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My Little Friends My Inspiration

7 year old colouring

I promised my 2 little friends, Jemima who is 7 years old and Alistair who is 4 years old, that I will tell the world about them and show the world their drawings that they did for me. They are an inspiration to me.

It was just amazing how we became friends through blogging. Their mom, Stella, has been a regular reader (not blogger) of my blog and has become a very good friend……just amazing! It was Biren from Roti n Rice, another very good friend, who introduced her to my blog. Stella emailed me one day about my recipe. Before I realised it she was trying some out. I remembered a few months ago when she told me she must have cooked my Plum Sauce Chicken at least 9 times because her children like it very much!! Wow….even I have not cooked it so many times! That was so encouraging!

Feeding swans, geese and ducks

Just recently I decided to pay her a visit while on a very short trip in London. I took a train. She met me at the train station with her 2 lovely, adorable kids. Imagine the excitement when we met….total strangers in the first place, became good friends through my blogging and first meet-up! We do need good surprises in life like this…makes our life meaningful!

We went to a nearby park to feed swans, geese and ducks. We had great fun with the kids as we threw small pieces of bread into the water and watched them fight for it. The swans were really beautiful and graceful and it was amazing that they got so near to us without being afraid. It reminds me of the beautiful swan photo that my friend, William, took. Check out at Beautiful Winter Scenes In Aberdeen, Scotland

Fried rice vermicelli

Fried rice noodles in sauce (hor fun)

roasted pork buns (char siu pau)

After feeding the swans, we went to a Chinese restaurant for food. The children love Chinese food. We ordered what the children like. We had fried rice vermicelli, fried rice noodles with sauce (hor fun) and steamed char siu pau (steamed dumplings). They are my favourite, too. The food was delicious. Jemima and Alistair really like the char siu pau and ate 2 each.

I baked some triple chocolate cookies, using my Double Chocolate Cookies recipe for Stella and her family. Stella told me later that the cookies were a hit to her family even though her husband does not have a sweet tooth. She also said that her kids were pestering her to try and make them. Hope they try out soon.

I also brought a colouring book and crayons for the kids and also some white paper to draw. As we chatted while waiting for the food to come, the kids were busy colouring the pictures and drawing…..for me! I love kid’s drawings and told them I would show off their pictures to the world on my blog and here they are….original and beautiful.

4 year old colouring

This is Alistair’s colouring. He only did one because he was not happy with his first piece and crumbled it. He is still young and mom helped a little. I still like it.

Jemima' drawing

The first picture on top is Jemima’s colouring. She did that very quickly. I love the different colours used to make the butterfly so unique and beautiful. She got it done just before the food came. After eating, she drew this sun. She told me it’s her favourite picture. Isn’t it special? I like it.

Jemima's drawing

While Stella and I were talking, the kids wanted more char siu pau. While waiting, Jemima drew another one for me…..Mr Moon and Mrs Sun…how interesting! It’s so creative. I like it, too.

The time we spent passed by really quickly and after lunch I had to leave. It was a wonderful meeting which I will cherish for a long, long time. It was very touching when Stella invited me to visit her again and asked me to stay in her place for a few days. Even though it was our first meeting, I find Stella a very friendly, sweet lady and very easy to talk to. We talked like long lost friends!

Stella emailed me and said, “My children are very taken with you and would like you to come and stay the next time, so do take up this invitation the next time you are down in London, and we can do a nice cook-out to enjoy together. Since we returned from our boating holiday, Jemima has been doing a few more colouring sheets from the book you gave her. She enjoys colouring more than Alistair.” That’s so encouraging. I would love to visit them again one day.

More joy came when last weekend, Stella called me to say that she was in the midst of making my steamed char siu pau, Steamed Char Siu Chicken Dumplings (Pao). She told me later that her pau came out very successful and her family likes them very much. That’s really encouraging.

She told me that her husband and daughter were involved in making them. She said her daughter was very good in putting the filling and pleating the edges while her husband was in charged of rolling out the pau skin. That’s really fantastic….a 7 year old who knows how to pleat the edges very well…wow….upcoming chef! It’s always so encouraging and inspiring to know that kids are allowed into the kitchen to be involved together in cooking. As is often said, “Teach them a skill and they will not go hungry.”

