hundreds and thousands

hundreds and thousands, originally uploaded by Soyy.

K still can't get over the fact that if ever I have a little bit of spare time nowadays, I bake. He still can't believe that I now stay in the kitchen to create something that's edible.

So while munching through fresh choc buns that I made, he asked. Why are you baking a lot lately? Is there something I should know? (We always have a ready supply of buns and cakes from his mum.) I said, well, mum has been making lemon buns since 2003. I want something different, like chocolate, with hundreds and thousands in them!

He said, so what do you call a single hundreds and thousands? One hundreds and thousands?!

I said, I don't know. Shall we just call them 'bits'?

Conspiracy

After a long day out, we were welcomed at home with music blaring from our next door neighbour's garden. I thought it was too loud for comfort, but hey, it's nice and warm and we could do a little bit of jig anyway while trimming the hedges.

My 6-year-old said, hey mummy, that's Michael Jackson's song!

I said, yes, that's right.

He danced around and exclaimed, Michael Jackson is singing next door! He's not dead!

hot summer

This week, at least. It's particularly warm and the nights are sticky and restless. I could hear the crickets in the early evenings and the birds singing at breakfast time. It's beautiful to be outside (in the shade, of course).

This morning, we woke up an hour early because someone fiddled with the clock. No wonder I felt very tired. Nevertheless, I went straight to my paperworks waiting for me at my desk. I have a deadline to beat. K went outside and called me out. Come on, he said. Feel this. He stretched out his arms like he'd just come out from political imprisonment. It's warm. It's humid. It's like the Philippines! But I've only got my knickers on, I complained. It's fine. So I came out, and indeed it was warm. Fresh. Lovely. And after a second, I went back inside the house again, closed the curtains, and went back to my work.

This afternoon, the boys will be outside again, chasing each other, in their pants. Cold England is already forgotten.

Tooth fairy is coming tonight

Zak's lower front tooth (central incisor) fell off today. Oh, how he screamed like a girl. I didn't expect that there would be blood coming out. It was a long time ago since my baby teeth fell off so I was a bit caught off-guard. I thought I was prepared. I thought I knew what to do at the very instant it happened.

Karl didn't know what to do either. So I cupped Zak's chin while the tooth hang precariously in his extended lower lip, with all the blood and saliva. I dragged him to the kitchen while Karl followed, albeit unhelpfully. 'What are you doing?' he asked. I started laughing, excited that the wobbly tooth has finally fallen off. Zak was looking at me like I was mad. How could his mother laugh when there was blood in his mouth? Anyway, instinct instantly kicked in. I remember how my grans managed my bleeding gum when I was little. So I let Zak rinse his mouth with a cup of vinegar and a bit of salt mixed in. Karl asked again, 'Why vinegar?' Well, soy sauce won't be much help, would it?


I felt helpless so I started shouting, where's the camera? where's the camera? Zak got the phone. Karl picked up a plastic bag. I picked up a cotton ball. Ok, let's check the tooth. Is it complete? Is it whole? Karl said, 'there's still a bit of tooth left in his gum'. I checked. No, it's fine. That's how the tooth looks like.

I finally got hold of the camera. OK, Zak, look at me. Smile!

Election Day and the Mayor of London

I went to the polling station today to vote. There were only 2 people in there: the poll clerks. No observers, soldiers, police, politicians, nor voters waiting for vote-buyers. What a refreshing change from elections in the Philippines.


Meanwhile, the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, fell into the river while removing litter and plants. When asked afterwards what the water was like, I half-expected him to say, 'cold!' or 'bleeding cold' or something to that effect. But being Boris Johnson, he said, 'The water was very refreshing and I thoroughly recommend it!'

I love British politicians! ;)

Watch it here.

What the Spaniards did to the FILIPINOS...

... made them into biscuits!