Salad? YES PLEASE!!

I've never been one of those women who order salad in a restaurant as their main meal. In fact, I smirked looking at them. They reminded me of goats with table manners.

Most women eat salad on a constant basis to lose weight. They can't afford to pile on those calories thus the safest bet will be yes, the salad. I don't condone dieting, in fact I think it's silly. It's probably an unfair, uncompassionate and biased sentiment on my part since I know I can get away with eating like a horse thanks to good genes and high metabolism (though mom's willing to bet I'll start piling on the weights once I hit 30! Yea, thanks mom).

The Turks LOVE their salads. Being in Istanbul for over 9 months (geez, and my Turkish's still rotten?!), I've to basically eat what the locals eat. Bread is their main staple food. Though I've not quite acquired the appreciation and love for bread, I've in fact, embraced the beauty of appreciating the simple yet delightful taste of...salad.

I've not replaced my main meals with salad of course. I still have my generous portions of main meals and I eat salad in between. I'll be munching on salads when I'm watching the telly, when I'm surfing, when I'm reading or with an afternoon tea with a friend.

See, the most common misconception people have is: SALAD IS BORING. Aah, this is the part where I shall enlighten you further. Before we proceed, I'll be the first to admit, I'm not a health guru. In fact, I do what I like, I eat what I love and I exercise when I want to.

Generally my diet is quite healthy I think cos firstly I don't have a sweet tooth. Junk food and those sinful chocs and what have you makes me sick to the stomach. I love my meat, I love my rice. Just like most Chinese, I don't take sugar for my tea. I can't drink coffee cos my stomach will get all queasy. I always prefer steamed or boiled meat to fried one. No, these are not a form of discipline, it's genuine preference and likes/dislikes. Anyways what I'm trying to say is, DO NOT take this post as some reliable health advice from a professional cos it's CLEARLY NOT. This is more towards enlightenment reading than informative reading yea? (Too many lawsuits going on, that I just have to be annoying and make myself real clear...certainly wouldn't want anyone suing me for fainting spells)

What are the 4 health benefits of eating salad??

1. Fiber - A high fiber diet helps to lower your cholesterol level and prevent constipation


2. For the fruits and vegetables - this helps to lower your risks of many diseases, particularly CANCER. (I also like munching on those crunchy green and fruit salads cos I'll have fresh breath after, what's not to like?!)


3. To lose weight! - Yes I could imagine women grinning and nodding in approval to this one. (Meanwhile I can't afford to lose weight unless I wanna look like a human linguine) Eating salad helps you to cut those calories. You can afford to eat them guilt free. They're good for ya!


4. To get SMART FATS - Those good fats like olive oil, avocado and nuts are good for you. Olive oil is also said to promote longevity and reduce mortality.

Oh no ladies, the benefits don't end here, you just have to do your own research that's all! Eating salads on a regular basis is a step nearer to a fitter body and nice, glowy healthy skin (THIS - I'm waiting for!) Now back to the part where most would associate salads as boring munchies, well I've got news for you dearies cos fact is... IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE!

You can be as creative as you like to spice up that salad of yours! Add in those colorful vegetables and fruits for variation and appeal! I'll tell you what my fave salad is: SHRIMP & SALMON salad with olive oil and lemon dressing...Oooh la la... (you can find one of the best at 'iSiS' restaurant in Kadikoy, Istanbul for 15lira) I go weak in the knees just thinking about it. I remembered when I was first served that, I held my breath just looking at how pretty the presentation was and I was gushing non stop how beautiful it looked much to the amusement of the waiter. I just have this passion for food and sometimes it can be a bit...loud.

To end off this post, enjoy these amazingly simple yet gloriously beautiful and healthy munchies (I still don't think they should replace main meals) ! Time to dump those triple Cs- chips, cookies and chocs!

xo ;

V

My mom passed away but I was lucky to wake up from it...

