Yesterday I met up with Berwine, a CHIJ Katong primary school classmate I hadn’t seen in almost a decade.
This year we reconnected on Facebook. She’s on a month-long vacation before starting a new position based in Bangkok, covering Argentina, Brazil and several other Latin American countries. Her first stop was Buenos Aires, so we made plans to meet.
Our little rendezvous after nearly ten years
We met for tea yesterday evening at Café Tortoni, a historic coffeehouse at 825 Avenida de Mayo in Buenos Aires. Inaugurated in 1858 by a French immigrant named Touan, the café was named after a famous Parisian spot on the Boulevard des Italiens where 19th-century cultural elites gathered. The atmosphere is inspired by Fin de siècle coffee houses and retains a classic, timeless charm.
I arrived as soon as I could get out of the office, and it was wonderful catching up. Ten years of stories to exchange left us both fascinated by how different our lives have become. One afternoon tea was nowhere near enough to cover everything, so we arranged dinner tonight at the well-known parrilla La Cabrera.
Berwine brought a little Singaporean surprise
Across oceans and continents, she brought mooncakes — not just any mooncakes, but those from Goodwood Park Hotel. I haven’t opened them yet, but I’m looking forward to trying them.
What mooncakes look like
What exactly are mooncakes?
Mooncakes are a traditional Chinese pastry typically eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival, a celebration of lunar worship and moon viewing. They are often shared among friends and family and commonly given as gifts during the festival. Mooncakes are among the most important items associated with this celebration.
Traditionally, mooncakes are round or rectangular pastries about 10 cm in diameter and 4–5 cm thick. A dense filling—commonly red bean or lotus seed paste—sits within a thin crust of a few millimetres. Some mooncakes include salted duck egg yolks. They are usually served in small wedges with Chinese tea. Today, elaborate and high-end versions are popular gifts for business associates and family, which has driven demand for premium styles. The caloric content varies by size and filling; a typical 10 cm mooncake can contain roughly 1,000 calories.
Homesickness cured
Although the Mid-Autumn Festival has already passed this year, receiving these mooncakes made me feel much closer to home and eased the homesickness I was feeling last week. Berwine’s thoughtful gift arrived in a beautiful golden-yellow hardcover box decorated with a red lotus motif. It was a simple but meaningful gesture that brightened my day.
I’m grateful for the chance to reconnect and for the thoughtful treat. Looking forward to dinner tonight and more time to catch up on a decade’s worth of stories.