missing Fukuoka

Having dinner at Ichiban Boshi and in my thoughts suddenly miss Fukuoka. Che-che snitched lil’ one’s tempura n suddenly talked abt missing the tempura at Aunty Mio’s place 😂. I think it’s funny that Che-che and I became so familiar with the Aeon at her place. 

Sigh….. unlikely I can do a trip on own next year. Really want to see the sakuras, want to travel to see tulips in Amsterdam (ok this is really daydreaming coz need more money to fly so far away). Cross fingers for self. Unlikely that she can do a trip with me now that she’s working, she needs to conserve annual leave. Which is what I want right? A solo trip. 

Thought about festivals then decided to find out the actual name of the matsuri that first made me interested in it. Seen it on YouTube many donkey years before and it’s called 和泉大連合 where men will pull this huge float and run along the streets making all the sharp turns. Che-che will be disappointed to know that the men are fully clothed. 😂

Why do all festivals always happen during summer? Summer is hot must change to cooler temp for the benefit of the runners 😜. Worst is all summer festivals are slapped right in the middle of July!! How to be at the different places in one time? I will need many many summers to watch the festivals in Japan, by then I’m already lao-kok-kok. 

As I’m writing this, I wonder when we can go back to Fukuoka. 

Let me savour my warabi mochi while I dream about it. 

Chair n couch

26th Nov (Tue)

Couch arrived. Uh? I thought it’s still otw here, obviously my chinese cannot make it 😂. Che-che left it by the main door. Ok…house looks messy now.

27th Nov (Wed)

The 4 chairs came in 2 huge boxes. When it arrived, I was getting ready to cook the second last dish. Haiyah! Disrupted! Guy came and said 我昨天才来🤣. Yup! And the box is still here. 

Simply no way I can leave them aside until the next OTC comes, maybe we might even miss the timing if we’re away. I couldn’t even pull the box into the house! I was unpacking the chairs at my doorway for my neighbours to see 🤣. Flattened the boxes and brought it down to the recycling bin. Walking into the hallway is akin to walking thru a maze now.

Taking pic of this old chair for memory sake. The chair is nice but..... Cooking also can still take picture 😅!

Hubby took the initiative to help me fix the legs in the chairs. Out with the old; In with the new. The chairs doing their handover “pls be cautious of their littlest girl in the house, she likes to sit on 2 legs” 

The old chairs legs brought apart. I’ll bring it down tomorrow. I’ll change the couch tomorrow then. In the meantime I’m so tired. Obviously when I’m typing this it’s already at 9pm after I finish tidying and cleaning up the kitchen, and getting ready to take my shower. Didn’t even offer to pick che-che up from work at all. And I have my itinerary planning to do. Booohoooo... 

Lil’ one was complaining that the chairs are uncomfortable. Good! Hopefully this will deter her from taking her own sweet time eating her meals. 

The chair legs are thin at 1.5cm in diameter, old chairs 2cm. I wonder if it’s stable or not. I chose this chair coz of the stainless steel looking legs to match my table. 

28th Nov (Thu) 

Time to get busy busy after picking lil’ one from school. She’s been bugging me to bring her to a cat cafe but I don’t have the time. Asked the cleaning guy when I drove past if I can bring my chairs and couch over to the collection bin, he said ok. 

Decided to open the couch and throw the old one away. 

Ehh…. Did I measure wrongly? So short! 😂

Bye bye useless chairs

I brought the items down 3x. 从没下雨搬到真的下雨 . I was walking in the heavy rain when I pushed the last one (couch) out. The security happened to be around my unit when he saw me pushing the chairs out and asked me where I was going to dump this. I told him I'm going to the collection point. I suppose many people have been dumping bulky stuffs downstairs until they get so fed up, I think he would have marked me 'that unit XXXXX!' The head cleaner was shocked and asked me why I didn't throw it when the OTC was there, I had to tell him my shipment came late I was also panicking when the date drew closer to the OTC dates. 

The reason why I didn't want to wait for the December's OTC was I have no space in my yard at all. Also if they had arranged for OTC at almost the end of the month, I may even miss December's dates when we're away. But for formality sake I asked him when is the next one, he mentioned Jan. I gasped and then he said ''ok ok just leave this here. this time only ah.'' Like how many times am I going to change my furnitures. Slap my mouth I better don't jinx myself.  

