i had 2 visits to town recently. i never really like going to the city unless i really, really have to. like for appointments, events and 'absolutely-have-to-buy-and-can-only-get-it-in-town' kind of instances. a week or so ago my mumzie-in-law told hubster that she's bought me some clothes for zach's (me bro-in-law) upcoming nuptials (the family has this kind of funny routine where all family members must wear clothes of a certain colour theme. they did the same with my sis-in-law's wedding). mumzie-in-law asked for me to go pick it up quicky quickly, just in case it doesn't fit and must alter lah. when we went over last friday, it turns out to be CLOTH, not CLOTHES! i have to go to the freaking tailor smack in the middle of town. NOOOOO!!

anyways, i dutifully went to town on saturday by me own self. took the KTM komuter trains and the LRT. la-di-da, la-di-da.

guess what?? i forgot to bring the stupid cloth.

had to call mama to ask her where she bought the dang thing. had to spend moolah just to buy my own cloth. ISH!!

guess who calls on wednesday?

phone rings


hubster: nah, your phone

me: who is it?

hubster: dunno. don't recognise the number

me: aiyoh, i busy lah

hubster: quickly! i picked up the call already

me: hello?



~the conversation below is actually in bahasa malaysia. translated into manglish~


voice on phone: this is tailor lah

me: oh, kak ida

tailor: ah. correct, correct. eh, your cloth out of shape lah

me: huh? whaddya mean?

tailor: out of shape lah!

me: how out of shape?

tailor: the embroidered ends don't meet together lah. if use this to sew, then your kebaya will be lopsided

me: so how?

tailor: must take the cloth go change lah

me: so, will you change it for me, or do i have to go there and change it myself?

tailor: must change lah!

me: ya lah. who takes the cloth to change?

tailor: tsk tsk, where did you buy the cloth?

me: at arked lah

tailor: ya lah, then you must go and change lah, how do i know which stall you buy from

me: that means i must take the cloth from you and go change is it?

tailor: of course lah


i'm fuming here cos it took her so long to tell me that one simple fact. doubly fuming cos i have to make another unnecessary trip down town. didn't even get this much hassle for me own wedding.

went over to my in-laws' place to give mumzie-in-law her mothers' day prezzie. hubster got work over the weekend, cannot go on sunday. as we were nearing the house, my bro-in-law, zach's car passed us on the other side of the road, and the driver honked. we thought it must be zach or mumzie who was driving. when we got to the house, it turns out no one was home, only a gardener doing some clearing work on the front lawn (daddy vincent has a green thumb, loves gardening).

me: you got the house key or not?

hubster: got, got

me: where did everyone go? was that zach or mama driving?

hubster: dunno lah, didn't see


at that moment, zach's car pulled up the front and daddy vincent was driving!! daddy vincent had a tumour in his abdomen, and had his whole stomach and spleen removed late last year. he was very weak for a long time. didn't even leave the house for yonks. hence the surprise of seeing him driving alone.

daddy: i'm just going to the LRT station to pick up mama. you all go in first

hubster: ok

me: think i'll call joshua (my other bro-in-law) to see if they are free later

*take out handphone and dial*

josh: hello?

me: eh, you all free later ah?

josh: we're going for kanna curry house for lunch, join us lah

me: can, can. we're in bangsar house now, waiting for mama to come back

josh: oh, you're in bangsar ah? izan (josh's wife) went to town with mama

me: yes ah? daddy's gone to pick them up from the LRT station

josh: ok lah then. when they come back, just come back with izan and we all go together lah

me: can oso

me: eh hubster, we're going for banana leaf with josh all afterwards

hubster: oh yes ah? can oso



daddy comes back with mama, izan and demi (josh's & izan's kid).


mama: took izan to the tailor to get her measurements for the baju for zach's wedding. nah, here's yours. must go to the tailor to make lah

me: oh what's this? make what baju?

mama: kebaya lah

me: where's the tailor?

mama: wisma yakin, at...at...at...

me: oh, i know where wisma yakin is. at masjid india right?

mama: yes, yes, when are you free, i take you there

hubster: no need lah, we tailor near our house. so far lah to go wisma yakin

mama: eh, make at this place cheap you know. 60 ringgit only

hubster: near our house also around there wat

mama: cannot be. near your place sure expensive one

me: where in wisma yakin is it? upstairs ah?

mama: no, no. downstairs. it's called "sahaja"

me: in wisma yakin itself? ground floor?

