The growing list of inedibles

I have discovered yet again another chalky cheese to add to my list. This time it is a Tessinois cheese by the name of Lati. Avoid it at all costs.

Another malediction is the unfathomably horrible apple variety drumrolls 'Pommes (Canada) Reinnettes' It is simply gross. Eat it at your own peril. It was barely palatable when juiced using the centrifugeuse/Solis juice extractor and normally any fruit or veggie is rendered rather delectable when passed through the juicer. The resulting juice resembled an ugly coloured 'liquid caca'. Needless to say that I have been traumatised for life by the Pomme Reinnette and will never dare to buy this variety again. It would serve as a great case against all apples. It has my vote for worst apple/fruit variety.

Shrek the laundry 'Hamster'

Applause and congrats must go to Shrek for his marathon yesterday. He loaded, unloaded and hung up at least 5 machines of dirty laundry. His self-congratulatory relief was short-lived though as soon as he had emptied and seen the bottom of the laundry hamper for a brief moment it began slowly and surely filling up again.

The never-ending saga of repetitive chores continue...

Bravo Shrek for the effort and please keep it up. Your exasperated wife thanks you from the bottom of her laundry hamper.

Merci mille fois.

Fashion victime

I know I have a fashion victim in the making. Lil Miss N changes her clothes at least twice a day if not more. The problem is she wears an outfit and then changes to mix and match and yet does not wear it enough to render it fit for laundering. I have a mountain of clothes to wash and none of it has been worn more than a few hours at most at any one time. She is helping me feel useful.

She is rather experimentative and is quite vain as she proclaims that if she puts this skirt over those trousers/slacks then it will be a 'fashion statement' and people will exclaim 'WOW, she is a KO beauty'. She is a real beauty who loves dressing up. Maybe she is emulating her mum whom she does look up to as the ultimate role model.

I like taking the piss out of everyone, myself included. It is rather exhilirating and liberating to be able to laugh at oneself. Laughter can release endorphins (I think) or neurones...I am rather wobbly when it comes to scientifically correct terminology here.

The point is Lil Miss N has a lot to recommend her for being a possible future candicate for winning the contest MISS fashion victim. Do not just haphazardly follow trends, mark your unique style baby. That a girl and moreover That's my girl !!!

The waiting game

I am on the one hand impatiently looking forward to Ben's imminent birth because the constant pelvic floor pain is not too far removed from the post-partum painful souvenirs I have from past deliveries and on the other I want to hold on for as long as I possibly can because once she is here there will be sleep deprivation galore for at least 3 months if not more.


I am trying to hold out until after the HDV auction of which I want to participate in. Ben is not supposed to be aware of such precarious timing. She will come when she is ready but I do hope that she will at least have the self-control to grace this oft troubled world at an opportune time for her mum so that her mum will not have to endure and suffer more than necessary.

I prepare myself psychologically for 'Sleep ----Interrupted' and 'Dealing with the immediate fore Jealous sibling namely Baby Mini M aka Taz'

Pros and cons of living in Geneva Switzerland

I cannot begin to think of any advantages in being a Geneva resident. There must be some...

Maybe Shrek can fill in the blank for me.

On the contrary I can think of many cons in living here.

Let me count the ways

Ads:
The plethora of dairy products available such as myriad cheeses, yoghurts and other dairy-based products and since I am a die-hard dairy consumer it is one consolation to compensate for all the food I miss out on.

The availability of good quality chocolate. It is a chocoholic's haven.
The number of parks and playgrounds is elevated compared to some other parts of the world-Asia for instance.

The miniscule size of this small city/big village means that all the amenities are within close proximity. I am only 7 minute walk from the Shopping centre, library (I love libraries and would never tire of perousing books and to me it would be a shame if the art of reading was lost), cultural centre-with the Town Hall, theatre. Most importantly I am a mere 2 minute walk from the primary school which all my children will attend at some stage. Convenient indeed.
The alps and skiing is just a few hundred kilometres away from our doorsteps and we can easily take advantage of this by going on skiing holidays. One setback the cost of chalets,skipasses etc... is an expensive deterrent.

Being just 10 minutes from the French/Swiss border I can access foie gras (which I love) and some delicacies not as readily available in Oz.

