Thursday, July 23, 2015

S.I.T.C. cookhouse.

23.7.2015.

Padir (that's what we call him in the family) was maybe in Std 1 or 2. As usual in the morning, weekends, we'd wander around the College. One time we found ourselves at the cookhouse, where the cooks were cutting and frying  fish that day, inside the netted area. It was to keep the flies out, but there were still plenty inside because they were entering and leaving the room and the pesky pests simply followed suit.

Lots of fish were on the large knee-high cutting table. This was the meal for the entire College. They were expertly cutting out the innards and cutting each fish into two or three, and throwing the pieces straight into the large "kwali" with cooking oil boiling. One would stir the frying fish, and scoop out the cooked ones, and pile them into the waiting enamel basins. The cooks were not really paying attention to us boys, curiously watching the whole thing. We were inside the netted area - the cooks didn't seem to object and went on with their work.

I saw Padir picking a couple of cooked fish sections. I know we could slip out with a few. Just then the Assistant Steward suddenly appeared. We didn't see him coming.  He exclaimed "what are you  doing here, get out !" Then he grabbed Padir by the shoulder and demanded "what have you got there !" Padir had quickly put his hands behind his back when the Assistant Steward suddenly jumped on us. I guess he must have let the fish drop. The Assistant Steward chased us out of the cookhouse.

This was the new guy helping the real Steward, Jamaluddin, whom we knew, because he was staying with his family in the staff quarters area we all shared, and his son Jalalulmahli Jamaludin was one of our age-group friends.

Jamaluddin went to the Malaysia Hall, London as Steward years later. His son joined the Armed Forces , though I remember him as a "softie".

Padir ended as Group MD for the Felda Group, which had training centres, restaurants, and hotels with kitchens of their own. I wonder if he ever tried to pinch any fish there ?



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Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Glad to be back.

21.7.2015.

Phew !

Can't remember when I last posted on my blog. The problem was my cpu acting up before the fasting month, and I was too lazy to fix it. But this morning I finally went to the computer shop and had it done, and here we are.

Much has happened in the mean time. Malaysian politics, which I follow, is in deep shit. The Malaysian economy is, also. My pension is getting smaller and smaller. Shit. So what is new ?

Sadly, there have been several deaths, in the family, among friends, and in the neighbourhood. R.I.P. dear departed. I'm glad I was able to attend most of the sad funerals, except for Pa' Cu Kamil's.  Sharif chose to just sms me instead of making a call, and I only looked at the message just before the breaking of fast. I called Calit to go and visit together, mistakenly thinking Sharif meant the passing was 6.30 pm, when actually it was 6.30 am ! I was 12 hours too late !

Pa' Cu attended all my children's weddings. I even managed to get him to deliver a talk at the UiTM in front of Dekna's class when she was reading Law there. Pa' Cu would spend hours talking to my father into the wee hours every time he came back to Bukit Temensu in those days. My father wanted him to join UMNO and become the MB !

There is great news, too. After completing the required three-year experience, Memi had been admitted as a Member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, Glasgow, in March.  The Certificate arrived during the fasting month. Anyway, he's joining Shell next month, as an ACCA.  

I spoke to Yusni about 1MDB when he came for Hari Raya on Sunday. I know, coming from Pekan, he's Najib's man, but he listened to my comments without interrupting. Whatever opinion he's having about the whole issue, I think what I said made some impression.

I'm on the second day of my Syawal fast today. I'd plan to do six straight days this year, but I've to take a break Thursday because Bangdek is having a khenduri at his house, a thanksgiving for Aza getting her PhD in Education. So I'll finish Sunday, instead.


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