Growing & Changing Everyday

I still remember how I kept wishing Julien will pop out soon, when he was still inside. Next, I wondered when he would fill out into a proper chubby baby... Followed by when he would be able to turn... And now, he flips whenever put down on a surface! The transformation feels almost overnight; babies grow very fast indeed!

Now, Julien is into the stage of exploring his limbs - he is always holding on to his legs or his toes. And the latest thing, he likes to hold his hands together and check out his fingers, almost near to twiddling them. It is so funny to watch him!

He is curious and much more aware of what's around him too. These days, he grabs my hair, glasses, nose or ears when playing. In fact, he's just curious about everything in front of him and if it is within reach, he will try to get a go at it. If I am on the computer, he will try to get at the mouse pad or keyboard; if I am using the TV remote, he will try to press some buttons after seeing me do so. The other day, when we were reading a book, he was holding the book tightly with his hands. And when I tried to turn the page, he would not let go. The book has a moving cellophane millipede that runs through the pages, and when he saw the moving part, he made a sudden grab at it. And that was it for poor Millie the Millipede... She tore at midpoint. A hopeless booklover , I was truly heartbroken at first, but at the end of the day, I would much rather have a baby excited about objects, especially books, than one who has no response at all! I guess this is just the beginning... Just the first book that I will be repairing... :)

It is an amazing feeling to see him now exploring everything around him. Enthusiastic first-time parents, we had bought toys, books etc since when he was a mere one month old. We had made sure we bought things that come with bright colours, different textures and different noises, but Julien then had given no real notice... that is, till now. Now, he reaches out to touch every different surface and is intrigued by different noises. An ordinary plastic bag with its crinkly noise attracts him and now that he can turn, the changing mat has become one of the most interesting things in the house, as he discovers the sharp (and to us, irritating) sounds as he uses his fingers to scratch the surface.

He has also learnt to identify faces. He looks for me when we are in the same room. When he is in his clingy moments, he shouts and wails, when I step out of sight. When he sees Daddy Low, his face always crinkles into a smile. Somehow, he finds Daddy Low funny, I guess :) Or probably, 'cos he has learnt that this is someone close to him, but only a face that appears at certain times of the day and so, Jules has learnt to treasure that time together. He likes to play a game of hide and seek with Daddy Low, alternating between smiles and pure peals of laughter and turning away to hide his face in my neck, before popping up and turning to look at Daddy Low again.  When we have dinner and get too long in our conversation with each other, Julien makes sure we do not forget him by letting out sudden shouts and when we look at him, he would be beaming from ear to ear. This pattern would go on for the whole dinner. I think he knows he is part of the family and wants us to remember that.

In terms of feeding, he has so far tried pureed carrot, apple, pear, banana and baby rice. But he is a tough customer - give him baby rice alone and he would have none of it. I have to mix in some fruit puree, in fact, more fruit puree than baby rice, before he would take it. Some days, he would eat everything; some days, he would purse his lips, and no matter how much cajoling, would not have any solids. So, despite being armed with a day-by-day meal plan, our weaning stage has really seen more stops than starts... But I think it is not long now; since milk alone does not seem to satisfy him and I think the next step would be to add cereals into his milk. Already, Jules has sprouted his 2 bottom front teeth.

And his presence in the house is clearly felt - our living room seems to be slowly taken over by his things - the playmat, the hanging bouncer, the baby sitter-cum-play-station, and now the playpen... And because he is increasingly wanting to be with us and be part of all action, the next thing we will be getting is a baby highchair.

There are days when I think to myself: How long is my life as a SAHM gonna be? It is so tedious and tiring and unintellectually satisfying sometimes. But when I look at Julien's past photos and my past blog entries and am reminded once more how fast the baby changes, I'm glad I am around to see and be part of his growing up and be able to record it for him in this blog :)

My Acupuncuture Adventure

I have always thought acupuncture is a sort of dodgy treatment that only the older generation of Chinese believes in and goes for. I never thought that I would ever try it, not least because I find the idea of needles poking into me a very squeamish idea indeed.

So, it is with great surprise that I find myself in an acupuncturist's clinic today, in fact, back again the second time to be precise. 

And I think my mum has the last laugh about this, a sad laugh anyway. Yup, I have caught a chill during my pregnancy and after the delivery. Since the last trimester, my right hand has been feeling sore. Today, the third finger on the right hand and the forefinger on my left are unable to close properly, and I have numbness up to both shoulders in the morning.  

I have gone to the doctor's, but all I have been told from the beginning was that this is likely due to water retention and the nerves in my hands being squeezed and that the condition will pass once I have delivered the baby and the water is released. However, the condition has persisted till today and in fact, worsened from one hand to two. 

