我的人生舞台: Happy Times .....

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Happy Times .....

Good Tucker!

Tonight we are having a gathering at Pat's place to farewell Mom and Dad who will be going away for a visit to friends and relatives in Singapore and Malaysia on the 21st. Mom and Dad try to be in these 2 countries once every two years to touch base with their roots - more so Dad than Mom. Mom always says she is not keen to travel and it always takes Dad some coaxing before she agrees on a trip like this. I think Mom is worried about her medical condition and traveling takes a toll on her. Nonetheless they are on a trip again. Happy times for Dad because he feels the need to be away once every so often; to refresh, to alleviate the boredom of being in the one place all the time.

Both of them are dependent on each other for company. Dad is the carer. He looks after Mom's medical needs. Both of them are often at loggers heads on issues. Even small issues. And we try to pacify Mom and Dad to keep their peace.....

They are away this trip to coincide with the All Souls Day. They plan to be in Ipoh before All Souls Day to pay respects to our ancestors at their graves; my grand father and grand mother and other relatives. They also will pay their respects at my Mom's ancestors in Penang. All too soon they will return on 24 April. I asked Dad if he was ready for the trip and he told me he was relaxed about it because he had taken the same route quite a few times already. I reminded Mom to make sure she did not fall like she did the last trip when she had her foot entangled with the straps of her carry on luggage. Mom told me she requested the travel agent to organize a wheel chair which would be a good thing.....

The usual gang gathered at Pat and David's between 6 to 6.45pm for our dinner. Early this afternoon we had a huge rain in Melbourne. I mean huge. And the weather was now cool. By the time we left I think the outside temperature would be about 10 C.

Not unusually the "normal" dishes had been prepared by each family for the pot luck gathering. SM and I compared notes when we got home from the party at around 11pm. We both felt that there seemed to have been one too many such dinners when similar dishes were cooked; and so we felt a little de-sensitized with the fare! No more excitement! SM made yummy fruit tards; and I cooked curry vege with fish balls, tofu, spuds, cauliflower, carrots, capsicum, and pumpkin.

SM made these beautiful custard tartlets

Chicken Liver Again 卤鸡干卤蛋

Jack Cooked This Rather Unusual Dish - Eggs & Shitake Mushrooms Cooked in Hor Yan Ho Tea

Lee Prepared One Of His 拿手 dishes: 焖猪脚 Stewed Pig Trotter

　Stir Fried Bean Shoots 豆牙

卤 Chicken Wings

焖腐粥, 东菇 & 排骨

Fried Bee Hoon

My Contribution: Curry vegetables (cabbage, eggplant, capsicum, cauliflower),腐粥, fish balls, and spuds. The curry is Yeo's Singapore curry gravy and SM's own chicken broth/stock

Curry Gravy @ A$2.85 a can. I used 3 cans.

Mousse Cake

Piping Hot 红豆沙

Nonetheless we enjoyed the company. Some hung around after dinner over hot tea and desert to watch a Saturday night movie or chit chat. Many of us could not seem to tear our eyes away from baby Rhianna who was already 5 months old. She was cute and gorgeous, making baby sounds and smiling at everyone around her. Every one loved her! She was definitely the darling.....

At one time after dinner Mom was recounting the times and events when Jack and Victor were growing up in PJ and Australia. That sparked off a few others to recall and make comments on the brothers' early lives as kids staying with Mom and Dad when their parents were away traveling on holidays and other events. Mom was very sure Victor was very protective of his younger brother. On one occasion when Victor felt jilted or something like that he said to younger brother, Jack "Jack, let's go back to 44". And 44 Taman Megah SS24/2 was the home they were living in PJ. It must have been a time when the two kids missed what they had gone through in their early lives in PJ. Now they are grown ups. Victor and Katrina will shortly leave for Kuching to start a new venture with Katrina's dad. I am sure sister Irene will miss Rhianna dearly. And Jack & Mai have just got married and are looking forward to having their family.

Already Lee and Irene are planning to visit Victor and his family in Kuching in the near future and sister Irene does not even like the weather in Malaysia or even like traveling!