Saturday 14 March 2009

Birthday celebrations sans moi?











My sms’es went unanswered and am feeling so left out. They are all out having fun by the poolside, with the chicken and lamb sizzling merrily on the grill, the children plunging into the water and splashing the adults sitting around and chatting.


And here I am facing my laptop, just imagining the fun and laughter, the teasing and the banter.

It is a collective birthday celebration. Today (14th March) is Kak Cik’s. She had her present much earlier when she was blessed with a granddaughter, Nasya. So, Ton, Nasya is the present that all of us commissioned Dena to give to you.


Three days ago was my Nona’s birthday but I was busy all day at Stansted Airport, before that was brother in law, Wan’s birthday, his son Adam, and then Nasri. Also being celebrated is my birthday (soon), my brother Ajie and niece Oli.


So I can just imagine the look on Mak’s face – surrounded by all her children, daughter and son in-laws and grandchildren. She has her new set of teeth now and it shouldn’t be much of a problem for her to eat the grilled chicken. She’d want to walk around but a few steps would tire her out. She will refuse to be in the wheelchair although there are a lot of volunteers, reckless unlicensed ones, who are willing to push her around.

But she is happy, that I know. And out will come the stories of yesteryears.


She will probably tell about the birthday parties she had for us. She’d take out her collection of Pyrex – those with red roses – her pride and joy. It wasn’t everyday that we got to eat from those plates. She’d wash and keep them back in her glass cupboard, to be admired and dusted once in a while until the next special occasion.





Then, there’s her Tupperware collection too; those blue and green tumblers with matching containers for our sardine sandwiches and sardine rolls.


We’d have musical chairs and passing the parcel the way people now have Poco poco, I guess. But what simple harmless fun we had. Presents of a set of colour pencils and picture frames and autograph albums were much appreciated. No expensive ones.



I think the most expensive gift I got from Mak was the brown minibike when it was all the rave in the early seventies, and that was also for my birthday and for passing my exams. It was like receiving the key to a sports car!! I was flying in the air, and every morning I would meet up with Cik Na, also with a similar brand of minibike to cycle along Jalan Teluk Wan Jah to St Nicholas Convent. On the way back, a group of us minibikers would cycle back together and stop at Abu for noodles. Those were the days.


Anyway, have fun, everyone. Don’t mind me in cold and gloomy London. It is 11.33 am and you are all probably stuffing your face with the profiteroles that I ordered. And where is that promise to webcam? Don’t worry, I will find my own source of entertainment. I’ve watched several repeats of EastEnders as I have missed several episodes and later I have to attend an akad nikah. And I will have fun.


PS At last I got an sms from Dena: "Sedang tergolek sebab makan banyak sangat."


PPS, So, as usual, we skyped and after several interuptions and disruption, I felt as if we were all there - laughing and joking. There was Kak D, cari uban Pak Ajie, children running around and then things became quite hilarious when my husband took over the skype in a Tudung Ekin. The other side too responded with my bro in law Wan, in a Tudung Munawarah! If only I had captured it on screen! It became too much for the laptop - terus padam!


*************************************************************************************


UPDATED WITH PICTURES FROM OLI (Who didnt sleep a wink for fear she'd be thrown in the pool.

Ps Oli, it would take the entire clan to throw you in.


and......Why I'd rather celebrate from a safe (and drier) distance:
























Everyone thrown in!













Mak happy watching from a safe distance as well!












Kak Teh skyped here as well:

And I was there too!

54 comments:

Kak Elle said...

Happy birthday to all the march babies:)

kak teh that reminds me that I should have my mak's pyrex plates but where did I hide them...arggghhhh...

butterflutter said...

Today is also my Hannah's 4th birthday.

Pi Bani said...

Alahai, kesiannya dia... takpelah Kak Teh, kalau you join diorang you pulak le yang tergolek macam ikan paus terdampar kat pantai... ;)

Anyway, Happy ___ birthday soon (fill in the blank with whatever age you like)

Kak Teh said...

Kak Elle, thanks. You mum must have quite a collection. Itulah orang kata boleh hilang dalam sembunyian!

Butterflutter - Happy4th birthday Hannah! Anak kak teh nona tu pun nama NurHannah tapi panggil nona.

Pi Bani, thanks for being so discreet about the age thing. i will put a number that I think suits me...hehe! mestu bawah 40!

Pak Tuo said...

