tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82104359297874043302024-03-14T15:49:45.852+08:00PetuniaLee™Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1704125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8210435929787404330.post-10905837025225450372022-10-31T17:53:00.004+08:002022-11-01T10:02:43.441+08:00The Cockroach-in-Law Chronicles Episode 5: 低素质<p>When my very human Father-in-Law fell ill and was bed-ridden, I again raised the option of getting a dedicated helper for the Cockroach-in-Law. Again, she declined. She insisted that my beloved helper, M could manage.</p><p>I put my foot down and insisted on more help. Since we were in the middle of the Covid19 pandemic, it was not easy to get a new helper. So, we opted to get in part-time domestic help. A lovely young girl came in once a week to clean, on top of the help that my M gave her on another day a week. The Cockroach-in Law refused to have the part-timer come more often, preferring to overwork M. Meanwhile, we tried to expedite the arrival of a new live-in helper.</p><p>I found out really late that the Cockroach-in-Law collected leftover rice from her dinner into a box. When she had collected a full box, she gave the frozen rice to the part-time helper (feeling generous and charitable). The lovely young lady smiled, said "Thank you," graciously, and then threw the rice away into the nearest dustbin outside our house.</p><p>I am so embarrassed, wondering what that well brought up young lady thought of our family.</p><p>When I found out, M also told me that the Cockroach-in-Law had often exhorted her to eat the frozen rice. Of course, M always declined. M eats everything I eat. I don't eat frozen rice.</p><p>I suppose that if the employer is cockroachian, then the domestic help would end up eating what cockroaches eat.</p><p>When the new helper arrived, I was glad that MOM had an online module for new employers stating the duties of an employer, foremost of which should be to provide enough nutritious food. I was also happy that the module made clear that lending a helper to another household is illegal, because the Cockroach-in-Law once asked me to lend my helper to her sister!</p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><div class="fb-like" data-href="http://petunialee.blogspot.sg/2012/07/potato-chinese-from-reciting-to-writing.html" data-send="true" data-width="450" data-show-faces="true"></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8210435929787404330.post-84144326958197155802022-10-30T12:22:00.006+08:002022-10-31T02:26:05.559+08:00The Cockroach-in-Law Chronicles Episode 4: Poison<p>This post follows from <a href="http://petunialee.blogspot.com/2022/10/the-cockroach-in-law-chronicles-episode_81.html">HERE</a>.</p><p>The nature of a cockroach is to be non-confrontational. In front of me, the Cockroach-in-Law was conciliatory and pleasantly smiling. <span style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-size: 13px;"> </span>It is also in a cockroach's nature to spread taint and toxin under the cover of darkness and stealth. Behind my back, however, the Cockroach-in-Law put real effort into poisoning my relationship with my husband and my son. </p><p><br /></p><p><u><b>The Husband</b></u></p><p>Early on in my marriage, she advised The Husband: <span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px;">她</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px;">是有钱人家的女儿,我们养不起. </span>As a result, The Husband and I fought often about my spending. It did not matter that </p><p>- I shopped for clothes at the wet market, </p><p>- that I owned no branded items, </p><p>- that I renovated 2000 sq ft of jumbo flat in under $5000, </p><p>- that I renovated a 2000 sq ft penthouse duplex in under $15,000, </p><p>- that I save us money on medical care (using herbs), </p><p>- that I save us money on children's tuition (teaching the children myself), </p><p>- that I save us money on aircondition servicing (having figured out how to do it with a steam cleaner), </p><p>- that in the days before AirBnB, I was already stretching my dollar by renting self-catering cottages where I could save us money by cooking all 3 meals for the whole family. It meant cooking, cleaning and doing laundry all through our holidays to Europe</p><p>- that I made investing part of our lives</p><p>- that I also worked to earn money, and really did not need her to <span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px;">养</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px;">我.</span></p><p>Her words had influence. The Husband held that bias in his head. It was an unforgivable sin to have grown up as <span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px;">有钱人家的女儿. </span>There was no way to prove that I was frugal. I suppose that the only way to convince her that I was careful with money would have been to live ostensibly like a cockroach too. I could not bring myself to do that.</p><p>I grew up in a clean, neat and aesthetically pleasing home. I could not bring myself to compromise these standards of cleanliness and aesthetics. So, I used my creativity and intelligence to reach the same standards without having to spend too much. However, the clean, neat and aesthetically pleasing home that I created for us, screamed luxury to the Cockroach-in-Law , and she never stopped telling people how much of a spendthrift I was.</p><p>It would not have mattered to me if those words remained words. However, her poisonous words translated into bad and frequent scoldings from The Husband. One day, I stood at the staircase near the HDB provision shop and wept because I could not find broken rice, and I felt that it would be spending too much to buy full grain jasmine rice.</p><p>Behind my back, she would examine my laundry hanging out. She fingered my clothes bought cheaply online from Shein, and then commented that these clothes were proof of my spendthrift nature. Words have power. Her words tainted The Husband's view of me for decades. They formed the basis of endless conflict.</p><p>One day, I realised that her standards of frugality extended to stealing what was not hers, and living in squalor. My current batch of black tees cost $3.50 a piece. She would not allow my t-shirts to be sunned (in order that they would last 40 years of wear). Apparently, sunshine destroys clothes fibres, and then it would be spendthrift to have to buy new t-shirts. Whilst I do embrace frugal ways, I draw the line at wearing mouldy $3.50 t-shirts for 40 years.</p><p>This is only one example of the way she poisoned my relationship with The Husband.</p><p><br /></p><p><u><b>The Son</b></u></p><p>Behind my back, and whenever there was "evidence", the Cockroach-in-Law brainwashed The Son into believing that I was a bad-tempered, unkind shrew who was nasty to her. It did not matter that:</p><p>- I designed a house with 1000 sq ft of apartment for her.</p><p>- I drove her to her medical appointments.</p><p>- I responded promptly to her requests for ovens, vacuum cleaners, iPads etc...</p><p>- I made both milk kefir and water kefir for her daily.</p><p>- I made bread and shared all sorts of other foods.</p><p>- I shopped for her a piece a of real jewellery once a year, if not twice.</p><p>- I endured her constant undercover badmouthing without complaint to The Son. I recognised that The Son was Grandma's preferred grandchild and I held back from damaging their relationship, even as she persisted in assassinating my character to my son, at every opportunity.</p><p>One day, my 18 year old son scolded me for my nastiness. My heart broke. On that day, I realised that there was no way I could ever make the Cockroach-in-Law well-disposed towards me. To defend my own honour and my own track record, I asked 2 questions:</p><p>(1) Throughout your childhood, have I ever said a bad word to you about your Grandma?</p><p>(2) Throughout your childhood, has your Grandma ever badmouthed me to you?</p><p>Since The Son knew the answers to both questions, I left him to decide who the nasty one was. Meanwhile, the pain in my heart was excruciating.</p><p>The pain in my heart was such that I am only able to blog about these events today, 4 years later.</p><p><br /></p><p><u><b>Breaking Through to Joy</b></u></p><p>Still, there are ways to counter infection, toxin and taint. With real cockroaches, I don't leave food out for them to use to spread disease. With a Cockroach-in-Law, I simply give her no information at all about what I do, what I buy, what I say. In addition, I don't interact with her. This way, there is no fodder for her to turn into "evidence" of the woman I am not. With this, I have been able to limit the extent to which she spreads disease in my relationships with The Husband and The Son.</p><p>Now, relationships with The Husband and The Son are joyful and rewarding.</p><p><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><div class="fb-like" data-href="http://petunialee.blogspot.sg/2012/07/potato-chinese-from-reciting-to-writing.html" data-send="true" data-width="450" data-show-faces="true"></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8210435929787404330.post-11484425487134268522022-10-29T16:46:00.007+08:002022-10-29T19:14:00.353+08:00The Cockroach-in-Law Chronicles Episode 3: Thief<p>This post follows Episode 2: <a href="https://petunialee.blogspot.com/2022/10/the-cockroach-in-law-chronicles-episode_29.html">HERE</a>.</p><p>Another thing about cockroaches is that they steal cheap stuff. </p><p>My cockroach-in-law's thieving habits were strange. In the past, she looked enviously at my costume jewellery. When my back was turned, she would take this or that piece, and pass them to her sisters. When I asked, she said that she had lent them to her sisters. They weren't worth much because they were costume jewellery, but they still belonged to me.</p><p>Every so often, she would come into my kitchen and pour out for herself a large bowl of Borges olive oil, and swear my helper to secrecy. If she had told me that she wanted olive oil, I would have introduced her to the Tasmanian olive oil that I had shipped direct from Australia, and stored in a climate controlled box. Instead, she seemed happier and more satisfied to pilfer the much lower grade olive oil left outside.</p><p>Despite styling herself as a woman with refined tastes, my cockroach-in-law has less evolved tastes than my dog, Pistachio. Believe it or not, Pistachio can taste the difference between top quality olive oil and Borges olive oil. Pistachio won't eat Borges olive oil.</p><p>We share a yard. She stole everything from toilet paper, kitchen towels, garlic or onions. I learnt to order extra supplies of these cheap things for her to steal. It made no difference to me whether she stole from me, or asked me to buy for her. It costs me the same. The only difference is one of interpersonal respect. Don't steal. Don't do things on the sneak. If we live together as a family, it is important to have mutual respect. Taking things and swearing my helper to secrecy violates trust and interpersonal respect. I can fund her kleptomania. However, I lost all respect for her.</p><p>But well, it made her happy to steal. What can I say?