Once a Week, A Malaysian Meal

Unsettling things are happening in Malaysia, my birthplace. From corruption to violation. Just last week, a maid kills 2 young children under her trusted care, made headlines.  Any crime, you  name it. Not shocking,  Kuala Lumpur makes it high on the list of the most dangerous cities to live in.  Am I fortunate to be living away?  thoughts like this cross my mind,
thoughts I thought I'll never have to entertain.
These matters, never hit me as profoundly as it does today,  having a little one to care for, it's unthinkable to fathom all the fear, it's really sad
 just those chills you never ever want to feel,  eats at me

I feel it to the bone and I'm miles away.
 

At this time and age, being a mom is a whole different ball game.

Really hoping things settle. I recall the stories of my father, of how they played after school, dragging along their toys made of cans, carefree...gone are those days.

 How would life be for my precious little LA?

 

On a different note, I had a Malaysian friend leave Chile and head back to Malaysia,  so I'm once again blessed with another remarkable friendship that I'll forever treasure plus I have spices, ingredients and more -  flavors and prices one can only savor in Malaysia.
 

 When melancholy kicks in, I try new recipes. As a couple, before LA, recalling our life in Australia,  Luis and I would pick a recipe and we would get all excited in the process of getting the ingredients,  just to try a new recipe a week - it used to be our thing and still is when time allows it. I really treasure these precious times, music in the background, his tender soft kisses,  the sips of wine and his engaging smiles.  These days come, but not too often juggling a child,  how I treasure them. Parents alike will concur, I'm sure.
On the bright side, it makes me really appreciate my relationship at a different level.
  The kind you can only feel when you have a child.

Getting back to the recipes..
 Luis has been a lot better and has tried out a couple of recipes from our Jamie Oliver's recipe book-Jamie's Italy. He tried the aubergine and tomatoes a Sicilian recipe.

 

 During our memorable year in Sydney, we tried out a couple of Chilean recipes.  I  thought of doing the exact same thing - you know, to really try out the dishes from my own roots. So thanks to rasamalaysia.com, I've tried out her stringy french beans and her black bean fish recipe.
Luis said, " These flavours are only in Malaysia".
  I felt the same, it's nice to be able to get most of the ingredients here,
but mom does stock me up when I need.
The dried prawns certainly was the key!

 

 

Of course I have to forward gratitude to having the time to cook. So...

Thanks to my gorgeous boy who found the sugar bag
and flour mixing bowl the coolest thing in the kitchen!
 

 



 Luis Andrés, mom thinks you're just the best!


Between Luis and I, when we touch down in Malaysia next, we're gonna eat, eat and eat!

What's your top ten dishes in Malaysia?
Luis has a mental list and so do I

 

.

 

Boxes & Dangles

It's been almost 7 months since we left Malaysia, and some things are just meant to be laid out and not kept in small tight spaces. It got to me for just a tiny bit that I couldn't keep the individual boxes that all my jewelry came in - they just didn't make the cut.  I know I'm not practical in many levels, but let me just explain that I'm pretty okay, very obsessive about keeping each piece in its proper box or in some particular order. I must admit, I hand-carried everything with me (of course, right? the diamonds, the pearls and all that gold you say...... 

tho, admittedly, it does get ridiculous.

- the artificial jewelry, the beads made of shells, you name it - all part of it.

Honesty, they totalled up to around 10 kg (Nicely divided up between Luis and my carry-on :)

Luckily, we weren't stopped for a, "random check" like in the U.S.  :P

If you've met me, you'll know that I'm obsessed with jewelry. So obviously having them in close proximity to me brought such pleasure on our 2-day plane ride to Chilito.  Lately, with most of my jewelry just squashed in a painful manner in a single jewelry box (although in an extremely beautiful box, a so-call antique from China), and also not forgetting the rest, in not so pretty but functional cases,

a couple of my favourites have been ruined -- extremely heartbreaking! <sigh>

Anyways, in general,  I look back and feel mostly at peace and don't hold those very large boxes accountable for its inability to accomodate the smaller ones. However, I'm reminded of them

 very so often when I suddenly find something broken or in a messy knot.