29th - our chairs. Haha! Ok I think I'm marked. And next newsletter from MCST will tell us to throw our bulky items when the OTC comes. 

Lunches for final term for Year 2

Was getting used to waking up later than usual when she went for her IA followed by another 5 weeks of break. In total = 17weeks of not going to her school area, not driving along the route to her school. This week seems so awkwardly strange as I resumed my Grab driver duties. I was enjoying my 17wks of ‘no need to pack her lunch’ time. Sigh….. good life is always so short. 

2nd Oct (Wednesday)

Cooked porridge the night before after washing it up (from brewing her peanut root tian qi on Monday and Tuesday)

Transferred in slow cooker to keep warm

3rd Oct (Thursday) 

We had leftover from last night’s dinner so decided to pack the extras for her. Heated it up in the microwave and scooped out her portion into the thermos container. 

I told myself so many times to find dishes ideas that can be kept warm or cooked in the slow cooker but never did. Lazy and tired. Seriously! I just want to lie on bed and look at the ceiling nuah-ing. 

9th Oct (Wednesday) 

Many donkey years back I steamed rice and her CP Teriyaki chicken or lup-cheong in the rice cooker the night before and leave it to keep warm until the next morning. The teriyaki chicken gravy became so watery. But now that I’ve kept the rice cooker in the cabinet, I resorted to either using slow cooker to keep food warm from the night before or cook soba the night before. Can Thermomix keep food warm overnight? 

Today I took the challenge to do everything fresh in the morning. 

Steamed rice and chicken and chawanmushi all at the same time of 15mins. In total, the time take  was slightly less than 20 mins for rinsing rice, marinating chicken and beating the egg. While waiting for the food to be ready, I filled up her water bottle, gave pearl powder and (i think) breakfast too? 

Hope it tastes nice, not nice also chiak, not my problem.

#chefandgrabduties#

10th Oct (Thursday)

Coz Thursdays are my *long days outside day, I always have to think of cooking that is easy for me and less/easy cleaning to do. 

Cooked slightly more of last night’s dinner so kept it for her lunch today. 

Must be wondering why food seems to be the heavy type, unlike in primary and secondary school where sometimes I can simply pack bread for her. It’s coz this is lunch time, need a proper meal. For the primary and secondary school she’s always back for lunch (unless she stays back for CCA or supplementary class)

Her fav Japanese style 麻婆豆腐, basil chicken without the basil and chilli from the fridge. Popped into steamer (frying pan + steaming rack) to heat up while I get ready

I hope I don’t have to do this when she’s in poly. Please don’t make life difficult for your mom lah! Then again, this crazy mother in a few years time might say she miss preparing meals for her. 

16th Oct (Wednesday)

It’s her last night’s leftover for today’s lunch. Really headache, I don’t have the mood mentally and physically with too much things happening lately 😢 and still gotta think of what to cook for this lazy girl

Microwaved and kept in Thermos flask

17th October (Thursday)

She has some activity at Jewel so I cooked the simplest and laziest meal for her. Can’t let her bring any hot food as it wouldn’t be hot by the time she eat (had to leave house at 8.40am. 3hrs 20mins later the food wouldn’t maintain at same temperature) 

Into the disposable container and put in the ice pack for her. Initially asked her to throw ice pack away as well but decided at last minute she has to bring it back coz I’m only left with two small ice-packs at home (need the small ones when I pack food for her) 

23rd Oct (Wednesday) 

Very simple dish today. Haiyah! Every time also simple dish, since when I’ll do a complicated dish? 

Steamed rice (200g) so that we have rice (will be re-steamed hot) for dinner tonight and maybe tomorrow’s lunch.  I was kinder to her this morning, packed soy sauce for her just incase it's tasteless (haha! I think it's tasteless! Now I realised I didn't use dashi or chicken stock but just water 🤦🏻‍♀️. Woke up blur this morning. At least I did rmbr to marinade the pork) Sorry lah! I’m just not 100% here. Mind is messed like shit! 😢

Think I used to make nice cartoon キャラbento for her, now just plonk food into container. #looklikedogfood#

Then it's off to 🚗 her to school. Can she have x4 HBL per week?

