cik kam - an intro

OK, lega. Now dah buka boleh la gozz pasal Cik Kam.

There's this girl in my office, we call her Cik Kam. Kam is short for 'kampung'. Don't get me wrong. I have nothing against kampung people and in fact I am from a somewhat kampung place too. In Cik Kam's context, kampung is a reference to her mentality. You know the mentality makcik tempek bedak sejuk and petang2 pakai baju kelawar and gossip with neighbours. And hasad dengki tengok rumah orang langsir baru, gelang emas berkoyan2 and all that stuff.

Cik Kam is around 30-something and without a boyfriend. It's funny because she doesn't look too bad, with the false eyelashes and coloured contacts all. I have yet to find a man in the office who finds her attractive. Why am I not surprised?

And I'm not the only one who is allergic to Cik Kam. Most people I know can't stand her. Even people who have never met her. Yes, she can be super annoying over the phone too.

Why am I so pissed at Cik Kam? Let me count the ways....

1. She's slim but thinks that she is grossly overweight, and binges on protein shakes.

2. She complains about the above EVERY day, in that shrieky voice of hers.

3. Her English is atrocious, but thinks that she's so terrer and speaks with a weird slang that I can't make out.

4. She is from the kampung, but keeps on telling everyone she's a KL-ite. She's not proud of her roots at all.

5. She will BACKSTAB you like nobody's business.

6. She gets orgasmic when someone uses BlackBerry because to her, it's a measure of a person's wealth. She has TWO BlackBerries but never use them to reply office email. GO FIGURE.

She's an example of how someone who is supposedly not bad looking become so ugly because her heart is full of perasaan hasad dengki.

More of Cik Kam's stories later... I shall end this with a little vignette:

Cik Kam calls up my extension:

Cik Kam: Eh babe, how to spell launch?

Me: L-A-U-N-C-H

Cik Kam: Alaaaaaa... aku salah lah spell...

Me: Kau nak guna launch dlm what sentence?

Cik Kam: I nak suruh boss tunggu dekat hotel punya launch.

Me: Hotel mana yang nak launch? Opening?

Cik Kam: Hotel LAUNCH la... yang tempat orang tunggu tu, duduk2 minum2....

Me: WOIIIII TU HOTEL LOUNGE LERRR!!!!

that's just how i am

Some people, including The Diver, have remarked that my blog has lost its lustre. That it's not the blog that it was before, where lots of bitching and moaning and whacking members of the opposite sex as well as pesky biatches took place.

Yep, it's not.

First of all, besides not having the time to write as often, the other reason why my writings have become less scandalous is that, I got married.

Like I said, I am still somewhat a traditionalist at heart. I believe that once you're married you have to maintain a certain "decorum" whether or not the other half insists or not. For me, it's important. And when I mention decorum, takde la macam kena maintain habis and become a Catholic nun, and change yourself to someone that you're not. To me, it's a form of self-censorship, although not the extreme kind.

And besides being a traditionalist, I can be somewhat of a green-eyed monster too. Please note that I wrote "somewhat". The Diver and I are considered very open and liberal and we do the cheek-pecking with our friends be it male or female. I am completely fine with that. But there are things that bug me. Weird things. Like when The Diver TWEETS constantly with a lady acquaintance that we met only once or twice, I felt a bit... WEIRD. Hence, the term acquaintance. I am fine with old friends, mutual friends, good friends, but acquaintances.... hmmm... I'm NOT fine.

I don't know if I'm becoming too restrictive and behaving like a jealous makcik of a wife or whatever, because I'm really not.

Having said all that, yes I will try to make this blog more of a bitching blog. Because hell yes I have a lot to bitch about still. The first person I can think of is this moron of a big-headed woman who works in this office, for lack of a better nickname will be called Cik Kam from now onwards.

Watch out for that.

p/s: I edited the word tweets to become TWEETs. To emphasize that it was on Twitter, and not on Facebook. Gosh, I hate being specific.

truly blessed

I'm very happy that The Diver and his parents are finally on talking terms. After a few strange twists of fate, the family is now back together and I finally won't feel awkward everytime there's a PTD event going on. I'm happy, we're truly blessed.

And I hope this coming Hari Raya will be a more meaningful one for all of us.

