Archive | November 2011
November 21, 2011  

Sexual Position of the Week – Lesson 2

This weeks Sexual Position is The “pleasuring her with my Mouskatool” pose.

Kindly note this pose will only work if you have (a) bendy joints, (b) do lots of Pilates (like me!) or (c) have been drinking shit loads and therefore lost all feeling in your body.

Again, outfits are optional.

November 21, 2011  

Satan at it again…

Someone shoot me now…or lead me to a bar so I can drink until its dry.  Shit…I’m pregnant!!  Ignore my last comment until February.

So, this week, my 21 month old son, AKA. Satan, is at it again. Screaming, crying, spitting his food out, throwing toys, bullying his twin sister, banging on the walls when he’s been put in his cot for time-out and today, he not only threw but then kicked his favourite toy car breaking a wheel off in the process.  It was at this point that I was soo frustrated that I bit my lip really really hard (so as not to slap him!) and its now blue and black in colour (that’s how hard I bit it).

Despite sharing a womb with his twin sister (although separate amniotic sacs/placenta etc), he’s totally different (she’s nice for a start!). Where she’s kind to everyone, friendly and incredibly talkative, hitting every milestone required…he’s becoming worse and worse, not to mention more jealous of her as a result.  I want to split them up at nursery so they can both grow.  PLUS, my son gets waaay more attention than my daughter in any event, due to his despicable behaviour.  We have tried everything from ignoring him to time-outs (which I will pursue) and although he’s better behaved when I’m around, the minute I walk out the room, he’s back to being his new brattish self.

As of today we discovered Satan can now climb out of his cot.  Great. Just fucking great.  The one place we knew we could keep him safe while he was having his meltdown, is now something new for him to climb out of.

On top of that, The Captain is driving me insane.  He has a habit of making huge sweeping statements that make my blood boil ie. “What you will be doing once the Baby comes and we have another Domestic Helper in the house?”  Errrr…. what the fuck??  Just because we have another Helper to help with the kids doesn’t mean anything.  People with Twins in Hong Kong know that most schools, playrooms etc wont allow any child under the age of 2/3 go to anything without ONE ADULT PER CHILD.  This means that, to date, I am one of the only Mums (among a sea of Filipino Helpers) attending all the school/playgroup stuff.

Now we have finally hired someone to join us next year to help ferry the twins back and forth from school etc, I will be stuck in-doors (again) with a newborn baby.  The Captain stating “Soooo….what will you do then when there’s 2 nannies around?” made me want to reach for his ball-sack and pull it as hard as possible!

I mean, what does a newborn baby entail?  Hmmm…. let me think for a minute.  Feeding every 3 hours, no sleep, constant puking, shitty diapers, making up endless bottles of milk, sterilizing, washing and changing about a 100 times a day as poo or sick has got on baby-gros/muslins/bibs bla friggin bla.  Not to mention your hormones are going nuts and (if they have already been fucked while pregnant) will be a zillion times worse once baby comes to not only deprive you of sleep, but you will want to harm your Husband for making such undeniably insensitive comments.

I’m lucky to get a full nights sleep now with twin toddlers and ONE nanny in the house (our current “Nanny” by the way, can’t cook fuck all, bleaches all our clothes, ruins all the furniture and forgets to lock our doors/turn the gas off).  Sure, having two people here to “Help” will ease the burden with our twins but that doesn’t mean I will be handing my newborn over to Helper A who doesn’t have the ability to move quickly on her feet at the best of times.  Nor will I hand Baby over to new Helper B, who hasn’t even started with us yet and nor has she never looked after a newborn child.

Yes…. dear Captain, my life will be soooo easy with our newborn as I’ll be sat here, sipping Cosmos and topping up my suntan while our Satan Son runs amok, our daughter is being bullied senseless by him and the newborn baby (who we will have to watch constantly due to Satan’s reaction to girls) is being fed contaminated Milk as Helper A can’t wash a fucking dish properly let alone a million bottles (I currently re-wash everything and have explained a thousand times you need to wash-up with HOT WATER!!!).

Yes, I cant wait to have not one, but two women in my home doing my head in daily, just so I can have help with our kids.  Ungrateful?  Me?  Tell someone who gives a shit.  I’m all done with apologies here.  Oh, AND The Captain wants a dog.  I told him to go fuck himself, with a pencil sharpener.  What is it I do all day?  Well  apparently I sit on my ever-expanding pregnant arse, eating chocolate and watching E! Hollywood.

Bring on baby number 3 please…. then a plane ticket back to London.  I’m soo over Hong Kong.

ps. On a separate note, the family and I went on an excursion to Hong Kong’s Disney Land for the first time since moving here.  Look what some die-hard Disney fan had piled high in their car …. weirdo.

