Girls and tidbits.

I wrote once that when I was little, my mother took me to a fortune teller to have my palm read. The Monk told my mother that I have flower power. I took to believe that I was irresistible to girls, I was wrong. He was wrong, the Monk.

The actual truth is that I am always outnumbered by girls, at times overwhelmingly outnumbered, like in my family. Don’t get me wrong, I am not complaining, girls are some of my best friends.

It is just that the hormonal requirement in me behaving like a homing pigeon seeking the company of the “boys will be boys camaraderie” and the need to check against the benchmark of being a male specie.

As a matter of fact, I am enjoying myself in their company because through my close association with the ladies, I understood the male role in their domain and the behavioral consequence of their monthly stupor that I once wrote as the second worst thing about being the male in female world.

I also wrote that I have mastered the art of disappearance, during those trying period, of the ability to blend in with the furniture and the wisdom to be “seen not heard” and “heard not seen”

What I didn’t write was the worst thing about being the male in the female world and the taste buds acquiring the liking of the lady that male specie wouldn’t be caught dead with:- the love for Dom Perignon instead of Whisky, the craving for all things sour and sweet and worst, tidbits.

I love tidbits......all sort...sour....preserved...sweet...salty and more. ..
[ munching and sucking the deliciously sour preserved mango now ]



I took a detour to the wonderland of tidbits to do a short video clipping.

New found love..

We celebrated Sam’s (my wife) birthday pigging out at one of the swanky joint offering buffet in ‘all-you-can-eat’ Japanese and ‘fusion’ cuisine. The “kiasu” - thou shall not lose – mode kick in and I was in a combative mood trying to eat all I can to recoup the initial investment besides pure gluttony. I am ashamed of myself but it was FUN with a capital and fun I did have stuffing myself with all those ‘to-die-for’ cuisine. It was suicidal.

Kamikaze – come to think of it.


The story today is about my new found love...the love at first bite...the craving for an ala carte sourish spicy ‘green curry’ seafood cuisine ...the Tom Yam. I have developed the craving a few months back when Sam insisted that I take a sip of the spicy soup that she had loved for years, one sip there was no turning back. It was love at first sip to be more appropriate.

The perfectionist that I am...the fastidiousness of my character drove me to seek the best bowl of Tom Yam that I could find and each gastronomic journey lifted the taste buds to a higher level. I deciphered the ingredients of each bowl of Tom Yam and fed the information to Sam.

Today, Sam makes the best bowl of Tom Yam...an enticing blend of saltiness to accentuate the sourish soup in fiery spiciness of deliciously sweet seafood herbal brew.

Oh Heaven!......Sam is cooking fried noodles with Tom Yam paste....NOW!!!!!! 8.08pm.


November 20, 2009 – Friday.

Next door to Alice.

In the family old house...we had a neighbour staying right behind us...and there lives Alice.

.....in Alice’s backyard were Rambutan trees (hairy strawberry)... ....my sibling and I would steal the fruits during the seasons.....and Alice would come out to chase us away....it went on for years......like a game of cat and mouse.

As we grew older...my sisters would chat with her over the thick fencing undergrowth............they became friends.......... I have never seen her in person....I mean..............how she looks like........

..........there were times when I saw her walking home from school..........she was always in front...............................

..over those years...... we became friends ....we chatted .......cracked jokes.....[never to see her face]......................realized that she was a caring and kind person.........and I like her friendship..................she was a few years my senior.


..One fine morning.....she called me when I was at the back...

Robert...Robert......bye!......
......see you!...I am going to Australia.


That was the last time.....I heard from her......and of her......
.............30 years ago today.



Alice...if you chance upon this site...say Hi! to me...


I chance upon a situation with the song “Living next door to Alice” over the radio and made a short video clip that somehow fits appropriately. ....The ‘lady’ in it is the perfect representation of the girl whom I knew as Alice.....a girl whom I never know the look.



.....for Alice.