Auntie orang dapur

Apa khabar everyone?

Memang nampaknya blog auntie ni macam agak2 berkapang. And auntie notice sleepyhead dah mintak auntie update (walaupong blog dia lebih berkapang dari auntie's). Tetiba blog bro1 pulak yg agak rancak, 2-3 entry bulan ni. Blog mamachupan toksah citer la. Memang dia seorang yg diligent dan when she has set blogging as her routine activity, you can guarantee that she'll have consistent entry everyday. And thank God for small blessings!

Blog badak happy tu nampaknya kureng sket active semenjak-dua menjak ni. Apa da itu President and and Vice President. Kalau puang2 dok buak entry, manakang kuncu2 mu nok tulih jugok. Especially puang yg takdok official blog sendiri tuh! Tulungla tulih. Blog badak alter-ego masih adalah puisi2 yg menyayat hati. Keep it up badak poets!

Blog kawan auntie kat negara Hang Li Po tu pun ala2 slow jugak (oo auntie better wish dia: Happy Birthday, TATI! Her birthday is in two days, tapi just in case auntie tak blog on the 8th.). Samala jugak ke-slow-an blog kawan auntie sorang lagi tu, la petite maman de les enfants. (haha, practice french auntie yg berkarat)

Well, actually-nya memang auntie baru terpikir nak update pastu nampak pulak sleepyhead nye comment tu, so walaupong AH dah dok tepon2 suruh balik rumah (sambil singgah kedai adik mami beli roti), auntie lengah2 la sekejap so auntie could at least start a word or two of entries.

OK...auntie kena balik dah ni coz looks like everyone's gone from the office and since semenjak-dua menjak ni auntie selalu perasan macam ada 'kawan-kawan' from parallel universe jek kat opis ni, baiklah auntie balik. Auntie akan sambung bila sampai rumah dan selesai bagi makan ahli keluarga auntie yg sorang tu. Babai!


Welcome back everyone! Auntie kat rumah ni and baru free dari distractions (spt makan, membersihkan diri and tengok Perak crisis on TV) to continue the entry. Untuk kengkawan dan sedara mara yg curious tentang kehidupan seorang 'guru' yg on sabbatical ni, auntie nak bagi tau, TIDAK ADA APA2 YG BERBEZA kecuali auntie boleh la balik Kuantan tengok Wan and Aki pada tarikh yg convenient ngan auntie tanpa perlu menjuggle kelas and auntie tak perlu beri justification kenapa auntie tak hadir sesuatu mesyuarat di opis (dan depa pun akan mintak maap berbanyak kalau terpaksa panggil auntie mai mesyuarat). Selain drpd itu, auntie rasa sama busy, sama running around catching up with deadlines. Oleh kerana auntie bersabbatical di opis, org2 di opis dan students yg buat assignments berkaitan dgn bidang auntie (they are not my students, though) masih menganggap auntie available for walk-in consultation during office hours walaupun auntie dah letak kat pintu (OUT, 'I'M BUSY, PLS COME AGAIN ANOTHER TIME).


On the Chinese New Year week auntie managed to balik Kuantan just to spend time with Wan and Aki but sans AH. AH's mom was not well, so he has to stay behind. But auntie had good relaxing time with both parents, even though Aki's rants and raves about everything and nothing in particular could possibly drive saints to the brink. Auntie understands that Aki is venting his frustration about his pain because of the prolapsed disc he's suffering. So, everything does not seems right to him. Tapi, of course yg kesian is also Wan. Imagine Wan having to withstand this for weeks on end. Tapi auntie thinks somehow Wan had found a way to shut things out, so she seems alright and not too stressed out. Cuma auntie a bit worried about the eating habit of both parents. Aki thinks he's gained weight because he has not been moving too much (he's walking less because of the pain), so he's refusing to eat. Wan is trying to whet his appetite by cooking santan-laden fish and meats. But Aki still won't eat (he only wants vegetable soup for lunch and dinner). Wan doesn't want the food to go to waste, so she would try to finish the food (even after it is in the fridge for a few days). So, Wan's blood sugar is on the high side now. And Wan sometimes forgets to take her medication, which is real bad for diabetics. So, donno la. Anyway, auntie is going back to Kuantan again on the 25th this month to take Wan for her hospital appointment.

