Food, glorious food

Having just been thinking about the possibility of trying new foods, my mind has turned to the exotic. Having been born in the home of the haggis I am obviously happy to try oddities and see whether they tickle my palate. I remember as a child sitting on a beach just across from Venice and enjoying fresh watermelon. In those days people were not as careful about rubbish and we merely dug holes in the sand with our toes and spat the seeds into these. Covering them over afterwards was considered the limit of civic-mindedness in those far off days.

Since then of course I have tried quite a few different things and only occasionally come to the conclusion that I would not complete whatever it was that I was trying. However a pal of mine, working with me in Africa, was even more adventurous than I was; this was a mistake as he then began to waste away. He flew back to UK and the Institute of Tropical Medicine in London found no exotic disease, however he had seven different types of worm in his intestines, which seemed a shade excessive. I was glad that I restricted my intake of things from the roadside to only really well cooked items!

Asia of course sends one towards noodles, and there are plenty of places ideally suited to people like myself. But even in my youth I was unable to bend to eat them while seated on the floor, no doubt it is something you need to be brought up to do.

But actually I am not a great lover of noodles and certainly would not go to the extent of having a personal cooler fan fitted to my chopsticks, although there are those who subscribe to the practise, as we see here. It seems a bit extreme to me but each to their own, as they say.

Lookin' Forward

As it sinks in that there is a new road opening yet again in our wanderings around the hotter parts of the world, we start to speculate on things like Alistair's possible new school. He recently held a ten minute telephone conversation with a young lady during which he seems to say little but "yeah", "OK", or "maybe". However I could hear that there were a great deal of words spouting from his lady friend. After they hung up he turned to me and said "It's really easy to talk to girls". So we should be looking for something that can provide a class like this, I guess, which I stole from Arbroath. As I think I stole one or two others for today's blog.

But so long as Alice can meet some nice friendly ladies then I am sure the entire family will soon settle into the new environment, where-ever it may be. However although we love to investigate foods in various places I suspect that a certain amount of care needs to be taken when the patron feels it necessary to put out a message like this about his, no doubt, very select restaurant. But can he provide delicacies such as this, which I tried in the Green View in PJ, and which proved to be delicious, and was one of the reasons we kept revisiting. I must say if we were able to return to Malaysia I would be delighted.

Just Keep Moving On

The reason I have been away from the keyboard is that I have been a shade preoccupied as this Project comes towards completion and I need to find somewhere else to earn a crust.

Naturally I prefer to remain on the Pacific Rim, and would be particularly happy if I returned to Malaysia. Alice is enjoying her tennis so much that I know she would like it best if we could remain in Singapore, which seems a shade unlikely at first glance, but we will look at all possibilities; after all the crust is essential!

There seems to be a strong likelihood that the Gulf may be the next place we visit, new to Alice but not to me, since I have worked for some time in KSA and Dubai, with numerous visits to Bahrain. I do like working in new places though and wonder I may have to embark on something more esoteric than the usual paraffin budgie to ensure that I get somewhere completely new.

However I have every expectation that where-ever we may wend our way we will enjoy being "family together". The only thing is, I just hope that the mozzies are less intrusive than where we are now!

Busy Bee Days

Well, there has been quite a lot going on and I have not been at the key board much, however I joined Alice and Leilaine first at the belly dancing charity do and then for the AWA trophy lunch. Unfortunately I did not get any shots of Alice and the team belly dancing as I had strict instructions concerning the video-taping, which was to be continuous!

Of course, the ladies were looking good at both do's but the expressions on their faces soon after receiving their awards was rather nice.

A short while after the presentation I got a hug, which was also rather nice, however, the fact is that the trophy was in her hands was as important as I was!

The first of many

Well, Alistair decided to avoid the naked blade and go for my seldom used electric razor. Personally I have flirted with them on and off for years but tend to use a scraper on most occasions.

I wonder if he realises he is now on the treadmill for life, just like cleaning his teeth it's something that has to be done regularly and is pretty damned boring.

Oh well, at least our youngest offspring is reaching adulthood.

Facial Fungus

I have worn some form of facial hair for years, varying between a moustache, a full beard (very ugly due to my patchy growth), and what I tend to stick with these days, a small fringe around my mouth. This is basically because I find shaving boring and since I look even worse than usual with a full beard I like to just leave out the tricky bits around the nose and chin. But at least I don't have to bother with make-up and by avoiding excess I don't have to spend as much time as some on ensuring that the hirsute splendour is at its best.

I have been suggesting to Alistair for some time that the time had come for him to start suffering as well, because he has developed a good bit of what was known in my youth as "bumfluff" on his upper lip. On his returned from furrin parts yesterday he asked could he start shaving on Sunday. I left for work this morning (I hate working on Saturdays)before he awoke and am not sure whether he wants to go wet or dry. But we can sort that out later today.

He also wanted to shave his unibrow (as he refers to it). I am a bit against this since it seems to me to give a strong look to a face. But he doesn't like it and may ask Alice to pluck it. Well, its his face so I guess its his decision.

However it may be that as he gets older he may try from some exotica as is scattered around this blog. Personally I stick to wild and whacky ties but each to their own. The big risk of course is that it may delude some people concerning your nature, even back in 1864 it led to misunderstandings.

There is perhaps no need to go as far as ZZ Top in making yourself conspicuous, wear the beard by all means (or if a drummer, just a moustache) but perhaps keeping a derringer in your boot and accidentally shooting yourself in the stomach is excessive, surely?