</p><p>Again, if you have not suffered, then you don't know joy. I did not realise that joy can come from feeling safe from kleptomania. In the past, I never knew what the Cockroach-in-Law would take when my back was turned. That constant feeling of insecurity has gone away.</p><p>Love it!</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>.</p><p><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><div class="fb-like" data-href="http://petunialee.blogspot.sg/2012/07/potato-chinese-from-reciting-to-writing.html" data-send="true" data-width="450" data-show-faces="true"></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8210435929787404330.post-72592595779060680762022-10-29T16:11:00.003+08:002022-10-29T17:05:22.925+08:00The Cockroach-in-Law Chronicles Episode 2: Of Smelly Toilet and Rat Nests<p>This post follows Episode 1 <a href="https://petunialee.blogspot.com/2022/10/the-cockroach-in-law-chronicles-episode.html">HERE</a>.</p><p>The Cockroach-in-Law lived in a self-catering apartment on the 1st floor of our house. It contained a kitchen (3 times larger than what you would find in many condo apartments), a bathroom, a bedroom and a living room. In all, she enjoyed about 1000 sq ft. We gave her 4 walls worth of floor to ceiling storage cupboards.</p><p>Once a week, our helper went over to help with the heavier chores. As the weeks wore into months, and months progressed into years, the apartment began to look like the slums of New York or Parisian HLMs. The personal insanitary habits of my Cockroach-in-Law were such that, to keep the place acceptably clean, she would need a full time helper all to herself.</p><p>What insanitary habits, you might ask? For starters, she was too lazy to walk 5 steps to the toilet bowl to pee. She would pee as she showered in the shower cubicle. So the bathroom smelled of pee the day after it had been washed and disinfected.</p><p>Next, she hoarded. As the seasons of my life passed, clothes, toys, books etc ... all fell out of use. I packed them into bags to give away. Whatever I packed to give away, she would drag back into her home much like a cockroach would drag off morsels of meat and bread. These bags of potentially recyclable waste sat on the floor of her apartment. They blocked walkways and spilled out from under the bed. Meanwhile, the storage cupboards stayed empty.</p><p>Then, there was uneaten food left all over. In my own kitchen, not a single morsel of food is left out over night. That is the surest way to get rats and cockroach infestations.</p><p>Not surprisingly, my helper found rats nesting under the Cockroach-in-Law's bed, and even behind the TV commode. Suggestions to put away unused items into the ample cupboards were met with anger and my helper was roundly scolded.</p><p>As the clutter built up, her resentment against me grew. More than once, she ventured to ask me if I had cupboard space to store some stuff for her. Since her own cupboard space stayed empty, I could not understand why she wanted to use my cupboard space. When I left the house, my Cockroach-in-Law would scuttle on her insect feet into my Master Bedroom. She peeked her cockroach feelers into my cupboards and brooded enviously at how spacious my room was, and how little living space she had.</p><p>I guess it was her cockroachian nature compelling her to sneak about and try to spread her dirt, her grime and her clutter, whilst at the same time envying me my neat and tidy spaces. </p><p>Her apartment became so dirty that I asked if she would like her own helper. The Cockroach-in-Law refused. Meanwhile, the Cockroach-in-Law's daily habits created dirt much faster than my helper could reasonably be expected to manage. </p><p>My Cockroach-in-Law resented my helper for not making sure that her toilet smelled as fresh as mine. What the Cockroach-in-Law does not know is that I clean up after myself after every shower in my bathroom so as not to overwork my helper, and of course, I do not pee in the shower cubicle.</p><p>Again, if you have not suffered, you don't know joy. My helper used to get tension headaches 3 to 4 times a week from the stress that the Cockroach-in-Law inflicted upon her. Now, her days are filled with joy and headaches are a thing of the past. The helper now often tells me how happy she is and enumerates the blessings in her life.</p><p>She loves life now too!</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><div class="fb-like" data-href="http://petunialee.blogspot.sg/2012/07/potato-chinese-from-reciting-to-writing.html" data-send="true" data-width="450" data-show-faces="true"></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8210435929787404330.post-31952718516813496622022-10-29T11:14:00.005+08:002022-10-29T16:18:06.622+08:00The Cockroach-in-Law Chronicles Episode 1: The Sun<p>So begins my Cockroach-in-Law Chronicles. When the events happened, they weren't funny. Now, I can see the humour in them. Once you get to know this insect in human form, you will understand that human though she might be, her true nature is cockroachian.</p><p><br /></p><p><u><b>The Sun</b></u></p><p>The first hint of my Cockroach-in-Law's true nature surfaced when it was clear how much she hated the sun.</p><p>I thought I was being generous to provide to my Cockroach-in-Law a sunny and well-ventilated apartment on the 1st floor of my home. She was dismayed. Even with air-conditioning, she was dismayed. She scurried hither and thither looking for dark corners to hide in her apartment. Meanwhile, she and her husband complained of itchy skin. And she resented me for giving her a sunny apartment.</p><p>After a few years of living here, my clothes started to smell damp and mouldy. T-shirts had to be sent back down to be re-washed. Damp bedsheets aired out as they sat on my bed. The humidity in the bedsheets and mattress lead to an overgrowth of dust mites. My nose was completely stuck. I developed itchy skin too!</p><p>It took a while to find the root cause. Meanwhile, the only relief to be had was the use of sulphur soap. Only when I found out that sulphur is a potent miticide did I put 2 and 2 together. Only then did I discover that the Cockroach-in-Law made it her life's mission to order my maid to move my laundry from sun to shade. Every 15 mins, my poor helper had to move the laundry out of the moving sun. It turns out that the excess humidity from damp clothes and bedsheets lead to an overgrowth of dust mites. Since my Cockroach-in-Law was so determined to ensure that my clothes did not get sunned, the dust mites thrived on all our laundry, clean or not so clean.</p><p>I was in shock. Our bedsheets are washed twice a week. Sun-drying (or heat drying) was necessary to kill dust mite eggs. As time went on, my mattress teemed with micro-fauna. I bought new mattresses, new beddings, new bed linen. </p><p>No more itchy skin.</p><p>I suppose I should thank my Cockroach-in-Law for putting us through that ordeal. Now, we have a mattress topper that I will throw away every 36 months. The topper and the mattresses are steam cleaned once a week, and blow dried. We create a desert storm for dust mites 4 times a month. Hungry hippos and charcoal packs line our shelves to ensure that the insides of all our cupboards are no longer humid.</p><p>It is true that if you have never suffered, you will not know joy. Since the Cockroach-in-Law moved out, it is my daily pleasure to breathe in the clean scent of ozone that sun-drying leaves on properly sun-dried clothes. Like the smell of fresh cut grass, this smell is calming and warming.</p><p>Love it!</p><p><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><div class="fb-like" data-href="http://petunialee.blogspot.sg/2012/07/potato-chinese-from-reciting-to-writing.html" data-send="true" data-width="450" data-show-faces="true"></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8210435929787404330.post-47455945482946594852022-01-19T15:29:00.004+08:002022-01-19T16:31:19.906+08:00To Give Up? Or Stay in the Race?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEio0IqrBJyYtpi9RtkVVY2QG5pbARyfU5hYMQITcepbsQ18Lpmd2P1sLpigG40VeADYgEJRwxEDLLClkxhWnOu3QlFN0TuJIxuuOq6712PkEgTHw6yN3BiMoGGViyj8kEEugeRKQhViaiAAJFhP6HbRcv-KQz69GPgmiqDudhVy-ahxzssqoIawvmpFcw=s1280" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="591" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEio0IqrBJyYtpi9RtkVVY2QG5pbARyfU5hYMQITcepbsQ18Lpmd2P1sLpigG40VeADYgEJRwxEDLLClkxhWnOu3QlFN0TuJIxuuOq6712PkEgTHw6yN3BiMoGGViyj8kEEugeRKQhViaiAAJFhP6HbRcv-KQz69GPgmiqDudhVy-ahxzssqoIawvmpFcw=s16000" /></a></div><br /><u><br /></u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><u>From a Year Ago</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One year ago, E lost a parent. The emotional shock to the family was in seismic proportions. At that time, the grief was such that it seemed to never end. I am not a Grief Counsellor and I was myself too distraught about it to think that I could be in any way, of help. There is a reason why I am not a Grief Counsellor.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Mother insisted to see me. I was highly anxious but I agreed to chat with The Mother. I allowed myself to cry for 2 hrs before our meeting, in order to be able to NOT cry during the meeting. I did not think I would be of any help if I cried and she cried. There would just be 2 crying messes. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Thank goodness this Mother understood me enough to not unload her grief onto me. For that, I had recommended another qualified counsellor, specialising in this. Instead, we spoke of how to help her neurodivergent child get through the shock. Neurodivergent people, like me, process grief and loss differently. Heck! We process emotions differently!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u><b>From Last Week</b></u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My body does not produce enough cortisol. When a human body runs out of cortisol, it will go into an Addisonian crisis. Blood pressure will drop too low and multiple organ failure results. It is fatal.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The past month has held some events which represented stressors that I could not run away from. Normally, I am quite diligent about removing stressors from my life. If client parents are nasty or stressful, I discharge myself. For my own health, I need to do this. I have removed stressful friends. However, some stressors cannot be removed. So, my body received shock after shock after shock in December and January. I collapsed twice into a tired heap and had to take triple dosage of cortisol medicines on some days.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I started to plan to stop work. As soon as those thoughts floated in my head, I received love emails: one every day since Monday. I also found bible verses and bible sermons in my Facebook/TikTok feed.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">- See <a href="https://saltandlight.sg/news/what-do-you-do-when-you-feel-like-giving-up-rev-edmund-chan-on-day-2-of-summit-2022/?">HERE</a> (Sermon on NOT Giving Up)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">- See pictures below.