cold, cold &.. still cold!

The dreaded winter clocks in officially today. This is my (our) least favourite season since we both abhor the cold. There's nothing really nice about winter except maybe for the snow, which makes things look pretty in this otherwise grey season. It's just too damn cold to be outside doing anything fun besides maybe skiing.. sure it's freezing all the same when you go skiing but skiing gear is quite different and since it's too cold, you kinda 'forget' it after a while. My first ski left me with 'dead' ears (total numbness), so if we ever plan to go skiing again, I'd be better equipped.

If my first winter here had me broke out in rashes due to my unaccustomed 'sensitive, delicate tropical skin', I'm more adapted to the climate here now... and of course I have my own survival kit close by all the time - my trusted lotion(s) and lip balm.. the key here is to constantly moisturize, moisturize and moisturize.. otherwise you'd be left all cracked up and dry as the desert.

I certainly do not recommend family and friends to come around here during this harsh season... unless you wanna have a go at ski (which is quite a feat to do) and wanna fulfill that childhood dream of touching/eating/playing with real snow. Not only will you have to spend extra money on winter clothes which you'd probably wear only once (or a few times) in your lifetime... plus, most of the attraction parks will be closed during this period of the year. Besides, daylight is much shorter during winter - sunrise is at around 8.30 am, while sunset is at around 5.00 pm - no fun... our lights are usually on by 4.30 pm.

So save your money and plan a trip around end spring/early summer, where it's neither too cold nor too hot... and you'll get to experience the country in its full glory.

vous parlez français? *

I've always been fascinated with the French language since my early 20s. I don't remember what sparked the interest initially but it has brought me to Alliance Française which then introduced me to the French culture.. and which in turn prompted my very first visit to Paris. Did all that finally bring me to my French man?.. maybe...

French is known to be the 'language of love' (or so that's what the French has been marketing their language as), aided by the fact that it is technically a "Romance" language - language that descended from Latin.

Personally, I do find the language attached with a romantic aura. And I'm not being bias here (well, maybe a little) but among the other European languages, I find that French is the most classiest sounding. Even cursing sounds a lot better in French.. I'm not proud to say this but I picked up all the bad words before the rest... you know, just so I'd know when I'm being bad-mouthed.. a precautionary measure you could say :)

I've made a huge leap in understanding the French language after 3 years being immersed in it although I can't boast (just yet) that I'm now able to utter rapid-fire French... well mine is more like 'survival' French. The recent event that had me landed in the hospital, put my competence in the language to the test and the outcome is that I could comfortably communicate with the doctors & co. But when hubby is around, I'd choose the easy way and take a backseat and let him do the talking instead.

I remember my very first visit to Paris, trying to find my way to the hotel.. it was opposite a bank and I stopped a passer-by for the direction of the bank. The conversation went something like this:

Me : Excuse me, do you know where Banque de France is?
Woman : blank look
Me : Banque de France?
Woman : still blank look
Me : ummm Banque de France? (wondering which part of those words she didn't understand) and then sputtering the name of the bank a few more times, trying to pronounce it as differently as I could
Woman : ohh.. Banque de France! (and then she pointed the way)

See, the difference between her Banque and my Banque was that I pronounced it as bang (as in abang).. and the way she pronounced it was more like bong=bonque. A little glitch in the pronounciation but I was finally understood.

Indeed, French words are not easy to pronounce. The greatest difficulty in pronouncing French is knowing which letters not to pronounce. And it takes a lot of nasal activity as well as the tip of the throat in order to deliver a decent sounding French. It would make pronouncing the French nasals easier if you were to have stuffy nose, rendering a 'sengau' effect.

The tv plays a huge part in making me understand the essence of everyday French and it's quite different from textbook French.. much like Bahasa Melayu and Melayu pasar. The tv has also make it possible for me to differentiate between French French and Canadian French as the latter has a much different nuance and lingo to it.

Approximately 40% of English vocabulary is of French origin. There are many words of French origin in English such as art, collage, competition, police, routine, table, and many others which have been and are being anglicized. They are now pronounced according to English rules of orthography, rather than French. There're also lots of French words or phrases being used by English speakers, such as à la carte, aide-de-camp, cliché, concierge, en route, fiancé(e)..

The most important word in the French language has to be "Bonjour". It's a customary greeting upon entering a store or restaurant or when approaching the person behind the till or counter. The French are incredibly polite on the surface - but this linguistic etiquette goes further than mere politeness. It implies so much more than that. The manner of your "Bonjour" determines the rest of your conversation with that person. Enter a bakery or a shop or restaurant of any kind, anywhere in France without a courteous "Bonjour" to the person at the till or counter, and your reception will be a frosty one. But try a bright and breezy "Bonjour" and the service becomes much friendlier.

Politeness and good manners remain essential to the French way of life and that's the thing I admire most in the French culture.


* you speak french?

julie's coiffure

The time has come for me to get into scissorhands mode. Hubby was starting to look like he's walking with a wilderness sprouting from his head and me no like. So our living room was temporarily transformed into an impromptu hair salon just now and I snipped and shaved my way into the bushy mass with deft manoeuvre of a professional.. steady lah.

Eversince we bought this hair clipping gadget, I've been the resident stylist for Monsieur and I've perfected my skill along the way. I actually enjoy cutting his hair, though not particularly the aftermath of cleaning up and seeing the annoying bits of cut hair that got lodged in the weaves of the clothes. So to minimize that eventuality, I've asked hubby to strip down to his bare essentials and since we don't have the kinda cape they use in the salons to wrap around you, I've improvised and used the less chic but very reliable trash bag.. it's an excellent way to avoid the cut hair from being scattered everywhere as the trash bag acts like a magnet and make the loose hair stick to it. Sure, hubby refused to be wrapped in a trash bag at first but men should know better than to argue with their wives, especially one with scissor and blade in her hands ;) Now, how many women get to claim that they've put their husbands in the trash bag?.. heh. Well that's the 'plus' you get for free service ;). So the Mister is satisfied and I don't have hair scattered all over the place - parfait!

our glorious third

He's my husband, my friend, my lover, my hero, my light, my joy, my strength,

my soul, my life, my everything.. deux=un, two hearts as one.

Thank you for sharing your life with me.

May we be so close throughout the years,

that when one cries, the other tastes tears.

Toi et moi, pour toujours.. je t'adore de tout mon coeur, mon chéri!

fly us away...

