Currently…

Reading:

Accidentally Engaged by Farah Heron

Watching: The husband and I watched Tenet over the weekend. It was very action-packed and mind-bending with its whole time entropy and backwards thing. But as I thought about it more, I realized that Nolan (who wrote and directed it) forgot about the emotions part of it. I really like his other movies like Memento, Inception, Interstellar. But as I thought more about it, while those movies also play a lot on time and memory, there was also emotion.

If you haven’t seen any of these shows, don’t read any further!

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Those three other movies were so much about lives lost and memories of loved ones. And that wanting to stay with a lost memory of a person who’s not there anymore. There was feeling and emotion and relationships.

Tenet was a lot harder. I think you can’t have the Protagonist be any more than that because his whole journey has, in a sense, just begun. And because of the play with time, there is difficulty bringing in anything more in terms of background and details about him.

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Eating and Drinking: I had a slice of sourdough toast and a goat milk brie.

Cooking:

It’s going to be a much warmer week from today onwards! We will be hitting the 30s (Celsius) and while that number may not seem very high (Singapore is always in the highs of 30+), I feel that in CA because there’s so little (almost no) cloud cover, once you’re in the direct sunlight it’s so much hotter than 30.

Last week:

I read:

Peaks and Bandits – Alf Bonnevie Bryn

Loveboat, Taipei – Abigail Hing Wen

Night Broken (Mercy Thompson #8) – Patricia Briggs

Crying in H Mart – Michelle Zauner

I posted:

Library Loot (May 5 to 11)

Happy Monday! And oh hey, it’s May already.

Good news! I got my second dose of the Pfizer vaccine yesterday afternoon. Here’s the required photo, taken by my 10yo. This time we did it in a CVS pharmacy, about a half an hour drive, so we didn’t need to do the 3.5 hour drive down to Central CA like we did the first time!

 

 

 

Currently…

Reading:

The Mermaid from Jeju by Sumi Hahn

Watching:

Together with the kids, I watched The Mitchells and the Machines. It’s a really fun family movie!

Listening:

Ok. I really ought to go figure out a new audiobook to download….

Eating:

A mocha croissant from Paris Baguette

Drinking:

Tea

Cooking:

I just realised that I may have the ingredients to cook a simplified version of sayur lodeh. It’s a popular dish in Singapore, essentially a coconut curry with vegetables. Usually it’s cabbage, green beans, tofu, carrots. There are some spices to use and a rempah or spice paste to make. Here’s a recipe. Usually it’s eaten with rice and as part of a multi-course meal known as nasi Padang.

In Singapore, when you go to a Nasi Padang place, there’s all kinds of delicious cooked foods, some curries, some fried foods, and you just pick a few things that you’d like and they put it on a plate with rice for you. I always pick sayur lodeh as it’s one of my favourites.

Last week:

I read:

Anna K by Jenny Lee

Class Act by Jerry Craft

The Inland Sea by Madeleine Watts

I posted: Library Loot (April 28 to May 4)

Top not-quite animals #TopTenTuesday

Hello, it’s Monday again. And good grief, we are almost into May. (I don’t actually say “good grief” but I don’t want to use swear words on this blog, so feel free to replace “good grief” with your favourite swear word.)

So last weekend, my younger son turned 8! We had ramen and cake and tennis with friends. And presents and Skype sessions with grandparents. 

Currently…

Reading: Anna K by Jenny Lee

Watching: Vincenzo.

Listening: Still haven’t landed on a new audiobook yet… any suggestions?

Eating and drinking: Cake!

Cooking: Hmmm I have a cabbage to cook up. Maybe I’ll make some soup with fish balls and cabbage. And then another day, I’ll stirfry the cabbage and serve that along some claypot rice.

Last week:

I read:

Sharks in the Time of Saviors – Kawai Strong Washburn

A Pho Love Story – Loan Le

I posted:

Colorful Book Covers #TopTenTuesday

Library Loot (April 21 to 27)

Currently…

Reading:

The Inland Sea – Madeleine Watts

Watching:

I just finished watching Knives Out on Amazon video. The plot was more amusing and clever than I thought it would be! It was also a really great cast too. 

Listening: Nothing at the moment.

Eating and drinking:

I had oatmeal for breakfast. The usual tea too.

Cooking:

Well I have no idea. But I’ll have to cook up the broccoli and mushrooms from last week’s buys.

Last week:

I read:

I posted:

Library Loot (April 14 to 20)

Crayola Color-like Titles #TopTenTuesday

https://reallifereading.com/2021/04/14/library-loot-april-14-to-20/

Happy Monday!

