Abe's Advice

Whatever you are, be a GOOD one.

Another Phase

I’ve been through phases of personal frenzy. There was once a frenzy for scrapbooking - I scrapbooked every piece of photograph found around the house. I spent countless hours embellishing and matting pages according to themes.

There was even a dedicated scrapbook entitled “Faces from my past” which from the title one can guess that it was plastered with pictures of ex’s  (that’s a plural) and me, movie ticket stubs, pressed flowers, love letters and notes, lyrics of what used to be ‘our song’ and even break-up notes. I’m still not sure what I’m going to do with that particular book. Sell it for scrap perhaps?

There was another period of personal frenzy which involved a lot of sports equipment - badminton racket, and a tennis racket, a pink golf set, roller blades and Frisbees, which they are now gathering dust, stored away in the far end of the storage room under the stairs.

I’ve entered another frenzy phase the past two months. Cooking, baking and collecting recipes. Not that I don’t cook on a daily basis, but being single, living with family and a helper around the house, cooking is not that much required from me – and I eat out a lot.

But the past two months, I’ve cooked, I’ve baked and I have filed away recipes according to categories. Julia Child would have been proud of me. I have also bought kitchen utensils – food processor, garlic press, icing bags and tips, cookie moulds, zester,  cooling rack, various sizes of baking dishes and pans - some of which I might never again use once this frenzy of mine phases out.

Amidst this cooking and baking frenzy of mine, I have discovered something.

There is something comforting and much joy to be found in cooking and baking. The whole experience and process is somewhat therapeutic to me.

 I love the wafting smell of butter, cinnamon and vanilla, the homey ambience it creates and the anticipation as I watch the batter rising slowly in the oven whenever I bake.

 The sound of ladle and spatula cling-clanging against the wok, the sizzling sound of onions and garlic as they begin to change colour, the fragrant smell of spices and herbs and the flavourful combination of all the ingredients makes cooking pleasurable and enjoyable.

Cooking, however, gives me much more freedom as compared to baking. I love the free flow of ingredients that goes into the pot, altering flavours as I go along. I don’t use measuring cups or spoon, everything is by taste.

I have made egg tarts, blueberry cheese tarts, cheese cake, nasi bukhary, trifle for dessert and an assortment of colourful Hari Raya cookies just to name a few.

What I love most from this cooking frenzy of mine is that I get to share the food with my family and friends and I can safely conclude that the joy of cooking lies in every single person which can either be the love for cooking or the love of appreciating the result of cooking. In the words of Oprah Winfrey, “My idea of heaven is a great big baked potato and someone to share it with”.

It’s not such a bad frenzy now is it? This cooking and baking. If only it would last ;)

p/s: Who says single people can’t cook?

Will I Ever?

Carrie : Will I ever laugh again?

Miranda : Yes!

Carrie : When?

Miranda : When something is really, really funny.

Sex and the City

The Proposal

This is the part where I’m supposed to be sitting hidden behind a door, eavesdropping and giggling and thinking “finally, a marriage proposal”.

I would be making my first appearance to the soon-to-be in laws with a tray in my hand, laden with a pot of tea and a plate of kuih. I would then shyly and demurely cast my eyes downwards, dutifully and oh so gracefully serve everyone the tea, while they in turn would gawk at me and I would finally in a voice that is slighter louder than a whisper, invite them to drink, “jemput minum,” while slowly backing away, heading back to the kitchen, to continue to eaves drop and giggle a bit more.

That was how it was supposed to be or at the very least that is how I picture it in my mind.

Bordering on hilarity and maybe insanity, depends on which side you look at it, the situation which presented itself upon my family and I took me by surprise...and can I say that it completely knocked my socks off!

I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. But I remember laughing, loud breathless shrieks of laughter. Maybe I was able to laugh about it because I have never met the guy who was seeking my hand in marriage. A friend of a family friend I think. Must be the work of my aunt. I know, so like the slot Cerekarama TV3 every Saturday.

“tu la, anak saya ni memang nak kawin. Biarla nanti ada orang jaga makan pakai dia ni. Gosok baju, basuh baju. Ye la, terjaga la sikit dia ni. Ni sekarang makan minum pun tak tentu arah. Nanti bila dah kawin, sedap sikit hati saya ni tahu ada orang masak untuk dia, berkemas semua untuk dia ni ha,” says the mother of the supposed-future-husband-of-mine.

And to which my mother, very nonchalantly replied “saya faham maksud akak. Tapi saya nak mintak maaf la bebanyak. Anak akak ni sebenarnya perlukan pembantu rumah, bukannya isteri. Seorang isteri sepatutnya berkongsi hidup, macam kata omputeh tu, don’t walk behind me but walk beside me. Saya tak nak anak saya jadi pembantu rumah. Ish, dia ni masak pun tak pandai, lagi nak ngemas rumah. Eh, jemput minum kak, sila la rasa kuih raya apa yang ada tu ya”

My mom rocks but I think this is one of those moments when the advice "choose your words wisely" should have been taken into account. The things we say, although we don't mean it, could have a different affect and effect for the other person.

 And for the record, I am very much capable of cooking and cleaning and I can be very domestic shall the need arise.

Just so you know.

No where else but here

If some people would just stop politicizing Malaysians for just a moment, if they would just stop and look really hard maybe they would realize that deep down, we are indeed 1Malaysia.

Selamat Hari Malaysia.

There is no where else I would rather be than here.

Winds of Change

I like to begin my sentences with ‘sometimes’. It feels like I'm floating through a whimsical fairytale.

Sometimes change is good, or so they say.

So I’m making a change. I’m moving address.

My new home would be here. Just in case you didn't catch that.

http://storyofcinta.wordpress.com/

Sincerely Yours

There is no kampong to be going back to this year. Grandmother dearest will be spending Hari Raya here with us in good ol’ Kuala Lumpur this time around.

We’re starting new traditions.

I’m expecting arrivals from Singapore and Johor anytime now. No, not anytime now, I need time to make the house presentable. Give me ample grace period please dear aunts and uncles. Time for me  to sweep everything under the carpet and maybe under the bed.

Although it feels kind of weird not to be going back kampong, like we normally do, but I think it doesn’t matter where you are. What’s important is the people celebrating it with you.

Yes, I’ll miss the thundering explosive sounds of the meriam buluh, the shrieks of my little cousins, the harassed feeling I get whenever they try to mow me down, the constant flow of guests that come in droves to visit my grandmother, of which I have to add, would turn me and my sisters into wild and frantic bibiks-making sure that the kuih raya jars are constantly replenished, drinks to flow non-stop and amidst all that chaos, lunch and dinner will still need to be cooked and served. Yes, I’ll miss that.

But it’s ok. They’ll be on my turf this year which means I get to have a say. “Pergi tolong cuci pinggan, jangan terabur makan kuih, ha! Lompat lompat, cubit karang”...I can be that but where’s the fun without the shrieks and yells. It is Hari Raya after all.

So...

Selamat Hari Raya to you, where ever you are, be it in Kelantan, Pahang, Terengganu or even California, have a blessed Eidulfitri. Mohon ampun dan maaf, zahir dan batin jika sekiranya ada tersalah kata, terkasar bahasa selama ini.

Be safe on the roads.

September Rain

Really. Where did August go? It's September already?

Mean Machine

A guy to gym coach: "I want to impress this cute girl I'm meeting in three days...which machine shall I use?".

Coach: "Use the ATM machine outside the gym...".