The Kitchen Reopens For Business

Finally, after many months of eating out, running out of places to go in the process, my kitchen is finally berasap (back in use) again.

Funny how it got to be that way. It all started when the kids moved out in November last year, taking along with them practically all my good kitchenware, including my precious lesung tumbuk (mortar and pestle).

Left with nothing to cook with, and because cooking for two is truly not worth the time and effort, the kitchen remained dormant for months.

It was only this morning that I went shopping for grocery in earnest since we moved into this new place two weeks ago.

And tonight the kids dropped by for mum's first properly cooked meal in months - spaghetti bolognese - the simplest of all dishes since it didn't take too much effort to prepare.

Ann even brought back a colleague from the office, fellow journalist Gabey, who had the dubious distinction of getting stranded with Ann on the New Klang Valley Ecpressway last week when Ann's car broke down at 3 am.

According to Ann, Gabey is an avid reader. I could sense that, by the way her eyes swept my mini library and the comments she made on my choice of books. Ah, there's a kindred spirit.

Pak Abu has been anchored to the comfortable sofa like a beached whale for hours now. Barely moving, the spaghetti meal must have done him in.

He may be dozing off, drifting in and out of sleep, but rest assured his grip on the remote control has not slackened one bit. I think he's afraid I may switch off the TV.

I made a conscious choice NOT to the watch 'The Debate' on TV9, purely because the oratory skills of one of the speakers no longer impress me.

There is so much I can take; the fellow has outlived my welcome. I'd rather see less talk and more substance.