izan: yeah, yeah. downstairs. can see from the corridor

me: oh, maybe i go on monday lah

mama: you come here, then i take you there

me: no lah ma. troublesome lah. i take the LRT straight from my place easier

mama: ok lah. i'll call the lady to tell her my other daughter-in-law is coming. the tailor's name is ida

me: ok lah

izan: mom, i open your handbag ah? show her the receipt

mama: ah, take lah


izan shows me the receipt and it turns out to be "sahjaya" and not "sahaja"


hubster: how much for the cloth and my clothes all? must pay you back

mama: eh, no need lah. present. present for the wedding from mama. actually daddy paid

me: wah! got present oso. how come for zabrina and jason's, josh and izan's got no present one??


hubster nudges me at this point.


me: joking only lah. thanks dad, for the present


after all the la-di-da about zach and emelia's coming nuptials, hubster, izan, mouse (that's our nickname for demi) and i all gether-gether go back to josh and izan's place. banana leaf here we come!!!

went to the mall with hubster to grab some stuff this evening. as we were going down the escalator, hubster wondered how much a PS2 costs nowadays. as we couldn't afford a trip to bali (still in debt, spent loads moving into our new home), we might just be able to afford a PS2.

hubster: i want to buy PS2. will i lose you to it? (i'm a gaming fanatic. i'll forget everything if i start playing. but that was sometime back. i'm SURE i have more self control now...)

me: aiyoh! dunno lah. just ask lah, how much now?

hubster: can also

me: there, got shop down there wat. go and ask lah.

hubster: they are asking 699 for it

me: like dat ah. come, go to the shop upstairs. it's a PS and xbox shop. maybe get better deal

hubster: was planning to go there to ask as well


at the 2nd shop


me: how much does a fully modified PS2 cost?

dude: 499

me *whispering to hubster*: oi, 499 only lah here. how?

hubster: got free game thrown in or not? how many?

me: got games or not?

dude: got. 15

me *with a glim in my eyes*: wah!

hubster: ok lah

me: ok, we'll take it

dude: cash is it?

me: ya lor

dude: ok. choose your games from that side

me: make sure get football one and racing one


hubster straightaway whip out his phone and calls his boss and ask for good games to recommend


dude: want to upgrade or not? china chip 650, french original 750

me: what does that mean?

dude: get 100% lor. also got 6 regions lor. if heavy duty play, then go for original lah

hubster: ok, we'll go for the original. brian (his boss) laughed at me lah

me: why?

hubster: he says now can get into the PS2 talk as well

me: really ah? you fellas ah......

hubster: i'm going to the atm to get some cash. i've chosen some games, you choose some also lah

me: ok

me: ay, this game got ham sap one ah?

dude *with raised eyebrows*: no, no, no. this one you have to answer questions to proceed to next level one. that one got bit bit lah

me: got ah? nice to play or not? you got mah jong one or not?

dude: got one only

me: this one got ah moi in bikinis. ham sap mah jong ah?

dude: no lah! it's mah jong game only

me: is it in chinese ah? i dunno how to read chinese lah

dude: ya, in chinese. but bit bit only. you just play, sure can understand one

me: sure or not? don't bluff me. i come back and change one if you bluff me

dude: no bluff one


hubster came back with the cash


hubster: how much one memory card

dude: 80

hubster: ok, i want one

dude: you want original controller or not? just trade in lah, 50 for one

me: ok, the other one no feeling lah. original better. i'll pay for it

hubster *grinning from ear to ear*: thank you

had a lil foray into making bamboo leaf wrapped dumplings (bak chang) yesterday. a lot of work wei! had to do some soaking and some preparation the nite before. boil and soak the bamboo leaves, soak the glutinous rice, soak the chestnuts, soak the mung beans. had to soak the mushrooms and dried oysters and dried prawns to cook with the chicken filling.

i started all those soaking at about 11pm (being the night owl that i am), and my dining table was topped with all these big bowls and lil bowls at the end of the night.

i roped my mom in to help me wrap the dang things the next day. never done this on my own before. had only sibuk-sibuk with the wrapping a wee bit when i was a kid.

12.30pm

me: mom, can come over at 2 o'clock ah?

mom: can, can. gives me a bit of time to pittle pottle around the house beforehand

1.40pm

me: shit! forgot the prepare the salted eggs!

