Friday, October 31, 2008

RM 750 TICKET TO FREE MEALS in the lock up!



10:30AM.
Wan Jie Jie and Wan Put Arrived to visit AH...most importantly to deliver the gift that was kept in the car boot for some time...

10.35 :
AH gave a welcome cry.  He was short of an hour from his normal morning nap.

Things went blissfully well between the three of them until I interrupted with my welcome brunch for us all.  The very Malaysian- Italian pasta sauce was served with boiled pasta in the spiral shape, fresh cut carrots, capsicums of red and yellow, pineapple to savor our taste buds, sliced sweet potatoes as desert and plain tea without sugar.  Pictures were taken by Jie but unable to download into this laptop.  Later she would email me.

While enjoying our branch, my normal visitors came to entertain us.  A couple of them were up the damaged garden lamp, four were on the window ledge, some on the ground and up the trees.  Later a youngish looking mother came up...how did we know she is a mother? Guess HOW?  She ain't wearing any braziers!  I only had four slices of bread, would  be insufficient for all in the group.

The younger ones came in pairs and they look almost alike, like twins.  Two with trojan like hairs, black like human and four like having thicker hairs in their foreheads.  The oldest of them all, looking like a professor...is extra large in size...remain seated on the ground as though taking charge of the group and overseeing all of them.  Later when another older mother came up tho the window, I threw those breads to her.  The others were scrambling towards her.

Worried that they might disturb my clothes on the drying metal structure outside, I went to the window to take a peep outside.  Okay, this is not the group that normally created havoc and went berserk in this compound.  Noting was out of the ordinary EXCEPT when I looked across into the  neighbor at No.4's compound.  their gate was wide opened.  There was a suspicious looking figure trying to climb the hilly front yard into the no.6's.  He was wearing a light brown T-shirt and khaki color trousers.  Quite short and small built but obviously an adult alright.  

Jie and Put were already in the sitting room by this time to play with AH.  He really enjoyed himself playing with new grannies.  the expensive Fisher Price present did attracted him but not as much as its red wrapper did with its extra noise and lighter in weight.  He was laughing, giggling and making his small baby talks.  At times crying as though wanting me to hold him.  Although he seemed enjoying himself but he was a bit apprehensive.  To our surprise, he did enjoy himself despite after almost ten months arriving into this household, this is their premier meet.  He blended well with the two new grannies.

12.10pm
Hastily I scrambled for my mobile.  Dialed the first number in the list under security.  Not getting through.  The second, also failed to get through.  Time passed.  I lost sight of him.  Obviously he could not be the younger brother of house owner. Why would he climb through the bush, slipped, up again and into the neighbor's compound?  (Ops! intermission AH is up the steps now.....on number three and onto no.four. steps...now he is crying...scared probably!)

Someone rang the bell from out gate.  Jie rushed to the front to take a look.  Wan Put was with AH, playing with the noisy red wrapper.  By the time I rushed to the window the security on the motor bike just made a turn and left.  Finally, after my fourth attempt, I managed to get through to the UM security guards, they arrived sooner than usual and scrounging the area.  By then I went back to join Jie, Put and AH.  It was half an hour later that Put saw a guy in his yellowish shirt and dark blue jeans jumped over the fence then disappeared into the bushes.  That was not what I saw earlier.  Could there be two of them?  

I then rushed to the gate and saw someone walking towards me in Put's description.  Smiling, I asked if he managed to apprehend the thief.  He told me he jumped over the fence and hit the clothes line next door to number 6 house but lost him in the chase.  I told him, we thought he was another accomplice.  He was one of the security personnel.



Fours hours after this annual visit by Jie and Put, they were leaving...already?  Holding AH in my arm, we sent them off just outside the front door since it was quite hot outside.  At the same time the phone rang.  Missed one call and another came.  Just managed to click on the green button when the guard was thanking me for the alert. Apparently they managed to apprehend him at Lorong University near to MAHSA Medical  College.  Some moneys were found on him.