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Today, I received the above email from E's parent. It encourages me. It shows me that my work has meaning. It also inspires me because if E can rise up like a phoenix from the raging fires of a parent's death, then I can continue to work. No?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I believe that God will keep His promise to me. He has still use for me. I cannot give up now.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhIrzKa0sTo_-thpenifgpRnjhFgcBbeII2YltWgllpmnLdCaClvHXi5dlbOmWC3dY7YbLt5uvxKU_XZtK7aQvDISE5NBm8egnZpf5Nv4ieugFC3fp4kV4pODUeTlNOAGZTs0r1-Q-gXztQJXW4p-pYfuSI2WudT80kHJ4rFPcxczJdnFlSi2cEDC4K8A=s1280" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="591" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhIrzKa0sTo_-thpenifgpRnjhFgcBbeII2YltWgllpmnLdCaClvHXi5dlbOmWC3dY7YbLt5uvxKU_XZtK7aQvDISE5NBm8egnZpf5Nv4ieugFC3fp4kV4pODUeTlNOAGZTs0r1-Q-gXztQJXW4p-pYfuSI2WudT80kHJ4rFPcxczJdnFlSi2cEDC4K8A=w296-h640" width="296" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhz2MJB5RCzC0R5eykCjrMXY2vA6cMq1R-fOZSpT-tIY7UniAwrd0w59DGv44orhjpYNdpyLeeqKwdFN-R4iNMHTF5Ns6IrbGmfClo3hGtLfT2BvbRXWHu4plh0wAekWYeDLVmps7bLWnl6s2_Lld3po9dpd2Tce8WSconyFFFybh5fYIz7BysRkeeNeQ=s1280" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhz2MJB5RCzC0R5eykCjrMXY2vA6cMq1R-fOZSpT-tIY7UniAwrd0w59DGv44orhjpYNdpyLeeqKwdFN-R4iNMHTF5Ns6IrbGmfClo3hGtLfT2BvbRXWHu4plh0wAekWYeDLVmps7bLWnl6s2_Lld3po9dpd2Tce8WSconyFFFybh5fYIz7BysRkeeNeQ=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><div class="fb-like" data-href="http://petunialee.blogspot.sg/2012/07/potato-chinese-from-reciting-to-writing.html" data-send="true" data-width="450" data-show-faces="true"></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8210435929787404330.post-2051073621336892672022-01-15T13:37:00.000+08:002022-01-15T13:37:09.982+08:00Testimonial 9<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhlQRUjBye4XPbYM-q7ysbtXmeUD_j_lo_2FkaiFCdNNRMoVC_tCw7pNSlt7ggERoEYKlobZz7Ml_8468D6a7CpxFCHybOtGIDabTY-9XGBNWNIYRmkGPczGrXEPVeY-jIzu50VoJT7s9tjRmushqdMVumvF5L8z44kQoes4b_gHCBPdOsDU8STg5AdPQ=s1280" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="591" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhlQRUjBye4XPbYM-q7ysbtXmeUD_j_lo_2FkaiFCdNNRMoVC_tCw7pNSlt7ggERoEYKlobZz7Ml_8468D6a7CpxFCHybOtGIDabTY-9XGBNWNIYRmkGPczGrXEPVeY-jIzu50VoJT7s9tjRmushqdMVumvF5L8z44kQoes4b_gHCBPdOsDU8STg5AdPQ=s16000" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><div class="fb-like" data-href="http://petunialee.blogspot.sg/2012/07/potato-chinese-from-reciting-to-writing.html" data-send="true" data-width="450" data-show-faces="true"></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8210435929787404330.post-2217447114250674672022-01-15T13:32:00.000+08:002022-01-15T13:32:19.007+08:00Testimonial 8<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEitN7ZVpi7Sk7cJimm1PAAKIbgq0uTAsFy8kV2JidhO1K2yxQjpifB_8cfMliFRTMN5y0ld4p5YOq0jvUngRHYiD5FcPpwPPIc5G-SGLTgCupaOC2U1Dq1Wr2Gng3O9AW7kqns4tNJuHvwK5Ugy8YVW3v5art9tAjyYIuX3juLWpiMh-m0-aXFBnQRIeQ=s1280" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="805" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEitN7ZVpi7Sk7cJimm1PAAKIbgq0uTAsFy8kV2JidhO1K2yxQjpifB_8cfMliFRTMN5y0ld4p5YOq0jvUngRHYiD5FcPpwPPIc5G-SGLTgCupaOC2U1Dq1Wr2Gng3O9AW7kqns4tNJuHvwK5Ugy8YVW3v5art9tAjyYIuX3juLWpiMh-m0-aXFBnQRIeQ=s16000" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><div class="fb-like" data-href="http://petunialee.blogspot.sg/2012/07/potato-chinese-from-reciting-to-writing.html" data-send="true" data-width="450" data-show-faces="true"></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8210435929787404330.post-1816648616009300042022-01-12T13:48:00.003+08:002022-01-12T14:57:14.000+08:00The Daughter's Wedding<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-_t_RDSbudmgPeZFH3ZBNa8CERuUe8UwaiLmiqskPj-arfHOZFGIndn6WGuh82vxwGn5HhS5-a3RGxuMeYw6UGZviSDfSf9NkZwm3JGyAtyiKP7WZ5SIY96gK7mHY-zxOzq5cujccLpLjaOa2dDer0Cfjvitk-26lVHFmThdQENjjMCWJXySt-l50JQ=s1280" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-_t_RDSbudmgPeZFH3ZBNa8CERuUe8UwaiLmiqskPj-arfHOZFGIndn6WGuh82vxwGn5HhS5-a3RGxuMeYw6UGZviSDfSf9NkZwm3JGyAtyiKP7WZ5SIY96gK7mHY-zxOzq5cujccLpLjaOa2dDer0Cfjvitk-26lVHFmThdQENjjMCWJXySt-l50JQ=s320" width="240" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p>Oh wow... I woke up one morning and found myself old enough to marry off a daughter. The ceremony took place in a small, light filled church infused with a gentle joy. The celebration lunch took place at Candlenut, which was equally joy filled. A wait staff explained to me that Chef Malcolm who helms Candlenut is a kind and caring boss. The wait staff were happy staff: truly happy, not fake happy. There were no slide shows at lunch, no stories about the couple, no long speeches about the couple, no loud music. The Daughter and Her Husband made it all about the guests instead. Each guest received a special handwritten card detailing some salient characteristics about the person. See below M's card, The Husband's card, The Son's card, and mine.</p><p>The lunch was supposed to end at 3 pm. When 3 pm came and The Son-in-Law announced that the lunch was ended, nobody got up to leave. They were all having too much fun chilling with their friends at the tables. Apparently, when they were chased out at 5 pm, some folks adjourned to the married couple's apartment to continue to hang out.</p><p>This made me glad that I had decided to go completely hands off the wedding. I left it entirely to the couple, and contented myself with giving praise for all their decisions and their choices. The wedding was not just a happy occasion for the couple, it was memorable for the guests who really spent an enjoyable afternoon hanging out with folks they truly love.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgHl3JHnyvRw07z4TnRh5etMD-VGSEOLUaLltAiqS5lbGJu6XVjFkKZAabxlhl3Yr-7S7tVxe4aW6p6VNiHqRgB2bwVjy-ZO1kOQVNA5mkVecNw-U1WoXvAL811Gdp8c1UjyYpNsxIsVrxwf_nTfM_wv-3NNRwLPd_5cbPaHs5zcYUIOV1fAjGXLvmnkw=s1280" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgHl3JHnyvRw07z4TnRh5etMD-VGSEOLUaLltAiqS5lbGJu6XVjFkKZAabxlhl3Yr-7S7tVxe4aW6p6VNiHqRgB2bwVjy-ZO1kOQVNA5mkVecNw-U1WoXvAL811Gdp8c1UjyYpNsxIsVrxwf_nTfM_wv-3NNRwLPd_5cbPaHs5zcYUIOV1fAjGXLvmnkw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDg8kaahWWguxIvaFMpKSG77cLSZl6PzZG8ed6UtPzClimgQLWw8WPav7VmLVuSdb9gnGiD19UW9vXKm4ohsCI-u3Vg6UukcB9-INmJwVP_KzLU5pIkW-n9OgVLsz0D15H-MFTLxgolYWQmiY78kXTh8bFzspSwoERsijD2Fzo4HRp-uc0ej2Fh66VXQ=s1280" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDg8kaahWWguxIvaFMpKSG77cLSZl6PzZG8ed6UtPzClimgQLWw8WPav7VmLVuSdb9gnGiD19UW9vXKm4ohsCI-u3Vg6UukcB9-INmJwVP_KzLU5pIkW-n9OgVLsz0D15H-MFTLxgolYWQmiY78kXTh8bFzspSwoERsijD2Fzo4HRp-uc0ej2Fh66VXQ=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi9DUmgBiFBEn_SgqHKfU2-rXoarn4HQOgkq4n42kh3Cvs45uriTlRWx4DjpPo3hKdbWhU9QOGqRRdqhLH2nFa1HCx9ItwyNsOtI0BpiWISHWfuB_XYwH6XT2RJff923lwmr_DARNJd_weZbIdDVVhJY1wJ_p4yhEDWAReUppKRmO8ZBuzlanl82F5kZg=s1280" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi9DUmgBiFBEn_SgqHKfU2-rXoarn4HQOgkq4n42kh3Cvs45uriTlRWx4DjpPo3hKdbWhU9QOGqRRdqhLH2nFa1HCx9ItwyNsOtI0BpiWISHWfuB_XYwH6XT2RJff923lwmr_DARNJd_weZbIdDVVhJY1wJ_p4yhEDWAReUppKRmO8ZBuzlanl82F5kZg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhOF4dAjUTsD2ujSXbs_DhdlNIqyGnlzgwtspGs5YHGXUV0r2Ar6Jh4RVMx0svjvYYbCS2qWFF89vI3SDxi2hcULB9sU67WwqKEqgyvMC6PtRToSENJxzOvPo8oEmGh02If5hfAGLi-LqkfUnEgqf8KlYpidG3c3B8uFGJfV6_2pIMxZ4ykVHK9cDi2gw=s1280" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhOF4dAjUTsD2ujSXbs_DhdlNIqyGnlzgwtspGs5YHGXUV0r2Ar6Jh4RVMx0svjvYYbCS2qWFF89vI3SDxi2hcULB9sU67WwqKEqgyvMC6PtRToSENJxzOvPo8oEmGh02If5hfAGLi-LqkfUnEgqf8KlYpidG3c3B8uFGJfV6_2pIMxZ4ykVHK9cDi2gw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p>Then, from one day to the next, I woke up and realised that The Daughter was well and truly gone from my home. The Daughter had often spent months abroad but we knew that this was her home. Her things stayed in her room. Now, all her things are gone. The room is empty. Her presence at home has left. A spark of joy has left.</p><p>However, I look forwards to her bringing home new sparks of joy (i.e., babies) for visits. Wow! It won't be long before I am a Grandma!!</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><div class="fb-like" data-href="http://petunialee.blogspot.sg/2012/07/potato-chinese-from-reciting-to-writing.html" data-send="true" data-width="450" data-show-faces="true"></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8210435929787404330.post-67774115288784964082021-12-15T13:07:00.004+08:002021-12-15T13:07:36.999+08:00Facing Up to Covid19<p> I did not do it on purpose, but I liked the way it turned out.</p><p>The Husband and I both left for Europe approximately 2 weeks after our 3rd booster shot. The Husband took 2 Pfizers and 1 Moderna. I took 2 Modernas and 1 Pfizer. By the time we reached Europe, our levels of Covid19 antibodies were the highest they had ever been. So, when In France, we took very few precautions. There was not much social distancing in restaurants. French folks talked, laughed and ate barely 50 cm away from me. In one neighbourhood bistro, they did not even check our Passe Sanitaire (the French TraceTogether app).</p><p>I used no hand sanitiser, and it was too cold to keep on washing our hands. Others who were in France with us took pains to wipe down all surfaces in their lodgings. We did not. We marched right into crowded restaurants, ate and chatted, unmasked.</p><p>We must have encountered the virus many times. Our high levels of antibodies recognised the pathogen and killed them off before they could reproduce enough to get us sick. To me, it was the equivalent of perhaps the 4th and the 5th and the 6th vaccinations. I wanted to let my body encounter and get real familiar with the Covid19 virus.</p><p>The Husband did an ART weekly. I reckoned that if he tested positive, I would also test positive. If he was negative, then I would also be negative. After all, husband and wife are one, no? Hahahahaha! Actually, I was just squeamish about sticking things up my nose.</p><p>When we returned, we had to do a PCR test, and daily ART. All tests showed negative results. If the 3rd booster protects against Omicron, then what more 3 shots + several encounters with the virus in the wild?</p><p>Once people get the 3rd booster, it is a good idea to further train the body to fight Covid19 by facing up to the virus in the wild. No?</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><div class="fb-like" data-href="http://petunialee.blogspot.sg/2012/07/potato-chinese-from-reciting-to-writing.html" data-send="true" data-width="450" data-show-faces="true"></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8210435929787404330.post-89164314685117173262021-12-11T14:53:00.002+08:002021-12-11T14:53:29.311+08:00The Tapestry of Bayeux<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj--6xOUl_MRs3qLjm3w2-NohjgG1uXqGidQSe6t4atGq9qe3rfz9Drfz7Jo7evWYJxApYDTeZNLQ43MSn2rBqzxyoQDeHznr-fQKZhXlhVjBebyUHZNI6RUIOLF0SHaJ8Q9hN-ze6RVH_0YFHLHWbQ-BqwNkjo1aCgVUlA8sSj66ot7bcyg7kTK8ztVQ=s1280" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj--6xOUl_MRs3qLjm3w2-NohjgG1uXqGidQSe6t4atGq9qe3rfz9Drfz7Jo7evWYJxApYDTeZNLQ43MSn2rBqzxyoQDeHznr-fQKZhXlhVjBebyUHZNI6RUIOLF0SHaJ8Q9hN-ze6RVH_0YFHLHWbQ-BqwNkjo1aCgVUlA8sSj66ot7bcyg7kTK8ztVQ=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>The first time we were in Bretagne, no one wanted to see the Tapestry of Bayeux. The second time we were in Bretagne, no one wanted to see the Tapestry of Bayeux. This time, I insisted to see it.