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.