To auntie's adik beradik, we may not have forgotten but perhaps we had not been too enthusiastic about wishing Wan and Aki Happy 44th Anniversary on the 25th Jan hari tu. It was the day auntie arrived in Kuantan. Auntie was busy with arranging for auntie's kitchen cabinet that auntie forgot to buy any present for them. Tapi auntie ada la wish them in passing. Pastu Cik Din and Cik Ja ada la tanya depa dapat tak anniversary present. Of course, nampaknya takde. So, sis and bros, adakah plan utk do a belated celebration or get a collective belated present? Hari tu, Wan ada kata dia mau pinggan bujur (oblong) so that kalau dia masak ikan bawal masak merah tu dia boleh boh ikan tu sekor2 kat dalam pinggan. Tak perlu la potong ikan coz pinggan tak muat. We went looking for it in Giant (auntie took Wan strolling on her chair) but could not find any. So, kalau sape2 ada ternampak pinggan sedemikian rupa dan rasa nak bagi present kat Wan, amatlah auntie alu-alukan. Auntie pon akan be on the lookout for them. Tapi kalau sorang dah beli, tolong la msg kat yg lain coz tak yah la bagi 5 bijik (or 10 bijik kalau decided to beli a pair) pinggan tu kat Wan. Sapa la nak makan 5 ekor ikan bawal masak merah sekali hidang?

O, auntie juga memohon sesapa yg ada details about the proposed family fund for family holiday yg dengar khabarnya dibincangkan di satu family holiday di Awana Kijal itu, supaya tolong story kat auntie so that auntie boleh buat plan berapa banyak auntie punya food allowance harus auntie potong so that auntie boleh membuat contribution ke fund itu. Auntie rela berdiet (memang perlu pun!) utk pergi bersukaria bersama kaum kerabat. Lagipun, kalau auntie dapat potong food allowance itu, Insya Allah, auntie akan fit better into auntie's swimsuit semasa berenang di kolam ketika family holiday nanti. Kali ini auntie akan pakai swimsuit menutup aurat seperti sleepyhead kerana auntie sudah tobat menyamar sebagai pompuan German.

OK, now let's go into the topic in the title of this entry. Selepas menunggu lebih daripada enam bulan, auntie finally mendapat a kitchen to call my own. No thanks to A Seng yg telah run away with auntie's first dream of having a kitchen. But thanks to Mat yg more or less berjaya fulfil auntie's dream of having a nice, cozy kitchen. Mat sedikit sebanyak menaikkan semula kepercayaan auntie kepada contractor bumiputera kerana dia adalah agak professional dlm kerjanya. Walaupun ada la benda2 auntie tak puas hati seperti tak tau nak vacuum habuk kayu lepas pasang cabinet (walaupun AH dah sua vacuum cleaner), hisap rokok (walau sekejap) dlm spanking new home auntie dan mebiarkan stafnya membuat kerja atas meja makan tempered glass auntie. Hampir gugur jantung auntie! And terlupa nak jerit dan mengamuk kerana terlalu terkojut. Nasib baik meja kaca murahan ku masih intact. Kalau tidak harus ku taram muka budak beng--g itu dengan screw driver letrik AH.

Oh, and colour yg diberi oleh Mat adalah sedikit lari dari kaler sample yg diberi dan sepatutnya ada 'texture' tapi hampeh (penting you know, if i buy texture, i want to have texture!) tetapi auntie sudah capek (ie, penat, ini sbb baru tengok citer Indonesia pagi tadi) nak bergaduh ngan kontraktor. In any case, the resulting work is reasonably OK by auntie. Auntie tak lah ecstatic, tapi satisfied la.

So, inilah phoenix yg arose from auntie's ashes of a kitchen.

Impian AH utk memiliki dapur ala2 gerai char kuew teow utk menggoreng mee-nya nampaknya tak kesampaian coz no more space in the kitchen. Unless he can turn this two-burner hobs into doing the job for him.

Using all available space. Now I don't have to use TOYOGO anymore to keep my baking items. Getting the fridge into the kitchen required the front door to be unhinged first. So, this fridge is not going anywhere for a loooooong time!