</p><p>William the Bastard became King William the Conqueror when he crossed the English Channel and shot King Harold in the eye. I first read about King William the Conqueror in my school history textbook. Back then, I was told that his wife, Queen Matilda, organised her court ladies to embroider a 70m long tapestry of the conquest.</p><p>The truth is nowhere so romantic. The piece was commissioned by King William the Conqueror's brother, who despite being a Bishop Odo of Bayeux, also participated in the conquest. He carried a club instead of a sword because men of the church should not carry swords. I don't see how the club is different, though. Instead of cutting people in half, you smash them into a pulp. Same difference, no? The Bishop Odo made monks produce the tapestry.</p><p>Once you enter the museum, you are given an audioguide which will tell you the entire story from Frame 1 to Frame End. It is like watching an exciting cartoon. The whole tapestry rationalises the decision to conquer England. Apparently, King Edward of England promised William the Bastard, the throne of England. King Harold usurped William's rightful throne. Hence, William the Bastard had every right to invade England to take what was his. This part of the story was not in my history book. My version of the story was of a jerk who came out of nowhere to subjugate the British Isles.</p><p>In essence, the Tapestry of Bayeux is a masterful exercise in propaganda.</p><p>Oh well... whatever the truth, this tapestry is almost a 1000 years old. I was thrilled to have seen it till The Husband popped my bubble. He said, "Is this all? The workmanship is crude. In the same time period, the Song Dynasty in China produced finer pieces.</p><p>Disbelieving, I went to google. It is true. Chinese embroidery was already very mature in the 11th century. Here is an example of Song Dynasty embroidery produced by women: click <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/546765211012690425/">HERE</a>.</p><p><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><div class="fb-like" data-href="http://petunialee.blogspot.sg/2012/07/potato-chinese-from-reciting-to-writing.html" data-send="true" data-width="450" data-show-faces="true"></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8210435929787404330.post-17439199267196870842021-12-09T17:56:00.002+08:002021-12-09T17:56:11.183+08:00Electric Blankets Against Dust Mites<p>I have a dust mite allergy. We iron our mattress regularly, and change bedsheets twice a week. It is hard work. 2 of the AirBnB flats we rented triggered my allergy. By accident, I discovered that electric blankets can reduce dust mite populations very effectively.</p><p>We have 2 electric blankets that we use when travelling. Now, I get to use them at home too!</p><p>It appears that electric blankets can reduce house dust mite populations in mattresses by 84%. So, those of you whose children have itchy skin, perhaps you can use this to see if the itchiness is linked to dust mites in the mattress.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgp-SO2Rio4HFmrZzIw-hd2DeWxHNS5DFNBCF3Z6ALptPgGTVKtNVHBcJy1hz0_ewlIa8J7K52S4E5Q7R3t-7Ov6O45oYI1LIe0Jd_ygb7ImTOr-ylq3olDWxuZ4PTNL-1oN49LM84yfKR9JtNRa_-jt58SclGGRM202im4fh5HtbIOoeTm7ZPryATxiw=s1150" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="1150" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgp-SO2Rio4HFmrZzIw-hd2DeWxHNS5DFNBCF3Z6ALptPgGTVKtNVHBcJy1hz0_ewlIa8J7K52S4E5Q7R3t-7Ov6O45oYI1LIe0Jd_ygb7ImTOr-ylq3olDWxuZ4PTNL-1oN49LM84yfKR9JtNRa_-jt58SclGGRM202im4fh5HtbIOoeTm7ZPryATxiw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><div class="fb-like" data-href="http://petunialee.blogspot.sg/2012/07/potato-chinese-from-reciting-to-writing.html" data-send="true" data-width="450" data-show-faces="true"></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8210435929787404330.post-22288422617879609192021-12-09T15:59:00.003+08:002021-12-09T15:59:12.119+08:00Testimonial 7<p> Please click <a href="https://www.collab-corner.com/journal/testimonial-7">HERE</a>.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><div class="fb-like" data-href="http://petunialee.blogspot.sg/2012/07/potato-chinese-from-reciting-to-writing.html" data-send="true" data-width="450" data-show-faces="true"></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8210435929787404330.post-63204910820343999062021-12-09T15:09:00.001+08:002021-12-09T15:09:16.993+08:00Weighted Vest & Osteoporosis<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgNzdzLNNZ1OcHYVAPU5oV8tdLgObCk4seDQ3L5ZKTVb3dlnis8ULXdaY4GcsSO3TjBQmh8UfXVwfGyayyHkpPDSkfwJ0-5CH0xuXvxBv0XmRRD2SFJ9PcDOMsqjjU0iDponbjuWsWic5mkwgBbLzVZHBys88C48XqsruiT3NjTmoiESdAG2Ab695UGqg=s1280" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgNzdzLNNZ1OcHYVAPU5oV8tdLgObCk4seDQ3L5ZKTVb3dlnis8ULXdaY4GcsSO3TjBQmh8UfXVwfGyayyHkpPDSkfwJ0-5CH0xuXvxBv0XmRRD2SFJ9PcDOMsqjjU0iDponbjuWsWic5mkwgBbLzVZHBys88C48XqsruiT3NjTmoiESdAG2Ab695UGqg=s320" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I got the idea from Tan Chuan Jin who jogs in a weighted vest. I cannot jog in it but I can carry it around the house for an hour a day to increase the weight my bones have to carry. I am doing this now to prevent osteoporosis. It is a 20 kg vest but right now, I can only manage 8 kgs. I wear it as I do all my chores, cook, work. It gives me a workout without me even trying.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One day, I might even be able to jog in it! I wanna grow up like Tan Chuan Jin!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><div class="fb-like" data-href="http://petunialee.blogspot.sg/2012/07/potato-chinese-from-reciting-to-writing.html" data-send="true" data-width="450" data-show-faces="true"></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8210435929787404330.post-17068577308239798172021-12-09T15:01:00.002+08:002021-12-09T15:01:50.023+08:00Designer & Bespoke Silk Pullover<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg9vcl7IjBjCvgY7Fx1ZP4mjtRiGXvzRGYjwdEhac8MDfQrvbiRUHH7auG4i8-B8jxoZNii80PhX7qRr5Vqht8eIqu_3snjFYZeQM_k1V96DZOEQKlr_Bf-d6jk9OQx-Qsh_w7PKNnh7W_ncmDbMkzDcOWEDaj9Z50tvPEpaOxp6iKAHwNBz4D6sfANdQ=s1280" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="684" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg9vcl7IjBjCvgY7Fx1ZP4mjtRiGXvzRGYjwdEhac8MDfQrvbiRUHH7auG4i8-B8jxoZNii80PhX7qRr5Vqht8eIqu_3snjFYZeQM_k1V96DZOEQKlr_Bf-d6jk9OQx-Qsh_w7PKNnh7W_ncmDbMkzDcOWEDaj9Z50tvPEpaOxp6iKAHwNBz4D6sfANdQ=s320" width="171" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Oh look! A designer pullover! Designed by me! Made by me! One and only. When the yarn arrived, it felt stiff and rough, even though it was 100% silk. Since I had bought it, I went ahead to knit something. I started and re-started about 6 times before I found a design that I thought would work. Surprisingly, this pullover has fabulous drape AND it is warm!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjCzw1SL1rLUe23-aru7uBwiiaqeHEAokVKGlWlCVKon7XAVehKDFOCx5MnBBsepUWj8J2tMBJbw6kf3FRcW5Q_Q0ULr8GlNbI-i9HN4goWyh2PKi3aHH-y5czajSBHT1etzxNIn9H5vj3bh5OyChR_GZ4GFMpLruPH2AlCJ0IDeZV7rz7-wNncuDMhiQ=s1280" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjCzw1SL1rLUe23-aru7uBwiiaqeHEAokVKGlWlCVKon7XAVehKDFOCx5MnBBsepUWj8J2tMBJbw6kf3FRcW5Q_Q0ULr8GlNbI-i9HN4goWyh2PKi3aHH-y5czajSBHT1etzxNIn9H5vj3bh5OyChR_GZ4GFMpLruPH2AlCJ0IDeZV7rz7-wNncuDMhiQ=s320" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">See how stiff the yarn is.</div><br /><p><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><div class="fb-like" data-href="http://petunialee.blogspot.sg/2012/07/potato-chinese-from-reciting-to-writing.html" data-send="true" data-width="450" data-show-faces="true"></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8210435929787404330.post-51011653017081659442021-12-09T14:49:00.001+08:002021-12-09T14:49:28.460+08:00The White Cliffs of Étretat<p>We normally think of The White Cliffs of Dover. This is the French side of the channel that has the white cliffs. On this side of the English Channel (and the French do not call it the English Channel, they call it La Manche). La Manche means "The Sleeve." Why would the French call it the English Channel? The English don't own it.</p><p>These are the White Cliffs of Étretat.</p><p>Étretat has also another claim to fame: Arsène Lupin. Right now, Netflix has a series on the updated Arsène Lupin. Maurice Leblanc, the author of Arsène Lupin, lived here, and is the French equivalent of Arthur Conan Doyle. Arsène Lupin is the French equivalent of Sherlock Holmes. The French must do everything a little differently than the English. For example, instead of the decimal point, the French use the decimal comma. Arsène Lupin is not the detective, like Sherlock Holmes. Arsène Lupin is the Gentleman-Thief: the criminal with a heart.</p><p>People come to Étretat to visit Maurice Leblanc's house, which has plenty of references to elements in Arsène Lupin's stories.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEieQPVeAiZ47NoymalAkvkTzgvt41DGQzXDatFjCUgqkOj7jjS1jd53El4Ogi5LogGFCVy90GMvuy5l2Q_PQhbsmq5RPFR9OgQcdAXLyHACBagfcqNA0lfygAT7XFAT08bgSKeN1k7AuRDbqZkEfLnxS9mF_xSVlopV8HjaPrDGASanJaj9e4SjX3bE1w=s1280" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEieQPVeAiZ47NoymalAkvkTzgvt41DGQzXDatFjCUgqkOj7jjS1jd53El4Ogi5LogGFCVy90GMvuy5l2Q_PQhbsmq5RPFR9OgQcdAXLyHACBagfcqNA0lfygAT7XFAT08bgSKeN1k7AuRDbqZkEfLnxS9mF_xSVlopV8HjaPrDGASanJaj9e4SjX3bE1w=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The White Cliffs of Étretat.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhN-kE0jLNJijvgcW0M8zO9I4xiQjFE3MHDf9_0VZCYcvl2WIJ1ecO4aKuBSQqtmpbHTLxAJgldjISrjSVWyZvYFOh0MWmylAHNE58RgtyFsTMc0KMgv3c80D4rfglmlbl4KU_RaHEe862Q2c2sMB0BBZ0B-76HqcYSwFNUuNttNKvxbzqQh5Mtc5AFsg=s1280" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhN-kE0jLNJijvgcW0M8zO9I4xiQjFE3MHDf9_0VZCYcvl2WIJ1ecO4aKuBSQqtmpbHTLxAJgldjISrjSVWyZvYFOh0MWmylAHNE58RgtyFsTMc0KMgv3c80D4rfglmlbl4KU_RaHEe862Q2c2sMB0BBZ0B-76HqcYSwFNUuNttNKvxbzqQh5Mtc5AFsg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Little boys either trained on boat building or fishing.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh0_KGmwRVmKfzUx5JsGcy9e6bPBhlAN3EGht_QXsmUJfsWR69cqhyNQTFrwiENeeXc2vB2-glAXWACIrI-KN7R6N_Ekbe12tkBprV0H-DEl6-zzt1qkEeYmE34UmZCYjt9sk63fY2_u5GPo2PAfd8gBz1dAN_pbYyM4n9UuCdlZa3k2JJ2WgSutXLjyA=s1280" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh0_KGmwRVmKfzUx5JsGcy9e6bPBhlAN3EGht_QXsmUJfsWR69cqhyNQTFrwiENeeXc2vB2-glAXWACIrI-KN7R6N_Ekbe12tkBprV0H-DEl6-zzt1qkEeYmE34UmZCYjt9sk63fY2_u5GPo2PAfd8gBz1dAN_pbYyM4n9UuCdlZa3k2JJ2WgSutXLjyA=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Boat building.