I have also seen an osteopath and a chiropractor, both of whom have given little consolation or results despite their high fees (35pounds for 30min?!). I felt slightly "loosened up" and more relaxed after the treatment with the osteopath, but came away feeling that it has all been too mystical and alternative an experience for me - his treatment is a gentle kneading of the affected body parts and in the course of his treatment, he had excited outbursts of "Ah, yes! This is the spot! I feel it! Do you feel it?" Apparently, I was supposed to feel a tingling and a spreading of warmth in that identified spot. I found it a laugh that I, the patient, felt nothing, while the healer said he felt it... (He has also told me that when he treated Singaporean babies, he could feel a buzzing from them, because they have been exposed to too much radiation, since the preggies in Singapore are scanned at every gynae appointment ... hmmm... go figure...)

My experience with the chiropractor was less mystical, but no less effective. I had expected painful cracking of the bones, but what he offered was more like a strong massage. I saw him 4 times and in those few sessions, he often went on to treat my back, shoulders, neck despite no complaints about those areas from me and had to be reminded that I was there for my hands. In one of my last sessions, he suggested that we try acupuncture. It was painful and he drew blood. My hands were no better, and I fled after that, resolved not to return.

My parents suggested acupuncture and I was apprehensive. My last experience with the chiropractor did not leave pleasant memories. But I was desperate enough, so I sought out Dr Wang on a fren's recommendation.

After determining the cause and treatment, Dr Wang informed me of the places he would insert the needles. I was to have them in my neck, both wrists and the affected fingers.  As I laid on the treatment bed face down, I could hear him getting his equipment ready. And as he came near, I was a big knot of nerves. I kept trying to sense when the needle was entering my skin. I dunno if Dr Wang felt my fear, but I could certainly smell it!

And when the needle was finally inserted, I felt just a tiny prick. It went in so quickly and smoothly, that it was almost an anticlimax after all my psyching up. And before long, all the needles were in and I felt circles of soreness rippling out. And absurdly enough, at that point, for one crazy moment, I suddenly thought of the osteopath and very much wanted to tell him, "I feel something. This is how 'something' feels like as opposed to 'nothing'..."

I was sent home with 5 packets of herbs to boil and soak my hands in daily. Plus a bottle of ointment to apply. For one week, the house was filled with the smells of chinese herbs, the TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) smell I call it. A smell that I never imagined would ever be in my house. But strangely enough, I drew comfort from it and found it surprisingly pleasant. Is it due to the fact that I am in a foreign land and so find solace in something that is tied to my roots? Probably. While we have never had this particular smell in my mum's house, my memories of growing up are filled with the smells of Chinese tonic soups that my mum would brew and make us drink before each exam...

At today's consultation, Dr Wang was pleased that the swelling has gone down visibly and I have to say I am equally pleased, even if astonished by the speedy effect of the treatment. The numbness, soreness and rigidity are still there, but the pain and swelling are noticeably gone. And he had a more elaborate treatment for me after the examination today - I had needles in my head, on my shoulders, fingers, knees and feet. And the interesting thing was that today, I could sense different degrees of soreness once the respective needles are inserted. I dunno how acupuncture works exactly, but according to him, I have 寒 "han" (cold) and 湿 "shi" (damp) in my system now. And the different degrees of soreness indicate where these 2 culprits are most intense as the 气 "chi" brings them around. In the past, I would have told you that this is all a bucket of hogwash, but today, I felt it for myself and I am truly lost for words. It is a very amazing experience indeed.

Besides the needles, I had 2 heated overturned cups on my shoulders and apparently, they would help the doctor tell which shoulder is more seriously affected, besides their treatment purposes. I also had 2 infrared lamps baking my shoulders, then my wrists. The nearest experience I can describe this as is that of suntanning. It was such a nice warm feeling that I soon felt drowsy. And I was almost sad when he took the lamps away - I was starting to have visions of myself enjoying a nice pinacolada on a warm, sunny Thai beach with golden sand and crystal clear warm waves lapping my feet.

Happily, the session was rounded off with a nice, hearty back and hand massage, especially for the swollen parts, since I was told that I would scream if any needle was inserted into the inflamed, swollen bit. 

Daddy Low had gone for a treatment as well for his neck and back pains. And as we exchanged notes later, his experience seemed to be even more spectacular. He described a bubbling sensation followed by a distinct dissipation. And as these "bubbles" ebbed away, he felt a soreness spreading out. And going by his big smile and description, it sounds like this is the best treatment he has ever had for his longstanding neck and back problems. I think he will be going back for more ...

So, am I an acupuncture/TCM convert now? You bet! But that notwithstanding, I am not looking forward to my new course of medicine now brewing away happily on the stove. Going by the smell, this is going to be one bitter cup of herbal tea. Oh well, as the Chinese say: 苦 口良 药, pronounced "ku kou liang yao", which means bitter medicine is good medicine! 

Haircut Therapy

Woke up feeling excited, because today I had an appointment for a haircut. It's been some time since my last haircut, which was the first hairdresser I tried in the UK. She was ok; I had no complaints; in fact, I would say she was very skilful.

But today would be different, because I intended to have my hair cut short.

During the pregnancy, my hair had become glossy, thick and strong. You can tell by examining the stray 1 or 2 that falls. Yup, where it used to fall easily (Daddy Low used to say I shed...), it rarely did so during the pregnancy. But once the baby is out, I just keep dropping hair. Whether I am shampooing, towelling dry or simply just running my hands through my head, many strands come out at any one time.

