Restaurant De Visscherie (The Fish Restaurant), Brugge

In June 2014, a meal at Restaurant De Visscherie (The Fish Restaurant), Brugge was one of the highlights in my culinary and culture tour.  The pre-eminent seafood restaurant is located in the Fish Market in Bruges, and it does not serve any other type of meat except seafood.

Grissini warm and crispy to start.  Chopped parsley was filled along the cracks of the breadstick.  The dip of tomatoes, anchovies and langoustine was heavenly.

Amuse bouche was fresh maatje (herrings) which luckily for me was available at that time of the fresh herring season.  Succulent and fresh, like sashimi if not better.

Winkels, grey prawns (specialty of Brugge) and topshell were lightly boiled and dressed in oil and salt.  Needed some work and experience to get the meat out, but well worth the effort.

One of my favourite courses.  Served cold, it is chopped fresh jack mackerel in roasted red pepper soup.  Squid ink sorbet topped with a prawn keropok added a touch of exotic to the dish.  The flavour and texture very well balanced.

 Turbot was extremely fresh, slightly pan fried with braised fennel.  Wonderful taste and freshness.

Main course of grilled baby lobster.  Can't ask for more.  Now understand why it is such a well loved item in still life paintings from that part of the world.





My friends and I did not have wine at dinner but with due respect to Belgium's great beer tradition, had a well recommended 2014 brew of Straffe Hemdrjk.

Aha tricked you!! Thought it was another dish?
A still life painting from the Rijks Museum, Amsterdam.

Dessert was simple yet great.  The cake was one of the best I've tasted. Moist with cherry bits, accompanied with more cherries and a raspberry sorbet.






Two words describe the entire experience.  Freshness and effort to bring out the best of the daily catch from the fish market.  Meal costs us EUR 88 including drinks per pax.  Pricier than most during the trip but certainly great value considering I cannot have it here at home for the same price.

Epilogue after five and a half years

It was at the end of 2008 when I bade farewell to penning my thoughts and discharging my stress through the blog.  I went about life, newly restored to health but mindful that a relapse can happen if I'm not on good behaviour.  I didn't think too much about the blog until two days ago when I sent the link to it to a friend who is similarly afflicted with breast cancer.

I discovered that there were 39 comments to my blog, almost all of which were encouraging and positive.  I thought I should do an epilogue to let viewers know how I've been faring during the past years.

As a start I retired in June 2009, coincidentally on the day Michael Jackson died.  Since then I've been busy with travel (and I mean serious travel like visiting places for a month long of food and culture), volunteer work (still museum guiding and home nursing activity), and domestic life changes.  I moved to a cosy apartment in the city, busy with household chores and grateful that they are limited, saw my elder son married (just 2 months ago, my younger son too married), now expecting the arrival of my first granddaughter around National Day.  Yes, I seem more busy than when I was working, but there is a difference - no more corporate life stress.  I'm enjoying the 'business'

Health-wise, the cancer is held at bay and oral medication continues.  Eating well is the goal and if I have to travel to indulge in that, I will do so.  The planning for each trip gives me so much delight and the expectations when the date draws near are high.

I am well and thankful that each day I wake to a brand new day.

Sunnybunny

Ta ta 2008. Here's to life in 2009

I have never been this glad to say goodbye to a year. 2008 is one tumultuous year for me to say the least. Health and wealth took a U-turn in a completely unexpected way. In my darkest hour, however, there are bright spots in the moral support from family, colleagues and friends who brought so much comfort.

Radiation therapy ended two weeks ago, bringing the second part of my treatment to a close. Side effects are minimal and the skin of the affected area is slowly returning from 'leathery' to normal. There are hardly signs of burnt skin, only some redness as if I've been out in the sun long. Spent a great deal of my time finishing the leave entitlement for 2008 and staying away from crowded places.

Just been to a TCM doctor, one of the many that I will encounter in my quest to seek herbal balance in my well-being after the trauma of the chemo and radiation onslaught. With hormonal therapy next on the cards, I hope to survive the 'clash of the civilisations' with little side effect or complications.

Here's to life, health and peace of mind in 2009!!

Sunnybunny

Can't wait to say goodbye to 2008

Time really flies. I'm now mid-way through the radiation therapy. Side effects are relatively minimal as the expected redness around the treated area has yet to turn up. I'm assured that if it does, it will be gone within a short time. Fatigue continues to be the main drag on my well-being. Earlier this week, knee joint stiffness was mistaken for bone pain, setting off paranoidal fears of cancer returning to the bones.

Looking forward to my son No.2 returning home for 2 months. I can sure use some mother-son bonding time.