Mat is quite ingenious in his ideas. See the little steel holes in on the cabinet door on the right? AH wanted a space where we can keep short term leftovers (ie food yg tak habis in one go but can be revisited throughout the day) without putting them in the fridge (and having to reheat them each time to eat). AH ori idea is to have that jaring like gerobok lauk lama2 tu, tapi Mat came with this eyelets on the door idea. And we like!

More swing-up frosted glass door options. Auntie is also happy with the hanging dish drainer.

Wet section of the kitchen, as in tempat boleh berkenjah.

Ample dish-washing space (and CSI tap).

This wall-hanging kitchen tidy thingy auntie bought many2 years ago through catalogue shopping in UK. Auntie thought auntie would never get to use it. In fact, the plastic pun was already kusam but with a little bit of help from 'sun of a gun' cleaner, it looks good as new.

More view of psedo- gerobok lauk.

Long-awaited oven, now installed. Not the most ideal place for auntie (coz will have to do a lot of squatting down) but will have to do. At the moment still not connected coz we need to get the electrician to hook it up (it's complicated!). Hopefully, soon, so auntie can be baking-mad!

What remains now is for Auntie and AH to gradually move to our penultimate nest. But not before we do some negotiation with 'friends' from the parallel universe.... (will elaborate in another entry, this one is getting a tad too long).

GOOD NIGHT, MY LOVELIES!

A New Dawn (Insya Allah)

Tajuk entry auntie ni bunyinya ala ala tajuk buku2 Mills and Boon yang auntie suka baca masa masa muda-muda dulu. Pada kawan2 and adik beradik auntie dan juga AH yg kurang arif pasai buku ni, ia adalah buku cintan-cintun omputih. Kat situ lah phrase "tall, dark and handsome" dan sewaktu dengannya boleh kita jumpa in almost every other page. It described the hero la, of course, not the heroine (kalau describe the heroine, parah la).

So, buku2 ni suka dibaca oleh young nubile girls sambil2 bermimpi depa akan dapat partner macam dalam buku tu. Tapi auntie tak pernah terpikir macam tu pun. Auntie baca buku2 tu untuk upgrade auntie punya English jek sambil dok imagine tempat2 yg auntie akan pergi bila study kat England nanti (nasib baik dapat pergi UK to study). Of course, the reality is jauh panggang dari api. I never get to stay even in a cosy, self-contained London flat macam pompuan2 dalam buku tu. In fact kena duduk bilik sewa dalam rumah buruk kepunyaan second generation migrants of UK. And sometimes kena ikat perut (walau pun tak jugak kurus) kerana cost of living yg tinggil. In any case, auntie memang tak dapat 'tall, dark and handsome' for life partner. Instead auntie dapat 'medium-height, tubby, fair but ala ala hensem la jugak', which suits auntie jes fine coz auntie rasa auntie lebih sesuai hidup dalam shrek kingdom daripada posh, fine-dining lifestyles sold in the books.

Contoh buku Mills and Boon zaman sekarang.

Eh, panjang pulak auntie merapu pasai benda yg tidak berkaitan dengan tujuan sebenar auntie buat entry ni.

Actually, 'a new dawn' tu of course refers to the new years that we are celebrating. And also, the first birthday of auntie's blog. Auntie baru notice that on the 28th December baru2 ni, blog auntie setahun umurnya. The date just passed me by and auntie terlupa nak blog on that day. No hal la coz auntie tak la sentimental with the date. Lagipun blog ni bukanlah menambah apa-apa kepada kesejahteraan dunia, so no need to celebrate with cakes ke cupcakes ke yg ada tulis 'happy 1st birthday, blog'. Blog ni is only an outlet for auntie to cerita-ceriti kehidupan auntie with adik-beradik and kengkawan yg jauh dan dekat coz kadang-kadang even when we chatted on the phone or during meals together for hours, we still manage to forget to share certain things in our lives. And sharing is so therapeutic kan?