*quickly started scraping the black stuff off the eggs and cracking open and halving the yolks*

2.25pm

phone rings. i quickly washed my hands clean of the egg white and all the gunk and ran to answe the phone.

hubster: harro, just finished lunch. might be leaving genting soon

me: ok

back to the salted egg yolks. doorbell rings at 2.30pm.

me: aiyoh, thought you coming at 2pm

mom: had to separate some dried prawns into packets for you. forgot the time

my mom is bad at time keeping and she loves to do things last minute. 2 traits which i really hate in anyone.

me: i forgot to prepare the salted egg yolk lah

mom: heh heh heh. see lah, hurry me some more. you haven't even finished your prep

me: one only mah. you go sit in front. get you when i'm done here. there, there, look. that's our new microwave

mom: yours looks smaller than mine

me: yeah lah. you chose the big one. everything oso want bigger. kiasu

mom: no lah, sometimes got big dishes, cannot fit into smaller microwave

me, *muttering under my breath*: yeah, right

me: come, let's start. if not, 10 o'clock also cannot eat yet

mom: so long never wrap, i oso dunno how it's gonna turn out. wah! you so fast, wrap quite nice oso. you got wrap before ah?

me: no lah, only when i was a kid playing around when you guys were making this

mom: i remember when i was pregnant with you, we wrap this in kung-kung's place, all of us squatting in the small kitchen

me: eh, don't forget the salted eggs! must put then only nice to eat

mom: got so many fillings, i oso forget what i've put inside

me: must have system one. go left to right lah

mom: no, no, no. the salted eggs must put in the middle one

me: ok, then we rearrange the bowls lah

mom: aiyoh! this leaf torn lah! *rice scatters on the floor*

me: leave it! i'll clean it up

mom: must clean properly, if not then step step the rice all over the place

me: yeah lah! you must be more careful, try to fold the leaves over the sink

mom: ok, ok

me: water boil oredi, can put the first bunch in

mom: how many hours must boil?

me: the recipe says 2 hours

mom: i don't think enough lah. at least 3 hours. better test and see afterwards, scared not cooked

me: ok, ok.

it went on for the next couple of hours. bantering and wrapping. it turns out that it needed more than 2 hours of boiling. in fact, the dang things boiled for over 3 hours. mom left after the wrapping was done. hubster ferried the dumplings over in the evening. the dumplings turned out quite nicely, no bursting. only thing is, the rice needs a lil bit more salt. well done for a first attempt. don't think i'll do this again anytime soon. so much work!

heard some really loud shouting a couple of nights ago. turns out to be my neighbour 2 houses away. being the busy body that i am, i went to the front of the house to find out more. turns out he was shouting in mandarin. my mandarin sucks. can't really understand what he was saying. he was shouting at his wife who was in his suv with his young kid. will try to translate what lil that i understood

neighbour: *SHOUTING LOUDLY*

me: aiyoh! who was that??

hubster: so loud lah. which house?

me: dunno lah. could be the house opposite. heard some loud quarrels from there before.

hubster: no lah, it's from this side of the road

me: there! there! the people 2 houses away!

hubster: why lah? what's going on?

me: dunno. i don't understand mandarin.

neighbour: WHERE ARE THE KEYS?!!

wife: i don't know where the keys are.

neighbour: WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON'T KNOW??!! *furiously kick and hit the front door grill*

i think he finally realise that the keys were with him as he manage to lock his grill and got into his suv and revved off. what a nutcase!

went for a meeting with my hubsterman today to discuss an upcoming event (i HAVE to go as i'm his personal manager). i hate going to town, but what to do. money mah

met this petite lady who looks a lot like yasmin ahmad (a very much prettier version of yasmin).

things went pretty ok, and we were about to bung off when the BIG lady boss finally came in.

big boss: i'm so hungry! haven't had lunch

all the coolies: yes, yes, coffee? tea? *all whilst almost kow towing*

big boss: i want to extend the hours lah

coolies: yes, yes, can, can. no problem. we just tell them

me and hubsterman: we gotta go, we've got another appointment

big boss: alrite, thanks a lot

me and hubsterman: bye!

actually, the big lady boss is alrite. she seems to know what she's doing and she trusts her coolies' decisions. just wanna know the end results only mah. sharp decisive lady (i mean it in a good way. after all, it's people like these that gets things done)

a lil conversation?

why did i title this blog "...a lil conversation..."? i've always used the word 'lil' instead of 'little' in my schooling days. the teacher always corrected me back then. i lost the habit after a while but in the past ten years or so, i've been hearing 'lil' being used very often. has it become hip? i dunno. i don't care. i've always used it way back then and i'll use it now.

conversation. this is an offbeat track of my main blog. it's lil conversations throughout my days with others as well as conversations with myself. one has to be a bit of a nutcase to have a conversation with oneself? nah, it's common, just that not many peeps admit to that.