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjQek_5KQlSQ6BP42Hc9hXDwHdh1OpEVweEmPGjdS4OCxapCd_XSeoXTUE7BmA1w1CbDPYneXCwdM7wBHZxW01W2ilJdvte3CrJBNbpjROPBVvFa5axzltPhNoydzBmGuD_eu75F128kIKX7WAjCTGfOB-k04wrWryWLrJtmqtAFFnE2x8eHn7X7uWoyg=s1280" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjQek_5KQlSQ6BP42Hc9hXDwHdh1OpEVweEmPGjdS4OCxapCd_XSeoXTUE7BmA1w1CbDPYneXCwdM7wBHZxW01W2ilJdvte3CrJBNbpjROPBVvFa5axzltPhNoydzBmGuD_eu75F128kIKX7WAjCTGfOB-k04wrWryWLrJtmqtAFFnE2x8eHn7X7uWoyg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Net mending.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj3daVPu0c3NLamsBgUaT27eeS46YViBqDvHBuUuzNXrpkcgBvv799moKU0epeCZu2hqYIAq7Z_-vtZgXC44KjDpXhGH_qQcG9mI1llyJFzGMD6h0DdjZIFvA9CTj1AHQ1ovGouTTi85_ojXoOhm_xIWD2cAX4YvsnmwlK-LYprkEBSw0pIgbH-XoAAxg=s1280" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj3daVPu0c3NLamsBgUaT27eeS46YViBqDvHBuUuzNXrpkcgBvv799moKU0epeCZu2hqYIAq7Z_-vtZgXC44KjDpXhGH_qQcG9mI1llyJFzGMD6h0DdjZIFvA9CTj1AHQ1ovGouTTi85_ojXoOhm_xIWD2cAX4YvsnmwlK-LYprkEBSw0pIgbH-XoAAxg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Small church atop the cliff.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7UkVbN_h1KljKC9YKdfD8E3oKzy1C1I3E-nBgVb0MKehVwOrXZx_HUCeJet3X9dyka6Uzlji7m4hzhDqNDAGb293TCfYFC1p0BN3VhTzbCtbD5_2FUvXdBerNMjXC_XX2vG6WYm6nWtGdMVBJC_UxsMbbBE8qqrMf9nXzc9jUXNGZM5WKdzAgj4NDSw=s1280" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7UkVbN_h1KljKC9YKdfD8E3oKzy1C1I3E-nBgVb0MKehVwOrXZx_HUCeJet3X9dyka6Uzlji7m4hzhDqNDAGb293TCfYFC1p0BN3VhTzbCtbD5_2FUvXdBerNMjXC_XX2vG6WYm6nWtGdMVBJC_UxsMbbBE8qqrMf9nXzc9jUXNGZM5WKdzAgj4NDSw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We climbed up the cliff to the church.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><div class="fb-like" data-href="http://petunialee.blogspot.sg/2012/07/potato-chinese-from-reciting-to-writing.html" data-send="true" data-width="450" data-show-faces="true"></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8210435929787404330.post-12971461308622010122021-12-08T09:11:00.001+08:002021-12-08T09:28:07.919+08:00Desire<p>On the plane ride back to Singapore, I watched <u><b>Shang-Chi And The Legend Of Ten Rings</b></u>. The story is about how one man allowed his desire to see his dead wife again, lead him to do a terrible thing. </p><p>I am not sure if it was done on purpose, but the movie drives home a key Buddhist message. In Buddhism, desire and ignorance lie at the root of suffering. By desire, Buddhists refer to craving pleasure, material goods, and immortality, all of which are wants that can never be satisfied. As a result, desiring them can only bring suffering.</p><p><br /></p><p><u><b>Desire for the Status of a Private Condominium</b></u></p><p>In my early 20s, my father asked me to take a loan on a condominium in my name. He would foot the downpayment on the flat but the loan would be in my name. He would then service the loan through me. The apartment would be in his name, but I would get to stay there. This would make sense only if I very much desired to stay in a private condominium. However, I was quite happy in my HDB flat. Shortly after, housing prices fell sharply. In that situation, since the loan was in my name, I would be liable for a large sum of money if my father's finances could not stomach the loss.</p><p>Thankfully, my lack of desire protected me from suffering.</p><p><br /></p><p><u><b>Desire to Own What Is Not Hers</b></u></p><p>My mother-in-law desires what I have: my children, my garden, my house... possibly even myself. She wants to own me and mine. Her desire was so great that it left me no space to exist. No matter how much I gave in, she wanted more. When I realised that to satisfy her, I needed to completely give up my all to her, I wanted out. If her desires had not threatened my existence, I would still today be making kefir for her, baking bread for her, buying jewels, iPads, appliances, bags for her. I would still be doing the hospital rounds and helping her around the house. She would not need to move out of my home, back to her own HDB flat.</p><p>Her rampant desire lead to suffering: both hers and mine.</p><p><br /></p><p><u><b>Desire For Top Scores</b></u></p><p>In my 40s, when The Son was still in primary school, I gave up on my desire to have a top scorer. My attitude was that The Son needed a good and holistic education. If he did badly academically, he was still my son. My job was not to groom a top scorer. My job was to prepare him for life according to what God wanted. To do that, I had to see The Son's true strengths and weaknesses, and not judge him against the standards of the world (aka, MOE's standards).</p><p>Again and again, I see families suffer because parents desire top scores so very much.</p><p><br /></p><p>In Christianity, we are to yield our lives to God. This means that we give up on what we ourselves desire, and allow God to order our steps. We are to submit to the will of God. I am only recently reading into Buddhism. For most of my life, I tried to subordinate my own desires to God's will. When push came to shove and a decision had to be made, I tried to look past my own desires to see God. That has protected me.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><div class="fb-like" data-href="http://petunialee.blogspot.sg/2012/07/potato-chinese-from-reciting-to-writing.html" data-send="true" data-width="450" data-show-faces="true"></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8210435929787404330.post-79945470849024809082021-12-08T08:34:00.000+08:002021-12-08T08:34:57.928+08:00Testimonial 6<p> Please go <a href="https://www.collab-corner.com/journal/testimonial-6">HERE</a>.</p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><div class="fb-like" data-href="http://petunialee.blogspot.sg/2012/07/potato-chinese-from-reciting-to-writing.html" data-send="true" data-width="450" data-show-faces="true"></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8210435929787404330.post-10933121055982482712021-12-01T18:38:00.001+08:002021-12-01T18:38:14.623+08:00Getting Good Restaurant Service In France<p>I have been thinking about why people always complain that French waiters are rude. I think I have finally figured it out. It has nothing to do with whether you speak French or not. It depends on how you behave.</p><p>To get good service, you need to leave the control with the server. French servers are proud of what they do. They know that their job is to look after you, care for you and worry about whether you enjoy your food. As they go about their work, they have a mental plan in their heads of whom they will approach, when they will clear your table, whom they will smile at. You need to leave the control with them because you are not their only customer. It is not done to hail the server. When you do so, you control them. They hate that. The more you hail them, the slower their service to you.</p><p>You need to sit, eat, chat and then trust that the server cares enough for you to come and make a fuss over you. When they do, you praise the food, ask questions about the food, and smile. Behave like a guest would in a friend's house. Soon, you will find that they will make even more of a fuss over you.</p><p>At Autour du Beurre, without being asked, the server took back the bread basket and offered to toast the bread to a pleasant crispiness. She cleared our plates and worried about whether we liked each course. She explained to us the various antique butter making machines around the restaurant.</p><p>Leave the control with them. They are professionals. They know what to do to take care of you.</p><p>It is no different than what I like to tell my clients. Leave the control with your children. They are good children. They know what to do to please you. The more you boss them around, the less they want to please you.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><div class="fb-like" data-href="http://petunialee.blogspot.sg/2012/07/potato-chinese-from-reciting-to-writing.html" data-send="true" data-width="450" data-show-faces="true"></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8210435929787404330.post-26192986909724910522021-12-01T04:18:00.002+08:002021-12-01T04:27:02.663+08:00Saint Malo: Pirate Town<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4U8-DgR8I8s7Bs0lgvQpBBGi_zwrymzyES1VtNzTV0EgzlyxKaDby2ipp61FS6DamV5arEKXycTqZCHAXoxotN33Iqu7JprUVh1DOX1Wi8lLSzRzYiY2DZN5D3YZnKnWc46nbsdby9sSL/s1280/photo_2021-11-30+20.48.39.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4U8-DgR8I8s7Bs0lgvQpBBGi_zwrymzyES1VtNzTV0EgzlyxKaDby2ipp61FS6DamV5arEKXycTqZCHAXoxotN33Iqu7JprUVh1DOX1Wi8lLSzRzYiY2DZN5D3YZnKnWc46nbsdby9sSL/s320/photo_2021-11-30+20.48.39.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Saint Malo was a pirate town in the past. Pirates, called "corsaires" used this as a base to attack English ships and deprive them of their goods. Pirates did so well for themselves that they built luxury mansions outside of Saint Malo town.</p><p>Necessarily, the English and the Dutch were not happy about getting regularly robbed. Again and again, they tried to sack Saint Malo. Nothing doing! The city is surrounded by shoals and rocks that only appear at low tide. There are little islets surrounding the town, in the sea. Each islet has a fort. Whomever ventured near Saint Malo found themselves facing cannon power from every angle from these islets dotted here and there around Saint Malo. On top of that, with the shoals surrounding the town, any ship would simply run aground and get stuck. Once that happened, if you don't crash and burn, the people from Saint Malo would be able to come and massacre you at their leisure.</p><p>The photo above does not do the town justice. Looking at Saint Malo in real life, you get a real sense of it being a bad ass town. It sits there like a challenge the world: come and attack me, I will make sure you regret it. It isn't even a big town. It takes 10 mins to walk from one end of it to the other.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgS3wlpijVQSjptpkngkv1zhvhl_YWieZA91MLrBEeBxkW7s2r7zrK25TvuJB2dIgGrdWktla2lEH-kJKPClNxtMK5_JOJfa4nF7svsRtblLlMK9EsVKmHGFwHkAT6CWI5mP1YG6_e6To9/s1280/photo_2021-11-30+20.55.01.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgS3wlpijVQSjptpkngkv1zhvhl_YWieZA91MLrBEeBxkW7s2r7zrK25TvuJB2dIgGrdWktla2lEH-kJKPClNxtMK5_JOJfa4nF7svsRtblLlMK9EsVKmHGFwHkAT6CWI5mP1YG6_e6To9/s320/photo_2021-11-30+20.55.01.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The whole town is surrounded by thick walls, still in existence, and still strong. After dark, the walls were patrolled by a special breed of attack dogs called "Les Chiens de Saint Malo." They hunt in packs and will eat you alive. The murderous dogs of Saint Malo are the stuff of legend. You read of them with terrified awe in storybooks.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Everywhere in Saint Malo old town, you see signs commemorating this man or the other who went out to see and never came back. There was even a sign commemorating all the sons of Saint Malo who died or disappeared out at sea. The sea gave them life. The sea was also a demanding mistress. It took their men and boys as and when it felt like it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Saint Malo was bad ass, man!