A Spot of Bother – Mark Haddon

It has been a while since I commented on a book that I’ve read.

That does not mean that I’ve stopped reading. Aku membaca like always, always with a book.

THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT TIME was the first book by Mark Haddon that I’ve read. Obviously, this is novel number two by Mr Haddon read by me. Apparently, this is only the second adult novel by Mark Haddon, after THE CURIOUS INCIDENT.

The title A SPOT OF BOTHER ialah very related to the first source of worry in this story. George, a 61 year old retiree noticed that he has a spot on his body (x ingat kat ne) and was certain that it was cancer. This little spot really bugged him and drove him up the wall. With his daughter getting married for the second time to a man that George didn’t like, his son being gay and him finding out that his wife is having an affair (the hard way, believe me), life is not easy for George. He made it harder for himself by keeping it all bottled up in his head and taking drastic actions without talking to anyone.

If you read this book, then you’ll understand that George went really crazy just because of a spot and worries about things that he shouldn’t.

The ending turns out to be very beautiful. Like always, everything eventually will turn out fine. Though not in the best possible way that you would prefer but not the end of the world either. His daughter’s new husband turns out to be a good man at heart. George’s son is gay, but your son can be anything and he’s still your son. And George told his wife that he knows about the affair, and she realized at once that although the affair was very exciting for her, in the end, it’s her husband feelings that mattered the most rather that her boyfriend.

A SPOT OF BOTHER makes me think that love, when it first started was very exciting and like everything else it needs working at. When things get boring, you look elsewhere for excitement but when it’s getting late, it’s home that you return to. So why not work at making home an excitement. And please, share your thoughts with someone because two heads can be better than one.

Over Congested

Picture from The Sun, Tuesday, 29 Sept 2010 (newspaper free yg ader berlambak2 kat LRT tuh)

Semalam, of all days, husband and I terkandas di dalam heavy traffic yg ditunjukkan dlm gambar di atas tuh. Dah ler maseh mood raye lagi, lagi mau jam plak. Kalau familiar ngn area nie, this is jalan dr Taman Connaught masuk into Federal Highway, lalu depan Mid Valley sme. Toll tu ialah toll RM 0.50.

Usually, husband and I lalu jalan cheras and then straight to Jalan Loke Yew to get to work. Skali smalam tgk kt depan Plaza Phoenix tu pon dah jam dasat, so we decided nak lalu SMART la. So, exit dari jalan cheras tu pg lalu kt taman connaught. At least mase kami lalu, takde la jam sampai kt toll neh. We were stucked I think about 2 or 3 km ahead after the toll for around 45 minutes. It was around 7.30 a.m at that time.

Dalam masa 45 mins tu, ader la bergerak like 2 km kot. Ini tak bley jadi. The first exit we saw were the exit pegi Toll Sungai Besi. Tak kesah la, patah balik pon, patah balik la. Kami masuk Highway Sg Besi itu and then masuk ke jalan yg lalu depan Kompleks Sukan Bukit Jalil (x tau nama highway die ape) and then masuk MEX (Maju Expressway, previously known as KLP – Kuala Lumpur Putrajaya Highway).

Sampai ofis pkol 9.00 am. Duh~ Cerita orang keje kat KL.

p/s: nie yg buat aku rase cam nak keje kt Kerteh. Mase stuck dlm jam nie smalam, aku sempat cakap kt husband, “jom pindah Melaka”. Pastu aku cakap plak, “kite EL je la hari nie”. Hahaha~

Cerita Beraya

Picture by Camera Nikon Mia. Photographer x tau sape, sbb camera asyik bertukar tangan.

Aku mmg ske beraya. Beraya tu as in pegi menziarah umah2 family & rakan la and layan tetamu kat umah. Bess tau jalan2 raye. :)

