I’m my worst critic when it comes to something I churned out from the kitchen. However today, I had the EUREKA moment. My Lemon Yoghurt Chocolate loaf came out tasting amazing, to myself and those who had it (student’s mum, Pinoy helper, students, husband). This recipe is really for keeps.
*burp*
The husband took this using my BB. It’s been almost half a year and I swear I can never stop marvelling at BB’s camera quality
“Sampai masa tibanya waktu
Redup hati kamu berdua
Dua jasad mula bersatu
Hidup dan mati jadi bersama….”
I watched Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa 3 times within a span of 5 days. The first time it was by the spur of the moment when my buddies from Singapore came for a visit and we were at KLCC. And that first time impressed us to no ends, I decided to take the husband along for my second helping.
He was bought over, impressed with the scriptwriting and language used. He even said that he would actually watch the film for the second time just for the language alone.
My third time was a couple of days later, accompanying a friend who enjoyed it just as much. Just now, the husband took his mother to watch it as a sending off movie date as she is flying back home bound for Germany in a few hours. She likes it, although she depended largely on the subtitles. I didnt go with them as I was working. It would have been my 4th time had I gone. Not that I mind.
This is the first ever local production I watched more than once in the cinema. It is also the first ever local production I would actually give a standing ovation to.
If you have not watched it yet, go already!
Come Monday, I may be watching it again, bringing in another guest from home to experience a piece of local awesomeness.
The first book which I learnt to ‘read’ as a toddler, even before my very first story book (which was Chicken Licken) was actually ‘Lat the Kampung Boy’. My old man was a fan and he used to keep the book in the low drawer beside the stereo. Of course as the toddler then, I couldn’t resist ransacking the drawers, taking this coveted book out and leafing through it (and destroying it in the process). As a first time mother, mine couldn’t resist capturing it all on camera. That was how I knew that my first encounter with a cartoon character was that with a rotund, bushy haired village boy who later turned quite famous indeed.
On Saturday, we went to watch Lat the Kampung Boy musical which was directed by Hans Isaac and Harith Iskandar. When the promotions for the musical was advertised, I had anticipated it to be an awesome production in which I wouldn’t mind paying to watch again. I had even earlier wanted to take my old man to watch it, but he declined for some reason. On how we came to possess a set of tickets with good seating arrangements at a quarter of the price is another story altogether. And so we went, my husband, my friend and I.
I was initially amused that Awie was chosen to play Lat. Overall, the musical was not that bad, but good is not what I would personally describe it as. They have good talents in the cast, but I find that the talents didn’t gel. Awie’s chemistry with co-star Atillia was zilch, although as a saving grace, both of them were really talented singers. Atillia was impressive there and that surprised me, because when she first started, we heard her sing at the concourse of Cineleisure Curve while having bubble tea at the Taiwanese shop. And we were wondering WHO is this wannabe?
The first half of the musical was draggy. I dozed off for several moments, and I have never done that at any musicals before this. The opening number was nice and catchy though, but that was it. It crawled on till intermission time where we had that glimmer of reluctance to go back in for the second half. But we did and we were glad because the second half was way better than the first half. If their strategy was to save the best for last, it was indeed a risky move because I was quite sure some audience did leave during the intermission and didn’t come back. I enjoyed the second half, especially that of the Frankie character. He was hilarious. I would give the musical a 6 out of 10. Probably Awie, in my eyes failed to bring out the Lat character the way I had imagined it to be. The draggy first half didn’t help either.
However, despite everything, I would give 2 thumbs up to the set design. It was as though the book came alive and I was seeing it in 3D.
Japan’s calamity, and I am not talking about the earthquake or the Tsunami but rather, the problem with their nuclear plant post the natural disaster, should be enough to remind all of us that more does not necessarily be for the better. But as usual, we humans are a tad hard in the head to learn and reflect, like that Indian man in Seniman Bujang Lapok who said about his wife, ‘ Itu kepala dia ada batu besar ada duduk’ (There’s a big rock in her head). And because of the rocks in our heads, we continue our daily routines, basking in consumerism and swirling in materialism as though, the earth will swallow some antibiotics and self-heal itself, just as we are conditioned to believe as the solution to all illnesses.
But the earth is really, really ill. Its tummy is purging like a bulimic adolescent already. And yet, the fashionista on the street is worrying when can she get her next LV.
I usually have very little patience with Malay soap dramas. Yes, the kind that is the main staple in the local channels. However, I used to be very addicted to one, which is Nur Kasih. I love the quality of acting in there especially that of new comer Tiz Zaqyah. And that of Remy Ishak as well.
