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An Italian Ice Place

I learned about this place from a friend and at first I thought it was an okay place but nothing special. It was run by Italians and most of the staff there are young Italians from Italy. Some don’t speak English, no German whatsoever, and they loved speaking in Italian. The problem? Customers had a tough time placing their orders!

However, the place grew on me. It was nice and cozy, the ambience was comforting and the people friendly. I love the decor and the music playlist had some of my favorite songs on there. It slowly became a favorite place to hang out in whenever I met friends for coffee and sometimes breakfast. If we arrived early, the place was empty and you can hear yourself talk. However, come lunchtime, it gets crowded and very noisy. That’s when it is time to go.

In summer, they serve Italian ice but throughout the year, they have Tiramisu, cakes, cookies, breakfast dishes like Avocado Toast, American style scrambled eggs, toast, and to top it all great coffee.

I am a regular there so they know me well. Just recently, a server from Argentina who speaks English told me that he was leaving to go back home. He is actually an English teacher back home and he was going back for a year to help his family and to teach but he would be back next year. There are others there that I have come to know well.

I have a favorite spot by the window so that I can people watch and sip my coffee in silence when I am there by myself but when I meet a friend, we can talk and laugh like we are the only ones in the place! It’s a nice place and since I don’t like crowded places, it works just fine for those rare moments when I get myself out and about. Oh, the bakery is right across from the Italian place and that is an added bonus. It’s where I get my beloved cheesecake! Not a good thing in one sense but for those days when my willpower isn’t where it should be, I break down and get a slice or two of cheesecake before heading back home. Not a whole cake anymore. We are making progress!

Daily writing prompt

What is your favorite place to go in your city?

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Cultural Heritage?

I’m not too big into cultural heritage. I consider myself a global citizen and as such I embrace all cultures and have made it a point to learn all there is to learn about other cultures.

As you know I spent a lot of my time in Asia and it was there that I learned to embrace the food culture. It was amazing! Each country had a different cuisine and I loved almost all of them. However, learning about what Asian culture entailed took broader thinking. There were things I liked and there were things I didn’t. I loved the friendliness of the people but some customs took getting used to. Especially the ghost month. Everything was based on the spirit world and much was done to welcome them back to earth! I found this to be spooky.

Tennessee is different. It takes getting used to. They have a certain way of talking but not as bad as Kentucky! I love the food, the landscape and the people. I have a love for country music and since Nashville was not too faraway, I loved being there. Tennesseans are usually kind and friendly and throw in good home cooking and it is a culture you can easily embrace.

European cultural heritage is diverse and like any other culture, it is steeped in folklore, art, food, and people. There are certain customs that take getting used to. One is that they are conservatives and breaking into the community is hard to do. However, the cultural heritage is captivating and there is much to learn here as I am finding out.

What aspects of my cultural heritage am I most proud of or interested in? Like I said, I don’t belong to just one, I am a mish-mash of different parts. Parts that I learned about from having experienced different aspects of the world and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I think I did that pretty well without disclosing too much!

Daily writing prompt

What aspects of your cultural heritage are you most proud of or interested in?

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The Staycation

I don’t do vacations anymore. Packing up and going somewhere only to unpack and do the “vacation thing” is for the birds but that’s how I feel.

I hate leaving what is comfortable and heading to places unknown. It is a thing of the past for me. This year, I decided to do it my way. I took a week off and decided to do a staycation the “recluse” way.

Walks in nature, getting up whenever and letting life take care of itself for a while was the plan. It started out well enough BUT on the first day, I woke up earlier than usual. Bah humbug! Tomorrow is another day, I told myself. I still had six more days to go.

At least, I had the facial appointment to look forward to. It went just fine and I came out glowing or rather a little oilier than expected. The cosmetician said it was a new method of getting your skin to look its optimal best. I was thinking, it should after all the different creams that were mixed and shot into my skin! “Don’t worry if it looks a little oily, it’ll calm down after a few days,” she said.