Haircuts overseas are expensive, so I tend to try to keep my hair long. Or as long as I can tahan the length. Daddy Low's strategy has been to have me cut his hair. He had bought a hair shaver and sat me down to watch a Youtube video on how to cut guys' hair 2 years ago. However, with the pregnancy, it had become difficult for me to cut his hair. And amazingly enough, now he cuts his own with the help of a mirror. I had tried persuading him to try cutting mine, but he has resolutely refused. He said he was not going near women's haircuts, especially since I am often so particular about my haircuts. 

So, I've come to breaking point, that is, the point when I cannot tahan the hair anymore. I hate it looking flat and limp, but more than anything, I hate seeing my hair everywhere on the floor and on a few occasions even trapped in Baby's skin creases when I bathe him. That is definitely a big No-no for any mum! 

At the salon, I had only a few clear guidelines - it is to be short, no-fuss, easily manageable, and hopefully, I can still look a bit edgy and not boring... (haha, no wonder, Daddy Low doesn't want to cut my hair for me...) Erica, the stylist, said "No problem" and before setting to work, asked me if I would like any drinks.  Usually, I would ask for lemon tea or orange juice, but when she offered me tea, I thought, "Why not?" So very novel to have a hot tea at a hairdressing appointment and it is morning after all. I had rushed down without breakfast, and as I sipped my English morning tea with milk and sugar, I made a mental note to do this on my own - it is really so pleasant to have tea in the morning :)

Before the haircut, Erica's assistant gave me a wash. I was happy to lay back and let someone else pamper me a bit. This is the part of the haircut session that I love best.  I love my hairdresser's back home, especially because the shampoo girls and guys there always give me such an invigorating, strong head massage during the wash. It is almost like going to the spa and I can just close my eyes and rest and enjoy the massage. Today's head massage was just too weak for me and so not as satisfying. Still, I am glad that I can catch a little bit of pampering.


As Erica snipped away, I felt like I was standing at the cusp of a new beginning. I don't know about you, but a visit to the hairdresser's is always therapeutic for me. The best way for me to explain this is how it is like a "Before" and "After" experience for people who go on slimming treatments. In my mind, I have the image of a tired me entering the salon with a sad, limp mop of hair and coming out through the door with a spring in my step, a smile on my face and definitely a beautiful haircut bobbing in the air, just feeling like an absolutely brand new Me! :)


At the end of the session, Erica looked at my hair on the floor and went, "Well, that's all your hair there. A lot of hair!" And we both looked at my new haircut and agreed that the new hairstyle looked smashing and my hair seemed to take on an extra glossy shine after the cut. 

I am mightily pleased, I have to say. I had come in with low expectations, 'cos in a new country, you never know if they can really manage Asian hair, so all I had asked for in my mind was a decent haircut and just ease of managing - I just simply have little time to dry my hair now that I have Julien. 


A good start to the day and to the year, I think. As I walked out the door, I did indeed feel like a new person, strutting down the street... A sassy mum, I like to think :)  And when you feel this good, you feel you can do anything, overcome any challenges, including any rubbish Julien may throw my way! (Oh, yes, he has his rubbishy moments)  Thank goodness for easy remedies, easy therapies like a visit to the hairdresser's! Now, if only I can find a good pedicurist and slot in some time for that... :)

Success with Solids!

When I met with failure the first and only time I tried giving Julien semi-solids, many frens offered various tips. One of the ones that I like best is to offer the baby spoon to the baby for him to get used to the feeling of having it in his mouth first. I thought that was sensible advice, since Julien did seem to hate having it in his mouth and kept trying to push it out with his tongue the last time.

Today, I noticed Julien wanting to chew his fingers with a greater urgency. I checked his gums and true enough, the teeth, that we have been feeling the past few days, are coming through. One is already out and you can see the white part, while the other shows a hint of white breaking through the pink.

So, I was gonna go get the teether with the water-cooling bit from the fridge, when I remembered my fren's advice about the spoon. And I thought, why not? The spoon would be a great teether. So, I slowly and cautiously inserted the spoon into Julien's mouth, preparing to withdraw, should he reject it like before. To my surprise, he accepted the spoon and seemed to be exploring it, rolling his tongue around it, as he checked it out. Then, he gave it the all-clear by starting to give it a hard chew. I let him explore the spoon both sides - the right-side up, as well as upside down, so that his tongue gets used to the curvature. 