Auntie baca one article in the papers recently that 'blogging' is actually passe now ie old fashioned already (read also this and this) [hehe auntie nak show-off ni coz baru tahu linking]. Ramai org yg started their blogs a few years ago are rarely updating them now because there are newer avenues for self-expression on the web, namely facebook dan benda2 sewaktu dgnnya. Auntie ada facebook jugak tapi auntie feels blog is still my preferred domain to catch up with friends. When people posted in their facebook what they are currently doing eg "Minah Karan is...thinking how to avoid electric shot to her hair", it sounds so pretentious and showy. Dalam blog, we normally update our lives with more honesty and deeper thoughts. So, auntie thinks I will continue blogging for at least another year.

Ok, on to new years. On the 29th Dec we celebrated the dawn of a new Hijrah year and tomorrow, Insya Allah, we will see the light of 2009. Other than thanking Allah for keeping auntie alive and to continue with auntie's reasonably good life, auntie does not normally have specific aspirations for the new years, either of them. Sebenarnya auntie berazam baru setiap hari dan tak tunggu any special date. Sama ada azam tu dipenuhi atau tidak tu cerita lain la kan? Tiap-tiap hari sebelum tidur auntie berazam untuk bangun awal, buat sembahyang sunat sepertiga malam dan sembahyang subuh on time. Tapi, masih lagi many times Subuh gajah mammoth. Tiap-tiap pagi auntie bangun dan berazam untuk menjadi orang yg tenang, sabar dan lemah lembut. Tapi bila naik jek kereta nak pi kerja pagi-pagi auntie akan jumpa pelbagai wallies on the road yg membuatkan all my good intentions go down the drain. Tiap2 minggu auntie pi kelas dan berazam utk amat bersabar dgn students auntie bila mereka sambil lewa jek buat preparation for tutorial presentation tetapi, half way through their presentation, auntie's blood pressure is already shot to the roof dan berasa ingin menjadi singa pompuan. Tiap2 waktu sebelum auntie nak pi buat transaction dengan pelbagai manusia, auntie berazam utk menjadi seorang pompuan yg paling berhemah tetapi bila terpaksa deal ngan various service people yg macam siut, auntie terus jadi pompuan paling rude dlm dunia.

So, pendek kata, auntie mesti ulang balik azam-azam auntie tu setiap hari untuk setahun lagi akan datang supaya tidak begitu ramai org akan terbunuh tahun 2009 ini. Tapi kalau tahun ini students auntie juga berazam menjadi org yg lebih resourceful dan diligent, kalau the service people juga berazam menjadi lebih responsible, responsive dan polite dan kalau pemandu2 Malaysia juga berazam menjadi manusia biasa (dan bukan manusia bengong), harus azam2 auntie tu akan dipenuhi, Insya Allah.

On a more serious note, 2008 has been quite colourful for auntie and auntie has achieved many things professionally and personally. Auntie managed to secure a few research grants, complete a few materials for publication, continue more strategically with USM's campaign against sexual harassment on campus and obtained more postgraduate students. Auntie also went to Mekah for umrah for the first time (major achievement, not only because Auntie get to see rumah Allah, but also because auntie got to help Wan and Aki to go about with their ibadah too), got myself and AH an apartment, baked a few trays of brownies for kith and kin, did qurban in Cambodia, paid some overdue zakat and helped a friend or two in times of need (at least, I think I've helped!). Towards the end of the year, there were a few downturns for auntie. Auntie thinks auntie did badly in the stupid PTK and there were a few glitches with our apartment renovation. But as Auntie tells myself, Allah yg menentukan rezeki kita semua. Let the dissapointment and glitches be lessons. Maybe auntie alpa sikit dalam ibadah auntie. Maybe too much of a good thing is bad for auntie. So, takpa lah. Auntie terima dugaan Allah.

And there is much to look forward to in 2009. Our 'new' nest. Starting a new couple-routine there. Hopefully, being successful in getting a baby or two (maybe not more than one in the same year, unless twins). My sabbatical. Yes, I start tomorrow. For the next 5 months auntie does not have to teach or attend official meetings (unless I want to). Just have to concentrate on my research and publication and catch up on readings. Do more bonding things with self-confessed-deprived-husband AH, like go to Sushi King at 2.30pm on a working day and catch a movie on couple seats (we must take two of the couple seats, not one) at the cinema (rather than just watching Astro movies on the bed). Take Wan and Aki to come live with auntie and AH for a few weeks (if they can last that long away from their groupies) and pamper them to bits. Try my new oven. Learn to bake bread like Mamachupan's Mr Baker.

