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Wednesday, June 8, 2011

The Saints of Spices, Bladder Stones & Fairies - Pictures with Stories


I SPY WITH MY LITTLE EYE. I tease my son, Mika, to no end. He may need therapy one day. That’s why I always tells him to study hard and earn lots of money, “Otherwise, Mikhail… How will you be able to afford therapy to treat your ‘childhood’ issues?”

Yesterday I took him to the dentist. To fill the time, we played his favourite game, which is “I Spy with my Little Eye…”. Well, to cut the story short, while playing I noticed Mika’s growing belly. It’s not very big really (nothing compared to mine), but its there – a cute little paunch. So I wanted to tease the little tike and asked, “Mika, I see with my little eye, something that is very close to you, in front of you in fact. It is big and round and it starts with the letter ‘T’ (for tummy).” Mika paused for a millisecond before replying, “Taufiq!”

*Sigh* Maybe, I will be the one needing therapy.



REMOVE BLADDER STONES AND FAIRIES. I keep seeing this banner all over the city. The sign reads (for those who do not understand malay) “Treatment for removal of bladder stones and fairies.” I do not know what is the correlation between bladder stones and fairies, and how being adept at removing one means you are good at removing the other. Happily, most people just go to the hospital to remove them (bladder stones that is). Drink lots of water, my dad says. That’s the trick. And don’t hold if you gotta go. I had a friend who suffered from it and he said it was like pissing razor blades. Just thinking about it makes me cringe.


SAINTS OF SPICES. This is a sight which 99% of Malaysians grow up with. The vision of a Mamak gentleman (Indian Muslim) cooking up his Mee Goreng (Fried Noodles) in a flaming wok. It tends to be on the spicy side, but I have the stomach lining of asbestos, so when I order it’s always, “Mee Goreng Mamak Satu. Kasi PEDAS punya!” (One Mamak Fried Noodle, and make it spicy!). The Mamak joint is the melting pot of my country, where rich, poor, local and foreigners would regularly frequent. The food is cheap and decent. I won’t lie and say that it is all delicious, but there are some restaurants which can cook food of cosmic greatness. They tend to not be in my town however, but in the island state of Penang. Once or twice a year I undertake a gastronomic pilgrimage to visit the saints of spices.

Have a delicious day, sunshine.

Pax Taufiqa.

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