After a few minutes of that, I thought we were ready to try the semi-solids again. I took 2 baby-spoonfuls from an organic carrot-potato puree pot I had bought. I do intend to prepare Julien's food myself, but I thought I would buy a pot to just check out the texture and have an idea how fine and runny it should be. And amazingly, Julien was ready to try this time - he opened his mouth as I brought the spoon nearer and took the spoon, food and all. Watching him, you'll think he was doing a wine tasting - he seemed to be rolling the food about and just checking out the flavours. And a little bit did come out, as he is still very much Drool Central these days, but he swallowed most of it. I was so jubilant that I clapped and cheered. And he started smiling at all the enthusiasm; I think he found that encouraging! In the end, he finished all 2 baby-spoonfuls and seemed to want more, even though I read that we should start slow and just give 2 teaspoonfuls at one time.  I was mightily pleased! So pleased that I texted Daddy Low immediately to report the good news! :)

As I went on to take my own dinner, I saw that Julien was watching my food carefully. I decided that I would try to give him more.  I took my dinner and his food and sat on the floor, next to him, and started to take turns eating and feeding him. And success again! He finished another 2 spoonfuls! I think that was his limit, 'cos he would take no more. But what a day! What an achievement! I can't describe the thrill or the joy of that 4 spoonfuls vanishing down his throat!

But, boy, what a messy affair it was! He had on a bib, so his front was clean, but his flailing arms meant that his sleeves turned a smudgy orange! And if that was not enough, my dear boy decided to burrow his face into Mummy and there, I had bits of orange on my top, front and sleeves. Might not be a bad idea for mummies to wear a poncho next time we feed our babies!

So, this is the plan - we are going to finish that one pot; then, I am going to start cooking his food. I already bought a baby weaning meal planner and am looking forward to using it. Especially after seeing the delicious recipes inside.  Great! My son is on to solids! Next, we will be needing to buy a high chair soon and we can all eat as a family! :)

Spoon practice - what a good chew!

I'm ready for the food!

Gimme! Gimme!

Love that Flying Feeling!

Recently, Julien has become stronger in the legs and likes to stand up. In fact, once he is up, he tends to make springy actions and bounce. It is fun at first, but after a while, I have to say my arms feel really sore. 

And that was when we thought Julien is ready for the bouncer. The kind that has him strapped in a harness and he can jump up and about while in it.

I baulked at first at the idea of getting another bulky toy, but then it is not exactly bulky. It's just another prominent piece of baby equipment that adds to Julien's presence in the house.

As with every other toy, there was a sense of excitement when we brought it home and anticipation as it was assembled. But I have to say my excitement felt tripled for this one. On the box, it was stated "See the look of enjoyment on your child's face." And I thought to myself, see the look of enjoyment on MY face! How wonderful it would be to feel like an acrobat in the air? 

I thought we would need to drill a hole to secure it in the ceiling and was not looking forward to that, but it is even simpler than that. The makers have cleverly made a kind of pincer-hook, which you can just hook and clamp into place over the doorway. Had my doubts about how secure that would be, but it turned to be alright. And with Julien strapped in a harness, I felt quite at ease after that.

Apparently, the bouncer is meant to be adjusted at a height where he can tiptoe, so he can sort of just bounce or push himself off. We put a thick rug beneath him to help him a bit, when he still could not touch the floor. And it would be more comfy than the cold, hard floor.  After we had put him in, Julien sort of just stood there, or rather hung there. I think he was not exactly sure what to do. We helped him a bit, by bobbing him up and down. He seemed to like it, smiling away. 

Now, 2 days later, that bouncer is a godsend. Julien is happily occupied, while I can go about the chores. And he did seem to enjoy it. And nothign beats what happened today with him in the bouncer.

We put him in and watched him for a bit, then convinced and assured that it was safe, I went to cook. And when the food was ready, Daddy Low and I sat down to eat. We could hear Julien making his usual noises and moving about. And before he came in, Daddy Low had said that Jules was having the time of his life. He appeared to have caught on to the purpose of the whole thing and was happily bouncing about.

We were eating and talking, when I suddenly realised that Julien had gone all quiet. I went to have a look and guess what? The dear boy was slumped over the harness, asleep! He had been fed, changed (oh yes, the other thing is all that jumping about in the harness seems to have aided his bowel movements!) and was apparently now onto his next thing - his afternoon nap! It made us laugh!

So, is it a good purchase? I think so. It is great to see Julien enjoying it and Daddy Low can tell you that it is definitely great to have a happy wife. I am just looking forward to when Julien grows more and can appreciate his toys properly.

Securing the harness and Julien was already ready to go!

Look how fast I am going!

Whoa! That was fun!

The Roll

After almost 3 weeks of not meeting up with my girlfrens, we finally had a get-together again today. And it's amazing how the babies have grown. Every baby looks bigger, taller and more filled out. They are all around the 7kg mark now and more alert, more interactive and more vocal. When we went for the weighing today, Julien came in at 7.22kg, right on the curve. Am very pleased indeed!

It is crazy how fast the babies grow once they are at it. In these few days alone, I suddenly notice that there are many new things happening with Julien. Probably, some of the developmental achievements started long ago, but because it creeps up on you, you are never really sure whether that marks the start of a new skill or is just a fluke thing. 

