Bayam Merah Pah Aisyah

Yesterday morning I found myself at the PB market. I had planned to go buy some things for some curry mee but as usual, I loved to browse all stalls. In the end, in addition the the things actually needed for my curry mee (which I bought in excees sbb kunun bleh freeze and use next time), I also bought some bananas and some vegetables.. particularly red spinach!

Usually there are so mane people at the market that no matter how early I go, some veges have already left the shelf by the time I arrived (even klau sampai there at 7.20am, ok!) This time I was lucky, they had a large fresh supply and without hesitation, I bought some.

Why am I talking about 'without hesittion'? Its because I very seldom cook leafy vegetables. I prefer the non-leafy ones (cucumbers, tomatoes, baby corn, green peppers, mushrooms and such) coz they are longer lasting in the fridge since I sometimes take time to even consider what to do with them haha..

Nway, since yesterday I'd already done my curry mee, I decided to make something different today and remembered the bayam merah I bought yesterday. I decided to try and see if I could make a respectable dish outta it. Yeah, I know, takat bayam merah je pun, not rocket science. But still..

In the end, I managed to make something that looked like what my arwah Pah would've done for us when she was still alive and strong.. tadaaa~~

I remember the first time I was introduced to this leafy vegetable. We had just come back to Malaysia and were staying at Kuala Kangsar for the time being. Pah had made lunch and I was suprised to see some red vegetable soup. It intrigued me that it was red in colour and I assumed Pah had put some red colouring in it.

A few months later, after entering school, I had learnt about the fable Raja Bersiong and instantly, my mind went to the bayam merah dish.

It worried me a bit and somehow Pah noticed this the next time we balik kampung. She then asked me if I wanted to help her prepare the dish and since my curiosoty was very high, I went along with her.

It was like magic when I realized the red colouring came from the spinach itself and Pah must've been amused seeing me so relieved that it wasn't actually cooked in blood, as in Raja Bersiong haha..

So thank you, Pah, for that lesson in kitchen magic. I always think of you whenever I see bayam merah, cooked or uncooked.

My first try at preparing bayam merah 

Alfatihah..

Those Whom I'll Always Love

It started with Afo's FB post tagged with me, Razin and Izzani. Memandai je budak tu cakap kat diorg, "Cikgu Ayu teringin Char Koay Teow".. Next thing I know, we'd already set the time and date for our CKT gathering haha..

This wasn't the first time though. Before they all went to their respective colleges after SPM, I was 'tricked' this way too. I guess "Fool me once, shame on you.. fool me twice, shame on me!" Haha, but I'd gladly be fooled by them as they've always had a special place in my heart.

I decided to ask Nazleen to join us too since we had planned to go to Omaq's and Nazleen's house is just 5 minutes from the eatery. Besides, I haven't seen her in a long time. Nazleen in turn thought of asking Aminah and I just thought, why not? The more the merrier ☺

Thats how we found ourselves in a corner table at Omaq's.

The biggest suprise came in form of Afo. I taught him eversince he was in form 1 right till he was in form 5, with the exception of form 3 since I didn't have that class yet then. He had always been a chubby boy.. not fat, mind you.. but chubby. Somehow, his one year in matriculation has shrinked him into half his usual size. I'd already noticed that in his FB photos so I told him I wanted to see his change LIVE hehe.. he assured me, I'd see in it high definiton.. and I sure did! Jeles kot hehe..

Razin plak, I only met him when he was in form 5. He's a bit big-boned but we used to tease him Baby Boy coz thats what his mother calls him (his mother is a teacher at their school kot klau tak silap.. thats why his friends knew bout his nickname) Chumel ok~~ Hehe.. He's in UiTM Seri Iskandar, doing Town Planning.

Here's a snapshot Afo and Razin

Next is Izzani whom I also only met when he was in form 5. I don't think I was that close to him when I was teaching him but I'm closer to him now, thanx to FB. He loves sharing pictures of his student life, the most recent, his Mandarin redition of the Dikir Barat. Dapat number 1 plak tu hehe.. he's in UiTM Merbok (if I'm not mistaken) doing Business plak. He's always been good in Maths anymay.. tho through my experience, accounting is way different from Math.. like WAY different.

Then comes two of my ex-studetns who are now my juniors in USM.. boley? Hehe..

Nazleen I taught in forms 1, 4 and 5. I still keep the Teacher's Day gift she gave me when she was in form 1. She's one of those hardworking students who think its (almost) the end of the world if she doesn't get A's hehe.. and she's been striving for it eversince the first day I knew her. She's a bit worried about university as most of us know, A's aren't that easy to get. I hope she'll adapt to this sooner rather than later coz when she worries, she really worries and she's such a nice girl. Well, she's in the EE school in our campus and she seems to like it.. particularly since she could go home everyday hehe..

Next is Hilmi, who's my definite junior since he's now officially a student at the School of Civil Engineering! Waaahh.. so proud of them! I taught Hilmi in forms 2, 4 and 5. One of those talkative student TAPI dalam dok banyak cakp, his hands still do the sums I give them.

Last but not least is Aminah. I also met her in the exact same classes I met Hilmi. She's doing her STPM. In fact, its actually happening right now. We had a great time calling her budak skola that night.. dia redha je lah hehe..

From right anticlockwise: Razin, Afo, Hilmi, Izzani, Nazleen and Aminah

Nway, I had a really great time catching up with them. I am so proud of all of them for coming this far, and I pray that they would get even farther.