One of the husband's achievements of late - in terms of assimilating in KL - is watching Celestial HD channel. For the benefit of our non-Malaysian friends, Celestial HD is like HBO but only in Cantonese and occasionally Chinese. One can sit all-day in front of the TV watching back-to-back movies. We don't do that, though, because we don't have much time together during the week so TV-time is minimized. 

Instead, we regularly scroll through the channel guide to record movies which we think may be interesting. If there is one improvement Astro could work on, it is to indicate the main cast of every movie in the write-ups. Only on weekend afternoons do we catch up on what had been recorded. If we can't sit through the first ten minutes, the movie is deleted. "Next!...."

I am so proud of the fact JL has watched all three parts of Infernal Affairs. And by the third installment, he was able to think like a Hong-Kong mafia boss and predict what is ahead. He loves saying "hai meh?" ("really?") in various tones of speech: sarcastically, sincerely, comically. And he makes the hospitable aunties at our regular Chinese eatery laugh when he says "mmmm goy..." ("please" or "thank you") and "mai dan" ("check please"). 

"So who's your favourite actor so far?" I asked him last night.

Short of planting my own xiao bai cai and kneading my own dough for fresh noodles, it gives me great pleasure to say that I made my own plate of wantan mee. All within 15 minutes.

You'd probably remember my previous post on the effortless 4-3-2-1 homemade char siew, and another on what I'd affectionately call "my little soldiers on standby in the freezer". If you foresee a few solo meals ahead for whatever reason (especially if you're a SAHM, or when the spouse goes on a business trip), I'd strongly recommend that you upgrade your meals by staying away from MSG-laden instant noodles. All because eating without your loved one is miserable enough, let alone eating crap without your loved one. Instead, make the dumplings and char siew in large batches, preferably on different days, zero-pressure, and you'll have many 15-minute meals to enjoy.

I've tried many marinades in different proportions and finally found one that tastes just right. When I took a closer look at what I've jotted down, it made me laugh. There's a name to this recipe. I called it the "4-3-2-1 Homemade Char Siew". 

A few things to take note of, though, if you are trying this for the first time. 

The easiest way to pronounce this dish accurately is to be doubtful, as if you find its name so incredulous you think someone's taking you for a ride. And you think about the words "way" and "meow". So you ask again, with much caution, "Char? Kway? Teow??"

That's it! You've nailed it. For our non-Malaysian/Singaporean friends, the aunty at the hawker stall would be so proud of you. For the uninitiated, char kway teow (in Hokkien/Fujian dialect) literally translates to fried rice-noodle strips. 

Two weeks ago, I fried my first plate of char kway teow at Bayan Indah's beautiful kitchen. I loved that precious few minutes of frying in a well-seasoned wok, with detailed guidance from my thoughtful instructor Pick Shan. With that little punchy boost to my culinary self-esteem, I went home wanting to make the ideal plate of char kway teow. Ideal in my book, at least. 

So I wrote in my scribble book, "What makes a good CKT?" and here is a compilation of my thoughts.

Washing a basinful of bean sprouts brings me back to different stages of my life.

I think about the Chinatown in Boston where I'd stock up Asian supplies I could never find from the online grocer: dumpling skins, fresh egg noodles, sauces and vegetables. The fresh produce section would smell of bean sprouts, or mung bean sprouts as they call it. The place was crammed with old folks scrutinizing yellow crunchy pears for spots, workers packing newly delivered vegetables into quantities that could easily feed a family of eight, and then there's me - the one who felt neither here nor there. 

When you are invited to any reception in Malaysia, it is common to see a buffet spread of local cuisine. This is not because Malaysians cook a lot, but rather, Malaysians eat a lot. After all, who'd want to attend some event if there wasn't any free makan? Even at home, when one is expecting company, at the very least, one should consider getting some snacks - curry puffs, assorted kuih-muih, banana fritters or you char kuey - since these are available as long as one's home is within civilization. Otherwise, one can consider preparing something right from the home kitchen. It'd better be really good friends who are coming, then. 

