Snacking with Raj

I met Raj in Aratis Villa. Raj was sitting comfortably with his beer. I strode in looking for red wine. It was drink at first sight – for me and Raj . *laughs* The boys like to drink with him too. We shamelessly talk about everything and Raj always charmed me into playing cards with him and the boys. I do not mean to sound like a sui generic elegy of groupie desertion but Raj sells laksa, nyona kuihs, fried popiahs and curry puffs that are mouth-watering and worth standing for beside his bike-stall. Victuals where you can dip into his laksa soup…..that is like an orthodox for sure. You can find him almost everyday after lunch in Fettes Park right opposite of Island Plaza.

I always like the idea of standing beside a food stall to eat – I called it the disco-pure rock odyssey side of me. So I went solo to visit Raj’s food and his bike-stall.

I told Raj the pic is for a magazine - and he berlagak.

Laksa soup with deep fried prawn with flour

Laksa soup with popiah

Got all of Atilia's songs finally

Eric is getting me all of Atilia's songs! He found it. Confirm. I can't wait to put the record on. In the meantime, let me cruise on with Chris Brown's - With You and Alicia Key's Superwoman. People, these two outstanding tracks seduce me like a summer sunset heat and makes me visualizing myself solo with this :

Admit this - bersantai in a mat salleh pondok

and a spine tingling alcoholic drink and sea animals for snacks

Bagai rela
Rembulan menjadi saksi
Debaran hatiku ini
Bukan kenangan biasa daku ingati
Hembusanmu yang bayu kurindui
Apakah arti masa silam bersama
Sering menusuk ke jiwaku

Jika ku memberi senyuman
Apakah kita akan bertentang mata
Apakah kita bisa bermesra
Ku tahu jauh dari nyata dan bukti
Tapi kau bagaikan panglipur lara masa duka

- B -

A place of nostalgic past and a modern twist

Pauline and I love everything in Armenian Street – the bits and pieces of Penang culture. One of the best places to feel passionate in Armenian Street would be Edelweiss Café. I love the Nyonya artistic look of the place as if telling a story of its own, the pre-war tiles, photos on the wall were authentic and creepy, antique collections from clocks to the ice-kacang machine and old lamps *eyes twinkling* were remarkable. It is almost magic – jazz music was played *eyes double twinkling* tracks like It Had to be You, Cheek to Cheek and Stardust. The bar was cozy and the drinks from the bar were like a deadly embrace. Humble note – not a place to dine, food ain’t that yummylicious. I had café Kirsch serves in a glass – a hint of black coffee, egg white and of course Kirsch. Pauline wanted atypical sort of drink – she ordered Edelweiss something Penang Sling, the name of the drink will definitely enticed Khairy.

My sensual seduction drink

The bar with dim lightings......

With or without you - U2

See the stone set in your eyes
See the thorn twist in your side
I wait for you
Sleight of hand and twist of fate
On a bed of nails she makes me wait
And I wait without you
With or without you
With or without you

Through the storm we reach the shore
You give it all but I want more
And Im waiting for you
With or without you
With or without youI cant live
With or without you
And you give yourself away
And you give yourself away
And you give
And you give
And you give yourself away

My hands are tied
My body bruised, shes got me with
Nothing to win and
Nothing left to lose

And you give yourself away
And you give yourself away
And you give
And you give
And you give yourself away
With or without you

With or without you I cant live
With or without you
With or without you

With or without you I cant live
With or without you
With or without you

The Year of Rat Part 2

Next morning, I was late for work, didn't check on my fellow mates. Mum as if sensing my curiosity, emailed me from work. This is what she wrote:

Hi bab

Gosh! Your good friend had stolen the sausage and escape
from the sticky trap. Now Dad & I are in a dilema how to trap
your little friend. Pls help to trick your friend out , please....

Hey have u got your leave already?

Also pls bring back my favourite tupperware to me today!!!

Have change some Hongkong dollars for our trip. Ha..ha some only
not enough yet cos we gonna eat alot eh

Love from your long winded mom

I didn't reply her email because I didn't know what to say. I went home and dad told me that the rats took the cocktail sausage and had cunningly avoided the glue. I thought it was all over for good, that their rats mania has finally stopped.
Tragically, mum is still obsessed with it because she called me yesterday at work and left me a voice message for me to call back.

Bee: Ya you called?
Mum: I got something important to tell you (sounded worried)
Bee: Yes.....
Mum: I tell you ah, those rats! I tried to capture them again but tak jadi. They took the peanut cookies this time right after you left for work. They always seem to wait for you to go first.
Bee: Er, I am working now, do you think we can talk about this later?
Mum: I was so frustrated, I threw everything away - the food, the cardboard. Eh, you got ANY IDEA how to catch them ah?

Can anyone help me with this?

The Year of Rat

Last week, my house was filled with lots of Thai spices and ingredients as mum was cooking for her friends so you can imagine the Thai aroma that not only invites our guests but well also house rats. People, these rats are well fed creatures. Dad went on describing it to my uncle,
“Willie, I tell you this kind of rat is this huge < - - - - - - - - - - - > and they are darker compared to homeless rats.”

So one morning last week, we woke up and found our dining table was in a mess. The rats had robbed the leftovers and left a plenty of food scattered around the table to boast “I was here.” This was not the first time that week. I bet they are thai mafia rats. Ganas. My parents went berserk and dad, being a typical Thai would not allow rats to share our food, he went off to buy rat’s glue to trap them.

Opening: Dad poured rat’s glue on a cardboard and carefully placed ikan bilis in the middle, making sure the glue only surrounds the ikan bilis, proudly he placed the trap below the dining table late at night.
Outcome: Next morning it was left untouched. The rats somehow KNEW it was a trap. Bugger.
Conclusion: Mission failed. Dad was embarrassed, mum was geram and warned me not to talk to the rats.

Days passed and it happened again, the rats are hungry and cekap. My parents are desperate and this time they modified their approach to tangkap the rats efficiently. This is how efficient they were – with the same fashion, with a bigger cardboard, they feast the rats with one cocktail sausage, leftover duck, peanut cookies, French loaf and sprinkle with ikan bilis and adding more glue around the food. And this extensive rats meal was cleverly placed on our dining table. What a wicked temptation to the rats with more selections.

I laughed when I saw that.

Mum: You know it is so difficult, each time I’m having breakfast, lunch or dinner I am obsessing over the rats, should I trap them with my own food? I don’t know what food they prefer.
Bee: This is the first time I see anyone doing this.
Dad: Can you guys keep quiet because those rats know when you talk about them and they won’t appear.
Bee: You guys are treating those rats like your own pets.