My thought blew away on all the pyrex party held in the 70's,including arwah my mak(grand mother) was involved with.Such was the contribution of Kaum Ibu back then and how I cherish the small blue little tupperware water container fill with 'syrup ros' to school and nasi goreng pack in the squarish tupperware plus 10 cents for the recess.
hmmmm...jauh mengalamun Kak Teh.
The pinggan hantaran too was of Pyrex.and still keep it to sentimental was.
I still have the pinggan hantaran given on my late grand-ma wedding to my late grand dad.The last two piece,of Royal Albert circa 1920's.It was handed over by my aunty,one each for me and Emma.
Such was our back ground.
'The average reasonable man on top of clapham omini bus to Clapham'Kak Teh.As for bicycle yeap the minibike for gals,mine for passing standard 5 public exam not excellent but ok the present was bicycle cap 'Keris'a vision of our local product,'Reighly' mahal Kak Teh coz its solid steel.

Me....brooommmm....broooommm. hehehe.

[danial][ma] said...

hej! Kak Teh...Happy Your Soon Birthday! May you have a great birthday bash with lots of love and joy...have a blessed life, happy and healthy mentally and physically...and Happy Mother's Day to you too...Mother, you are diamond to your loved ones...;-)

Kak Teh said...

Adan @ Pak Tuo, you've got a valuable Royal Albert collection there - so keep it carefully and in a safe place. I remember my tok pun ada Royal dalton dulu2 - tapi entah ke mana sekarang ni.

Danial Ma, thank you so much. My birthday is not until much later -towards the end of the month and nearer Mother's day in UK. Thanks anyway.

Memorable trails... said...

They are all under the same zodiac as me..the emotional ,sentimental lot,arent they?Anyway,happy birthday in advance to you..

Kak Teh said...

Thanks madam gold. soon, soon! we just skyped and laughed so much at the antics of my husband and my brother in law who both donned the ekin tudung and skyped with each other! Sakit perut!

tireless mom said...

Dear Kak Teh

Happy birthday to those being mentioned here. Sedih nya baca everyone else is celebrating at Kedah home but with you so far far away. If me, sure I kata, "dengki tau!"

ray said...

Komen Pak Malim kucing ray yg alim.

I love pyrex and tupperware, says the cat while wearing his underwear. Maaf ya, Kak Teh. Bergurau! kata Pak Malim sambil menuju ke surau. Pinggan pyrex tu nampak cantik, dan koleksi tupperware pun nampak kemas dan tersusun, kata Pak Malim sambil memakai Vidal Sassoon.

Kak Teh said...

TM, they are not in kedah but in my niece's place - tapi memang meriah laaaa and dengku, cemburu semua ada.

pak malim, pyrex and tupperware memang satu kegilaan suatu masa dulu, teringat kak teh sambil memanggil penghulu. Kak teh pun bawa tupperware biru isi ice tea pergi ke sekolah, teringat lagi kak teh dan masuk dalam kolah.

Naz in Norway said...

Kak Teh,
Meriahnya...as usual :)
Selamat Ulang Tahun untuk semua.

Kak Teh said...

Naz, terima kasih. Sungguh meriah apabila my AG and bro in law pakai tudung ekin!! I was laughing too much to take pictures.

ama said...

i have those rose tea sets too! hand-me-down from mak abt 28 years ago. nostalgia sangat. and those tpperware parties are so full of history...
A very happy birthday to u. May life always be good, kind and prosperous. : )
just to divert, kak teh do u know of anyone yang nak rent out room or apartment for a family of 3 from May 12-19? somewhere safe n affordable in or close to london
thank u. have a great, though cold, day.
Is may a good time to be in london?
Tq, tq.

Pak Zawi said...

Kak Teh,
Will there be another birthday celebration when I am in London?

mekyam said...

kt,

you sounded a bit bummed at first that i thought you still haven't recovered from being under the weather.

but everything worked out eventually with the transcontinental b'day celebs, yah?

in other words, as Pangloss was fond of saying "tout est pour le mieux dans le meilleur des mondes possibles" (all is for the best in the best of all possible worlds). :D

syukur alhamdulillah!

mekyam said...

kt,

your mention to pak tuo abt royal dalton reminds me of hyacinth bucket [pronounced: "booKAY" of course]! :D

also can just imagined your AG and bro in law pakai tudung ekin. tentu hailarious! :D

Anonymous said...

Salam Kak Teh,

Ma'am, the thought of Bro AG in Tudung Ekin itself is hilarious, what more when actually witnessing the act, haha.

Ada bakat terpendan rupanya Bro AG ni ye… :D

*AnneJay

Kak Teh said...

mazlifah, may is indeed a good time to come. as it is the sun is already out and hopefully no more snow.

I received your email yesterday just as i was about to go out for a wedding - so tak sempat jawab. Can you google Indurrah apartments - they have nice apartments - near oxford street. Other than that I dont really know. And I need to know what your budget is. But I think Indurrah is good. Very near shopping area. Or try Royal Cambridge Hotel - also close to marble arch - malaysian owned. Both you can access online.