The discovery of auctions that presents opportunities to buy magnificent adornments or watches or even furniture at an affordable/reasonable price.

The opportunity to travel and discover different parts of Europe flying low-cost airlines or to go on cheap all-inclusive holidays around Europe: Turkey, Greece etc..


Disads:
The fruit that I dislike most is the only fruit that is available all year round without exception, the dreaded apple, it's not even the type that I tolerate : Pink Lady or Gala. It is of inferior quality than what I have grown accustomed to when I lived in Sydney.

The library and most public services have opening hours that are incomprehensible to me. They open for 3 hours in the afternoon on weekdays. I like taking refuge in the library and its world of boundless imagination conjured up by books...but cannot go anytime due to the limitations.

The lack of variety and range of fruits and veggies in general. I tire of carrots and broccolis, apples and bananas when that is all that is on offer.

The inexorbitant cost of healthcare. I am paying large sums just to be adhered to a basic and obligatory health insurance company for my whole family. I do not use the health system much except during my multiple pregnancies and deliveries. I feel that I am paying for a service I hardly if ever use.

Whenever I have a craving for Asian greens or essential ingredients I generally have to substitute with what I have on hand or do without. It does impede some of my culinary attempts.

The once again inexorbitant cost of dining out. Restaurant dining is delibitatingly expensive therefore we do not eat out too often. There are no cheap fast food joints either, even Maccas and Domino's Pizza are comparatively costly and I do not want to gorge myself with greasy burgers,fries...and pay dear.

The improbability of owning real estate and moreover the high cost and low availability of housing in Geneva is atrocious and debilitating. One can be paying up to 2500 Swiss Francs for a four-bedroom housing commission (government owned) appartment. Most Swiss never dream of owning their own home since the property market is overpriced and riddled with red tape and finally overtaxed with an imaginary/hypothetical 'income arising from rent' tax.

The lack of childcare facilities and family/kid friendly establishments. Geneva in particular and Switzerland in general are not known for being supportive or encouraging of reproduction as they afford very little assistance to families.

The general diffidence and narrow-mindedness of people.
The deplorable customer service in all manners of speaking, worst being telecommunications companies of which the worst perpetrator is none other than CABLECOM--cacacom

The more heightened sense of solitude felt here.

The grey sky, lack of sunshine and general crappy weather always dampens my mood.

The price of meat, enough said. Moreover the associated luxury of taking for granted all the wonderful fresh produce: fruits and veg included when I lived in Sydney is amiss in Geneva as it is an extravagance to be able to freely access/eat invigorating agricultural crop.

The lack of leisure activities and variety of entertainment. The scene here is totally not happening and the vibe is disinterested to say the least.

The pace is just too slow, too quiet and calm for my liking. I need some bustle and energy to flow/emanate from the place I am at.

Being forced under house-arrest during the long winter months is no fun at all.

The endless episode of cold, flu and other contagious winter-related diseases gives me cause for concern.

25 random things about me

1. I can be an extremely frivolous and trivial girl who loves to indulge in all manners of speaking. Alas I do not get the chance to indulge in my friviolity much since becoming a mum.

2. I am afraid that 25 random things is a bit much yet on the other hand it is a bit restrictive as I have to narrow it down to 25 and not just leave it to be a random number of random facts.

3. I was the idealist in my university years and have now begrudgingly become the realist since greeting obstacle after obstacle in my path... I have had to abandon some of my ideals

4. When I was in high school I used to be enamoured with America and the American way never having seen it in first person. Now I cringe and have pretty much had a 180 degrees flip in my newfound anti-American sentiments, I like most of the world have become aghast and possess a disdainful distaste for their 'centricism'.

5. I mistakenly thought in high school-my formative years that Poetry was (I will now embarrassingly admit) ALWAYS supposed to rhyme. Luckily I have discovered that that is not the case at all and that poetry is what one makes it...not so much based on the rules.

6. I love taking long baths preferably with bath salts or perfumed products as I find them relaxing and appealing. I have yet to try rose petals to be lavish but I think that Shrek is lacking in the romance department and need to be told rather than just intuitively/instinctively guess that I would like a bath filled with rose petals for grand occasions.