After much searching, we finally bought our air tickets - OUI! So we'll be flying on Saturday, 13th January and will reach Singapore on the 14th. So take note, you guys.. get the banners, confetti, flowers, red carpet, etc.. untuk tetamu terlambat dari negeri Panchis.. hehe. Well we hope we'll make it to Singapore as planned this time around, insya'Allah.

We're really looking forward to see all of YOU soon!

destination paris

Another vacation, you ask?.. nope, we were in Paris today for a doctor's consultation. It's the final step to determine the kinda medication that is best suited for me and also to get to the (much deeper) bottom of things and find out the cause of my stroke. Since the hospital in Paris has a much more sophisticated equipment to deal with the analysis of blood and all that, I was referred to the Paris hospital by Dr. Bakir (Bakri? :).. the doctor who followed my case in the hospital here).

So I grudgingly dragged myself out of bed at 5.30 am this morning.. we slumped in the back of the cab by 6.30 am and reached our destination at 8.45 am for the 9 am appointment. The meeting lasted for about an hour or so and after the bloodsucker had taken around 16 tubes of my blood, we left the hospital, jumped in the cab and endured the 2 hours ride back, dozing off every now and then. The meter counter read an astounding 308.80€ when the cab sailed to a stop at the foot of our apartment.. we've travelled in total, a distance of 320 km in one morning. And thanks to the social security system here and my hubby's company insurance, we didn't have to draw out a single cent.. everything is taken in charge, due to the nature of the trip.

That was the first time both of us reached Paris by car. Compared with a train ride, it's effectively much more convenient and comfortable though not necessarily faster (due to Paris's infamous road congestion) and plus, it can cost you an arm, a leg and some toes. So our preferred ride to Paris would still be the much less convenient but reliable train system.. unless they're on strike.. which would leave us with not much choice other than the cab.. which would then leave us with a beat-up wallet.. which I hope would never happen.. ever.

I had a really good surprise upon reaching home and found out that I've got a snail mail from far away Singapore. It's a birthday card adorably hand-printed by my 2 darling nieces, with greetings from Omi and family.. it's simply priceless.. thank you, you guys! :D

buon appetito!

I've been wanting to eat risotto fait maison (homemade) for the longest time and I've finally snapped out of that hankering mode, bought the right ingredients, put on the toque and worked the kitchen. Since I'm feeling Italian-ish today, I went all out and did the full spread. I started with an antipasto platter, followed by creamy-licious risotto and a classic Italian dessert - the heavenly tiramisu. I've just found out that tiramisu means "pick me up" referring to the two caffeine-containing ingredients, espresso and cocoa.. very apt. And making your own tiramisu is much easier than I thought - you just need the right ingredients and a light hand.

I'm really thrilled with the outcome of my cooking. I love trying different kinds of food and I think when you make it with your own hands, you'll appreciate the food much better.. and not to mention the satisfaction you'll get when the food turns out looking good and tasty. What could be more better than having an Italian dining-in with the company of Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou and Jean Reno on a frosty autumn evening...

i've been radioed

So I was in the hospital the whole morning today. I went through yet another test.. for like the umpteenth time.. it seems endless and I'm beginning to feel like a lab rat! I've just gone through a small bowel radiography.. another probe to find the cause of my anemia. It's an X-ray examination of the upper gastrointestinal system. As opposed to the more invasive tests like the endoscopy and colonoscopy, this one was a walk in the park.. well I was sitting/lying down most of the time, more like.

All I had to do was to swallow a few cups of a contrast material called barium (a water soluble iodide).. kinda resembles an unappetizing milkshake - chalky-ish taste laced with vanilla flavour, to make the intestines show up clearly on film. I was then asked to lie on the X-ray table while the radiologist took pictures of my small bowel.. various films were then taken at 15 minutes intervals. The test is over once the liquid barium has passed through the small intestine.

So my morning was basically spent flipping through magazines in between posing for the lens on the table - "nice".

it's your party...

Shahreil, Boboy, Boy, Maman, Abang Boboy, Shah,

Many different names, still one person

That's my little brother.. not so little now

Used to be the baby of the family

(title taken over by the 2 little cuties now)

Sememangnya masa kecik-kecik dia kiut

tapi bila dah besar, miut.. tak seberapa kiut lah tu

All grown up into a young man now

Tapi masih ada ciri-ciri zaman kecik-keciknya

It's always good to keep the child in us

Strive to be a better person but never change

cause we love you just the way you are

Happy 26th, Shahreil Bakri!

it's my party...

On the contrary, I didn't have a big party bash here (dah tua pun.. tak payah party-party).. instead, I spent a quiet, cozy evening in with dear hubby. So it's my first birthday away from Singapore. Although I had to slog in the kitchen on my birthday, it's well worth it... on the menu was smoke salmon, escargots, scallops with tapenade paste spread over sautéed potato and a luscious chocolaty nougatine treat to top it all off, accompanied with fizzing champagne. I've also concocted a fruity cocktail similiar (or almost) to the one we had in Paris.

Thanks to dear hubby, my tummy is happily indulged with all those delectables.. quelle merveille! (marvelous!).. and I'm being endlessly spoiled with not one but a few gifts. I'm one happy woman, I am :) Merci chéri!.. and thanks to my family too, for the lovely card with its award-winning, perfectly rhymed witty message.. so I've decided to share it with you:

Oh Cik Julie,
Paling suka makan kari,
Nasib baik tak basi,
Kalau tak mencret berkali-kali,

Oh Cik Julie,
Hari ni hari yang kau dilahiri,
Oleh ibu kita bernama Suli,
Sampai lah ke hari ini,
Kamu menyambut hari jadi,
Untuk yang ke 33 kali.

road to recovery

I'm sure by now everybody who knows me is aware of the incident that had happened to me a while back. It has been slightly over a month now since it happened and I'm happy to say that I'm well on the road to recovery and am doing really fine, Alhamdullillah. It was indeed a great shock and a terrifying ordeal for my dear ones, especially so for me and my hubby. It came like a thunderbolt and the first couple of weeks had been one hell of a rollercoaster ride for both of us.

It was a really difficult and trying period for me.. I was emotionally and morally drained. It wasn't easy to be far from my family at the state I was in.. but I have the most wonderful husband who takes very good care of me and who's constantly there by my side every single day throughout my (long) stay in the hospital. He is my pillar of strength who keeps my courage up and warms my heart and makes me happy.. he makes it much easier for me to deal with my situation. I'm truly grateful to my dearest hubby, family, relatives and friends for their prayers, support and encouragement for my quick recovery.

