Back-to-work Belly

There's a version of Delhi belly
Affecting those who've eaten home food only
For months to stay apart safely.

They've lost immunity
To the bugs in the city,
And there's a cramp in their tummy.

It's short-lived, thankfully.
Resistance returns, with every
Event; they soon indulge with impunity.

Covid times eating out

Back in June, we progressed to Phase 2 and allowed eating out, socially distanced and in groups of 5 or less.

Everybody loved it. It was crowded in this food court, and there was a mix of shoppers with masks and diners without. Fortunately the number of cases in the community were low, and with all the precautions taken, cases have remained low.

Touch wood.

I haven’t eaten out very much though. Am still cautious, and prefer quieter locations.

Next month, Singapore resumes cruises-to-nowhere and the public response has been positive. Year-end holiday options are improving. I’m really looking forward to things approaching ‘normality’.

Not anything

I was struck today by a change I saw in Mom. This happened at dinner time. Before I tell you what the change is, let me describe what Mom was like a year ago.

I would ask, “What would you like to eat?”. There would be a short pause, and I could see her expression as she struggled to think about it. In the end, the usual answer came, “Anything. Anything will do.”

It got to the point I would automatically give her two or three choices, just to avoid hearing “Anything”. With the choices, she would choose one or the other, almost at random. It seemed she could barely remember the two or three choices, and would grasp at one, and choose that.

After a while, I stopped asking, and decided for her instead. Let’s eat this, or that. Mom would be quick to agree.

Today, however, there was a change. A big change.

I brought her to a food court and asked her what she would like to eat.

She paused to think, and looked around. As usual, I prompted. “Rice of Noodle?” Noodle, she replied without hesitation, and she told me which type – beehoon, or rice vermicelli. I looked over the stalls that were open and told her there’s no beehoon here today.

“In that case, rice,” she volunteered. She answered quickly when I told her the types of rice dishes available, and she mostly said No, firmly. In the end, I took her to the variety rice stall, and let her pick out her dishes. She chose one vegetable confidently, and agreed after consideration when I suggested another two.

You might not think it much, but I find it a huge improvement from “Anything!” She did not say “anything” a single time while we were deciding on dinner.

We must be doing something right 🙂