Things I need for Raya

Raya is about 12 days away. People are busy getting kuih, new clothes and bus tickets for balik kampung. I've never bought kuih raya before, but a couple of weeks ago I sampled some really good pineapple tarts that were sold by our receptionist so I placed an order for one pack. I might decide to get a couple more for Mak and Mama.

Nuaim has his new baju melayu ready. Like last year, Mak bought some voile material and Mama had them tailored back in Alor Setar. So spoilt la my son the first cucu ni. The five baju that were too loose last year now fit him just nice, so he has about SEVEN to wear this year. We've also bought him a songkok that I'm sure he'll keep pulling off during photoshoots. Size 19 1/4 - big head my son has. I decided not to get him a new kain sampin - the last one we bought is still serviceable.

But what about Nuaim's Ummi? Since a couple of years back, I haven't given much thought to raya preparations. If it wasn't for Mak and Mama's generosity in buying me new clothes, I'd still be wearing the same thing I did from six or seven years' back. But this year, I have a list:

1. New glasses. My only remaining pair is in danger of falling to pieces after Nuaim twisted the handle a couple of days back. Miraculously it didn't break - just. The new ones will be ready tomorrow. Thick reddish frames this time. Hubby liked the schoolgirl look - 'Nampak muda remaja sikit.'
2. New shoes/sandals. I've been walking in the same pair of high-heeled green Clarks sandals for weeks already. They look cool (kinda retro) but lately they've proven to be precarious, especially with Nuaim insisting on 'Dum' all the time. Note to self - Don't get Clarks Springers. They're comfortable and all, but really don't last that well in our humid and wet environs. Bata is a safer (and cheaper) bet. And not just for raya, but to last the whole pregnancy and beyond.
   
3. A baju raya. I've decided to spoil myself by buying something from ModernMum. There's a nice kebaya-looking top which I think might just do the trick. Plus can collect Bonuslink points. I'm a loyalty card junkie so shoot me.
4. New seat covers for dining room. Next time I shouldn't get chairs with plain cream-coloured upholstery - cepat kotorlah. Saw nice blue stripey thingy in IKEA for RM40 each. If I need 6 that'll be RM240! Berbaloi ka, or cheaper to buy cloth and make my own?
   

Going shopping with Hubby this afternoon for numbers 2 and 3. Am excited. He'll probably object to number 4, but I can hope.

Buka Puasa at Kelantan Delights

Some friends from the office decided to have a 'buka puasa' gathering. These are the same people I usually have lunch with, but for the iftar we decided husbands should join in.
Hubby was reluctant at first - after all, these friends are actually a couple (or more?) of years younger than me, and he felt like he'd stick out like the paternal figure. And he definitely didn't want to be stuck with a bunch of giggly gossipy women and their husbands whom he doesn't know too well at all. But I coaxed and cajoled and promised to pay for his dinner, and finally he relented.
So Thuisday night, after breaking my fast with a Mentos and performing my Maghrib prayers, we met up with the rest of the gang at Kelantan Delights on level 4 of Suria KLCC. I guess for RM39++ the spread was quite good. One wonders what's on display at the RM100++ hotel buffets around KL. Here's a roundup on the menu (look away now if you're fasting).
There were cute little buah tanjung (much lighter yellow than the ones I bought), jala mas and lompat tikam - and that was about all that was distinctly Kelantanese about the food (minus the budu). A few other assortments of local kuih were available. Appetisers included cucur udang, popiah and samosa, all of which were quite tasty. The menu was strictly Malay, with white rice, fried rice and a variety of dishes. I skipped the ayam masak merah and fried chicken (too common), went for the jenahak (red snapper?) curry, sotong sambal petai, paru goreng cili (Ubisetela eat your heart out), pari masak lemak, daging bakar and mixed veggies (a pregnant lady needs her greens). The plates were so small, I had to get a refill to properly satiate my appetite.
We were entertained by my friends' attempts to use the Bluetooth function on their handphones. Being a boring Nokia 3315 user (monophonic, monocolour and all that), I only played the part of bemused observer, as the three of them were trying to figure out what 'passkey' meant and found out that their phones didn't have the application to run the transferred file in the end.
On a side note, apparently the buffet spread at Awana Genting is pretty good value for RM45 nett. Got sushi and all that.