2:50 pm 
The head guard requested  me to go to their office and make a statement and to identify him.  WHAT?  No! Of course not...what? With AH? Driving without his chair in the car?  No way!


Instead I asked them to come over to my house and get the statement from me.

3:15 pm
They came in a silver proton and waited outside while I filled up the form.  They showed me the picture of the guy and I was allowed to photocopy it.  There were tools used to gain entry into peoples' houses. Triumph?  Not at all...it was scary to me.  The house where we live is very lonely and the compound is huge.  No one is home except me and AH...at least the whole lot of ten houses are always empty.  Only late evenings the owners come home after work.  

Late in the evening one of the guards called to thank me and gave some briefings on the happenings.  All the houses in front of ours, were broken into.  He, Mr. Thief, told the policemen he came by cab and went "to work" straight after.  He must have been familiar with our house and perhaps have once or twice been working with some other contractors in these houses.  The strong latch is not easy to pierce open hadn't he noticed what type it was. 


A deep sigh of relief was felt and I was relieved too that finally AH fell to his afternoon nap.  

So, staying at home is not always lonely and quiet for me.  At least some adventures were captured and shared in this blog.  Previous postings were...The Sound That Never Was, Done Part One and Rubella (quarantine next door)...obviously not forgetting the more adventurous "minkey" stories.






Hence the RM750.00 stolen from those houses, with such a hard work (very easy for him may be)...ended him in the police lock up with free food and lodging for some time to come (perhaps he receives physical treatments too while in there).  Easy money for him but hard for the victims...they have to work hard from mornings till evenings ect.ect.ect.


Friday, October 24, 2008

SOMETHING NOT SO BRIGHT


He is forever bright eyed and well poised while enjoying his meals... that is Amir Harith or better known as AH among my old school friends.

One day, he was made to look after this soup




but he overslept AND?




The Red Snapper soup got burnt! Wake up AH! Watch that soup!



florescent light caught in the soup???


What could the worst be?
But a black-burnt-dried-up soup in a pot


WELL done AH!

but was it AH's fault? Certainly not...Mama forgot to turn off the burner after her subuh prayer!

Thursday, October 23, 2008

BRIGHT AND SUNNY THE NEXT DAY

 The morning after the torrential fall
 

 
A couple of minutes after the first shot

After this, 7.25am shot, the sun was unbearble to look at

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

RAIN RAIN DO STAY...

 
Once upon a rainy day...a shot from my bedroom window



The garden plants were constantly watered  since





 
 Rain water gushing down through the gutter



Real torrential fall it was...

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

FISH HEAD CURRY


TO

A world in a pan...Laura's Paris cooking Notebook

This is the fish head curry picture...borrowed from another blogger. I actually never had the chance to snap photos of my cooking except some times...when the cam is with me. I am not able to upload this picture into your blog. So, perhaps you could copy and upload in yours. TQ.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

RED SNAPPER

After a long absence from the blog sphere, from 27th September till today, 1.28am 12th October 2008...many things have happened.

The fasting month of Ramadhan ended on the 30th of September 2008. The Eid was celebrated on the 1st of October 2008/1st Syawal 1428. Since then, we were busy celebrating the festive season with all our Muslim sisters and brothers. From a hefty 70kgs to the last date of Ramadhan, I gained a couple of kgs by the second day of Syawal. Goodness me.

That was not that bad. But, What was worse? What could it be?
Early Monday morning, AH's Mama took blood samples to bring to the University Hospital for cholesterol test... Tra la la la....
Late evening, she came home with not-a-happy-look-on-her-face.......????

The cholesterol test...read 6.4!

"Mummy, watch your diet. I won't prescribe you medicine yet but you have to take care of your cholesterol level. It's very dangerous you know."

I went ... pretending to be a little school girl who has not done her home work!

"Tomorrow morning, you have to go and check your BP".

"Okay." Obediently I answered.

AND the Blood pressure read 134 over 82...O O O! Before returning home, I went up to the first floor and looked for the sign that says "Dietitian". After an hour, I managed to get to see her without having to fix an appointment for another day. Lucky was I? One magic and bonus question was asked!