7. I have discovered a new found passion for cooking, baking and tweaking recipes. The only problem is I have toddlers who cannot let me have a tranquil few hours as to peacefully try all these scrumptious recipes I am dying to give a go without being interrupted every few minutes or worse yet tugging at my pants/legs and making it near impossible for me to get anything done.

8. I abhor being referred to as a housewife and stay at home mum.

9. I want to instill a sense of resourcefulness in my children so that they are equipped with real life and basic survival skills and can fend for themselves.

10. I can sometime be self-defensive when Shrek starts pushing my buttons.

11. I attended a Catholic girls only high school and hated it . I did have some interesting experiences there but for the most part I thought it was an absolute waste of my mum's money to send me there. I did not obtain a better education there than one I would have gotten from a local public school.

12. I was part of the debating team for several years and I did excel academically but was prone to laziness...and as my teachers often complained I was undermining my potential and capacity due to lack of commitment and effort.

13. I secretly wish I was a public speaker. I am quite good at improvising on the spot and think I would make a confidently convincing spokesperson.

14. I am frugal and like to economise whenever I can thus Shrek deems me fit for inclusion as a honoured member of www.radins.ch a site dedicated to tricks on saving money (more like being stingy). I tend to agree partly because I think that one can use money much more wisely and binge on the little luxuries or indulge oneself in other areas such as travel...etc

15. I blatantly and brazenly want to wear fur coats and eat foie gras and frog legs and think that some ecologists are a bunch of hypocrites. I do not claim to condone animal cruelty but I just think that there is oversensitivity when it comes to maltreatment of animals. I believe that there is a majority of the world's population mainly third-world citizens who are subjected to much worse conditions of living.They are starving and deprived of basic necessities as well as being treated worse than most domestic animals in the developed nations: slave labour to name just one example. I feel passionate about the plight of these people and will admittedly prefer to alleviate their sorry conditions than to worry about geese and ducks being force-fed and furrets or foxes etc being skinned for their fur...I think the PETA and such similar organisations are misplacing their zeal. Get a grip and some sense idiots and stop stoning people for daring to wear fur or eat foie gras and find a real cause to fight for !!!

16. I am a paradoxical dichotomy: eastern beliefs and hierarchies with western influences and western education with eastern upbringing.

17. I will try to avoid the pitfalls that my mum fell into and etch out a path that is uniquely my own.

18. I would like my children to feel loved and nurtured but realise that I am more than a mere nurturer and home-maker.

19. I do not believe that a mother who never yells at her children is the ideal I want to strive for. On the contrary I think that if a mum is always gentle and docile that she is holding back rage, anger and that it will blow up and explode when she can no longer put a lid on it. She will eventually vent her frustration with dire consequences.

20. Mothers who from time to time lose it and express their true feelings are not failures and no guesses as to which genre/group I fall into. My mum lost her temper and patience at times but this did not diminish her as a loving mum or dissipated my love and affection for her. I still saw all the sacrifices she made and the love she gave. I try to be honest with myself and my children as to how I feel. I hope that my concern for them transpires into them realising that I want the best for them and that I am a flawed and imperfect human who does not try to pretend otherwise. I am therefore conveying to them that human beings are not perfect so do not fear failure or expect perfection from anyone.

21. I am a chocoholic with a sweet tooth and so far Petit Suisse seems to have inherited this trait from me. I also love seafood and this has transpired in Lil Miss N's eating habit. She adores oysters and fishes and in short all living objects from the sea are eaten with immense pleasure. Baby M is a gourmand, a real pig and glutton who true to his Chinese zodiac sign-the Pig will engorge anything put before him.

22. I detest people who make promises they never intended to keep or who raise expectations they never intended to fulfil.

23. I do not have an absolute favourite movie since I rarely watch movies.

24. I have become the mum who cannot help but talk incessantly about her children like a devoted mum should.

25. I am most afraid of losing my own identity whilst trying to assist and guide my children into finding their identities and themselves.

You get what you despise most!!!

Radin.ch is a web site that Shrek thinks is the perfect embodiment for me. I'd tend to agree... after all being frugal is a virtue these days especially after the worldwide financial crisis which swept the world and taught us all that bankers and traders should be the next têtes de turc. They really deserve the title with merit as greed and the insatiable desire to attain higher returns ended in catastrophic havoc.

