Life

I'm sitting in my little office crying. Yesterday, one of my husband's classmates, also a good friend's cousin, passed away suddenly from some illness.

I don't know much of the details surrounding his death, but I have been given an insight into his life by his Facebook wall, which has been flooded with hundreds of deeply personal messages.

Shock. Sorrow. Disbelief.

I owed you lunch and now you're gone. I was going to buy you duty free on my way back home. Tell me it isn't true. Why did you leave so soon? Words can't describe the pain that this news has brought. What you said, and how you said it, inspired me. Life will never be the same without you. No words but sorrow.

So many friends, classmates, work colleagues and family members that were touched by someone who has been described simply as a "genuinely good guy". As one message put it, "if your family can read it, they will know how loved you were". And the messages continue to pour in.

I never personally knew this guy, yet I am touched at the impact his life had on other people that I know, and I feel and mourn his loss. Or not really his loss, for he is now at peace, but the loss of a little bit of goodness from this world.

Malaysian

No, I haven't learnt to cook Malaysian food yet. It is, however, one of my favourites. My love for Malaysian food was birthed in a tiny restaurant called Sri Pinang on K'Road. It quickly became a favourite and regular lunchtime catchup venue. I highly recommend it!

So tonight after work, while wandering the aisles of the supermarket for motivation to cook, I suddenly had a very bad craving for some Malaysian. What happened next was a blur...my fingers dialled the bank (woohoo, positive balance!), then dialled the number for KK Malaysian restaurant, our current favourite Malaysian restaurant in Wellington, based on taste, portion size and cost. I heard my voice making a takeaway order. "...pickup in 15 minutes?"

So here is what we had for dinner - some of my favourites (these aren't actual photos I took...we were way too hungry and the food smelled too good and therefore disappeared before it even crossed my mind to take photos).

Roti canai

Char kway teow

Sambal chicken

Review

OMG...I just posted my first restaurant review on MenuMania, and I have to say it was quite exciting. My first review. Aahhh! It was nothing profound, and I didn't go into the different flavours of the components of each dish, nor did I time how long they took to prepare our food. But still, I rated and commented on food. More to come.

Road to foodie-ness

I love food. If you don't know that about me, then you don't know me at all.

I've been called a "foodie", but when I Googled the definition I wasn't really sure that I was. I don't have an extraordinary palate, and I think I'm too lazy to dedicate enough time to learn about ingredients, preparation, presentation, etc. I do enjoy watching the Food Channel and dreaming about all that good food, but when the channel is changed to the news or sport, the inspiration is lost and I'm perfectly happy with the usual quick stir fry or pisupo-and-corn special (what's special about it is the lack of effort and time required to prepare it).

Anyway, so I found myself at home with Lyla one day and lunch time was approaching. Usually I would whip us up some two-minute noodles or french toast. For some reason, I felt slightly inspired to do a bit better. So I looked in the fridge and pantry and came up with this:

Sliced potatoes, egg, baby spinach and Italian sausage. How exciting! Little did I know, this was a basic frittata - "Italian omelet with diced vegetables and meats; cooked until bottom is set then inverted into another pan to cook the top". In my excitement and newfound boldness, and not having the read the "invert into another pan" definition, I decided that in order to cook the top I would need to flip the omelet. Smart.

Not what I was going for. But then I seasoned, served, closed my eyes and ate...and it was delicious. We do eat with our eyes though, and my visual "bite" had left a lingering undesirable taste in my mind.

Regardless, this was hopefully the first of many experiments and a more exciting approach to cooking. We'll see how long this buzz lasts.

Help from JK

Some tips from John Kirwan that I've found very helpful for reducing stress. Simple but effective.

postpone major life changes

If you are feeling stressed or anxious, it's probably not a good time to move house or change jobs. Major changes are best made when you are feeling better.

do the things you enjoy

Plan some regular time for activities you usually enjoy. You might find it takes a while for the positive feelings to return, so it is important to keep doing the activities regularly.

control your workload

Working long hours and taking on major work-related responsibilities can take over your life and contribute to depression. Make sure you have enough time to do the things you enjoy, and if necessary make changes to your work habits.

Samoa withdrawal

We are back in Wellington, after spending a short 5 days in Samoa to be at the wedding of Pati's only sister and sibling, Susana.

What a whirwind trip.

Day 1 - Learning how to breathe again in the hot and humid weather, and trying to get over the drowsiness and dehydration. Long catch up chinwag with the sisters. McPeanut's for dinner.

Day 2 - First venture into town, checking out the crazy potholes in the road and the confusing directions or lack thereof at the "road works". Wedding shopping tasks, airport pick up, wedding planning. Hen's night. And to finish off - late night snack of taro and the world's best oka.

Day 3 - More wedding shopping, catch up lunch with friends, wedding rehearsal and other general wedding prep tasks. Food pick of the day - taro and 'sea'.

Day 4 - Last minute crazy running around. Pinati's Saturday Soup Special (yumness!!). Then finally...wedding fun!

Day 5 - Rare down time just hanging with the newlyweds. Last catch up with the sisters at McDonald's (the only place open on Sunday!). Then big family feast, with oka, pua'a and faiai fee.

Then sadly it was time for goodbye again. Now I am in that awkward phase where I am longing to go back, but at the same time relieved to be in the comfort of my own house again...missing family, but thankful to spend quality time with my own little family.

Looking forward to going back again, whenever that may be. No matter where I roam, Samoa will always be home.

Got you on my mind

"Happy Anniversary baby
Got you on my mind..."

That song is stuck in my head. Why, you ask? Because it's our wedding anniversary! Funny that.

Five years since this moment (look at how excited we were!)

If I could, I would have flown you here for dinner...



And I would have bought you this...

And this...

And maybe this as well...

But alas, all I have to offer you is a future of nagging when you don't close drawers and doors, bad passenger driving, thrilling data warehousing work stories, free VB and SQL tips and budgeting/bill paying services. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.