! I'm glad that we managed to plan and stick to this date. I'm not great for the evenings nowadays. Lunches are tough since that's my gym timings. Mornings right now work better for all of us. 

E ordered shio pan and coffee from Olsen Bakehouse. Black cold brew always work. I took the original and the simplest shio pan. Not keen on coffee or garlic or the sorts. My stomach was happy! 

I enjoyed hearing their tales of travel. I'm not traveling much at all, so it was nice to take a tour through the cities from their perspectives. I've missed traveling, and while I'm not resentful about it, it's always nice to read about people's experiences during their trips out of Singapore. 

I would like to do more of these meets, but I simply can't squeeze out the time. This morning was so precious. It was a good long chat that lasted till noon. Then we had to split to resume our daily schedules. These few hours spent in a safe space and sane company had been absolutely soul-nourishing. 

A Peranakan Feast!

It was such a fun party over weekend. The friends flew into town to watch the play. We get to spend time doing things we love, and we get to eat some good food. I'm still recovering from being so sociable, but I'm glad to see everyone whom I've missed. 

Of course it had to be Violet Oon at Dempsey — it takes big groups, serves food fast, and is always decent, and probably the most important point, Choya could come along, and we could all be seated comfortably at their lovely al fresco patio. 

We didn't over-order but we had a spread. We had kueh pie tee, beef rendang, babi ponteh, udang chilli, chap chye, and liver balls, of course. 

We made it to dessert — three types — we had the kueh bingka, gula melaka tea cake with gula melaka ice-cream, pulot hitam with coconut ice-cream. The pulot hitam is pretty similar to a Thai dessert we all love — khao niao dum piek / ข้าวเหนียวดำเปียก. The friends loved this version. 

We were absolutely stuffed. Had a bit of leftovers that we decided to tapau home. Why waste food. Heh. We didn't bother to adjourn elsewhere for drinks. Nowadays, we do our drinking at dinner. It's a lot more convenient that way. 

お家ですき焼きは

The friends said it was time to celebrate our birthdays! A belated one for me and an advance toast for the husband. Yes, but we didn't want to put them out about the meal and proposed a to-go or delivery. We agreed on sukiyaki (すき焼き). Heh. There's no need to complicate it with additional seafood or whatever and turn it into a Chinese hotpot. Sukiyaki is meant to be fuss-free. 

The friends thoughtfully also got trays of non-wagyu beef. Donki supplied all ingredients, including negi and shungiku. We're not fans of tang-oh but as shungiku, it lends a nicer flavor to the soup, although I wouldn't eat it. But negi is LOVE. Heheheh. The kamaboko-chikuwa, tofu and mushrooms were all yummy. I was really happy with the udon too. In this manner, five strands of udon filled me up!

Dipping beef in hot stock worked nicely for everyone. We could control our done-ness. I simply love dipping beef and everything else in raw egg yolk. The husband didn't finish his dip (cholesterol lah), so I slurped it up for him.

We had a gorgeous bottle of champagne to go along. Crisp and beautiful. Totally loved catching up with the friends too. It's been a hectic quarter at work. Everyone's glad to have an easy night. Our friends' generosity made this evening truly enjoyable — the best gifts, truly. 

A Fun Lunch at Bishan Park!

We usually prefer outdoor tables, and the patio at Grub Pasta Kitchen works so well for us. It's got a good airflow and the sheltered patio is decently comfortable against the mid-day heat. The tables are set far apart enough for us not to feel geli when people cough or talk or sneeze.

There're some overhead fans, but these can be not too useful against the brutal heat. I brought extra fans to place at the table for a bit of extra breeze. Choya was extra stoked to be invited to lunch. She was pleased to have been allocated her favorite table and the spacious corner to chill out at.

There was a good crowd at lunch today. A few floofs too. Choya was not perturbed. All the floofs were happily chilling out at their respective tables. Although the two schnauzers at the other end went bonkers when servers got near. Those floofs couldn't deal with 'invasion' of space. They nip. Although the owners were quite vigilant about holding them back, I was a tad worried that the floofs' teeth would sink into an arm or a calf. That would not be good.

It was such a lovely afternoon. I've missed chatting with D and J in IRL. We do text fairly often, but it's not enough to finish talking about all that we wat to talk about. Heh. The ladies came bearing gifts! I came home with J's gorgeous handmade plate, and D's latest batch of homebaked granola.  

赤馬年 :: 大年初一

We had an unexpected invitation to the dear friends' parents' home for a mee siam lunch on the first day. OH YES PLEASE. How gorgeous. This was a visit that we welcomed very much, and it was no chore to pop over with mandarin oranges and little gifts. 

When the friends' parents were all getting on in the years, and cooking is no longer viable for many, it's a precious thing to taste their food. These are the flavors we'll never be able to recreate, and we'll deeply miss it. While we can, we appreciate the food loads, and give thanks to God's grace. 