November 14, 2011  

Sexual position of the week – Lesson 1

I’ve decided to do a weekly post on Sexual Positions for all of you wanting to add some spice to your lives.  I’ll work my way through the Kama Sutra using, Mickey & Minnie Mouse, considered sacrilege by my Daughter whose a HUGE fan of the Mouses…but not to worry, I used Milton Wipes to clean them after.  Outfits are optional.

I don’t think step-by-step instructions will be necessary but feel free to email if you need anything explained.

The “I’m pleasuring him with my nose” pose. 

November 14, 2011  

Naughty toddlers….

So my 20 month old twins have gradually turned into little personalities, with my Daughter (no, not my favourite contrary to popular belief, but great for entertainment value), is considered the bright, funny one (takes after me clearly) and my Son (AKA. Satan), is the naughty one who doesn’t pay attention to anything (takes after his Father).  My dilemma with these two began a few weeks ago when my Son started bullying his twin Sister (whos very gentle and walks around kissing and hugging everyone… adorable really, even if I am bias).  His bullying can vary from pushing her, to biting, shoving, taking all her toys (only to throw them aside the minute he takes them) and basically watching what she does all the time.  They both have his n hers tricycles and instead of just using his one, he has insisted on taking hers (which is pink) and not letting her even get on the damn thing.

He also tries to take her now adopted Blue one and has been seen hiding both just so she can’t play with them.  My daughter, bless her, even asks him if she can “sit” on the bike, patting the seat to see if her brother will say yes.  His normal response is a lot of tears followed by a tantrum, by which point she can’t be bothered with all the drama and walks off.   If she doesn’t like something, he will copy her. If she laughs, he laughs.  OMG…the frustration of not being able to leave them alone for a second in case he hurts her is driving me insane.

Plus, his behaviour at nursery has taken a turn for the worse.  For those of you who have experienced the joys of expensive Play-groups (also the Devils work in my opinion) run at your local school or nursery, will know how the morning pans out. First, theres about 15 minutes for “free play” (ie. play with whatever toy they have there & normally includes a fight between a couple of 17 month olds at some point), followed by arts, crafts, story telling, snacks and music.  If I wasn’t pregnant, I swear I would have my nifty hip flask, filled to the brim with straight Vodka, hidden inside my skinny jeans…just to get through it all.  Now my Son, recently re-named Satan for his charming antics at school, has been seen kicking & screaming (yes, me with my big pregnant belly & him look a right pair) as I’ve carried him down the school hallway, because he wont share a particular Toy Car which has become the bain of my life.  Whenever I turn up for these damn play-groups, I see that green plastic car, that is big enough to fit a toddler in, and he makes a beeline for it.  Once he’s sat inside that thing, NO ONE can get him out without a huge show of tears, screaming and hitting.  He wont share it with any of the other kids and if he climbs out, only to see another child approach it, he runs right back to it and jumps in! When you try to get him out for “floor time” with the Teacher, he has what I can only describe as an emotional breakdown ….plus you can feel all the parents eyes on this little display, thinking, “hmmmm…. that poor cow”, while they smile sympathetically over at me.

Later that same day, while having his compulsory Gina Ford lunchtime nap… I was alerted to him shouting non stop from his cot.  When I walked into his bedroom, what did I witness?  My Son, Satan/I Houdini, had managed to not only get out of his zip up sleeping bag with has popper on the side (he has a habit of climbing out of his old ones so this was one of the stronger ones), and had taken his shitty nappy off, smearing it all over the cot, himself, the walls and pillow, Cuski etc etc etc.  I think I let out something along the lines of “HOLY FUCKING SHIT!!” , then shouting to out Helper to get her arse into our room to witness Hell.  I then handed her my ,now covered in shit son, while I dealt with the sheets…. if I was near him at this point, I think I would have lost it, so while she gave him a hose down, prison-style, I cleaned up his bedroom (gagging at the stench). What did I do that night and every nap time since this episode?  I sellotaped that cheeky monkeys nappy on.  Yes, that right…. I wrapped it round him about 3 times, not tightly of course, just strong enough for him not to rip the damn thing off again.

So, as of last week, I have started reading, not one but three books on how to basically kick your toddlers arse without physically doing it.  Trust me…. the last few times at school, I have carried that boy out with gritted teeth praying I don’t lose my cool and just hand him to someones mother asking her to take him home before I go fucking insane.  As parents are we even allowed to say that about our sometimes annoying little angels?   Therefore, after a few sample tries of books on my trusty Kindle (love that device… fucking genius if like me you read a shit load at night when the whole family are finally asleep), I found a couple I liked.  One book which has the hardline, no bull-shit approach I particularly love, talks about the whole “Time-out” thing.  You know, basically putting your kid in a cot, on a naughty step, or wherever that works, without any toys etc until they stop being little ungrateful punks.

