After I left Malaysia, I pretty much worked hours that I wanted.. So there was never a question of work and home balancing act.

In Malaysia, life was really easy. There are 4 food courts withing walking distance from my condo. So the days I was too tired to cook, I could buy something healthy from the food court. I could get cleaners working for the condo management to clean my place if I didn’t have time and it didn’t cost an arm and a leg.
The market was just across the street and is open Monday to sunday from 6 am.
There was the night market every sunday. So life was easy.

If there is one fictional person I could say I resemble a lot, it will be Bree from desperate housewife.
I am a perfectionist, I pay the bills on a certain days,do the laundry on a certain day, clothes are hung according to a certain order in my closet. I never go for shopping mid week,Once I ran out of salt mid week and though the super market is walking distance from my place, I used soy sauce instead of salt and waited till the weekend to buy salt. I don’t really know why I do things like that when the most sensible thing to do is just go and buy salt and the problem is solved..and to prevent such a catastrophe from happening again, I now have an extra bottle of salt in the pantry.

I am obsessed with making sure that the food I cook is good, healthy and is presented well. It has to be a balanced meal as well..( not often possible, but I do try)

I never make the same dish again for weeks may be even months. I hate to eat the same thing over and over ( if you had to eat rice and moru for most of your childhood, then you might understand)
Because we have lived in so many places and have international integration in our family, it is pretty easy to make different types of food. My children are not fuzzy eaters and love good food. I tend to cook, Malaysian food ( that alone has malay, indian and chinese dishes!!) italian food ( my son loves Italian food), sometimes Russian ( Broscht, Piroshki, golubtsi etc) and of course Indian food..
I hate to keep left overs in the fridge, which means that I always have to make just enough for four of us each day.
I never send sandwiches for school lunch. They have always got hot lunch in their thermos.
If any of my children asked for a particular food, I will make it. Yesterday baby asked if we could have spaghetti for dinner and I made it..although I was planning to make chicken pot pie. Amma always had issues with me cooking things for the kids just because they asked for something. she thinks I am spoiling them. For me, it takes less than 30 minutes to cook the pasta and make pasta sauce..the same amount of time it would take me to make the chicken pot pie..So why not?
I always keep my word.
So now that I will be working full time, I am terrified.. Life was good till now.. There was never a conflict.
How do all you working women cope with work and raising children?

I really admire those wonderful women who can handle working and mothering with such ease..I wish I could do it. I hope I can..but right now.. I am simply terrified