I've regained all my mobility now though it's still not up to 100% yet.. certain things take longer to recover. I'm most grateful to be able to move about normally now.. it was a really scary thought to not be able to move on your own and be constantly dependent on the people around you. The basic daily things we do become a great struggle once you've been hit by a major sickness like the one I had. You'd realize then just how precious your health really is. I'm really fortunate to be recovering speedily. When I first got out of the hospital, carrying out basic tasks like making yourself a cup of tea or folding the laundry, takes twice as long but it's by doing things like these that I'll keep on fine tuning on the motor skills that were lost on the affected area and I've had huge improvement since.

After 3 weeks of hospitalization, I've lost 3kg, had what seems like gallons of blood taken from my body and gone through a battery of tests; the most horrifying being the endoscopy (ECG) where a long cord the diameter of your index finger is thrusted down your throat, making you gag constantly throughout the whole process and leaving you with a bad sore throat after.. never would I wanna go through such a thing again!

French doctors make me nervous sometimes but they're really nice people who take good care of their patients. You would expect the doctors here to be able to communicate in English with their non-speaking French patients but their English is like my French in that I understand the language much better than I speak it.. but with my personal translator at hand, we're able to understand each other better.

Having gone through a major thing like the stroke made me more aware of the sickness and have more empathy with those who had been through similiar path or are going through it. Though older people have a higher risk of getting stroke, it can happen to anyone in all age groups. So the best preventive measure one can take from being hit by a major sickness is by taking extra good care of one's health (if you smoke, quit) and lead a healthier lifestyle cause that's the most valuable asset you can have in life.


"The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don't want, drink what you don't like, and do what you'd rather not."
- Mark Twain

salam lebaran

my weekend getaway

Hi everyone!.. just a short message to say I'm doing fine and am recovering well. I'm on my weekend break and will be back in the hospital for another week or so.. hopefully not longer than that.. still have to go through a few more tests. It feels really good to be back in the comfort of our home and be close to my dear hubby even if it's just for the weekend.. I feel rejuvenated.

I'd like to thank you all for your concern and constant support and encouragement. I'm pulling through this difficult ordeal and your presence (in mind) makes it much more easier for me.

I'll write longer once I'm back home for good.

Thank you guys once again!

selamat menyambut Ramadan

"Kami suami isteri ingin mengucapkan Selamat Berpuasa kepada semua umat Islam."

Well this is our third year fasting here and I'm missing the familial ambience you'd have in Singapore especially during berbuka.. and not to mention the festive sights prior to Hari Raya and the effervescent bazaars with the abundance of good food!

Fasting here is a simple, quiet affair for both of us. And in just 4 weeks, we'll be making our way there, back in the arms of dear family and friends. We're really looking forward to that!

one year

That's the age of my blog.. it was exactly one year ago when I first started blogging.. didn't think it would last this long but here I am still. There are over 70 entries in a space of one year.. some months saw some furious writing while others a mere speck.

Perhaps it's time for my blog to have a 'facelift'?.. on verra bien (we'll see)..

Well here's to more tapping on the keyboard!


"Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing."
- Benjamin Franklin

fahrenheit nine one one

Last night, we saw Fahrenheit 9/11 for the first time on the cable and I have this to say to Michael Moore - "Well done!". After 2 hours of intent watching, it further fuelled my dislike and ire towards Bush and his cronies and brought sympathy to innocent loss lives. The world has (really) been had.

Even if we caught the movie 2 years after its release, I'm glad I saw it. Go watch it if you haven't already.

oh, lame saint!

After two weeks of back-breaking, neck-aching, eyes-squinting endeavour, we've finally finished assembling the puzzle of chère Mona Lisa. She has been framed up and happily sitting in a corner with her eternal smile beaming on us. We're gonna have to tuck her away pretty soon though, given the limited space we have here.. and living in a rooftop studio doesn't leave us with a lot of straight walls for such a massive frame. I said massive.. well it's a 68 x 48 cm puzzle and that's huge enough. So she'll be joining Monet's Water Lily puzzle of the same size in the 'frame section'. Well there's actually a total of 999 puzzle pieces instead of 1000 due to technical reason.


Oh those who've read The Da Vinci Code would know what the title of this entry's all about.. but if you've figured it out without reading the book, then give yourself a pat on the back :)

[chère=dear]

et alors...

I thought I'd write something to mark the end of the month. So nothing much has happened since my last post. Well the summer vacation is reeeally over now, with students going back to school the following week.. and most working adults must be filing in for work by now after weeks of absence.

This summer wasn't that summery, in terms of weather/temperature likeness. Unlike the previous years, we had an exceptionally blazing heat wave in the early weeks of summer this time around.. then a juggle between sun and rain.. followed by a spell of grey, stormy weather with a wavering burst of sunshine in between. The temperature hovers around 20°C, a great drop from the normal summer weather.

We still have a few weeks of summer to go and the thick blanket is already out. Looks like we're gonna have to turn on the heater earlier than expected.

back to routine

Our summer vacation ended on a relaxing note. We spent the second half of the vacation at my in-laws, visiting relatives and lazying around most of the time.. though hubby did some works around the house. Much less activities, a contrast to the first half of our vacation but a good one nonetheless.

Our next long vacation would be in October, destination Singapore (yes!). That, we can't wait.. but it won't be long now.

vacances à paris

I love Paris in the spring time, I love Paris in the fall,

I love Paris in the summer when it sizzles, I love Paris in the winter when it drizzles...

I love Paris every moment, Every moment of the year, I love Paris, why oh why do I love Paris,

Because my love is here...

...and so the song goes.

Well I do love Paris and we just spent 5 glorious, fun-filled days in the city of lights. Although the weather wasn't that cheery for the most part, it didn't in any way mar the first half of our summer vacation, even if the temperature at times corresponded to that of autumn. It was my third real visit to Paris and it brought back good memories from my previous trips.

We went to places we haven't been to before, like the Versailles castle, Parc Astérix.. as well as to familiar places like the Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysées, Eiffel Tower.. and I finally got to see Auguste Rodin's works as I missed it on the previous visits. Well I can still remember the streets I've trodden like the back of my hand.

