A Tale of a Dinner Party

They paved paradise, they put up a parking lot

A pink hotel, a boutique and a swinging hot spot

Don't it always go to show

You never know what you got till it's gone ?

They paved paradise, they put up a parking lot.

I've always enjoyed hosting dinner parties. It's such a joy to be able to gather people around the dining table over conversation - there's a certain civility and warmth about the atmosphere that you can't somehow get at a restaurant. And as a budding cook, there's a major plus side for me as well - that is, having a perfectly legitimate excuse to spend most of the day in the kitchen, completely unfettered - humming to music, banging pots and pans, chopping up veggies and with a certain four-legged rascal running circles around my feet. Sure, it's a whole lot of effort, and I've been told that I'm borderline obsessive and a nervous wreck before the dinner (always worried that I forgot something on the list, or that one of the dishes will not turn out right or that people will not enjoy themselves).

I've been meaning to host a dinner party for the people who have, in small but meaningful ways, made a difference to my life in Singapore. These are the friends I've made at the School who noticed when I was down and took me aside to have a quiet word, sat with me patiently while I complained for weeks on end about why I refused to accept that the marginal utility of slippers and shoes were the same, and shared with me the notes (and perhaps, just perhaps, might have signed in for me...hehe) for one particularly dreaded course. :) But I'll admit that I've put it off for weeks now, always citing the crazy schedule at school, or having too many things on my plate, or being overwhelmed. But last weekend, I listened to an old favourite of mine, Big Yellow Taxi, and it dawned upon me that in just a few more months, my life in Singapore will be packed up, labelled and waiting by the door in 20 x 20 boxes as I begin a new chapter in my life. I remembered an old Malay saying, "cakap tak serupa bikin," (Say one thing, but do another) and I realised I too, shamefully, hadn't lived up to my word.

Of course, as luck would have it, I got completely drenched trying to navigate 4 large tote bags of groceries through the thunderstorm this morning, and I may just have fallen down and broken the eggs when I slipped on the floor at the Bukit Timah market, but I'm none the worse for wear. It was a great night - my friends ate, I drank, as the laws of the universe dictated. Recipes to follow, I promise!

No dinner party is complete without the infamous kitchen accident

Nothing like a lovely bowl of salad to start off a meal

Clockwise from left: Herb Roasted Chicken,  lemongrass ice jelly (Thanks, KT), French vegetable tian,  sage and sausage stuffing, focaccia with pesto

Alamak...the aftermath!

Sunday @ the Botanic Gardens

Flowers, flowers everywhere! Hellaconia, orchids, jantung pisang and hey, what do you know, Malaysia's national flower, the Bunga Raya (hibiscus)

Cooper and I were out bright and early yesterday for a trip to the Botanic Gardens. I'm always somewhat surprised when people tell me that there is nothing to do in Singapore except shop. Believe me, a great day out doesn't have to start or end with Orchard.  The city state actually has a great number of parks, water bodies, and other sites to keep you preoccupied. There's no doubt that Singapore can't rival Borneo in terms of nature but as I've said before the facilities are clean and well maintained, which I can't say is the case in most parts of Asia. And they definitely get props for allowing dogs in public spaces. Here are some photos from our outing. 

A smoke-free, litter-free, perfectly engineered tropical paradise

Frederic Chopin's guest appearance in Singapore

I "r" Cooper

Family life in Singapore...or at least in Bukit Timah

Hot Dogs

It's been extremely hot these past few weeks. G and I were at the Singapore Hot Dog festival recently and she caught this great picture of two buddies getting some much needed relief from the heat. Thanks, G!

A morning out at Jacob Ballas Children's Garden

Doesn't this picture make you want to smile?

I was fortunate enough to tag along a field trip this morning to the Children's Garden at the Botanical Gardens. I have to hand it to Singapore, its management of public facilities is excellent for the most part. Entrance is free I believe, but you need to be a kid to get in. Here are some photos which I managed to take.

Sunday Mornings

I love going to the market on weekends. It is my mother's influence. I've always admired how methodological she was in creating her grocery list (and checking it twice) and shopping for the week's food. As a child my job was to help pick potatoes and onions, since I was pretty hopeless at being able to pick out fresh fish. Even after I moved out of my parents' house I continued to go to the same market in KL. It was nice to bump into her in the market on Saturday mornings. Some of the sellers have seen me grow up over the years.  I enjoy looking at the fresh vegetables and fruit on sale, and talking to the people who sell the produce. This morning there was a community event at the Bukit Timah Market in preparation for Chinese New Year. It was a visual feast.