This is for the Family

After experiencing tremors from yesterday's 6.3-magnitude earthquake in Sumatra which killed 52 people, I once again got reminded not to take people around me for granted. To all my family and friends out there, you all mean the world to me though I may sometimes get too embroiled in my own life to call, maybe I never remember your birthdays, or maybe I just have not made an effort to make contact with you!

I decided to spend the day with Mummy and Ah Boy. Colin dropped me off on his way to a meeting this morning. I lazed around, doing nothing, (which is actually what I do best), listening to stories from Mummy while lying side by side in my previous room, including one in which she got chased by 2 huge rats whilst walking home one night!!

After lunch at Sakura (the buffet is reasonably priced at $18 nett after SAFRA discount), we proceeded to catch a movie together, something we have not done for at least 15 years!

We decided to watch Jack Neo's new movie, which is a satirical movie that explores the intricacies of office politics in the Civil Service, seen through the eyes of blue-collar worker Shui and Vice President Tanya who, through a freak accident, swap souls and bodies. They each experience life in the shoes of the other and come to a better understanding of the plights and challenges facing the workforce in Singapore.

Being someone who had previously spent more than 5 years in the Civil Sector, I could identify with many of the issues raised in the movie. There were both hilarious and heartwarming moments weaved into the movie, and I must say I thought Fann Wong acted quite well in the movie. However, I found the entire movie quite scattered as it tried to cover too many issues without much focus. At one point, it also got a little draggy and even was on the brink of boring. All in all, I would say that I preferred Jack Neo's I Not Stupid to this (only caught 2 of his movies so far).

After the movie, I made my way home to cook dinner. Here is the menu for tonight :

Hairy Gourd (Mao Gua) with Niang Dou Fu

- This is a dish that I fell in love with when I ate at my parents-in-law's house during my first visit to them. Chop the hairy gourd (looks like a hairy cucumber) into pieces. Add some boiling water to the pan and simmer till the vegetable is soft (around 10 minutes). Add Niang Dou Fu of your choice and 2-3 cubes of fermented beancurd, some sesame oil, and sugar. Simmer for another 15 minutes before serving.


Brocolli with beef - Heat some butter on a pan. Lightly sear the the beef (sliced tenderloin).
When beef is half cooked, remove from flame. Next, heat olive oil and fry garlic till fragrant. Add Brocolli and fry for 30 seconds. Add some water, close the lid and simmer till vegetables are cooked. Add in beef, oyster sauce, fry for another 30 seconds and serve.


Lotus Root and Peanut Soup
- This is my favourite soup (i love the peanuts) and it is really simple to make. Boil some pork ribs in water for 3 minutes (to remove the blood and smell). Next, throw the pork, corn (chopped), lotus roots (chopped), peanuts, red dates into pressure cooker. Fill up with water till the water level just covers the ingredients. Boil for 1.5 hrs in pressure cooker. Yummy-licious!