Great Honest Food

http://www.arcane.hk

I had lunch at a relatively new restaurant in Honkong recently. For less than the price of a ticket to Disneyland, I had a very wonderful and amazing experience at Arcane Restaurant.

Arcane was not difficult to find. Just a street off the main road in Central.

I had the 3-course lunch set. First out the starter: Custard like yolk in a hardboiled egg on top of a cabbage drizzled with this creamy slightly sweet sauce. And a hint of vinegar somewhere in this concoction. I tell you, that slight vinegar taste hit me from out of nowhere and literally zinged my taste buds. My plate was clean when they took it away.

For my main course, I chose snapper over beef. I am not really a beef person. Well, the fish was certainly quite firm yet tender, the taste very subtle and highlighted with the Chef’s special sauce that had nuts and berries mixed in there somewhere. Again, the sauce in my mouth was amazing. It certainly enlivened that fish dish. I would say that the fish was perfect as the instrument to deliver those interesting sauces to my palate.

And finally, dessert. Vanilla pannacotta with peach and some sort of wafer like thing on top drizzled with a very light syrup. When the chef asked me how it was, I was speechless. I did not know how to describe the heady mix of flavours in my mouth! First there was the slight blandness of the pannacotta which was punctuated with the strong flavour of the peach but tempered by the syrup. And finally topped off by this extremely mouth melting chocolate like nut/wafer – I don’t know! It was heavenly.

Definitely coming back. I would love to discover more of Chef Shane’s surprises.

This is good honest food. None of the smoke and mirrors of some cuisine.

 

This Is Who I Am

Last night a video of Bach’s Ave Maria appeared as a suggestion on YouTube. I clicked on it. I am glad I did. I got goosebumps listening to the crystal clear voice of the soprano. And then I clicked on Schubert’s Ave Maria and I had to close my eyes in pleasure. Ana Vidovic’s guitar rendition of Asturias was next. And I was transported to the days of my relative youth. The rest of the night was spent listening to other arias and castanets and classical pianos and guitars and ballet and flamenco.

I was lost in the music. Like it touched my whole being. It made me so mellow and look at O with so much love – I don’t know what brought that on.

Anyway it hit me tonight that that was the real me. I don’t really look for classical music but when it is there in front of me, the immersion is total. The reaction is deep, all the way to my core. And all of a sudden with a clarity I knew where my direction was, what my goals were, where my north star is. It unsettled me a bit how I had wandered a bit aways from this direction. No harm done. I was off course by only a meter, I think. I hope.

Last night was good timing to review the path I was on. Music guides me and leads me.

Tachiarai Peace Memorial

I am not a museum person. When I travel I prefer engaging with locals and just walking around. But our travel companion was interested in anything connected to WW2.

So there we were, at this small museum in Fukuoka. I was prepared to be bored. But surprisingly it was a very interesting 2 hours. There were 3 fighter planes on display. There were uniforms, equipments and news articles. But i was struck most with the photos of the young soldiers who died fighting for their country. Some were as young as 17. My heart ached for their lost futures.

There were letters written to their families by the soldiers as they prepared for a Kamikaze mission. I felt sad. War is truly hell.

I was not born during this time and my parents were babies during this war. Their only memories were of moving stealthily at night from one safe place to another, of constant hunger.

War is hell. There are no winners. Everyone suffers. And I can not fathom what goes on in the minds of the upper government echelons who decide to go to war.

I was glad we visited this museum.

Friendships

The corona pandemic made me more open to new friendships, I realized. I gave extra effort to nurturing friendships with our Japanese suppliers. They all became friends, beyond the business dealings. But the world is back to normal now and the desire to make new friends has waned.

The new Japanese logistics guy is coming to visit today. I do welcome his visit but somehow, the energy to invest in a new friendship is no longer there. As the world is back to normal, so has my habits returned to pre-pandemic attitudes. It does take effort to maintain a relationship and at this age, I can only sustain a handful.

I remember what I said to Akira-san. The pandemic was not all bad because I got to know you better.

His replacement, I can not say the same because the interest is no longer there.

The pandemic quarantine seem so long ago. Time really does blunt some edges for me. I definitely do not want a return of the lockdown but occasionally I do remember the world stopping and doing nothing. A certain wistfulness overtakes me. Only for a second, then it is gone.

Second Wind Update

It is that time of the year again when the applicants to our scholarship program submit their applications. This year, the applications have tripled. Either the pandemic effect was really bad or the school was just more active in promoting our Program.

There are some whose essays really touch my soul. Several of the applicants did not meet the criteria of the Program. I will sift through it all. But it is difficult to turn down somebody who I feel would be a joy to help but otherwise does not meet the criteria we set. I will see how the interview goes…

I estimate the amount we need to set aside for this year’s Program and it is a pretty sizeable sum. I won’t stress over that. The nice thing about mastering myself is that I know things will turn out to my satisfaction in the end.

I will just follow the flow.

La Union Sojourn

I went on a road trip to the north of the country. Our supplier graciously assisted me by providing a vehicle to service me for the duration of the trip.