Steamed egg with pork + rice. 

24th Oct (Thursday)

Fortunately there was little rice left from last night’s dinner, so didn’t have to cook porridge for her. After clearing the crockeries on the dining table, noticed they didn’t finish the gu lu yok (sweet & sour pork) 

Gao dim!

Steamed to re-heat and packed in thermos flask. Packing day before’s meal will always make a person’s job easy for sure. It won’t kill to eat leftover food but I just don’t like and minimise doing this. 

30th Oct (Wednesday)

Was refilling the Japanese rice into the bin the night before and decided to soak some for her plain porridge today. Took the chicken teriyaki I bought from DDDK and fried it instead of popping it into the oven. Had to ensure that the food is properly cooked. 

6th Nov (Wednesday)

Initially wanted to do ToriQ chicken + quail which I had prepare on Monday same time as I cooked the noodles. Opened the fridge and realised the fresh udon is close to expiry. Fishball noodle soup will be it! 

The night before she asked what kind of soup I’m going to cook, I wanted to use the fresh sole powder which I bought months ago but she doesn’t want. Now you know why I have discarded so many ingredients from the fridge, intending to cook but fussy girl with fussy taste don’t want. I want to make clean chicken stock powder also but just so afraid my family will not like it. Told you they are so used to eating highly “with permitted flavourings, E1234, E5678, MSG, colourings” food that when I cook they don’t like. It’s for their health you know. Why can’t they understand me? 

It’s the Japanese soup she wanted. Sigh….i want to buy miso also dare not buy coz it comes in a huge tub. Woke up at 6.20am to cook her meal

 

7th Nov (Thurs)

Made use of the CDC Voucher to get her fishball soup from Ming Fa at OTH. Didn’t take any picture at all. Today is my last Fight-Do session (tentatively taking a hiatus for next block of 8 classes. Hopefully I don’t have to stay away too long and able to sign up after that) so next week onwards I won’t be in OTH to pack her food anymore. 

13th Nov (Wed)

Totally lost on ideas on what to cook for her. Wednesdays is the mid week but it’s the first of two days she starts at 8am. I cannot start my engine that early 😅. 

Soaked the rice in the evening and thawed the pork. Easy peasy — her fav , porridge with egg. I think I did mention this before to cook the porridge faster, always pre soak your rice. Dumped the marinated mince pork, scallops and egg almost at the end

Into the slow cooker to keep warm. This morning, all the chok goodness smell so nice. If only my family love to eat porridge, I will cook this for sure, for lunch for dinner. But …. I have to deal with fussy members who expects dishes kind of Chinese meal. Sigh….. 

14th Nov (Thu)

It’s the extra pork sukiyaki + rice I cooked for her lunch in school. Just steam to make it hot in the morning. Ok lah… I’m not starving my skinny girl 

Dished into the thermos container and it’s done! 

Let me count thee …… it’s 2 more weeks to her last paper and then it’s break till next Jan.  6 more lunches to prepare, 2 extras each week as they need to be back in school on Mondays. Not sure if I’ll complain and grouch again COZ I’m sure when I’m not needed to pack lunch for her I’ll miss it. Crazy mother! 

20th Nov (Wed)

I’m getting so tired. Things might get more busy tomorrow onwards for me so …. Had a long day out yesterday so just prepared this the night before. This morning had to wake up extra early at 6+ for her school at 8am. 

Still cooking the egg so assembled this first. And since I was boiling the egg, I cooked few more extras to put in the fridge with the sauce. Prepared the sauce in the measuring cup and fridge it

This morning all I had to do was to pour the soup into the thermos flask and it’s done. But see this meal 没有营养, cannot do that often though it’s the easiest and food won’t turn soggy

21st Nov (Thu)

Okay… I think she gets so bored with the food her mom cooks. This is really easy to get everything all done the evening before and then serve it hot the next day. 

Her mom’s secret recipe filled with ❤️ egg porridge. 有加好料 K

27th Nov (Wed)

Last one! last one for this year. 

