Tagged - Favourite Foods

Zawi of Life As I See It has tagged me. It is a Ramadhan Tag about food. He commented in his blog that even though this is a Ramadhan tag, he thinks non-muslims can be tagged too since they too form a sizable group of customers at Ramadhan bazaars. It has nothing really to do with religion, just the food. How true!

I was in Malaysia during Ramadhan last year and boy! was I glad to be home then. I visited the bazaars and filled up on foods which I missed since leaving Malaysia.

Taking an evening stroll with my brother through those bazaars made me miss my mom even more. For as long as I can remember, she looked forward to the Ramadhan months. She loved food - all kinds of food. She especially loved Malay cakes. Whenever she telephoned me during the fasting month, she always reminded me of the days when we used to load up on the goodies from the bazaars. That is when I start craving badly for local delicacies all over again.

So, here goes ....

NAME 5 FAVOURITE FOOD THAT YOU FEEL LIKE HAVING NOW

1. Satay

2. Ayam percik

3. Nasi kerabu

4. Roti tisu

5. Mee jawa or bandung

NAME 5 FOOD YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE FOR BREAKFAST IF YOU COULD

1. Chicken pau

2. Pulut hitam

3. Pulut panggang

4. Durian in santan (coconut milk)

5. Pulut inti

NAME 5 FOOD YOU WOULD MOST LIKELY BUY FOR BERBUKA TODAY
(If I were in Malaysia today, this what I would likely buy for dinner)

1. Ayam percik

2. Tepung pelita (is this the same thing as kueh tako?)

3. Coconut jelly

4. Roti jala and rendang

5. Fried popiah

NAME 5 FAVORITE BEVERAGES YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE FOR BERBUKA OR SUPPER TODAY

1. Coconut water

2. Soya bean milk (and some curd to go with it)

3. Iced tea

I cannot think of any beverages that I would like today but ice kacang dessert sounds good right now. (Lady Patsy made me think about it for days since she spoke so passionately about it in her previous post).

This is only just a sampling of what I would really like but I know once I am in Malaysia and I see the varieties, some of my choices may change. Right now, it is a case of "out of sight, out of mind".

Before I end this, here's wishing all my muslim friends and bloggers Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri.

Hello Halloween

I just could not believe my eyes the other as I walked through a WalMart store. They have started selling Christmas decorations! We are barely into the first week of October. Heck! Halloween is not even here yet, and that is considered a big deal in the States. Stores seem to bring out all things Christmas earlier and earlier as the years go by. I won't be surprised if I see elves running around the stores in June someday!

Anyway, I am not going to talk about Christmas in this post. We still have two more months to get to that holiday. Let's talk about Halloween, which is pretty much foreign in Malaysia. What is Halloween?

Each year, on the last night of October, millions of children across the U.S dress-up in costume and take to the streets for a spooky dose of Trick or Treat fun. But how much do you really know about this haunted holiday? Explore this site to find out the true history!

Halloween's origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in).

The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1. This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death. Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31, they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. In addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the presence of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future. For a people entirely dependent on the volatile natural world, these prophecies were an important source of comfort and direction during the long, dark winter.

To commemorate the event, Druids built huge sacred bonfires, where the people gathered to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic deities.

During the celebration, the Celts wore costumes, typically consisting of animal heads and skins, and attempted to tell each other's fortunes. When the celebration was over, they re-lit their hearth fires, which they had extinguished earlier that evening, from the sacred bonfire to help protect them during the coming winter.

By A.D. 43, Romans had conquered the majority of Celtic territory. In the course of the four hundred years that they ruled the Celtic lands, two festivals of Roman origin were combined with the traditional Celtic celebration of Samhain.

The first was Feralia, a day in late October when the Romans traditionally commemorated the passing of the dead. The second was a day to honor Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees. The symbol of Pomona is the apple and the incorporation of this celebration into Samhain probably explains the tradition of "bobbing" for apples that is practiced today on Halloween.

By the 800s, the influence of Christianity had spread into Celtic lands. In the seventh century, Pope Boniface IV designated November 1 All Saints' Day, a time to honor saints and martyrs. It is widely believed today that the pope was attempting to replace the Celtic festival of the dead with a related, but church-sanctioned holiday. The celebration was also called All-hallows or All-hallowmas (from Middle English Alholowmesse meaning All Saints' Day) and the night before it, the night of Samhain, began to be called All-hallows Eve and, eventually, Halloween. Even later, in A.D. 1000, the church would make November 2 All Souls' Day, a day to honor the dead. It was celebrated similarly to Samhain, with big bonfires, parades, and dressing up in costumes as saints, angels, and devils. Together, the three celebrations, the eve of All Saints', All Saints', and All Souls', were called Hallowmas.

