Friends, You Are Fantastic!

My 2 colleagues decided to have an "open house" (or open office, rather) for the Raya celebration today.  Open house is a tradition among the Muslim community where anybody can go to your house uninvited for the celebration.  That would include strangers who will not be turned away.  And strange children popping into your house and popping their hands into the cookie jars and asking for money gifts.  I take my hat off to these 2 ladies who cooked up a sumptious lunch with almost nothing in the office kitchen.

My office is a delapidated building and all of us are just waiting for it to be demolished.  We are hoping for a better building, preferably concrete.  The ladies sweated and cooked in the delapidated kitchen and the preparation probably began at dawn in their homes, judging from some of the cooked food that they brought.  This is "lamban" - glutinous rice wrapped in leaves and steamed.

When you peel the leaves open, it's that white thing on the plate which you eat with chicken rendang (doesn't look very appetising in the pic but it is DELICIOUS) and sprinkled with "serunding" (spicy beef floss).  Of course, you can eat it with other things like peanut gravy, curry beef and vegetables.  The ladies also whipped up "mee laksa" (spicy noodle soup) of which there is no photo because I was hungry and too weak to hold the camera and it was too delicous and before I knew it my plate was clean.

If all that food is not enough to stave off your hunger, there are all kinds of cookies.  Home-made, not store bought.  I understand that throughout the fasting month, the women in the house will be laboring over these cookies for the big day.  The chocolaty one in the middle is called "Almond London" - an almond inside a cookie insulated coated with chocolate.

 These are modern cookies - bright and colorful.  I just can't get over the purple ones made to look like mangosteens (my favourite fruit).  In order to eat them without guilt, I popped over to the lab this morning and had my glucose tested.  It was IDEAL, so cookies, here I come.

These are traditional delicacies.  I just admire the way these 2 colleagues could whip up all these in one morning for everyone at the office.  I struggle to cook for a small crowd of 6.  I will get hot and flustered and by the time I sit down at the dinner table, I have no appetite to eat.  To show my appreciation I helped them to wash up.  A little.  They were too hospitable and didn't like to see me wash up.

My Lapdog

 I didn't go for morning worship last Sunday and thought I would do some online  worshipping instead.

 Wawa was excellent.  He brought his tattered bed and curled up under my table.  So sweet and such a dear!  Sometimes you just can't help loving this dog.

Coco, on the other hand, was my trial and tribulation.  She moaned and whined, stood on her hind legs and scratched my arm till red weals were visible.  She hates it when I peer for hours at my laptop.  The simplest way to shut her up was put her on my lap.  She'll sit quietly and watch the world outside the window go by.  Some infrequent scratching on the belly will keep her even more contented.  Coco's a lapdog.

We Aren't Playing!

 I am not playing.

Nope, I am not chewing a bone.

We're brushing our teeth.

The packaging says this is (as good as) a toothbrush.

Eggs? We Like!

I just love hard boiled eggs.

Although it does make us fart a bit.

Sorry?  It stinks?  I think I ate my egg too fast.

Let's Hop On The Blogs!

Roast Beef Biscuit

This is a picture of an opium smoker.

This is a picture of Le Le eating roast beef biscuit.

Momokuai has one too but she's really wishing she's sipping.....

.....a nice strawberry smoothie.

Or the ever so popular bubble tea...(sigh).

How about delicious, refreshing coconut juice..yum!

Coco The Politician

Before....

.....after.

Before....

....after (pat, pat on the back for Tooki!)



After, after....aftermath.....:(



Here's what it used to look like....:(

I had been saving these Chinese paper cuttings for a long time.  I have always wanted to frame them up (I had 4 of them) and put them on my wall but I proscratinated.  I procrastinated for more than 10 years.  Since I was too lazy to cut and paste I suddenly had this "bright" idea about using them to brighten up that yellow cardboard.  It was no easy task gluing them on because they were so delicate.  10 years of saving and hours of hard work ruined overnight by COCO!!!!

Who?  Me?  Not me!  It is Wawa!

Denying and accusing others....tsk, tsk, tsk.  You are a liar and should be in politics.

Life Is Wonderful

A combination of simple things gave me a wonderful feeling this morning.

It's a holiday today and something nice is cooking in the kitchen.

A cool breeze is making the bells tinkle, tinkle, tinkle.  I watched the leaves falling off the trees as I washed the dishes.  The trees were swaying gently and it promises to be a cool, grey day...mmm, lovely!

A sweet doggie keeping me company while I cooked.  She took away all my loneliness and warmed my heart.  (She probably has an ulterior motive.)