I nixed the breakfast alone at the cafe idea. I was looking like a pin cushion that had had more pins stuck in it than ever! My pores had been cleaned out, vacuumed out and smoothed out! Oh God! Exactly my thoughts. Anyway, this vacation thing did not start out with a bang but then again, it wasn’t supposed to. Let’s pick up the pace a little bit.

On Day 3, I decided to get myself out. I was supposed to meet a friend for coffee and breakfast and do some catching up. I showed up early and found a comfortable seat by the window. Sipping on a cup of coffee, I noticed the friend walk in. I smiled but it froze in place instantly. Next to him was a total stranger. He was about 6’2″ tall, slim with dark wavy hair, wore glasses which added to the distinguished look and a great smile to boot. It has been said that a recluse is someone who is anti-s0cial and loves doing things alone so “alone” time is good, once in a while meeting someone is good but adding to the equation is a NO! NO! Anyway, we got introduced and the conversation took off. Maybe, I was nervous or just P I S S E D, but the conversation was flowing non-stop. It was the same way with him and we were like two chickens cackling away! The fifth-wheel, my friend had a disgruntled look on his face but it was well-deserved for showing up with an unannounced stranger!

So, what happened? A future date perhaps? Nope, it doesn’t work that way with me. I’m a hard egg to crack. After two hours, I had had enough of socializing and got out of there fast. This vacation thing wasn’t working out the way I wanted it too.

Days 4, 5, & 6 were spent getting on Chachi, the cat’s nerves. I decided to do the cleaning bit and Little Einstein wanted to keep an eye on everything. He wore himself out. I took one walk in nature but the rest of the days were spent indoors because the rain had moved in and decided to keep me company.

Workouts, meditation, cheesecake and lots of coffee and tea kept my mood on an even keel. I don’t know about vacationing at home guys. It was okay but it is what I’m used to on a daily basis, nothing different. Still, I would rather do this than the other variety which involves packing, heading out, eating, eating, eating followed by lots of stress. What about Day 7? I was climbing walls by then and it was time to come back to reality.

I’ll take “staycation” anyday!

Most Money Ever Spent on a Meal

Here’s another question and nothing comes to mind! I don’t think I’ve ever spent a lot on a meal when I had to pay for it on my own. Mostly, it has been just simple meals and nothing much to speak of.

However, there was one time when I was invited out for dinner and the cost blew my mind. He was a Qantas Airways pilot, who lived in Australia but was used to flying in and out of Asia and he invited me out to dinner. I was thinking it would be a simple restaurant so nothing spectacular. I was wrong.

The restaurant was high up somewhere in the clouds, on the 70th floor, and a revolving one at that. We were met at the entrance by a Russian soldier dressed in medieval gear. He looked menacing. We had to wait at the bar to be seated. When we finally got our table, it had a beautiful view of the city and it was lit up like a Christmas tree. The scenery kept changing and that was more than interesting. First course, was a big plate of oysters on ice with black caviar and sliced boiled eggs. I had never had oysters or caviar before. The oysters looked unappetizing but he insisted I try one. I did and it was not to my liking.

They made a big display of opening the wine bottle and since I don’t drink, it was nothing for me either. Then the main course came. It was steak in a sumptuous sauce. I don’t recall what else came with it because the steak was melt in your mouth and blew everything else away. What came next? Dessert I think. but I’m not sure. Everything was perfect but nothing was lined with gold or anything like that to warrant what came next.

The bill was a whopping $350 dollars!

I think that was the most expensive meal I had ever been invited to and the fact that he thought I was worth it was mind-blowing as well.

Daily writing prompt

What’s the most money you’ve ever spent on a meal? Was it worth it?

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My Most Memorable Vacation

It wasn’t all good. Some parts were great and others I could have done without. One of the things we shouldn’t have done was to take our five-year-old with us. That was a major faux pas!

We went to Singapore and later to Penang in Malaysia. Our “little terror” wasn’t used to the hot weather and crowds so he became a seasoned complainer. On one hand, he was really happy about the people. They were overly friendly to him and even offered to buy him from us. We should have taken the offer! He was a cutie but a little rascal to boot.

