Friday 9 April 2010

HOMEWORK (CsH)

This has been an awful week. The body clock and Malaysian time could not synchronise. To make matters worse, Shah Jahan, our favourite tosai and teh tarik restaurant is shut, undergoing renovation and under new management. Tonight however, I heard a rumour that had been going round about our favourite eating joint. This restaurant stands accused of spicing up their curry with, wait for this, ....... a pair of underpants !!!!! Holy mackerel! Don't want to know whose underpants it is. At least I know my spouse has not lost any of his 'undies', so we are in the clear. No wonder I was feeling underpar when I was here last.

Anyway, I must get back to more cerebral matters. I have this series of Malay Language Workbooks from Book One to Book Five. They were written by Che' Gu A.R.B. Etherton and Che' Gu C. Campbell and illustrated by Leong Pak Hong. I like the way Mr Etherton and Mr Campbell were quite happy with the native title of Che' Gu now that Malay had become the National Language. This workbook was published by Donald Moore and Eastern Universities Press Ltd, Singapura 1961. and they were canny enough to realise that when in Rome ..... Also on the front cover is written 'Untok Sekolah2 Di-Tanah Melayu' ( for schools in the Land of the Malays ). And yet today the term 'Tanah Melayu' is taboo, almost a dirty word.

And here are several examples from these books to stretch the grey matter.

For those having an identity crisis, this will be a challenge.

Nitpickers and fussbudgets will enjoy this one.


Neurotics who are worried sick about inflation should keep away from this task.

This is for those who want to be artists when they grow up.

And this is just for showing off some of my hoard of treasures. Eat your hearts out - KT and AG.

The first five correct and imaginative answers to the above exercises will be given a free tosai and teh tarik breakfast at Restaurant Shah Jahan sans underpants. What I mean is sans underpants in the curry.

8 comments:

Kak Teh said...

I knew there was something for us somewhere here. I cant claim to have books like that as those must have been before I was born.

as for the undies in the kuah - there's a very popular mee outlet in alor star - still doing roaring business (and i bet the undies business too) . and the secret is no secret actually. Undies make the best kuah for noodles.

anak si-hamid said...

Kak Teh,
Thank you for the information. I think I shall not go to Alor Star for noodles with kuah.

NanaDJ said...

Ash,

Maybe that book could help my grandson with his Bahasa. The tuition teacher is trying his best, but the naughty boy still prefer to think, talk and write in English.
As for the underwear rumours, this has been going around for years.In Alor Setar, there's even rumours about ganja being added to the famous Nasi Lemak (Mamak version, not the traditional malay ones)and Nasi Kandar curries. Recently, there wre rumours that plastic strips being added to batters for goreng pisang, cucur udang etc to make them crispy, and tissue papers added to kuah mee rebus, mee bandung etc to thicken them.What to believe?

Kak Teh said...

aaah, another one to add to nanadj's list: toilet paper (unused ones of course) said to be used in kuah laksa. well, just to remind you of all these things in case you and Iain are enjoying the food so much without us.

anak si-hamid said...

Nana DJ and Kak Teh,
You're both very wicked - frightening us off yummy hawker food. This means I will have to do more home cooking.*@0>?%")+ !!!.

Nana DJ
Couldn't you speak, sing, and tell stories in Malay to your grandson? Anyway, there's no way you can lose your mother tongue - he'll change as he gets older.

imsunnysideup said...

I can't remember that book.

By the way, about that underpants in the 'kuah'..

I forgot to mention this to you... remember the old stall at 51/4 ms Pasir Panjang Rd near the New Star Theatre which used to sell lontong ? At that time I heard the same rumour too about that woman vendor.

There should be a ruling that only new and unworn underpants be used for this purpose. Maybe there should be a campaign about this. Someone should come out with a jingle and publicity be given over the media.

Maybe someone can come out with the lyric of this jingle.

Really....I'm serious.......

ph said...

Dear AsH, the next time we go for a meal, we need to go into the kitchen and check first what's inside the periok.

anak si-hamid said...

ph,
Ignorance is Bliss! Furthermore you'll never know what else you might find.