I believe the best way to discover a city (or any place for that matter) is on foot.. and for that, a reliable comfy pair of shoes is recommended. I remember walking kilometres at a stretch during my first trips to Europe. You'll discover interesting nooks and crannies and can really get the feel of how the people live there. That's how we stumbled upon the red zone in Paris during the previous visit. But this time though, we made full use of the metro (MRT equivalent minus the cleanliness). The only precaution when you walk the streets of Paris is to watch your step so as not to sink your foot in dog poo... Parisians love their furry creatures but most hate to clean up after them. Oh and another thing to be wary of is the deft fingers of the pickpockets.. I had a couple of incidences with them in the past.

The Louvre is as magnificent as I remembered it. We went on the first Sunday of the month, so entry was free but what we didn't expect was the snaking queue that spilled out onto the busy street. We stood in line for one and a half our before entering the museum. The place was thick with crowd - mostly tourists... and the top crowd puller has to be the masterpiece by Leonardo Da Vinci, La Joconde.. or more famously known as Mona Lisa. While you're allowed to photograph around the museum, some places restrict documenting the works in any form whatsoever.. and one of the places is the hall where the Mona Lisa sits. Well the rule of thumb when one goes to a museum is not to touch any of the displayed works and even if photography is allowed, the use of flash should be avoided.

The Louvre houses a staggering number of masterpieces and it's simply impossible to truly enjoy each and every one of them in a single day but like most tourists, we managed a quick glance on most of the works and lingered on some others a bit more. I'm contented to have been up close to admire the work of my favourite Impressionist artist, Claude Monet.

We left the Louvre with a 1000 pieces puzzle of Mona Lisa and I finally got hold of the much talked about novel, The Da Vinci Code.. and these two newly acquired items will surely keep me occupied for a while.

I've lost count of the number of castles I've visited since I moved here but the Versailles tops the previous ones hands down with its immensity and majestic grandeur. You can lose yourself in its impecabbly manicured vast garden.. it was simply breathtaking. We spent the whole day there and even that won't be enough for a thorough visitor.

Parc Astérix is a theme amusement park, based on the comic Astérix. Like Disneyland Paris, it has numerous attractions catered to both children and adults. We had lots of fun there, taken some adrenalin rushing, heart thumping rides.. though the afternoon rain dampened our visit a little.

Be it the arts, culture, fun, shopping.. Paris has everything to offer everyone. It is a truly beautiful city (if you can ignore the occasional litter, dog poo and the sometimes arrogant Parisians).. but no place is truly perfect. It's a romantic city alright, especially by night and what can be more romantic than having a candlelight dinner in a charming Parisian restaurant, accompanied by an accordian basker playing Edith Piaf's La Vie En Rose..

Speaking of dining, we finally had a taste of pure fine dining when we went to this trendy chic restaurant that was transpired as a byproduct of a tv programme. It's owned by Cyril Lignac, the IN young chef du jour. He first appeared on tv through a programme about a chef (himself) coaching clueless young adults into becoming top chefs and finally employing them in his spanking new restaurant. It's a carbon copy of Jamie Oliver's "Jamie's Kitchen".

And so we had a marvellous time in Paris, even if I've collected a few blisters on my feet and some leg cramps (due to excessive walking).. it's well worth it.

Until we meet again, my dear Pareee.....

Our trip in still form: VACANCES A PARIS

(do excuse the sometimes blur photos)

puppetry at its best

Of the few French programmes that I enjoy watching, one of them has to be the puppet show called Les Guignols de l'Info. It's not a kiddy puppet show you might have in mind but an adult-infused satirical news puppet that generally parody the French politics. They occasionally parody the international events as well, often concerning terrorism, and the US foreign policy in general. These spoofs on international events are usually presented in an anti-Bush manner, heavily criticizing his foreign policy as brutal and destructive.

Jacques Chirac with his team of government officials

Les Guignols is broadcasted every weeknight at 8 pm and the show always begin with the line "Vous croyez encore ce qu'on vous dit à la télévision, bonsoir." ("You still believe what you are told on television, good evening.") As in any news on tv, the show has its own resident anchor named PPD, a caricature of Patrick Poivre d'Arvor, also known affectionately as 'PPDA', a well-known news anchor on TF1 who coincidentially presents the news on the 8 pm slot.

The characters in Les Guignols are either inspired by real personalities of the political, economical and artistic worlds or else are fictional.

Jacques Chirac is one of the main characters and he is often portrayed as a beer-guzzling, impulsive, incompetent liar who is pilfering public money, and yet comes off as charming, charismatic and cool.

George W. Bush's character is an idiot who is only able to say a couple of words like "yeah!", "America" and "papa", sometimes more when he plays parrot. He is a child, playing with cowboys' dolls, small rockets or even nuclear weapons. Every character of the show treats him as a mentally retarded man, and everybody agrees that he is "bloody stupid", and that it's the reason why he is a good American president (easy to manipulate).

Mr Sylvestre is a fictional character based on the actor Sylvester Stalone and he plays the ugly American and also the archetype of greedy multinationals and superpowers. Mr Sylvestre uses "beuuhharr" as a greeting, a reference to Rambo, the character he was created for. Mr Sylvestre and his clones (blonde, dark, with glasses, beard, etc.) is portrayed as very smart.

These are just a few of the many characters portrayed on Les Guignols.

I personally find the show rather entertaining with the puppets mocking different well-known personalities and putting fun to an otherwise serious or boring situation but sometimes they can overdo it to the point that it borders on rude. Although it's not a totally serious show, most of the observers agree that it has a significant impact on the French opinion. And behind the funny jokes on the US government lies the basic image that most Europeans and at first French, have of the president and his administration.

Click on the play button to view the "We Are The World" parody entitled "We Fuck The World":

indian beauty

Last night was the second consecutive Sunday both of us watched a Hindi movie here. We saw it on the cable travel channel.. as the channel is celebrating 'Indian Summer', they have a line-up of programmes covering the Indian culture including travels, culinary, movies. If last week we saw Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, last night was Mohabbatein... shown in its original version with French subtitles. Watching those movies brought me closer to home somehow.

Well it was a first for my hubby and it turns out that he enjoyed watching them although he finds it kinda kitschy at first. So I've introduced him to the world of Bollywood and he's mesmerized by the Indian beauty alright.. especially the feminine kind.. ah, men...

airing up my fan-ny

To combat the extreme heat we're having here right now, we've finally bought another much powerful, food court kinda fan. Packed with a velocity of 130W, it gives a much needed flow of air to the room. We were tempted to get a portable air-con system but after weighing the pros and cons, we settled for the blade-moving-air machine instead. It's easy to disassemble, so when the cold weather's here, in the fan goes into the cupboard and out of sight.