It's 4+ in the morning now and my eyes are puffy and swollen, from crying too much. Lightning is flashing non stop and the sound of thunder pierce through the silence once in a while. That doesn't help make me feel better.

I can't seem to sleep again. I'm too scared. My eyes feel tired and heavy but I'm still forcing myself to stay awake. Maybe cos I'm scared the nightmare I just had will come true...thus I'm contented to stay awake now... holding on to the moment when I know for sure that it was just a bad dream.

I dreamt I was frantically packing. Packing books and some unnecessary stuff, I recall vaguely. I was doing it under the table. Squatting under the table, just like how I used to when I was a young child.

I can't remember now but someone whom I knew, maybe a family member, was hurrying me telling me our bus was leaving soon (I couldn't be sure but I think the bus was filled with relatives and family members). She said dad was getting agitated and impatient. I've always had a fear of dad since I was a child. He instilled that fear in all of us, not through respect but through FEAR itself. Growing up, I've witnessed the nastiest side of his temper and I've seen with my eyes and have experienced first hand what anger can do to a man and how it can make his own flesh and blood resent him for life.

I was almost done packing but I had to release my full bladder so I rushed to the toilet to relief myself. Next thing I knew, my cousins were outside the toilet door, softly knocking on it, asking me to speed up as they waited for their turn.

Suddenly the whole setting of the dream changed. The house was quiet and I was alone in the scene.

Not too long after, I could hear voices, voices of mom and dad. It was loud enough for me to distinguish their voices but wasn't clear enough for me to decipher what was being said.

It came from outside our apartment. It sounded like it was near the staircase in front of my lift lobby. From the look of it, I could tell this was in Singapore. It looked different from our current flat though.

I was scared mom and dad were fighting. Again. Growing up, I was no stranger to witnessing my parent's ugly and nasty tiffs. It wasn't a fair fight most of the time. It was mostly dad bullying mom.

I rushed to get the keys to unlock the lock on my front gate of our apartment door. I had to stop the fight. I had to make sure mom was ok. I had to pull them away from the prying eyes of the neighbours.

I had difficulty unlocking the lock cos I was in such hurry to open it and my hands were shaking at the same time.

While I was still attempting to unlock the lock, I saw a glimpse of my parent's backs. They were walking extremely slow... as though dragging themselves forward with each step. They seemed lifeless. What was shocking was that they had their pants down. Their back was facing me and I could see their naked butts. The brown skin of dad's and the milky white skin of mom's buttcheeks were stained with traces of blood from what looked like wounds from being mercilessly whipped. The skin from the wounds ripped open, revealing some flesh.

My heart stopped as I tried to make sense of it all... Mom and dad looked like they were walking down in humiliation and shame, with their heads bowed down and their shoulders slumped, with no trace of life nor energy in them. It looked like they were tortured.

I didn't know how I knew then.... maybe a voice in my head told me so. Telling me that mom and dad were being punished for their children's sins.

No. No.. It couldn't be. What the hell is going on?!!!! What on earth was happening?! I had to save them, I had to.

When I finally got the lock unlocked, i pulled the damn thing off the latch with such great force. "I have to save mom, I have to save mom," I told myself repeatedly, I was starting to lose my mind.

Mom was all I could think of. It's because the most important thing in the world for me is..mom. I told lotsa people before, I'd give up my life for mom and anyone who messes with mom is my enemy. I'd give up my life to protect her or take revenge on anyone who harm that woman.

"It's no point." I turned around when I heard the sudden voice. It was my sister. Her voice was void of emotions. It was as though she knew something that I didn't. Whatever it was, I could see it broke her to the point of numbness.

"What are you talking about?" I asked weakly. I stopped at my track, trying to study her and hoping for just someone to shed answers. "I'm trying to get mom," I told her.

"You can't," she replied calmly yet it was evident something was not quite right with her. It was as though she has lost her mind. "That's not mom. That's her soul."

