Last Weekend, 2015

Last Thursday. My eyes roamed over the array of exorbitant cakes, as if by appearance alone I could decide which to purchase. I skipped those which contained caffeine and alcohol. Those that were too sweet or too creamy were out too. In the end there remained three to five choices, and I went with the red velvet as well as chocolate mousse, since they were so well liked by other customers that there were only few slices of them left.

On my train ride home, I made a phone reservation at a buffet restaurant, while keeping an eye on the box of cakes balanced on my knees. I booked the 27th, because I was certain that Christmas Eve, Christmas and Boxing Day would be crazy full of people. I had tried for weeks to plan a nice birthday treat for my mum, or at least get a tasteful gift for her, but so far I'd failed to come up with anything that would outdo my previous year's efforts. When my colleagues found out last Thursday was my mum's birthday and asked me what celebrations I might have in store, I wasn't hiding anything from them when I shrugged my shoulders. I decided to just think on my feet, once I stepped out of the office.

By the time I joined my family at a Chinese diner instead of the Japanese eatery they planned to go, I had stowed away the cakes in our fridge, confirmed the buffet reservation and refuelled my car. I mentioned the buffet, but not the cakes, which I told my sister was a surprise. My mum had been dropping hints that she desired to try out the buffet place, but there wasn't any follow up action until now. I was so afraid that they had other plans, and sure enough, they did. Some minor tweaks in our schedules sufficed, and we were good to go.

After dinner my sisters intended to have a walk in the park with mum, to enjoy the trees decked in Christmas lights. It was no ordinary park, and it was quite some distance away, but I readily agreed. How strange it is that sometimes, spur of the moment decisions turn out to be good. We took some photographs, mainly "wefie"s, with a stunning backdrop of artificially illuminated trees.

Just when mum thought she could retire for the night after getting back home, I brought out the two slices of cakes. Surprise, surprise! I think mum was more happy than surprised, judging by the look on her face. "Oh, you didn't have to," she said, "you've already booked the buffet!" In truth, it had been a tough year, and I would like to do right by her, by my family. A nice buffet would be a neat ending to this roller-coaster year 2015.

Spend your money on the things money can buy. Spend your time on the things money can’t buy.

― Haruki Murakami, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle

Last Friday. It was nice to literally take a back seat, for a change. Dad drove us to a remote fishing village for a sumptuous seafood lunch. We'd been to the area a few times before and by now, we were quite at home with the scenery, the people and the food. However, I was taken aback by the sight of newly built rows of shops and dark grey tarred roads here. Imagine the flux of emotions for city dwellers like us who come all the way here to experience a change of view, only to find more of the same old concrete, brick and glass. Is it too soon to say that simple village life could be a thing of the past?

 

I fell into a deep food coma induced by the late afternoon lunch and was lulled into sleep by the steady motion of dad's car traversing quiet paths and later, ruler-straight highways. Joy is having an afternoon nap after being denied of one for far too long. Oh the weather outside was frightful, with strong winds blowing and merciless rain lashing against the car, but the fire in our bellies was so delightful. Let it rain! Let it rain! Let it rain! (Christmas, Malaysian-style, haha)

Last Saturday. It is both a blessing and a curse to work within the city's golden triangle. Road closures, street demonstrations and traffic congestion are common enough that I have become quite unfazed when I encounter them. On the other hand, it is a haven for food and shopping. My colleagues and I were in for a treat on the night of Boxing Day, though we didn't know what to expect.

Some of us got off work earlier to take up our reserved table at a fancy restaurant not far from our offices. It was a long day and truth be told, I was exhausted and famished by the time we were seated. The menu was either printed or photocopied on cheap, A5-sized papers with no pictures other than those depicting the restaurant's name/theme in caricatures. I hope that means they change their menu often.

The dinner would be paid for by our boss, and I was having a hard time deciding on what to order. After long, thoughtful considerations about how my choices would reflect my character, I decided on a simple steak and fries within the not-so-expensive-but-not-so-cheap category and declined beverage, since tap water was provided on the house.

Each of us received a gift from the management of our company. Boss egged us on to open our presents since it was Boxing Day, but none of us did (I liked the wrapping too much to open it so soon). Most of my colleagues ordered alcoholic drinks, and seeing that I sat in a corner without any beverage in hand, my boss kindly asked whether I wanted a drink. I gave in and settled on a lemonade soda.

Later, when I was asked again, a pear cider made its way to me. It was nothing I couldn't handle, and it wasn't my first time drinking. "Ave Maria" sung by a strong, rich voice was gently playing in the background. Oh the irony! Imagine the look on my colleagues' faces when I finished the cider, sip by slow sip as our conversations ebbed and flowed. Someone joked that I look the same, whether drunk or sober. Gosh, it was just a cider. I wasn't wasted at all - my thoughts and emotions were still normal. Till this day I haven't even seen myself in an inebriated state, so I have no idea what I would look like in that condition.

Dinner and gifts notwithstanding, our boss drove each of us home. The fact that he drunk only lemonade and iced lemon tea didn't escape me; I merely thought it was because of his health.

Last Sunday. Off we went, with me as the driver, to the buffet place which all of us were looking forward to visting. Smooth traffic all the way there (as well as back) and plenty of parking spots available ― imagine my incredulity. We arrived ahead of time, so we split up and whiled away the hour exploring the shopping mall, wherein the buffet place was located, on our own.

I decided to push my luck and dropped by Chatime to see whether this outlet served Choc Peppermint Smootea. After being disappointed by three other outlets, it seemed that today was my lucky day. The drink was pricey, I admit, but the chunky chocolate and cool refreshing peppermint put me on cloud nine. I got more than I paid for: a gratification and a closure to a long search for that elusive drink.

The buffet lunch was a bit of a letdown, but I kept those feelings to myself and allowed my family to define their own experiences, untainted by my words. We were tucked away in a quiet corner, away from the "main action", so to speak. There were fewer dishes than I expected, and no green tea ice cream in sight. Put those aside, it was an "okay" experience for me. I tried some raw fish and sea creatures whose names I don't remember now. Braised sea cucumber and "Buddha Jumps Over the Wall" were delightful viands that brought cheer to my heart in this otherwise lacklustre experience.

 

 

My family seemed to have enjoyed the treat. Full bellies, happy faces and good memories further backed up in the form of photographs. We all ended up in yet another food coma which our siesta that afternoon did only little to relieve.