One of the local dishes which I missed dearly living abroad was mee siam. Yes it is available in Singapore but somehow, it wasn't my luck to taste very good ones. Besides, the Singaporean mee siam is different from that across the causeway. It comes with a tamarind-based broth and the condiments are mostly added at the point of serving. The Malaysian version is dry with most of its condiments cooked together with the rice vermicelli. 

I can't help but digress. Just utter the words "mee siam" to any adult Singaporean and chances are, you'll hear "mee siam mai hum" (mee siam without cockles) within minutes. It was the talk of the nation for weeks back in 2006 after Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said it in his national day rally speech. Haters jumped at this golden opportunity to prove the disconnect between the PM and his countrymen. Someone plastered the phrase to Black Eyed Peas' My Humps and the Youtube video went viral. I think PM Lee meant to say "mee siam mai hiam" (mee siam without chilli) but then again, I don't recall people ordering mee siam that way either. Hmm.

So ANYway, I made mee siam for the second time in my entire life. The first being two days ago. I had this craving simmering within after eating a bland version of it a couple of weeks ago. You can say that my indignation drove me to it. So after some reading on the internet, my first attempt took place on Tuesday as JL left on a business trip. I had no problem having mee siam for a few meals. There was another "first" - I've never blended any paste in my life! I took it positively because now I can finally put my six-year-old handheld blender to good use. (I've only used the immersion blender and whisk components all this while.) 

It was also my first time using taucheo, preserved soybean paste. I tasted it out of the jar - it's really salty with a faint sour aftertaste to it. 

Taucheo reminds me of a rather cool ex-colleague turned friend who, in reply to people calling her, would say, "Yes? Si mi taucheo?" 

If you don't get it, I shouldn't explain.

I'm writing this because my brain's been swimming in French lately. Some English would do me good, non?

Hey, that "non" really came out of my head naturally! 

I've also grad--ually started some food photography again in the past two weeks. I'm still trying to identify the best spot(s) at home on different parts of the day and have the tripod permanently standing by in one of the bedrooms. It's a whole new experience for me since the tripod only joined our household in the US. And because I'm "reconnecting" with my existing lenses, it also means I'm in no hurry to get the next one, especially since I no longer work. But if anyone generous is reading this, I was looking at the EF 50mm f/1.4 USM by Canon. Yes, if you would just write that down please... I don't deserve the f/1.2L because I'm not making a living out of it. But I wouldn't really fancy the f/1.8 II either. It is cheaper in Malaysia than in Singapore, by the way. Nonetheless, as said, I'm in no hurry so next year would be the good time.

ANYway... So how's life in Kuala Lumpur so far, you ask?

Right. It's already the third week of September. Feels like it was just yesterday that we moved into our new home, despite sleeping here for exactly one month. The moving-in went smoothly and we are happy to see all our stuff from various countries - finally! - unpacked and forming our home altogether. 

We also said goodbye to some items which did not survive either the two-year storage or moving and shipping. One in particular was the iron we got back in Singapore only a few months before having to pack up. And since office shirts are of immediate urgency, we went to the departmental store looking for a new one. 

Now when it comes to investing in a good iron, apart from its weight (with and without water) and power (no less than 2400W), one should look for a high steam flow rate which is measured in "g/mn" (at least 150g/mn). Otherwise ironing would really be a dreadful chore. 

We spent some time checking out various models on the shelf when the sales staff came over to help. She seemed to have her mind set on Tefal over Philips. Ah! I liked her already. "Both about the same price. But one made in Indonesia. What are you paying for?"  Now I liked her even more!

So we chatted about some of the most mundane things, like why do steam iron plates turn brown too soon. The enthusiastic lady shared her wisdom.