(I'm crying again now... trying to continue this part. It was so vivid. It felt so real) I remembered feeling stunned beyond anything I ever felt before. I felt weak in the knees like I'd just collapse anytime.

"Mom is dead." The words came from my sister's mouth. My mouth was opened. I couldn't breathe. No. What...was going on. What the heck was going on.

"New York killed her. New York killed mom," came the bizzarre words from my sister. I couldn't understand what she was saying. Lotsa things were going through my head. Was mom killed in New York? What did she mean by NY killed her? Was there a war? Was there a terrorist attack?

I ran out and at a distance, I saw the faint vision of my parents still walking as though being tormented to walk around in public with their dignity and pride stripped.

I collapsed on the floor. I knew in my heart it was true, she was dead. I screamed. I screamed. I screamed. I screamed as loud as I can, hoping the pain in my heart could be taken away. I screamed. I was on the floor screaming and screaming and screaming and screaming. I just couldn't stop. I was deranged. I lost everything. I wanted to die. I screamed. I screamed. I screamed. I had flashes before my very eyes. Flashes of regrets. Of what a bad daughter I was to mom. Of how I hated my typical Asian upbringing cos that meant I couldn't bring myself to express my love to mom when she was alive. Ooh I had too much regrets. I screamed and screamed. I wanted to die. I wanted to die. My world has died, I didn't wanna live.

I had flashes in my head too of the times I told my friends that I could never recover back to the person I was before should I ever lose my mom. I screamed and beg God to let this be a nightmare. I screamed hoping to wake up but I didn't. I cried and begged God. I begged him to wake me up from my sleep. I begged and cried my heart out. I can't lose mom. I can't. I musn't. I'll forever be a shattered and souless person. I can't lose mom.

I screamed again, so hard, hoping my pain would ease...then I woke up. It has been 2 hours and I'm still in tears now.

The thought of losing my mom is too much for me to handle. Being away from her doesn't offer much comfort now.

I'm so glad it was a nightmare. I'm still crying and shakened. What was that, a bus full of relatives and family members about? Was it to a funeral? What does this dream mean? I'm too scared to think of possibilities.

Please, I would like to hear from you. I know I have some readers here on my blog. Drop me a line or two. Till then take care and well, let us all remember we aren't immortals. Love the people around you with all your heart...while you still have them in your life. I was lucky to be able to wake up from my nightmare. But one day... I might not be that lucky.

Yes. The Birthday Girl.

I woke up today feeling a little down. Down cos I knew I'm a year older.That doesn't feel so good. I'll be reaching the big 3-0 soon and that's not fun either. I remembered an old FRIENDS episode on Digiturk channel yesterday. Rachel was celebrating her 30th birthday and she didn't take it well. There were also reminisces of the Monica's and Joey's 30th birthday and they were both equally depressed.

I dunno... it's a woman's thingy. We just wanna keep young! A man gets wiser and more charming as he gets older. But a woman?! Sure we can try to preserve our looks as much as we can and remain all young at heart and bubbly and crap but hey age doesn't lie. It's all over your ID card, whatever official forms you've filled or will be filling, your passport and in the damn memories of people close to you! In addition to that, I definitely don't wanna be one of the statistics of women who lie about their age! I have an awesome gf here who lies to any men she meets that she's 9-10 years YOUNGER. Truth be told, she could get away with it with her good genes but hey, I don't wanna be like that!!!! I think I should start practising in the mirror saying out my age in deceived confidence and ease.

My best gf here's on a sexy beach vacation in Mamaris (she's been messaging me to tell about all the studs she's met there) and my other gf has left Istanbul for good days ago. I have no one to celebrate my birthday with or to party this day with. I don't feel too bad about it considering the fact that I'm not especially thrilled to turn a year older from yesterday. Looks like it's gonna be any other day for me...