"Do you exercise?" Well........guess everyone knows the answer.

She told me this and that! The night before I already looked up in the net for an article on this subject. They were plentiful to read from. Scary too...

Like it or not...home I came. Straight to the freezer. Out came a frozen "ikan merah"...red snapper. AND below was what I did with it.

RED Snapper Soup

Ingredients:

1 fish head (halved) or 4 pcs.meat parts (cut into 1" thickness) : clean and put aside
1 pcs cinnamon stick
2 pcs. star aniseed
3 pcs. cardamoms
3 pcs. cloves
4 cloves garlic (thinly sliced or crushed)
2" ginger (thinly sliced)
1" ginger - crushed
6 shallots - sliced
black pepper - as desired
Fish Sauce or salt
4 cups hot water
2 Tblsp. virgin olive oil
leek or any leafy vegetables
Celery or Chinese celery
Spring onions
2 Red tomatoes
Optional : OATS

Method:
1. Marinade cleaned fish lightly with fish sauce.
2. Heat olive oil, add in sliced ingredients and all spices till lightly brown.
3. Add fish and lightly fry. Turning slowly each time till they change color.
4. Add hot water and let it boil. Add black pepper, salt or fish sauce to taste.
5. Once boiled, lower the heat. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add leek.
6. Add other leafy vegetables last if not using leek.
7. Add quartered tomato and celery.

May serve with brown rice OR oats OR eaten on its own.
Enjoy your meal and keep trim and healthy.





this picture was borrowed from another blog

AWARD...surprised!



Special AWARD for all the visitors who dropped by and read my writes on each journey through the blog sphere



THE DUTCHES.............8.9.2008 similar owner of The Garden of The Dutchess

Great! Thank you for this award. You are so kind. It made my day. I only found out about it on the 23.9.2008.

BUT ever since, I could not trace this AWARD because I was so absent-minded. It took me ages to trace and finally...this early morning, after coming home from an "open-house", an Eid festive celebration, I was so determined to look for IT and succeeded. Imagine the number of blogs and entries to sieve through....There are so many of them to look into...but I managed. It was a lot of hard work mind you BUT worth it.

So excited that I copied the whole post into my blog. I hope The Dutches does not mind...


I was so happy to receive this award and this multi colored ice cream from The Dutches who owns such a unique blog...superbly fine pictures and articulate posts.




1.Kecek-kecek: An author living in London who made a debut with his hit book GUiT, a person who hand delivered a signed GUiT for my birthday and a person who drove me to start this blog.
2.Goldendaze-Ginnie: Such a gracious and lovely lady with mementos to share.
3.La Vie en Rose: My partner in crime from Malaysia.
4.Nature Lover: Whom I have not met since the year 1967 but often meet in this blog...miracle.
5.Laura's Paris Cooking Notebook: I owe her a fish head curry picture. I love her "mouth watering blog".
6.Karin @ Frozen In Time: Who captured my heart with her pictures.
7.Here In The Hills : Opened the door to all my blog links in the blog sphere.


2. Link to the person from whom you received the award.
3. Nominate at least 7 other bloggers.
4. Put links of those blogs on your blog.
5. Leave a message on the blogs of those you mentioned.(But,feel free ,its yours anyway..)






Come and Get it..




A very SWEET AWARD and an Ice Cream Cone..For some very Lovely blogs..I was happy and proud to recieve it from Christi,and i admire Christi for her Great artwork..

Blue..so nice to have you back in Blog land..
Fern,your pictures are a feast..
A Royal Lady,please go and visit and have some T
A Dutch Corner..visit marja..and you will be in her corner for ever..
The seasons/A celebration..
Miss Peach and her wonderful Mommy
A dog and a cat...in France..best Buddy's

2. Link to the person from whom you received the award.
3. Nominate at least 7 other bloggers.
4. Put links of those blogs on your blog.
5. Leave a message on the blogs of those you mentioned.(But,feel free ,its yours anyway..)