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The people of Saint Malo are called Malouins. Women are Malouines. These folks have the wanderlust. They think nothing of packing up and leaving to see the world. One couple from Saint Malo set up a crêperie in Singapore right next to the Raffles Hotel, selling "Les galettes Bretonnes", a sort of savoury crêpe made with buckwheat flour. Another Malouin discovered Canada: Jacques Cartier. Tiong Bahru Bakery sells the kouign amman, a traditional pastry from Saint Malo, Brittany. I betcha that Chef Paul Albert, helming TBB, is from Saint Malo too!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">These Malouins travel to the furthest corners of the earth.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you ever come to Saint Malo, you must check the tide timings <a href="http://maree.info/52">HERE</a>. Four times a year, you will see <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ssMsqVlgGc">THIS</a>. The tides come and go with the full moon. 4 times a year, the moon's gravity is so strong that it splashes right into Saint Malo town. This is really one badass town. Its people die at sea and they never stop going out to sea. Its homes are battered 4 times a year by waves 3 storeys high, and they think it is normal.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><div class="fb-like" data-href="http://petunialee.blogspot.sg/2012/07/potato-chinese-from-reciting-to-writing.html" data-send="true" data-width="450" data-show-faces="true"></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8210435929787404330.post-32685112086605473212021-12-01T03:41:00.001+08:002021-12-01T03:41:10.517+08:003 Different Michelin Starred Restaurants<p>I don't know why I find it daunting to eat in a Michelin starred restaurant in Singapore. In France, it seems less of a big deal. The restaurants maintain high standards and are very innovative with food. However, they are down to earth and very hospitable. In Singapore, there is a lot of snobbishness associated with eating in a Michelin starred restaurant. For me, it can be a turn off.</p><p>In France, some Michelin starred places are found in small towns and villages. If they relied on snob appeal, they would not survive. No one would eat there. These restaurants get their star because they make good food and push the boundaries of cuisine.</p><p>We tried 3 Michelin starred restaurants:</p><p>- Gill, in Rouen</p><p>- Le Donjon, in Étretat</p><p>- Autour du Beurre, in Saint Malo</p><p>Of the 3, I would recommend, Le Donjon and Autour du Beurre. Gill, in Rouen, served good food but the entire experience could not compare with Le Donjon and Autour du Beurre.</p><p><br /></p><p><u><b>Le Donjon, Étretat</b></u></p><p>We were ushered into a glass covered conservatory with large leather armchairs. I sank into one and smiled at the waiter. He introduced us to 2 non-alcoholic Martini cocktails. These exist now, you know. It gives women a chance to drink a Martini before dinner without getting drunk. Then, came the amuse-bouches served on a bed of kelp: oysters and whelks. They twinkled on on my tongue and smelled of sea spray.</p><p>It was only after the apéritifs were over that we were shown our table with a view of the sea.</p><p>Then came an array of dishes each better than the last, served with einkorn bread. I did not know that the bread was made of einkorn flour. I had asked for gluten free bread and the chef assured me it was gluten free. When I found out after the meal that I had had einkorn bread, I panicked. Einkorn is ancient wheat. It has gluten. I braced myself for my hypothyroid state, and start the runs to the toilet. The Husband braced himself for 1 week of bloatedness.</p><p>Nothing happened to us. We were fine. </p><p>So, I went and bought 5 kgs of einkorn flour to make bread at home. Wow! We can eat bread made with ancient wheat. It is high in protein, low in carbs and full of minerals. zinc, iron, potassium, riboflavin, and vitamins B6 and A. Bread made with einkorn flour is also high in carotenoids and lutein. Wow! What is not to like?</p><p>The kitchen is helmed by Gabin Bouguet.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrZOpfrnJtp1Mt_Wnp2YxTaUlqwZdAv9xFY05W2Mty_AZot9RBEKAhG6aitmgcSO0bl9mBVwO-Atwy3IriZHLbMwulsFqm9pMguGgahxavIS5ri7mkmbCwaM6LZF4R7eURWndzXShkAQO4/s1280/photo_2021-11-30+20.20.07.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrZOpfrnJtp1Mt_Wnp2YxTaUlqwZdAv9xFY05W2Mty_AZot9RBEKAhG6aitmgcSO0bl9mBVwO-Atwy3IriZHLbMwulsFqm9pMguGgahxavIS5ri7mkmbCwaM6LZF4R7eURWndzXShkAQO4/s320/photo_2021-11-30+20.20.07.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Amuse-bouches: oysters and whelks.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9oh5buy1mDmhRTuqgt-5uX49e5AcY5SqdjGFfvxzsBIOY6qRZFinR-W02rmGXin1mU4tJhthEnJgDYbhd6SODHnATHFcCKq7f3590HGn0TPjRwyfilokkwIlLfArW4WE5wHwVHBJr-JnW/s1280/photo_2021-11-30+20.20.09.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9oh5buy1mDmhRTuqgt-5uX49e5AcY5SqdjGFfvxzsBIOY6qRZFinR-W02rmGXin1mU4tJhthEnJgDYbhd6SODHnATHFcCKq7f3590HGn0TPjRwyfilokkwIlLfArW4WE5wHwVHBJr-JnW/s320/photo_2021-11-30+20.20.09.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Einkorn bread.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8KdjpWJNqgqJvAbFfAmeO2QM2bmFzDHFw6Zr-Qj7njc_uf5uh_4FEdEjXchyphenhyphenShyRagnnpNvgmKaob1NkARwXPDFBtHZQowiov82GgnjVWOKmbN6LIPPMIunx92K5Oa-Ubs0GUOky1AvTg/s1280/photo_2021-11-30+20.20.11.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8KdjpWJNqgqJvAbFfAmeO2QM2bmFzDHFw6Zr-Qj7njc_uf5uh_4FEdEjXchyphenhyphenShyRagnnpNvgmKaob1NkARwXPDFBtHZQowiov82GgnjVWOKmbN6LIPPMIunx92K5Oa-Ubs0GUOky1AvTg/s320/photo_2021-11-30+20.20.11.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Scallops.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><u><b>Autour du Beurre, Saint Malo</b></u><div><br /></div><div>For those who know Bordier Butter, Autour du Beurre (translated as All About Butter) is the restaurant that is owned and run by Jean-Yves Bordier, even though the kitchen is helmed by Steve Delamaire. The respect for craftsmanship that goes into Bordier butter is also present in the dishes here. This was the best experience so far.</div><div><br /></div><div>The service was kind, hospitable and friendly. It was a very down to earth restaurant with very very good food.<br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuX10dMYTsr-XtTPlKB5r6YmaN4VAcvWeucOEWv9dpZMN5rN0iK9M1gZIT45BITYP8zf6t_BB2CZcENgbjWQoI1viOw7MfSXdt19YEFgQRcaiFFa2gktzb0BAHXYVTJjXB1X8mk2DbDwsD/s1280/photo_2021-11-30+20.26.43.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuX10dMYTsr-XtTPlKB5r6YmaN4VAcvWeucOEWv9dpZMN5rN0iK9M1gZIT45BITYP8zf6t_BB2CZcENgbjWQoI1viOw7MfSXdt19YEFgQRcaiFFa2gktzb0BAHXYVTJjXB1X8mk2DbDwsD/s320/photo_2021-11-30+20.26.43.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Traditional butter churner repurposed into a dining table.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQxla0I5SfC-IMJmgpzlCmhxMH-Q3p3RRRtnxPavfsw4ZVk_TPC8Ho8BuuJ3EbPtmZnPZhtUQ6wBpp2e2tOwNVj52qMB7NcAC33fpPxDO94JRorF8FsAfQc2EldzAcjgO1ljBHLDfaqaIK/s1280/photo_2021-11-30+20.26.45.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQxla0I5SfC-IMJmgpzlCmhxMH-Q3p3RRRtnxPavfsw4ZVk_TPC8Ho8BuuJ3EbPtmZnPZhtUQ6wBpp2e2tOwNVj52qMB7NcAC33fpPxDO94JRorF8FsAfQc2EldzAcjgO1ljBHLDfaqaIK/s320/photo_2021-11-30+20.26.45.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Thingy for cutting cheese with wire.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKnnh5OBBVIhrZDl-iM7pb-QzBsnJ0BkXP4JbbDGHaCGen9yS8l_3X9GRMFdCvE0YVF3sveZAsdwEELwguL1-pCKf0N6rohZvsUOZrGs8Cn0t90rm4jpTbYMmmuq7xlTpRYKQrztZJfrSL/s1280/photo_2021-11-30+20.26.47.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKnnh5OBBVIhrZDl-iM7pb-QzBsnJ0BkXP4JbbDGHaCGen9yS8l_3X9GRMFdCvE0YVF3sveZAsdwEELwguL1-pCKf0N6rohZvsUOZrGs8Cn0t90rm4jpTbYMmmuq7xlTpRYKQrztZJfrSL/s320/photo_2021-11-30+20.26.47.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The restaurant.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_POv4CAZYTlzVtJRK3eKpHTiezVCcHDRc40Lp4SjpRDndRaqR_azPM9yoJcYeTcKmivEtw_YuAj4zwTV4Mr3OQDGneUpiWAV7dPDUaUwodQ8bGT5J8eJjc34Mwt_X6g01YS1iD-fZgx8A/s1280/photo_2021-11-30+20.26.49.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_POv4CAZYTlzVtJRK3eKpHTiezVCcHDRc40Lp4SjpRDndRaqR_azPM9yoJcYeTcKmivEtw_YuAj4zwTV4Mr3OQDGneUpiWAV7dPDUaUwodQ8bGT5J8eJjc34Mwt_X6g01YS1iD-fZgx8A/s320/photo_2021-11-30+20.26.49.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Bordier butter in every flavour: buckwheat, Demi-sel, seaweed, chilli, lemon olive oil, smoked salt, fresh herbs, onions. We ate up every bit of butter.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAX5MrqcLoFZSU_FX1Ff9jnCijDig0cd6hL_DWFacSbiIXb_j2unVKcCTZPlADpR3jbYeFXEoP_3dOF4aEvu82pDeP0HF-G7wpn1-8XtQUU7J3qaNHs1iNkPynnXjpezjLMznufMrspVnB/s1280/photo_2021-11-30+20.26.52.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAX5MrqcLoFZSU_FX1Ff9jnCijDig0cd6hL_DWFacSbiIXb_j2unVKcCTZPlADpR3jbYeFXEoP_3dOF4aEvu82pDeP0HF-G7wpn1-8XtQUU7J3qaNHs1iNkPynnXjpezjLMznufMrspVnB/s320/photo_2021-11-30+20.26.52.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Scallops.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjekGtnXRgVaFa5H1c1sCpHvNapuJ68RGQAv11X8W14aC8Fn7ifk1rbvD7gD_vf_n-IVfEwj_jIfTPYrUVwVq0eOXBk4p7Zg7X39Pt9HH-Fx50H8Pzvnc3WJNW88TsFUsjwkFRbzz9TgHxG/s1280/photo_2021-11-30+20.26.54.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjekGtnXRgVaFa5H1c1sCpHvNapuJ68RGQAv11X8W14aC8Fn7ifk1rbvD7gD_vf_n-IVfEwj_jIfTPYrUVwVq0eOXBk4p7Zg7X39Pt9HH-Fx50H8Pzvnc3WJNW88TsFUsjwkFRbzz9TgHxG/s320/photo_2021-11-30+20.26.54.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Sea urchin.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFmrc3nE_FibGZVtjhzOIt-XqOONtX_HqRJm-kJwvN5Y87xWLdvaFKC3iCs8G076TuLTEeYzhw50VE2RDQNC_qJFpC_H-faOdPCWTYaeIiDGVdMQ7oYd7d8jHZSdV9seuKql5GmT-EmOdm/s1280/photo_2021-11-30+20.26.57.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFmrc3nE_FibGZVtjhzOIt-XqOONtX_HqRJm-kJwvN5Y87xWLdvaFKC3iCs8G076TuLTEeYzhw50VE2RDQNC_qJFpC_H-faOdPCWTYaeIiDGVdMQ7oYd7d8jHZSdV9seuKql5GmT-EmOdm/s320/photo_2021-11-30+20.26.57.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Scallops again.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJdow5AYD35eBeqko1zoIoUEqfR2XXHp0d9qo841S8P-lbp12aN6uzR8cyjGJn9vbFh9JmEjND8A0H3jXilxi1zUKMKQ6W1RzAXkqe_vN9Bcqusr1Qzm_6LEBM7s5PuiNsqvwKleHQ-k5_/s1280/photo_2021-11-30+20.27.00.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJdow5AYD35eBeqko1zoIoUEqfR2XXHp0d9qo841S8P-lbp12aN6uzR8cyjGJn9vbFh9JmEjND8A0H3jXilxi1zUKMKQ6W1RzAXkqe_vN9Bcqusr1Qzm_6LEBM7s5PuiNsqvwKleHQ-k5_/s320/photo_2021-11-30+20.27.00.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">More scallops. I ordered a whole menu focused on scallop. Scallops here are nothing like those back home. They are not soaked in chemical solution and thus have no chemical aftertaste. I bought scallops at the Sunday market and cooked a dish that left The Husband craving more. Normally, at home, we stay away from scallops because they taste vile.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix3MgFlpTXCTdPaMmD3ErbOh_cuHtPaOaw-QbENpD9sltofDmBaoVkwo4kyyZNCkEOZvSH3P6g4D1LQZELnRYpTQI6urIBm-ku3wwcD6DVQz1Tai4p723yPyjqaP-V_LkXsPwTxDpjwmvf/s1280/photo_2021-11-30+20.27.03.