PM's Wife Loses to Big C

The wife of Malaysia's fifth and current Prime Minister, Datin Seri Endon Mahmood passed away this morning, succumbing to breast cancer. Read more about it here.

I have never met her or seen her in person - there was one function I attended that she was supposed to officiate but couldn't make it due to some health problems. Could this have been the reason for her absence then? But I do share her passion for the traditional fabrics and fashion she had championed, despite my husband's annoyance that the kebaya nyonya is so Unislamic because it is 'jarang' and 'ketat'. Hey, he wasn't complaining when I wore it once before we got married. But I digress.

I understand how this would greatly affect Pak Lah. They have always appeared as such a loving couple, even in public, and I always find PDA between not-so-young couples endearing.

At the office, we've started speculating which ex-TV3 celebrity will become the next first lady. Personally I think that is not Pak Lah's style. His ministers or ministers' relatives (even the Sultan of Brunei) may indulge in picking up wives from the Nona runway, but for someone so laidback yet publicly so in love with his late wife? Naaah.

Al-Fatihah to Datin Seri Endon. May Allah bless her soul.

A result of all this is a rumour going round that next Monday has been declared a public holiday. A colleague called up a friend at Bernama news agency to confirm. I just checked The Star Online - it's not. That means I still have a PRA to attend (iftar included - yay!!).

My son the Drama Queen

I haven't written about Nuaim in a very long time. For those who are curious to know how he's getting on, he's fine. Except for the occasional sniffles, and falls and knocks that are common to boisterous 16-month old boys.

He's got this thing about his right eye though, that's been there since 7 months ago. We've been to two specialists, and the last one at HUKM had to put him under GA just to have a really good look at his eye. They found a surface scratch that could have been caused by his nails and nothing else. The scratch should've healed by now (it's been 2 months at least) but he still squints in bright light, and sometimes he gets teary-eyed. And it only happens to his right eye.

Other than that, he's a right royal thespian. My father-in-law calls him 'The Little Prince'. I think he behaves more like a tyrannical emperor around his relatives. He still takes his milk by the bottle, but he won't hold the bottle himself. It'll always have to be held by someone else, or propped up with a pillow if he's lying down and we're too busy to do it for him.

And he throws a big hou-haa whenever things don't go his way - which is most of the time, since his way involves a lot of unsafe acts for children below the age of 2. He'll throw his head back, give a great scream and flop on the floor or try to wriggle away from you. He did it once at a friend's son's birthday party because I wouldn't let him have the camera, and my friend seemed so concerned that I felt so guilty for not just letting him ruin my RM1400 investment.

Despite the fact that he's going to become an Abang Long in 6 months' time, he's even more clingy than before. He's grown quite heavy now (must be about 13 kg at least) and in my condition I can't carry him for more than 2 minutes without some part of my body protesting. When he first started walking at 11 months, he just simply refused to be carried. But now, everytime he wants me to take him somewhere, he'll take both my hands, pull me down to my knees and say "Dum". I guess in Emperor Nuaim's speak that's a combination of 'Jom' and 'Dukung'.

The realy wonderful thing though, is his vocabulary. He first picked up words around the same time he could walk, and his ability to grasp new words just continue to amaze me. I sometimes doubt whether he understands the words correctly, though. For instance, he would address any kid, younger or older than him, as 'Baby'. And although he's heard us say 'No' to him in response to things we don't approve of, I think he doesn't understand the concept of it. Instead, he'll say 'No' in a very firm manner, and then proceed with doing exactly the thing we've forbidden him to.

His favourite word and object in the world is of course 'FIH' (fish). He endured a 90 minute wait to enter the KLCC Aquaria, and he's always looking at the dinner table under the 'tudung saji' for his favourite food. Pictures of fish in newspapers drive him to ecstacy, and you'll never be able to complete reading The Star or Utusan Malaysia once he's spotted his underwater friend on one of the pages.