My hubby is on a week's vacation (his first week out of six) and the fan is our first big buy since the summer sales started a few weeks ago. The sales will run for another week or so and we'll probably do more shopping within these coming days :D

quelle chaleur!

Human beings are most often than not, a complaining lot, aren't we? See, not that far back, I was harping about the glacial weather we had then.. now, I'm griping about the broiling heat that is enveloping us at the moment. We're already in the core of summer. The temperature reach 36°C and it goes up until 38°C in other parts of France. We're constantly drenched in sweat and living right under the roof puts us at a greater disadvantage during these canicular days. It really feels like we're literally being baked in here. Adding to the fact that our apartment is positioned in such a way that it receives abundant sun rays both in the morning and afternoon, makes it much more unbearable. We've been gushing gallons of water down our throats and the fan is on 24/7.

I think the best place to be right now is the cold section in the hypermarkets.. most stores and cafes here are not air-conditioned so the idea of taking refuge there is not especially inviting.

Does this mean that I wish for the cold weather to return?.. well not particularly.. just those period around mid-spring would be perfect... aahhh what we'd give for a dip in cool water this very moment!

bastille day

Today is the Fête Nationale (National Holiday) in France, widely referred to as Bastille day in the English-speaking community. Like every year, there're fireworks held all over France to commemorate this day and last night was the first time we witnessed a live firework here. It went off at quarter to midnight and lasted for half an hour.. it was a stunning display of multi-coloured sparks that rained over the Yonne river. After that, the DJ spin the music all night (or rather morning) long.

Some history:
This day marks the anniversary of the taking of the Bastille in Paris on July 14, 1789. The date has great importance as the symbolic starting point of the French Revolution and the end of the Monarchy. The Bastille (pronounced Bas-tiy) was a fortress prison in Paris, which was regarded as a place of horror and opression - a symbol of autocratic cruelty.. and the storming of the Bastille marked the beginning of open rebellion against the king and it came to symbolize liberty and democracy in the struggle against oppression, a symbol of revolt against injustice.

Today, Bastille Day is celebrated with parades, fireworks and lots of dance parties which usually begin on the 13th and last until the day after. C'est la fête!

zidane speaks out

The football world is abuzz with Zidane's infamous headbutt and everybody especially the people of France, wants an explanation behind that fury on the football pitch. I've included some extracts of the interview with Zidane done by Canal+:


On his headbutt on Materazzi
"There was no dispute with the Italian players before the match. As in any matches, there can be friction, tension.. like the one in the World Cup final with the pulling of shirt with Materazzi. He grabbed me, I told him to stop and that if he wanted my shirt, I would exchange it with him after the match. And there, he uttered some very harsh words, worst than a physical gesture, which he repeated several times. Everything happened so quickly. He said very insulting and personal things, about my mom, my sister, that really offended me. I listened to him once, I tried to walk away, then he said it the second, third time. I am a man above everything. I would have preferred to receive a punch in the face rather than to hear that".

His excuse
"Of course, it was an act that should have never been done and I want to apologize to the millions of children who could have seen that, to the teachers who have taught the right from wrong. But I do not regret doing what I did. That would mean that he (Materazzi) was right to say all that and he cannot be right. What I deplore is that the one who reacts is always penalized. But if there is no provocation, there is no reaction. You think that I would throw the last ten minutes of my career with pleasure? Sure, what I did is unforgivable but the true culprit should also be punished. And the true culprit is the one who provokes".

The conclusion
"I would like to say a big thank you to football, to all the people who supported the French team and who supported me. I say it aloud, I would like to apologize to all the children. It was an intolerable act".

Well even before Zidane gave this interview, most of the French citizen has already forgiven him for what he did. He is after all, the favourite golden boy in French football. As Jacques Chirac said during the reception, "You are a virtuoso, a genius of world football.. you are also a man of heart, commitment, conviction. That's why France admires and loves you."

At least one recording company here has profited from the drama surrounding Zidane's headbutt. Inspired by that turn of event, they've produced a song aptly named "Coup de Boule" a.k.a "Headbutt" (literally means 'blow of ball'). It is, as one of the members said, our way of downplaying the big hoo-ha. Recorded in half a day, it is rapidly gaining success across the internet and is already programmed by several radio stations. Click here to listen to an extract of the song.

Loosely translated, this is what the song is about:
"Headbutt left, headbutt right
Zidane he has hit
Zidane he has beat"

merci les bleus!

So millions of the French team supporters were greatly disappointed by last night's loss. But that's how it works in every competition.. there's the winner and the loser.. and the better team won. It must be an especially sad depart for Zidane to have his career ended on a sour note. That furious head-butt of his will be forever remembered. Even though the French team didn't make it to the top of the podium and bring the world cup home, the whole of France give them a huge pat on the back and thank them for bringing France to the final and for a month of intense emotion. Despite the loss, cars took to the street for one last honk to give homage to Les Bleus and a shout of support for their favourite player, Zizou.

The team received a very warm reception by Jacques Chirac this afternoon in Paris and a very moving welcome cheer by tens of thousands of supporters who had gathered in the heart of Paris's Place de la Concorde under the hot blazing sun. The players were visibly moved by the sight of fans cheering and chanting for them, particularly David Trézéguet who was in plain tears in front of thousands of supporters.. it was an emotional moment for most. To the fans, the team IS the champion.

And so it would be another 4 years before the country sees the people of France come as one to support a cause on an immense scale such as this. Once again, merci Les Bleus..

les vacances

It's the end of the school year here in France and the summer vacation has just begun. Students who took their baccalauréat (also known as bac and is equivalent to the A-levels) have recently gotten their results and can now enjoy (or not) their year-end vacation to the fullest. French students are on vacation 5 times per year - 2 months break in summer, 2 weeks on the three other seasons and a week during Christmas/New Year. For the winter and spring breaks, the country is divided into three zones (A, B, and C) and each zone's vacation dates are shifted by one or two weeks to prevent families from crowding up in popular destinations such as ski and seashore resorts.. and also to help reduce highway congestion.

Summer is the period when most French take their long vacation.. anything from a week to a month at a stretch. Most major businesses are closed during this period.. otherwise, it's slow moving at the office.

Well we've already made some plans on the places to go this summer.. it's time to chill out!

hail the stones.. not!