This year, the first few days of Lunar New Year saw such low temps. I didn't even perspire much. The rains are back. Day 1 was some sort of mad rain from the morning til the night. At our area, it began at 5.30am, took a break, and returned in earnest at 10am, lasting all the way till 10pm. Luckily it wasn't a monsoon surge, and the flooding all over was controlled. We had an okay drive to lunch and back. The floofs also found pee breaks in between the rains. They've got no issues with going out in a drizzle.  

At lunch, it was nice to see Fawkes too. She's a silly girl, and had fun sniffing all of us. I didn't realize how much she likes toys. I gave her a toy at Christmas and it's become her chou-chou. Hehehe. So I brought her a whole 'seafood platter' this time. She liked the selections — plush and with ropes. Wheeeeee. She was spoilt for choice! 

A Delicious Bowl of ABC Soup!

We were thoroughly pampered by the friends with a homecooked meal. They had just returned from their annual long ski vacation. They also wanted Asian food, and wanted to eat at home instead of us all going out for a meal. My flat can’t contain this number of humans. So we were invited over to their home to partake in this dinner. Awwwww. 

Sometimes we decline invitations to dine at people's homes because we're honestly not that close, and I don't want to put people out. And I don't exactly want to tell them that I'm intolerant to 1001 things/foods. Often I might choose to suffer the effects of the allergy flares (even with antihistamines) back at home. When these are good friends, I suck it up and never tell them what my food allergies are. I wouldn’t want to do it with acquaintances.

If the friends are simply interested in cooking and do this all the time, with either a hired chef, or helpers to clean up, then I'm less iffy about it. Plus I feel a lot more comfortable dining at friends' homes when we have a solid friendship and regular interactions going on throughout the year. 

There were so many delicious things on the table! There were roast pork with an awesome crackle top, easy stir-fried nai bai, steamed salmon, basil minced pork, prawn omelette and ABC soup! We contributed the home-baked/oven-grilled siu yuk and prawn omelette. I couldn’t very well go empty-handed. We feasted. I ate so much vegetables. The soup was so good that I had two servings. Wheeeeeee.

It was too cute because we all agreed to go easy on the alcohol. Only one bottle of champagne was had. Whewww! Our darling hosts wanted to open up a bottle of red. We hastily assured them that it was really not necessary. We were really happy with fruits and water after the champagne.  

Fried Chicken at Christmas!

We decided to do the custom of having fried chicken over Christmas. Went to Paaru for dinner, rehashing a memorable dinner we had there a few weeks back. I didn't want any fancy dinner venue. I definitely didn't want turkey, roast beef or ham. I wanted something easier, something real, and quiet of which the dogs could come with. Paaru met all my requirements. I was happy to support our local restaurants instead of a chain or random big-name.

We had one round of drinks. We were quite relieved not to have any pressure to drink a lot. Two highballs for me were more than enough tonight. And a umeshu for J. We were happy to share two portions of salad of burratina, parma ham, nashi, and earl grey. 

Boxes of 'Paaru Fried Chicken' - PFC arrived at the table first, before other food items! Today held sauces of curry mayo, mala and tartare sauce. I ordered a box for myself because I didn't want to share the mash and coleslaw! I only wanted some skin and gave away the meaty parts. The meat was all thigh — a full thigh including the drumstick. Paaru's fried chicken is really delicious! Their dinner menu special this December is really good.

We did have other food. Hahahah. We couldn't be eating fried chicken all the way. Besides the large portion of cacio e pepe that held a tad more pepper than usual (but still okay), tonight, we had an extra small serving of beef cheek pappardelle. Pasta always satisfy the inner carb monsters. And this table does like our carbs. We simply rein it in a little nowadays. 

Of course we got to dessert. Since the husband likes ice jelly and such, I had to have him try the anmitsu. It was a cheerful yet light bowl. I wanted the soba ice-cream with sticky date pudding. What I thought was pepper wasn't exactly pepper. HAHAHAHAH. Maybe I had black pepper bits in my mouth from the pasta. But the bits were cacao nibs. I really like jujube and red dates. However, I do not like the standard bakery version of it richly doused in butterscotch sauce or toffee. Think the one at PS.Cafe — not that. I hate that. I like a lighter version of it, say, the Korean versions. 

Paaru is lovely lah — we also received a complimentary blackforest parfait that held real cherries! That was surprisingly satisfying. Ahahahaha. Chocolate thingies.

It was a wonderful Christmas dinner! 

[11] I speak not as it were for want. For I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, to be content therewith. [12] I know both how to be brought low, and I know how to abound: (everywhere, and in all things I am instructed) both to be full, and to be hungry; both to abound, and to suffer need. [13] I can do all these things in him who strengtheneth me.

~ Philippians 4:11-13, Douay-Rheims

An Effort to Meet Regularly

S and I made an agreement to meet more in 2025. And we did it. We've known each other for a number of years now, but we've not traversed too deep into the friendship till 2025. We have vastly different schedules, rather diverse interests and not many common hobbies. But we do have similar approaches to problem-solving and the approaches we adopt in handling matters. 

