East meets West.

Back from the Labour Day long weekend. First thing that pops up in my mailbox was the much anticipated "Congratulations, you've just been accepted into the so-and-so conference." Woohoo!

Then the bomb was dropped.

"Session : 31st January 2:20-2:40pm". Merde.

My sis' wedding is slotted on the 2nd feb, and that leaves me exactly 2 days to fly my pantak back to sweet, sweet singapore. Looks like it might very well turn out to be an airplane-to-the-church scenario. rargh! Well, it's my baby sis' wedding and there's no way in hell i'm missing it! Even if that means jetlagging and falling asleep face first into my bowl of shark fin soup (OK my sis loves her animals so make that veggie soup or something) at the wedding dinner. Which suits me just fine - probably a great way to avoid the all too predictable questions like "When's your turn HAR? You not velly young oredi leh!!!". Or worse, the guilt trip. "Ah ma so old oredi, when your turn har? I want to see you 'deng deng deng dengg!"

Merde.

Anyway, wait til I drop the bomb on them. I can already see the colour drain from their faces if i tell them i'm dating an ang moh. *chuckle* Or lagi best, my possible plans to make the move to froggy land if i have to. I feel so relieved to have met and made friends like Sei who was in my predicament at one stage. Speaking to her really put me at ease somewhat. Which reminds me, I want to package some products from Australie for them and for his precious little nieces too. Gosh I do miss everyone back in Bretagne and Paris. Also been corresponding with his grandma via email and trying my best to write in French...I do hope she knows what I'm getting on about..heehee. Well, you can't fault me for trying! ;)

Living overseas can be a trifle disconcerting sometimes. Sydney feels more like my home now than Singapore, and the prospect of possibly living in France actually does thrill me a bit. That's not to say that a part of me refuses to rule out the fact that I'll go home. When I do make my yearly trips back home, it's the simple things like sitting in my living room in that little wood-and-leather chair by the phone and listening to the sounds of the water trickling into the koi pond that instills a sense of calm like no other. I can't find that anywhere else and that's probably what makes me hang on so tightly and makes me feel a tad displaced when I'm overseas.

All these nostalgia put me in the mood for something simple and homely. Since there was a batch of lovely fatty pork at home, I decided some five-spice stewed pork would be the order of the day. Stopped by the supermarket to pick up some fresh corriander which was to serve as an accompaniment for the pork. Softened some leeks in boiling water as well which was generously drizzled in a bit of red-wine vinegrette that I whipped up. Since there was no mantou, we enjoyed the lipid-dy goodness rolled up in flour tortillas with sprigs of corriander. MMmm. There's nothing like the zesty crunch of corriander between your teeth to set your senses aflame. Talk about east meets west! Hee hee!

Gonna catch up on my reading now... tutoring tomorrow again. Sighs. Anyway no complaints - that's what's putting food in my mouth! LOL. And oh yes, it's GOOD FOOD MONTH! Can't wait to check out what's going on in all the restos. Ciaos!