Sooo…. for the past week, my mission has been to break this boys spirit and get him to (a) stop  villainizing his poor sister, (b) stop showing me up at friggin nursery school & upsetting all kids around him in the process, and (c) to learn to share toys (damn it!!).  Today was our first trial run at school, and aside for a couple of moments at the start of the morning (ie, when we first walked into the play-room and both of us clocked that damn Green car), it went ok.  What did I do?  Well, first of all, he can’t put his foot in that car from the moment we arrive because that causes all the crap to begin with.  As we arrived at school early today, I was tempted to run ahead of him, his sister & our Helper (thk fk for her being there) just to cover that damn car in a blanket (or anything I could find) just so he wouldnt see it.  But then I thought, no way.  This boys gonna learn whose the boss (FYI. ME) and plus, its not fair hiding it from the other kids.  He’s gotta learn right?  Plus, me running at this stage in my pregnancy would have looked like a poor imitation Santa Claus going for his morning jog (I was wearing red today … minus the white beard).  Apart from him screaming to high heaven when he realised that his bitch of a mum wasn’t letting him get in his favourite toy car (he lay on the floor screaming), I literally carried him over to the toys on the other side of the room and told him “its this, or your cot. Chose now”.  He stopped crying IMMEDIATELY.  So….the little git does understand me when he wants to.  Thats 15-love to me.  We’ll see who wins this match in the end (I suspect it’ll be him in the long run).

My words of wisdom on how to deal with “strong-willed” toddlers so far is this …. give them one warning and then put them in time-out, for anything from hitting, to screaming for nothing.  Show them that sort of behaviour is not acceptable (until they get to my age in any event).  Every cause has an effect, bla bla bla.  OR, just drink your way through it.  If you’re drunk… you wont even care, thats what nannies are for afterall right?

I’ll see how things pan out at our next group session on Wednesday.  I have to admit I’m dreading it….and not just because the Teacher has a moustache I can’t stop staring at.

ps. I can’t believe the stores are starting to sell Christmas stuff already!?  Where’s the year gone?!

* Top photo taken from the site http://www.laughitout.com/2009/02/parenting-not-for-everyone.html

November 12, 2011  

Easy Spinach, peas & cheese Macaroni … perfect for your toddlers

Level of cooking:

This is sooooo easy. You will only fail if you are not able to (a) read packet instructions on the back of pasta, or (b) you’re a total idiot.  I mainly use Organic for this, simply because my toddlers eat this more than we do.  I started adding Spinach & peas to the kids cheese macaroni as they simply would not eat their greens any other way.

Ingredients:

  • Pasta 500g (or 250g if you have a smaller family) – I use an Organic mutli-coloured Penne or the Twists (you know the green, brown & white pasta combined).
  • Unsalted butter – 50g.
  • Olive Oil – 1x tablespoon.
  • Bread-crumbs – 3 tablespoons.
  • Parmesan cheese – 100g grated.
  • Onion – 1x large onion choped & diced.
  • Garlic – 4 cloves finely chopped & diced.
  • Spinach 400g – I use the organic frozen type that comes in little round balls you can simply take out what you need & return the rest to the freezer.  Its also just as good as fresh Spinach & a LOT less fuss to cook.
  • Peas 350g – again I use the frozen variety available in any supermarket.  ** You can substitute the peas for broccoli (I do this sometimes to make sure the kids get their veggies).
  • Cheese 450g – mild chedder cheese, grated.
  • 3-4 tablespoons ground nutmeg.
  • 2 tablespoons parsley.
  • 3 tablespoons Honey Dijon Mustard.
  • 250 mls full fat milk.
  • 250 mls double cream.
  • Salt & Pepper.
How to cook:
  • Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions and then put aside.  Be sure to add some salt (not too much as its for your toddlers) and olive oil to the water before putting the pasta in the boiling water to cook.  Once cooked, leave in a colander to drain and make the sauce.
  • Now for the sauce, start by frying the chopped onions and garlic in a large, deep saucepan with approx. 50 grams butter and a tablespoon of olive oil (I tend to reuse the one I just cooked the pasta in to save washing-up).
  • Once the onions have turned golden, add the spinach & peas and cook for approx. 5-8 minutes or until they have melted and are cooking.
  • Then turn the heat to low, add the milk, cream & Dijon Mustard and stir everything well.
  • Take the sauce OFF the hob now and puree with a handheld blender until its smooth but not watery.  This makes the sauce creamy and ensures the spinach, peas, onions and garlic are smooth (to ensure your kids eat the damn stuff!).
  • Once everything is pureed,  place the sauce back on the hob, on a low heat, and add your grated cheese, ground nutmeg, parsley and seasoning (not too much salt & pepper though as its for the kids but you can add more to your own portions after).
  • Let this cook on low until all the cheese has melted.  If its too stringy or sticky due to the cheese melting, add more milk (or cream if you want to be naughty… I personally add cream as the calories are fine for my 20 month old toddlers at the moment).  While this is cooking, put your oven on to 170 degrees and get a large baking dish ready (just leave on the side until you need to use it).
  • Now take the sauce off the hob and add your strained pasta which has been sat patiently in a colander.  * Hopefully you have thought to give the pasta a shake every so often while you’ve been cooking so it doesn’t all stick together in a mass lump when you pour it into your sauce.
  • Mix all the pasta with the pureed cheese, spinach and peas sauce, then pour all of it into your baking dish (something large enough to hold everything obviously).
  • Mix the bread-crumbs and Parmesan cheese together and sprinkle on TOP of the pasta which is now sat in your baking dish.  I also like to sprinkle a little ground nutmeg on top of all of this as it tastes delicious.
  • Place the dish into the middle tray of the oven for approx. 10-15 minutes, or until the top of the pasta starts to turn brown but not burn.  If it’s already looking like its about to burn after 5 minutes, loosely place some foil on top of the pasta and continue to cook for an extra 10 minutes.
* The photos included show the pasta bake after its come out of the oven and had a chunk already taken out of it (my Husband is a greedy git & got to the food before I could take a photo).  You can see how the inside has a gorgeous, cheesy/veggie sauce, while the top has a slightly crunchy bread-crumb & Parmesan crust.  Yes, yes…. I’m a friggin genius. Thank me when your kids start eating their veg!
* NB.  You DO NOT have to bake this pasta in the oven once it’s cooked on the hob.  You can simply make the pasta and sauce as stated in detail above, then serve without going into the oven and without adding the topping.  This is much quicker if you only have 15 minutes to make the kids dinner.  This pasta can last up to 3 days in the fridge.
November 12, 2011  

Getting fat…

So for those of you who have experienced the joys of being pregnant, you may recall watching in sheer horror when you got on those bathroom scales, and noted you were officially a FAT COW.  Now, for someone like me, who I have to admit, is slightly obsessed with staying thin after gaining 14 pounds in their FIRST year of University (trust me…. it was not a pretty sight when I’m only 5 ft 3 & usually a size 6-8 UK).  The fear of gaining any weight since I shifted it all, is always there.  I worked out (in between visits to a pub/bar/lunch with an alcoholic friend), I watched what I ate and if necessary, I didn’t eat and simply drank (yes, yes…shoot me).

Ask any fat person whose lost weight and is determined to keep it off what their fear is and they will say you just can’t let it creep back because before you know it, you’re doing midnight runs to MacDonald’s (or any open Petrol station) to get a junk food fix.  I do have to admit my incredible weight gain at University was not because I was about to star in the next Bridget Jones movie, but due to copious amounts of  smoking skunk (oh go judge elsewhere if you’re going to turn your nose up at this now as I LOVE SKUNK, or loved… not had it for a v v v long time now), which was followed by the munchies (usually Chinese takeaway or a greasy Kebab at 3am), and an INCREDIBLE amount of beer.  I actually thought I was one of the guys.  In fact, I still do but as I now have a sensible Husband to keep me in check, this side of my personality gets cut short very quickly when he sees me even attempting to join a drinking competition at any party/bar/pub/wedding.  I just can’t help myself… especially when there’s Vodka, Wine or Champagne.  He just knows I’m like a moth to a flame and tries to steer me away from any potential scenes later that may include dancing on a bar (Coyote Ugly style), getting into a street fight or falling in my 6 inch YSL’s that I only wear on very special occasions.

Therefore when this pregnancy began, I initially walked around all smug (ok, and depressed because I was missing white wine) as I had barely gained any weight and in fact, no one noticed I was pregnant (at first).  Well, fast forward 6.5 months (YES IM ALMOST THERE!!!) and I suddenly felt my arse jiggle as I walked to the shops to buy some ice cream yesterday (it wasn’t for me honest).  ARSE JIGGLE?! What the hell is next?!?!  Turkey chin?  Bingo wings?When I gain weight, my face starts to fill out first and I HATE it, simply because I look like I’ve stuffed 2 ping-pong balls into my mouth and grown an extra tire around my neck, Kimora Lee Simmons stylie (I love her so that’s not me being mean, but I feel like I’ve developed that horrid “sausage neck” effect).  Plus, as the Twins are only now 20 months old, they still don’t seem to get what the hell is going on with Mummy.  I mean…. I’ve gone from being Yummy to Fatty and they havent even batted an eyelash.  Does this mean that (a) There’s something wrong with them? in which case, I’m going to have to start looking for a Specialist pediatrician, or (b) Is this what they mean by “unconditional love”, that they havent even noticed that Mummy has turned into a fat cow?