I’m really thankful to Stella for her friendship and hospitality….the kids, too. Jemima and Alistair are my new little friends who are an inspiration to me.

Have you ever been inspired by kids? Please share, add and comment in the comment box.

Other articles of inspiration by kids and teens that you may be interested in:
Everyone Has A Talent - You Have To Discover It
Be Childlike Not Childish
Creative Cartoon Drawings By A Teenager

Quote of the day……

“Children are the world’s most valuable resource and its best hope for the future.”

John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Share and Enjoy:

46 Comments

Katerina on September 8th, 2010

Children indeed give us hope and make us feel like we used to when we were in their age. My son is 7 and many times he surprises me with the way he approaches things. I sometimes let myself feel and behave like him. It is so therapeutic.

Jeannie on September 8th, 2010

Such adorable drawings… kids are the easiest to please and full of fun and oh, such a pain in the you know where *roll eyes*

Wendy on September 8th, 2010

Isn’t it fantastic when you make friends in the virtual world and they become real friends in the real world? Cooking really is the thing that brings the world together!

anncoo on September 8th, 2010

I think it is so much fun to play with kids. I love that Mr Moon and Mrs Sun’s drawing…really pretty!

Christine@Christine's Recipes on September 8th, 2010

Great drawing and great friendship.
Cooking and eating really draw people together.

Sushma Mallya on September 8th, 2010

beautiful drawings, kids are so cute and make life very enjoyable…

Little Inbox on September 8th, 2010

The kids got talent in drawing. U all have fun!

Arnold on September 8th, 2010

Now that’s what blogging is all about. I am sure you have just turned a few more people into bloggers.

Biren @ Roti n Rice on September 8th, 2010

Glad to know you all had a great time. Makes me want to visit real soon

Aipi on September 8th, 2010

That is soooooooo cute..kids can be very inspirational at times..!!

US Masala

Biren @ Roti n Rice on September 8th, 2010

Mary, thanks for the mention! Hopefully we can meet soon.

busygran on September 8th, 2010

I like the ship sailing into the sunset! Creative!
Children are precious and lovely little people!

Conor @ HoldtheBeef on September 8th, 2010

How lovely. It seems there are more and more great stories of people meeting through their blogs and becoming good friends in ‘real life’. Even better, the meetings always seem to involve good food too!

Von on September 8th, 2010

Ngawww….I love the drawings- they’re so cute!! And I think it’s really wonderful that you managed to meet Stella =) She sounds like a lovely person. It’s so cool how you can meet such wonderful people through blogs =D

lequan@luvtoeat on September 8th, 2010

Mary, I loved everything about this post! Meeting friends through blogging has been such a wonderful experience for me. But to meet them in real person is a whole other experience that you need to cherish.

Jemima and Alistair are such awesome colorers and drawers! They drew and colored such beautiful pictures for you. My daughter is almost 4 and just learned how to colour inside the lines, I’m so proud of her!

Looks like you guys had a wonderful time and have made friends for life. What an awesome meeting! The swan and duck picture is beautiful as well. I have never been so close to swans before.

lequan@luvtoeat on September 8th, 2010

PS
Children definitely inspire me. They are so little but so ambitious. As adults, sometimes we’re so afraid of failure that we lose that ambition.

TasteHongKong on September 8th, 2010

Mary,
Aren’t you Mrs Sun, shinning and warming whoever you encounter?!
Jemima makes the drawings alive!
Alistair even adds highlights to the whale(?)!
Thanks for sharing : )!

fimère on September 8th, 2010

ils sont sublimes ces petits desseins et bien adorables
bonne soirée

Mary on September 8th, 2010

@Katerina - Totally agree with you that children gives us hope. As parents I believe they are the reason that makes our life meaningful and drives us on. You son is so cute…such a blessing to you…and you are such a great mom! I’m sure both of you sometimes go wild with games and laughter

@Jeannie - Haha…I know those times, Jeannie! I told my girls that they will get that back when they have kids if they do that to me

@Wendy -Yes, it’s just beyond what I could ever imagine when I stepped into the blogging world! Now I think everyone should try to cook and blog…haha. It will make the world a better place

@anncoo - I’m sure you have lots of fun there with kids, too. I think they make us feel younger. Haha…I’m still very amused to think how in the world a child would think of marrying the sun and the moon together!

