I was planning to go to the library for books and then to the grocery store to score some discounted items. But it has been too windy, with sudden burst of rain now and then. It is also not an ideal weather to do any gardening.
Ah well, could be worse, so I am not complaining. It is a stay-indoors Tuesday with a lot of reading and research.
Yesterday, D and I did our weekend errands of swinging by the library, visiting the parents, and grocery shopping together.
Because it was an Easter weekend and the beginning of a two-week school holiday, the grocery store was busy and packed full of people. Our grocery shopping for Easter lunch went on smoothly without any issues. The crowd was mainly made up of families who were running an errand together, there were no dramas, and checked out was efficient and uncomplicated.
This Easter Sunday, D and I have invited the parents over for lunch. Because my objective was to set a trend of no-fuss gatherings, we have prepared our food and drinks accordingly. We started with a simple drink of bubbly rosé (free with a coupon), accompanied by some warm appetizers (store-bought). Lunch was a small variety of meats which we grilled ourselves, home-made croquettes by the parents, and a big bowl of salad I put together in the morning.
After lunch, we had coffee, cookies and watched De Ronde on TV.
A simple get-together of minimum effort… 😉
It is Good Friday today. After placing a piece of frozen fish to thaw in the refrigerator for this evening’s dinner, I went outdoors to do some gardening.
It was windy, but dry, so I spent about an hour or two tidying up the backyard. I trimmed the grass borders and stopped when my right hand started to cramp. Then, I worked the soil in the flower bed next to the fish pond, and sowed a variety of flower seeds which I have saved from previous years.
Summer blooms will be wonderful little surprises, depending on the seeds that will germinate and grow.
This morning, I went to the city hall to pick up my Belgian (European) driving license. The exchange of old and new licenses took only a few seconds, I did not even need to sign off on anything. Oh yeah, I am now officially allowed to ride a moped. Ha?!
After the city hall, I went to an ATM to exchange my dollars to euros. I then walked a bit in the weekly market and bought two eierkoeken for D. I met D’s mom, and we chatted for a bit before we went our separate ways home. Along the way, I stopped by the grocery store to check out its win-win products. These are discounted items that are about to expire.
By purchasing win-win products, I am saving food from going into the dumpster, trying out products that I never considered buying, and saving some money. It is definitely a win-win activity and likely to become one of my favourite pastime. 😉
This afternoon, I took several items out of the freezer to make a simple fruit galette. The frozen ingredients were a store-bought pie crust, home-grown plums, last summer’s strawberries, and a few cubes of blackberry puree.
After eating two slices with whipped cream, I stored the rest of the galette in plastic containers which I then placed in the refrigerator.
A few months ago, I had a matcha latte in Kortrijk. I really enjoyed the simple drink of tea and milk, but find it to be a tad too costly. Matcha latte, which contain only three to four ingredients can be made easily at home. So, when I came upon matcha powder in the store not so long ago, I did not hesitate to put that in my shopping cart.
This weekend, I have been making warm matcha lattes using the milk frother my sister gave D and I a couple of years ago. Yum yum.
This morning, my mom’s new SIM arrived from Kota Kinabalu. The badass stamp on the registered mail made me smile. 😛
At quarter after ten, I left the house to meet up with D’s mom. We spent some time around the cycling team buses, looking at the cyclists, then made our way to the podium just in time to see the start of E3 Saxo Classic. We then lined up for the free fries, which was actually the main objective of our meet-up. After the fries, we spent an hour of so drinking coffee at a café. At around two in the afternoon, I left my in-law with her friends, and strolled back home.
At home, I placed the SIM which I received this morning, into a new phone. It worked without giving me any problem. What a relief!
And before I know it, D was home and we watched the finish of race on TV together. Neither of us wanted to go out in the rain.
This morning, I went to the city hall to replace my current papier rijbewijs to a bankcard-format driving license. My name will be stated correctly on this new license, and it will be valid for the next ten years.
I have been putting things in order since the third quarter of last year. First, I had my surname corrected. And then, I renewed my resident card. My passport renewal followed after that. After I have collected this new passport, I shall apply for a tourist visa. All this, for the sake of being legal and acquiring the freedom to cross oceans.
Next Thursday, I may go pick up my new driving license. For half the cost of my library membership, I am licensed to operate a vehicle, in Europe!
Both my parents are eighty-one years of age. Mom and dad met in college in their twenties, and have been a couple for more years than I have been alive. 😛
My parents grew up in very different circumstances. The decades of being together do not erase the fact that they are from different backgrounds. I think their difference in personalities and viewpoints are becoming more obvious as they age.
Dad was orphaned at a very young age. The four younger siblings by my grandfather’s second wife were separated, to be taken cared of by adult half-sisters. Dad grew up with the struggles and obstacles of a post-war Malaysia, but he did alright in life because he is an intelligent and hard-working person. His first two decades in life made him wary and a little disappointed in people.
My mom came from a well-to-do family. She has both her parents well into her adulthood. Her flamboyant father passed away when she was thirty years old. When grandma passed away in 2015, mom was in her seventies. Having family stability and never having to struggle with finances, mom becomes a happy-go-lucky. Life is kind to her.
Observing and understanding the different life paths of my parents made me realise how important stability, education, knowledge, awareness and money play in the forming of our characters.
A couple of days ago, D and I were invited to a charity party in Lokeren. I have a feeling that we were last minute choices, but who’s complaining?! Not me. 😉
So yesterday evening, we met up with a handful of friends, ate, drank, enjoyed the music performances, and the people in general. We left the party at one and arrived safely home by two in the morning.
Today is stay-home-Sunday.
