When I was a kid, hanging around with most of my cousins meant it was either the school holidays or the festive season. During the school holidays it was common for some of us to be shipped out to spend a week or so at a cousin’s, or for one of the other 38 n my generation (yes, we’re a big family!) to stay over with us.
Sometimes too we would go away for a few days - Port Dickson being a particular favourite in those days.
My Mum’s and Dad’s families were spread mostly through the PJ and KL areas though we had aunts and uncles in Perak, Melaka, Penang, Pahang and Terengganu too at one point. I guess I was close to a handful of cousins but even then we didn’t see each other that often so the holidays or festive occasions were great fun.
When Mark, Megan and Michael were younger we used to bring them up to PJ where they could hang around with Rosemary’s kids, James and Joanna. Generally a splendid time was had by all, as the Beatles would sing, and I like to think that my own fond memories of the PD trips were echoed by the PJ trips for my kids.
The kids now have more ways to stay in contact with each other now - Facebook being a primary point of contact - but I think it’s still rather a fun time when Mark, Megan and Michael go up and spend some time with their cousins, James and Joanna. Time moves on as do people, and James and Joanna are now studying overseas so it’s much rarer for them all to meet up. Still, we were fortunate that both were back and that Mark managed to get the leave necessary to do this trip just then.
My Mum’s battle with Dementia and Parkinson’s continues and she gets sufficient care for the most part. She has good days and not so good days and when we were there she was a little tired but reasonably alert. At least she had a pretty good appetite and that’s always a reassuring sign.
My Mum having dinner.
An appetite was what we needed and we displayed it in ample quantity over the next two days.
A trip with Mark to get my favourite Jackson’s Burgers ended fruitless but chendolled… Jackson’s was closed but a Chendol stall down the road wasn’t so Mark and I indulged. The chendol was so-so but it was nice once again to be able to sit under a tree next to a mobile hawker stall. It’s little things like this that can be so pleasurable.
If there’s one thing that identifies Malaysians, it is our ability to almost immediately be at ease with a stranger, and to make friends. I found this out with the numerous people I met at various gerais all down the west coast of the Peninsula, and although I find cities to be more rushed and aggressive, you can still set yourself down at a chendol stall and make friends within minutes.
Yes I know the spoon looks large but that's because I shot it from close up and it distorted it. You can see there's stuff in the chendol which isn't normally there and which I think detracts form the taste. Still, it was not too bad.
The next day passed in a blur of food (wantan mee, yong tau fu, roti chanai, Ipoh-style chicken rice) and some board games. The kids ditched Munchkin Quest to include me in Risk - a game I do like - and we promptly had a lesson in politics. First we manoeuvred so James destroyed his sister, then Mark and I ganged up and whalloped James after which I kicked my son’s butt. Champion of the world! ha ha!
I like this shop in PJ New Town for breakfast, not because the food here is the best but because it's a very pleasant mix of decent service, variety and ambience. Cool, shady trees give you shelter not just form the heat but from the hustle and bustle too.
Wantan & Pai Kuat Mee the way I like it.
Yong Tau Fu
Oh, we did get our helping of Jackson’s Burgers and mmmmmm they were too… More in part 3...
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