Say goodbye to wrinkles!

If you thought this was a post on how to get rid of all those crow's feet that are creeping up, sorry. But I did chance upon this wonderful quick-fix for wrinkly shirts. Some of my friends say that ironing a big load of laundry is very therapeutic. It gives them time to ruminate and contemplate. Me, I'd rather be lying down, reading, or gardening, or even washing dishes. If, like me, you'd much prefer doing almost anything else than be stuck ironing, try this trick. It'll save you time and a sore back!

It's just plane manners

I dread flying. Any flight more than four hours is pure agony for me. My eyes get tired and scratchy from watching movies or reading but I can't sleep, no matter what I do. There's only so much I can eat and drink, and my entire body aches from being cramped in a narrow seat. The couple of times I've flown Business and even First Class were wonderful, but I'm usually herded in with 98% of the passengers on the plane and have to make the best of the situation I'm in. We all do, so I'm amazed that many passengers are so clueless about what's proper behavior when flying. Isn't it just common sense and plain courtesy?

Looking forward to a baa-d-ass new year

Chinese New Year is upon us, and this year in particular, the Year of the Goat or Sheep, seems extra festive to me. Perhaps it's because my son, B, is working in Singapore and will be back for a few days. Maybe it's a sense that I won't be celebrating too many more years of the Sheep, in the twelve-year cycle of the Chinese years. For whatever reason, I'm looking forward to a number of days of festivities, all of which revolve around my all-time favorite thing, food!

Kindle offer from Groupon

If you've read my previous post on how wonderful my Kindle is, you may want to check out this offer from Groupon. The 2014 edition of the Kindle Paperwhite (the one I have) is only RM295 which is a really good deal. Hurry, there's only a limited time remaining! Just go to
www.groupon.my

Walking above the clouds in Tuscany

Magical misty mornings

When the opportunity to go on a walking tour of some Tuscan hill towns presented itself, I thought to myself, "Sure, why not? I've always wanted to go there. And walking? That's the best way to really get to know a place, right? How hard can it be?" Well, for me, it was some of the hardest physical exertions I have ever endured. There were times when I wanted to lie down on the dirt path between vineyards, weeping, and just give up. But in the end, the experiences, the people, the food, the view, ohh the views, more than made up for aching legs.

How much does love cost?

Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and young people are probably getting frantic. While guys are agonizing over how many roses they can get away with giving without having to pay an arm and a leg, not to mention the exorbitant dinner that is mandatory, young ladies are probably in a flutter what they'll get and if it involves something small and sparkly. Seriously though, shouldn't this day be more about showing we care, to all our loved ones and not just our sweethearts?

Do manners matter?

I was having an early dinner the other night at a fairly upscale restaurant. At the next table were two young mothers, one of whom had two children, aged maybe six and four, and accompanied by a maid. They had all finished their dinner and the mothers were having a good gossip session, leaving the kids to the ministrations of the maid. The youngsters were obviously bored and started fighting, while the maid was having a hard time pacifying time. Their mother, busy talking to her friend, was either oblivious to the noise they were creating or chose not to do anything about them disrupting the nice ambience around them with piercing shrieks and shouts.

Help, I'm turning into my mother!

I caught a video today put out by the Singapore government. It's the usual cheesy spot about how well Singapore takes care of its seniors or "pioneer generation" but there were a couple of scenes with old ladies that had me going "uh-huh".

I always thought I was different from my mother and swore to myself that I wouldn't be like her. She was a hoarder. For her, it was never enough to have just one of everything. She had to have at least two, "just in case" she said. So she would have a spare wok, a couple of spare kettles, innumerable sets of dishes and tea sets. If she found a pair of pants that she liked in Marks & Spencer's, she would buy them in all the colors available. After her death, we unearthed bales of cloth, all kinds of material that she had accumulated through the years, whether to sew outfits or do craft work with.