There is more to the history of Halloween but there is too much to copy and paste over here. So, if you are interested to know more, you can read about the modern traditions here and the Evolution of the Holiday here.

Back to my browsing at the store, I now realise that I can shop for Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas in October. I am not sure if I can get excited about it. I don't even know what I am going to cook tomorrow, how will I know what I need for Thanksgiving or Christmas?

By the way, I don't celebrate Halloween because there is no reason to. I have never been invited to a Halloween costume party. I did join some friends in an evening barbeque party, though. It was about two years ago on an army base in Germany. I must admit that it was nice to watch the children get all dressed up and ready to raid the neighbourhood's candy supply. When my friend took her children around the neighbourhood, she left me in charge of her bowls of chocolates, sweets and bubble gum. I was supposed to distribute them whenever children came knocking on the door. Usually, there are no questions asked when the children scream "trick or treat?" It is understood that they will get their treat - candies. I was so tempted to ruffle some feathers and challenge them to a trick. I decided against it lest I be known as the mean lady who made the children perform tricks.

It was interesting to note that there were a couple of young parents who seemed very excited about collecting candies for their infant and toddler children. I wonder who got hyperactive on sugar that night.

Last week, I almost drove off the road as I was making a right turn into my street. One of the houses on the corner has hung a mannequin, dressed up like a pontianak, from their huge oak tree. (I think the western people have their version of a pontianak called a banshee). They have ghostly decorations on their fence too. Their place seems so spooky in a heavily shaded lawn. It makes me wonder if it is not haunted already! One thing I know ... I will not to look their way if I ever have to drive past their house at night. I am afraid that pontianak might actually smile back at me.

I am not sure what we will be doing this Halloween. We live out in the countryside and the only children that I see in this area live across the street - two boys, aged 5 and 1. I suspect that they will be the only ones working our street with their parents. I guess I will stock up on some chocolate bars just in case they come a knockin' on my door. If they don't, more chocolates for me!

Lessons About The Way We Treat People

I received this from an old acquaintance today. I thought this would be worth sharing until I come up with something else to blog about.

Note: You would have probably seen some of these floating around for some time. I have received these stories several times over and it always serves as a gentle reminder about how I should treat people.

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Five Lessons to Make Us Think About The Way We Treat People

Lesson 1 - The Cleaning Lady

During my second month of college, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions until I read the last one:

"What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?"

Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name?

I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade.

"Absolutely," said the professor. "In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say "hello."

I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.

Lesson 2 - Pick Up In The Rain

One night, at11:30 p.m., an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rainstorm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car. A young white man stopped to help her, generally unheard of in those conflict-filled 1960s. The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance, and put her into a taxicab.

She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his address and thanked him. Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a giant console color TV was delivered to his home. A special note was attached.

It read: "Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's bedside just before he passed away... God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others."

Sincerely, Mrs. Nat King Cole.

Lesson 3 - Always remember those who serve

In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him.

"How much is an ice cream sundae?" he asked.

"Fifty cents," replied the waitress.

The little boy pulled is hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it.

"Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?" he inquired.

By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient.

"Thirty-five cents," she brusquely replied.

The little boy again counted his coins.

"I'll have the plain ice cream," he said.

The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left. When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies.

You see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.

Lesson 4 - The Obstacle In Our Path

In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way.

Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway.

The peasant learned what many of us never understand - Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.

Lesson 5 - Giving When It Counts

Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare & serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister.

I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, "Yes I'll do it if it will save her." As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheek. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded.

He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away".

Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her.

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"Work like you don't need the money, love like you've never been hurt, and dance like you do when nobody's watching."

Happy Birthday Lady Patsy

My best friend, Lady Patsy a.k.a. Patricia Pereira celebrates her birthday today. She told me that she will be making a comeback to blogging on this auspicious day - after a long hiatus. I was so excited. I got on my horse (my knight in shining armour is too busy slaying dragons - someone's got to bring home food! mmm ..... dragon meat) and rode off to meet her. When I got there, her chamber doors were closed. I knocked on them and rapped on the windows - no sign of her. Maybe the Lady is on her way back. I hope she is not held up by a gang of marauders.

If they look anything like this ....

.... I am afraid, they will be in danger.

hahaha (sorry Pat, I could not help it)

Anyway, wherever you are Lady Patsy, here's wishing you a Very Happy Birthday.

