A few days’ ago, I had a noodle meal topped by sweet potato leaves and an egg, garnished by a sprinkle of dried shrimps and an oriental belachan chilli paste (chilli padi with garlic and malay shrimp paste).

Sweet potato leaves were the high point of the meal, since they were plucked from the garden just a stone’s throw from the kitchen.

Plucked the tender young vines with the leaves and soaking them in water, washed away the dust and earth, before tossing them into the boil with the noodles.

Trying to lead a simpler and healthier life at a slower pace is not easy.  Simplicity ought to permeate across all aspects of our lives,  and not knowing where to begin is just an invitation to begin with just about anything. In time, I will ditch the dried shrimps for healthier fried shallots, and substitute the egg for a few pieces of doufu, to enhance the nutritional value of the meal, but for now, this is good enough – to savor created things, and be grateful for a day lived but not earned.

(Lumix G85; M Zuiko 75-300mm)