These days, I found myself addicted to yet another Malay drama serial on TV3, and also starring Tiz Zaqyah– Gemilang. Set in 1976, it somehow reminded me of the serial Growing Up, that nostalgic 60s drama shown in Singapore. While Growing Up was about family values and relationships, Gemilang is about teachers/teaching/importance of knowledge and yes, relationships. As with any Malay movies, it is a tad draggy but I like the plot nevertheless. Probably it’s Khabir Bhatia’s production and I’m a fan. It may also be because it’s starring Tiz Zaqyah and I’m a fan too. But probably, it’s about teaching and teachers and that tugged my heartstrings.
There is a P.Ramlee dialog in which the character claimed that ” Hari ni hari bodoh saya, tuannn” (today is my stupid day). Mine was yesterday.
I had gone to see my family off for their coach ride back to Singapore. Then I remembered my Pinoy part-time helper complaining that my mop is broken so I thought that before I forget, I might as well go and get one before going home. Once out of the hypermarket with the long mop, I realised it was raining, thunderstorms et al. Which means I couldn’t make my way home and I couldn’t find a cab to take me home. So I called the husband who said he should leave the office in 2 hours and if I could wait, he would swing by to get me. Fine.
On autopilot, I went to buy myself a movie ticket. “I am no 4”, starring Glee’s pregnant teenager Quinn Fabray: Dianna Agron. It was only after I got my ticket that I realised that on my left hand, I have been dragging the long mop all over the place and now, I am going to watch a movie with it?!
With my Indon face and slack dressing yesterday, I looked suspiciously like an Indon maid whose employer asked to go and buy a mop but gallivant to watch a movie instead. The movie was lame by the way and I got strange looks from the other patrons on why the heck is this person watching a movie, with a mop!? *sigh*
Well, at the very worst case scenario, I can say I’ve dated a mop. Have you?
I recently found out that a friend’s husband, younger than myself was diagnosed with stage 2 cancer of the stomach. And the doctors said that it may have spread to the pancreas. The first thing I thought about was the late Randy Pausch, of the Last Lecture fame. When he found out he had cancer of the pancreas was that he did research and look for statistics to find out how much time he had before it was time to go. And he proactively lived his life to the fullest the last few months he had.
The last I heard from M, she was still in shock over the news and the whole family is still trying to deal with the tremor the news had caused them. They didn’t do the Randy, but they are coping albeit in disbelief still. Fortunately, they do not have any children yet so the whole financial situation can be somewhat contained.
I feel for her but I do not exactly know what to say to her. I can say that my heart ache for her but to really feel what she is going through is quite impossible and I can only afford to watch her situation from the outside and be there for her, a phone call away. Both she and her husband are good people with one of the kindest hearts around and she is one friend I love to bits. But just like the Malay proverb says ” Berat mata memandang, berat lagi bahu memikul”
This news sort of wake me up in its own way. Now young people are dying of illnesses. We used to say, when I was a kid, “Nanti dah tua dah nak mati baru lah…” it is always the case of the old age when in reference to death. But now that I am reminded yet again that we don’t always need to get old to die. Today may be our last day.
Anyway, to my friend, I just read a hadith in which it says that for one who dies of illnesses which stemmed from the stomach, his death would be equivalent to those who fought in the battlefield. I wish you the best for this jihad sis. HE knows best.
I had this at Sambal Hijau the other day. Each time I eat siput sedut, I was reminded of an incident in my childhood where I saw my mother broke down because of siput sedut.
I was in my lower primary school level and was out playing with my neighbours. Mum went to the market and bought herself a bagful of siputs, which were still very much alive. Usually my dad would come back to clean them and cut them to get them ready for mum’s cooking.
But it was a weekday. Mum got back from the market, dumped her whole loot from the market into the kitchen sink and went out to rest in the living room with her Berita Harian. She must have opened the plastic bag full of siputs to see if she made the right purchase prior to that.
In about half an hour, from outside the house, I heard Mum screamed bloody murder. I ran in, just in time to see her run out of the kitchen sobbing. Sobbing mind you. I went to the kitchen and immediately understood why. Siputs were crawling everywhere!!! On the walls, on the cabinets, on the floor… It looked like they were invading our kitchen! I screamed and ran out too.
SOS, she called my nyai, still sobbing mind you and nyai promtly sent my 2nd youngest uncle on his motorbike to our rescue. So he came by ten minutes later, patiently plucking the siputs off the kitchen walls and cabinets and floor while my mother and I sat helplessly in the living room watching the entire rescue process.
To this day, each time I eat siput sedut masak lemak cili api, I remember that incident as though it just happened yesterday. But lo and behold, it has been more than 20 years and I still chuckle each time that memory makes its presence.
Ye Ye Orh...sajer 