Simple Meals, Precious Moments

Our meals in Ipoh are generally very simple. We usually eat at home unless my brothers and my daughters come to visit, then we eat out every day.

For my parents, who are both in their 80s, and me, lunch is usually either mixed rice (tapau) or one of Mum's simple, healthy home-cooked meals on days when we don't go to the gym.

Dinner is usually Dad's department. At 83, he's an amazing self-taught cook who can whip up several dishes with ease. He takes his own sweet time in the kitchen, and that's exactly how it should be. Mum and I never rush him, so by the time dinner is ready, it's usually around 7.00–7.30pm. And this is considered supper for me 😅

Back in KL, my youngest daughter came home from school around 4–5pm, so we would have our last meal of the day together. I kept that routine for many years, which naturally gave me about 12–14 hours of intermittent fasting overnight.

Here in Ipoh, however, my last meal is usually between 7.30 and almost 8.00pm and I don't have the 12-13  hours of IF anymore. I often tell Mum I'm not hungry and could easily skip dinner, but she insists I eat. She says I'm too skinny, worries that I'm not getting enough nutrition because I have low BP, and is determined to fatten me up! 😂 So, to make her happy, I sit down and eat with my parents—just a tiny portion, about the amount a two-year-old would eat. 😄

At my parents' age, being able to share three meals a day with them is something I don't take for granted. It's a blessing, and these are moments I truly cherish.

In this photo, Mum cooked Beacon chicken wanton in Beacon chicken soup. The lady's fingers, Malabar spinach and water spinach were freshly picked from our garden. A simple, nutritious and delicious lunch, made even more special because it was shared together. ❤️