A case of miscommunication

I have a hectic day today and quite overwhelming emotionally- A lesson for today is always reconfirm what you want to do if your planning involve other people- We tend to get the time, venue, what and how wrong because we assume that all are in order- we assume we know and the other party also knows it too – heheh I almost got a heart attack but I think  I manage to control macho, but my father cannot face it quite well that he has to sit down and calm down.


We are supposed to have my mum’s tahlil/kenduri (feast for my late mother) after isya- it was always after isyak- the last kenduri was all after isyak.Yes, we talk once or twice that maybe we would try to do it in the day time next time – after zuhur prayer but it was only a plan (how I remember it la). And when my dear father said this kenduri will be like before (macam biasa) I assume macam biasa- after isyak.


I start my day today leisurely taking my sweet time attending to my FB farm and blog reading and at the same time trying to get through my father's phone to ask him to meet me at 9.30am, so that we can go to the market and buy all the kenduri things. I call many times but he does not pick up (what is it with MEN huh? They can never pick up their phone at the first, 2nd or 3rd ringing.  Tick Tack Tick Tack-10.15 am, I am no more at ease and finally I told  my helper and my children-‘let s go to atuk’s house’


He is at the front porch – sitting- apparently tired –obviously he just move the sofa and furniture out of the house to give away for the kenduri. I am just about to show my irritation by asking him "why did not you pick up your phone?" - when he suddenly blurted out- why you so late – nanti tak sempat (we will not be able to make it)- and I said why not? Kenduri malam apa banyak masa lagi and he answers- malam apa pulak – papa da bagitau imam and ustaz lepas zuhur – I am like WHATTTTTTT- why did you that – and he said did what? We agreed already kan ??? NO I said – so we both talk in high pitch voice, and try to cut each other and try to defend oneself- then he said – pening pening and he walk and and sit down staring into space (heheh) – ok la I said zuhur zuhur la come and let buy all the things that we want to cook- he said can aaa? I said have to la – I ask you to go and tell them that you got it wrong but you don’t want kan? So what choice we have now – we proceed- (dalam hati I said- alaweiiiiii biar betul now is 10.30 mannnnnnn)


Initially, my attention is to cook ayam goreng traditional malu malu (plain ayam with kunyit hidup, ketumbar, garlic, garam – goreng garing – sodapp), kari daging kentang, sayur kayang goreng udang, sambal tumis ikan bilis, sambal belacan and ikan masin sepat)- - But now I have to change plan – while driving to the supermarket, I do some quick thinking- I call my helper and tell her to go and cook rice first – use big rice cooker and get another big one from maklong’ house. Cook immediately- I said. (need to do this 4 times - total 8 periuk -can fit into 2 tong ice cream (to keep it warm) bulat size sedang and it takes about 1.5- 2 hours to cook total rice -about 10kg.


Then I scrap the kari daging- there is no way I can cook daging (tedious and take long time to cut all beef into smaller portion and tumis kari semua lambat) – ayam goreng is also a No No- LAMBAT- ayam takes time to fry. Kacang goreng udang? No no – udang takes time to peel off the skin- So what should I cook?


Right after I got back from market – I straightly work on the kacang panjang-  fry them with dried prawn, and onian and eggs, then I proceed with sambal tumis – campak bawang, ikan bilis sambal, air asam and let cook- settle 2 dishes. Ayam takes some time to clean- but once done – it is done- I cook gulai ayam cili padi-campak masuk ayam santan cili and bawang mesin, serai and daun limau purut )( no potato- no time) and then fry salted fish.

All in all, at 2 pm all is ready – few relatives come to help at 1pm (they also thought it is night tahlil so normally they would turn up at 3, or 4pm to help for onion and potato peeling, beef cutting etc. But today when I tell them that there is a miscommunication- they are caught off guard. Of course they have their things to settle first- that means – today I cook on my own-

I don’t look calm myself- my heart beat twice than the normal rate. I keep looking at my watch- can I make it?- I start working  at 11.am but I know that I got some buffered time- I don’t have to finish cooking at 1pm- as prayer time is only around 130pm and by the time the invitees come, it will be 2pm and by the time they finish the tahlil- it should be around 2.30—2.45- but of course it is good if all is ready by 130 so that the remaining of the time can be used for other arrangement- potong buah- cake, susun lauk dalam dulang etc. I dont care anymore how I cut the onions or kacang panjang (panjang pendek tak standard), no arts this time heheh -belasah-  

But we manage in the end- by 1pm the last dish ayam gulai cili padi is almost cooked- I am so relieved – but penat bangattttttttt heheh- and not to forget that while I was busy cooking, my children come and go, asking this and that. They made me turn into an exasperating ghost at one moment – tolong jangan kacau ummi jangan datang dapur pergi main jauh jauhhhhhhhhh heheh

What a day :) - 

PS:
The way I cook today is for 8-10 dulang makan around 40-50 tahlil's people and we cook more and normally we have excess -packed into small plastic bags to be distributed to the nearby neighbours (better lebih dari tak cukup makanan:))

I terlupa beli belacan- no stock at home - so no sambal belacan- kurang kicked makan:)

Feedback good- my relatives cakap sodapp and my dad said boleh tahan he he (boleh tahan dia maknaya sedap la gak - and as for me syok sendiri gak la coz bila i rasa boleh tahan gak especially my sambal tumis and gulai ayam  (sorry terpuji diri sendiri :))