Talking about Hari Raya, this is the first time that I'll be spending Raya in KL, with all my stepchildren who will be staying with us during Raya break. And for the first time in Malaysia, I shall be cooking the Raya spread. I wrote in Malaysia because when I was studying in the States I was the Chef for Raya dishes every year. I'm quite nervous about that though. Maybe I should do a food rehearsal next week.

On another note, I always get overly emotional during fasting month. Maybe it's the lack of sugar, maybe it's the constant battling of hunger and thirst. I dunno.

Whatever it is, I still find certain normally acceptable things rather annoying. That makes it worse because for most people it might be acceptable, but for me...hmmm... OK, I hate being cryptic so I guess I'll just end it here.

the feast of fasting

Beef Curry with Potatoes, on the first day of Ramadhan

Today is the 7th day of fasting and so far, we've been having our iftars at home with the children and the maid. Most times I would cook, nothing too elaborate but of course that is much better than having to buy food at those Ramadhan bazaars. I not only find the place annoyingly smoky but the quality of food has also deteriorated over the years, with the exception of a few familiar stalls.

Salmon Head Assam Pedas on the third day of Ramadhan

Spena & Komar, at one of our iftars.

Some days, we had friends over for potlucks, which is a common thing at our home every year. It's just more fun to have iftar with close friends rather than alone, well at least that's what I think.

Anyway, three more weeks to Hari Raya and I still have yet to fulfill my mission of making my own Raya cookies :(

Sometimes I think I should get myself a good mixer, like a Kenwood or KitchenAid. But then if I get me one of those and don't bake till I break mesti nanti kena kutuk dengan The Diver. Ok then I'll just settle for this brandless mixer of mine anyway.

Having said that, I am SO EXCITED that I will soon receive a premix for the Red Velvet Cake from Little Bowl Cupcakery all the way from Okayama, Japan. I got the privilege to taste them cuppies last year(thank you Sis!). Little Bowl Cupcakery is operated by Zack Abdul, a friend of my sister who is now residing in Okayama. The cakes are not only gorgeous but they taste just superbly heavenly. Am gonna make these babies for Raya, definitely!

Anyway, I will and I shall at least make ONE type of cookie for Raya. I will I will I will!!!

Well people, keep on fasting and feasting!

and the fasting month begins...

I'm still very much a traditionalist when it comes to Ramadhan.

I love having iftar at home, with the family.

I hate queuing up at long hotel buffets, and if I must have iftar outside, I'd rather it be in a small, intimate restaurant. Mamak pun mamak la, kalau mamak tu intimate I'm okay...If not, I'd rather be home, even if it means having something as simple as an egg sandwich and air sirap :)

Anyway, I thank God for again letting us spend Ramadhan together this year. Today is the first day of Ramadhan, and I made beef curry and sambal telur. Since The Diver wants to go on a no-rice diet this fasting month I had to think of dishes that can match with bread or paratha or naan or whatever.

Oh, my aim this year is to make at least 2 types of Raya cookies. Let's just see if I'm all talk and no action! Hahah!

Ramadhan Kareem everyone!

i'm still here

Every time I want to write a new blog post, I hesitate. I have no idea why. Maybe because I am sick of my own little trivialities and whinings about work and stuff relating to it. Maybe too it's because there are just so many things happening around me that I don't even know what to bitch about. And maybe because everytime I start to write, I would go "ohhh there are other bigger issues in the world that I should write about..." But alas, here I am again, devoid of anything intellectual or clever.

For a good part of this year there were a lot of news of deaths and friends and family who are diagnosed of some form of serious illnesses. After the passing of one of my juniors, Azura Hani who left us due to leukimia, and after watching a section on CNN of this woman who kept a blog until her death (can't remember the URL), I sort of developed this habit of reading blogs of people with terminal illnesses.

And then there's there's the passing of the late Ruby Ahmad followed by one of the 'makcik' bloggers, Raden Galoh of onebreastbouncing.

It's just so depressing. Yet it also made me thankful of the life and health that I'm blessed with.

It also makes me realize the fragility of life, and after that, any news of friends and family who fall sick kinda shook me up a bit.

I suppose that's the real meaning of growing up or to put it less mildly, getting old.

Meantime, I'm just enjoying my time here on Earth with loved ones, my kids, my family and my clown of a husband...



and also diving, whenever I can (the hair cracks me up!)...