Monday, January 31, 2011

Home land

As the rain pelters outside cooling the normally warm Malaysian air, I sit here already reminiscing on the here and now. I am back again with my family but this time, we have all flown to Kluang, the home city of my parents, to celebrate Chinese New Year.

Where am I exactly? Sitting on a purple sofa in the living room of my parent's shophouse with the view of luscious green trees outside and clouds of mists sheltering all that is in a distance.

A shophouse is a common setup here in Malaysia where the first level of the house, being the ground floor, is a shop. And the levels above are where the owners/employees live. I personally think that it is a clever arrangement. Great for afternoon siestas.

My parents have set up a health care centre here. Their services range from reflexology to body massage to acupressure. When I arrived at the shophouse, my dad was demonstrating some exercises to three of his customers. I admit, I have lost track of what they include in their services. It is probably just about every [health-related] thing under the sun.

At home, my mum is a feisty cook. Feisty. Last week, she woke up at 5 in the morning and cooked fried chicken, stir fried soya sauce chicken, herbal chicken with brocolli, chicken soup and a tofu and mushroom dish. And she has continued with her feisty cooking. So much that I have put on three kilos since I have been back.

In the mornings, she goes to the markets where they sell local produces. She also goes to the local butcher for fresh meats. It is something that my mum has been doing for years because that is where she can get the freshest ingredients at very reasonable prices. What is notable about this norm is that she is also supporting the local farmers which in turn supports a sustainable way of life.

And, she has been at her sewing machine again. This time, she has been converting old clothes into baby clothes so they fit my little nine-month old niece. My mum is a hoarder and has kept my family's clothes from back in the 90s. If not, from the 80s. She has taken my sisters' clothes, who is an Australian size 8, and transformed them into fashionable baby wear.

Photos to come [insert smiley face here]

2 comments:

  1. Is there any secondhand clothes i can ask for? heheheheheh

    ReplyDelete
  2. I should be able to sort something out for you. Tee hee.

    ReplyDelete