It was a bit uncomfortable when the coordinators treated me like royalty. I mean I was the one imposing on them and told them whatever their usual was, I would follow. But they insisted I tell them what I want. They would call the guard to shelter me from the sun with an umbrella – oh my goodness, embarassing.

But over-all they were good company. And the trip provided me with new insights on this new market. The coordinators were talking about the other dealers – their other businesses, their Manila headquarters, their buildings … On and on they talked and even I who do not care about such trappings of wealth and success felt a slight pang of insecurity. My achievements seemed to pale.

I had forgotten about this feeling by the evening but still, it simply reaffirms that I am not immune to some form of envy. But the good thing is that I already have some sort of handle of who I am. And I knew whatever insecurity I felt then would soon pass.

It is difficult to be a well-adjusted person. There is a slippery slope that appears once in a while.

Temptation

I was checking through my late mom’s jewelry box when I came across a small box that had my aunt’s (who had also passed away recently) name written on the outside. My mom had mentioned this to me before, that she was safekeeping some of her sister’s jewelry but I had totally forgotten about it and my cousins (my late aunt’s children) had not mentioned that either.

I opened the box to check what was inside. There were several small pouches and a tiny ziplock where I could clearly see the antique coral bracelet inside.

The instant I saw the box, I immediately thought that I had to tell my cousins of the find. But when I saw the corals – I kid you not- it seemed a devil appeared on one side of my shoulder and whispered in my ear – “if you don’t tell, nobody will ever know about this”. Sounds so cartoonish but that was how the scene unfolded. I admit, there was an almost 5 second delay before I shook off the image of the devil and closed the box and firmly resolved to let my cousins know as I soon as I was out of the room.

That 5 seconds when I was looking at the coral bracelet and wondering what would happen if I kept the find to myself was really scary. I had no second thought about giving my late aunt’s jewelries to her children initially but probably because the coral was exquisite and I adore corals that the temptation occurred. Scary.

I never for the life of me thought that I would be in a situation where I would even consider keeping something not mine for myself. I was a bit shook. Talking with O about what happened afterwards, I thought about my mortality and my morality. I looked on it as a test that I am human and that I can make mistakes but that I can still have a handle on my morals.

So that was what happened today.

Truly an Introvert

Last weekend, my university dorm friends had a reunion. It was great fun. Jokes, and insights and learning and eating and drinking and dancing and just – fun!

Last night we said our good-byes. Today some of them were posting in our group chat that they were experiencing withdrawal symptoms, others were still on a high. And I was struck by my reaction.

Because although I thoroughly enjoyed myself in their company, it was with a sigh of relief when I woke up this morning. I welcomed my solitude as I focused on the work that I set aside for this reunion. I had a relaxing breakfast with O. I had time to let my mind wander and to write this post. I had time for myself.

Although I can be around people, it is in the quiet that I am energized and that I thrive. I truly am an Introvert.

Mystery Solved

I took this photo inside a lady’s toilet in Japan. For the life of me I could not guess what the drawing signified. My sone suggested maybe it was for the lady’s purse or bag. But the toilet door had a hook for the bags.

Today I found out that the platform is to be used when changing pants. To provide for the lady to step on when she takes off her shoes, to avoid stepping on the dirty toilet floor.

Imagine that. Only in Japan. 😊

Ships Passing Through

This expat’s tenure is coming to an end later this year. We had become friends. We have visited him and met his family in his home country. He has had dinner at our place and met my family.

There is a slight pang but at my age, I have realized that it really is rare to have a forever. My husband and my children are constants as are my university friends. Other than them, it really is difficult to form lasting friendships at this age. Especially as I find I am attracted to people not from my hometown. Something about world views and my uncommon interests.

Like ships lumbering past each other, in a few years time our friendship will be a memory.

I have my family and that should be what matters and yet I feel sad at the many people who have passed through my life. Not just this expat but the many others who have moved on.

It takes two to tango and if they do not reciprocate to my overtures of continuing the friendship then I guess the friendship I thought was special was not that special to them.

I look back at other ships that I have passed and there is no longer any sadness or pang. Probably this friendship will go the way of others too.

New Year’s Eve Musings

Tonight at dinner time, we sat besides a mother and son. The mother was probably around 70 or so. She was bent and slim. Her hands were almost gnarly. Her son, I immediately noticed was a special needs person. He looked to be in his late 40s, maybe early 50s.

The son was functional but his actions were slightly uncoordinated and he had an expression of a slight blankness.

They ate at leisure, with the mother sometimes serving the son.

When they finished eating, the son got up first and assisted his mom who took quite a bit of time and effort to get up. They walked out of the dining area. I heard the mother thank the staff.

For some reason, I felt sad as I saw them. If the mother died first as is probably the case, what would become of the son? How would he survive? I can imagine he does not have much friends his age. I can imagine his mother is the only constant in his life.

I thought of the mother’s life as she took care of her son. How many sacrifices did she make?

When most people start to breathe easy in their 60s and 70s, when the children are expected to take care of the parents, she still had to take care of her son. Was there ever a time she had regrets?

I am always introspective on special occasions : holy week, christmas, new year, my birthday… Or maybe because I spent the whole day hiking in the mountains and being close to nature – maybe that is why I feel so deeply today.