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix3MgFlpTXCTdPaMmD3ErbOh_cuHtPaOaw-QbENpD9sltofDmBaoVkwo4kyyZNCkEOZvSH3P6g4D1LQZELnRYpTQI6urIBm-ku3wwcD6DVQz1Tai4p723yPyjqaP-V_LkXsPwTxDpjwmvf/s320/photo_2021-11-30+20.27.03.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Codfish.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCjpMXC2B7zVahrTOFmPIHDhy3J_1ymkyYMwK-6FXe02r3QidGJrjyKmYY3Qw8Isf36MsOJA-yIaRp7gElF-8e4EM2zDhgA1ex0Yuh7MPJ3jSMk9nNxnpRbBBmAnQvHg9mCSUu9fbE9zqH/s1280/photo_2021-11-30+20.27.06.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCjpMXC2B7zVahrTOFmPIHDhy3J_1ymkyYMwK-6FXe02r3QidGJrjyKmYY3Qw8Isf36MsOJA-yIaRp7gElF-8e4EM2zDhgA1ex0Yuh7MPJ3jSMk9nNxnpRbBBmAnQvHg9mCSUu9fbE9zqH/s320/photo_2021-11-30+20.27.06.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">More scallops!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCqeok6w6-OjRa2XAVW037F07KWxQLR_5JKUjAke-ULTfslRdUaVbmlc7sKW7GyPrbMmkhtJiuEcDFJrHeOO5OXBUFvn13EToo64vyl1zawcpBSQbvt2BwGsKlE94CHPLktycyZYrOjs-s/s1280/photo_2021-11-30+20.27.08.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCqeok6w6-OjRa2XAVW037F07KWxQLR_5JKUjAke-ULTfslRdUaVbmlc7sKW7GyPrbMmkhtJiuEcDFJrHeOO5OXBUFvn13EToo64vyl1zawcpBSQbvt2BwGsKlE94CHPLktycyZYrOjs-s/s320/photo_2021-11-30+20.27.08.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Coffee with a funny spoon.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Ysgh2jJM-kXSM_SIp2vGzADQYshaVfOqjKJAfW-KNhUDSe7G1hHj7fGEBN03GZsbU7DehMyYuGHnHw0nwTl9dy11dk3fRUElWk8IAWriAUSemkbndaPuOHPMqW9OeX66jf63hDBrMBFp/s1280/photo_2021-11-30+20.32.40.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Ysgh2jJM-kXSM_SIp2vGzADQYshaVfOqjKJAfW-KNhUDSe7G1hHj7fGEBN03GZsbU7DehMyYuGHnHw0nwTl9dy11dk3fRUElWk8IAWriAUSemkbndaPuOHPMqW9OeX66jf63hDBrMBFp/s320/photo_2021-11-30+20.32.40.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The à la carte menu.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo1pxf65yNeIMoa9ZedFiHvAyWiGzuE3z1LJfcLh0pFTLHs8UC-8rO2b-Qdn24TZ75v7YqVIXAtvnn8cprINF0QLt81a1tKomLwXQmx3UhEsXmyXUzrneLiiG5ORwpEOnYxn9BDyh32Psf/s1280/photo_2021-11-30+20.32.41.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo1pxf65yNeIMoa9ZedFiHvAyWiGzuE3z1LJfcLh0pFTLHs8UC-8rO2b-Qdn24TZ75v7YqVIXAtvnn8cprINF0QLt81a1tKomLwXQmx3UhEsXmyXUzrneLiiG5ORwpEOnYxn9BDyh32Psf/s320/photo_2021-11-30+20.32.41.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The scallop set lunch.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Tip for Eating Michelin Starred: Do NOT do it in Paris nor Singapore. Go to the small villages outside of Paris. The best food is there, and the most authentic and down to earth experience is also there.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><div class="fb-like" data-href="http://petunialee.blogspot.sg/2012/07/potato-chinese-from-reciting-to-writing.html" data-send="true" data-width="450" data-show-faces="true"></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8210435929787404330.post-63791936898851728592021-12-01T02:06:00.003+08:002021-12-01T02:17:52.906+08:00Buying Winter Wear<p>It is hard to find high quality cold weather wear in Singapore. Even if you do find them, they are horrendously overpriced. I bought a $35 wool mix coat off Shein. The first blast of cold wind in Berlin went right into my bones. Shivering, I had to hurry into a mall to find a better coat. Everywhere in the mall, stylish coats abounded. I was more about warm-ish than stylish. It took a fair bit of searching to find a good woollen coat of 70% wool, 10% cashmere, and 20% synthetic. </p><p>It was on sale too.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoLpj70CDNQxEkyQdyGxiLKSztlk33rEKD5BrETzr3gdCWnCzsRjm7Qpgwr2vDsi7QBa77KMrEe2vTuHuvGCR1OdGlXyTLEq4OlqRT3JRGfTOqJmrvKronvVVfrsO8WWRjptjIM2Zc_Iss/s1280/photo_2021-11-30+18.28.58.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoLpj70CDNQxEkyQdyGxiLKSztlk33rEKD5BrETzr3gdCWnCzsRjm7Qpgwr2vDsi7QBa77KMrEe2vTuHuvGCR1OdGlXyTLEq4OlqRT3JRGfTOqJmrvKronvVVfrsO8WWRjptjIM2Zc_Iss/s320/photo_2021-11-30+18.28.58.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">240 euros</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Then, I noticed that people in France were no longer wearing woolen long coats, they were wearing "doudounes" which is the French word for goose down coats. Fill power is a number that measures the fluffiness and quality of a down filled product. Fill power measures the amount of space one ounce of down will occupy in cubic inches. Higher fill power means the down will have better quality, higher loft, and will retain its firmness longer. This is because higher fill power means the down can trap more air which allows for greater insulation. Common fill power measurements include 650, 750, 800 & 850. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Husband no longer can tolerate the cold like he used to. He decided to get himself a doudoune. It made a huge difference. He was finally warm.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq8uoztkRr5-MgAgYHh0EoT8raQOu3r9u56rsBB6xvv0zADBhr2yH1sskc3oFEPQtZ03RQp9tvpg0i1PaCC9HP5bZ_Aff_ByJq8tjfeRMewgRCFH-KgGYCFYBkBN8tuMeU8n-0pfUlxvaI/s1280/photo_2021-11-30+18.44.29.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq8uoztkRr5-MgAgYHh0EoT8raQOu3r9u56rsBB6xvv0zADBhr2yH1sskc3oFEPQtZ03RQp9tvpg0i1PaCC9HP5bZ_Aff_ByJq8tjfeRMewgRCFH-KgGYCFYBkBN8tuMeU8n-0pfUlxvaI/s320/photo_2021-11-30+18.44.29.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">290 euros</div><br /><p>My wool coat did keep me warm, but I felt the biting wind when we walked along the fortified walls of Saint Malo. I needed to tuck my wool scarf tightly about my chest and neck to keep out the cold. I decided to buy a sleeveless doudoune to wear under my zipped up cardigan (and over my t-shirt).</p><p>It made a huge difference. I could go without my scarf entirely with this doudoune under my zipped up cardigan. Once I got indoors, I could unzip both the cardigan and the doudoune.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXGmT-OiHRMjglV9N67NInvxoYuYHPnhurLNNZc_HOyBXNzg-CoeJ1iIryLtTN7erD38_peQKrbt7qVDFCnIywgtd2r1SVzyJR5cvR1rc5Aw3H4LjGcCUyOobNhAle2Mnspe23M1RmyYe1/s1280/photo_2021-11-30+18.29.05.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXGmT-OiHRMjglV9N67NInvxoYuYHPnhurLNNZc_HOyBXNzg-CoeJ1iIryLtTN7erD38_peQKrbt7qVDFCnIywgtd2r1SVzyJR5cvR1rc5Aw3H4LjGcCUyOobNhAle2Mnspe23M1RmyYe1/s320/photo_2021-11-30+18.29.05.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">125 euros</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzeQOfuxO9XcwLnfNyvz_uG-fAcswj-PcP7kqZMdJegPsXGxhBkTTp7ILDe8fIJR7n9Ih1tQmeYBWrgg7YTw1aL-PnYJe9emogkCC4R0AZgP6XWzjUsmccDbm1ogexa2L3jluEniJukqau/s1280/photo_2021-11-30+18.29.00.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzeQOfuxO9XcwLnfNyvz_uG-fAcswj-PcP7kqZMdJegPsXGxhBkTTp7ILDe8fIJR7n9Ih1tQmeYBWrgg7YTw1aL-PnYJe9emogkCC4R0AZgP6XWzjUsmccDbm1ogexa2L3jluEniJukqau/s320/photo_2021-11-30+18.29.00.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The doudoune rolls up compactly into the size of a kids' pencil box.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Then, we came to a shop selling Irish cabled pullovers for between 70 to 99 euros. These were 100% merino wool. These pullovers normally retail for about 150 euros. I grabbed 4 pieces. When buying winter wear, it is very important to check the material used. Cheap acrylic stuff will not keep you warm.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu_aojQlEAmHcxT4OySqPbq7NnkJZJKYCWLEorkkzz5n5fu_tkdkZfucmQNRzrkYlSvwxx4DSMp9X5_q3yfhtO_uaA6yoRJ6PC880-J1vOwjp7_lZpcgaYWOzLyevNC5VZXq0hPmdtaxdX/s1280/photo_2021-11-30+18.29.21.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu_aojQlEAmHcxT4OySqPbq7NnkJZJKYCWLEorkkzz5n5fu_tkdkZfucmQNRzrkYlSvwxx4DSMp9X5_q3yfhtO_uaA6yoRJ6PC880-J1vOwjp7_lZpcgaYWOzLyevNC5VZXq0hPmdtaxdX/s320/photo_2021-11-30+18.29.21.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFn0lzBR4aZbfzVxzIJBDtZPf9JMYU3mQh9K6zFUtFXJ_QkdYUsChF2quuzNCbuEhlApPCM2NgOJsHThJFTcT8PBCLJGnFlZxnjDfZB4SVIS3c9u4oorGmj1u_qyNn6DXuR847EDZ6sxy9/s1280/photo_2021-11-30+18.29.24.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFn0lzBR4aZbfzVxzIJBDtZPf9JMYU3mQh9K6zFUtFXJ_QkdYUsChF2quuzNCbuEhlApPCM2NgOJsHThJFTcT8PBCLJGnFlZxnjDfZB4SVIS3c9u4oorGmj1u_qyNn6DXuR847EDZ6sxy9/s320/photo_2021-11-30+18.29.24.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnnisEJ03ubkPS3KdSF3qR5OAjY8A7LFBdX4ACTeIRNxJx1yX6nqFKN5LtBxtAvZ3wMy-nZcKH504GG77UdiiIjiSV_IkvoV93JKGf4xBoG7v4hVjLaL1NAWm-VfJ8nizLwat1iIcd2vTy/s1280/photo_2021-11-30+18.29.12.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnnisEJ03ubkPS3KdSF3qR5OAjY8A7LFBdX4ACTeIRNxJx1yX6nqFKN5LtBxtAvZ3wMy-nZcKH504GG77UdiiIjiSV_IkvoV93JKGf4xBoG7v4hVjLaL1NAWm-VfJ8nizLwat1iIcd2vTy/s320/photo_2021-11-30+18.29.12.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">70 euros</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUWFzFAaKXJu5sDK0OCkIf9kiHfwWIMKchc3ceRoS-QA0zTdYGVPGzMTKbARm41Iru3N1MvjCFx9Pf2GUf4Di6WcukTbhOzvut4R5K0oKQ060t3q_vzIb0G1fZFbhORFW6ggBR9kVrm8Ve/s1280/photo_2021-11-30+18.29.18.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUWFzFAaKXJu5sDK0OCkIf9kiHfwWIMKchc3ceRoS-QA0zTdYGVPGzMTKbARm41Iru3N1MvjCFx9Pf2GUf4Di6WcukTbhOzvut4R5K0oKQ060t3q_vzIb0G1fZFbhORFW6ggBR9kVrm8Ve/s320/photo_2021-11-30+18.29.18.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">99 euros</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYWchflML5aTXtDZb3SwqsePiUsnEHRuzAItj0EZapsM1NtEL6btIF_HvBQoDPAqhyphenhyphenotFVokCqWL4eusPs2OrSlOQpNouweigpaMtvIyQZ2SDVE024y3uLft8hhcCzAtQSINbHBNFPqHlF/s1280/photo_2021-11-30+18.55.07.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYWchflML5aTXtDZb3SwqsePiUsnEHRuzAItj0EZapsM1NtEL6btIF_HvBQoDPAqhyphenhyphenotFVokCqWL4eusPs2OrSlOQpNouweigpaMtvIyQZ2SDVE024y3uLft8hhcCzAtQSINbHBNFPqHlF/s320/photo_2021-11-30+18.55.07.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">70 euros</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>In Paris, I saw a pair of very warm gloves made with lamb skin. It was 180 euros. I walked away. I saw another pair of lamb skin gloves for 90 euros. Whilst The Husband gasped in shock, I pounced. Everything is relative. I really wanted a pair of very warm gloves, and this pair was 50% the price of those I saw in Paris. They are not synthetic. The lambskin really keeps my hands from feeling the biting cold. The problem is in how to care for them. I will need to preserve them carefully.<div><br /></div><div>I've always been reluctant to buy high quality winter wear. The last time I looked, a cashmere sweater was 1000 euros in Bologna. That was when I decided to learn how to knit. I figured that by knitting a cashmere sweater for The Son and The Husband, I saved 1800 euros. The Daughter does not trust my taste. She refused to let me knit her one.</div><div><br /></div><div>I am thrilled to find such beautiful cabled sweaters for 70 euros in a little nondescript shop inside Saint Malo old town. The Husband will also need to travel more for work to Northern Europe. So, all this will ensure he stays warm and does not look too much like a wino.