@Christine@Christine’s Recipes - Totally agree with you that cooking and eating draw people together. We better cook more, eat more and blog more

@Sushma Mallya - Must agree with you that kids are really cute and make life very enjoyable

@Little Inbox - Yes, I can see talent there. It was really fun meeting them

@Arnold - haha…I must work harder to persuade more people to cook more and start blogging. Blogging is something that I could have never dreamt that it will turn out so exciting I should have started way earlier….but still not too late.

@Biren @ Roti n Rice - Biren, you got to come soon! Stella will have a fun cook out. We can help to cook I’m looking much forward to meeting you, too!

@Aipi - Indeed kids can be very inspiration! They sometimes think of things that adults have no clue of

@busygran - Yes, beautiful and creative drawing!

@Conor @ HoldtheBeef - Haha…I’m so amused at your last sentence…totally agree on that…big smiles! I think everyone thinks of food often, especially food bloggers…haha. Hope to meet you one day, too……that’s really far away!

@Von - Yes, Stella is very sweet and friendly. I’m really g;ad to have met her. Blogging is amazing!

@lequan@luvtoeat - Thanks very much, LeQuan! Yes, meeting the real person is a whole different experience. We had a wonderful time. It’s wonderful that your girl is learning to colour. You should put up their drawings and colouring on our blog. I would be their admirer Yes, children are ambitious though they are little. They are also risk takers and fearless in many ways which I think adults need to learn. I always love to sit and watch kids play and do things…very entertaining and refreshing

@TasteHongKong - Oh wow…..you are so creative…but what a compliment….big smiles here! Maureen, you are always very sweet and encouraging The kids’ drawings are just very beautiful!

@fimère - Yes, the drawings and colouring are very beautiful

Belinda @zomppa on September 8th, 2010

Those colorings are so happy. It’s cool that you got to meet in person. Of course, you clearly ate well!

elra on September 8th, 2010

Such a wonderful drawing, they make me smile

Joy on September 8th, 2010

That is adorable. It is great you had a wonderful visit.

Suman Singh on September 8th, 2010

WOW..so cute..such a adorable drawing..they make me smile..very pretty and inspirational indeed.

Ananda Rajashekar on September 8th, 2010

what a lovely, cute and warm post. Lucky you Mary, God bless for more of wonderful encounters they are the best in the world, makes me feel world isn’t nay bad place to live as they are still zillions of good people…kids drawing are adorable, i too love my friends kids draw for me..i keep collecting them Hugs!

Kamalika on September 8th, 2010

I can imagine what a grt time u had and spent with the lil angels….children are like that only they will just take you out of the world and make you travel in the world of innocence with full of joy and peace….

Namitha on September 8th, 2010

They are so talented and fun to be with..You are so lucky to have such good friends Mary…

drick on September 8th, 2010

beautiful story and what fun you must have had during the visit - you are loved wherever you go and with whom you meet - no surprise here…

somewhere in singapore on September 8th, 2010

Wish i have chance to meet u too… hehe…

Blackswan on September 8th, 2010

Those lovely pix reminds me of my son’s drawings when he was young.

Thks for sharing the wonderful story on a beautiful morning:)

Faith on September 8th, 2010

The drawings are adorable! The children sound so sweet.

Mary on September 8th, 2010

@Belinda @zomppa - Yes, I love the colouring….and the friendship and food, too

@elra - Lovely to know they bring smiles

@Joy - Thanks very much, Joy!

@Suman Singh - Lovely to know they make you smile

@Ananda Rajashekar - Indeed I’m very blessed by the friendship, fun and food! Truly like what you said….it’s still a wonderful world that we live when we think there are still lots of wonderful people around. Wow…lovely to know that you keep kids’ drawings. You should post them one day. I’ll be their admirer I remember you have a niece. Ask her to draw lots for you. I’m sure she would be very happy to do that.

@Kamalika - Love your beautiful description about children. Yes, the kids were true little angels that brought me lots of smiles

@Namitha - You are right….am very lucky to have such good friends!