We made an effort to meet monthly this year. It took some planning. Adult friendships either grow because you run in the same social circles, or your children or dogs go to the same events and activities. In that sense, your social circles widen and maybe intersperse depending on the sort of things you pick up along the way. But if our routines are set, then it's hard to gather new friends and keep them. Because, time. You need make time for new people. And we all have only 16 hours awake in a day.

It was a lovely chat that night at Etna. So glad the rains stopped in time for us to toddle to dinner dry, and it remained cool enough for us to be fairly comfortable seated on the al fresco patio. This is our last meet for 2025. I totally look forward to another round of regular meets in 2026.

I'm not keen to sit in sharing circles, regardless of what kind. Not even trauma support. I'm the type who very much prefer to sort out issues on my own, or to share with a few friends. Please don't just share with one friend. It's not about secrecy. It's about lightening the burden of your ONE friend. It's not fair to tress them mentally. Everyone carries our own baggage. We have limited capacity to carry someone else's.

Through the year of conversations I realized S's strengths. She’s a gem. S is now a friend, but yet she would also be a perfect person to bounce off matters of people management and corporate governance. Heh. While I try not to talk to friends about work, sometimes it's okay too, especially when we're not looking to profit or benefit off of their professional expertise. No freeloading. Adult friendships are indeed precious. 

Beemster and Maaslander

Shamelessly went over to our friends' for dinner. They promised us an easy one-dish meal, and then we would do wine and cheese. They had Beemster and Maaslander to share. Yayyy! Okay. A one-dish pasta meal with salad sounded about right, and wouldn't put them out too much. Tomatoes, mushrooms and pici. That was a happy meal. I might have over-ate the carbs. The pici was boiled nicely al dente. Ooooof. 

Choya finally had a proper sniff of my godson's baby brother's feet. Hahaha. She knew there's an additional member in the home who's a baby, but when we visited the last time, he was still a newborn, so I didn't want her to approach him just yet. 

My godson was simply very thrilled to have Choya to toddle after. They hung out together like best buddies for a bit. We all ROTFL when Choya drank water from a bowl on the floor, and the godson followed suit by placing his bottle on the floor and he bent down to drink from it. 

The Smol Girl was surprisingly rather accommodating towards the godson. I think she likes him. Of course we watched the little boy's hands and his strength. His parents are mad strict with him not bothering Choya. But his own too-familiar Maddie the JRT is relentlessly 'bullied'. LOL Luckily Maddie knows how to run away!

Choya had the time of her life with cheese. Till she happily sat down for a long while to beg for it! She ate SO MUCH CHEESE. She even got a piece of parma ham. Goodness. Luckily I was smart and gave her probiotics that morning, and would give her another dose the next day. Her poop was excellent, and she said that her stomach was meant to contain a ton of cheese. 

Rooted in Town

I never regret traveling so much when I was younger, and went all out in my twenties and thirties; rarely staying in Singapore for more than three weeks at a go. Every weekend was a long weekend hanging out in nearby cities less than a 5-hour flight out. Those memories made and experiences absorbed, truly last a lifetime. While I do get a touch wistful every now and then about not traveling, I'm not resentful or discontented. I made a conscious choice to stay in town for Choya. I don't want to miss out on her short years. Well, it's not as if I don't travel, I do pop out on short trips. Like really short. Well, the husband cannot manage Choya on his own for more than six days. 

'Bring Choya to travel', people say. I had a serious whirl about it. No. Weighing in at 7.5kg and totalling 10kg in an airline-approved carrier, Choya busts all weight limits aboard commercial airlines. I'm not checking her into animal cargo for no good reason; a vacation isn't sufficient. To each pet owner's choice. 

I could fly her in a private jet. I do not want to join those newly popped up pet travel agencies because I can do a better job at logistics and sorting out administrative details even for pets. You know. Ha! BUT. Excuse me, I don't print money, so no to flying in a private jet to a vacation unless we have the free schedule to close up the flat for six months, put aside work and head out of town. Of course we can. But neither the husband or I are inclined to.  

I love it when friends send me photos when they're on vacation. I could stalk their social media, but when they take an extra step to send it to me in our chat windows, I feel extra loved, like they brought me along for that hour to their location. When people ask me if I'd like anything from the city they're in, there's usually nothing I want. I appreciate these little texts and words and photos. These make the best souvenirs for me. 

When J sent me a photo of the last bits of autumn, and blue skies and all, I sighed. This particular photo of gingko leaves on a sunny day. It's a gorgeous shot. (Who isn't in Japan right now! Tsk!) Ahhhh the turn of the seasons. I kinda miss that crisp feel of the cold. I shall renew all these experiences and begin the traveling again in the next season of life. For this season, I am rooted here.  

イチョウ 葉っぱ.