The kids were on spring break last week and we managed a short weekend getaway.

So many firsts this past weekend…

The first time we’ve been out of the Bay Area in over a year.

The first time we’ve been to Tulare County.

The first time we’ve stayed in a hotel in over a year.

The first time we’ve eaten out in over a year.

I have to admit being a bit anxious at a few points during the trip. While at the hotel, the staff were all masked and the place was very clean. But there were some guests who weren’t masked…And also at the national park, although they ask you to wear masks, there were still quite a few people who didn’t wear them. It made me realise that being in the Bay Area, where everyone wears a mask, it does make me so uncomfortable when I come across people who don’t. Especially when indoors!

Currently…

Reading:

The Absolute Book – Elizabeth Knox

Watching:

The Promised Neverland – an anime available on Netflix

Listening:

Nothing at the moment!

Eating and drinking:

Blueberry muffin and tea for breakfast

Cooking:

I ordered some groceries from Weee! to be delivered tomorrow. It includes pea sprouts (dou miao 豆苗) which I adore. From the photo on the app, I believe it’s the da dou miao or the more grown version of the pea sprouts. I believe they are snow pea sprouts? Anyway, one of my absolute favourite vegetables. Sweet, a little bit crunchy, and delicious when simply stir-fried. There are some photos on this Serious Eats page, if you’re curious. I’ll serve it maybe with some stir-fried soy sauce chicken and potatoes, and rice of course.

Also, last week I bought some lamb loin chops from Costco, and will try to cook that up. Maybe serve it with Brussels sprouts.

Last week:

I read:

The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water – Zen Cho

I posted:

Library Loot (April 7 to 13)

Last week my older son turned 10! That seems so very old…

 

 

He loves burgers so I made him one!

Some bookish gifts for the 10yo

 

 

I always think that birthday cakes should be at least three layers 🙂

Also, the kids are on spring break this week so I have to figure out what to do with them….

 

Currently…

Reading:

The Absolute Book – Elizabeth Knox

Watching:

Run BTS

Listening:

Still on Shuggie Bain! Hopefully by next Monday I can say that I’m done…!

Eating and drinking:

Toast and tea for breakfast

Cooking:

Since the kids are on break, I’m going to try to get them to do some cooking with me. Not sure what to do yet but since they love to eat pasta, I’m sure they’d want to learn how to cook some kind of pasta.

 

Last week:

I read:

Banned Book Club – Kim Hyun Sook and Ko Hyung-Ju

Sour Heart – Jenny Zhang

Swallows and Amazons – Arthur Ransome

I posted:

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Library Loot (March 31 to April 6)

Places In Books I Wouldn’t Want to Live In #TopTenTuesday

Happy Monday!

How was your weekend?

We did quite a few things last weekend. Played tennis, the kids went biking with friends while the husband and I walked.

It was hot though!

A friend gave us some avocados so we’ve been having a lots of avocados. I cooked some cold soba and also these tempura prawns are from the freezer section at Costco.

I made funfetti cupcakes for a small birthday celebration for the almost 10-year-old with some friends.

We also had his favourite takeout – burgers! This one is mine. Full of spinach, alfalfa sprouts, spring mix, roasted red peppers. There’s also beef in there somewhere 😛

And we tried a new eatery. We had (from top right) beef rolls (it’s rolled in a green onion pancake), green onion pancake, stirfried green beans, spicy beef soup (I hadn’t poured in the spicy soup yet, and ooh it was Spicy!), zhajiangmian, xiaolongbao.

Currently…

Reading:

Love is for Losers – Wibke Brueggemann

Watching:

Haven’t quite settled on something new to watch yet!

Listening:

Still listening to Shuggie Bain. It’s really good, though it’s taking me a while to get through it! I especially appreciate all the accents the narrator uses.

Eating and drinking:

I had toast with peanut butter for breakfast. Also my usual tea with milk.

Cooking:

I’ll probably make something (or maybe we will buy something?) for the birthday boy’s actual day this week.

Other things to cook…maybe some hamachi kama or grilled yellowtail cheeks. I’ll serve it with rice and some vegetables. Or maybe vegetable soup.

Last week:

I read:

To Have and to Hoax – Martha Waters

Chlorine Sky – Mahogany L. Browne

The Resisters – Gish Jen

Red, White & Royal Blue – Casey McQuiston

I posted:

Library Loot (March 24 to 30)

Funny Book Titles #TopTenTuesday

It’s Monday again! How was your weekend?

