All in a day's work

Shiu Mai on cabbage leaves waiting to be steamed

I went to the gym again this morning - to use the sauna, Turkish bath, hydromassage and read a cookery magazine (while pretending to cycle for 20 minutes and feel less bad about it). Those hot sweaty bodies working out all around me must be wondering what this fat person was doing at the gym pedaling like a grandma (actually the grandmas there are really good) and reading about food.

There was this guy who kept hurrumping as he furiously pedaled behind me, I couldn't help but imagine him irritating his partner with those same noises as he made love to her (or him - you never know nowadays) and felt like vomiting, only I hadn't had breakfast.

Sambonet promotion

I left the gym and drove to Esselunga. I'm buying furiously from the supermarket as I am trying to collect enough stickers in order to buy the cutlery sets they have on offer. It's like eating furiously at McDonald's so that I could collect the stickers for the UNO game. Hub couldn't understand why I'm doing this. But I do. It's not even to win (who needs a scooter?), it's just for the sake of participating. He said I put him to shame; I said he has lost his child-like sense of fun. Of being like everyone else. When we were living in the States, I would wait with abated breath for the weekly supermarket flyers to arrive at our doorstep. This week's promotions, cut out the coupons etc. That's immersion. He may grumble, but I was the one who had to spend my day adapting to life in a foreign place, do the shopping.

I rushed home to pack away the shopping and gobble down 8 fish fingers as I was hungry. Was late for the PTA meeting - as usual. Am in charge of the International Buffet again - and had to outline my battle plan. Took some fire over my proposal of giving easy access to the children's table, of even having one in the 1st place actually. I personally would want every kid to be brave, queue up and try every exotic thing on display, but then we all know that there will be those who would still prefer to just eat sandwiches and meatballs (leaving the precious curry on their plates). Since kids do have to pay to eat, I wanted to make sure that they will get their money's worth too. Besides, after 2 years of manning the buffet, I know that they like to zip in and out and will want to just grab something and go.

Then I myself zipped out and met with the Teenager's English teacher (one of his favourites). We had a good laugh at the boy's expense. Bumped into the boy in the corridor. I must say that he's one handsome boy even with his glasses on. If only he is a little less often off to Outer Space.

This is the week of birthday parties at Opla. CF kindly took the Babies there and I just needed to pick them up before 6:30. Of course that meant I missed the birthday cake. Heard it was good - such a pity. I usually turn up at kids' birthday parties and try their cakes. For future reference.

If Bollywood Beauty were here, she would make us eat at McDonald's after Opla. That would give me more stickers for the collection, but then I had a free-range chicken at home waiting to be roasted.

Steamed (quite ugly)

This evening, I also made Pork Shiu Mai (Steamed Pork Dumplings). Because I had defrosted my last packet of wonton skins last week for the porcini and foie gras dumplings I wanted to make but hadn't. And those skins had to be used now. Hub and the Babies loved them, must say they were simple to make and tasted 10 times better than the rubbish they serve in the Chinese restaurants here. I also made wontons to be fried tomorrow for the aperitive when one of Hub's subordinates come for dinner.

Spent the evening screaming at the Teenager. Am furious with Hub for insisting that the boy continue with his French distance-learning course then leaving me to handle it. Tiger Wood wannabe prefers staring at golf clubs on the Net than working on his French adjectives. English teacher should make him write an essay on TaylorMade vs Callaway drivers. Before I club him on the head with one.