@drick - Awww…..thanks for your lovely compliments, Drick! But I do wish my friends’ dogs and cats will love me, too Food may help….haha

@somewhere in singapore - Would really love to meet you, too, Sharon! You must take me to all those funny shows

@Blackswan - I’m sure your son’s drawings are all very sweet, too

@Faith - Thanks very much, Faith!

Gera @ Sweets Foods Blog on September 8th, 2010

Friends via blogging this is so cool! Nice draws and the same with the triple chocolate cookies

Cheers,

Gera

5 Star Foodie on September 8th, 2010

Great drawings by the kids, definitely inspirational!

Jen Cheung on September 8th, 2010

these pictures are surely beautiful!!! very talented. I miss coloring too. but at this age - coloring??? People will think I’m weird. sigh - i wish I’m a kid all over again.

take cares & have a great day!
jen

Dongxing on September 9th, 2010

Dear Mary, it was indeed a pleasure to have met you in person. When I started to follow your blog (thanks to Biren from Rotinrice), I was looking for quick simple do-able recipes that I could use. I had never imagined that I would get to meet you. But we did and the honour is all ours. We had a lovely time feeding the swans and ducks, and an equally nice time at the restaurant. Food plays a very central theme in our family. From a young age, we had started giving our children taster sessions of a wide variety of food, for a purely selfish reason – so that they could eat the same adult food that we are eating when we go out for meals. Luckily both kids are not fussy eaters and are pretty adventurous, so that’s half the battle won. Now, I just have to expand my son’s repertoire of vegetables he would eat, not just broccoli, carrots, peas, choy sum and spinach….I am certainly looking forward to having you and Biren to visit in the very near future. Keep those recipes coming, and thank you for your warmth and friendship! P/s, will show both Jemima and Alistair your latest post as soon as the home PC returned from repairs.

Dongxing on September 9th, 2010

P/S Mary, I am really flattered by the attention you have given us. I think I can already guess the reaction from my kids when they see their colouring/drawings online…..

Have a nice day!

Joanne on September 9th, 2010

Aww how cute! I love meeting other people through blogging and it is so encouraging when others make your food and actually like it! Sweet post.

Lyndsey on September 9th, 2010

How nice that you all had such a great time and good food! (I was just checking out making steamed buns.) I love hearing about others meeting blogger friends in person. I was able to meet three local bloggers for the first time in person this summer. Thanks for sharing!!

Magic of Spice on September 9th, 2010

What a delightful post…How wonderful to have such friends. The children’s drawings are so precious

Mary on September 9th, 2010

@Gera @ Sweets Foods Blog - It’s just unbelievable, right? Never in my entire life would I have dreamt this would happen

@5 Star Foodie - Thanks very much, Natasha!

@Jen Cheung - Haha…..you make me smile I love colouring too. Come, let’s just do some colouring and re-live our childhood…..would be fun! You have my support. I’ll be your admirer Hope you have a lovey day.

@Dongxing - Stella, it’s such a wonder and pleasure meeting you and your kids! Thanks very much for your hospitality. I really enjoyed myself and look forward to meeting you again one day, and Biren, too. You have such adorable kids, so sweet and well behaved! Thanks very much for a regular reader of my blog. Really exciting each time you said my recipes came out well….very encouraging! I would love to know Jemima and Alistair’s reaction when they see their drawings and colouring on my blog. Hope they will be motivated to draw and colour more.

@Joanne - It’s unbelievable what blogging can bring us, right? Never thought this would happen. Hope I will get to meet you one day, too….not with your stethoscope….haha…..but to chat, laugh and enjoy food But please, no running…..my most feared form of exercise. It will wipe away all my smiles…haha

@Lyndsey - Wow…you have met 3 bloggers! I’ll have to catch up I can just imagine how exciting it must have been. I hope to meet more. Hope we can meet one day The char siu buns are very delicious. Give a try if you have time. Have fun cooking!

@Magic of Spice - I really appreciate such friendship….from nothing to something amazing! Yes, I love the children’s drawings….soooo cute!

kristy on September 9th, 2010

I’m sure the kids will be thrilled when they see their paintings were posted on your blog. haha…. It’s definitely a happy day for them. And you too. Isn’t it fun in the world of blogging and meeting new people & friends! Enjoy & have a fabulous day.
Cheers, Kristy
p/s selamat hari raya to you & your family!