What is Married Life without a Wok? (Ten Years and Counting)

This moment is captured on photo by Jan van der Crabben

In two days, I will have completed a decade of marriage. And fortunately , with the same man. While most pious women will write (or think) about how trials and challenges have strengthened their love and commitment to their spouses, I choose to write about a wok. It may be a trivial matter to most, but I find the wok to be one of the most soulful elements in my relationship (and that means friendship and marriage, which are two separate components) with my husband.

Ten years in the same roof can drive one crazy. If someone says otherwise, you can be sure they have one lie to repent of the next day. Or maybe the next minute. I could never boast of surviving all these ten years together. It is, without a doubt, a grace from Heaven. REAL women will have to agree. The intricacies of each married couple is fashioned so uniquely that, what works greatly for one does not necessarily bring benefit to another. Clearly, there are no hard-and-fast rules or guidelines. It largely remains an obstacle course each one of us must hurdle -- together.

With a number of past blog posts relating to food, it is quite obvious that I immensely enjoy eating. Since dining out is a relatively expensive "sport," I face the challenge of creating gastronomic delights in the confines of my own home. My kitchen exercises range from simple to the fancy, and the star of the culinary home show is no other than the WOK. Yes, the wok is my favorite cooking utensil. Even if I treat and beat it so hard, this kitchen buddy will never complain :)

Photo of a Seasoned Wok from The Kitchn

My marriage is not much about YOU-AND-ME-AGAINST-THE-WORLD. It is essentially about food, cooking, dining, and enjoying every bit of it, TOGETHER. Life is less insane when you have fantastic stir-fries and crunchy deep-fried food. Stress (and anger) is much relieved by beating your wok with some egg-foo-yong or greasy SPAM. If all else goes haywire, scrubbing the stains from your wok will prove to be worse than anything you could ever encounter in your lifetime, and that in itself offers you a silent moment for deep thought and realization that at the end of the day, you are still breathing. I always say that there is so much to be grateful for in having three meals to eat in a day. Some 10 percent of the world's inhabitants don't even get to the second. Food for thought for you :) Have an awesome day!