Kuantan Revisited

.....en route to Kuala Rompin...

We left Kuantan for more than twenty years ago. Since we are not so much in a rush this time around me and my doter planned to spend a night in Kuantan on our way to Rompin.

Kuantan has changed so much we have to use waize
 around town

Our dinner at Ana Ikan Bakar Petai in Tanjung Lumpur was sumptous - we ordered more than what we could eat aka rambang mata!

The morning after we went to Pantai Teluk Cempedak and had our breakfast there...I took ketupat nasi cicah sambal ikan, my doter took nasi dagang and tepung pelita for desert.

Enjoying the scenery while sipping my coffee...

After breakfast we decided to walk on the bridge along the beach taking with us the leftover tepung pelita, some bananas and a bottle of mineral water for us to eat later in the car...

...to our surprise we were greeted by monkeys that suddenly appeared in front of us. They were very agressive  - they grabbed our kuehs and mineral water

Very scary!

The authority should put up signboard - Beware Of Monkeys!

I am afraid later the monkeys become out of control they start to grab people's handbags or scarves or take away their spectacles or sunglasses...

End of part 1

Dalam Dilemma

H terlantar di hospital lebih dari 2 bulan. Paha dia patah dua sebab kereta yang dipandunya terbabas melanggar pokok. Saya sedih melihat keadaannya. H adalah seorang balu yang kematian suami lima tahun yang lalu.

Dia menceritakan pada saya kemalangan berlaku kerana dia terlelap semasa memandu. Dia kurang tidur malam sebab buat kuih untuk menambah pendapatan sedangkan siang hari H bekerja sebagai pembantu tukang masak.

Baru- baru ni apabila saya tanya dia kenapa tak kawin lagi sedangkan sudah ada yang behasrat untuk menikahinya. Dia kata anak-anak tak bagi, kalau dia kawin anak-anak akan ' membuang ibu '. Pada
hal H sangat memerlukan seorang suami supaya dapat membantunya.

Masa saya kecik dulu, dok heran jugak bila ada lelaki bila mati isteri kecoh habis satu kampung -
maklongmakngahmakcikkakJoyah nak tolong carikan pengganti. Depa kata sapa nak tolong basuh kain baju, masak makan dan kalau dia sakit macamana? Sapa nak jaga dia siang malam....

Orang lelaki.....ramai je yang nak menolong..
Orang perempuan pulak lebih cekal!

Birthday Message For Habibty

Wishing you Ya Habibty the best on your birthday. May Allah fill your life with all the happiness, good health, wealth and always in Rahmat Allah fiddunya walakhirah...aamiin!

It was 1985 when we first met, that was in Kubang Kerian Mini Market. Hazooka was about 3 years old at that time and was running around and almost bumped into me. You came to me and said ...maaflah anak saya ni kecik lagi suka lari- lari....From then on we got to know each other.

About 2 weeks later we met again in Bata Shoe Store. This time we were with our children ( yours three , mine four ) to buy Raya shoes for them.

A few days later we met again for the third time in that month of Ramadhan. It was in Pantai Timur Supermarket ( the one and only Supermarket in KB at that time ). Apparently we both wanted to buy chicken and there was the only one left in the freezer. We grabbed the chicken at the same time then looked at each other and started to laugh....and then you said
Maasyaa Allah, I think Allah wants us to be friends. This  Hari Raya sila datang rumah saya with your family.

Banyaklah cerita kelakar to remind us of our life in KB. It would be a mile long hilarious stories if I were to write it down.

Habibty banyak jugak misadventure dengan Bahasa Melayu when she first came to KB - She told the story when she met people she will say 'Assaikong'
Later on one lady asked what is 'Assaikong' doktor?
- I don't know but everytime people meet me they say Assaikong'! I thought that's how you wish each other here in Malaysia
- That is Assalamualaikum doktor!
- Astaghfirullah ya ka ?

Akhir Kalam saya ucapkan setinggi tahniah di Hari Lahir Habibty yang ke......
Happy Birthday!!!!

The Alumni Get Together

Really didn't expect to meet some of my classmates - we parted ways after we completed our tertiary educations way back in the seventies.
The Alumni get together took place in Dorset Hotel in PJ for the luncheon.

After 40 years, there are a lot of catching up to do ,

Get to know the well-being of our long lost friends and classmates. The questions often asked are how many children and grandchildren one has, and everybody updating their health status. Believe me almost everybody is suffering from high blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetic! And of course some of us has problem with our knees.

I got to meet my classmates since form 1, some classmates from form 4 and form 6 .

And our comradery are still strong and intact , just like we were 40 years ago.

Most important is that we feel so close to each other - very quickly we felt like we were once again in school and the rest of the conversations were mainly about our school days!

We were that young before - happy go lucky , no responsibility with a lot of faith for the future...

Lain Padang Lain Belalang

Susah jugak kalau kita ada pembantu yang berlainan bahasa dan budaya- ia akan jadi pertembungan 2 budaya. Boleh naik angin jugak dibuatnya.

Pokok cekur


Selalunya saya masak lauk utama pembantu masak nasi dan lauk sampingan. Lama-lama ajar dia masak sup dan asam pedas. Sedap masakannya, tapi lama kelamaan ada satu macam bau dalam kuah asam pedas....rupanya dia pegi masukkan isi cekur dalam kuah. Punyalah kuat bau macam rumah Tok Bidan tengah membela orang beranak.

An innocent apple cider.....mistaken for liquor..


Apabila saya masak ayam atau daging saya akan tambah sikit apple cider di akhir masakan. Suatu hari saya minta tolong buka tudung botol apple cider.....tiba- tiba dengan sungguh confused dia tanya saya....
KAK....kakak masuk arak dalam kuah?
Ni bukan arak, ini cuka buah epal!
( Nasib baik dia tanya kalau tak dalam persidangan bibik- bibik mungkin keluar cerita saya bubuh arak dalam masakan! )

Tapi orang Chowo Timur ni sangat rajin buat kerja dalam dan luar rumah. Keliling rumah penuh di tanam pokok cili dan tomato.

Now that she has gone malas macam mana pun kena masak jugak! Nasib baik me husben tolong basuh pinggan dan kemas yang lintang pukang kat dapur. Mujur jugak ada pembantu yang datang ikut jam dalam seminggu hanya beberapa kali jer!