The Lunch Plan

It good to be back. The company firewall proved to be beefed up that all the proxy servers I've tried are shot. I tried this almost forgotten proxy and what do you know... :)

The week started with the enrollment period looming and had to make calls to my daughter's grandfather and ex-hubby. Sent enrollment statements through courier and everything went surprisingly well. Waited for the accounting office to open and fought to keep awake. Lugged eight, thick pieces of 4th grade textbooks home. Still wondering what kind of backpack will carry school stuff AND books. Maybe, Fem will end up using 2 bags this school year again. These things are important since there is a direct relation to the heaviness of the pack and to your estimated growth. With my daughter's future height, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for willowy. Oh dear God, not my side of the genes, please.

Along with all the others, I've prepared recipes since I've promised myself that Fem will and should be eating home-cooked meals from now on.
More veggies, fruits, and milk for her. Less of a shortcut mom. OH GOD HELP ME!!!!

I was also told that my daughter has a choice of getting a lunch pass. Should I? Can she take a jeep and go home for lunch? Alone? Will it constitute oversheltering if I still bring and fetch her from school? Will she be scarred for life if her classmates can see me at the school gate with her lunchbox? Is there hope for all harassed single moms in the world?

Interestingly in Mumbai, India, having home-cooked lunches reaching your kid or husband is not even an issue. Dabbawalas, or people who deliver these lunchboxes or tiffins, have this impressive, efficient, and intricate system for deliveries. Intricate because about a thousand deliveries are made everyday. Efficient because there is only one mistake for every million deliveries. Impressive because the dabbawalas are illiterate. Amazing. Most of them have held their job for 20 years. And not even a single complaint on the service in 100 years!

Since there won't be any chance that they'll offer their services in the Philippines anytime soon, single moms will have to make do with what they have. In silent salute, I roll up my sleeves, tighten my apron, and submerge my hands into culinary domesticity.