sweetie shelties May 4, 2008

We had the wonderful-est weekend. The furry boys met up for a late afternoon walk, Armani tottering his way around (limping for two months, that poor chap!), and Latte relentlessly herding him around. The merciless sun showed its prowess, so we succumbed and it was back to the homeland for ice cold tea and more doggy frolicking. We’ve never had another dog at the homeland, and Latte proved himself to be a most delightful host. Armani had free access to Latte’s buffet of toys on the floor, his treats, and even his favourite spot in the homeland – under the white wicker bench. Our ditsy boy just wanted to groom and herd his little friend. Nothing else mattered.

As dusk gathered, Armani fell asleep under the wicker bench, while Latte simply watched him sleep. Like his guardian angel. So we passed more than three hours of laid-back Saturday fun with the Sheltie boys and our neighbour from across the street. I can’t think of a better way to spend the blistering day. He’s happy, we’re happy.

I so adore Armani. I want another Sheltie. But two Shelties and a baby, it really can’t be. For now, I’ll keep it to Latte, baby, thee and me.

they rock February 16, 2008

i woke up to a beautiful sun-warmed corridor, a slice of sunlight beaming on the greens. but i found mealy bugs – so sticky, so white, so menacing. just verminous. so i chopped off the locks of the bamboo, squished and squashed the bugs, stopped latte from eating a leaf that has turned yellow. gardening has its downs, so i’ve come to know.

then the hos came by with a plate of homemade pumpkin cake – “we know you like it, so we were waiting for your door to open.” so breakfast was a big slice of the tangerine-coloured yummy generous with ikan billis, mushroom and red chilli, and a big glass of soya bean milk. the best breakfast.

just last night, armani’s family called me up to deliver a set of dog training notes, photocopied and put in a folder, just for us. we ended up spending another good two hours in their lovely home, learning recipes, watching latte groom armani, then walking the two dogs in the slow, breezy night.

there is something wonderfully kindred in this neighbourhood that makes living here just g-r-e-a-t.

i love. February 15, 2008

i celebrated love.

• we got latte a new plushy last night. i watched him leap in joy, and my heart just melted into nothingness once again. he’s beautiful, this boy. he loves life, he loves me, he makes me love my life.
• latte met armani again. my boy is so besotted with the fellow sheltie he took almost zero interest in the two other dogs at the void deck. it was another one pleasant hour with two other members of the lovely family.  i never thought i would make friends out of neighbours this way – just amazing. we stayed up to bake cookies for the doggies. we were both beat, but somehow, we just wanted to bake for the boys. and this text message in my inbox today made me smile: Dear aunty yuling, i like your yummy cookies very much. Thank you and sweet dreams. from: armani.
  cutest.
• we sat on a stone bench with gideon and dodi. casey is much missed. the never-ending conversations have to end. and we’re glad we stayed to chat. some friends, some dogs, you just miss.
• dinner was at food for thought, with the huddy and best goblins by my side. the food just wasn’t fab, but the company, as usual, was. cyn wrote a letter to me, and it made me want to tear. my friends, i so love. love love love.
• adrian and collin won the race. i jumped in ecstasy, so did latte. on me. so now i’ve a 10 cm red bulging scratch on my thigh. very unsightly. i hugged my boy and told him, it’s ok, i still love you, we’ll file your nails soon.
• and the small moments of couplehood. of forehead kisses. of his longan-deseeding for me. of holding my hand tightly when we cross the road. of loving me even when i’m angsty and nasty.

so that’s love this valentine’s day. and everyday.

sing a song of sunshine January 25, 2008

every morning, we open the door to green underhues, lusher by the day, though blooms are far and few this season. i’m seduced, beguiled. i like the way mrs ho talks about our plants – how they are happy in the pots, how they dance in the wind, how they make us breathe deep and clean. yesterday, she gave us some of her fertilizer for flowering plants and we sprayed them all over our hydrangea, japanese roses, shui mei, korean apple, lipstick and other greens with no names. they have not been flowering for a while, and it’s a little maddening. a new feed, a new bloom, hopefully.

i found out only yesterday the old ginger we popped into the flower boxes now have their own offspring, amidst all the overcrowding. and there’s a mini teeny weeny bittergourd somewhere on the vine. the purple potato’s taking root too with a deep purple shoot. we’re farmers with a harvest to boot!

someday, there’ll be a thick foliage out here in marmalade skies, and we’ll all be walking on air. dream big, girl.

 

duranta and mint

spot the gourd!

clean new ginger, red and yellow

green green grass of ginger

deepavali delight November 8, 2007

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

lunch today was supposed to be light since the sis-in-law and her boy are treating us to astons tonight. i steamed a white snapper, boiled some greens, sea kelp and egg tofu in miso. then the indian neighbour appeared at our doorstep with a tray of home-cooked deepavali goodies for us. never mind about foiled light lunch plan. downsizing can wait. there is such neighbourliness in this place it makes me feel i can actually have a floor party with the folks here for some good old kampung-style jolly merrymaking. cool.