During all my moaning, where has The Captain been? Well, lucky for him, he’s had loads of travelling to do which means, I’ve been able to sleep in the middle of our bed, with the air con on while it is now considered “winter time in Hong Kong” (this is Summer time in London) and I’m not trying to hammer his ballsack to the wall every time he speaks.  I appreciate that pregnancy hormones make women crazy but I think his lack of “doting” on me this time round (I mean, ok, I’ve had twins so this really should be a breeze…plus its Baby No. 3 so get over it already) but I expected him to be a little more…. I dunno….. pandering to my every whim maybe?  

When that doesn’t happen, I now just beat him verbally/emotionally until I burst into tears screaming “I JUST CAN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE!!” while he stands there, in disbelief, unsure what I’m actually talking about.  He just thinks I’ve lost the plot and keeps saying “You were nothing like this last time you were pregnant!?”  which winds me up even more. I mean, purrrrlease!! Last time was planned and clearly controlled with a number of IVF drugs!!  This time was not only a huge shock (we can’t recall when the deed happened but are sure it involved Vodka Jelly shots) but I’ve got toddlers running around (one of which head butted me yesterday right in the middle of my tummy while attempting a hug) and I can’t bloody sleep even if I wanted to.  I was expecting to spend afternoons leisurely watching “E Hollywood” and all the crappy TV one can find (seriously HK has SHIT TV) and yet, nope… none of that’s happening.  I don’t even know what’s happening with The Kardashians for christs sake!!!?!

I guess the lack of alcohol has also made me feel like I’m in my own Chinese version of  “The Priory” (a well-known rehab clinic in SW London).  I’ve had all sorts of comments on my radiant, glowing complexion (now the crazy pregnancy zits/fucking awful boil-type pimples are finally going) and this is all due to a serious lack of, well anything naughty.  I’m bored to tears (literally) but also excited to see this next baby and get back to my old body, my old alcoholic ways and being fun again.  

Right now, when I actually see other people drinking and enjoying themselves over lunch, all I want to do is go take a massive dump  (AKA. shit) in the middle of their table and tell them to piss off.  Yep… pregnancy hormones clearly make you crazy.  

 

November 5, 2011  

Pregnant in Hong Kong

So… I have to admit…. I’m an angry person when pregnant (this time round).  Maybe the IVF kept my hormones at bay last time.  Maybe I was just happy to have finally fallen pregnant?  Who cares?  I just feel horrendous this time round & I’m making the whole world pay for it.  Bothered? Not really.  That’s the kinda mood I’m in.  People should be lucky I can’t drink as I’d be a fucking nightmare right now.

So in light of my “with child status” am I experiencing anything new in HK?  Nope. In fact, I’m sooo pissed off at the moment, all I can think about is London.  Funny isn’t it?  I know, people get “Island Fever” and have their highs and lows with Hong Kong… & so yes, I’m having a low point.  I’ve not seen anyone the last couple of weeks (which for someone with 2 kids, aside from playgroups with strangers…I think is essential to your sanity), I’m angry with people I know here (dunno know…I just am) and I’m now looking for a 2nd Helper to, well “Help”, in the house.  Would I have got this kinda help in the UK? Of course fucking not!!! Does this make me any nicer a person?  No.

Why?  I’m finding there is no real substance to the friendships I’ve made here (I guess having a history with people at home is different), and plus, I’m feeling like I’m hard work (I’m not really).  I’m a great, loyal friend but in essence, I’m your party girl.  I hate doing mundane bullshit and I HATE shopping, so I’m struck off many a “girls shopping trip”.  They actually have facebook groups dedicated to this in HK.  Wierdos.  I like people I can call up last minute, have a chat to and basically relax with a drink.  As I cant do this (due to my impending 3rd child), I am fucking torn with being here right now.  I realise the substance of most of my friendships (not all, don’t get me wrong, I’ve made some very good friends too), but the ones you think you can count on, are the ones you always end up with at 4am, looking for a drug dealer and not speaking to for weeks on end after.

Is it all to do with my pregnancy?  Probably but I don’t care.  I’m dangerous like that though.  I cut off from people very easily and don’t feel one shred of blood doing it.  Nancy Kissel & I could have been great friends (joke).

