Ode to Joy ….

*I don’t know why it is not showing up on my page. While I try to sort it out, you can watch it here.

Have a good weekend!

You walked into a restaurant and ordered 2 sets of fish and chips. You clearly stated that due to food allergies, the sauce was to be separated.

Food was served and you realised one of the set had creamy sauce on it. You requested for it to be changed.

The staff readily took it back and came back really quickly with a clean piece of fish without the sauce.

We happily started on our meal and because the kids decided to share their meal, and pinched ours, they ended up leaving that changed set of fish and chips untouched. Knowing that these kids would be hungry once done with shopping, we decided to pack that set of fish and chips and let them have it in the car.

Meal over, food to go. Just as we were leaving, friend decided to check that there was an extra box in the packed food so that the kids would have their own ‘plate’ while having their leftovers in the car.

As she opened up the box, she saw something strange. There was cream on the other side of the fish. When she turned it over, to our horror, we realised that the fish wasn’t changed in the first place when the waitress returned with the ‘changed’ fish, all they did was flipped it over!

Frankly, it was so hilarious to us at first, the moms’ eyes went really huge with the ‘I can’t believe it’ look. Then, we laughed at how anyone can even think of doing it! It really sounded very simple, isn’t it. Flip it over and voila!

But seriously, can you IMAGINE the consequences if the Angel had it? Can you IMAGINE what would have happened if we didn’t check and chances were, we’d have served them the food in the car and they’d have eaten on their own?

And worse of all, the staff knowingly committed the offence. When approached, they readily apologised and volunteered to change to a new fish! When confronted about their irresponsible behaviour and what could have been the consequences, they remained unperturbed and just apologised. I seriously doubt they understand the gravity of the manner.

NIGHTMARE!

This happened in a reputable restaurant – The Manhattan Fish Market!

Moral of this lesson – Never trust those waiters and waitresses. Check your food!

I have more stories to share and they will definitely help you to decide which restaurants to avoid if you have allergies like the Angel!

To understand the background a little better, the Other Angel is a gorger and currently, a screamer (more about her later).

If you can then imagine, she, who loves food, can’t eat it will scream her heart out!

Two days after I’ve introduced this rule to the Angel, I was eating Swiss roll. I was famished and tired from preparing dinner and really needed a quick bite to replenish the depleted energy while serving the Angel.

She came sobbing to me, “Mom! I want to eat the Swiss roll but I know I can’t. You shouldn’t eat the Swiss roll in front of me!”

Then she ran away.

I was in shock in between my bite of Swiss roll. She had conveyed with profound truth my rude manner (usually I’m really careful what I eat before her as to eliminate the exclusion factor and we try not have anything that she can’t eat at home).

I finished up my Swiss roll and she came back to the table for her food. I apologised and we both went into a discourse about food and eating with others and her sister.

We concluded that her sister is unable to exercise self-control so we have to protect her, while we try to think of ideas to help her with her screaming bit. More importantly, she walked away this the notion that she can’t dictate what others eat and should not impose our ‘can’ts’ (can’t eat, can’t do) on others. The Angel has decided that it is better for her to enjoy others’ company – travel, visit friends, try other restaurants, rather than demand that no one has food she can’t have.

For me, I know from my heart that the Angel hardly has the issue of dealing with what others are eating. She often finds alternatives, walk away, or the most, she’d give a sigh and says, “Oh, I can’t have that but never mind. Maybe next time.”

In fact, I often cringe when friends bring food that she can’t have or children tell her in her face, “Oh, I’m eating this but you can’t have it.” She has always handled such situations graciously but I feel downright lousy for being the one this time.I walk away humbly, with this lesson in parenting, “Do Unto Others What You Want Others to Do Unto You”. I set the rule that the Angel is not to eat anything that the Other Angel can’t have and I myself did not abide by the rule to her.

I set her off by having a rule which I did not keep.

Parenting is remembering and setting the example.

I dreamt that my mom was in the hospital and my MIL asked me for a Rolex watch.

At the end of the dream, my mom told me eating out often will result in us falling ill and my MIL told me she was joking about the Rolex watch.

When I woke up, I know that I should cook more for mom and oh yes, I owe my MIL a present, but not a Rolex watch!

My post on roaring must have something to do with the white tigers I saw earlier in the day. We witnessed the feeding and I love the way one of the white tigers, Ooma (?), stood on twos to intercept the bone flung towards it.

The Tipping Point says that sometimes, small elements in our environment can largely affect us. The image of the prowling white tigers waiting for their feed must have been the impetus for my roar and of course, that picture seems to portray a white tiger roaring (it’s really meant to make you readers laugh – even my sense of humour is back). And if only the white tigers had really roared!

I’m all ready to share with you how I got roaring since my last rut.

That makes me wonder, under what circumstances do tigers roar?

Because I am roaring good times, roaring good finds, roaring good sense, roaring good fun, rrrrrroooooooaaaaaarrrrrrring ……

On the way up, I met a elderly couple in the lift.

Well, you know how people try to avoid talking to one another in the lift?

In our family, we usually do it differently. We try to smile, greet and bid farewell, especially to our estate neighbours and people around here have been especially friendly.

This time, the grandma took the initiative to strike up a conversation.

She asked, “How old is your brother?”

I gave her an incredulous look, “My BROTHER? She’s a girl and I’m HER MOM!”

Too funny (pardon the broken English), isn’t it and how can I not roar after such a funny episode?

….. and yes, I still experience endless chores, can’t-wait-to-crawl-into-bed-tiredness, 48-hours-day-please-wish, ‘why-must-people-eat syndrome’ ….

….. BUT I’m ready to roar again!

Trust me, this time I know it, it is going to last.

I will tell you the whys and hows and whats and whens in bits and pieces …..

In the meantime, hear watch me ROAR!