Boys at play

Today is the start of the 1-week school holidays and Little Buddy is just ecstatic that his big brother is home to play with him.

Both boys had their batteries recharged after their afternoon naps and decided that it was time for a boat trip. Big Buddy emptied one drawer of the toy cupboards and turned it into a boat and brought Little Buddy for a boat ride.

The loud chuckles and squeals bore testament to such enjoyment that I had not the heart to stop them though I know the marble flooring will suffer from their role-play.

Who says heroes must be superhumans?

Several years ago, I got to know a young lady through some friends in church. My first impression of her was someone with more grey matter in her brain than she chooses to let on. She was quietly confident, without a need to shout out her presence in large groups.

My contacts with her over the subsequent years have been brief and sporadic. She was an acquaintance but yet somehow she never strayed far from my mind. Perhaps it is due in part to how she chose to conduct herself in situations that most would have responded in the extreme opposite way. Over time, I discovered that she was jovial without being boisterous, talented without being boastful and kind without making a big deal out of it. Instead of the proverbial “an eye for an eye”, she chose to let go and let her talent and tenacity speak for her.

Today, she is one of the anchor teachers at Rus Art Studio, an artist with hundreds of paintings sold all over the world and recently, a business owner of her newly opened shop at Crown Centre #02-15. Take a peek at Artokoro and be refreshed by a whole new perspective of what art is.

My friend is Chun Wee Ping – an accomplished artist, a passionate teacher and an inspiring cancer survivor whose story has been published several times. She is a role model to her students, an inspiration to many and a strong testimony to the world of God’s faithfulness and goodness.

Thank you Wee Ping, for touching my life with your bravado and inspiring me. God bless you.

You dare call yourself a doctor?!

Last Friday, Big Buddy’s fever rocketed upwards and my instinct told me that something was not right. What with him being ill for close to three weeks with a runny nose and phlegmy cough.

Actually he just went to the pediatrician last Monday with the same symptoms but the pediatrician was adamant about not prescribing antibiotics. I was fine with that decision that time as I am not particularly into dosing young children with antibiotics unless it is necessary

The first thing that irked me on this repeated visit was the counter staff. Big Buddy’s medical records were misplaced. I tried to help them narrow their search by informing them when my son last visited the clinic, thinking that perhaps the attending nurse that fateful evening had stuffed it into some allocated cubby hole that they could then check. The response was a frosty stare, along with a casual instruction to her colleague to prepare another blank folder for my son.

Was I being impertinent? No, I did not think so. My tone was polite enough without a hint of accusation. I did not like her nonchalant attitude but tolerated it as Big Buddy really needed his medication.

When we finally went into the consultation room, I gave the pediatrician a factual run-down of Big Buddy’s condition since there were no medical records to refer to and finished by expressing my concern over the prolonged period of illness. In the next instant, I was totally shocked by the pediatrician’s reply.

He said that he does not trust what parents’ tell him, that parents tend towards over-dramatization of symptoms and he will usually disregard what parents tell him. All this said in a high whiny voice in imitation of how parents must have sounded to him, with hardly a hint of apology but with lots of eye-rolling and a smirk on his smug face.

I was incredulous and utterly disgusted with his holier-than-thou attitude. Granted that some overly-anxious parents do paint a worse picture about their child’s condition, but should he not understand that it probably stems from worry more than anything? As a trained physician, should he not have sifted out what he perceived as facts and at least maintain a professional image by not offering his biased views? Finally should he not seek to reassure patients and their parents rather than belittle others and make known his obvious disdain?

This is not the first time I patronize this clinic because it happens to be the pediatrician nearest to where I stay. Friends of mine and I have groused over his lack of bedside manners but this time, he has really gone overboard by displaying a total lack of respect for others. Coincidentally, this pediatrician is located in E**** Mall, the same place where another terrible doctor practises. What is it about this mall that attracts less-than-desired doctors?

Since last Monday, I have brought Little Buddy to another pediatrician. Her charges may be higher but at least, she, along with her staff, offers assurance along with medical intervention and none of the rudeness of the former!

Book Review : The Whole Truth

Hubby introduced me to David Baldacci’s books and from the first book of his that I read, I fell in love with his style of writing. I would eagerly trawl the library bookshelves, searching more new titles to feast upon.

I love the way he fleshed out his main characters. Most action thrillers tend to confer their heroes near-superhero status, but Baldacci chose to make his more human-like, with strengths and weaknesses.

The Whole Truth brings the reader to a world of spies, espionage, murder, mayhem and like while spinning a tale of how events unfold at the strings of a master puppeteer.

Verdict : 8/10. A wonderful read.

Avocado Milkshake

I first discovered the goodness of avocados when I began introducing solids to Big Buddy. Excited about it, I spooned some freshly scrapped avocado onto Hubby’s serving of ice-cream. His reaction to the taste of avocado could easily be read off his face and he never asked for it again.

Recently, to my surprise, Hubby shared with me how much he enjoyed an avocado shake he had at a hawker centre's fruit stall. This fired up my imagination and I concocted this version to share with my family today.

Avocado Milkshake


Ingredients

1 ripe avocado
3 tbsp of gula melaka syrup
500 ml of fresh milk


Method

1. Cut the avocado into half. Remove seed and scoop out the flesh.

2. Blend avocado with gula melaka syrup and fresh milk.


Reference : Moms4Moms Forum

Book Review : Deep Fathom

This is another book by James Rollins, one of my favourite authors. I picked up Deep Fathom with confidence that it will be just as good a read as another book of his that I finished not too long ago.

Sadly, I was a little disappointed. While the theme of science-cum-history-cum-action is perpetuated, somehow the plot seemed a little too simple and not sufficiently convoluted to generate a sense of intrigue and suspense. The eventual fate of the enemy also seemed too conveniently resolved and hardly did justice to the hero’s abilities.

Perhaps this being one of Rollins’ earlier works, it might have been a exploratory journey as he honed his writing skills.

Verdict : 5/10.

Coke Pork Ribs

Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs (排骨王) is a perennial favourite in my family. It is a pork rib dish marinated in a sweet and tangy sauce. We love it so much that it is a frequent dish on our table whenever we dine out at Zhu Chao (煮炒) stalls - cheaper version of Chinese restaurants.

Four years ago, I saw a recipe for this version of pork ribs and gave it a try. It was a hit then and I cooked it again for tonight’s dinner with some variations to the original recipe.

If you prefer the pork ribs to be of a tantalizing dark brown colour, you can add an additional ½ tablespoon of dark soy sauce to simmer with the coke.


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Coke Pork Ribs


Ingredients

500 gm prime pork ribs, cut into small pieces
2 tbsp Lee Kum Kee Char Siu Sauce (李镜记叉烧酱)
½ can Coke
½ tbsp Hua Diao Jiu (花雕酒)
1 tsp dark soy sauce
some pepper


Method

1. Wash and pat dry the ribs. Marinate with Char Siew Sauce, Hua Diao Jiu, dark soy sauce and some pepper.

2. Mix till well-combined. Set aside in fridge and let it marinate for at least 1 hour or overnight.

3. Pour the marinated ribs and coke into a non-stick wok or pot. Simmer on low heat until the liquid dries up and thickens.


Reference : Cuisine Paradise