Thebarefootfoodie

Are You Ok? It has been two weeks. I have stopped weeping. My mental faculties are sharpened and spurred by a new-found desire to activate the long dormant items on my to-do list with a couple of new ones that had surfaced over this period. This is coupled with the unprecedented onset of physical lethargy. I am sleeping a lot more than my usual 5 hours.  I eat, but do not taste the niceties of the whole experience  which encompasses the ambience, a touch of the skilful, even the company who eats with me.  I continue with my daily Pilates regime, and seem to acquire a higher penchant for the "burn". At home, I sit in front of the terminal and do a lot more shopping with my fingers. Otherwise, I am on the sofa, neither resting nor relaxing, as if in a state of flux.  Entering Into Limbo The eye-ducts have a mind of their own. They water at will, though not with the intensity as before. I wear more lipstick now - they last longer and look better than ...

Taken in Bali, Jan 2014 Dearest Mom, You left so suddenly on 19 Aug, to be with the Lord. I did not even get to hug you, kiss you one last time, or say goodbye. I will always cherish our 7 days together in Bali - 7 glorious days of mother-daughter bonding time, of spas, pedicures, chilling out over delectable breakfast spreads, shopping, walks by the beach, pigging out at dinnertime, and that sneaky trip to " Cocoon " for fillers, which made you look years younger. I have these precious memories which I will hold fast in my heart. I was wrong to ever think that your world was too small for me. Truth is, your world was enough for you, and your heart was much, much bigger than mine. It takes a very special person to work for 20 years to serve those who are severely handicapped, and attend to their needs. You were that person. I saw every single one of them come to say their last goodbye to you, in their wheel-chairs, struggling to cope with their loss of ...

Getting Fleeced I'd never thought that a conversation about getting fleeced will led to a parking ticket subsequently and this delightful trio of episodes to follow... Tuesday 1 July Over a decadent bowl of ice kachang with gula melaka and evaporated milk drizzled liberally, Mr Y casually mentioned that he had clients who did not pay him his fees for work done. There was this particular chap who refused to pay the whole construction team and chose to move into an uncompleted house, without the requisite approvals. Not that he could not afford to, with a fleet of Lamborghinis in tow. He also acquired a bad reputation of being a lousy paymaster. Wednesday 2 July I suddenly recalled that some years ago, I got fleeced too, in work and in investments, by once-upon-a-time friends and partners. Funny how it has not cropped up before as I had totally written off the figures and the trust that came before that.  What got me through were promises and scriptures that I ...

BETTER THAN AN ULTRASOUND Like an expectant mother waiting for the BIG day, my days are filled with childlike curiosity and joyful anticipation.  I know  by now how my baby  looks like. The facade is up and set in stone, concrete and steel. She has the complexion of pale plaster, gently enhanced by the right touches of rouge and  gray eye-shadow. Organic , eco-centric, raw , fiercely individual.  GOING GREEN My sense of wonder is piqued daily by the leafy friends moving in and taking residence. They exude an aura of vibrance and serenity. Soon, I expect them to  pervade every conceivable nook and corner devised by Mr Y. He has promised transcendence and meditative retreats of privacy infused by visions of nature. A bonus treat is the relaxation of modesty encouraged by the garden screens all across the thoroughfare. Exciting! There is a marked preference for bird's nest ferns and staghorns at this stage. I welcome an open migrant policy of...