 

 

 

 

 

heart thy neighbours October 13, 2007

 

 

 

 

 

the very lovely malay neighbours dropped by with some really yummy lontong and pastries. such homey warmth on a cool rainy dreamy saturday. selamat hari raya.

the indian neighbour working in nea informed the m… May 31, 2007

the indian neighbour working in nea informed the mister this morning that there are two dengue cases right across our block. not surprising, considering the mister has once caught a suspicious-looking mozzie flying up from the playground below and made a whistle-blowing call to nea on it and uncovered bamboo holes in the neighbourhood. it really takes just one inconsiderate being to cause pain to the others. mozzies and dengue be damned. she has kindly offered to give us a glob of brown thingy which in her own words, is “very smelly”. the niceties of the folks on the floor. all plant-loving neighbours, the floor is a lush green, a brilliant mosaic of pretty colours. and the well-behaved sun has done much good to our greens and blossoms. the papaya plant has grown to my chest level. the longan seedlings are strong enough for our second round of natural selection. the pandan, lovelier than i have ever seen it. the hydrangea with new shoots sprouting. and my dear petunias. dark violet and fushcia pink, dancing in the wind. regretfully, it’s only one more month of luxurious sunshine before it migrates to the kitchen, and the greens will go all limpy again.

the floral-scented morning was almost ruined by the awful auntie in amei.
mister:: there’s chicken shit on the eggshell. can you give me another egg?
awful auntie:: (scrapes the shit off with her stubby fingers, shows it to the mister) there, ok already.
mister:: eh no, can you give me another one?
awful auntie:: (picks another one) cracked one, can or not?
mister:: no, can you give me a good egg? thanks.
awful auntie:: (unwillingly gives a good egg) nah.

she stared at him on our way out and mumbled something to her colleague. nothing good i believe.

un-confetti experience.

it’s my turn to cook, but the nasty cough got my… May 6, 2007

it’s my turn to cook, but the nasty cough got my heart beating so fast i found it hard even to talk. so the dear one takes over. fish stew this arvo, cooked with love.

mrs ho dropped by with her little fushcia seed box, and we now have purple chilli, lotus and some mysterious seeds that she says will flower. the blossoms in the garden are attacked by mites and fungus after the high rain activity, and it’s about time we nip them. they’ll bloom again, and when they do, i’ll snip them off for the hos, with a ribbon and a card.

the sis-in-law got the hubby vanilla tea leaves, in a oh-so-gorgeous black and blue tin with vintage prints. it’s overindulgence in vanilla tea and chocolate fudge cake these days. sweet sweet joy.

and latte boy is now smelling sweet of orange and mango, a lovely smell i want to remember always.

the malay neighbour just popped by with her little… February 16, 2007

the malay neighbour just popped by with her little girl in tow and two boxes of homemade cookies. round little oatmeal crunchies and white chocolate yummies on pretty red doilies. such niceties. and she hopes for us a small cutie for the year of the piggie. we can only smile and hope miniandy or miniyuling descends upon us not too early. anyway, holidays are lovely times. we had an early morning couply chat, good brekkie with gideon, and realised to our chagrin how much weight dear casey has lost. she’ll be on the pill for the rest of her life for that hypothyroid problem, and is still nursing a sore paw from the surgery that removed her tumour. that poor girl, battled, but sweet-natured as ever. dodi’s still the boy that makes my man smile so. to top off the holiday, the man ordered from maki squarepatch some funky pieces for my birthday. not quite in time for the day, but how exciting. loving loving loving every minute of being missus auyong.

work has been intense. i am losing steam, greying…. January 5, 2007

work has been intense. i am losing steam, greying. you know you are lost when you envy the academic life in bluesky sydney, the shooting days of gideon. it’s inspiring, that story of his. the 3-hour chat got us thinking all over again. in a very positive way, yet tainted with winding paths that scare me. it’s starting to get to me that it’s about time i say adieu. no plans, no zest. my mind goes plumb blank. happy thoughts still abound. christmas exchanges go on. dear gen gave us festive-coloured tea towels which we so need. gideon gave us wine, and i believe we made him happy with treats for his pooches and maroony rich tumbler for him, complete with coffee indulgence. and the hos got us something from ipoh. i must detach myself from work and be reminded of the goodness all around me.