Here’s some things we did last week (I didn’t take many pictures!)…

I made mushroom sudubu jigae (Korean tofu stew) for the first time! It was pretty yummy! I used shiitake and baby bella mushrooms but next time I’ll try it with enoki and bunashimeiji.

I always look forward to the first leaves on my maple tree! It’s definitely spring. Although we did have some rain last week – always lovely to have rain here in this parched state.

Currently…

Reading:

A Pho Love Story – Loan Le

Watching:

I finally watched season 3 of The Umbrella Academy and it was glorious! Then that twist at the end!!! I also binge-watched Full Bloom on HBO Max, it’s a reality tv competition for florists! This was the first group challenge they had, to recreate a painting with flowers. Isn’t that incredible? I’ve never been a person who’s into flowers. I always remember my home economics teacher in Singapore had to take over when we did a lesson flower arrangement and I had no idea what I was doing. And it was absolutely incredible seeing all these amazing flowers that I’d never heard of before. And I like that it was a heartwarming show, more along like GBBO vibes than typical American reality TV competition (cut-throat, “I’m going to take you all down!” kind of attitude).

Listening:

Shuggie Bain

Eating and drinking:

For breakfast, tea with milk, homemade sourdough toast, and a scone.

Cooking:

Pasta? Baked pasta?

Last week:

I read:

They Both Die at the End – Adam Silvera

The Magic Order Vol 1 – Mark Miller

Untold Night and Day – Bae Suah

I posted:

A blueberry pie that almost didn’t make it #WeekendCooking

Library Loot (March 17 to 23)

Books On My Spring 2021 TBR #TopTenTuesday

The boys and I made mixed berry muffins

 

Made some honey walnut bread.

Miso-marinated mahi-mahi which we ate with rice and stir-fried bokchoy

 

I also made a blueberry pie for Pi Day! I’ll have to write a post for this. So many things went wrong, but at least I made a pie for Pi Day!

 

The kids have discovered a new love for zhajiang mian（炸酱面）which literally translated is “fried sauce noodles” but that sounds weird and I wonder why it’s named that way. It’s more of a black bean sauce with ground pork with fermented soybean paste. Served with cucumbers and bean sprouts. It’s also a popular Korean-Chinese dish and in Korean it’s known as jajangmyeon although it’s black bean noodles there? It’s not something I grew up eating in Singapore so I’ve not tried to make it before. Another recipe to try then!

 

Currently…

Reading:

The Down Days – Ilze Hugo

The Resisters – Gish Jen

Watching:

Finally, I’m starting on The Magicians season 5. Also, I just watched the first episode of Lupin last week! Fun show! 

Listening:

Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart

Eating:

Blueberry pie

Drinking:

Oolong tea

Cooking:

I’ve got a cauliflower to roast.

My kids watched a Tasty video of potato recipes and are trying to convince me to make this one – Breakfast Potato Volcanoes. I only have Yukon golds at the moment so they might not be big enough (they use russets in the video). Or maybe they might work if there are bigger ones in that bag? I’ll have to look. I’ll post it if I make them!

We are in for a colder week this week, with hopefully some rain, so I’ll make some baked pasta or something. Maybe some tomato soup. Something nice and warming. 

Last week:

I read:

The Princess and the Fangirl – Ashley Poston

Our Happy Time – Ji-young Gong

Punching the Air – Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salam

Traces of Love – Eileen Chang

 

I posted:

Two books about incarceration

The Shadow King and The First Wife

Library Loot (March 10 to 16)

Books that feature cleaners #TopTenTuesday

It’s Monday again! Ugh. Sorry I didn’t sleep that well last night and I’m struggling to type this up on a Sunday afternoon….

Some things last week:

We made a broccoli bacon bunashimeiji (mushroom) pizza. I like to add whole wheat flour in my pizza dough. 

A quick weekday lunch of frozen bulgogi mandu (Korean dumplings) from Costco. And my usual instant noodle hack – cook the noodles, drain, and pour into a sauce of my own making. This is soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, white pepper, and a hit of ketchup. Also, before boiling the noodles, throw in some baby bokchoy to cook. 

 

 

Currently…

Reading:

Untold Night and Day – Bae Suah

The Princess and the Fangirl – Ashley Poston

Watching:

The Magicians

Listening:

Punching the Air – Ibi Zoboi

Eating:

I made a pandan butter cake.  

 

Drinking:

 

Cooking:

 

Last week:

I read:

Our Happy Time – Ji-young Gong

Milk Fed – Melissa Broder

I posted:

Library Loot (March 3 to 9)

Characters Whose Job I Wish I Had #TopTenTuesday