Old Wives Tales or Ancient Chinese Secret?

My pregnant friend invited us over for a bbq recently and I offered to bring her watermelon as a contribution. "Oh, no. I can't eat watermelon because of the baby." I suddenly remembered my own two pregnancies and all the restrictions our culture imposes for the sake of the child and mother. How quickly I forgot that watermelon is considered too "cool" for a pregnant woman's body and it is believed that it may have negative affects on the growing baby. In our culture, foods are considered to be either yin or yang, hot or cool, but this does not really encompass the entire meaning. "Hot" foods are considered to cause inflammation. For example, fried foods, coffee, and durian. "Cool" foods are often fresh fruit, melons, and vegetables, but foods that are too cool (such as my dad's vegetable juice elixir) can make some people light headed. To complicate things further, other foods are considered to be "boe" or have healing factors. These are good for pregnant women but not good for those with high blood pressure as they can cause headaches. Some such foods are red bean and meat and alcohol. Now the superstition comes into play. Homophones are regarded with great caution. Eat shrimp because the word for shrimp sounds like "laugh" and that's good. Don't eat strawberries on special occasions because it sounds like "lots of trouble." Then, there's just plain crazy. Don't eat that or your baby will look like it. A pregnant woman's diet therefore, is heavily scrutinized as our culture would believe the unchecked consumption of food as a jeopardy to the lives of two people. I was not allowed to eat watermelon (too cool). No snake or the baby will have scales (oh, darn). No watching scary movies or the baby will look like a monster (movies affect DNA?). No dark things either, even soy sauce. Apparently it would make my baby black. (It was the soy sauce, I swear!)

Hubby-isms - Final?

So the hubby continues to speak with enough care so as not to add fodder to my blog. However, while cleaning out some drawers, I came across an old notebook where I kept track of his more hilarious comments. Enjoy!


- If you don't fold your clothes nicely, they'll get wrinked!

- Put on your coat. You'll catch ammonia.

- This weighs an arm and a leg!

- I've got the legs of a python!

Conversations:

Me: I think I'll try to make bouillabaise.
Hubby: That's hard. How are you going to going to make the fish sing and move?

Hubby: You can't microwave water because of the neurons in it!
Me: Neurons?
Hubby: I mean electrodes.

Hubby: We need a humilifier.
Me: To humiliate the room?
Hubby: Yes.

And because it runs in the family:

Hubby's brother: TURN STRAIGHT!

I'm baaaack!

Renovate you must, hmmm?

Whoo! I've been quiet for awhile as life gets in the way of blogging. Update:

* Sister was married in the company of friends, family and a pair of drunken Stormtroopers.
* Preparation for my MC'ing duties which included a whack of Nerd-tacular games.
* After a lengthy series of interviews, I have finally managed to transfer to a new school closer to home. I'll be teaching the new Full Day Kindergarten.
* Packing and cleaning all my teaching materials in order to get out of my old school only to discover that my new classroom has no room for my things as yet and will need some SERIOUS cleaning.
* Crazy-ass renos are happening at my home which involves the addition of a 16 ft high bedroom and ensuite.
* Discovery that this "little addition" will also include re-doing a destroyed dining room, kitchen and bathroom.
* Bailing out the seemingly constant rain from our three-walled home.
* Trying to enjoy the summer as much as possible with my two ankle-biters and a house full of dust!

Hubby-isms: Update

While lying in bed, the hubby and I were talking about dreams and deja vu. I told him about a vivid dream that years later, became a reality. His response was:

"Hey! Maybe you have...you know...P..S..."

"Three?" I chuckle.

"No!" He says indignantly. "P-S-I!"

Restaurant Review: Le Trou Normande

As an early birthday celebration, the hubby wanted to take me out for dinner. We defaulted to the Yorkville area because of traffic and were stuck with the conundrum of which ritzy patio to rest our middle class bottoms in. Sassafraz seemed the obvious choice, with it's lively patio, and solid, if snooty, reputation. But something else beckoned. Dilapitated iron arches and a yellowed menu board somehow promised more. The only sign of life was a simple table lain with white cloth and a few empty display bottles of wine. Peeking down this corridor between buildings, I could glimpse a lone table by a picture window lit by a single candle.
"I want to go there." I said decidedly. "Are you sure?" the hubby asks. He is very wary of places that are old, and quiet which spells stale food and possible salmonella to him. Simply put, it was OLD. The rave reviews framed on the walls were from the 70's and 80's. That smell of old cooking oil permeated the place and the decor spoke of a glorious past that has faded like the yellowed wallpaper. Nonetheless, we took the table with the single candle and hoped for the best. It did not disappoint. French classics like frog legs were spicy and delicious. Escargots were decent and our meaty mains of duck and red deer were perfect. The creme brulee was the best I've ever had and I had a chance to finally try a glass of armangnac (buuuurns!). All in all, a great experience despite it's crumbling facade. If you want to be utterly alone in a fine French restaurant, it's a great bet. Go before they go bankrupt. (Written in April 2010)

In my heart...

My friend, whom I work with, is a rare and wonderful breed of person. Funny, positive, down to earth, and incredibly caring. Only two years older than myself, she managed to start and run a boy's orphanage in Ghana. This is something many of us say we'll do IF we win the 649. Anyhoo, she and I were having a conversation about the differences between the attitudes between developed and undeveloped nations and she related this story to me;

The boys often get snippets of information about the west and wanted to ask her to verify them. They asked her, "Is it true that men sometimes want to become women so they cut their penis off?" She replied, "Yes. Some men are born men but in their heart, they are really women. They then might get surgery to become women."

After some contemplation, another asked: "Is it true that there is a woman who gave birth to 8 babies at the same time?" She replied, "Yes. She used fertility drugs and she had eight babies."

After a moment's thought, the boy replied, "Oh, I see. So in her heart, she wasn't a woman. She was a pig."

Hot Men: George St. Pierre

There really isn't much I need to say in regards to George St. Pierre that "Of No Import" hasn't already said. After our recent UFC 111 party though, all I can add is that the man looks good in clothes and out of them.