5 things…

I really need to come up with a better title for this weekly post than 5 things – mainly because I rarely stick to 5 things. I’ll ponder that this week.

If you’ve been playing along on Instagram you’ll know that I spent most of last week in Singapore, flying home at stupid o’clock on Thursday morning. I detest these overnight flights, but at the same time realise and appreciate how fortunate I am that I can travel somewhere far enough away to spend that much time in a plane.

The upside of the flight time is movies. I rarely, okay, never go to the movies, so it’s a real treat to see them. On this week’s flight, I watched Vice and On The Basis Of Sex. Both were thought-provoking, but I can’t really say that I enjoyed Vice, although I did think it was cleverly done.

As great as it is to travel, it’s fabulous to be home. Sarah was happy to see us – although she said that’s just because she hates having to decide which container she’s taking out of the freezer for dinner. El Poocho, however, was ecstatic and has barely left my side. I didn’t have the heart to tell her I was going away again today.

Speaking of which, I’m writing this from Sunshine Coast Airport. I’m heading back to Sydney again for the best part of a week for work. While it’s meant that I haven’t been able to do anything with my family for Mother’s Day today, I do get to see my mother for Mother’s Day – which is a treat in itself.

What else?

Orchids

I loved the Orchid Garden at Singapore Botanical Gardens. The abundance of both blooms and varieties amazed me.

I’ve always adored Singapore orchids – to the extent that I had them in my hair when we got married – which leads me neatly to our…

25^thwedding anniversary.

It was also the date we celebrate as our together since date – and that’s been 30 years. I have no idea where the time has gone, but I did post a little something to commemorate the occasion.

Gordon Ramsay’s Bread Street Kitchen. These days we travel on a budget and choose to eat mostly at hawker markets or local shopfronts in Asia, with just one “special” place to eat in each destination. BSK was our choice for our anniversary dinner and we loved it. The vibe was edgy and laidback, but the service was absolutely not laidback – it was spot on. Despite the celebrity name, the price point was mid-range and the food was relatively simple but extremely good. The lighting, however, was not conducive to Instagram.

My cocktail of choice was the Five O’Clock, made from whisky, English Breakfast tea, pineapple, spices and lemon, clarified milk. Given that it contained two of my favourite things to drink – English Breakfast tea and whisky – I had to order it. The description was: Our own recipe of the famous British clarified milk punch. Holy grail of bartenders and probably the best (and most difficult) cocktail ever invented. I googled why (of course I did) and it’s because it involves a technique called “milk-washing” which dates back to the 1700s. So there you go.

Served in a teapot it was, surprisingly, completely clear and absolutely delicious.

Our waitress asked us whether we were there for an occasion and then when Grant’s dessert was brought out so was this. So cute.

Singapore Sling.  Grant’s mother had sent us some money with the instructions to have a Singapore Sling with her compliments. Of course, the best place to have a Singapore Sling is at Raffles, but Raffles is closed for refurbishment at the moment and although there are heaps of fabulous bars around town, we decided to make like the tourists we were and have one by the river.

This French saying. léché-vitrine. I can’t remember where I saw it, but it’s the French term for window shopping and translates roughly to licking the display cabinets. Anyways, I like it. Especially when wandering through Orchard Road looking at shops with names and brands and ridiculously expensive items for sale. I sometimes hate myself for loving to look at them – it really goes against my hippy mindset but I can’t help it.

Watching Travels With My Father with my daughter. Too too funny.

Baby Sussex… I know I know, but it’s all quite lovely, isn’t it? And I love the name… It reminds me of Archie MacDonald (played by Alastair Mackenzie, incidentally another name I quite like) in the TV show Monarch of the Glen. Does anyone else remember that?

In case you missed it…A few posts this week:

Something about our wedding anniversary – and a few pics from when I was 30kgs lighter than I am today and my hair was its natural colour.

Something about Kampong Glam, Little India and the search for dosai

Something about chicken soup as a cure for jetlag.