The world of Tzu Chi September 2020 (Vol.126)

TZU CHI 126 57 Ng Hui Ling A nutritionist with a Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and a Master’s degree in Sports Science, who served at the Singapore Heart Foundation before becoming self-employed, providing dietary consultations to vegetarians and writing a nutrition column for a health magazine. Whenever we were short of money, my mother would just sprinkle some infused scallion oil and chopped spring onions on top of steamed tofu as our source of protein. Both my husband and I have never had any craving for sumptuous food. Our lunch is simple: steam rice, served with one dish of tofu slices fried on a pan till golden brown, plated with a dash of salt, and another dish of asparagus stir fried with fresh mushrooms. After filling our tummies, we continue our everyday work with a sense of contentment. Back to the 80s The “minimalist lifestyle” that my family of three live by these days brings me back to my life in the 80s. In those days, whenever my mother brought me on her grocery shopping trips, she would head home straightaway after finishing her shopping. She never look-see or wandered around. My childhood world only circled around school and home. Having spent my childhood in Taiping, I never had the luxury of even visiting Port Dickson, a popular seaside that was often mentioned in school sample composition, let alone travelling overseas. Ever since I became a mother myself, every time when I took my daughter, Rui Jia, out on grocery shopping, she would always pull me along to look at the potteries, or adjourn to the stationery store, or to window- shop on Legos, toys or music instruments before going home. However, we had to change this habit due to the pandemic – leaving immediately after buying what we needed. Surprisingly, Rui Jia never complained of boredom. Instead, it was as if she had been through a new life experience that had awaken her, she told us, “I can actually live a good life without window-shopping.” The whole of Singapore gradually slowed down quietly just like that. I often think of the staff of the few vegetarian restaurants that we used to frequent. These are the people who have quietly served and catered to vegetarian customers like myself. With their already slow business, how would they cope during this shut down period? As for the independent bookstores that have always catered to our mental and spiritual quests, how many more months can they survive? Are they still able to keep their jobs? With these concerns in mind, I dialled a few numbers on my phone, to order for takeout food and purchased a box of books on the Internet. I decided that I would support them within my means and continue to live a quiet life. * The Circuit Breaker is aimed at breaking the chain of Covid-19 transmissions. Since April 7, the implemented measures include enhancement on safe social distancing measures, more stringent restriction on public movement and gatherings, closure of all non-essential workplaces, schools and institutes of higher learning. All school classes are conducted online.