<br /><div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5DeSSZSzdQG6AiQx7ev1aoba_6Pv2SbmbUNKoYaf-bSQiyH1PLyEi7gPkB051aSa7yErZNbbxS29gagH3GItb0OMQ3rQzUpeTJ2lmQvDAwq_7YLS-HkmsGmvo16u4AqR84rnXhr0gWgkY/s1280/photo_2021-11-30+18.29.09.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5DeSSZSzdQG6AiQx7ev1aoba_6Pv2SbmbUNKoYaf-bSQiyH1PLyEi7gPkB051aSa7yErZNbbxS29gagH3GItb0OMQ3rQzUpeTJ2lmQvDAwq_7YLS-HkmsGmvo16u4AqR84rnXhr0gWgkY/s320/photo_2021-11-30+18.29.09.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">90 euros</div><br /><div>If readers are interested in good quality winter wear at reasonable prices, do check out the contact below. The shop has an online presence too. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5oT55xaOPkjA3lHuUF5Z-wWnr4qPar0noOE7Kn3BX-n4EGeXZ90cRXY7n-tp6g0s8U_Z6uK-ZE_WIgAUOvZMIt9FbsdaZ6C1i2oeplKRhj58zDdS3iGdiL-l0VLKYj3IiIa-BUF1NTU96/s1280/photo_2021-11-30+19.02.59.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5oT55xaOPkjA3lHuUF5Z-wWnr4qPar0noOE7Kn3BX-n4EGeXZ90cRXY7n-tp6g0s8U_Z6uK-ZE_WIgAUOvZMIt9FbsdaZ6C1i2oeplKRhj58zDdS3iGdiL-l0VLKYj3IiIa-BUF1NTU96/s320/photo_2021-11-30+19.02.59.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0-Iv1kMYo9PiYCf5vhfSMfddR1C30UwgdT7iDz804zDoRsNDtkmgS6x3uTqUZjfDKYagF3BxtjYpj59jX-QfZRVYyNHFzoFxgnemmu0RhYTO0IN8FnwWjv-qK8WpUH4XCr7FruX_HscKp/s1280/photo_2021-11-30+19.03.02.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0-Iv1kMYo9PiYCf5vhfSMfddR1C30UwgdT7iDz804zDoRsNDtkmgS6x3uTqUZjfDKYagF3BxtjYpj59jX-QfZRVYyNHFzoFxgnemmu0RhYTO0IN8FnwWjv-qK8WpUH4XCr7FruX_HscKp/s320/photo_2021-11-30+19.03.02.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p></div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><div class="fb-like" data-href="http://petunialee.blogspot.sg/2012/07/potato-chinese-from-reciting-to-writing.html" data-send="true" data-width="450" data-show-faces="true"></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8210435929787404330.post-30466565357144856562021-11-24T21:55:00.002+08:002021-11-24T21:55:14.503+08:00Étretat AirBnB: A Servant's Attic<p>I think we scored another win with the Étretat AirBnB. The good thing about travelling in the period of Covid19 is that it is really easy to book good AirBnB lodgings. This building used to belong to a single family. It is now divided into tiny apartments. The landlord refurbished the servants' quarters at the very top of the building into his own small and cosy Just Married flat. There is a clawfoot bathtub, an antique mirror, very good heating, a well-equipped kitchen and even a roof terrace.</p><p>This apartment is situated just under the roof, where Cinderella normally stays. It has all the creature comforts and small homely touches e.g., the roof terrace and a hammock.</p><p>Love it!</p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaZBFR_dGo6gWL05aEzR7qIFzyLwJ1mUMAZV-Vw1bxkAAFF5z6rBiROCU0oyr1cjnFLoI3esvC4OWOi32t1WIkCk1xw-SA1EOEGLZvIZc06yxrzKIAWi1wsmNFLKff14sxf6wMij4pu8vc/s1280/photo_2021-11-24+14.47.11.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaZBFR_dGo6gWL05aEzR7qIFzyLwJ1mUMAZV-Vw1bxkAAFF5z6rBiROCU0oyr1cjnFLoI3esvC4OWOi32t1WIkCk1xw-SA1EOEGLZvIZc06yxrzKIAWi1wsmNFLKff14sxf6wMij4pu8vc/s320/photo_2021-11-24+14.47.11.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0TzakUJ56sZTA-_fIr4U6R14PaWNyjLC204bX_o6WKL88kudVcBC-5W0pNchnXgQhUB6fLDgJ6LRMyGKVu1aLh-NuyooQlhFUF74TxrR2Eh8n1W5MVgKrKQJlvuXrk3ngw0JHhYtdrIul/s1280/photo_2021-11-24+14.47.09.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0TzakUJ56sZTA-_fIr4U6R14PaWNyjLC204bX_o6WKL88kudVcBC-5W0pNchnXgQhUB6fLDgJ6LRMyGKVu1aLh-NuyooQlhFUF74TxrR2Eh8n1W5MVgKrKQJlvuXrk3ngw0JHhYtdrIul/s320/photo_2021-11-24+14.47.09.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVU6l-vxqayZmm3BU3iZbZlflh9hp2mrAW9_92GqVQwF6GbauK5zcDCgteiP1bx4n-I_tC0s_4-q4fUCHfx6TabCrBWe6jYbgAgPfEvbr3LRuUg29UPZumFm17h-ekKx5UpVcIlFFz9rx2/s1280/photo_2021-11-24+14.45.53.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVU6l-vxqayZmm3BU3iZbZlflh9hp2mrAW9_92GqVQwF6GbauK5zcDCgteiP1bx4n-I_tC0s_4-q4fUCHfx6TabCrBWe6jYbgAgPfEvbr3LRuUg29UPZumFm17h-ekKx5UpVcIlFFz9rx2/s320/photo_2021-11-24+14.45.53.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhCSxr0FZmUlbGRZmwcQqmoEftWeR2yZZW2t85JLAl3aGkdiJjCs2B3Mmto6Q3dQDwafGA8Pvwj36XvBeqD5r__MHVqCQR4dX002zkpLIhjFifE19N5GL7Yz4DtrQEACMXtqvZdXO3d7z6/s1280/photo_2021-11-24+14.45.50.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhCSxr0FZmUlbGRZmwcQqmoEftWeR2yZZW2t85JLAl3aGkdiJjCs2B3Mmto6Q3dQDwafGA8Pvwj36XvBeqD5r__MHVqCQR4dX002zkpLIhjFifE19N5GL7Yz4DtrQEACMXtqvZdXO3d7z6/s320/photo_2021-11-24+14.45.50.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTaabPoMK3mjr_jY0V6rj5INB6Zq92fBv91mG9mV8t_jODTHxGZJFLil_8rcGkAW6yEenAkOH8i97Vd4_glqecxugd1ABuMoEUKG6tOugWIJqpcBq1YYtodwheRE5hi853h25_OmiRLfY4/s1280/photo_2021-11-24+14.45.46.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTaabPoMK3mjr_jY0V6rj5INB6Zq92fBv91mG9mV8t_jODTHxGZJFLil_8rcGkAW6yEenAkOH8i97Vd4_glqecxugd1ABuMoEUKG6tOugWIJqpcBq1YYtodwheRE5hi853h25_OmiRLfY4/s320/photo_2021-11-24+14.45.46.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><div class="fb-like" data-href="http://petunialee.blogspot.sg/2012/07/potato-chinese-from-reciting-to-writing.html" data-send="true" data-width="450" data-show-faces="true"></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8210435929787404330.post-58579898948046069492021-11-24T21:35:00.000+08:002021-11-24T21:35:03.245+08:00Gill, Rouen<p>Gill is a Michelin 2 star restaurant. I went to a Michelin 1 star restaurant in Singapore once for lunch, and was sorely disappointed. From food to service, it was disappointing. I went to Putien for lunch and never went back because they served me something I had to complain about. Then, I tried to make an appointment at yet another Michelin 1 star who told me curtly that they cannot provide gluten free options.</p><p>So, we have decided to eat at a Michelin star restaurant in every town we stop at, in France.</p><p>Gill is in Rouen. It is helmed by Gilles Tournadre. I called ahead and left my credit card details to book a table. I let them know that The Husband and I needed gluten free food. They said, "No problem." Today, I made a booking at Le Donjon, a Michelin 1 star restaurant in Étretat and alerted them to our food allergy. They also said, "No problem."</p><p>When we arrived at Gill, there were toasted gluten free buns all ready. The service was friendly, dignified and elegant. The maître d'hôte explained each dish and helped advise on our orders.</p><p>As a student in France, I used to stare through the doors at Michelin starred restaurants wistfully. Now, I can walk in and eat.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMUsV4A1Qkz_lSkQkTD6TfMRu0d5BqXbHrj0adfLueeIn8cdOjHk1qovjkB3AtpR3BfVPK6F_-lEXpH6TTD5qQuIe5k5q4VxiZku52FfSTkuSWInoqvoxzpLpttho2P7GmLOhPF8WRCk_s/s1280/photo_2021-11-24+14.25.35.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMUsV4A1Qkz_lSkQkTD6TfMRu0d5BqXbHrj0adfLueeIn8cdOjHk1qovjkB3AtpR3BfVPK6F_-lEXpH6TTD5qQuIe5k5q4VxiZku52FfSTkuSWInoqvoxzpLpttho2P7GmLOhPF8WRCk_s/s320/photo_2021-11-24+14.25.35.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A more contemporary decor than La Couronne.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl_3-qjkncrDW9xSl3-SEAf8h73jNczKRLYvyZPTe-nhqexjU6069bEzb3IpleWHH2tTcyUmTRO0WT48pUQwFfiMTWSK6kCzBmwRHv9ZROrolWMGdxWynRpghKwzP6VOzDoUzVzyaZEcu0/s1280/photo_2021-11-24+14.25.39.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl_3-qjkncrDW9xSl3-SEAf8h73jNczKRLYvyZPTe-nhqexjU6069bEzb3IpleWHH2tTcyUmTRO0WT48pUQwFfiMTWSK6kCzBmwRHv9ZROrolWMGdxWynRpghKwzP6VOzDoUzVzyaZEcu0/s320/photo_2021-11-24+14.25.39.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Amuse-bouches: newer cooking methods and plating options than La Couronne.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-el2KyBiDxfnfZh7KhOSlPHDJ3Xq42Jt2_gkdtK70Q_RD1O69-oTQgTYvQxd5aPaAgyQ_htLFAUj53ssubjQqWJhZHwJoyYZsgdnGuwuOaevw2Qoi645IIMSOnwD3PVNtDsnJsgWBZku6/s1280/photo_2021-11-24+14.25.42.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-el2KyBiDxfnfZh7KhOSlPHDJ3Xq42Jt2_gkdtK70Q_RD1O69-oTQgTYvQxd5aPaAgyQ_htLFAUj53ssubjQqWJhZHwJoyYZsgdnGuwuOaevw2Qoi645IIMSOnwD3PVNtDsnJsgWBZku6/s320/photo_2021-11-24+14.25.42.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Very good gluten free buns.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG42gzPDpvYco8wXKxRlxCHIzoXWriliyeaI0pN3467RdF3sFJDw-nQnq1fvOKA8cnsSVtK6UvW3TyA3vn-3BAArQo_n70Y9aUSwXnKdwF9Qj7Mnf3EIzeeGIvehIGpatECV3h72nWyg-k/s1280/photo_2021-11-24+14.25.45.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG42gzPDpvYco8wXKxRlxCHIzoXWriliyeaI0pN3467RdF3sFJDw-nQnq1fvOKA8cnsSVtK6UvW3TyA3vn-3BAArQo_n70Y9aUSwXnKdwF9Qj7Mnf3EIzeeGIvehIGpatECV3h72nWyg-k/s320/photo_2021-11-24+14.25.45.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Surprise starters at the chef's discretion.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_OvXf9-bXP0KzQwIc0bwHuNHDom6ZjCMglT6sS6MFI6qe70Fo_95uLCBwuF_RKb9XWYukyLVYSlyMyU77jn6Ahs7XpqXXwHBxIi47jB0F6TUUvBC0qBcUFMml7cqFoCXFPo5M7ABk8hXA/s1280/photo_2021-11-24+14.25.49.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_OvXf9-bXP0KzQwIc0bwHuNHDom6ZjCMglT6sS6MFI6qe70Fo_95uLCBwuF_RKb9XWYukyLVYSlyMyU77jn6Ahs7XpqXXwHBxIi47jB0F6TUUvBC0qBcUFMml7cqFoCXFPo5M7ABk8hXA/s320/photo_2021-11-24+14.25.49.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Lobster.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV-1haQQcZ4vTWyaou6A3jhRldORqlnH6YEm0xUnf3sQKOD-1MSHil6Te0sL7J8C_CZzBezS_UYzb2cJmhhCOR6b61yV1pSMHlnfdPp9mIsQiWklN4kZtyPoMtrXOq7HQtah-sd5P8LUy7/s1280/photo_2021-11-24+14.25.52.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV-1haQQcZ4vTWyaou6A3jhRldORqlnH6YEm0xUnf3sQKOD-1MSHil6Te0sL7J8C_CZzBezS_UYzb2cJmhhCOR6b61yV1pSMHlnfdPp9mIsQiWklN4kZtyPoMtrXOq7HQtah-sd5P8LUy7/s320/photo_2021-11-24+14.25.52.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Calf's head: a Normandie specialty.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw3qfLK-9xn3uFM0sPBzSIpB2pq852LKGaa4DkAlU8pSDXCUyoTlVwWV58a36n8RfoCbWuy3eChbR0j1U5sQ_fYUAm3lqgIwIlVzUMouvpLESwIDYqmRioimj89zN06SogruH_h5IjGYGk/s1280/photo_2021-11-24+14.25.55.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw3qfLK-9xn3uFM0sPBzSIpB2pq852LKGaa4DkAlU8pSDXCUyoTlVwWV58a36n8RfoCbWuy3eChbR0j1U5sQ_fYUAm3lqgIwIlVzUMouvpLESwIDYqmRioimj89zN06SogruH_h5IjGYGk/s320/photo_2021-11-24+14.25.55.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The desserts on the menu all had gluten. This was prepared specially for us.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><div class="fb-like" data-href="http://petunialee.blogspot.sg/2012/07/potato-chinese-from-reciting-to-writing.html" data-send="true" data-width="450" data-show-faces="true"></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8210435929787404330.post-6619030359858753102021-11-23T23:09:00.002+08:002021-11-23T23:15:24.473+08:00La Musée de Secq des Tournelles<p> Rouen contains an interesting museum for ironmongery.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJZKUwWDUds0EbeE9axv1F-6pa8fAJUJkIWT897fjCAIKj6R9VR3PFZbonOjGmogmp47xZ0DYrlFl1IE78QPceQlj2lzUFj4fHJDd2ihDWgKCZtEjFRdoB3z1OQZ9Or3MkYKZEjiEJMQQe/s1280/photo_2021-11-23+16.06.57.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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