With Chinese New Year approaching I’ve been busy cleaning the house! I feel like I’ve been very lackadaisical about the new year this time. Usually I’ll have baked cookies by now. And put up decorations. But nope nothing yet. But at least the spring cleaning is done – the new year lasts for 15 days and technically you’re not supposed to sweep and clean during the 15 days as you don’t want to sweep the luck away!

Celebrating the new year here is so different from in Singapore. A large part is because it’s not a public holiday but also there are no relatives for us to visit! But we will do what we can, starting with a reunion dinner hotpot on the eve, which is Thursday.

Currently…

Reading:

 

Watching:

This is Us.

So I only started watching this a few weeks ago because for me at first it was all, ugh, Mandy Moore? But I was surprised by how good she was at this character. And man the number of tissues that this series requires…

I know that this series is about the Big Three and their parents, but I LOVE every single scene in which Beth stars (especially when she had that imaginary cigarette moment). Also, see The 15 Greatest Beth Pearson moments on Vulture

Listening:

Hunger by Roxane Gay.

Eating:

Oreos.

Drinking:

Coffee

Cooking:

I am crap at meal planning. So here’s in reality what happens every week. We tend to either eat out or do takeout on weekends, because I really don’t relish cooking on Saturdays. Sometimes on Sundays I get this burst of energy from somewhere and decide to make tomato soup or pizza. Something that I really want to eat, and I know that I can make better than store-bought stuff.

Anyway, so on Mondays and Tuesdays we tend to dine on weekend leftovers, mostly because the kids have activities after school – swimming on Monday, tennis on Tuesday. And by the time we get home, shower, unpack the school bag, do some homework etc, it’s kinda late, so leftovers are our mainstay. But sometimes there just aren’t much leftovers, so that’s fine too, I can do a quick dumpling noodle soup (we always have frozen dumplings and dried noodles and vegetable stock – just toss in some spinach or bok choy and there’s dinner).

Wednesdays are minimum days at the elementary school so I cook something that’s more involved like pork chops, rice and vegetables. And on Thursdays I cook something that’s quick, like fried noodles or an easy pasta with chicken and spinach, or if I can manage it, I make a pasta in the morning and then bake it off after we come back from piano class. And Thursday’s leftovers work for Friday dinners. So that tends to be our week of dinners.

Last week:

I read:

Shattered Warrior – Sharon Shinn

Sweet Tooth book one – Jeff Lemire

The Wildings – Nilanjana Roy