Wednesday, November 28, 2007

rambling thoughts

Mummyji was pondering on the drive to work with Hans.(There was quite a lot of time to ponder since it was pretty much a slow drive, given the daily turtle-race on the TPE)
Anyway, Mummyji reckons that this parting with Hans is rather akin to that of putting one's loyal ageing pet to sleep...
It really is quite painful...
sob..

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Ode to Hans


This weekend, Hans, our macho German machine, will retire after almost 5 years of faithful service. Other than the 2 occasions when Hans was whacked in his toned behind by careless delusionary drivers, there was only once when he had to be towed into ER (aka the VW workshop) for a system reboot. Sadly, Hans had not been quite his robust self since after his "hospital" stay in the first part of this year. Over the past couple of weeks, Hans has been beeping again about his engine oil pressure and causing us some alarm.
And hence, last weekend saw Daddy- and Mummyji car-shopping. Oh well, at least this time we test-drove 2 brands, and then settled for the Saab. Anyways,more about that later. This feed's for Hans.
After Marcel, our Renault Laguna, died on us in early 2003, Daddy- and Mummyji had, by divine intervention, driven into the first showroom in LengKee Road - VW. And so it was that we first drove the Passat and decided to get it. Some days later, Mummyji got to drive Hans home from the showroom because Daddyji was away for work and Mummyji fell right in love with this new German fella, full of feist and style.
Whenever Daddyji is away on business, Mummyji has exclusive use of Hans.
Mummyji never cease to look back to cast an admiring look at Hans after parking him. He is easily one of the best, if not THE best looking vehicle in any carpark.
Sleek and macho, Hans always seem to attract silly drivers of lesser makes who'll want to overtake us. Mummyji loves the roar that Hans' turbo engine kicks up when she steps on the gas pedal and the other cars are soon left far behind.
However, Mummyji has to assert to one and all who read this blog that she's a safe driver, definitely not one to challenge others or overtake dangerously (Mummyji just wants to get out of those lunatics' way!) And that the speeding ticket plus fine slapped on Mummyji wasn't due to that too. Mummyji had merely accelerated slightly on an empty stretch of road to ascertain that Hans was ok, that his engine wasn't getting sluggish. Doubt if the traffic cops will care much for Mummyji's reasoning for doing 80-90kph instead of the supposed limit of 60.
Incidentally, that will be Mummyji's 2nd speeding summon after 13 years of legal driving... ;p

Last November saw Mummyji driving the family back from KL, after Hari Raya visiting, cos Daddyji had to stay on for another day for business.
It was an exhilarating drive, and Mummyji doubts a Jap or Korean car would ever have provided the same thrill.
With many lovely memories of driving Hans, Mummyji's really sad to see her German companion go. He'll be reconditioned for export, as there isn't really a resale market for him here in Singapore. Goodness knows what he'll look like in his new lease of life, and how his new owner will treat him! Mummyji doesn't even want to imagine that....sob...



Auf Wiedersehen, dear Hans, you have served us well and you will be missed.

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

reflections on a tuesday morn, before the madness begins

http://whitecoatrants.wordpress.com/2007/11/09/two-wolves/
Click on the above link, read the story of the Two Wolves.
Stories like these feed the soul... at least it does Mummyji's.
It takes an immense deal of patience and discipline though, to ignore bad wolf and feed only good wolf... Bad wolf bugs, tugs and gnaws at one's heart and disrupts one's inner peace when there are inconsiderate and assinine people around. Ask Mummyji, she knows only too well. The world has too many of these - Evil people with no consideration or respect for others, who takes others for granted and destroys their peace, who oversteps boundaries because their eyes are only too full of their selfish selves....

But Mummyji shall persevere, good wolf will prevail within Mummyji, insya'allah.

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Deepa-Raya in CHIJ

Mummyji offered to bake choc chip cookies for the babes' Deepa-Raya food sale in school on Monday.

Z hard at work, getting even mounds of dough onto baking sheet.
We baked a batch on Saturday morning, after which mummyji packed them in 3's into fold-top Glad polythene sandwich bags. Intended Selling Price= $1/pack.
There were 22 packs, not enough for both babes. (We might have had more packs if S didn't keep munching)

S, the cookie monster!
Anyways, Mummyji then baked another batch the next afternoon.
The 1st batch of cookies was chewy, and the 2nd really crunchy, even though Mummyji followed the exact recipe from Dorie Greenspan's Baking. Oven temperature was kept constant at 180 to 190 deg C, that's for sure, as Mummyji's now got an oven thermometer.
Perhaps it's the creaming of the butter? Mummyji's observed that the 1st batch's butter was creamed to a runny consistency while the 2nd's was thicker.... We'll just have to bake another batch to find out!


All packed and ready to go!


Z waiting at our stall for the girls to come down to the canteen for their recess...Check out her home-made sign!

She decided to lower our price of $1/pack of 3 large cookies to 80cents, cos one girl came along and exclaimed, "One dollar?? I have only $1.50..." and walked away despondently. After we'd slashed our price, and after several packs had been sold, the very same girl came back and happily bought 1 pack. She even asked Mummyji, "is the price lowered so more people can buy?" Hmmm....


And here's a pic of the refreshingly light and incredibly fragrant orange-cranberry muffins Mummyji baked for breks. Mummyji decided to bake these since we had some lovely oranges and it's been a while since we've had orange-cranberry cake. Daddyji's off to Paris for his business already, and so muffins would be the easiest breks since Mummyji's preparing it alone. (Usually mummyji'll do the espresso for us n milo-cinno for the babes, while daddyji did the toast and such.)


Finally, here's a beautiful sign from the Almighty...

Rainbow over Shaughnessy..

It's been quite a tiring week, with many things on Mummyji's mind... and so, this was like an affirmation that He makes all things beautiful, in His time... like a rainbow after the rain..
Incidentally, Mummyji proudly showed this scenic picture to the family & friends, and all would go, "Wow, rainbow..."
but not the nephew, Ivan...Mummyji showed him the pic, and he stared and squinted at it in mummyji's k800i for a hard and long minute, then proudly answered, "Your house!"
hahahaha, funny little boy..

FOUND!!



Can't believe the old astigmatic eyes, but mummyji's found the missing spidey cake pic!
And long after it's been digested, haha..
well, at least there's evidence.. ;-p