Much ado about nothing.

I have been sitting on my backside waiting for things to happen which did not happen. After the euphoria of the completion of sale and collecting the money, I am left with an anticlimactic feeling. I have been at loose ends wondering whether I am coming or I am going. It is depressing.

I had to send my Reuge pocket watch to my friend in the US to have it repaired. At the post office, I tried to write 'fragile' on the box, but for the life in me, forgot how to spell the word 'fragile'. Instead I wrote 'frazile'. So embarrassing and humiliating.

Two Saturdays ago, I went to Holland Village to buy lunch for my son and myself. I decided to buy one of my favourite - curry yong tau fu. It was packed in a clear plastic bowl with a clear plastic cover and placed inside a clear plastic bag. I felt so embarrassed and self conscious, when I took the bus home trying to hide it from the prying eyes of the other passengers. It certainly looked delicious and smelled delicious too. My stomach was rumbling too.

Last week, I decided to buy chicken curry for dinner for myself to save having to cook. I went to a Tekka Indian restaurant to buy one piece chicken and one piece fish with curry sauce for $5.00. Walking to the MRT station, I went down the escalator, walked across and up the escalator and emerged where I had started from, on the same side of the road. I thought it looked strange. Fed up, I walked across the road instead.

Again last Friday I had to look after my own dinner. On such occasions, I would spend time thinking and drooling over what to eat. I went to Holland Village, bought a beautiful chunk of salmon and a tub of salad. Got home to watch the news. After that, I decided to pan fry the salmon, which was about 8 cm thick. Then I made the tomato vegetable soup, tossed the salad and sat down to eat the succulent salmon. Suddenly, I heard children's voices at the door and my grandchildren and their grandmother descended on my salmon and salad.

As I am writing this, it is now Friday and I had just finished my dinner, all by myself. Again I cooked salmon with salad and soup. This time, I was not interrupted and ate everything by myself. Not that I am selfish, for I love to share my food, but there are times when I needed to eat by myself. This time the salmon was not that thick. Salmon, when pan fried with olive oil, must be cooked medium rare. The outside should be crispy and the inside soft enough to melt in your mouth. Fresh salmon has no fishy smell unlike smoked salmon which can give off a fishy smell. It is an oily fish and you must towel dry it before cooking. Sprinkle some pepper and rub over it before cooking. Best to use a non-stick pan and a wooden spatula.

Emma came this morning and I had a nice time with her. She left after lunch with the grandmother and the maid for Hougang. My two other grandchildren needed the grandmother to cook for them after school. So I was all alone the rest of the day. Went on the track to do my exercise which tired me out. Then went to Holland Village to buy my dinner.

I am wondering whether I should continue writing this blog. Do not know if anyone is still bothering to read. My postings are becoming irregular and sometimes my mind go blank. Trust a blockhead to write a blog!

Till then....

The aftermath

Now that the euphoria of completing the en bloc sale and receiving 95% of the sale proceeds have been accomplished, life is back to normal in the estate. People are walking around with heads high and perhaps friendlier to their neighbours, talking about their new homes and the impending big move. I have had strangers greeting me, perhaps knowing that I was the photographer of the DVD, and also winner of the lucky draws.

I have been preoccupied lately with the bank and the setting up of my new home. I have parked my money into a new bank. Surprising how the bank treats you when you park large amounts with them. When I walked into the bank, I was ushered to a special section, sat on comfortable lounge chairs and offered tea or coffee and even snacks, and addressed by name. I am still trying to find my way around. Unused to being pampered, I will always remain humble and live life with humility. I feel embarrassed by all the attention.

Last week I paid the 10% due for my new property. My agents had arranged to wait for me at the Delifrance outlet. Guess what?? I waited at the wrong outlet. There are two Delifrance and I had to choose the wrong one. When I asked passerby for directions, none seemed to know where except one who sent me off on a wild goose chase. With wife in tow, this made it all the more cumbersome, like walking with only one leg.

The signing process was quite straight forward and the officer, a plumb young lady, was very candid and friendly. So we laughed our way through. What a relief. The sale will complete by 28 May, and since the seller had asked me for two weeks extension for him to move out, I have agreed to it. So my renovations will only commence from 16 June.

My son has drawn up an elaborate plan for the renovations. This weekend, we will bring the contractor to view the place, with permission from the seller, and that should spearhead the renovation process.

My next headache will be the packing and the move, which will probably be in August, which the Chinese believe to be the 7th month. Taboo for moving house. But I am not superstitious, and think there will not be a demand for movers and a quiet period for me to move. After thirty years of accumulation, I will have a lot of things to discard.

Tilll then....