Your Birthdate: September 27

You are a spiritual soul - a person who tries to find meaning in everything.
You spend a good amount of time meditating, trying to figure out life.
Helping others is also important to you. You enjoy social activities with that goal.
You are very generous and giving. Yet you expect very little in return.

Your strength: Getting along with anyone and everyone
Your weakness: Needing a good amount of downtime to recharge

Your power color: Cobalt blue
Your power symbol: Dove
Your power month: September

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

Here are my e-gifts to you:

Lady Godiva chocolate

... and not forgetting some roses to brighten up your day.

I’m wishing you another year
Of laughter, joy and fun
Surprises, love and happiness,
And when your birthday’s done,
I hope you feel deep in your heart,
As your birthdays come and go,
How very much you mean to me,
More than you can know.

By Joanna Fuchs

Before I end this dedication to Lady Patsy, here are a couple of photos which bring back sweet memories. (There are other photos of the Lady and me together but most of them are back in Malaysia).

UPDATE: Lady Patsy has finally returned to blogging. Please drop by her chambers when you can.

Gifts - love 'em or leave 'em?

Let's face it ... we all appreciate gifts. Regardless of the occasion, birthday to wedding gifts, going-away to "just-because" gifts, we love to know what awaits us in that box or package. I always appreciate gifts and never re-gift them (and make it look as though I bought it). If I do give something away, the person receiving it will usually know that it belonged to me and have no qualms about taking it off my hands.

Anyway, I was browsing through iVillage.com and found an article about Worst Mother In-Law Gifts... Ever! I thought about the gifts I received from my late mother-in-law and I have to say that she gave very good gifts over the years. She knew what I liked and made an effort to shop for them. Whenever I visited her, she always had books to give away and I would gladly accept them. In short, I cannot think of anything that I ever got from her that I did not like.

Now, reading the list that I found on iVillage, it made me wonder if those mothers-in-law did it deliberately to irritate their daughters-in-law or just had poor taste. Here are some comments from the daughters-in-law:

1. MIL once got me a matching set: Oven mitt and makeup bag. So whenever I'm simultaneously applying lipstick and removing a roast from the oven, I can be color-coordinated.

2. My worst gift ever was from 18 years ago, when, for my first Christmas married to her son, MIL gave me a pair of crotchless panties and a matching bra. I just 'bout died...

3. A set of coat hangers that MIL got half price from a jumble sale.

4. MIL got me pre-natal vitamins for my stocking — and [her son and I] weren't even married yet.

5. My MIL gave me a horrible fake-lace scratchy thong, three sizes too small.

6. My MIL once bought me a T-shirt for Christmas that had a really tacky screen print of two wolves howling on it. Not only was it huge, but it had this weird little button sewn in, so that if you squeezed a certain spot on the front of the shirt, it would play a recording of wolves howling.

7. MIL gave me a leather-bound address book... complete with the names and addresses of people I didn't know! Did she forget she had used it before?

8. My MIL drew my name for Christmas one year. I got a Swiffer, shampoo and conditioner. I was trying to figure out if she was implying that both my hair and floors are dirty, or what.

9. One year, my MIL built her gift up for weeks: She had gotten me the perfect gift, couldn't wait to see my face when I opened it, she knew it was just what I wanted, etc. So she gives it to me on Christmas day in front of her entire family of 50 people... and it's a vacuum cleaner. She announces loudly, "I know you really needed that because the one you have just isn't getting all the cat hair up off your couch." Needless to say I was beyond mortified!

10. I have a small tattoo of a ladybug on my shoulder. My MIL saw this and ever since, has given me tons of ladybug stuff. So far, my collection includes six ladybug lapel pins, four pairs of earrings, one bedspread/sham combo, two toe rings, three embroidered sweaters and a shower curtain. The last time I saw her in July, she remarked "I didn't know you had a ladybug tattoo! You must really like them!" I have told her (and my husband) that I don't really like ladybugs as much as she thinks. Still, she told my husband this weekend that she found a cute ladybug jumper dress for me for Christmas. Aah!

Have you ever received a gift you never liked? Never mind the mother-in-law gifts. Let's just share about any gift that you received in your life.

To date, I can think of only one thing that I did not like - a handbag. I tried to exchange it with my sister because she had the prettier one but no luck. She did not like mine either! It still sits in one of my boxes in Klang. I will probably appreciate it the next time I lay my eyes on it. It is not ugly but it paled in comparison to my sister's bag. Maybe I wouldn't have a problem with it if I did not have another bag to compare it with. Yeah! that's it.

Considering that was the only gift which I did not like in 40 years (as far as I can remember), I think that isn't bad at all. I am still treasuring it - not thrown or given away.