He's been drooling lots; "Drool Central", Daddy Low calls him. And wants to chew everything within sight, definitely teething. He's been consciously looking at my food when I am eating too. I wouldn't be surprised when he would be receptive to solids soon. He's getting stronger and would now try to sit upright when I put him in the reclining bath seat. Sometimes, he gets to that half position between lying down and sitting upright in that bathseat and he stays like that for a while... and I think to myself, he looks like he is doing some core exercises! He sure has some strong stomach muscles! :)  And screaming. Forever screaming. And not in pain or in a tantrum, but just seems to be slowly increasing in volume and pitch, in a bit of a sing-song tune, almost as if he is practising singing opera. And he does that sometimes, just talking to himself or nobody in particular, but very often he does it looking at us and seems to use it to get our attention. And if you respond, he would go on, as if it is a proper conversation. And I think to myself - My, that shows intent. This boy now knows what he wants and thinks of how to get it. Wow!


But today, the one singular event that I want to write about is flipping! Yes! My boy is now into flipping when he is on his tummy and can roll onto his back! I had despaired earlier in the week, when Daddy Low reported to me excitedly that Julien just did a roll. I am the SAHM and I missed that "first"? Argh! All I have ever seen is him trying hard to roll, stuck midway, as he lies on his side with arms outstretched. 

After that, I gave him more tummy time and tried to encourage him by giving him a little push when he is stuck halfway, and then cheering and clapping loudly. He looked puzzled at first, but grew to like it and would grin whenever he saw Mummy going crazy.  I was hoping that he would associate that with a successful roll and I think he did. Hah! My boy is a genius! Heheh :)


Today, Daddy Low saw him in action and quickly called me. We watched him with abated breath and a suspenseful wait, he did it! Daddy Low puyshed him back and we thought we would go back to lunch, but he did it again! And again! And again! It all felt so surreal and I was just looking on in disbelief. My boy... turning!


How fast it is indeed. And before long, he will crawl, then walk the cute toddler walk, then talk, then run etc etc... Wow! And suddenly, I hope he won't grow so fast.  These moments go by so quickly! I promise to remember every moment, capture them and box them up in my treasure chest!  And suddenly, I understood how my mum must have felt when she worried about the day my little brother would no longer want to hold her hand... and the sweet brother of mine understands this and still holds her hand sometimes and she is happy. 

Julien, I will hold your hand as long as you want to hold mine. Xxx

I can do this!

Ahey!

Encouraged by the toy...

Seafood Heaven

One of the cuisines we really miss since moving to the UK is Japanese food - sushi, soba, tonkatsu, tempura, yakitori, sukiyaki, nabe... - you name it, we love it, want it and definitely miss it! While it is fairly possible to find Chinese, Thai and even Malaysian cuisine in Milton Keynes and nearby, there does not seem to be any decent Japanese restaurant outside London... in the case of Milton Keynes anyway. I remember when I made frens with a Japanese mum, that was one of the first questions I asked her - and she affirmed sadly that there is no Japanese restaurant or dedicated grocery shop here.

So, you can imagine our delight, when Shin and Wendy told us about a sushi chef they know who can do a sushi party in one's home for a per pax fee. And they both gave it high ratings from their previous experience - good quality ingredients, expert preparation and more-than-enough portions. We were sold immediately and with other like-minded frens, we agreed on a date for our sushi party.

I like raw shellfish, but must say I eat limited raw fish. Somehow, the few previous experiences I had with raw fish sashimi did not leave a pleasant impression. The memory I had was of fish pieces that were chunky and slimy and a queasy feeling all over, as I tried to quickly swallow the sushi. Yes, I know, I am the one who loves oysters au naturel... don't ask me why the disparity...

The sushi chef kindly offered a half sushi set option (albeit at the same price as the full set) and happily, I was not the only one to take the offer.  

The first course was the smoothest chawanmushi I have ever had in my life. It was a generous portion in a bigger-than-usual chawanmushi ceramic cup, which yet retained a sleek elegance that belied its abundance. And as my spoon broke into the chawanmushi, a little thrill went through me at the feeling of a silky rippling. The taste was exquisite - fragrant, rich in flavour and with a satisfying, wholesome depth that resonated all round the mouth and lingered as it slipped down the throat. And each spoonful uncovered more surprises - first, the usual slivers of shitake mushroom and pieces of chicken, then surprisingly salmon, and finally bits of prawn. So! That was where the depth of the taste came from! The chef revealed that the richness of the stock owed not just to the ingredients, but also to the addition of the shitake stock (from soaking the shitake mushrooms overnight). 

Next, we had grilled aubergine. There was a dollop of red miso paste smothering the chunky aubergine slice, but the taste suggested a harmonious blend of miso paste, some kind of nutty paste and perhaps other delicious ingredients. Again, the taste elicited a satisfied "Umph" from me and I confess that I never would have thought aubergine could taste this good! Secretly, I wished that there would be seconds...

For the half sets, the next dish was fried udon with teriyaki beef. Now, I am not a lover of udon, but I have to say I finished all of it. I think udon is nicer fried than cooked in soup, because it then absorbs the water and becomes spongy. The fried udon was of a more attractive chewy texture and the stir-frying method got the flavours of the condiments well into the udon. The beef was nicely thinly sliced, though I did find the teriyaki sauce a bit on the heavy side, making the beef far more salty than I would prefer. 

