Bus Trips

I take the bus to and from work everyday.   The more common buses are the yellow Hillsbus.  I think these replaced the older blue ones.  Recently, more new red buses have been added to the fleet. I thought that all these buses were "created equal" meaning regardless of the colour of the bus, the degree of comfort would be the same.  However, one day I discovered that not all buses are created equal.   

On that day, I was feeling a bit under the weather.  I was hoping that there would be enough seats on the bus so that I didn't have to stand.  I was surprised to see a big sign (beside the requisite Bus Driver ID card) on the front which said that there was no standing allowed in the bus.  

I took my seat and ... ahhhh ...my immediate thought was 'this seat is COMFORTABLE!'   

I imagine that is how it would feel like if I were seated in First Class of an airplane.  It is possible that the bus was once a tour bus considering there were even overhead baggage compartments which the regular buses didn't have.  On this particular bus, there was only one door and all the seats were facing front.  The other buses would have a second door in the middle that could be opened to allow people in the back rows to exit, and there would be several drop down seats in front that faced each other.  The drop-down seats could be closed (raised) to accommodate wheelchairs or baby strollers.  

Come to think of it, this special bus didn't even have the usual buttons to be pressed to signal the driver that someone wanted to get off at the next stop.  People just stood up and walked towards the door when their stop was approaching.

Sadly these special buses are far and few between.  Fortunately, I have managed to "find" them when I needed them the most.

The second time I chanced upon a bus like this was when I had a particularly long and hard day at work.   That is when I took this shot.  (Notice the the bus was practically empty so I was able to take a picture without hesitation.)

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I have a bus buddy from the office. He normally takes the 614X but he has a whole slew of bus choices that would bring him closer to home, including the 610X which I take.  If we happen to be leaving the office at about the same time, he would opt to ride the 610X with me, get off at the motorway bus stop then transfer to another bus that would take him home.  

In the past, when we didn't ride together, he considered me his lucky rabbit's foot.  At that time, when we left the office at the same time, he would always manage to catch the 614X when we got to the bus stop.  Eventually, when we happened to be in line together, he decided he preferred to keep me company on the 610X and  take a transfer ticket rather than wait for his bus or get on his bus, depending on which bus came first. 

I always tell him that I would not feel bad if went off ahead on the 614X should his bus arrive before mine, but he is too much of a gentleman and has let his 614X drive away without him on several occasions. 

We have a lot of interesting conversations on our way home.  One prevalent theme is priority seating.  

I tell my friend that I could easily be eligible for priority seating because (a) I have a handbag and a long  umbrella and (b) I have big hips.  He laughs and says he can walk around with one leg raised if he has to.  So between the two of us, we have every right to sit on the reserved seats.

The reserved seats would have red seat covers, instead of the usual blue ones, to indicate these as the seats to be vacated for the disabled, elderly or expectant mothers.  We never take the red seats;  we usually go for the drop down seats in the front so that it is convenient for him to get off when he is going to transfer buses.

Although we are not on the red seats, since we are seated in front, we are always at risk of having to give up our seats should an elderly person or a pregnant woman come on board.  I tell him he can keep an eye out for pregnant women, I'll just watch out for handsome men.  He says, he will watch out for pretty ladies and offer his lap, not his seat, if they'll take it.

We have debated several times over whether the lady who just entered the standing room only bus  was pregnant or just 'slightly' overweight.  It is difficult to tell sometimes and we dare not insult anyone in a crowded bus.

There was a time when we decided to wait for the next bus since the earlier one was already standing room only.  It was rush hour and there was a long queue at the bus stop.  When the next bus arrived , we were able to take our 'usual' seats in front.  The bus quickly filled up but there were still some vacant seats when we left our stop.  There are two more stops before leaving the city and by the time we left the first stop, the bus had filled up.  When we arrived at the second stop, three elderly people entered.  I nudged my friend and we gave up our seats.   The next day, he teased me and said that if I were not around, he would not have given up his seat.  I just laughed and told him that it must have been our day to stand, reminding him that we had opted for that second bus because we hadn't wanted to stand on the first one.

He took his two-week mandatory leave last January.  When he got back, he asked me if I missed him.  I candidly replied, "Nah, I was able to catch up on my reading."  He shook his head in disbelief and cried out, "How hard is it to say, 'yes'?"  "Oh, in that case," I said, "....yes."

It is true.  Although the bus ride takes about an hour, I am never really bored on the bus.   There is always something to do.  I can pray the rosary, read a book, catch up on my email or FaceBook, listen to music, or go to sleep.

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This evening, I caught the bus with another officemate.  We don't really know each other too well so it was more small talk but in the process, he paid me compliment which I am sure he hadn't really meant to.  

This is how our conversation went:

"How is your baby?"  I asked, knowing that his wife had just given birth. (small talk)  

"He's fine," he replied, and dutifully showed off some pictures of his 6 week old baby using his iPhone.  

"You have three, right?" he asked.  (more small talk)  

"Yes, that's right. Two boys and a girl."  

"How old is your eldest?" 