Last night, we had a storm spell that lasted well into the wee hour of the morning. Thunder roared in the far sky, bolts of lightning flashed at random, then followed by furious downpour soon after.. and then it started to rain lumps of ice (it didn't rain ice the whole night though). It was quite an experience to have that happening right under your roof. The sound of those hailstones hitting the roof was really deafening.. it felt like it's going to break right through the windows.. pretty unnerving. We were fortunate though not to have larger hailstones pelting down on us.. that would probably cause some serious damage to the roof and windows and not to mention the car too (but that would also depend on the hardness of the stones and the angle of the impact). Well that's what happened in other parts of France last night.. poor folks who have to deal with the aftermath of hail. The one we had last night produced ice pellets the size of cherry seeds to that of marbles.

Well last night wasn't my first experience with hail storms. We experienced one while on the road to my in-laws.. it was pretty scary driving in the middle of nowhere while hail was in progress and the thought of the possibility of facing golf-size hailstones (or bigger) really made me cringed.. and to think that driving on hard lumpy ice is like trying to drive on ball bearings. But so far, the storms I've experienced here were not that severe.. not that I'm wishing otherwise.

Well as the Malay proverb goes, "Hujan emas di negeri orang, hujan batu di negeri sendiri, lebih baik negeri sendiri".. meaning "Anywhere is always lesser than one's homeland, no matter how lacking it can be" (not that it has anything to do with the content of this entry).

everlasting love

It was on this day 35 years ago when two souls took that eternal step that sealed their hearts as one. They are the two people I admire the most.. my role model.. my mentor.. the perfect exemplar of a life fulfilled.

I am forever grateful to you both.

Happy Anniversary, Mak & Abah!

a good hose down

So we went to the car wash and our car is now rid of 2 weeks worth of grime and dirt. It's amazing how much grit it collected in a space of just 2 weeks.. we had a hard time looking out the windows. Well it's not so much of grime and dirt that coated the car but more of a peppering of sticky substance from tree saps and excrement from insects. That's what you get when you leave your car under a tree but we always look out for shady spots to park our car at, especially now that the temperature is mounting. Given that our car doesn't come equipped with air-con system, it's absolutely necessary to park it under shades. Over here, you either wash your car in the "conveyorized" car wash or a do-it-yourself coin-operated touchless car wash that uses high pressure jet that effectively removes the dirt (and probably the wax too!). Apparently, it's prohibited to wash your car on the streets or parking lots or any public areas here, unless maybe it's in your own backyard. So it'd be another 2 weeks before we drop by the car wash again.. well it's an old beaten up car anyway.. we'd probably wash it more often if it was a new car.

I took a snap of the area where we usually do our grocery shopping at. The impression I had the first time I saw these buildings was that these were temporary buildings as they look like (large scale) containers.. the kind you'd find on construction sites or by the shipping docks. I discovered later on that these steel buildings are a common fixture in the cities especially in the commercial areas. It was strange in the beginning to see these type of constructions instead of the usual brick and block structures.

Last night, the streets once again blared with honks from cars after France secured a place in the semi-finals.. we were unwilling audience of an hour of honking and this time it was accompanied by screams and shouts of triumph and they lasted well after midnight.. I can just imagine what it'd be like if France clinches the trophy...

colours of summer

The sun does indeed play a vital role on your moral and your mood in general. People are more cheerful, carefree and they smile a whole lot more. You see burst of colours everywhere you go. The streets are lined up with flowers and plants of different varieties, the countryside sways to life with the season's crops.. summer fruits choke the stalls in abundance, with signs gaily announcing berries, prunus and melons of every kind which will instantaneously rouse your taste bud. It's best to buy fruits that are 'in-season' as they are more ripe and full-flavoured than 'out-of-season' fruits (the same goes with vegetables). Our favourite buys are cantaloupes, cherries, strawberries and nectarines. Fruits here can be expensive especially so if they're produced in France but with all those delectable, luscious fruits beckoning you, it's hard to resist... miiiiiaam!

let the ball roll!

Now, I'm not a soccer fan.. but I can watch the occasional 'interesting' match like those of the World Cup caliber and more so if it's the final match. So last night was the first time I saw a live match since the World Cup kicked off. It was a match between France/Spain and France won 3-1.. it was exhilarating to see the two teams played even if I just saw the last 20 minutes or so of the match.. at least I caught the 2 winning goals from the French team. Soon after the match ended, honking from cars tooted the streets every now and then for a good 30 minutes, to glorify the French win. It was a pity to see Spain booted from the tournament though.. I like the Spanish team.. mainly because of Raul.. oh nevermind... (mais tu es toujours le meilleur, mon chéri :)

So les bleus=the blue (that's how the French team is affectionately referred to by their loyal, high-spirited fans) will be up against Brazil in the next match.. now that, would be interesting to watch. The French team has been dubbed as l'équipe de vieux (literally, the team of old man) due to the fact that most of the players are well into retirement age, in soccer term. But just like the wines here, they get better with age.. or don't they? Well we'll just have to wait and see if these 'wines' will be good enough till the end to be put up on a pedestal or to be spit out like a bad aftertaste. I'd like to watch France play England.. so to echo the millions supporter of the old team, "aaallez.. les bleus!"

[NB: The 3 French scorers. Photo courtesy of AFP]

le week-end

Weekend equals to grocery shopping, a quick run to the video club for the weekly dose of a good dvd.. and a quick trip downtown. That's pretty much our routine come weekend.

This time though, we didn't go to the video
club.. instead, we rented our movie through the cable. It's one of the services offered by this cable operator. It was the third time we saw a dvd through the cable network. Movies are priced at 3€ for recent ones and 2€ for the latter. All you have to do is select the movie you wanna watch, key in your password and your movie is ready for viewing.. you have a time frame of 4 hours before your movie is disconnected. There're hundreds of movies available to suit your fancy but it lacks good recent movies and that's the bad point. The good point though is that it's really convenient and we don't have to run along to the video store hence saving time and petrol.

It's usually very crowded when you shop on Saturday. As stores are closed on Sundays, you can expect to see most of the city's population crowding hypermarkets and the shopping belt. We mainly do our grocery shopping in Géant=giant (hey whaddya know, we have Giant here too!).. and they have recently installed automated checkout counters which let shoppers scan their own items and pay with either cards or cash. There are four such counters being monitored by an employee. At the moment, these counters are reserved for customers carrying 10 items or less. It's especially convenient for those who want to avoid waiting in lines. We had a go at it and it was fun to play cashier and it was a breeze too. You just had to follow the instructions on the monitor and you're out of there in no time.