And at this point, my fellow diners on the full set had the sushi coming. The chef brought his display box with him and it was really nice seeing him prepare the sushi in front of us. There were the usual suspects - salmon, mackerel, tuna, yellowtail, eel as well as the specials - sea bream, turbot, scallop, sea urchin, prawn, salmon roe. I sneaked a bit off Daddy Low and have to say my lukewarm affection for raw fish sushi was transformed into a passionate admiration. I credit that to the freshness of the seafood and the expert way the chef sliced them.  I realised that I never warmed up to raw fish sushi in the past, because the ones I had were all thickly sliced and I felt myself gagging in trying to swallow it, while my brain tried to suppress my squeamishness.  One might have thought that if the fish was thinly sliced, the flavours would not be so noticeable, but this was hardly the case. The thin slices of fish on the sushi today shone - you could taste not just the freshness, but the very flavour of it and detect the differences in texture and flavour of the different fish. I was very impressed and quite converted. And lucky me to be seated beside a preggie fren, who was torn between her love for sushi and her cautiousness because of her pregnancy, for I benefitted on the few times her cautiousness won out - Thank you, WB! :)  

Indeed, the sushi was so out-of-this-world, that you start to understand why all the presenters in the Japan Hour programme always emit such orgasmic exclamations and facial expressions when they are trying the food. When your mouth is stuffed full with a just-right, substantial rice portion topped with a slice of the most delectable fish, that despite being thinly sliced, gives the sensation of plumping up and filling your whole mouth, and the flavours explode when you start to chew, how else can you react except to squeeze out a satisfied "Oishi" amidst "Umphs" with an expression of utter bliss? For the record, I would have to say the sea urchin (uni) is the most exquisite and spectacular item today - so smooth, creamy and full of flavours of the sea!

We finished with a bowl of hot, heartwarming miso soup. "Taste the difference!", our host Shin said teasingly to his wife. And as he said that, I indeed compared it to my own homemade version of miso soup. Oh, what a difference! Mine is nice, but not soooo nice! And now, I feel, it hardly tastes Japanese! When I told Daddy Low this later, the darling man told me that he prefers mine! Ohhhhh! :)

Host Wendy wrapped up the meal with a nice Japanese dessert and coffee. But need I say the obvious? - today, I died many times and went to seafood heaven. Oh yes, heaven can be had at a price! :)

The Day Santas Ruled the Park

When there is brilliant sunshine in this country, you do not waste it. And that is how we found ourselves persuaded to don Santa suits and go walk 4km in a park in January, when Christmas is long over.  

We had signed up for the British Heart Foundation's Santa Jog in November. Apparently an annual affair, we had been attracted by the idea that all participants will be given a Santa suit to wear for the jog. I mean, this is so fun and unlike anything we have ever experienced in Singapore. And honestly, I hate running and would never have signed up for anything like this if not for the fact that it is fun and not so intimidating since we can choose to run, jog or walk. Also, you can bring your child (toddler and baby alike) and even your dog as well, so clearly a family-friendly event. With all these in mind, I had no illusions, knowing that I would be walking and pushing Julien in his baby buggy.

But when the Santa Jog was postponed to January due to heavy snow, our enthusiasm ebbed. We were not just past Christmas; we were even past New Year now! And it felt a bit stupid to be wearing Santa suits to run round the lake now. We were in half a mind not to turn up, but waking up in the morning to such glorious sunshine, the mind just goes: "What the heck?! For the fun of it. Why not? This weather would be wasted if we spend it indoors."

When we reached the park, there were already many Santas either dressed or in the process of changing. I got us our Santa suits and started putting it on. Where before a grumpy Daddy Low, having been suddenly dragged out of bed, had refused to wear the Santa suit, he changed his mind on seeing the many Santas around us.  The suit was simply humungous for us, but I was happy to be in it. It was my first time in a Santa suit. Even if I look silly, never mind lah! :) People were enjoying themselves, laughing and joking and taking photos in their Santa suits. One enthusiastic participant even came in his own costume - he was dressed as a giant reindeer. I asked him for a photo and the good man obliged, amidst his friends' merry laughter.

Just before flag-off, Julien started to cry. In our excitement to get dressed, we had forgotten to watch the time and my poor baby was hungry. We started feeding him, and even fed while pushing him, in our bid to catch up with the rest of the Santas. But of course, we failed and were soon the last Santas in the jog.  As the herd disappeared from our view, we started to feel more and more conspicuous as the stragglers and became ever more conscious of people throwing us amused looks. We started joking about what these people were thinking or saying about us - "These funny Chinese... maybe, they celebrate Christmas in January in China..." ('cos of course, all Chinese are always from China, and for the record, we were the only Chinese participants). But of course, that was just us feeling conscious; there were, after all, all those other Santas ahead of us.