One has to be careful with how one spends money nowadays as it has been a growing trend of late to buy smartly and get more for your money's worth as exhibited by the low-cost end of the spectrum encompassing airplane tickets: easyjet,jetstar..etc, cars-Dacia Logan and all No-frills consumables- Homebrand,M-Budget,Prix-Garantie...etc...etc

The gamut of spending dictates that one must not spend more than one earns if one is to stay afloat and debt-free.

For someone who is revolted by radins (stingy folks) Shrek's entourage (family, friends and acquaintances) seems ironically overflowing and burgeoning with radins galore. Such is life's luck hey Shrek? There is a Vietnamese saying which roughly translates to 'You always get what you detest' or 'You will be blessed with your anathema'.

Random tidbits

1. Lil Miss N has a weakness and particular fondness for gruel/porridge/baby bouillie which I myself cannot bring to eat. She doesn't even mind Taz's leftover mashed veggies/potato. Petit Suisse and I are both repelled by what she considers 'miam miam'.
2. Baby Mini M/Taz's doudou is his milk bottle. He will snuggle up to it and drift off into sleep. None of my other offsprings had any attachments to toys esp soft toys that they snuggle up to when falling asleep.
3. Petit Suisse being the fastidious eater that he is will most reluctantly only eat fish at our utmost urgings and persuasions that it is good for him. He eats but does not enjoy it one tiny bit.
4. I have discovered a déguelasse fromage St Paulin. It is beyond bland and Shrek had to muster every bit of 'want not,waste not' mantra with regards to food being precious to eat it one lil bit at a time til the whole thing was finished. I had trouble eating it as well, it was worse than chalk. bleghhhhh I love Munster on the other hand and Shrek's feet after a long day at the pharmacie is reminiscent of this potent smell. Munster has an unmissable overpowering scent that has been compared to smelly feet but I rather like the pungent taste.
5.She is not yet born but Ben is already a savvy lil soccer player or gymnast. I can see the outline of her tiny feet/hands pushing from the inside to leave a bulge on one side of my huge as a whale tummy.
6. Feeling sexy whilst pregnant is rather mission impossible for me as I can no longer see my feet or flexibly and dexteriously bend down. It puts a new spin on bedroom sports.

From Ikea to onion tears...

Bravo to Mr Fix it and ultimate DIY guy whose favourite furniture store is IKEA. He does numerous DIY projects around the house and constantly is asked by Petit Suisse and Lil Miss N to fix broken toys with super glue or replace the broken slat in the sofa-bed.

In short thank god for Mr Fix it..He does wonders!!!


Muah muah muah

I am keeping a balanced and equilibrated perception of Shrek. He is an all-round human being with major faults and endearing and charming qualities. I guess if the pros outweigh the cons then all things considered he is a multi-layered and complicated albeit fallible Homo sapien prone to the whole gamut of emotions and spectrum of expression.

The onion analogy is apt and Shrek's tough/rough demeanour tend to hide his otherwise soft layers underneath which have to be uncovered layer by layer patiently. It is no wonder Shrek's obsessed with the incorporation of onions in almost every dish. I have slowly adapted and have begun to use it on a regular basis as well. I do like sweating/browning/sautéeing the onions first though as it rids off the ghastly smell and brings out the sweetness that is inherent in them. Shrek has to be treated with a similar approach to how one would tread an onion: ever so delicate but full of bite.

The daily interactions that I have had over the years all 6 and counting have taught me that onions may induce tears uncontrollably but once conquered there is heavenly taste that is imbibed onto all other food to be savoured and it is an enhancement not to be scoffed at.

Shrek's dada

Shrek's new dada or obsession or what he goes gaga over : the catalogue to Auctions held at 'Hotel des Ventes' which sells paintings, art, rugs, jewellery, antiques as well as collectibles and furniture.

No guesses as to which objects arouse and get me most excited!!

Shrek is making up for huge gaps he had before because he had not discovered the hidden gem yet.


It's better late than never and I highly appreciate his raising the stakes at auctions (preferably with a reasonable thinking cap on) to gift me with divinely alluring adornments.

I am going to get my 30th birthday gift and more all rolled into one offering from my sensitive Shrek !