Treat

Remember a few posts back when I was constantly complaining about the humidity and the sunny hot summer? Well nowadays the climate has changed drastically and it rains all the time. It is monsoon season after all and so isolated thunderstorms are a plenty!  I am still on the fence about what I hate more - the balmy summers or the rain soaked monsoon season.  But if I was forced to choose just one - I'd say the latter.

You see with sweaty summers, you have several options to get a relief. You can eat ice cream, drink plenty of water and stay in an air conditioned environment. But with the torrential rain + the deafening thunder and lightning show - you are basically stranded and feel helpless. You can just pray that 'session' is short and won't dragged on for hours. Because when it does - it ensures literally a flood of headaches. In this part of the metropolis, when it rains, the roads get flooded and terrible traffic jams ensues. 

For several hours, you can get stuck on the roads with blinding, zero visibility raindrops knocking on your windshield while you brace yourself for the flooded streets as waters can rise so quickly. If you are on the main highway known as Edsa it is a hopeless situation as the whole thoroughfare turns into a giant parking lot. I kid you, not! It is the grim reality in this place and quite a big inconvenience for the general populace.

It is for this very reason that when my father turned a year older this August 22, we had to postpone our celebration as the metropolis was covered with very dark clouds. Classes were suspended so thankfully hubby was home but we stayed put as we didn't want to venture out into the bleak surroundings.

Yesterday though, I insisted we set forth our plan to have lunch together at one of our favorite places to dine in for important milestones. It is the place where D & I had our first date, it is also where we announced to my parents that we were getting married and it is generally the place we all bond over good food and pleasant conversations.

California Roll

Chicken Teriyaki

Yakisoba

Cheesy Fish Tempura

Chasyu Ramen

Happy Birthday Dad!!! =)

Well well well ... hello there!

Look what I dug up from some long forgotten box under piles of other 'junk' items in my previous residence.  The above is my picture in my official passport way way back when I was just ten (10) years old!  Below it states the bearer is the daughter of commercial (trade) analyst assigned to Belgium. 

Gosh that was ages ago (36 years to be exact). I am wearing winter attire so perhaps it was taken during the colder European climates. The only entry in that passport is a Swiss visa which was issued so I could attend my "class de neige" (snow classes).  

I remember that class with fondness because for 2 weeks, the entire class was billeted in a big chalet in some small mountainous Swiss town. We were taught how to ski, communing with the natural mountainous and provincial environment, and also interacting with kids of the other schools. It was my first time to be away from my family and I remember feeling so cold even though I had thick sweaters and a warm parka to protect me.  I wasn't particularly keen on skiing as I had very poor balance and as an Asian I could not really identify with the ski sports. But nevertheless, I had so much fun and I cherish that "class de neige" as one of my most pleasant life experiences. 

So as I look at my 10 year old self, I can only smile and be thankful for all the blessings I have received and continue to accumulate.  And even if back then I had so many fears as well as aspirations, I can proudly say ,,, 36 years later ... I am doing just fine and in a good place in my life, right now.   

Amen!