Winning and Dining

Don't whine, the title is not a speller - as can be seen from the narrative.

I knew Alice was lunching with the Ladies Tennis Singapore (LTS) at the PanPac yesterday, but had not realised that this was the result of being a part of the runner up (mainly Japanese) team in a recent tournament. As this was a team effort her partner varied but was usually Fumi.

So she came home late after first attending the lunch and then rushing off to the Riding for the Disabled Association for the dress rehearsal before the event tomorrow evening. I hope I am at a table where I can get some shots of the troupe performing. If not I shall console myself with the promised freeflow wine. The dress code is Arabian Nights, I hope that my wearing cufflinks with the KSA "logo" and actually bought in Saudi Arabia will show that I have made some effort to comply!

Anyway Alice rushed back so we could go and collect our son (who arrived and gave a mostly monosyllabic account of his trip due to tiredness). But even more importantly she showed me her latest trophy. Wonder Woman can hardly compare on Alice!

Future Fun

I have just been told that I can join the special luncheon in the ballroom of the Grand Copthorne next Friday, at which Alice and Leilane will receive their trophies. This is a little frightening in view of the fact I will be the only male there; and we know what women can be like. However I suspect that I can cope, since I have every intention of hiding behind Alice and Leilane's skirts. Somehow I don't think that my being the sole man will lead to any special admiration from adoring ladies.

But at least I am promised a great lunch and if the cooking is up to the standard that has been promised then I am sure it will all be quite wonderful. Added to this is the fact that there will be no corkage charge; it may be that this is the ideal opportunity to finally open the magnum of champagne that we have had for two years now. The buffet lunch goes from 11:30 to 3:00 so a magnum definitely seems called for. However I have no intention of mistreating the wine in this terrible manner.

I am assured that 21 nationalities took part in the tournament so I am sure that there must be a plethora of pleasant people there. And since this is a function of the American Women's Association there is even the hope that I can learn something about my favourite US political party, how nice that would be.

Who's the best?

Well, I have just received the rather pleasant news that is expressed above, so should just stop thinking of the unpleasantness on Monday, although I do feel that those particular players should spend some time doing needlework as below and hang the resulting samplers by their bedsides as a reminder of the best way for them to win.

But the fact is that even my irritation about the cheats cannot disguise my total pleasure that Alice and Leilane have won another tournament together. Obviously I am most pleased for Alice but the three of us dropped by to have a casual Chinese feed on Monday and I found Leilane to be a very pleasant lady; not that she would care about my opinion since she is Alice's friend rather than mine.

I am glad she is a sweetheart though as I gather she will be at the Charity do on Saturday and now I know that while Alice is performing I will have nice company, because I am a very shy retiring soul as is well known.

But having seen how much the two of them enjoy their tennis I am glad that I have restarted the walking at lunchtime, as I am sure to get a certain amount of pressure placed upon me to get on the court with Alice. At my great age and immense girth I suspect that my playing will be of a very defensive and overwhelmed style, even if Alice, as she has promised, hits them to me in the unlikely hope that I can manage a return shot. But as always doing things with her will be fun.

More balls

Following the wave goodbye to our son on Monday I had the day off and went to watch my charming but hardhitting wife, together with her partner Leilane, both shown above as they won a recent tournament, play in the American Women’s Association tennis tournament. Which was quite fun although one couple amazed me by their blatant miscalls. I suspect that, like Humpty Dumpty, they had their own meanings for words, the most obvious being “Out” which clearly meant (especially on receiving a serve) “that was in, but I couldn’t get to it, so I intend to lie”. However I am glad to say that A&L won anyway. I asked why they did not refuse to play any more with people who were so evidently cheating. It seems that that particular stage of the tournament goes by games won, so if you walk off the court the opponents are given all remaining games. But surely if all players walked off when cheated by a particular couple the organisers would be made aware and ban the team from future tournaments? Oh, I should note that nowhere in this day's blog are the offenders named or shown and indeed to prevent a process of elimination there are no pictures whatsoever from the actual tournament. When Alice was playing elsewhere with one of her Japanese partners they met another couple with similar inclinations to being lying bastards. After the game Alice’s friend made the extremely (for a Japanese) strong statement that “Japanese ladies could not do that”. This was swiftly amended to add “nor Filipinas” since in her ire she had momentarily forgotten that Alice was not also Japanese. Here we see Alice with a Japanese team, she being the only non-Japanese member.So now I have seen this incredible dishonest behaviour in reality and am absolutely flabbergasted that anyone could do this. They’re not about to win anything of value and in any case to get a title when you have not won fairly must surely make one feel that the title is itself valueless. Apparently not though. But they must have a very thick face.

However generally the games are fun and Alice and Leilane are through to the third and final day, while I am stuck at my desk, and can’t even get my lunchtime walk due to spilling out my irritated feelings in this blog. Ah well, at least I will get a good report of the tournament end tonight and if A&L win I may have the chance to take Alice out for a quick meal; probably not though as I think there is a lunch after the tournament ends so Alice will be pogged and not wanting another feed out.

Mind you, my Scottish blood makes me hold a grudge, for years at times, it seems that I can on occasion forgive but never forget. So I hope that the offending team members did not get any useful advice when younger and that this failure may give them future problems.
Later the same day:
I have just heard that Alice and Leilane have got through to the final of their grade (Silver) tomorrow - and will be playing a non-cheating team. How I like a good result. And naturally, how I wish I could be there to see if A&L are first or second following the coming hard fought battle; but I am sure that I will be notified PDQ!