December looks to be atypical in terms of workload. With half the desk gone on leave, I'm busier than usual covering for my staff as reports have to be prepared for clients who are increasingly demanding explanations for their reduction of wealth (from the effects of the financial distress).

Have to make this short as I'm poring over the tons of analyst reports before I hit the sack.

sunnybunny

The next phase of treatment is pleasantly light

After a week, which is also the 1st of five, of radiotherapy, I'm none the worse for the experience. The after effect of slight fatigue was felt but easily overcome with more rest. The scheduling is to fit my work hours as I take the last slot so that I return home for rest. The cumulative effects of fatigue, small joint stiffness and some tan on affected areas are to be felt only mid-way through. So, save for the inconvenience of having to make daily trips for a few seconds of rad beaming, this phase of my treatment is easy on the body.

Diet-wise, there has been no major changes. Now looking up literature, talking to fellow patients for TCM boost for the body that has been wrecked by chemo drugs in the past 5 months. Eu Yan Sang, the Chinese herbalist shop I'm told, is more reliable in terms of product quality. With the current global scare about China's creative ways of speeding and increasing output of anything she plans to produce, one cannot be more careful about goods from there.

The year 2008 is coming to an end. To say that it has been eventful for me is an understatement. Similarly, the global economy has gone through a credit and the resultant economic shock and is currently undergoing treatment via bailout and fiscal measures policy makers around the world are putting forth. Like me, treatment is necessary before it can get back on its feet. Too often the world forgets that the patient's fever has to run its course before the intended benefits of treatment are seen.

Daily we are bombarded by unrelenting media forecast on how 2009 is going to be worse for the economy. We'll have to be more prudent, batten the hatches and seek help if necessary while waiting for the storm to be over. As for me it is also time to reflect and make changes, spending more time on myself and what I would like to do. Hopefully, economic considerations do not weigh too heavily in these plans. Like everyone, I pray that the recession is not a fat 'U'.

It's not over until the fat lady sings. The fat lady sang last Thurs

The roughest part of my treatment is finally over!!. Last Thurs I had my 6th and last chemo shot with minimal side effects, dispensing, to my pleasant surprise, the need for the usual afternoon rest. I was all perked up and raring to celebrate with a nice lunch and some shopping for the strong pipeline of social get togethers.

My radiation therapy starts on 17 Nov. Dr Lee, the doctor taking care of me is again another professional in whom I have confidence. His patience in fielding my hundred and one questions relating to the next leg of my treatment is highly commendable.

My red blood cell count has returned to 10+ level and should be on its way to the pre-chemo days of high 12. My dietary discipline will now be put to a test after recent relaxation on account of "eat whatever you desire as after all the drug will help rid the toxins". Back to healthy salads, more juices, steamed/braised food. What's more, hair growth is noted after the 5th cycle. On my way for the Joan of Arc look.

After a long break, I returned last Saturday to the museum volunteer guiding scene with what I consider a truly satisfying tour on the "Doubleness" exhibition by renowned Taiwanese photojournalist, Chang Chien Chi at the NMS (National Museum of Singapore). The lives of those in the photos make me realise that my plight is not the end of the world when compared to some whose lives are a 'living hell' on earth for a much protracted period.

I'll be joining the support group for breast cancer patients in 2009 when my radiation therapy is completed, to share my experience with fellow patients. My message to them focuses on positive thinking, exercise, yoga, discipline and especially blogging to transfer stress and depression.

sunnybunny

Blogging is so therapeutic

A friend of mine emailed me an article suggesting that blogging is good for cancer patients. I cannot agree more with this notion. Since my diagnosis, I started my blog with various intentions in mind but chief is the need to 'release' tension from hidden fear and stress of the unknown and unventured. While the frequency of my blogs has abated to once every 3 weeks or so, I still feel the immense relief whenever I pen my thoughts on coming treatments and sometimes what I consider needless medical interventions.

Life is starting to take on a more predictable rhythm. Barley green drink first thing in the morning, yoga while waiting for the body to absorb the nutrients of the drink, breakfast, newspapers, and, getting ready for work. At work, great effort is taken not to be stressed by financial market volatility, something quite difficult to wish away these days. Calling it a day whenever I feel I've completed an honest day's work. No wonder I went through my 5th cycle last Thurs feeling like nothing out of the ordinary. But wait! I actually completed the 5th shot and am ready on the 23 of this month to finish the final chemo shot. The prospect of a 5-week radiation course thereafter seems like 'small beer' in comparison.

There are many things to look forward to: less restrictive diet, hair re-growth, a new lease of life, more get-together with friends, etc. An important promise which I'm going to keep - help in the support group for breast cancer patients. High on my list is encouraging them to start a blog.

Sunnybunny