It made me smile though to see birthday wishes from friends on my facebook wall. It's the first time so many people have ever remembered my birthday, thanks to facebook. lol. I'm still checking now and then for new wishes at the same time putting myself at an 'offline' mode just so they won't know how pathetic I am on my birthday! Yes, yes, let them all think how I'm on my way now to the posh Baghdad Street to buy some fancy dress for my party tonight. I'm probably gonna curl in bed with a new novel I bought yesterday (The Help by Kathryn Stockett)....


xo
V

Yes, I've Disappeared again! lol

I know I should be updating this blog regularly, as least I'd like to but I'm kinda feeling uninspired. Summer has robbed ALL my weekday classes thus I've way too much free time up my sleeve. What did I spend my time on? Oh I dunno... being a housewife? lol... I couldn't sit around and do nothing so I usually clean the house spick and span, do all the laundry and yes sometimes all the ironing at once (usually I just iron my clothes as I need them). At times I talk a walk along Baghdad Street, looking at all the posh shops and posh people and wondering when can I ever be like them... or just spend 5 hours straight in my fave simit cafe reading a good novel.

For once I get to rest but unfortunately no work means no money thus I can't venture out so much as much as I like to! I did try to work on my Turkish with all this free time I have but geez... I still can't work out the logic of this mysterious language! I tried to study on the Turkish grammar but ended up having a headache (not kidding).

Last Sunday, not even one student turned up for my conversation class. I could fault it to the rain or their examinations. Anyways, I was waiting in class for like 4 bloody hours (it was a 4-hour lesson). I was pacing around, reading my book, surfing and getting restless basically. I couldn't leave at the 3rd hour cos I've a 1-hour class with my 10 year olds at the 5th hour (yes they turned up thank God).

Any employer with a decent character would still pay me for my hours since it's not my freaking fault they didn't turn up. I wasn't informed of it nor did I expect it. Imagine my disgust when I signed out at the end of the day only to realised the school secretary had written my working hours as 1 hour! For gawd's sake I was in your bloody school for 5 hours and I was waiting like a restless donkey for 4 dreadful hours! The secretary barely spoke English so in my halting Turkish, I asked her why was it stated as only 1 hour. She told me the principal told her to mark it as such. I guess I did look frustrated. I wasn't sure if the principal was hiding in her office like a cowardly cow cos the door was closed. The secretary advised me to email the principal about the matter. I said ok and thanked her.

I emailed the principal once I got home but it bounced. I emailed her again a day after that and it bounced too. I think I have to settle some scores with her tomorrow when I report for work! It's just plain dishonesty! The school certainly didn't make a loss over it, students paid and even if they didn't turn up, they wouldn't get their money back. So why shouldn't I be compensated for wasting my time there??! I even rejected a private class on that day cos I had to work, my time is as valuable as everyone else's!

I've always had problems with this particular principal. She acts all nice but is in fact crafty and just because she has a Master's in Psychology, she thinks she can manipulate everyone! Well, sorry, doesn't take a genius to figure out she's just taking a piss out of me! I'm kinda in a hopeless situation in a way cos even if I threatened not to report to work, I'll be at a losing end cos my pay check is still with her. Sigh... you wouldn't know the kinda shit foreign teachers have to go through here unless ya here. I'm still gonna fight for my rights though. How I wished I can just punch her right there in the face! I'm already picturing it in my head in fact.

I've to go Taksim today to collect my last pay from another school. R, my very very good friend here is off on vacation at the lovely Mamaris so I hope G will tag along.
I've never met G though we've kept in touch for quite some time. I wasn't so keen on meeting new people cos I spent most of my time here with R and we had lotsa fun but now I guess I'm gonna cheat on R and have another gf to hang out with. haha..

G has been shuttling from here to England (where she's from) non stop cos her bf (or is it fiance) is Turkish thus she's always making constant visits here. I know she's here in Istanbul now, hopefully she's free today...

Well I'm gonna do some cleaning up now. Take good care, enjoy!!!!


xo
V