Jan 2, 2023

A melancholy day - which started with me checking the airport news in Manila. Why you ask. The Emirates flight 333 was to depart at 17.40 which was to take P and the boys back home to Dubai. However, the previous evening, indeed on the first day of the year, the Flight Control Tower at Ninoy Aquino International Airport came a cropper. Power failure seemingly. So much so that flights were cancelled and even flights from elsewhere and going elsewhere were redirected if they were to breach 

Manila airspace- which meant a lot of flights from New Zealand and Australia headed to Japan and Korea. This news was broadcast in all the leading papers in both Dubai and Singapore- and hence we were getting messages from friends to inquire if we were stuck. Thankfully there was no cancellation message from enirates on the morning of the 2nd- but also when I checked the local news it mentioned that the problem had since been resolved. But from experience, whenever you have something like this there is a massive re-distribution excercise that has a ripple effect lasting a few days even. Anyway, I had booked a car to take them to the airport a little after lunch time. Prior to that, I got som coffee fron starbucks for P and I. P’s new favorite was an Oatmilk Cappucino. For some reason she thought this tasted better than a cowmilk Cappucino. I wanted to order the club sandwich from room service for a brunch for the kids before they left. However that was not available to be ordered until midday and that would have been too late. I brought some teriyaki don bowls from Marugame Udon instead. This place in the Glorietta food court seems always crowded with long queues so I went there. However, as it happened, the food was average. Which I also felt the one other time I had ordered something. So two strikes…as far as I am concerned. Tintin and I went to the National Book Store to look for Manga books- he didnt like any that they had. We then went to the much more expensive store called “Fully Booked”- which happens to be located opposite Tim Ho Wan- a Michelin 1Star Taiwanese Dumpling House.

Here Tintin picked up a book he wanted- super expensive. i dont get his obsession with Anime- another Japanese shenanigan which they have inflicted on the world along with the desire to overpay for uncooked food at restaurants. More on this later.

As soon as the family departed I returned to an empty unit and stared at the walls for a while. Then I continued to watch “Quantum of Solace” - which had not registered the other day because of my sleepiness. Other noteworthy activity was a slightly longer swim which I had been missing for many days because of the family visit and associated break from routines. In the evening I tried something for the very first time- making chapati. It was meant to be a struggle and it absolutely was. For a start the dough water ratio is based on feel- you just have to know what is right and keep adjusting either ingredient until the ball of dough gets a shape and holds without sticking to your fingers.  Then comes the rolling - wherein you need to amply apply flour on both sides of the germinating roti as it progressively increases in size after every roll. I wasnt bothered about the shape but i did struggle with the right final thickness. i wanted it thin but then I couldnt remove it from the base without portions of it sticking or breaking. Then I had to make it a ball again and start over. Eventually I landed ona final thickness that was more expedient than ideal- and was able to place it on the flat nonstick to roast it. In the end I got something I could dip into Dal and put in my mouth. So that was ok- I made 3 rotis and had enough for 3 or 4 more which I kept in the fridge for another time. If my guitar playing was anything to go by, I think I would soon get better at this with practice. But unlike for the guitar, I would need more effort to atleast show up for the practice- because there were many alternatives to roti that would work just fine for me. But I wanted to learn this skill - seems like a good way to eat healthy and reduce the dependence on copious quantities pf rice which, amongst other things, is not good for pre-diabetics anyway. But these are all excuses- it was just about challenging myself and accomplishing something- anything. With every passing day I found this to be increasingly important for me to do- just to keep my mind in a good place. Why, I wonder…