i can never rave enough about the hos. he greeted … December 11, 2006

i can never rave enough about the hos. he greeted us yesterday with a pot of korean apple plant, complete with a box of fertiliser. a nice lush light green colour, almost like a small bonzai. there are even teeny mini green apples which he says will turn red and ripe in due time. i’m thrilled. maybe the air outside will really be apple-scented. i dont even have to imagine it! hang on little apples, the missus will harvest you soon enough. please be sweet, so the hos will love it. they had their gorgeous fushcia petunia stolen one week after ours, and it had been with them for years. like gen says, i hope the petunia wakes up and twine around you and poo their pollen all around you. our lilac duranta and yellow something-lanta are planted deep into the heavy pots so that you cant snitch. try carrying the pots if you are hercules.

our very first livingstone daisy. i would very mu… November 23, 2006

our very first livingstone daisy. i would very much like our garden to be bursting with bright primaries, but since we relish the thrilling joy of slow steady growth from seeds, the colours have to wait. sometimes it takes dirt on your hands to make that subtle connection with the living world. i count my leaves, i count my blooms. and this morning, i went scarlett with joy because two new petunia blooms greeted me. small, lilac, sweet. and the morning glory was indeed dancing in the breeze. happy plants they are in our care, so says mrs ho. nothing can steal my morning joy, my perfect moment.

i look back at the week in a slow-motion way. last… October 27, 2006

i look back at the week in a slow-motion way. last friday, superstar and i had a good night hour to ourselves recalling the lovely honours days when things were bitter-sweet and ever so dear. it’s like a page turned in my diary that i will always keep, never tear away. now i am on a new page, and she is still with me. always wishing the very best for me, and genuinely so. i just have to think about this beautiful friendship, and it makes me smile.

just two evenings ago, the hos cooked us penang lemak laksa, with fresh mint leaves, sweet pineapple slices, lime juice cubes, cai bo, and fine cucumber strips. for the first time, i finished up the laksa gravy, and craved for more. and the hos’ mummy makes the best pumpkin cake ever. i invited myself to the next cooking session, and won a smile from the lovely old lady. the first pumpkin from our garden will officially go to the hos. oh yes, i’m going for my first tupperware party with mrs ho. i’ve no idea what they do, but it sure sounds housewifey, so it’s all good.

kuan just went back to china last night, and we made a date in the fine city of canada. i’ll have never-ending walks with the dear one holding my hand, and pick berries for tea. the four of us will sit down and be busy doing nothing. just sitting and watching the blueness of the sky and the greenness of the trees. till then, i’ll drink less mocha at dome, gain some purse weight, and lose the unattractive love handles. for the record, the scales tell us we are three kilos more since the wedding. three kilos. each. and i hate running.

good neighbours are such a blessing. the hos gave … October 20, 2006

good neighbours are such a blessing. the hos gave us a big double-petaled xue mei plant last sunday. the white blossoms that started blooming on tuesday smell like sweet jasmine, and it’s a good smell to have in the morning when we sit on the bench putting on our work shoes. they invite us to their family year-end trip to pangkor (their 13th year!), and it fills me with such sheer joy to know that the family rituals i read so much about are happening right next door. like non-fiction on paperback, laced with anecdotes of tears and laughter. it’s laksa dinner with them next week, and i have this sizzling urge to bake my favourite cream cheese and cranberry muffins and present to them in the sweetest basket with a polka-dotted ribbon. only i dont have an oven now, and it’s so frustrating. when it’s time for harvesting, the hubby and i will walk right up to their door step with the corn in the cob. and i just have to jot down this minutiae about pumpkins. mrs ho says she’ll make us pumpkin cake when the pumpkins are up and out. these greenies are amazing, and even more so because i forgot i planted them. the excited hos say hey this should be a pumpkin plant and boy, arent they beautiful, and we say no, they cant be, we have no pumpkin seeds. but wait, yes, we cooked pumpkin dumplings some weeks back and i did plant the seeds with the marigold. so yes, pumpkins they are, and beautiful they are truly. the rain was drumming this morning, and the dew-and-rain-kissed leaves were shimmering. we will serenely await the orange babies. maybe just in time for next halloween. my childhood dream, by the way, was to marry a farmer with an oven. now, we have pumpkins, sweet corns, papayas and lemongrass. i would like to think i’m a farmer’s wife. please get me the oven, please.

i never knew the beauty of bittergourd until last … July 24, 2006

i never knew the beauty of bittergourd until last night. the leaves creep around the pipe, looking so much like the vine. we saw the one and only fruit, that sweet little thing. so tiny, so green, so delightful. mrs ho gave us two little seeds which we immediately planted. the hos are such lovely neighbours. we learnt lots. lots more than we can ever learn from the nurseries and books. lots to learn from this amazing couple who hold their marriage vows so dear even after 25 years. it touches me so much i spent a while in bed thinking through what she said last night. there is always so much love can do. so much beauty in this world it’s hard not to be merry sometimes. tonight, i will spread that little love and joy. i will go talk to my ivy and basil.