 ( I can't remember how many times I've gone to Luis for fixing and

   He would time and time again patiently untangle and do his thing and succeed most times unless we're in a hurry)

 I'm happy though, most of our furniture that we bought for our apparently, "fully furnished" apartment are in safe hands. See, that's the negative difference in Malaysia (I'm Malaysian, so allow me to carp) In Australia for instance, something like that would never happen - a fully furnished apartment would come with nice ceramic bowls, extra cutlery and even coasters !

 ( Ah, Australia was a beautiful experience, I would love to live Sydney again,  though Chile has been pretty awesome :)

 The extra things purchased for our apartment back in Kuala Lumpur are been used by my dearest parents in Kota Kinabalu. How nice, "everytime" I head back for a holiday now, I'll be reminded of the good times we had back in Kuala Lumpur - the lovely black and white chair we had in our master, the carpet where we played Wii numerous times with friends and the black couch we had to buy to fill up space.

As of last week though, all is good and rosy in Marsha's jewelry world.  At least for my earrings for now. My Luis got me this gorgeous vintage like assembly to hang all my beloved earrings for our monthly anniversary. Oh, there's a bigger mannequin like one that I'm eyeing for my our very own beautiful master bedroom and which Luis so willingly wanted to get for me, even to carry around the mall while we shopped for our toaster and kettle, but that's just how sweet he is.

I've learnt not to push things :-) He's so good to me, that I so often catch myself feeling thankful and so blessed.

I'm obviously still smitten by him.

So, I'll just get that one myself. However,  it wouldn't hurt and I would be forever thankful if Luis

could just help me with its heavy burden to the carpark :)

 So... we loose some, we gain some aye. Good thing's that there are an abundant of pretty things out there wherever life takes us and it doesn't necessarily have to cost too much.

The beauty of this lovely gift is that, it is truly a gift in every sense of the word -  I get to remember the people who gave each and every one of them, and the people I bought them with.  All this makes a difference, since I'm so far from a lot of people I really care about.  Everytime I pass its gorgeous presence as I enter the room, it always brings my heart home; to the people I love the most wherever they might be.

At a time in their lives, they did take that extra effort

to spend a bit of time for me. 

That's indeed something so special and worth holding on too xx

Now, now I could hang some of my necklaces at the back :)



A random of us, happily in Bali ;)



Caftans for a touch & feel

Smile and think to yourself  especially if you've been living abroad or had the chance to at one point of your life or actually, might do so in the near future ,  "How many people get to do what you do -  get to study at some great school or university, work abroad for a period of time or even get lucky enough to meet , " the one" and settle down far far away from everything familiar."   

Okay, okay I hear you- we are more complex when it comes to our emotions, it's not as simple as that.  I do agree unfamiliarity can be rough sometimes at whatever level of optimism you claim to have- it's hard not to miss home and at large, to be happy and smiley at all times - come to think of it, that would be rather freaky don't you think?

   - to know no other emotion... to not know what  happy is  because you're happy...   all the time!

So here's an idea so home-sick doesn't creep up on you too quickly, too often

- put something familiar on once in a while, something that reminds you of home and breathe.  

I tell you what...this one has helped me or rather redeemed me from lets say uncountable more sob sessions I would have had and "I can't do this anymore ",
 " Babe,  I'm dying here! " sessions 
and oh yeah, this one was pretty sad come to think of it
 " Babe, are you busy? "
"No, why.. how are you ?" < happy voice>
  *silence* ...wait for it.... <"Uncontrollable cry">

So on that note,  again I tell you
 - put something familiar on and breathe :)



This was a gift from my mum from Kelantan,  Malaysia that I absolutely love to chill in  - good old handmade batik