1 Jan 2021

So the first day of the new year is almost over. And you know, once you get older, the new year doesn't really feel any different from the other days. 

Festive gatherings this year are kept to a minimum, due to the restrictions on the maximum number of people allowed to gather. I met a handful of people towards the end of the year - Lin and Sharon, some of my colleagues, some people from my coaching class, cousin.e, cousin.sf, Jeanne and Ching, and of course the parents. 

Christmas was a simple dinner with the oldies. There was roast chicken and lasagne, and way too many presents for the little boy under the Christmas tree. We headed out on New Year's Eve to buy a couple of stuff, then had a pasta dinner at home. Dinner with the oldies on 1 Jan, where ma made a Filipino (I think?) version of paella called arroz valenciana. I made takoyaki this morning in my brand new Bruno compact hotplate. 

Reflections on the year that just passed - 

Covid-19 really, really sucks. You can't help but worry about family and loved ones in countries that don't have things under control and all you can do is pray they take care of themselves and stay safe.

I feel so blessed to be in Singapore where life has somewhat gotten back to normal, at least as normal as things can be in times of a global pandemic. 

I love that our family has grown closer this past year, and that we got to spend so much time with the little boy. So proud to watch him grow into the kind, young man that he is. 

The boy's EQ is top notch! He is mindful not to say things like "ewww so yucky" but will gently say "it's a little not so nice" or "the taste is a little not good". He is stil obsessed with trains and now, the train map. And we spend many weekends taking the different train lines around SG. 

There are some food dishes that I love that was discovered in 2020. Wang's curry chicken paste is now a staple in our kitchen. Just add chicken, potato and water! Dalgona coffee is another regular item that I indulge in. Other stuff include Chinese style carrot cake, and eggplant sauce (onion and garlic blended, fried in oil, then add balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, fish sauce, sriracha and boom! You've got a sauce which can be used as a soup base, that goes extremely well with eggplant too). 

Food delivery was something we did fairly regularly too. We found a chicken rice stall/shop that we like (chicken rice is one of the boy's favourite foods. So is roast pork rice). Tenderfresh, Lenu, Arcade Fish Soup were also regular places we ordered from. 

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Hopes for the new year? Good health, good luck and good fortune to all.