Nie la kesah aku sepanjang cuti raye aku tahun nie…

Hari Jumaat (18 / 9)	- Balik alor star (kg husband). Bertolak pkol 7.00 am pkol 12.30 pm sampai.
Hari Ahad (20 / 9)	- 1 Syawal. Pegi solat raye pastu salam2 kt umah and then balik umah nenek husband ku di baling. sampai malam berada disitu, visit sedara mara kat sana. Byk giler makan ketupat daun palas, kt Kajang and Melaka payah nak jumpe nie wooo~
Hari Isnin (21 /9)	- Kt alor star sudaa. Pegi umah kawan husband. Hari nie relax aje.
Hari Selasa (22 / 9)	- Bertolak ke KL dari Alor Star around 9.00 am. Sampai Kajang dlm pkol 2 lebey. Lunch nasi beriani by ayah & ibu (terbess ever!!) and layan2 tetamu yg dtg umah. Pkol 4pm blah ke Melaka (umah nenek aku) before ader ramai org dtg umah lagi. Sampai melaka around 6pm, malam tu jalan2 pegi umah Auntie Pah & Mak Mena.
Hari Rabu (23 / 9)	- Beraya sambil bfast kt umah Mak Bai. And then pegi umah sedara2 yg dekat. Lunch special by Auntie Yot kt umah nenek. Balik Kajang pkol 2pm. Sampai umah, ader tetamu sampei ke malam.
Hari Khamis (24 /9)	- Jalan raye!! Pegi umah Mak Long Jumi kt B.B.Bangi and then pegi umah auntie Noreen kt Bukit Damansara and Nek Ngal kt Kg Baru, KL. Malam tu plak, jiran2 dekat2 datang umah.
Hari Jumaat (25 /9)	- Pagi aku pg Jusco jap beli hadiah wedding utk Farah. Ptg tu pegi Shah Alam, umah Pak Long Yat. The message was that ader family meeting plus open house. Sme org ingat Nadiah nak kawen. hoho~ salah2. Malam tu Uncle Mael dtg umah.
Hari Sabtu (26 / 9)	- Pegi wedding Farah kat Bandar Baru Bangi. Petang tu tetiba Ita msg kate die kat Balakong. Aku ajak die datang beraya :)Malam tu pegi jalan2 umah cousin2 ayah kat kajang. Hoho~ Pak Lang Atan mmg klaka.
Hari Ahad (27 / 9)	- Hari nie couplivessary aku & husband yg ke-6. Hari nie pg kenduri Jeego kt Tampin. Ptg tu, uncle Sahar dtg umah. Ibu ajak pg umah Tok Yak around waktu maghrib, aku surrender. Sok keje sudaa, tak mau jalan lagi. Hoho~
Hari Isnin (28 / 9)	- Hari nie keje. Haha~ Weekend nie ader 2 open house :)

Note: Couplivessary ialah anniversary aku & husband couple. Hoho~

Salam Aidilfitri

Kami sekeluarga yg berada jauh di perantauan di Sg. Kantan, Kajang ingin mengucapkan Salam Aidilfitri kepada saudara mara yg berada di Malaysia dan mereka yg mengenali kami. Semoga aidilfitri ini mengeratkan lagi silaturrahim antara kita.

Maaf Zahir & Batin atas semua salah dan silap, sengaja atau tidak disengajakan. Sesungguhnya, nobody is perfect.

Kepada yg masih layak utk mengumpul duet raya, siler lah btolkan niat beraya anda which is bukan utk mengumpul duet tetapi utk berjumpa, update2 and kenal2 sanak saudara and saudara muslim yg lain. (aku dah x layak kumpul duet raya lagi…sob…sob..)

Salam Aidilfitri~

Tak Menang Tangan…

According to pengiraan aku, this is week no 6 yg aku busy teramat la sgt.

Especially bulan ramadhan nie sbb kadang2 dpt invitation berbuka. Walaupon keje 8am – 4pm ader hari2 yg aku tak bergerak dr workstation pon. Pastu fulfill la plak invitation2. Ader yg gathering ngn geng2 so ok la. Ader yg makan free so haruslah tannak tolak. Tp pastu sampei umah lambat.

Smalam n hari neh kepala aku pening giler pasal x cukup zzzz. Sampai ofis keje melambak (kalo x, bley la catch up on sleep jugak kan?)

Minggu nie everyday ader meeting. Meeting2 nie plak bukan jenis yg aku bley dok dgr buat tak tau (and terdoze off) je, nie aku kna join berpk bersama2, ader yg aku kna present, ader yg aku kna chair, ader yg pastu aku kna review action. Arrgghhh! Ader plak satu team nie nak review their work ngn aku + senior, buat meeting pkol 2-4pm. Hari tu derang tanye aku, aku suggest Rabu pagi. Skali hari nie la plak, ptg plak tu. Sengal.

Pastu tetibe plak hari isnin, aku kna buat 2 reports. Kna siap before aku pg bercuti. Satu report tu mmg salah aku la, patutnye start buat last week, tp aku totally lupe sbb mmg packed giler lately. Satu lagi tetibe boss aku anta e-mail ckp, nad to do. Owwhhh. Takpe2, satu report dah siap smalam. Satu lg draft dah totally siap, aku tgh arrange and refine bg beautiful.

Ohhh…senior aku dah dtg la plak, baru nak lari pg zzz.