Soooo… my mindset at the mo?  I have to apologise as I’ve been getting emails from readers asking what hell is going on with my writing at the moment…  The truth?  I really truly can’t be fucked right now.  And, feeling quite alone (can people even say that out loud in this day ‘n age?) here, I am fed up & cannot be arsed with anything.  I keep getting invited to shit that I would NEVER EVER do in the UK and the girls in my apartment block want to throw me a “baby shower”. OH LUCKY FUCKING ME.  A BABY SHOWER?!  Someone stab me now. I explained, very gently that (a) no baby shower until this kid arrives healthy therefore I can actually have a drink, and, (b) NO FUCKING BABY SHOWER!  Its not a party unless I can get drunk/dance on tables/get arrested & The Captain turns up to collect me grim faced & angry (hence angry crazy monkey sex will usually follow).  As this wont be happening until February 2012… I’m gonna be a right bitch until then (& I guess, pretty lonely).  BUT I still have to attend these stupid things.  I’m too old for this shit. I want my old life back.

Fed up? Damn right I am.  Can I moan to a single person here?  Aside from one, or two, not really.  That makes me feel pretty alone (yes, its my fault for being sooo cut off & a bitch…shoot me)  If I was at home right now, I would have a WHOLE support network who have known me forever (therefore forgive my flaws/alcoholic tendencies) & who are, well, just like me … normal (ish).

November 5, 2011  

Persian Onion Soup

Level of cooking:- 

  • Piss easy unless you’re just being lazy, in which case, you’re on your own.  I have no sympathy for those people who say they “don’t cook”.  It gets under my skin as I just don’t get how anyone can’t feed themselves!?

Ingredients:-

  • 4-6 large onions
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 heaped tablespoons turmeric
  • 2 heaped tablespoons fenugreek (or if you don’t have this, Honey Dijon mustard works, or brown sugar)
  • 2 teaspoons dried mint
  • 2 litres vegetable or chicken stock (home-made or shop bought for ease)
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 1 lemon
  • sea salt & pepper

Cooking:-

  • Peel & thinly chop the onions.
  • Put onions in a large saucepan with the olive oil & season with salt & pepper. Cover the pan & cook for approx. 15-20 minutes. Only stir occasionally.
  • Add the turmeric, fenugreek & mint & cook for another 5 minutes without the lid (the lid just makes everything sweat).
  • Add the stock & cinnamon stick, bring to the boil and then reduce the heat to low, cooking for approx. 20-30 minutes.
  • Add the lemon juice & mint & season again with salt & pepper.  If it needs more fenugreek, add a further teaspoon to make it sweeter (if that’s your taste).  I leave the cinnamon stick in.
My comments:-
Despite the lack of photo, this soup should look a yellowish/waterish colour.  Trust me…it tastes v. good. I dropped this round to our neighbour the other night who was dying with a cold & she ended up hogging the whole batch & not giving her family any of it (shes a mother of 2 kids… plus a husband).  It tastes lovely. It’s cheap (not a word you hear in Hong Kong) & it’s sooo easy to make.  I kid you not.  It’s like the Iranian version of Jewish Soup (is that a contradiction in terms?)  Who gives a shit…it tastes fab.
* Again, no photos because I was rushing & totally forgot.  Half the soup is now in my freezer (its healthy too!) so it wont look up to scratch for a photo shoot.
November 3, 2011  

Useful Emergency Doctors, Hospitals, Clinics

Emergency Private Hospital Numbers

  • Adventist Hospital – 2574 6211  – 40 Stubbs road, Happy Valley
  • Canossa Hospital – 2522 2181  – 1 Old Peak road, Mid-Levels
  • HK Baptist Hospital – 2339 8888  – 222 Waterloo road, Kowloon Tong
  • Matilda Hospital – 2849 0111  – 41 Mount Kellet road, The Peak
  • HK Sanitorium & Hospital – 2572 0211  – 2 Village road, Happy Valley

24 hour Emergency Doctors

DOCTORS DIRECT 6506 0250 

Mobile medical practice with Expat doctors offering home or office visits.

16/F, Hing Wai Building, 36 Queen’s Road Central, Hong Kong

Email: info@doctorsdirect.com.hk

* Call out charge is approx. $2500 HKD

Clinics

BYRNE, HICKMAN & PARTNERS 

Byrne & Hickman are a Physiotherapy and Sports Injury Centre with practices spread around Hong Kong.  They have a number

of international doctors working for them, all highly qualified Physiotherapists.

