Ladies Night and Foggy Morning

The school's PTA organises a Ladies' Night once a month and the last one was held last night in a wine-dinner club La Cantinetta in Formigine.

I didn't attend the 1st one in September as the Hub couldn't be home that evening and for the last one, he started telling me that he wouldn't be back early but a look at my face stopped him in his tracks and he promptly rescheduled his meeting or whatever to another day.

These men spend their lives in power meetings, power lunches, power dinners, power team-buildings and other power what-nots, leaving their womenfolk to mundane but necessary chores like ferry the kids to and from school, doctors, Bday parties, ECAs...the housework and ironing, shopping for food, cooking, organising vacations - to name but a few. Then on weekends they come home and expect to do their own stuff for their own pleasure ("because I've worked sooo hard all week...") while we end up doing the same things (and more) we do in the week. Don't we deserve to have a break from our routine too?

In any case, going out in the evening is never a real break from routine. When Mister has a dinner, he just goes for it. When Madam has one, she still has to get dinner etc ready for everyone before that. So last evening, I prepared a Beef Carpaccio for Eldest Son (who incidentally is sick and is staying at home with me), a Seafood Salad for the Hub and Grilled Chicken with Chilli and Coriander for the Babies before I left for my Ladies' Night.

Seafood Salad

And I almost didn't leave as the Babies started to cry the minute they saw me getting ready to leave without them and it was a whole big drama at the door. Baby Boy had his boots on and was jumping up and down screaming and crying at the same time. Quite a heartbreaking scene (for the mother).

I left anyway and drove to Formigine. Was the first to arrive and nearly fainted when the barman mistakenly told me that the reservation was for 10pm (instead of 8)!!! But then Hjalmar's mom N arrived and it was with great relief that we settled down at our table. The first thing she asked me was whether I cook what I cook every day. Apparently she ate at G's house last Sunday and got to taste the Thai Green Curry and Viet Rolls that I prepared with G on Friday. She loved it and wanted to know if I could teach her how to cook Asian too. Hmm, so that looks like Cooking Partner Nº 2.

The other mothers started arriving at 20 past 8 and by around 9 we were actually nearly 20! Quite a good turnout if you consider that we are only about 60 families in the whole school.

La Cantinetta is actually some sort of a cellar/basement with arches and stone walls. And the only image they played on their big plasma on the wall was that of a fireplace burning away. Gave one the illusion of warmth and must say that it probably worked quite well.

I had 2 glasses of Moscato d'Asti as I needed to drive back and in any case I'm not an alcohol person. In Singapore or with most other Asians, a Ladies' Night would be an eating night, but well, not in Europe apparently. It was nice getting to know the other mothers, but with so many people talking at the same time, it was noisy and I had difficulty concentrating. I'm a tête-à-tête sort of girl so big crowds are not my scene. But luckily in Italy now you can't smoke in restaurants and bars so at least we didn't have to live with any smoke.

I learnt that many mothers used to have good careers but had to give them up to follow their Hubs around. That they are pretty sick of being housewives, especially in an ulu place like Modena. So I'm not alone.

With G we were the 1st to leave. And it was 11pm. I was falling asleep where I was and knew that I had a short night and long day ahead. Reached home to find the Babies in bed with the Hub. Very short night.

This morning, woke up to see nothing in front of the window. Could I be suffering from a hangover after just 2 glasses of moscato?

But no, the famous Modena fog had finally settled in. Sh*t, how do I turn on the anti-fog lights in the car?