It turned out to be a good thing that we were left so far behind that we no longer felt the pressure to catch up, since we could now take our time to enjoy our surroundings and could stop whenever we wanted to take pictures. And believe it or not, it was actually my first time to walk the full lap around the lake, since we moved here in March. Willen Lake is the largest lake in Milton Keynes and its purpose is to balance the water bodies. The park itself is done up very beautifully and many times, we have passed it and remarked that we must come and check it out. And the only one time we did was when I was still pregnant, but stayed only for about 10 minutes, since we were too thinly dressed for the spontaneous visit.  Thus, I was glad for this opportunity to see Willen Lake and Park and in such brilliant weather too. I discovered a gym, a hospice, a pagoda, the balancing gates, exercise stations, a children's playground, a waterskiing ring etc. And the beautiful landscaping of the park, the lakefront reflected in the water in that beautiful sunshine.

Bathed in the warm sunlight and with endorphins coursing through my blood, as I walked my first 4km in months, I felt a wave of contentment wash over me. And to say the words you would hardly ever hear me utter - "Hmmm, we should do this more often... " Oh yes, parks and I are not natural bedfellows, but today's walk helped me realise that it is always the first step that is hard - once you are out of the house, the rest is easy. And oh, I have to qualify that the sunshine is a huge pull factor too. Everything looked so much prettier and it helped to lift my spirits and brighten my mood!

And as we walked, we discovered Santa beards on the ground... and then Santa belts. Aha, my fellow Santas were slowly undressing. The serious runners anyway. They were doing it Superman style - uncovering their running gear underneath and shedding the Santa suit (Hmmm... maybe that makes it reverse-Superman style...)

Then, we heard rapid steps running our way, crunching the gravel louder and louder. And a Santa suit flew past us. I told Daddy Low happily, "Oh look, we are not the last ones after all. That late guy is running, trying to catch up!" And Daddy Low replied, "Don't be silly. That is the first guy in, running his second lap!" I was incredulous and did not believe him until the 2nd, 3rd, 4th etc etc runners on their second lap ran past us. And soon, the rest followed, in various stages of undress of their Santa suit - the very visual explanation of the Santa beards and belts littering the ground before.  Even Mr Reindeer ran past us and at my surprised "Hi" turned around and gave us a wave of hello.

Ok, so we were still the last in the jog. So what! We were enjoying the walk, the fresh air, the warm sunshine and the beautiful views. And we still got our medals as we crossed the finishing line. No matter the fact that this was hardly a serious race, this remained my first medal from a 4km route!

Will I do this again? You bet! There is something liberating to the mind and the soul in wearing a Santa suit, acting goofy and walking the length of a lake in it. But before the next Santa jog next year, I will be back in that park to enjoy the air and views again and in the process improve my form and stamina... just give me some sunshine please! :)
 

A Beautiful Day

Going into London is never something that we really look forward to, mainly because of the horrendous traffic and difficulty in finding secure parking. And travelling by train and tube is not exactly easy when you have to carry one hundred and one things... the trip often ends up making us stressed and exhausted.

But today, we headed into London with a purpose, one that would take a load off our minds - to collect Julien's passport! And I have to say, going through the day now in my mind, we have enjoyed ourselves, even if we are still tired out.

Getting to the Singapore High Commission was a direct enough route, but the last five miles proved to be a struggle, as we battled traffic and tried to find parking. It did not help that their working hours run from 10am to 12noon only in the morning, and we had to travel earlier in order to make sure we would be on time and not held up by highway traffic - the M1 is notorious for jams and accidents...

But we made it. The last 30 minutes before closing time, I got my foot into the door. And the strange thing is even though I felt I was so close to the shave for time, in came three more people on their various businesses after me. One almost feels that time stood still in that little office. I was informed by the consular officer that she would need 15 minutes, but that 15 minutes felt like the longest time in the world... When she finally came back to the counter, I could feel myself tingling all over with excitement. It was as if there is an internal drum roll going on, as she slipped the folder holding Julien's passport and Certificate of Citizenship into the drawer.  It felt strangely surreal, as I picked up the documents and listened to her droning on about Julien needing to take his oath at the age of 21 etc etc. I checked the documents and could not help admiring the beautiful gold embossed letters standing out against the bright red of the passport cover as well as the smartly laminated citizenship certificate. Yay! My son is now a Singaporean and has a passport! We can now go home for visits! :) All we need to settle next is Julien's UK visa... hahaha! :)

To celebrate, we had a lunch date with my sister at this nice French restaurant she has been raving about. Supposedly a great wine list, amazing food (clams and snails always get me! :) and amazing atmosphere. And she is right. Everything was great, right down to the name of the restaurant and service. With servers who are clearly French speakers (their French accented English makes the dining experience all the more charming!) and a name like "Terroirs", surely, one can feel confident that the food is as French as it can be. And oh, the wine... a most beautiful, sublime Burgundy! My only complaint is that the servings could be more, but then again, I am eating like a hippo these days and this is after all, a French restaurant with every right to French portioning!

