Lessons from 2018

Looking back over the past year, I can confirm that there are many things I learned – some really useful and others not so much. There were also lessons I already knew that were reinforced, such as be careful what you wish (or pray) for because you just might get it!

At the beginning of last year, our older daughter said she wanted to become a bolder driver. So we asked the good Lord to help her not to be afraid of bully bus and matatu drivers on the road, and left it at that. But in the ensuing months, I became increasingly aware that I was engaging my imaginary brakes more often whenever she drove me. I also realised that I was moving from “there’s a gap in the traffic, you could have joined the road” to “gasp! Did you NOT see that bus?!? And when she confidently drove the family on an out-of-town trip last week – her first ever long-distance driving experience – I realised her prayer had been answered.

This year she has declared that she wants to become a “super driver”. I’m not so sure I want to know what that is. So if you’ve made any wishes (or prayers) half-heartedly in the New Year, you might want to revisit and refine them in case you end up with more than you bargained for.

Noodles can be a delicacy

I also learned that I can turn an ordinary packet of two-minute noodles into a very tasty dish. I have said before that my culinary skills can be described as ‘safe’ at best, meaning that I only cook what I already know or exactly as the recipe says. This is why I’ve never liked noodles, which I find very bland. But our youngest, who is the most adventurous cook in the family, taught me that they can be exciting. For anyone out there’s who has been wondering how to spice up this quick and easy meal, here are some tips (because sharing is caring).

Cook the noodles as usual then remove from the heat. In a separate pan, make a sauce using ingredients of your choice. These could include tomatoes, onions, garlic, ginger, soy sauce and chilli sauce (or fresh chilli if you prefer). You can also add peas, sweet corn or even a little mincemeat. When the sauce is almost done, add the noodles and voila! A great tasting and quick meal (it should not take more than 15 minutes from start to finish) has been created.

The word spelled backwards

As for the other stuff I learnt from our youngest; unless I am one day called to be a contestant on a trivia show, I don’t think I have any use for it. First, did you know that the reason why ambulances have the word ‘ambulance’ spelled backwards is so that you can read it easily when you look in your rear view and side mirrors? Now I am one of those drivers who are always wondering where the siren is coming from only to realise when the ambulance is right behind me, by which time I am too busy trying to scramble out of the way and there’s really no time to read anything. However, l do admit that I’ve always wondered about the backwards spelling; now I know.

 Fibre artists and magical body

The young lady also told me that our body temperature drops when we are asleep. Apparently this is because all the body functions slow down, including our temperature regulators. At least this tells me that she is retaining some of the stuff she is taught in school! I’m pretty sure I also learnt this and other scientific facts when I was in school many, many years ago but given my fragile relationship with science subjects, I’m not surprised that I couldn’t remember.

I learnt an interesting titbit a couple of weeks ago from my sister, who loves to crochet as much as I love to knit. Whereas I have described myself variously as a “knitter” or “one who knits”, she enlightened me by saying we are actually “fibre artists”, which I thought had a rather nice ring to it. Now there’s something I can flaunt in the new year!