Lately though, Nuaim has developed a screaming habit. He screams when he's angry, happy and feeling any other emotion in between. I suspect he's missing his grandmother.

The quest for buah tanjung

When I was a lot younger, my late father would spend Ramadhan afternoons driving all the way across KL to the Pasar Ramadhan in Datok Keramat to buy all kinds of kuih for the breaking of fast, but the two I remember the most are buah tanjung and jala mas. These golden yellow, syrupy sticky sweet morsels hail from Kelantan, and at the Datok Keramat market could be found in abundance. I'm not quite sure what goes into their making, but I believe it must be copiously unhealthy amounts of sugar and egg yolks.

The first time I attempted to fast was when I was six years old. My fasting would start in the morning like everyone else, but around noon I'd 'break' for lunch then resume fasting till Maghrib, when I'd be the first to gulp down the air sirap bandung. One day I decided to go all the way and fast like the grown ups. I felt so weak, and spent most of the day sleeping until it was time to go to Datok Keramat. My parents told me it was okay if I wanted to break my fast earlier, but I was adamant to prove I could do it. Even then I was hanging on to my parent's arm like a limp rag doll (I can't remember whether it was Mak or Ayah). Finally, at one of the stalls, they managed to coax a piece of buah tanjung into my mouth, after which I felt a whole lot better. I lasted till 6 pm that day.

Ramadhan always evokes memories of buah tanjung. It is not very common at the other PR (Pasar Ramadhans) I've been to. When I found out a restaurant near my mum's house was selling traditional Kelantan kuih like akok (akak?) and lompat tikam, I went to have a look but found no buah tanjung there.I guess people here just cannot take its high sugar content. Even my siblings don't seem to favour it much.

Being pregnant, of course, has its privileges. Hubby didn't put up a fuss when I suggested we go look for this rare delicacy. If Mak was around she'd say I was craving or mengidam for them.

Last Sunday we visited the Kampung Baru PR to try our luck. The first stall we approached on Jalan Raja Muda Musa had an array of kuih not seen elsewhere, so I was expectant. A thorough scan of the spread dashed my hopes. We tried the whole length of Jalan Raja Alang as well but to no avail.

Our final stop was the Datok Keramat market. As soon as I rounded the corner to enter, the whole place was familiar to me. The sun's rays cut across the stall shades at exactly the same angle, highlighting all the goodies the way I remember it in my mind's eye. The buah tanjung I found in a small round plastic container at the first stall on the right, the last pack left of its kind. I quickly grabbed it, worried that someone might snatch it away before I did. 9 tiny orange balls of sweetness.

We walked around the market a bit more, and I discovered how foolish I was in my haste. There were at least two more stalls selling buah tanjung and its eternal companion the jala mas. I bought a piece of jala mas - it was selling at RM1.50 a piece. It looks like roti jala but is yellow-orange and really sweet. Not as moist as the buah tanjung though, which is why I don't like it as much, but I felt a need to introduce my husband to its glory.

If I remember to, and if there are any left at home, I'll take a picture and put it up here. My reaction to all those pictures of sushi and sambal udang other people have on their blogs.

An Engineer's Lament

To simulate or calculate
Those two words I love to hate
Alas, such is an engineer's fate
It has been so since time pre-date.

The numbers give me great affliction
When I face a complex flow equation
Dear Lord I crave some stimulation
To face my job with more affection.

Each time I try to do it better
Than past attempts at which I falter
But I always end up up with a fever
Simulate and calculate? I shiver.

Work under Construction

Today my blog has gone through numerous costume changes, much like a song-and-dance sequence in a Hindi movie. I've finally settled for a Blogger template and am experimenting with the colours. This has taken up a good 2 manhours of my time, but I still managed to get my work done this morning, so I shouldn't punish myself (I just hope no one from the Project team reads this and recognises me).

I'm not done yet with the colour experiments so please bear with me. Comments and suggestions are most welcome. Bear in mind I don't know HTML, and have just today stumbled upon some very resourceful web pages on html colour codes. So no complex IT-geek speak, please. Discussions on flow instrument selection, on the other hand, will be well received.