My ex had never been there before so it was an eye-opener for him. The food was great especially the “Chili Crabs.” It was finger-licking good. The place was clean and green but most of all we loved the food there. Our little guy was learning to swim at the time so his dad had him in the hotel pool every chance he got and the added attraction were the monkeys in the trees surrounding the pool! It was a major distraction. However, he didn’t learn to swim in Singapore. It was in Penang when he finally swam halfway across the pool! That was memorable especially the proud smile he wore on his face.

Malaysia was great as well. However, the traffic was scary. We were in Kuala Lumpur and had to cross a busy road and believe me, it was terrifying. The way to get across was to wait till there was a break in traffic and run across! We managed somehow but it was not my thing. The food was fantastic, the people friendly and it had a laid-back vibe. We stayed with friends and every morning we could see the monkeys making their way through the trees heading to wherever they were going and every evening they would come back the same way.

One of the things we learned during that trip was to stop spoiling the little brat! I remember one incident in Singapore along the East Coast right by the beach when he pulled a temper-tantrum because something didn’t go the way he wanted. His face was bright red, his veins popping out in his neck when he started to scream his head off. My ex and I found a seat and watched as he screamed his a** off! People would walk up to him and try to console him but it only made things worse.

It was a memorable trip but it had both good and bad parts to it for all the reasons I mentioned above.

Daily writing prompt

Describe your most memorable vacation.

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The Most Delicious Thing

I recall it was in Singapore. The place was a street side cafe with western music blaring out of its interior. The plastic chairs looked well-used and none too stable but the place was packed with both foreigners and locals alike. There was laughter and good times but the aroma coming out of the kitchen made my mouth water.

“How good could the food be from this dingy looking place?” I wondered. Turns out it was the most delicious thing I’ve ever eaten in my life. I can’t remember the name of the dish but a friend recommended it since I love seafood. It arrived with no pomp and circumstance but it was a meal fit for a king or a queen for that matter! The bowl was small and unassuming. The aroma tantalizing. I removed the lid and hot steam escaped from the interior. It had a crust covering the whole thing and I was told to break it softly with a spoon and I did. Lo and behold, the crust sank into the thick broth below and I could see chunks of seafood, huge shrimps or rather prawns, lobster,squid, fish and a whole lot of other stuff staring back at me. I waited for it to cool off and dug in. It was the most delicious thing I had ever tasted. The thick reddish colored broth was beyond delicious, the morsels of seafood tender and every spoonful going down was heaven in itself.

It has been many years since that experience but I still remember this dish because it is unforgettable. I’ve eaten in different parts of the world but nothing as delicious as that unassuming bowl of whatever it was called. It has carved a place in my mind and my palate and will stay there as the best tasting food ever.

Singapore is a gourmet’s paradise and they can take the simplest ingredients and turn it into something grandiose and spectacular! Let me just add, it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg either!

Daily writing prompt

What’s the most delicious thing you’ve ever eaten?

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Congee

This one never fails. It is an instant teleportation to another time and place. My mom picked this recipe up from a Chinese neighbor woman. I used to spend a lot of time at the woman’s place because her daughter was my friend at the time. Having lunch at their place was wonderful because you never knew what was on the menu for that day. It was usually something I had never heard of but I was more than willing to be a guinea pig. One time we had pig’s ears! Strange? Yes, it was but I liked it.

Coming back to congee. It is a savoury rice porridge made by boiling rice in a large amount of water until the rice is very soft, a sort of gruel. Mom used to cook this when I had a cold or wasn’t feeling well. She said it was a miracle cure! I don’t know about that but after a bowl of chicken congee, I did feel much better. Voodoo? Well, not quite. The soft silky mixture is easy on the tummy and hydrates the body. There are many different versions but I like the chicken or the fish congee. It is delicious but more than that, it takes me back to a place when life was simpler and filled with mystery.

Living in Asia was a wonderful experience. I learned many things both good and bad. The food was fantastic and though strange at times, I learned that everything is worth a try. You can always say no later. I’ve kept to that throughout my life but I hit the brakes on live monkey brains! That is a whole different story altogether for another time and place.

Daily writing prompt

Which food, when you eat it, instantly transports you to childhood?