"Oh! That! You tell your maid ar!! When she irons your clothes, she must not set it to the highest setting! You know sometimes maids have so many things to do, they think by ironing at the highest setting they can get the job done faster. This is wrong! Not only your maid risks spoiling your clothes, she burns the iron also! That's why the plate turns brown!"

The husband looked at me and said, "You hear that?". 

Our chirpy "aunty" was slightly embarrassed and apologized. 

That's how common domestic helpers really are in this part of the world. Everyone thinks everyone has one. Or two. 

I know... I've been meaning to write since we arrived in Kuala Lumpur on our one-way ticket more than two weeks ago. August seems to be hurrying its way through - too fast for comfort (and sleep!). It is my favourite month because together with my nephew, father and brother, our numbers go up by a notch in August. I'm now thirty-six  and thankfully so. Thankful for all these and more:

• The husband who loves me more than I'd normally imagine. He works very hard to make us happy. If you ask him, he'd say "wife not happy, everyone's not happy". So through the years he's fine-tuned his antennae to the point of knowing how I would react or feel (emotionally and physically, wow!) towards things. In fact, these days I think he knows me better than myself! For example, he'd stop me from eating something and substantiate it with a list of possible consequences of eating it. (Which usually leads to a trail of unhappiness for all.) He makes me laugh, my Frenchloaf! 

• That we are finally landing on our feet with JL's new job (he started on the 1st) and the handover of keys to our next home today. In the next few days we'll be moving in with all our stuff shipped in the container from France weeks ago. It will take a couple of weeks for us to fully unpack everything, perhaps adding a new piece of furniture or two thereafter. We're both glad it's coming to a close - this living out of suitcases in temporary accommodation for two, whole, years. One may think it a luxury hopping from one hotel to another. Well it is, indeed, much as packing up your valuables and double-checking that the safe is locked every, single, time before leaving the room. Finally we can make our own meals at home and eat better. Did I mention the 5-6 kilos that eating out had "blessed" me with? It's really unhealthy. 

• The people we've met in the past two years who've made our life less stressful. This includes staff from the places we've hung out so often they became part of our life: Zainab our housekeeping lady who gave me a shawl the day we left (I must add, she chose the colours which she knew I would wear!); the concierge personnels who still remembered us when we walked past where we lived one recent afternoon; Raju and his Burmese buddy whom we used to see when we made it for breakfast; and Babu who would wave to us even when we're just passing by his workplace. These are the ones who've really seen us through our highs and lows, at times they knew more about us than our friends and families. They're the guardian angels who kept us company for months.

• Friends who kept in touch and cheered us on because they've been there, done that and got back up stronger. And then friends who inspire us with their purposeful ways of living life to the fullest. And friends who walk with us, especially the Young Lady who courageously chose to experience a foreign-speaking country all by herself.

• Families who are always there when we need their help and support, and who also know when to step back and just listen, and who'd find just about any darn thing to celebrate (valid reason for a great meal and some drinks, that's why). And especially so, the kids in our families who'd ask how we were, where we were and when they'll be seeing us again -- all so innocently because they enjoyed our being around, or just curious why we moved about so much -- they're truly lovable.

It's been a roller-coaster ride since 2010 and the carriage is slowing to a halt. Lest anyone thinks I'm disappearing in the next few days, it's because of the moving in, unpacking, and reuniting with some old-time favourites at home. It is also because - thanks to the two- to three-week processing time for Astro - there won't be any internet connection nor cable TV in the apartment. 

There's a voyeur deep down in every one of us. Then for some of us, it's not that deep. 

I'll show you mine if you show me yours... 

Strangers in the night... exchanging trousers... wondering what's inside... 

Okay. Perhaps I'm on a sugar+caffeine high. Or perhaps it's the wind. I get carried away.

My pantry at the moment exists only in my head. We haven't secured our "home" in KL yet. No panic despite our one-way flight four days from now. But since we were talking about cooking at home earlier on, I might as well share with you my pantry list. My apologies for not having any photos as show-and-tell. Another day, maybe.