The Working Mother Without A Home Portfolio
I felt quite disturbed by the fact that while my sunny disposition had given me the moniker of Sun Goddess, my culinary and housekeeping skills had not framed me as a Domestic Goddess. For years, I had been whipping up delectable dishes for my men from an unrivalled roast leg of lamb, to a power-packed Peranakan chicken curry that was considered the best in Singapore, Johore and some say Batam too. I had been picking up their laundry to put back into the laundry basket, instead of having dirty laundry decorate the floor around the basket. I had even walked the dogs when the both of them pretended to snooze like the annoying passengers who occupied the seats for the disabled in a crowded train.
Yet, I was not known as a Domestic Goddess! I found myself unfairly dismissed as the “Working Mother Without A Home Portfolio”, much like a “Minister Without Portfolio” when the latter had been put on the roll-call of cabinet personnel bound for that invitation list of the next civil service retirement party.
The Housekeeper Is On Vacation
Okay, I should admit that my multi-talented housekeeper Evelyn, with her cooking, baking, sewing, housekeeping skills and uncanny ability to burp while she brushes her teeth in the morning, had rendered me rather useless for the last 8 years. Evelyn is a key member of my family, and possibly the designated Chief Operations Officer of the Ash household. David, Joel and I would be lost without Evelyn. David would not know where he had kept his camera equipment, Joel could never find his shoes and I would not know how the kitchen appliances work without her.
Evelyn is about to leave for a 3 week vacation back to her home country in the Philippines, and my men are frantic, treating her impending absence as a major disaster. When I told them that I would be in charge of the kitchen for the next 3 weeks, I was dismayed to see horror registered on their faces.
The Domestic Goddess
For the next 3 weeks, I am determined to prove to my men that I am not only the Sun Goddess, but I am the Domestic Goddess too. I have delegated the laundry, garbage and bathroom duties to David, and Joel will be official care-taker of the mutts. The kitchen is of course, my domain.
My biggest project is the annual traditional family Christmas Eve dinner when I will be expecting about 25 of my extended family members at my home to celebrate the yuletide season with us. Yes, I will be cooking. I was not too ambitious so I had the chef at one of my favourite restaurants prepare the roast turkey with figs and chestnut stuffing. I did not know what a fig looks like you see. However, I will be cooking the rest of the meal which will include a grilled salmon with lemon, mint and parsley, roast potatoes and parsnips with rosemary, a seafood salad with raspberry vinaigrette and a shepherd’s pie. Thank goodness Uncle Winston will be bringing a cake.
Get Off The Speed-Dial
I cannot wait to prove to my men that I can actually cook and clean on top of managing the marketing and PR projects at work and reading Tarot cards for clients. The world is filled with so many multi-talented working mothers. I could be one too. I just wished David and Joel had more faith in me. As I was writing this blog post, I spotted them attaching Pizza Hut’s and McDonald’s flyers on the refrigerator door and putting their numbers on speed-dial.
About the writer:
The writer of this blog post is a 44 year old mother of one, who spreads her time between her day job as a marketing professional at a financial institution, her hobby as a certified professional tarot reader and numerologist, and her family which includes a 20 year old son and 3 dogs with personality disorders. She's married to a Scot who has been affectionately called "The Crazy AngMo" and prays that he does not find out that the term when translated, has labeled him as a "Ginger Head". Together, we create a home made up with more nuts than a fruitcake but filled with plenty of love.
I felt quite disturbed by the fact that while my sunny disposition had given me the moniker of Sun Goddess, my culinary and housekeeping skills had not framed me as a Domestic Goddess. For years, I had been whipping up delectable dishes for my men from an unrivalled roast leg of lamb, to a power-packed Peranakan chicken curry that was considered the best in Singapore, Johore and some say Batam too. I had been picking up their laundry to put back into the laundry basket, instead of having dirty laundry decorate the floor around the basket. I had even walked the dogs when the both of them pretended to snooze like the annoying passengers who occupied the seats for the disabled in a crowded train.
Yet, I was not known as a Domestic Goddess! I found myself unfairly dismissed as the “Working Mother Without A Home Portfolio”, much like a “Minister Without Portfolio” when the latter had been put on the roll-call of cabinet personnel bound for that invitation list of the next civil service retirement party.
The Housekeeper Is On Vacation
Okay, I should admit that my multi-talented housekeeper Evelyn, with her cooking, baking, sewing, housekeeping skills and uncanny ability to burp while she brushes her teeth in the morning, had rendered me rather useless for the last 8 years. Evelyn is a key member of my family, and possibly the designated Chief Operations Officer of the Ash household. David, Joel and I would be lost without Evelyn. David would not know where he had kept his camera equipment, Joel could never find his shoes and I would not know how the kitchen appliances work without her.
Evelyn is about to leave for a 3 week vacation back to her home country in the Philippines, and my men are frantic, treating her impending absence as a major disaster. When I told them that I would be in charge of the kitchen for the next 3 weeks, I was dismayed to see horror registered on their faces.
The Domestic Goddess
For the next 3 weeks, I am determined to prove to my men that I am not only the Sun Goddess, but I am the Domestic Goddess too. I have delegated the laundry, garbage and bathroom duties to David, and Joel will be official care-taker of the mutts. The kitchen is of course, my domain.
My biggest project is the annual traditional family Christmas Eve dinner when I will be expecting about 25 of my extended family members at my home to celebrate the yuletide season with us. Yes, I will be cooking. I was not too ambitious so I had the chef at one of my favourite restaurants prepare the roast turkey with figs and chestnut stuffing. I did not know what a fig looks like you see. However, I will be cooking the rest of the meal which will include a grilled salmon with lemon, mint and parsley, roast potatoes and parsnips with rosemary, a seafood salad with raspberry vinaigrette and a shepherd’s pie. Thank goodness Uncle Winston will be bringing a cake.
Get Off The Speed-Dial
I cannot wait to prove to my men that I can actually cook and clean on top of managing the marketing and PR projects at work and reading Tarot cards for clients. The world is filled with so many multi-talented working mothers. I could be one too. I just wished David and Joel had more faith in me. As I was writing this blog post, I spotted them attaching Pizza Hut’s and McDonald’s flyers on the refrigerator door and putting their numbers on speed-dial.
About the writer:
The writer of this blog post is a 44 year old mother of one, who spreads her time between her day job as a marketing professional at a financial institution, her hobby as a certified professional tarot reader and numerologist, and her family which includes a 20 year old son and 3 dogs with personality disorders. She's married to a Scot who has been affectionately called "The Crazy AngMo" and prays that he does not find out that the term when translated, has labeled him as a "Ginger Head". Together, we create a home made up with more nuts than a fruitcake but filled with plenty of love.
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| Joel - attempting to get acquainted with the mop. |
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| Bailey - getting acquainted with the toilet brush |
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