Last night didn’t know what to cook for this girl. Realised I haven’t cooked a single fried rice (does the 2 failed attempts using Thermomix count?) or fried macaroni for at least 2yrs as her meal. Since the varoma is out of the cabinet, thought I’ll just steam her something. Saw the DDDK teriyaki chicken.

Using this container for the first time. I bought 6, can put 3 in each layer. Idea was to find steam dishes recipes and can do it the same time when cooking rice. 懒惰的人就是这样的. Each container is good for steaming for one tho’

Ms Thermie doing her job while I heat up the thermos flask and fill up her water bottle. 

Cooking dinner’s rice at the same time, will reheat it later.

17mins and 搞定！Oops! Realised the chicken is too little 🤭

28th Nov (Thu)

Didn’t pack for the school as she needed to be in school at 12pm for her last paper. 

But yah. It’s her lunch which I would have packed for her. 

Off to school while I wait and do some errands in EPMall, my new hangout place after we left MP.  

Progress in tidying b.shelter

20th Nov (Wed) 

Finally opened up the box of Method products which I had received few days prior. Did a stock-take on what I also have in the b shelter and combined them into 2 boxes. I have ample supply for floor cleaner, toilet cleaner, all purpose cleaner. 😂

Took out some items that is on the floor, cleared some stuffs - those stuffs that I kept in my last tidying up (that was more than 8mths ago. One tip to declutter putting it aside and if we use them means we need it, if item is still left intact untouched means it’s time to say goodbye. Throw! Throw! Throw! 

  

Finally took out two Toyogo boxes at the lower rack, one containing papers and the other ribbons. Shouldn’t start a new hobby anymore, always love the amigurumi but nope not going to start coz I know I have this bad habit of buying so many colours so many designs yarn if I do. Just like what I did with hairbow making for my girls - bought different colours, cartoons, hair clip accessories of different sizes. I moved them from Punggol! Now that the girls are older I don’t even need to do for them anymore. And I still have my scrapbooking stuffs which I don’t even use now. I passed some items to a friend who scrapbooks before my move from Punggol. Should I start selling them away? I have so many things I wanted to sell - Some LDA stuffs I used with meimei, TweedleWink DVDs. So tempted to have a garage sale. Sometimes posting it in Carousell doesn’t guarantee that I can sell it off immediately, maybe months later or maybe not at all?

Took out this box of items too! Must admit I didn’t touch this in my last tidying up coz all these are boxed up and hidden, possibly I didn’t even open this box few months after we moved in 😅. Streamers, balloons. This must be for lil’ one’s science party or che-che’s Dora party 😄. Sometimes it’s good to ”see things once in a while” so we really know how much junk we have. Ok I wouldn’t say it’s junk. I basically throw the decorations away, not sure if the latex balloons are stuck to each or not, took the rests (disposable partywares) out of the box and put them in a plastic bag. Wah! Got those lousy tongs and scoop as well. Basically put them from Box A to Plastic Bag B 😂. Che-che will have some colleagues using our BBQ pit in two weeks time, so I kept it aside just incase they need the extras. If not, I can probably use them to put our dishes on it and throw (no need to wash plates after our dinner. I think maybe won’t use that much coz I tend to cook earlier before I pick lil’ one up from school so by the time I’m back home, I’d prefer to steam the last dish and then warm up the other dishes. I can’t do that using disposable plates at all. But those serviettes are handy, I left them outside where our tissue box is. It’s a mess there with mismatch colours but no choice, put then can see. If not, I may forget about these and spot it years later during my next tidying up. 

 

I have a box specifically where the tidbits/snacks are thrown into. (notice I can’t write the snacks are placed into coz the girls usually buy so much until I can’t pack nearly)终于可以看到我们有什么宝. I had to remind che-che (who is working from home today) that she still has her US chocolates and the rice cracker snacks from Boston. The next cycle of throwing snacks into the box will be after we return from Japan 😂. 

21st Nov (Thu)

I really can’t wait to use the CDC vouchers on food then do a last minute purchase on the whatever things. I need to quickly find time to pack everything. Don’t forget I’m the bao-gah-liao person, I need to plan and space my time out. 

Bought some items today and hopefully next week I can find a time to tidy as I estimate the couch and dining chairs will arrive the following week after that? I will need the space to store the couch n chairs temporarily, don’t think we can dispose old items in the OTC as they only put that up once a month. And not like I can control when the ship will sail into SIN with my items right? 