Because you have been so loyal, you get a present from me -- a laundry powder scoop!  Wawa gets nothing because he didn't keep me company while I slogged in the kitchen.

When will the hamburgers be edible?  I am hungry....

Nothing for me, eh?  While you pine for the hamburgers, I will GRAB YOUR SCOOP!  Heh, heh, heh!  Yes, when will the hamburgers be edible?

Selamat Hari Raya, Satu (1) Malaysia!

It's Hari Raya again!  This is Coco's 2nd Hari Raya and Wawa's 1st.  I still remember Coco eating too many sweet cookies and getting sick last year.  My colleague gave me 3 boxes of Hari Raya cookies -- I was surprised and touched by her gesture.  When she shook my hands just before she left for the holidays she wept.  It's usual for the ladies to get emotional during times like this.  Just before Raya they will go round shaking hands and seeking forgiveness and some can get really weepy.  A bit of Chinese culture has crept into Hari Raya celebrations in Malaysia - fire crackers.  Before the big day there will be daily reports of police seizing crackers or some kid's fingers getting blown off.  Fire crackers are illegal in Malaysia although judging from the booms I hear, they are probably closing one eye (or both).  This morning felt a little like Chinese New Year to me.  This is one of the positive things about One Malaysia.  Our Prime Minister is advocating harmony and unity thus there is a One Malaysia everything -- 1 Malaysia Health Clinic, 1 Malaysia grocery store, 1 Malaysia e-mail, 1 Malaysia Foundation and 1 Malaysia Youth Fund.  The term is said in friendly jest by almost everyone I know.  Once I was attending a function and an Indian friend was sitting next to me.  So there we were, a Chinese, an Indian, a Kadazan and a Malay.  Abu Bakar Ellah @ Ampal was the MC/singer at the function and he came forward and said, "Waaah, this is 1 Malaysia!".  Wishing all Muslims a happy Hari Raya!

I Am Lost Without You!

Every inch the bully at home.

Coco! Where are you? Are you down there?

Wawa harasses Coco no end when he's at home but when he lost sight of her at the beach, he sort of panicked.  When I asked him, "Where's Coco?" he suddenly realised that she was missing.  He began searching and furtling frantically while Coco watched us quietly from a distance.  Sly Coco was probably amused and thinking "Serves him right for always grabbing my toys!".  He's a 15kg baby.  Yesterday I had to lug him along when I brought Coco to the groomer.  I also had to lug my nephew along.  He would rather sit in between 2 dogs and get dog hair/drool all over him than stay home with Wawa while I brought Coco.  Which is actually the more sensible choice, any fool can see that.  Everybody thinks it's fun at the petshop and wants a piece of the action.  Everybody except Wawa who was petrified of leaving his comfort zone.  It pained me to see him so frightened but the customers at the pet shop found a shivering dog funny.  Wawa was so petrified he sat quietly at my feet and went into shivering spasms every 10 seconds.  He even splurt a few drops of piss which I pretended not to notice.  The young lady with the cute 2 month old pooch asked if I sent my dog for training.  Ummm, I train him myself (gulp, what a lie), I told her, using food as rewards.  Mrs C my neighbor who has seen the TRUTH about my dogs would shake her head wearily and say, "Ohh, I wouldn't have the energy to bring 2 dogs for a walk loh...".  I was trying to have a conversation with her while having my arms criss-crossed and flung wide open by 2 dogs trying to pull them out of their sockets.  Mrs C would rather go swim in the pool.

Oh, pheewww!  I am so happy I found you!

Saturday Stroll

Hey, Coco!  They're mowing the grass so they won't stick to you when we go for a walk!

Yeah!  I am happy!

Stop running about, Wawa.  Let's go furtle.

So she furtles a little under the rock.....

...and she furtles some more by the little house (while Wawa is still running around madly).

We saw some pretty flowers along the way.

And interesting fruits with an ant still on it.  Those are hateful giant ants which we don't want to step on.

We even saw a hawk/eagle in the sky!  Mommi says she will buy a better camera for such shots.

We saw some more fruits.  Mommi used to eat these when she was little - it's a kind of mini markisa (passion fruit).  Her aunt named it "buah papak" because it makes a "pak" sound when you break it open.

These thorny leaves are hateful to all of us, especially the dried, fallen ones which get stuck on my coat....:(

Last but not least, I jumped into the sea today!  Mommi screamed and was about to dive in when I decided to make a u-turn.  I do have skinny legs, don't I?  Hey Wawa, you should try diving in!  (Coco! Stop teaching your brother bad stuff!)