"Nineteen."  

"Nineteen!"  he exclaimed.  "You must have given birth when you were in Kindy."   (score!)

Two Peas in a Pod

Actually two sibling on a bean bag

The Rice Expert

For this week, MacGyver was out of the house by 1PM and was expected back after 10PM.  This meant that the kids and I would have to take care of dinner.  Last Wednesday was the first time this situation has come about and we both wanted to make sure that there would be minimal or no impact on the regular routine.  In other words, we wanted to make sure the family would still able to have dinner at a reasonable time, regardless of what time I was able to get home from work.

Wednesday :  I started off the Korean  Beef Stew in the slow cooker.  MacGyver would be able to flip on the switch to time it such that it would be ready in time for dinner.  I got a call from MacGyver in the late afternoon.  He had checked on the kids but had forgotten to remind them to cook rice.  When I got home, I found that MyGirl was responsible enough to cook rice.   All good.

Thursday :  I figured Hainanese Chicken would be simple enough for the kids to manage.  Our recipe is a rice cooker meal so all the kids would have to do was to put the ingredients into the rice cooker and "press start" (as we like to call pressing the rice cooker switch).  I pre-cut the chicken and put the initial marinade before going to work, then left instructions on a Post-It for MyGirl to prepare our meal for the evening. (I mean let's face it, the boys wouldn't REALLY do the cooking if they didn't HAVE to, even if it was only a matter of putting everything in the cooking had pressing start).  All went well, there was a lot of rice and two pieces of Hainanese Chicken left after the four of us had dinner.

Friday : I decreed we would have left-overs but MacGyver still prepared some chicken to augment the meal before he left for work.  There were three odd pieces left from the batch of chicken we had purchased for the Hainanese Chicken meal. (I had set these aside because there were only so many pieces of chicken we could squeeze into the rice cooker.)  He had marinated the chicken and cooked them in the turbo broiler.    He emailed to tell me that I just had to flip the turbo on for ten minutes to re-heat.  

When I got home, RD proudly announced that he had cooked three cups of rice.   I didn't think we'd need new rice because I knew that there was still some left over rice from the previous day (a small container of left-over rice and the Hainanese Chicken rice) plus there was some sotanghon from Tuesday's dinner.  All of these were in the refrigerator.   Not to mention, that upon entering the kitchen, I immediately spotted a small Tupperware of rice on the counter beside the stove.  Then found a fresh batch of fried rice inside the pan on top of the stove.  

"OK,  RD," I said,  "thanks for cooking rice but my question is you cooked rice because you  DIDN'T SEE any rice? "

And we both had a good laugh, especially when he relayed that he had taken the initiative of transferring the cooked rice from the rice cooker (which he put in a Tupperware and placed on the counter beside the stove), cleaned the rice cooker, refilled the rice container, measured out the rice and water for cooking then five seconds after he pressed start, the phone rang.  It was his dad calling to check up on them.  And MacGyver's question was, "Did you see the fried rice?"   [Yes, the fried rice that is right beside the Tupperware of cooked rice you put on the counter.]

Obviously he didn't see the rice, but it was a good thing he had cooked new rice because the kids thoroughly enjoyed the turbo chicken and, guess what, I was the only one who had left-overs that night.

Saturday morning :  MacGyver and I were enjoying our cup of coffee and I was waiting for MyGirl to come down since she said she was willing to do breakfast for us.  When she didn't emerge from her room, I figured she was busy with something and decided to start breakfast off because I was almost certain RD would wake up sometime soon.  (Apparently MyGirl was just waiting for me to call her.)

I started off with RD's omelette then moved on  to prepare MyGirl's. Then I remembered  I  had to reheat the rice so I poured some water over the left-over rice in the cooker and flipped on the wall switch.  I was finishing off MyGirl's omelette when RD came down.  His first question, "Is there rice?"

Everyone had a good laugh because of Friday night's rice fiasco.  I told him, just check if it has already popped.  He checked and said that the switch was up. (In my mind, that was quick.)  He proceeded to get the oven mitts and transferred the rice cooker from the kitchen to the table.  

I was busy with GI's omelette when RD asked, "Did you add water to the rice, Mom?  This rice is hard."  I replied that I had added water.

With the reassurance that I had added water, he proceeded with his breakfast.  Immediately after taking his first bite, he exclaimed, "This is still COLD!"

Oops, I added water but I must have forgotten to press start.  

Sorry, RD.  (But didn't you even notice that the rice cooker wasn't hot?)

So now, RD is officially our resident rice "expert". 

The photos below will tell you two things -- (1)  We're going to run out of rice soon and (2)  MyGirl has been at the rice container again.

Dream Pan

I have been longing to buy a grill pan.

But I didn't want to buy just any ole grill pan.

I wanted a cast iron pan 

(yeah, I have this thing for cast iron).

I wanted a GOOD grill pan.

What makes a GOOD grill pan?

I wish I knew!

Because I had known several months (or years) back, 

I would have had a grill pan AGES ago.