Now we have the cupboard and the fridge loaded with goods to last us for the week.. donc, à la semaine prochaine...

summer : été

So it's the beginning of summer.. hot weather abound.. time to bring out the barbecue pit, prep up the garden, slap on dollops of suntan lotion and head to the beach or the camping site... and that, is the typical agenda for most French come summertime. We see very little sun most part of the year so people tend to embrace the sunshine and bask in the sun as much as possible to enjoy the warmth and get that coveted tan.

It's the season with the longest and warmest days in the year.. we have approximately 16 hours of daylight right now. It was strange for me in the beginning to have my dinner when it's still bright and sunny outside. This is the only period in the year when we stack up the fridge with sorbets and ice cubes and lots of bottled water.

The start of summer also marks the celebration of the annual music festival in France. La Fête de la Musique is into its 25th year and everywhere throughout the country, thousands of musicians are gearing up to perform free concerts all night long. Under the French law, this is the one night in the year where there is no sound restriction at nighttime.

Summer kicks off on a festive note.. and we can expect to see more performers and buskers in street corners, bars, clubs, parks.. who will keep us entertain throughout the season.

almost citizen

Finally, my long-term visa or rather carte de résident (resident card) has been finalized and it's sitting snugly in my wallet. We don't have to deal with the paperwork at the préfecture for another 10 years. Until now, I had to renew my visa each year and after 2 years living on French soil, I'm granted a 10-year renewable visa which is perfectly fine with me.. I don't intend to take up French citizenship as that would mean giving up my Singapore passport. It's not necessary anyway since being married to a French entitles me to the social advantages of the French system (rebate on doctor's visits, medical treatments, allowances for kids, etc.) and having the carte de résident means I can be hired and have the same rights just like the normal French if one day I decide to look for a job here.

The physical aspect of the card though is nothing to be lauded.. it's almost the size of a passport, hence not small-wallet friendly. The French has yet to reduce the size of their IDs and the likes, to credit card size.. but apparently there has been talks to change all that, so all the best...

a day in dijon

We went to my in-laws' last weekend since my hubby had his Friday off and we made a stop in Dijon on the way there. Our last visits to Dijon were mainly spent shopping in Ikea so last Friday we did more exploring of the city... walked the streets of Dijon, window-shopped, shopped.. and shopped encore..

Dijon is notably bigger than Auxerre, so both of us were rejuvenated to be in the midst of a city buzzing with life and activities. I realized how much I missed people-watching while we were lunching in a resto-brasserie.

(some) Dijon trivia:
The city is the capital of the Burgundy region and is reputed for its mustard, blackcurrant and pain d'épices (ginger bread). The town centre is one of the best-preserved in France: 60% of the buildings are over 200 years old. The city was the birthplace of Gustave Eiffel (of Eiffel Tower).

The international flower show (called Florissimo) is held in Dijon every 3 years.. so we should really check it out the next time around.

To sum it up, we had a great weekend.. the weather was perfect, we had fun and we contributed to the economy of Dijon.

to dearest Abah...

This space is dedicated to my dear Abah who's celebrating his special day today.

Thank you for the things you've done to make my world a better place

and my life a happy one.

I'll always be grateful for your thoughtfulness, your generosity,

the way you make room in your life for others.

Happy birthday, Abah!

We wish you good health and happiness and thank you for being a great dad.

quel temps de merde...

And so we're having another long weekend here.. it's the fourth public holiday since April. I have the impression that my hubby's on intermittent short vacation these past months what with his day offs and the public holidays... and what do we do during these free days?.. nothing much I'm afraid.. besides a shopping trip downtown, we're pretty much home bound. The weather has been on the grey side a lot lately and with the temperature hovering below 15°C, you don't really feel like having a stroll outside. The cold seems to stretch longer this spring.. but apparently, they've announced good weather for the coming weeks, so we're looking forward to that.

Besides that, the flu bug is making its rounds.. poor hubby is having it and I've been freshly infected.. just hope the bug won't stay long.

weather update

I couldn't believe how cold it is today.. the temperature drops to 13°C this afternoon when it was at 26°C just last week! Granted, the weather hasn't been on the sunny side up today.. it's drizzling at the moment in fact. But the great difference in temperature caught us by surprise. Just when I thought those thick pullovers are well put away in the deepest corner of the wardrobe, out they come again in an instant. The weather has been on the yoyo lately. Hopefully the weather in Switzerland is better off than it is here (for Faz's and Zali's sake).

Well that said, I kinda like it when it rains at night.. the pitter patter of rain on the roof slates can lull you to sleep like a baby, under the warm blanket.

mail order

Recently, we bought these two items from the net and they were delivered to our doorstep within a week from the date of purchase. We've now adopted this mode of purchasing to expand our choice in goods. Since we live in a small town, we don't have the luxury of hopping from one mall to the other to find that particular item. First of all, there're no malls here and you can get items at a cheaper price on the net than from the stores, so that's a plus.

Now that I have my mini sewing machine, I don't have to put off mending that hemline for weeks (or months) at a stretch. The machine only sews straight line and that's all I needed to do things in a jiffy.

I'm so in love with our new camera.. it's much more stylish, smaller, lighter and it has improved functions. Dear hubby has graciously offered to 'update' my wedding gift of over 2 years with this sleek red compact gadget. Encore une fois, merci chouchou :)

a long weekend

We're having another long weekend here, tomorrow being a public holiday. Last week, my hubby had his Friday off and we spent the weekend at my in-law's as it was his grandma's birthday (she turned 94).

It was really pleasant to see the countryside coming back to life when we crossed the country. The fields are covered with thick lush greens and trees are gradually greening too. It's also the time when farmers prep up their soil for next season's crops and the smell of freshly fertilized earth really wakes you up.

Spring is a nice season indeed.. it's neither too cold nor too hot. But the weather can be deceiving in part.. it can be all sunny outside but you can still feel the chill and get all goosebumpy when you walk under a shade. So the best is to wear layers that can be easily put on or off.

I took a snap of the neighbour's garden across the street and their fruit trees are
flowering now (no thanks to the bees that like to hover around our windows, dear neighbour). Well they have cherry, apricot and pear trees I think. Too bad we don't know them.. we really should start making their acquaintance.. umm around the time their trees start to bear fruits.. heh ;)

fast forward

We're now an hour ahead throughout Europe. That's what happened come springtime. It's what they call daylight saving time, which is to use daylight to its maximum advantage. It usually happens on the last Sunday in March and we'll stay in this time zone throughout spring and summer. So twice a year, we have to move the clock forward and then backward by an hour when the right season comes. It's no big deal really and you don't feel the change at all.

