Sunday was one of those terribly hot ones in recent memory. It was supposed to be the day where Singaporeans in Singapore were having their reunion lunches and dinners. Even when Chinese New Year atmosphere in Perth was a big fat zero, there seemed to be some peer pressure somewhere and we ended up asking each other, "Cook what ah?" a few times throughout the day.
We ended up having baked potatoes as dinner. The hot day (peaked 39°C) totally stripped me off any CNY mood. Then there was a hottest week in WA since 1933 to think about. That would take place when my friends in Singapore were munching goodies and enjoying a rare bout of cool weather. They deserved it, seriously, because weather in Singapore is dire the rest of the time. To top it off, we were actually separated from our families. That special meal was supposed to be a celebration of a family's reunion, a tradition passed down by our Chinese ancestors, whom many probably had to leave their village to the city or even migrate to another country for work. Getting everyone back on this day to have a meal together bears significance. Thus doing that alone without our families would be ironic and defeat the purpose.
Pat and family actually invited us to join them for "reunion lunch." That was really nice of them. We ended up having to politely decline, mainly due to us having to prepare the house for a guest coming the following week, as well as bracing for the hellish hot week to come.
We had a good conversation his place on Saturday though, since we dropped by after checking some important business in the area. Pat's suburb (Caversham) looked as good as ever, easily one of the best suburbs to live in and would remain the best kept secret if I could keep my mouth shut. Jo's garden still looked pretty good, with plants all alive - a tough challenge really since some of us humans were already falling. Her herbs were doing well, flourishing in fact. What would Singaporeans give to have a garden with fresh herbs and spices to chop up and scatter around carelessly in the pan in a nice kitchen facing full length glass? I don't know about others but this Singaporean (me) would - and in fact, had.
Don't underestimate these quiet corners literally bearing fruits of your labour day by day. It does a lot more good to your mental well being than you will give credit for. That isn't something easily explained to folks who do not have the privilege to experience this option of living. So many Singaporeans had given up their security, stability and comfort zone for that. That also meant they have to deal with separation from family, loneliness and alienation. Those might know what I was driving at.