In My Hands Today…

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The Secret History of the Pink Carnation – Lauren Willig

84351Deciding that true romantic heroes are a thing of the past, Eloise Kelly, an intelligent American who always manages to wear her Jimmy Choo suede boots on the day it rains, leaves Harvard’s Widener Library bound for England to finish her dissertation on the dashing pair of spies the Scarlet Pimpernel and the Purple Gentian. What she discovers is something the finest historians have missed: a secret history that begins with a letter dated 1803. Eloise has found the secret history of the Pink Carnation the most elusive spy of all time, the spy who single-handedly saved England from Napoleon’s invasion.

The Secret History of the Pink Carnation, a wildly imaginative and highly adventurous debut, opens with the story of a modern-day heroine but soon becomes a book within a book. Eloise Kelly settles in to read the secret history hoping to unmask the Pink Carnation’s identity, but before she can make this discovery, she uncovers a passionate romance within the pages of the secret history that almost threw off the course of world events. How did the Pink Carnation save England? What became of the Scarlet Pimpernel and the Purple Gentian? And will Eloise Kelly find a hero of her own?

Recipe: Pasta Salad

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This recipe for Pasta Salad has been with us for a while now. I think I may have made it after seeing something similar some years back or even discovered it accidentally. Anyways, this is a go-to recipe for me when we are bored of Indian food and this makes a great lunch box idea for children and even adults when you want a no-mess lunch which you can eat on the go or at your desk.

Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

  • 1 packet raw pasta
  • 2 onions, finely chopped
  • 2 bell peppers, chopped
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 1 cup frozen paneer
  • 1/2 cup sliced black olives
  • 2 tsp red chilli powder
  • 2 tsp cumin powder
  • 1-2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt to taste
  • Coriander leaves to garnish

Method:

  • Cook the pasta as per the instructions on the pack. Let the pasta be al dente and not overcooked. Drain and keep aside to cool.
  • Heat up the frozen corn and when thawed, drained and keep aside.
  • Soak the paneer in hot water for 10 minutes, drain and chop into small pieces.
  • When cool, mix together the pasta, onions, bell peppers, olives, paneer and corn and mix well.
  • In a smaller dish, mix the spices, olive oil and lemon juice into a marinade.
  • Pour the marinade into the pasta salad and mix well. Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves. Check for seasoning.
  • Cover and keep in the fridge for a couple of hours. Serve cool.

In My Hands Today…

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Holy Cow: An Indian Adventure – Sarah Macdonald

3858In her twenties, journalist Sarah Macdonald backpacked around India and came away with a lasting impression of heat, pollution and poverty. So when an airport beggar read her palm and told her she would return to India—and for love—she screamed, “Never!” and gave the country, and him, the finger.

But eleven years later, the prophecy comes true. When the love of Sarah’s life is posted to India, she quits her dream job to move to the most polluted city on earth, New Delhi. For Sarah this seems like the ultimate sacrifice for love, and it almost kills her, literally. Just settled, she falls dangerously ill with double pneumonia, an experience that compels her to face some serious questions about her own fragile mortality and inner spiritual void. “I must find peace in the only place possible in India,” she concludes. “Within.” Thus begins her journey of discovery through India in search of the meaning of life and death.

Holy Cow is Macdonald’s often hilarious chronicle of her adventures in a land of chaos and contradiction, of encounters with Hinduism, Islam and Jainism, Sufis, Sikhs, Parsis and Christians and a kaleidoscope of yogis, swamis and Bollywood stars. From spiritual retreats and crumbling nirvanas to war zones and New Delhi nightclubs, it is a journey that only a woman on a mission to save her soul, her love life—and her sanity—can survive.

2018 Week 32 Update

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Another week has gone by and this week which was short because of the National Day holiday was slightly significant for me.

I have registered a company under my name last week and have made a decision to start freelancing. I will be working from home and will probably work a couple of hours a day. I am planning to do this till the end of next year when the children finish school and if this gig takes off, then I’ll do this on a full-time basis, otherwise, I’ll look for a fulltime position to start working in early 2020. Please wish me luck in my new venture!

This week I am hosting a cousin I have not interacted with much over the years. She is older than me and is coming to Singapore for some lectures at our local universities. It will be nice to have some one-on-one time with her when she has free time from her lectures. I am also hoping to attend at least one of the lectures, though the subject is not something I am very knowledgeable about.

This week is looking to be an interesting one, so more deets next week when I update here.

 

2018 Secondary 3 Week 32 Update

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This was an interesting week for me vis-a-vis BB and GG’s schools.

On Wednesday, we all headed to Singapore’s West Coast Park to take part in BB’s school’s National Day Observance Ceremony plus the school’s Cross Country Run. S was also running in the parents fun run component while I had initially decided not to run, but at the last minute, walked the 3.2 km with some of the other mums. It was a fun morning spent with other parents.

GG has gone to Vietnam for her school’s Humanities Learning Journey over the weekend. We went down to the airport to see them off. The house feels quiet without her. But this is something I have to start getting used to I guess since my chicks will soon start flying out of the nest.

Next week BB gets some days off in lieu of the time they will be spending at their OBS camp during the September school holidays.