The freaking mess in the yard area, I have to keep watching my steps when I’m hanging clothes there, incase I trip and fall backwards and injure myself in the process

25th Nov (Mon) 

Took out the remaining items in the transparent box - shampoo, cleaning aids and combined them. Stocktake and temporarily stuck the paper on the b.shelter door. I will have to be the only one who will unpack purchased items next time (anyway I’ve always been the one what?!) and update the list. The rest of the family members are like …. “Why the heck you bother to do this?” 

Yard is cleared except for the 2 boxes (stationery + hair bow) Sigh… I’m so tired

I need to clear the other big box on the floor. Empty the contents - namely Halloween, CNY and abit of Xmas decorations. I should clear that 2 huge ang-ang CNY lanterns, don’t want to climb up the ladder to hang it in PES & then remove them. Tiring process coz everytime I bring the ladder out, the fussy me will have to clean the ladder legs before I bring into the house. 

26th Nov (Tue) & 27th Nov (Wed)

Argh! The couch first arrived followed by the 4 chairs the next day. No space and heavy to push the couch to the yard so just left it at the door. Hubby helped to fix the chairs when they arrived so didn’t put in the yard at all. My yard area is safe from clutter. 

My baby is 22

Raised this guinea pig for 22 years, my experimental child 😅. I went thru my first PSLE, my teenager, my young adult with her. Lots of ups and downs for sure; lots of screaming and shouting from me but …oh well tell me which kid don’t give their parents troubles? 

My girl has grown into her early 20s. I wish I can put a stop to time from moving forward. 

Happy Birthday to my big baby

Had her birthday dinner at HDL on Friday, 23rd. 

First cook dinner

Drafted this post on 30th June. Whatever happened to the other days when I cooked? Did I post anything out then? 

And this post is finally posted out on 23rd Nov when I saw this in the Draft folder. 🤣🤣! 

19th June 2024 dinner. 

Trying to clear the last bit of tau geh

So exhausted !

I don’t know why although I’ve been sitting down for so many days, I’ve only completed 5 days of itineraries out of the 18 days we will be there. 我的天啊‼️ It’s already only a month to departure and I’ve not even finalised the train tickets and still left with so many days of planning to do. 

Asked che-che to help me with Tokyo’s itineraries and she keeps saying she’s busy. I dunno wtf she’s busy with, she seems to be on her phone, playing games all the time. While I’m struggling to handle housework, yard is messy coz I was going to pack the shampoo and cleaning detergents back into the storeroom but just cannot find the time and energy to do it.  

Meantime, to get my action going. I had to start playing Christmas music to get me going. It really works! 

I’ve already cleared a fraction of the tabs. Why so many tabs? Check weather altho’ this time we’re not driving but I have to be extra cautious with the extreme cold for hubby. Coz I had a brief idea what to see at some places just haven’t really gotten down to which comes first, check proximity to each other and how to get there. I know all these usually people get it done when they’re there, I do set my gps too but getting things done now means I am already prepared and know how to move around more smoothly. 

Papa’s ❤️ for his girls

Documenting this down for memories sake. Hubby, the man of few words, always looking so stern but he has a soft spot for the girls. The moment che-che was born, I downgraded one position lower. Then when lil’ one came along …. sigh….. I’m downgraded until I became non-existent. 

18th Nov (Monday)

She needs to be back this Monday and next weeks, no more HBL for this term. He (again) offered to send lil’ one to school while I finish up the housework and try to get things (print Six musical tickets, get abit more itinerary done, interrupted with sometimes updating my blog like now coz I get distracted easily). 

19th Nov (Tuesday)

嘴硬可是心软 😂 He sent her to work and then dropped by office for 3 hours. 

21st Nov (Thurs)

Hubby sent lil’ one to school so that this slave can do housework 😂. 

22nd Nov (Friday) 

He sent che-che to work while I sent lil’ one to school. So why he always tell me “she’s big girl already, let her go to work / come back herself”. Then ……. he did it. Maybe he wants to take credit 🤣. 

Whatever it is, his love for his girls is so great. He no care about his wife coz I have a car at my disposable.