With the time now advanced by an hour, that makes the time difference between here and Singapore at 6 hours instead of 7.. so take note y'all.

spring : printemps

So spring is here.. the sun is out, the birds are serenading, soon the flowers will bloom, plants will grow, branches will be green again.. no more dreary-looking streets and avenues. It's the season of growth and renewal.. but this season also brings rainy spells, strong wind, hail and other severe weather depending on the area.

We're into the fourth day of spring and we're having a clear bright sky today. The temperature is at 12°C.. still chilly but not freezing. I've opened all the windows to air out the apartment. It's the time for deep cleaning.. time to get rid of winter's worth of dust and grime and bring in the crispness of springtime into your home.. hence the name "spring cleaning".

We get to enjoy longer daylight now and soon shed all those layer of clothes. Time to put more 'spring' into our step now :)

to dearest Mak...

Today's a special day for a very special person. It's my mom's birthday and I'm beating myself up for not being there to celebrate this day with her. Although we're oceans apart, she's always right here close to my heart. Thank you for your love and all that you've given us. Thank you for being a wonderful mom.

Have a very happy birthday from both of us, Mak! We wish you good health and happiness always!

zapping away

Eversince we got the cable, we've been watching good movies almost daily and the best part is that we now have the option to watch the movies in their original version and also the option to turn on the subtitles, which for the moment is available only in French. I've always preferred my movies in their original version with subtitles on (of course) if it's foreign. Imagine watching a Hindustan film 'baptized' in French.. SO wrong! Speaking of which, the movie "Lagaan" was aired on the cable not that far back.. that was the second time I saw a Hindustan movie on French tv.

So now I really get to enjoy my Hollywood movies.. and with the subtitles on, I improve my French at the same time. Before, I had no choice whatsoever as every single programme on the national tv is French-dubbed and I had to 'irritate' my hubby (a lot) by constantly asking him to translate what was being said. Now though, I can understand 92.51% of what's being said on tv if I listen to it attentively.

Well we seldom turn on the national tv now that we have the cable and with over 200 channels available, there's no reason to.

croque monsieur

That translates to "Mr Crunchy" and obviously, that refers to food.. another cheesy kind... and with a name like that, it has to be of French origin. Well it's basically a cheese and ham sandwich French style. Trust the French to turn something basic into a gourmet-looking food.

All you need here is slices of bread, chicken or turkey ham and lots of Gruyère.. failing that, I think Emmenthal or Mozzarella could make a good substitute. What you do then is to sprinkle generous amount of the grated cheese on one slice of bread, place the ham on top of that, sprinkle more cheese, place the other slice on top of all that and finish by sprinkling another layer of cheese. Then just pop it in the oven and let it sit there until it turns golden brown.. serve it while it's still hot.

Well there you have it.. a 'how-to-bust-your-diet' sandwich that's crunchy on the outside with cheesy-coated ham on the inside.. mmm. It couldn't get any simpler than that.. but of course you can omit a layer of cheese (or not). Well go ahead and try it if you haven't already. It may not do your waistline good but you'll have one happy stomach after that :)

all bottled up

That looks like rows of mineral water bottles you'd find in a typical supermarket but those bottles are actually sitting in our kitchen. That by the way, is our daily source of drinking water. That's how we do it here.. we don't drink from the tap as the water here contains limescale or what they call hard water. Some people don't mind drinking from the tap here but I find the taste pretty awful even after the water has been boiled. That's why you'll notice people stacking up their trolleys with packs of bottled water in supermarkets here.

Hard water proves to be a bother. Not only it's undrinkable, it can ruin your washing machine in the long run with the build up of limescale so each time I do the laundry, I have to put this anti-limescale product in along with the detergent to prevent damage to the machine's internal 'organs'. Besides that, hard water will leave behind unsightly residue in the bathroom and around the tap.. and also ugly water spots on your clean dishes if you leave them to drip dry in the drainer.

Well this is one of the things I had to adapt to when I first came here. So every week, we (well my hubby rather) have to lug heavy packs of water home when we do our grocery shopping. We consumed around 10 2ltr bottles of Volvic weekly... and I have the pleasure of crushing countless empty bottles on a regular basis.

Well, I never thought I'd be drinking so many bottled water in my life.

let it snow

This morning, I woke up looking at heavy snowfall. Our windows were covered with snow and I stood by the big window admiring those fluffy white flakes falling from the sky. It's amazing how intricately design snow flakes are.. and if you were to look closely at the window, you can actually see the crystalline structure of a single snow flake and it is really fascinating... what's more amazing is that snow crystals come in many different shapes and sizes but always with hexagonal symmetry.

It seldom snows in our place and usually when it comes, the snow doesn't stay for long.. it will either melt within the same day or a couple of days after. It's nice to see some whiteness around here for a change even if the snow spell doesn't last that long.

What a great difference a day make. Yesterday, the weather was at the total opposite.. we had strong sunshine yesterday and the sun was in full force throughout the day which brought a much needed brightness to our apartment.

Well the temperature was at 0°C this afternoon and today's weather reminds us that winter is still here and kicking.

Drop by this site for some make-a-flake fun :)

eat your greens

That's probably what most parents would repeatedly say to their kids during meals. I for one used to abhor veggies or anything that resembles it when I was a kid. I was willing to take the time to isolate any unsightly greens from a dish just so I could eat that plate of mee goreng or curry puffs. My mom told me that I wouldn't even taste it once it has been cooked to a pulp but when you hate it, you hate it right?

Fortunately, I've overcome that period of veggie-intolerance. Now I really enjoy eating my greens. I even have my house specialty which is salade niçoise and ratatouille.. and these two dishes hail from the Provence.

The salad is a meal in itself when eaten in large quantity as it consists of boiled potatoes, tomatoes, french beans, leafy greens, chunks of tuna, olives, hard-boiled eggs.. toss all of them together in a lovely vinaigrette dressing and voila, you have a healthy meal packed with all the good nutrients. Serve it in a handsome-looking saladier and it looks all the more appetizing.

Ratatouille is a vegetable stew make colourful by all the different ingredients.. and aubergine is one of them.. that's one vegetable that I don't normally eat but when cooked in a stew like that, it's a different matter.

Well any salad will taste good with the right dressing. So kids, eat your greens cause they're good for you.