Pendek kata, rejuvenate! With some caution of course.

So, Awwal Muharram Mubarak and Happy New Year, my lovelies jubblies!

Wan and Jijin- a very, very belated birthday

Auntie is sooo bogged down with deadlines auntie temporarily forgets the birthdays of two very important people this month.

On the 7th of April, Wan became 72. On 12th of April (last Saturday), auntie's baby, Jijin, was 7. No big family celebration this year, though Jijin had an unplanned one (see Ayah's blog). I think everyone was busy even to drop Wan a wish or two. Poor Wan. Not even flowers this year, unless Mommy did remember wishing and sending flowers? Auntie totally forgot till today.

Auntie remember two years ago we had quite a do for Wan's 70th birthday. Auntie still has some pictures (see pictures below). We also celebrated Jijin's birthday together with Wan's that year.

Here's Jijin with Wan and the cakes. Aki and Shasha looking on:

The green cake belongs to Nan, our cousin who had his birthday in the same month so he was included in the almost impromptu celebration. Nan was 13th then.

Prior to the cake cutting there was a semi-formal speech and tribute session. Ayah took on the role of MC and spokesperson for the bro and sis:

No sweat at all for him since he must have done this so many times in his line of work. Of course he may want to learn a thing or two from the veteran PTD officer, seated in red...NOT!

Here's the tear-wrenching event...

Sleepyhead is the designated poem reciter. Poem specially dedicated for dear, beloved Wan, written by, who else...yours truly! All in five minutes and on scraps of tesco receipts, if I recall (maybe later transferred by Sleepyhead onto a more berjurus paper). Sleepyhead! Where is that poem now? It's sooo rugi if it is lost coz auntie could not remember a word of it now. For what it's worth, it did reduce a few people to tears on that day.

Here's Wan's cake:

And Jijin's, specially baked and decorated by Mak Faridah (tangan gemuk pasang lilin tu, of course, tangan auntie):


Jijin with Wan again:

Jijin with all the prezzies. Sorry, baby, this year's prezzie is going to be a bit late.
Sharing the moments with Along and Man.

And with Umi and the rest of the gang...

As we are looking at less than new family pictures, here are a few more...

Wan and latest cucu, Ajmal

The kiddies, all featuring Jijin, the belated birthday girl...

May Allah give us many, many more years with Wan and may Allah protect our Jijin in His tender care, always. Amin.

The first and the last

Today is the first day of the last year auntie will claim the age 30+. Of course there are many mathematical equations that auntie can use to show that auntie is in fact of school-going age but auntie will not delude herself.

Anyways, thanks for all the good wishes and prezzies either promised or already delivered :).

One of the bestest prezzie is the besday wish from mon cher pere. First time in all of these years. And using technology some more. Here is his sms:

Selamat hari lahir bak dan mak ucapkan dlm prjalanan k trengganu dgn din

Well, never mind that only half of that sentence is a wish. It is still soooo precious.

Other smses include:

From AH:

Appy Bes Day Ngok Ngek Abung! I Lap U.

Earliest sms for the day from Samantha:

Chor, happy almost 40... (all nice polite wishes)...Do safe sex wakakakaka

My response:

Tenkiu. Sorry late reply. We were having veryyyyyy safe sex aka kroh kroh (zzzz to the uninitiated)

Intang, Samantha, Shills, Noya & K Nor, thank you always for sesama memperingati besday masing-masing. Dah dekat2 senja ni memang selalu ada yg terlupa: "Eh besday badak A, esok ke ari ni?" "Dok, bulan depan la sudin...."

Gambar bersukaria besday akan ditunjukkan bila senang. Sekarang kena balik utk mula celebration ngan AH plak coz pagi tadi pi kerja subuh sepihi. Babai.