Why, you may ask, why didn't I just 

buy the first grill pan I found on the store racks?

Because they would still cost me money

 and they would still take up space.

Both of which we don't really have a lot of.

There was a time that MumofFive 

was working at a nearby kitchenware shop.

She could have gotten a discount on 

any product I would have wanted to buy.

But I couldn't bring myself to part with 

$100 for the good grill pan.

I didn't even feel I could afford

 the $25 cheap-o one in the corner shop.

Then out of the blue, it happened, 

me and my future grill pan met.

I had filed for a leave to use one of my days in lieu.

MacGyver asked what I wanted to do.

I made an appointment to see the eye doctor.

He said we could drop by 

the garage sale at the church nearby.

COOL!  Garage sale?  SURE!

So after having my eyes checked 

(my reading grade has gone up),

we headed for the garage sale.

I found it sitting by its lonesome self on a chair.

There was a price tag on it ... $5.

FIVE DOLLARS?   ( G R A B !)

I hung on to the grill pan even if it was super heavy 

and I had just started my bargain hunting.

I was NOT letting go of that grill pan.

For five dollars, I was willing to risk 

it not being a GREAT grill pan.

So we bought it (along with a lot of other stuff)

and brought it home.

Here it is on its maiden voyage.

(The single piece of steak was a winner!)

Definitely worth the five dollars.

The Truth Is Out There

No, not aliens.  GOD.

God is truth.

God is absolute truth.

Check out the beautiful sky He prepared the other morning.

3D Light Show

Sometimes it really is worth checking out FB links that other people share.

I found this really cool.  I didn't know they could do stuff like this.

What is Greener in the Other Side of the World?

Calamansi!

Some of the oranges we bought this weekend 

 are greener than the calamansi a Filipina friend from the office gave me last week.

Wishy-Washy Window

Remember the penguins?

Well, apparently, penguins live in the southern half of the world and can be found in the shores of Antarctica. Penguins also live in the south of Australia, New Zealand, America and Africa.   Though there is ice in Canada and the Arctic, penguins don't live in the northern half of the world.  

Yes, you can find penguins in Canada ... if you visit the zoo.

This led me to wonder about the rest of the bookstore's display.  They had one with books for Dubai.

Yes, there are temples in Dubai.   However, the Taj Mahal is located in India.

I guess they only wanted people to get a flavour of the general area.   Visit Asia!  Or some place or some neighbouring country in that vicinity.    Go to Bali for the elephant safari, then go to China for some yamcha (dim sum), while you are at it, you can enjoy the cherry blossoms and burn some incense.  

(Their subliminal message : This is why people need to read more books.)

Leaves Changing Colour Now

I only noticed that the leaves of one of the trees behind this wall changes colour with the season.

And it changes quite fast, as the other day, there were still some green ones.

Today, you can hardly find any green leaves.

Autumn is my favourite season here.

March of the Penguins

This was on display in one of the bookstores along George Street.  It reminded me of a movie we'd seen several years back and a kidbit I had written about it.   

Movie Preview : March of the Penguins -- 01 October 2005

I got to watch March of the Penguins last night. It was a beautiful movie about the mating rituals of the emperor penguin. The cast had no stars except for the penguins. Morgan Freeman's was the only voice. The scenery was almost purely that of snow and ice. But I really enjoyed watching it. Half the fun of watching this movie was seeing it with RD.

When RD joined me, he saw penguins marching in single file across the vast expanse of ice. There were no people on screen, there seemed to be no dialogue and there was no action. He sat himself beside me, put his hand under his chin and said, "Boy, this is a BORING movie!"

After a while, maybe to make up for the lack of conversation in the movie, he engaged in small talk. "Mom? Where do you think this was taken? The North Pole? Oh, no, not the North Pole, because Santa Claus is there. In the South Pole. It must be in the South Pole.

As the movie relayed, the penguins mate and the mother lays an egg. This takes two months. When RD heard this, he looked at me and said, "For people it takes nine months, right? Does this mean that nine months before, the mom and dad know that they'll have a baby?"

After the mother lays her egg, the egg is passed on to the father, who stays and protects the egg. The mother goes back to the sea to eat because thus far she would have lost 1/3 of her weight. By the time she returns, the egg will have hatched. The baby penguin will transfer from father to mother. The mother will care for the baby penguin as the father journeys to the sea to take his turn for food. Morgan Freeman relayed time frames for these various phases. Somewhere during this part of the movie, RD did some mental calculations and informed me, "For people, if they start in January, by September, they'll be done already."

Finally, the movie showed the harsh realities of survival of the fittest. They showed scenes where the eggs froze, where a seal ate the mother penguin, baby penguins almost eaten by predator birds, and worst, baby penguins that died of the cold. RD told me repeatedly, "I don't think (Grand)Mother would like to watch this movie. It's too sad for her."

By and large, RD enjoyed the movie. It wasn't as boring as he had originally thought. He found it interesting and amazing, but most of all, sad.

The display also reminded me of Mindy.  Why?  Perhaps it was because she was fond of another familiar penguin.