While I was on my way home today, I felt a little peckish about something I didn’t know exactly what.  I couldn’t figure out anything but the more I think about it, the more I become peckish.  I thought of a bread and peanut butter but it wasn’t what my mouth wanted, not even what my stomach was begging for at that moment.  So when I arrived home, I put on the laundry in the washing machine and right thereafter, It was clear in my mind what I wanted to eat.  Fish for dinner!  I couldn’t help but to crave for a fried fish.  Then I called hubby if he could buy some fish on his way home.  I thought of a Mackerel, but he said it’s not the season for such fish right now.  I told him to look for any fish, anyway, as long as it is fish.  He almost spoiled my appetite when he said he couldn’t find any, but a big minute steak.  Aww! please!  No steak this time.  I realized he was joking when I saw the plastic bag from the fish stall, then big smile from me….

And this is what he bought for his craving wife. A fish called plaice, a European flatfish! Served with cooked potatoes and rice, this fish was really a dinner for two. And yes, potatoes for him, rice for me.  Although sometimes, we both eat potatoes and rice.  But as for this fish, rice is more appropriate for me.

I’ve had this “all things bright and beautiful” feeling when I see the “green, green grass (of hope)” sprouting on the grounds and when I see some flowers blooming in different colors. It’s also appealing to see the leaves of the trees become dense each day, confirming that the warm season is here to stay. This beauty of nature, however I appreciate it, gives me some kind of allergic reactions. The more I expose myself to the nature, the worse the allergy becomes.

I can’t recall having some allergic reactions when I was little and I thought I never would have. But this is probably the change of environment that I’ve undergone, especially moving from a tropical climate to seasonal. I’ve learned about having allergic reactions for the past two years, but it was so mild that I took it for granted.

But these past few days, I’ve had headache from time to time, sometimes it lasts the whole day. I wake up in the morning with a headache. Now, I got running nose, too and a cough that worsens everyday. I think I need to see a doctor to determine the condition of these kind of symptoms.

Cautious of what these reactions might be, I looked for symptoms of allergies and I’ve found out that allergies are an overreaction of the body’s natural defense system that helps fight infections, thus causing a rash, itchy eyes, a runny nose, difficulty breathing, nausea, and diarrhea. This explains why I felt nauseous last friday, hmmp! Although I haven’t noticed rash, not even having diarrhea, it’s still best to see a health professional to get the right medicine.

I remember my Indonesian friend who has developed an allergy to lemon which causes her lips to swell whenever she eats one or food that contains lemon. Having food allergies must be the hardest one to fight. Imagine not to eat the food I want, it’s crazy, I hope I wouldn’t get this type of allergy.

Okey, it’s not Mother’s Day here, not yet.  Some countries are celebrating this special day for Moms today including the Philippines, where my mother is there and my sisters who are also mothers to their kids.  Mother’s Day here is always on the last Sunday of May.  Not so long ago that I learned Mother’s Day falls on different dates in different countries, so it happened that I send greetings to my family way after they celebrate MD there. But not now.   Incidentally, Bojoy tagged me this MD greetings with a beautiful poem.

A mother’s love begins
Before the child is born
And lasts through time
And difficulties
And differences
And many wounds
And days of joy
And days of sorrow
Winding, wearing
Weeping, sharing
Changing
Until, at the end
What remains
Is that solid core
That began as love
Before the child was born

Thanks, Bojoy, for this.  And to all the mothers in the world, Happy Mother’s Day!

Seeing tulips in springtime is something I always look forward to. This flower makes spring really beautiful with its radiant colors and forms. It stands like a sophisticated woman wanting to show her loveliness distinct from others. It’s a beauty that everybody admires.  My day is even more brighter the moment I see tulips.  There’s something in this flower that charms my senses.  Whatever it is, must be beyond description and beyond grasp of meaning.

Holiday is over and my intention for this weekend was to do my school assignment.  But it’s far way from what I expected, instead, me and hubby spent the whole Saturday cutting empty boxes into pieces.  We bought a new hi-fi component to replace the unusable one we had when suddenly, I remembered the pile of boxes in our stockroom.  It was impossible to place more stuffs inside.  Now, these were just some of the boxes that we should dispose of, it’s not easy to cut boxes into pieces.  I would get a cut, in fact, I did get a little cut when I flattened one box.  Geezz!  Me, who’s scared of blood!

I won’t blame me or hubby for having a messy, full stockroom.  The large recycling bin is not always placed in our place.  We have to wait until the last four days of every month before we can get away with all those recyclable rubbish.  Not to mention the winter that’s making me lazy to just go out and throw some garbage.  Some people have started cleaning up in early springtime, but I have just started and am getting exhausted by the thought of it.  Cleaning up is hard to do, but it feels good getting rid of unwanted things after all.  Let the cleaning begins!   

A worker like me would leap for joy when holidays come in the midst of excessive tasks and overloads. Being free from work is what I anticipate today and tomorrow, and even in the weekend, despite the fact that I have plenty of paperworks to be done this whole month of May. But as of this moment, I am in a holiday mood to blog and forget about those loads of work. Anyhow, I can do whatever I want to make the most of the holiday and suffer later.

Yesterday was actually the start of the holiday for most schools and offices cos it’s Walpurgis Night or Valborgsmässoafton in Swedish. The name suggests celebrating it in the night but many are doing it in the late afternoon. The highlight of the celebration is to light large bonfires while people gather around and sing songs of spring. It is believed to be the beginning of springtime, casting away winter paraphernalias and the likes. According to ancient times, the purpose of the bonfire is to keep away the dead and chaotic spirits’ presence among the living. Awooo!

Alongside the Walpurgis Night is the annual cortége by the students of the Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg. The carnival parade makes its way through the city centre in the eyes of the spectators around. This explained why the traffic was directed to a different route while I was on my home yesterday, though. I can’t stand with large crowd so I passed watching the parade.

International Workers Day or May Day or Labour Day is a significant day for all the workers in the world. There must be a massive street rallies and demonstrations going on today so I prefer to stay at home for this reason. Besides, I don’t know what I should be rallying for.