Piscean and Welcome Lady Emi

Hari ni auntie dapat tau, selain daripada kaum keghabat, 2 co-presidents geng badak dan Ms Hart, ada sorang lagi orang yg visit blog auntie yg penuh dengan gambar keluarga Hj Endut dan kaki AH ni. Selamat datang Lady Emi. Auntie tau lady emi adalah geng bukan-badak kepada sleepyhead. Auntie dah jumpa ramai kawan sleepyhead tapi maybe auntie belum jumpa lady emi.

Lady emi ada tinggal comment dalam blog entry auntie yg about long-live piscean. Mungkinkah dia juga piscean? Kalau begitu, auntie wish a happy birthday to lady emi whichever date her birthday is this month.

Of course, mommy, being the economist and always planning ahead, had wished happy birthday to auntie last week even before Penang had a change of government. Mommy seemed to have gauged that she will be terribly busy this week writing 1000 and one reasons why the stock market has plunged.

Although there is change of government in Penang, this shall not have any influence at all on auntie's unhappiness about seeing the last of the digit 3 in front of auntie's age. Of course, auntie' happiness is compounded by the foreseeable prediction that AH will forget auntie's birthday unless auntie knocks his memory with a kekabu-laden bantal golek tonight.

Well, anyways, shall auntie act nonchalant or all excited tomorrow? Hhhhmmm....

Yang teringat dan teringin

Tajuk blog ni mungkin takde or mungkin ada kena mengena dengan apa yang auntie nak tulis. Tapi selepas that heavy stuff on promises, auntie has only happy thots to write.

Lagi sebulan auntie terpaksa menghadapi kenyataan bahawa tahun ini adalah tahun terakhir umur auntie ada angka 3 kat depan. Walaupun dari segi needs and wants, auntie rasa macam umuq 18, tapi dari segi biologi, dah mula la ada tanda2 macam umur 18 tahun tu dah lebih dari 18 tahun berlalu. Walau bagaimanapun, despite kemontelan dan ala2 susah nak berlari kejar pencuri, auntie masih bersyukur yang auntie still in reasonably good health and auntie harap this continues for many installments of 18years to come.

Oh, i rambled on again. Actually, posting ini adalah untuk dengan tidak segan silunya menyatakan hasrat dan keinginan auntie kepada bentuk2 present tertentu bila tiba masanya besday auntie. Walaupung bukan la auntie expect presents from anyone, tapi kalau ada yang bermurah hati tetapi tidak mempunyai masa untuk memikirkan apakah present yang sesoai untuk auntie, auntie hendak menyenangkan usaha mereka sikit.

So, auntie nak announce, the most craved prezzies for auntie this year are BOOKS (of the reading kind and not the gambling kind). There are several titles that auntie has been eying for and some of them have been available in Malaysian bookshops. If they are not, takpa la, just ignore them. So, these are some of the titles with pictures:

This is still hardcover but auntie excepts late prezzies if someone wants to wait for paperback

This can be replaced by any funny book (funny as in witty and not slapstick comedy)

(ditto)

This is about the lady who was raped by neighbouring community clan as payment for what is perceived to be socially taboo behaviour of her brother. I really want to read this.

All these academic titles are only if people can find them. I'm not hopeful about them because I don't think they are available in Malaysia

If people would like to give me other titles, I humbly accept. I am happy to accept any British chicklits and also to be surprised by good quality local titles (Malay or English). I'm game to try horror stories by Tunku Halim or more controversial Amir Muhammad's or Kam Raslan's recent titles. I'd be ever grateful to receive any cook book especially on baking or on traditional Malaysian dishes (coz sudah berkarat).

Walau bagaimanapung, kepada sedara mara dan kengkawan yang proactive dan telah pun membeli vase or set gelas or kain ela or tudung kerawang or kad ingatan utk besday auntie, auntie is still forever eternally grateful.

Yang di atas tu cuma wish list sahaja. Tidak lah menjadi kempunan jika tidak mendapatnya. Jika tidak mendapat apa2 langsung pun auntie masih bersyukur jika Allah panjangkan umur dan rezeki auntie. Jika Allah pendekkan umur, auntie masih ucap syukur kerana auntie dah dapat hidup selama yang direstui oleh Nya, with or without wish list. Good night, God Bless.