After lunch, we opted for a stroll to Chinatown. I didn't want anything particularly, but since it was within walking distance and would not involve the pains of trying to get a baby buggy into the Tube, it was the perfect choice for us. Once there, Yen decided to show me her favourite fishmonger shop with the freshest and reasonably priced seafood. I am a seafood lover, so followed happily. As she brought us into a dim and dodgy-looking backlane, Daddy Low and I started to have our doubts. But fresh and cheap seafood we found indeed. There were lobsters, crabs, prawns, snails, clams, fish (including live options) and even fresh vegetables! There, we decided we would have a homecooked seafood dinner and proceeded to make our purchases. Among our purchases - 3 seabasses for 11 pounds and 1 small-to-medium sized red garoupa for 5 pounds. Good value! And frankly, this was the first red garoupa I have seen in this country! Amazing! :)

One of the things that Yen and I like is food and cooking. And today, we had much fun cooking dinner together. After so many years apart after her relocating here, spending time together and reconnecting over yummy food - food that our mum used to cook for us in Singapore - was simply enjoyable beyond words. There is something about food that binds people together and cooking, exchanging tips and eating the fruits of our labour was just wonderful. On top of that, both her and my brother-in-law love Julien to bits and watching them play with Julien just adds to the contentment of today.

And I feel like today is just one of the best days ever in my life. And for the first time, I don't feel sorry for having to go into London!  :)

Mission Impossible - Parenting!

I watched two TV programmes last night that set me thinking about the lessons, values we want to teach Julien. It may seem too early to even think about this, since my baby is still trying to learn all about his psycho-motor skills, but given its importance, I guess it is never too early to give it some thought...

The first programme is X-weighted, a lose-weight programme for people who want expert help. I know there are tons of such shows around, but this one struck me as slightly different, being much more no-nonsense and the subject, young first-time mother Gaia, was very committed. In one of the scenes, she reveals that besides being motivated to achieve a slimmer figure, she wants to be an example to her daughter. An example in that she is finally taking some practical steps to do something about her overweight figure, which has plagued her all her growing-up years and caused her to lose self-esteem and have little love for herself. I was struck by her words that she wants her girl to be able to see her as an example and learn to deal with everyday problems in a practical manner, by implication devoid of the emotional upset and self-doubt that she had put herself through. I can so totally identify with that. It is so easy to get bogged down by the emotions when one is faced with problems that one loses sight of the most important thing - what to do about it.  

The other thing that hit me is when she said that while she takes the utmost care in preparing fresh food for her daughter, she is stuffing herself with fries, because she has no time and her favourite drive-through fast food joint is round the corner. And the punchline - what is she going to say to her daughter, when one day the latter should ask her what's the deal with the food? Why is Mummy eating all these yummy junk, while she has to stick to the boring organic?

A wake-up call indeed. All my bad habits flash past me, as I think of all the possible things that Julien may say when he notices the double standards at home...  We are all human, of course. and even mummies and daddies have their flaws. But do we let our children see that? Should we let them see that? I think not. Especially not when you want them to see you as a role model. And that is the hard truth that this programme brought home to me - it's time to grow up and be a stronger person. There is no time for being soft or farting about, rather, let's focus on the practical approach. Because a little one will be watching... and following...

In the second programme, My Family's Crazy Gap Year, a family takes one year off the normal grind of everyday life to go on a grand tour of Asia. The parents are motivated by the idea of exposing their children to life outside their comfortable, civilised, cocooned life and so decide to bring them to the Himalayas, Mongolia, Indonesia. Their three children range from 6 to 12 and through the programme, one can see the impact of this trip to remote and exotic corners of the world on not just the children, but the whole family.  In all three places, they stayed with host families and helped out in daily chores. In Mongolia, the children started from learning how to chop wood to how to herd sheep. And they watched their own breakfast being made  - Dad chose and caught the sheep from the pen, the host family killed it in front of them, and they ate it after it was freshly cooked, all in the space of 3 hours. It is a shocking scene, but it does show the children where the meat on the dinner table comes from and teach them to respect and appreciate the animal that "gave up" its life. In the Himalayas, they managed to engineer a meeting with the Dalai Lama and in Indonesia, they managed to track down an indigenous tribe that has never seen white children. They were accepted and welcomed by the tribe and were taught how to shoot and fish in their traditional ways.

We watched it together, and I said that it sure is a good way for children to learn that the world is not just limited to the kind of life they experienced at home. I mean, before I left Singapore, I had thought all airports would be like Changi Airportand was rather shocked when I realised Changi Airport is more the exception than the rule! And Daddy Low started doing some counting and announced that by the time we can afford to bring Julien and his siblings, if any, on such a trip, he would be 50! And there you go - the practical angle that I overlooked. But that is not to say a practical approach cannot sort this out - we just have to work hard and earn that money! For us to spend it on an experience of a lifetime! :)

Of course, I know it is easier said than done. To do such a thing would require a certain parenting attitude as well. I think, despite all my outdoorsy attributes (or whatever that is left of it, these days, am just too "nuah"). I would have worried about malaria, cholera etc etc... 

So, you see, parenting is a big minefield to negotiate indeed. If not a minefield, then at least a very serious, mind-boggling mission indeed. And it would take more than nerves of steel for this. One would need to know what one wants and work on achieving it. Time for a discussion, Daddy Low!


X-Weighted - Episode Gaia 
My Family's Crazy Gap Year - The Willmott Family