Central 2526 7533 

Room 201 Dina House, Ruttonjee Centre, 11 Duddell Street, Central, Hong Kong

Admiralty 2521 3531 

Shop 106 Hutchison House, 10 Harcourt Road, Admiralty, Hong Kong

Shatin 2604 4388 

Rm 621-622, 6/F Citylink Plaza, No 1 Railway Circuit, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong

DRS NICHOLSON & ASSOCIATES 2525 1251

Room 402B New World Tower , 18 Queens Road, Central, Hong Kong

 

DRS OWENS, TRODD & PARTNERS (OTP) 

Practice of Ex-pat and o/s trained Doctors, incl specialists – OB/GYN, Paediatrician, Psychiatrist  (female doctor available) 

Central 2521 3181 

5/F Century Square, 1 D’Aguilar Street, Central, Hong Kong

Wanchai 2824 9112 

Room 1501-3 Shui On Centre, 6-8 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

Repulse Bay 2813 1978 

Shop 205 The Repulse Bay, 109 Repulse Bay Rd, Repulse Bay

New Territories 2719 6366 

The Bay Practice

1/F Razor Hill Dairy Farm Shopping Centre, Clearwater Bay Rd

Kowloon (TST) 2367 3011 

Room 608,  6/F Hong Kong Pacific Centre, 28 Hankow Road, Tsimshatsui, Kowloon

Discovery Bay 2987 5633 

Shop 108, Block B, Discovery Bay Plaza, Discovery  Bay, Lantau Island

Southside Family Health Centre 2592 9000 

1/F, 2H, South Bay Road, Repulse Bay, Hong Kong

DR SALLY FERGUSON 2824 9112 

Obstetrician/Gynaecologist

Room 1501 Shiu On Centre, 8 Harbour Road, Wanchai

DR RAYMOND YIU-TUNG FOK 2882 7199 

Chiropractor

5/Floor Room 501-503, McDonald’s Building, No. 46-54 Yee Wo Street

Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

http://www.spinehealing.com

DR DESMOND FUNG 2868 9393 

Psychiatrist

Suite 17, 1/F New Henry House, 1 Ice House Street, Central, Hong Kong

DR David Ho  2523 7998 

Specialist in Otorhinolaryngology

Ear, Nose & Throat Centre of Hong Kong , Room 811, Central Building, 1-3 Pedder Street, Central, Hong Kong

 

DR STEPHEN HUI 2526 5556 

Paediatrician

Unit 602-603, Fairmont House, Admiralty, Hong Kong

DR Y. Y. KWOK 2523 9515 

Orthopaedic Surgeon

Room 531 Central Building, 11 Pedder Street, Central, Hong Kong

DR RONALD LEUNG 2523 5995 

Dermatologist

Room 610 Tak Shing House, 20 Des Voeux Road, Central, Hong Kong

DR WENDY LO 2530 3800 

Family Medicine Specialist

Room 2002, 20/F Eubank Plaza, 9 Chiu Lung Street, Central, Hong Kong

DR IAIN MacROBERT 2526 9120 

Opthalmologist

Room 1419 Prince’s Building, 10 Chater Road, Central, Hong Kong

DR ROBERT MIDDLETON 28690789

Gastroenterologist

Room 501, Prince’s Building, 10 Chater Road, Central, Hong Kong

DR JOSEPH PANG 2526 7633 

Paediatrician

Room 901 Hing Wai Building, 36 Queen’s Road, Central, Hong Kong

 

DR LOUIS SHIH 2810 7888 

Dermatologist

Room 1102, Manning House, 48 Queen’s Road, Central, Hong Kong

DR JOHN SIMON  2521 2567 

Specialist in Internal Medicine

1501 Prince’s Building, 10 Chater Road, Central, Hong Kong

DR ROBERT STEVENSON 2537 7281 

Gynaecologist

13/F, Hing Wai Building, 36 Queen’s Road Central, Central, Hong Kong 

 

DR MICHAEL TSANG 2523 3941 

Psychologist

Unit A, 10/F On Hing Building, Central, Hong Kong

 

DR NORRIS TSANG 2525 0178 

Ophthalmologist

Unit 401 Hing Wai Building, 36 Queen’s Road, Central, Hong Kong

DR SHELL FEAN WONG  2368 2333 

Obstetrician/Gynaecologist

Femina Health 4D Ultrasound Prenatal Diagnosis & Treatment Centre,

Suite 706, Grand Centre, 8 Humphrey Avenue,  Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon

Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital 11 Chuen On Road, Tai Po, NT 2689 2000 24 hours
Caritas Medical Centre 111 Wing Hong Street, Shamshuipo, KLN 3408 7911 24 hours
Kwong Wah Hospital 25 Waterloo Road, KLN 2332 2311 24 hours
North District Hospital 9 Po Kin Road, Sheung Shui, NT 2683 8888 24 hours
Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital 3 Lok Man Road, Chai Wan, HK 2595 6111 24 hours
Pok Oi Hospital Au Tau, Yuen Long, NT 2486 8000 24 hours
Prince of Wales Hospital 30-32 Ngan Shing Street, Shatin, NT 2632 2211 24 hours
Princess Margaret Hospital 2-10 Princess Margaret Hospital Road, NT 2990 1111 24 hours
Queen Elizabeth Hospital 30 Gascoigne Road, KLN 2958 8888 24 hours
Queen Mary Hospital 102 Pokfulam Road, HK 2255 3838 24 hours
Ruttonjee Hospital 266 Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai, HK 2291 2000 24 hours
St. John Hospital Cheung Chau Hospital Road, Tung Wan, Cheung Chau. 2981 9441 24 hours
Tseung Kwan O Hospital No. 2 Po Ning Lane, Hang Hau, Tseung Kwan O 2208 0111 24 hours
Tuen Mun Hospital 23 Tsing Chung Koon Road, Tuen Mun, NT 2468 5111 24 hours
United Christian Hospital 130 Hip Wo Street, Kwun Tong, KLN 3513 4000 24 hours
Yan Chai Hospital 7-11 Yan Chai Street, Tsuen Wan, NT 2417 8383 24 hours
November 3, 2011  

Chicken with RoseWater, Hazelnuts & honey

 

Ok…so… Dinner a few nights ago was OFF THE CHART.

If you want to try something, which in my opinion was piss easy…. try this dish called …erm…

“SPECIAL CHICKEN IN ROSEWATER WITH CRUSHED HAZELNUTS & HONEY” :-

  • Buy approx. 4 packs of good fat chicken legs (2 per person) and big juicy thighs (if they are very big, 1 thigh is enough per person … unless you’ve got some real fatties at your table, then pile it high!).  I bought enough to feed 8 people well so use your initiative.
  • Wash the chicken pieces thoroughly & preheat the oven to 190 degrees.  Cover the chicken with  a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil & season well .  Cook in the oven at 190 degrees for approx. 25-30 mins.  Then take the chicken out of the oven and baste/brush with a pre-mixed paste Rosewater (3x tbsp), loosley chopped, slightly toasted hazelnuts (approx. 300 grams) and honey (5x tbsp).
  • Put back in the oven for another 20-30 mins at 180 degrees until the chicken is cooked.
  • Check the chicken is cooked by pricking the leg of one of the pieces with a fork to see if the juices run clear.  If they do, take the chicken pieces out of the oven, cover with some foil loosely and prepare the side dishes to accompany this meal.  * n.b. Its quicker to have the side dishes prepared while the chicken is cooking in the oven.

SIDE DISH – Couscous with garlic, lemon & parsley

  • Use 2x 250 gram packs of couscous & cook according to the pack instructions.  The key to keeping couscous light is to keep fluffing it with a fork after minimal cooking time.
  • I then fry 3 cloves of garlic with a knob of butter & add the juice of 1x lemon.  Fry for a couple of minutes on a medium heat & then mix into the now cooling couscous.
  • I then add approx. 300 grams of raisins/sultanas (pre-soaked in water for about 20 minutes to make them plump).  Then drain the raisins before pouring into the couscous mix.
  • Mix all the ingredients in the couscous and season well with some salt & pepper.  Add 2x teaspoons of fresh or dry Parsley.
  • Dish up right away!

OTHER SIDE DISHES TO ACCOMPANY THIS INCLUDE:

  • Sweet potatoes (not peeled) chopped into small discs, layered (like you would with potato gratin)  cooked in the oven with a tbsp of extra virgin olive oil, seasoned well with salt & pepper & covered in approx. 500 grams of double cream.  Cook for 40-50 minutes.
  • A crisp salad made of rocket leaves, tomatoes (chopped into small cubes), cucumbers (peeled & chopped into small cubes), cubes of feta cheese (enough for a salad but not too much that it overwhelms you), bulgur wheat (read pack instructions to cook properly) & 1/2 a red onion (finely chopped).  Put a dressing on the side of olive oil (3 tbsp), with Balsamic vinegar (3 tbsp), red wine vinegar (3 tbsp), pinch of table salt/pepper, pinch of dried parsley, Dijon mustard (1.5 tbsp). Be sure to give the salad dressing a good shake every time before you pour onto your salad…otherwise it will come out as more olive oil & less vinegar…ugh!
* Accompany with a crisp White wine or Rose. Bliss!

Bloody delicious!

You can also baste uncooked fresh chicken with the Rosewater/ chopped hazelnuts & honey paste & put in the freezer to cook at a later date.

** I will add photos next time I make this as I forgot (hazards of getting drunk while cooking).