Kak Teh said...

zawi, even if there is no birthday celebration, we will make a celebration! Do give us the exact dates you will be in London, and we will plan something.

Mekyam, oooh I love mrs bookay! Oh, you must try to catch a new series in which her 'husband' in Keeping up Appearances act in The Old Guys.
Tudung Ekin will never look the same again!

Kak Teh said...

NJ,hahaha, memang banyak bakat terpendam. Usually when we skyped, he'd parade the cats in front ofthe screen!

anedra said...

It was a blast as usual! Makan tak ingat dunia and the kids causing a riot! Pak Aji menari keliling pool ala hindustan and our poor doctor Wani got thrown in the pool! - and everyone else too after that! Don't worry, we didn't forget you at all! And oh, the profiteroles from Kitchen Guardian were (per my note to her)"Oh.My.God!!! SEDAPNYAAA!! Thanks Mak Teh!!

Kak Teh said...

dena, i was watching the slide show from oli's and actually laughing out loud as one by one was thrown into the water. I can imagine pak ajie doing that. and the pictures of Tok!! Priceless! She looks so happy. That is how she is when everyone is around.

So, when i go back another round of BBQ okay?

Unknown said...

Dear Kak Teh,

Your post is most nostalgic as I can identify with the pyrex and tupperware not forgetting my fav profiteroles which till this day, I can never make to perfection.

What a lovely family with so much love and gaiety. Indeed a sight to behold and we are all greatly blessed to have a reminder like this.

Take care and all the best to you.

cheers

Kak Teh said...

paula, tupperwares and pyrex - those were the craze of housewives those days. Love the pastel tumblers - i used to wrap it with towel so thatthe ice wont melt too fast! hehe..

Pak Tuo said...

Salam Nek Teh,

Selamat Ulang Tahun Opah.
Today,I go my wan's house,I cut Mak Su's birthday cake today.
Nek Teh you got many nephews same age with me.

Bye Nek Teh.
brooommmmm.....brooooommmm

Adam

Salt N Turmeric said...

I think skype is the best invention in this age esp for us yg duduk jauh fr home. Although it is hard being far fr them during kenduris, bdays and what-nots, at least with skype dptlah pretend that we were there.

Iskandar Syah Ismail aka DR Bubbles said...

Kakteh,

camna lah i boleh kenai dengan these bunch of 'crazy' people?hehehe...abih semua orang depa campak dalam pool...hahaha...

Happy moments indeed for everybody!

KG said...

Kak Teh,

Tak pa...when you next balik I'll make some profiteroles for you...when can have another party!I'll post the pics of the profiteroles in my blog soon...

DrSam said...

Happening! Happening!
Happy belated birthday to your Kak Cik.

What a priceless collection your lovely mum got there. That pyrex reminded me of my mum's too. She is still keeping them on display in her old 'gerobok'.

LifeBloom said...

Love the picture of your Mak , K Teh. Dah lama tak singgah kat teratak K Teh @Choc a Blog ni...Hope you are well.

D.N.A.S said...

Kak Teh,
my mom still keep that pinggan Pyrex!!!
Nostalgic pulak bila tengok gambar tu.

Kak Teh said...

Adam@Pak Tuo, yes go vroom vroom and cut your cake.

Farina, how right you are about skype. Without it i cannot speak to my mak as she cannot hear me properly. With skype she uses the headphone and the mike. and it does make us feel that we are there.

Kak Teh said...

Dr Bubbles, kalau you kenai depa and depa kenai you , lagi teruk!!!! hehe - but you know where to find them.

Kitchen Guardian, so that's a promise and a date???

Kak Teh said...

Dr Sam, thank you on behalf of kak cik. Yes, I can almost visualise my mak's collections too. She treasured them so much.

Lifebloom, memang lama you tak menjenguk!! Yes, I love that pix of mak too! She looks so happy.

Kak Teh said...

DNAS, betul tu. I teringat masa kenduri kendara and also birthday parties and passing the parcels and musical chairs when I see that plate.

Ms B said...

KT,

Mak seems to enjoy the moment, probably wishing to be thrown in the pool too, eh? *grins*

I remember my late grandma had a store room full of tableware. It was even bigger than the bedroom! Tak sure lah ada pyrex.

ps: the next time I see AG, shall imagine him with ekin's scarf. *LOL*

Kak Teh said...

Ms B, mak in her younger and stronger days would have participated and joined in the fun. She is quite a sport.
I think orang dulu2 memang suka kumpul pinggan untuk kenduri. sekarang semua boleh cater - or just go to kenduri at hotels. tak payah beli pinggan banyak2.

when you see AG...shhhhhhhhhhhh! hehe!

Maya said...