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A Desert By Another Name (Archives)

Photo by Dudubangbang Travel on Pexels.com

It is Sunday, time to relax, review the past week, take the good and leave the past behind after learning from the lessons it taught of course. Mine for the week was, LET IT BE.

As I looked through my messages, a picture popped onto the screen. It caught my attention because it was absolutely gorgeous. I stared at it for a few minutes and decided to go on my fact finding mission.

The picture was of the Atacama Desert sent to me by a Chilean friend. Little did he know that I would be awe-struck by it. I found out that it is located in the north of Chile. It is nothing much to look at during the arid period because it is considered hostile territory and touted as one of the driest non-polar desert on Earth. Detecting life there would be like detecting life on Mars because only the hardiest microbes survive there. Oh but what a transformation when the rains come. The Atacama desert flowering takes place from September to November which is the Southern Hemisphere’s spring. It is considered a miracle and it occurs when heavy rainfall saturates the ground causing the seeds and bulbs deep within the surface to germinate and flower. During this time, over 200 flower species can be seen waving their beautiful heads and covering the once arid landscape with color and stunning beauty. Unbelievable? It is.

What if life was like this phenomenon? Just like this desert, there are times when we go through dry patches and at times arid ones. It is a time when nothing seems to flourish no matter how hard you try. Then there are times when the rains come and with the watering we see life as it was meant to be. Full of beauty, joy and at times breath-taking. It does not last for long but then again nothing ever stands still in life right? Like the seasons, there is a time for everything so it is with the desert and with us. Keep moving is the message, work on the hard stuff and who knows just when you think it is impossible, the rains will come and reward you with a desert blooming of your own! Never say never and anything is possible.

“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.” Robert Frost

Have an amazing day.

The Awakening

This one is embarrassing. The best compliment I’ve ever received was when I was in my early 20s and it was given to me by a group of businessmen.

I was in Singapore at the time and in McDonalds meeting a girlfriend for lunch. Sitting behind us was a group of men in suits. They kept staring but I didn’t pay it much mind. After 20 minutes they got up and left. I was glad because they made me uneasy for some reason. A few minutes later they walked back in. There were about 10 of them altogether so I froze in mid-conversation. They walked to our table, one guy had a single rose in his hand and an envelope. He didn’t say a word as he handed me both, smiled and they left. The place was eerily quiet as everyone glanced over at us.

I opened the envelope and there was a card in it. It said:

“To the most beautiful girl in Singapore.”

It also contained 30 dollars to pay for lunch I guess. Nothing else. No telephone number nothing. I never saw them again but that chance meeting has stayed in my memory because it literally blew my mind!

I was a wild child in my teens running around barefoot in the forest and playing with the ducks and most days I was covered with mud from head to toe but I loved it. I blossomed when I was 16 and those things were put aside. I never thought of myself as a beauty but things changed. I went from being a tomboy to a quiet young woman. More introvert than anything else. That compliment was my awakening to a different world. Beauty is more than a buzz word, beauty is power in some cases. These days they still tell me I am attractive but I march to a different drumbeat. It is more about the inner beauty and not about the fading kind.

Daily writing prompt

What was the best compliment you’ve received?

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A Desert By Another Name

It is Sunday, time to relax, review the past week, take the good and leave the past behind after learning from the lessons it taught of course. Mine for the week was, LET IT BE.

As I looked at my messages, a picture popped onto the screen. It caught my attention because it was absolutely gorgeous. I stared at it for a few minutes and decided to go on my fact finding mission.

What if life was like this phenomenon? Just like this desert, there are times when we go through dry patches and at times arid ones. It is a time when nothing seems to flourish no matter how hard you try. Then there are times when the rains come and with the watering we see life as it was meant to be. Full of beauty, joy and at times breath-taking. It does not last for long but then again nothing ever stands still in life right? Like the seasons, there is a time for everything so it is with the desert and with us. Keep moving is the message, work on the hard stuff and who knows just when you thought it was impossible, the rains will come and reward you with a desert blooming of your own! Never say never and anything is possible.

“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.” Robert Frost

Have an amazing day.