Pineapple Tarts

I had a nanny when I was a child. I called her Aunty Ho, but really that was her husband's name.

My family lived in Klang back then and after school I would be sent to her house before my mum picked me up in the evenings after her work.

I have many, many childhood memories set in Aunty Ho's house and street. Catching dragonflies and tadpoles with her son outside. Playing clapping games with her daugther on the cool green-tiled floor. Speaking to her husband in Mandarin. Seeing her elderly father-in-law sit as still as a statue on his chair, his black rimmed glasses magnifying his eyes.

Every Chinese New Year, Aunty Ho baked pineapple tarts. Lots and lots of them, to sell and give away, all in her small humble kitchen. They were the old school variety: a flower shaped base, fibrous pineapple jam (homecooked for hours) topped with a dough latice and glazed with eggyolk before baking. Most ones you find today are small rolled pastries stuffed with jam.

My family was given a few jars each New Year's, and I loved those tarts.

I suppose if you asked me to be objective, they probably aren't the best pineapple tarts ever. The base is slightly hard at times and not as buttery as some modern versions. The eggyolk and latice was often uneven. But to me, they tasted of love.

My family kept in touch with Aunty Ho's family through the years, visiting on festive occasions. It always amazed me that despite her humble means, she and her husband were always keen to send me and my family expensive gifts during Chinese New Year, Christmas and the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Unfortunately, Aunty Ho developed a tumour in her brain. It was removed, but she wasn't quite the same; she did not bake pineapple tarts after the operation.

About a week or two after I finished my last term exams in Manchester in 2008, I received an email from my dad saying she had passed away. This was a few years after the operation.

To this day, one of the greatest joys of the Chinese New Year are the abundance of pineapple tarts everywhere I go. And every time I see pineapple tarts that look like the ones Aunty Ho made, I remember her.

Happy Chinese New Year, everyone.

Season's Greetings

Wow, I have not written here since Hari Raya. So much for the "will write more" resolution. Well, what are promises if not temporary truths.

This holiday season, I wish all 3.5 of my readers a Happy Christmas and New Year!

I leave you with these two annedotes: unrelated, save for the exasperation I felt in both situations.

Also, if your holiday cheer is the type that runs thin, perhaps you might not want to read further.

Click here to read more.

Selamat Hari Raya/Happy Eid

To all those who still happen to wander here.

I hope to write more regularly soon.

In the meantime, enjoy this Kermit and Bret duet:

Don't text and drive yo!

Happy New Year 2012!

Dear World,
So another year has passed. You've made it this far, so far. That's enough reason to celebrate.
Here's to another year, and many more after that.

Have an awesome 2012! Cheers!

St. Paddy's

I didn't get to wear green today, because firstly, I had to photograph a signing at my firm, and secondly, well I forgot.

There's really not a lot to celebrate right now in the world, what with Japan facing the aftermath earthquake and Tsunami, and continued unrest in the Mid-East and Northern Africa. It's so beyond my comprehension, what's happening. No wonder people are predicting doomsday.

But perhaps in this regard we can take a leaf from the Irish, who have remained (at least in popular conscience) resilient and optimistic despite many years of problems.

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!

Happy International Women's Day

As we celebrate the strength of women worldwide today, I leave you with two links, one, an article by Annie Lennox in the Sydney Morning Herald, about the F-word (no, not the profanity) and a touching account of three inspiring nonagenarians by Leonie Allan on Superhero Journals, found via my friend Ash's Buzz Feed. Thanks Ash!

Happy Valentine's

Be careful out there libido-driven young Malaysians! I'm warning you! There'll be a crackdown on you vile lovebirds who flaunt your sinful Western lifestyle: bersunyi-sunyianing and berfoya-foyaing and besentuh-sentuhaning and bercium-ciumaning and berkhalwating. Disgusting! Didn't your teachers and parents bring you upright?
Don't you dare go out and offend the rest of us who might bump into you in parks, restaurants, and other vice-dens! Stay at home instead, where you can do all that without being caught.

Hehe, have a good one guys.

Heading South Twice

Seremban tomorrow (even though I'm on compulsory leave), Kluang on Monday (I will have leave VERY early). Such is life for a juniour liti lawyer. I hope the traffic will be okay.

Chinese New Year doesn't feel particularly festive this year. Even without the work assignments I still feel it rather permeated with a sense of jadedness. Maybe it's the way the world is right now. Or maybe it's just me, growing old(er) and cynical.

Either way, I hope you'll have a good one. Take care out there.

Mucho lovin',
Josh

Happy New Year 2011!