Birthday wishes in advance to you Z! You don't look a day older than #@ (that's code for a number which I will tell you in person soon enough!).

I am sure all those who love you want to give you a party, anywhere, anytime. Alas! you can't be be in more than one place and thats the problem.

Has some school friends visit me so had been busy! Loys of love to you and yours.

Kak Teh said...

maya, you are too kind and very discreet. and do i expect to see you soon? how soon? dont forget muruku!

Daphne Ling said...

La, Aunty Teh, merajuk ke ni? ;) Glad you got to Skype later anyhow!

Jalan Teluk Wan Jah, isn't that in Alor Setar? Waddaya noe? My mum grew up in Alor Setar too! But she went to Sultanah Asma...=)

Kak Teh said...

Daphne, how are you keeping? Long time no see. Yes, Jalan teluk wan jah in alor setar. i was also in SAS and then left alor setar - but returned to SNC. Who is your mum? She must be my junior - i still have lots of friends from SAS.

ya laaa, i merajuk they celebrated without me. :(

Ida Hariati Hashim said...

Kak Teh,

I ni cita2 mau jadi Tupperware Queen, but dah pulak malas nak organize parties..so rancangan tergendala sebentar.

Being the only girl in the family, I am eyeing for my mom's pinggan mangkuk collection. I know she has 2 sets of Noritake, but she hides them somewhere, only the big oval plate is on display. Hahha..

Happy bday to you, kak teh, semoga panjang umuq murah rezeki, ye..

The Ceramic Designer said...

happy birthday in advance kakteh!!
whatever the age, i'd always wish birthdays 10years off from the real ones.. so, happy 39th to you???? ;)))

Sweet Serenity said...

Mak Teh dearest,

Don't be sad. When you balik Pak Aji and his wicked sons will guarantee that you'll be the first one to get the royal splash. You might want to cuff yourself to Dina's railings...

Tok's expression was priceless!! At first she was restless and kept asking, "Bila nak balik?" She wouldn't let go of her handbag and sat near the door ready to go home. But subsequently she relented as she was constantly assured of everyone's presence by the hysterical shrieks and the big splashes that must have rigged the tsunami alert...luv, oli

Kak Teh said...

Ida, masih adaka tupperware parties now adays? I am sure you will be good at it. Kak Teh ni tak tau nak jual apa.
Noritake? Now that is a good collection. I have nothing to pass on to my daughters. Perhaps one incomplete Tea set - Rayal Dalton Mandalay. a few Johnson Brothers, also incomplete and some crystal glasses - unused and still in mint condition. The rest are all royal plastic and royal nutella. Priceless!

Kak Teh said...

CD, you are beingt too kind. even with ten years less i am much further away from the number you guessed. Thank you anyway. But my birthday is not until a few days lagi. So, I am still a few days younger until I get to the 24th! Then, I will feel so old.

Kak Teh said...

CD, you are beingt too kind. even with ten years less i am much further away from the number you guessed. Thank you anyway. But my birthday is not until a few days lagi. So, I am still a few days younger until I get to the 24th! Then, I will feel so old.

Kak Teh said...

Oli, I dont trust them at all. Like you, I wont sleep and certainly I'd cuff myself to the palm trees. They'd have to drag me and the palm trees into the water.

I love that picture of Tok. Really do and that's the way I want to have her in my mind. The reason she wants to go home whereever and whenever she goes anywhere is that she feels unsettled. She needs a constant factor. And you are all her constant factor - the laughter, the banters, the kisses and the hugs.

Insyaallah, I want to go home, even if it means being thrown in the pool. I'll have a few floats with me.

Royalshoppingarcade said...

Salam Kak Teh,
My children too were born in march, eldest one was on 27 March and youngest was born on 20 March.
When exactly is yours?Sorry lama tak singgah.memang bz..
take care!

ps:tok really looks good.she must be feeling over the moon!

Kak Teh said...

Puteri, I have been salivating at your recent collections of tudungs - but I have quite a lot and really have to curb and resist temptations.
thanks for dropping by and yes, mak looks really happy!

Anonymous said...

Hi Kak Teh,
Wow! looks like it was a riot of a party! esp the ones that ended up in the pool *laughs* And the one on the Ekin tudung.. OMG totally hilarious!! Perhaps you can persuade your significant other to pose for a photo as part of your upcoming birthday present. *grins* Must say that your mom's pyrex plates does bring back memories.

Kak Teh said...

Andrea, I assume you are back safe and sound. and eatingyour mee bandung.
Yes, that was one big celebration without me. We had one such celebration three years ago when i was there and that was fun.

oh no, i will not allow him bto wear my ekin ever again! i can never look at another ekin without having this image of him in it..hehe!