In My Hands Today…

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Tail of the Blue Bird – Nii Ayikwei Parkes

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Sonokrom, a village in the Ghanaian hinterland, has not changed for thousands of years. Here, the men and women speak the language of the forest, drink aphrodisiacs with their palm wine and walk alongside the spirits of their ancestors. The discovery of sinister remains; possibly human, definitely ‘evil’; in a vanished man’s hut brings the modern world into the village in the form of Kayo; a young forensic pathologist convinced that scientific logic can shatter even the most inexplicable of mysteries.

But as events in the village become more and more incomprehensible, Kayo and his sidekick, Constable Garba, find that Western logic and political bureaucracy are no longer equal to the task at hand. Strange boys wandering in the forest, ghostly music in the night and a flock of birds that come from far away to fill the desolate hut with discarded feathers take the newcomers into a world where, in the unknown, they discover a higher truth that leaves scientific explanations far behind.

2019 Week 40 Update

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This week was both remarkable as well as unremarkable Unremarkable because it was the usual week from Monday to Friday with nothing really happening.

On Saturday, for the first time, I did something out of my comfort zone. I went for a citizen’s panel where, along with other Singaporeans we will debate about an issue which is close to my heart. We will also come up with a report and hopefully the government will implement some, if not most of the suggestions. We had to sign a non disclosure agreement, so I can’t say much here. But it was a very enjoyable, if intense session and I learnt quite a bit from the other participants who spanned various industries and came from different aspects of life.

Yesterday marked the start of Navratri and this week is slightly restful week for me, without much happening. Next week is another hectic week and then two weeks after we start the O level exams!

I for one, just want the exams to start, so we can count down to the four weeks it will run. After that, it’s time to holiday! Can’t wait!!

Have a wonderful week folks!

2019 Secondary 4 Week 40 Update

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GG had her school graduation this week and it was an interesting experience. As the guest of honour, they had an alumni over, someone who had graduated more than 10 years back from the school. This person had an interesting career path, from being an average student in school with not so stellar grades he went on to becoming the valedictorian for his university cohort and has achieved quite a bit in Poly and University. I enjoyed listening to him and hoped the class of 2019 took back from his speech.

BB has his graduation this week and that is also something I am looking forward to.

We are around three weeks to the O levels now and at this point, all I want is for it to get over!

Have a great Sunday people!!

In My Hands Today…

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Ganesha Goes to Lunch: Classics From Mystic India – Kamla K. Kapur

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King Kubera was the greediest man in the world. Hated and feared by many, he schemed to win the love of the beautiful goddess Parvati . . . but learned an important lesson when he invited her elephant-headed son Ganesha over for lunch one day . . .

So goes one of the many delightful tales in this decidedly grown-up book of traditional Indian stories, retold for the modern reader. Author Kamla Kapur is well known in her native India as a poet and playwright, and her connection to these age-old stories is the reverent yet individualistic one we might expect from someone whose introduction tells of her hometown, where naked, dreadlocked holy men speed about on motorbikes.

To collect these stories, Kapur relied on ancient sacred texts, modern scholarship, and chance encounters with interesting people who just happened to know a really good one about this time that Vishnu sank into the ocean, was incarnated as a pig and had a really wonderful time. Like myths around the world, these are teaching stories that offer both a window into a fascinating culture that has endured for thousands of years, and a code for living that can be applied to the modern world.

Recipes: Berry Smoothie/Milkshake

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Most mornings GG has Museli for breakfast while BB does not eat anything before going to school. So we usually have a selection of berries in the fridge as GG loves them in her museli. Earlier this week, I felt some of the berries would spoil if kept long and so decided to make a smoothie/milkshake with them. It was quite tasty and is a good quick breakfast, especially if you can’t eat solid food in the mornings or are in a hurry.

Berry Smoothie/Milkshake

Ingredients:

  • 1 ripe banana
  • 6 medium sized strawberries
  • 15-20 blueberries
  • 1-1.5 cups skimmed milk
  • 1 tbsp honey or 1 tbsp sugar (optional)

Method:

  • Wash and dry the blueberries, remove the leaves and wash and dry the strawberries, peel the banana and keep all the fruits inside an airtight container and freeze overnight. You can also hull and chop the strawberries if they are big before freezing.
  • The next morning, blend all the frozen fruits along with the skimmed milk to a smooth paste. Thin the smoothie to the consistency you like. Add the honey or sugar if you feel you need to add some sweetness to the drink.
  • You can drink it as it is. You can also add some drops of vanilla essence to enhance the flavour or even add some plain vanilla yoghurt or icecream to thicken it up.
  • If you want to make this vegan, just substitute the skimmed milk for some nut milk like soya, almond or cashew or even some light coconut milk