Sakura Spring

When I first started this blog, my dear fren U loved it and raved about it to her frens, asking them to read it. One of her frens told U that I would eventually stop, that motherhood would wear me down and put an end to this indulgence. U, my strong supporter, had confidently stood by me and said "No way!"


Well, I am looking at my blog now and my last entry was dated 15 Feb 2011... oh dear...

No, U, I did not give up. I stopped only because so many things happened and took over for a while - a terrible bout of winter flu that went through the household, then a fall down the stairs, and sigh, homesickness and depression with the miserable gloom of cold, drab winter days...



But the blog was never far from my mind. There is a title, a topic everyday in my head. And funnily, my drafts page is full of titles and half-finished entries. You learn that time waits for no one. You have all these titles, but the freshness and the details of that particular topic fades. And I have been wanting to write about the end of winter, the beginning of spring, how my  cherry tree is budding, but by the time I got down to photographing the dear tree, it is all abloom and by next week, its flowers will all have fallen to the ground. 


So, today, I decided enough is enough. I will procrastinate no more (for indeed this terrible habit grows on one).  And to make the most of it, I invited my Japanese fren K to come view my sakura and have some dessert. She tells me that sakura viewing session in Japan is enjoyed with tea, bento sets and rice cakes. I offered her mochi, choya, fruits and a Southeast Asian dessert of black sticky rice with a dollop of coconut cream.


We sat there with the french windows open, enjoying the beautiful cherry flowers, the beautiful breeze that comes in and each other's and our babies' company. In the airy room where there is a splash of soft spring afternoon sunlight, we appreciated Asian cuisine and talked about recipes. The whole afternoon had a sense of tranquility, no doubt enhanced by the very smooth, velvety, calming iced Choya.


There is no better way to enjoy a nice sunny afternoon. Try it - light refreshments, appreciation of nature and a quiet conversation with pleasant company. It's a great start to spring! :)