for the love of pasar malam

If one asked what's the thing that I missed most about being home when I'm in Dublin I'd prolly say, going to pasar malam with my family on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

Well honestly it's not just about the usual roti johns, or murtabaks, or about tau fu fahs or char kuey teows, it's more about going out seeing a lot of people with a lot of characteristics in dealing with a lot of food. Never in my life had this thought crossed over my head till one day my i-wanna-ask-why-in-everything-6-years-old-nephew asked,

"Kenapa orang panggil pasar ni pasar malam, Akib tengok cerah je lagi dah ada pasar ni? Kita panggil dia pasar cerah je la!"

Well, that's the truth about the straight talking head of a 6 years old boy, u gotta do what the name implies, if u don't, then something's gotta change. That was not what I was trying to say, albeit it's going to lead me to my very point, which is the good timing of this so-called pasar malam. It's in the serene evening when the day is not humid and wind's blowing at times, people coming back from work feeling too exhausted to cook, and college students see another oppoturnity to varying the usual Dewan Selera's food, kids waiting for dreams of getting colorful balloons and mainan 3-10-ringgit to be fulfilled, and the hopes and dreams of the sellers to finished their goods for the day. A glob of each plus limitation for what money could provide give me a nice view to see what people do in keeping their needs fulfilled. Don't get me started on describing what it's like during fasting month, it's a hellavu view when hunger pang drives people to keep adding the number of that orange plastic bags filled with food in their hands, well that's including me.

When I was in Terengganu, pasar malam was always about ayam goreng. Since there was no KFC at the cowboy town I lived in at that time, and mom's restriction of eating one if there's any, pasar malam was a sneak-out for ayam goreng for us, well that was if we went there by bike with friends. If not, then no ayam goreng-lah. Another food to aim was always keropok lekor. So much for living in a keropok lekor part of the country, I personally felt that I never had enough of this tasty eastern ration. Then moving west to Selangor, I know yong tau fu by name. Seriously, this is the type of food that one would not dare to prepare at home, then pasar malam is the only place to savour it. And again, mom's disapproval on this was always loud, but I guess our driving force to eat was even louder, so she had to surrender. And then came roti john, oh me, I dunno why but this is what I'll be looking for each time I go to pasar malam (Mom once told me she doesn't have heart to eat roti john when I'm in Dublin-boleh banjir woo, now u know where I got my soft heart from). And there'd always also tau fu fahs, which I was told you could buy the machine to make them from Cosway or just redeemed the coupons u have (ask Yanie for more info. hehe). Not to forget the murtabak, putu mayam, ayam percik, nasi kerabu, nasi dagang, laksa penang, mee mamak, jagung bakar, corn in cup, apam balik, pau kacang, err I should stop there. Mm just to let u know this evening I was awing in amazement when I saw 'Ais Krim Magik' at pasar malam Bdr Tun Razak my friends brought me to. It's really amazing what people could produce (or is it just me who was jakun?).

Anyway, it is undeniable that pasar malam is one of the rarities that home could provide. For me, growing with it and seeing how the trend's changing is priceless. Even Naqib loves pasar malam so much that he once said to his mommy,

"Nantikan, bila Akib dah besar, pastu Mummy ngan Daddy dah tua, kita jual *kuih deram dekat pasar malam nak? Akib tukang terap kuih tu jadi bentuk bulat-bulat, Mummy tukang goreng, Daddy tukang masukkan dalam plastik."

*kuih deram=kuih peneram

So much for the love of pasar malam.

And Along, so much for sending your only son to a good school, please tell me he has more than that in his mind OK?

^_^