Nak sedapkan hati sendiri dikala busy dan agak tertekan aku ckp lah aku nie high in demand. Tp kalau camni gayanye, x high in demand pon xpe.

Seperti dlm citer Devil wears Prada itu, “I love my job, i love my job”

Udang Masak Sweet Sour

Ingredients

• 4 Ulas Garlic (nie each ulas size die besar2 tau) – kalau nak proper hiris la tp aku ketuk pakai pisau je. Kate rajin. hoho~ ohhh..aku nie penggemar bawang putih kalo tak ske sgt kurangkan la ye. The original recipe calls for 2 ulas garlic je.
• 1 biji bawang merah - Dihiris
• 1 biji tomato – Potong enam
• 250 gram udang (nie ader la dlm 10 ekor)
• 1 tablespoon cili boh
• 1 tablespoon gula
• Sedikit air asam jawa
• Sedikit sos tomato
• Sedikit air
• Kunyit dan garam utk menggoreng udang
• Sedikit minyak

Methodology (hoho…cam lab chemistry plak)

• Mula-mula skali bersihkan lah udang tu. Buang kepala and buang la ape2 lagi yg korang rase patut dibuang. Jangan kopek kulit, kurang ummphhh (lgpon nnti udang tu nampak kecik sgt)
• Pastu lumurkan (hoho~) udang2 tuh ngn kunyit and garam. Agak2 lah brape byk. Takyah byk2 sgt.
• Pastu goreng! Aku goreng tanpa minyak (healthy sket la kononnye)
• Biler nampak udang td yg kalernye kelabu skrang dah jadi orange kemerahan, sudah masak la itu. Angkat and set aside.
• Panaskan minyak (dlm 2-3 tablespoon je kot). Biler dah panas, masukkan garlic & bawang besar.
• Biarkan sampei naik bau. Bau nye mmg sedap :)
• Biler dah naik bau, masukkan cili boh. Godek2 sket campuran tersebut and then masukkan air asam jawa. Air asam jawa nie pon masukkan sket je. Kalau rase nak tambah lagi, tambah later. Sbbnye nnti takut terover masam la plak.
• Pastu letak sos tomato secukup rase (dlm 2 – 3 dollop je) and then letak gula dalam satu tablespoon (tak yah penuh2 sgt dlm satu sudu tu).
• Pastu letak tomato didalam (aku letak 4 slices je out of the 6, 6 cam byk sgt).
• And then rase la!! Smalam masa aku masak, mmg sebijik2 resipi yg aku tulis nie la and rasenye mmg seswai with my tastebud so xdelah tambah ape2 lagi. Tp kalo korg tak berpuas hari, tambahlah ape2 yg patut.
• Kalau rasenye OK, biarlah mixture nie thicken sebentar. Then masukkan udang. Kaco2 biar sebati sket and then tadaaa~ sudah siap.
• Taburkan daun bawang utk tambah ummpphh lagi (and nampak fab sket la udang kite tu) :)

Notes

• Aku rase masak nie amik masa like 20 mins je kot. Nak kopek udang tu ader la dlm 10 mins. So, lebey kurang 30 mins la nak masak neh. :)

Selamat mencuba!!

p/s: Hafizd, mana resipi ko? hoho~

Menu Berbuka – 12 Sept 2009

Today is Saturday, so ader masa utk masak. So, this is our menu for berbuka today;

 

Baked Macaroni tu saje test buat, tp kureng masin la. Ehe~

Nasi tu actually nasi planta, tp sbb aku pakai Daisy, xkan nak panggil nasi daisy plak. So, nasi marjerin je la.

Udang sweet sour tu menjadi la plak hari nie. Nnti aku share recipe :)

Oohh…air sirap + sunkist tu kitorg (me + siblings + ibu) panggil air darah nyamuk. Hehe~

Yahoo!!!

Sme org ckp aku apply cuti lambat.

Tp aku tak risau, sbb kalau bos tak approve pon aku cuti jugak. Itu la beauty nye biler bos yg approve cuti kau ialah orang lain dan bos yg ko buat keje with ialah org lain. Cuti2 nie sme didictate oleh bos that you work with (yg mmg takde hal la kalau mintak cuti, janji keje x affected), bos yg approve cuti tu die approve je. Meaning, kalau aku apply cuti dlm system tu maksudnye dah green light la cuti aku from bos yg aku keje with.

So, yeay!!! Aku cuti from 18 Sept 2009 – 27 Sept 2009 (aku amik annual leave 4 hari je, tp dpt cuti seminggu lebey). Lama nie. Besh!!!