The Morning of The Prestige Ball…
My favorite thing to do in the morning is read. It feels so luxurious to have the whole day yawning ahead of you instead of rushing through the book before bedtime. I’m delighted M4 is just as keen on reading. That morning, he started on Enid Blyton’s The Magic Faraway Tree and we gaped at how the library due dates stretched as far back as 1998. I was glad we got to hang out since my evening would be taken up by the Prestige Ball. I helped him with some of the difficult words and enjoyed the book together. Then he baked some butter cookies as gifts and of course, he did this without my help. It’s no secret that I’m deeply undomestic.
What Does One Eat Before The Prestige Ball?
The answer is, anything that makes you happy of course. Emil & I headed out with M6 & his Godmother, to the perfect place for a late lunch. That perfect place for us is Lau Ah Tee because I love bak kut teh while everyone else including M6, enjoys braised intestines. The delicious steamed baby threadfin was a bonus, as were the accompanying condiments. To top it off, the freshly grilled, perfectly spiced otak otak was first class.
Prepping at Prep Luxe and Kidding with Kids.
I had a specific look I wanted to achieve this year which reflected my current state of mind: uncluttered. So instead of curling or braiding my hair, I asked the stylist to simply cut it. My make-up artist, Beno, used a lovely palette from Sisley for my eyes, and we decided against fake eyelashes or mascara for this event. M6 was very interested in the goings-on and darted in & out delightedly. I really enjoy my Saturdays with this silly billy goat no matter where we are. Snapshots of Saturday’s Spontaneous Shenanigans
After we left the salon, we headed to my goddaughter’s birthday. The kids had a splendid time, making up games to play using whatever props and toys they had. I enjoyed watching them play without electronic devices and we had quite a giggle.
#PrestigeBall2018
Family
And so, after a swell day, we rocked up as a family to the 18th Prestige Ball which was held at The Ritz-Carlton. http://prestigeonline.com/events/-/prestige-ball-2018-celebrating-prestige-singapores-18th-anniversary/ It was a short walk down the red carpet to take our portrait at the official photo wall, but I managed to take a whole bunch of photos for posterity. I felt so proud of M1 whose maturity belies his years. I look at this fine young man and am proud that his younger brothers have a wonderful role model.
Friends
The first girlfriends we met when we sailed into the cocktail area were Maisy & Paige, and Nada, all splendidly dressed, and I realised that I hadn’t touched base with good friends in ages. The past couple of months have been quite taxing and I haven’t been a good communicator. Nonetheless tonight the vibe was chill and it was easy to pick up where we left off. It was cool to be at the Prestige Ball with friends whom I had known since long before we were married with kids, like Yvonne & Sara-Ann, as well as Natasha & Cheryl. Inside the grand ballroom, I caught up with social stalwarts and fellow women doctors from the AWDS, Iroshini & Tina. Iro wore a couture outfit that weighed 5kg and Tina was stunning in silver. I was just glad my Laichan gown still fit after a decade. Thank God and Laichan for elastic fabric cheongsams.
Food
Dinner was creatively executed, starting with the poached ecrevisse, truffle leek vichyssoise & caviar which was served in a cup covered by a pastry with “18” stamped on it. The carpaccio of seared tuna and saffron-infused daikon confit was presented in a geometric pattern. In fact it was so meticulously laid out that I almost felt bad for hoovering it up. The next dish was sous vide abalone and mine was gone in 60 microseconds. The raspberry sorbet was served in a martini glass, set beside my cup of coffee. I looked like the poster girl for teetotalling. The reason why I wasn’t drinking was that I was going to work after the ball. In fact I left before the main course, swapping high heels for flat Melissa shoes. On my way out, I passed dessert trolleys including one stacked with treats designed as mahjong tiles.
And the Night Goes On…
Night duties make me very religious. I find myself thanking God all the time for patients who are safely discharged after their symptoms resolve. That night I was very grateful for that and more. My junior doctors did a marvelous job. The boy was someone who had previously rotated through the paediatric emergency and it was lovely to work with him again. The girl was someone I had just met that night, but we discovered we had visited the same restaurant for lunch that day! Furthermore, we were both flying off after work. What are the odds? Certainly longer than the odds of me having a completely fabulous day from start to finish. Thank God for that!