Dear All,
May you have a truly blessed year 2011, filled with health, joy and peace.

(This is a auto-publish post. I'm on holiday abroad with the family right now)

Best wishes,
Josh

Merry Christmas

Best wishes for the season and the coming new year, everyone! I hope you're with your loved ones and are having lots of good times together.

Last Thursday, the day after I typed out this post, I found out my brother's eyes has cataracts and so they need surgery. Life has a funny way of throwing ironic spanners at you, doesn't it? It's probably linked with his Down's syndrome, and I'm not overly worried as it's only minor surgery, (apparently it just takes 15 minutes) but still, I can't imagine it being pleasant in any sense of the word.

Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers. Thanks.

Also, I'll be off to Turkey with my family from next Tuesday night till early next year! 

Till I'm back, take care out there!

Baby It's Hot Outside

My yuletide spirit got on a horrendous start this year (fiasco with the tree, long story). I thought: sod it, I am too old for any of this ridiculous Christmas schmaltz. 

Yet the past few days I've been buying prezzies for more people than I can afford, searching for mince pies, listening to songs about white snow and cold air (when instead it's blazing hot/raining cats and dogs outside) and generally getting into the spirit of spreading joy and love and peace and all those other year-end buzzwords.

Sigh, what is it about this time of year, so easy to hate, so easy to put down, so tempting to ignore, that still manages to creep up to us?

(For a very long Christmas post I wrote last year, see here. Warning: some things have changed since then!)

P.S. Oh, it's Human Rights Day today, well yesterday, so Happy Human Rights Day to all humans out there!

World Aids Day

It's not just about today. It's about tomorrow. Our tomorrow.
Spread the awareness people!

Click on the post title to visit the official website.

Better Late

Happy Belated Deepavali, Guy Fawkes Day, and a belated birthday wishes to the Sister.

Sorry this is uber-lambat, I was busy with Lost & Found.

Selamat Hari Malaysia

Dear fellow Malaysians,
Let us move towards unity, peace, equality and prosperity for all, and continue what we had started in 1963. Selamat Hari Malaysia to all Malaysians, wherever you are today.

Yours,
Algy

Selamat Hari Raya / Eid Mubarak!

Dear World,
Happy Raya / Eid Mubarak!
Remember, it's your duty to spread love when others spread hate, so go visit your friends this festive season! (Isn't the kuih raya reason enough anyway?).

Yours,
Algy

Selamat Hari Merdeka ke-53.

To my fellow Malaysians,
I wish you a very 53rd Happy Merdeka/Independence/National Day.

Keranamu 1Malaysia Menjana Transformasi Truly Asia Boleh Berkhidmat Majulah Sukan Untuk Negara Bersih Cekap Amanah Buat Kerja

Forgive the photo's clichéd-ness but at least I took it myself. On Merdeka Eve. While returning from work. At 11.30pm. Man I love this country.

Happy Father's & International Refugee's Day!

This weekend was breathless: a Bible class on Friday and today,  song-leading today, a youth meeting yesterday and Adam the Musical at Actor's Studio Lot 10 Rooftop this evening, which was quite an experience. It feels like I've used the weekend well, and there's a sense of satisfaction in that. Yet, there are books waiting to be read, DVDs meant to be watched, and pieces swimming in my head, waiting to be written down. In particular I would like to write a play for Short+Sweet, but finding the time to do so before the deadline may be tricky. Time, we all need more of it.


Anyway, here are notes from my pupillage, 7th to 18th June.

D99 (7th June): It's always good to get out of your box once in a while.

D100: Conspicuously not at Legal Aid today.

D101: Jaya Grocer's at Empire Subang. I am one happy bunny.

D102: Capital Reduction has reduced me to tears.

D103: I don't remember about this being in my employment contract. Oh wait, I don't have a contract.

D104 (14th June): Stamp duty calls!

D105: Legal Aid Duty #3. A bad day that turned out well in the end.

D106: Ethics & Professional Standards Course: what a drag!

D107: Sometimes, all you can expect is apathy.

D108: Q: What, you have no life ah? A: No, I was working for you.

I'd also like to take this opportunity to wish everybody a very (late) Happy Father's Day, and Happy Refugee's Day too! I hope you had a great weekend.

Soz

Dear World,
I believe I forgot to wish everyone a Happy Wesak, Happy Gawai Keamatan and erm, Happy Yang di-Pertuan Agong's Birthday...so yeah, sorry about that, been busy.

Take care out there,
Algy

Happy Earth Day

Dear Earth,
Happy Earth Day! Go green people!

Algy