Salute to Housewives
Though I am married, he is still based in Muar and myself in Ipoh due to work and responsibilities commitments. As such, I took some time off and wnent back to my in laws house during Hari Raya in Bukit Gambir, Muar and decided to “cook” for them.
Earlier, I learnt to cook some dishes in theory and little practical, from my mother, in Ipoh. I have decided to apply the theory at my husband’s home. Further, there were only four of us in the house. A good place for trial and error. I must confess that I have yet to be able cook a “perfect” rice in the cooker. I always have difficulties in estimating the amount of water to be put into the cooker. Further, staying along with my mother since young, until now, though married, in Ipoh, I have always been “pampered” with good home cooked food. My mother is a good cook.
In this process of learning to cook a few dishes, I realised it is such a difficult task to be a houswife. It is full of challenges just to cook a dish. One needs to estimate the amount of ingredients, the temperature of the cooker and the hardest is to know when to remove it from the pan. Even to fry a “simple” vegetable with garlic, one needs to ensure it does not “over cooked” and turn yellowish. There was once, I boiled fishball vegetable soup and I covered it, thinking it could keep the soup warm and avoid dust setting on it. I was shocked when I opened the cover and found the vegetable had turned ” yellowish.” While, to cook a steam egg, it is not easy either. There is a method to beat the eggs, measurement of water to be added into and the temperature and time to be set. Occasionally, I need to throw away the “failed” steam egg. The temperature set was too high.
After cooking, comes the cleaning task. The floor of the kitchen would be oily. Cleaning of the plates and pots too. The shirt and face would smell of garlic or onion too.
I realised that it has been such a tough job that housewives have been doing. I am just mentioning about cooking! I can still “escape” the task of cleaning the house for some time.
I salute all full time housewives especially my mother!
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YB, what about the house husbands?
I used to travel between KL and BG (almost every weekend) for 12 years before the NSE was fully opened. It took 3 1/2 hours along the federal trunk road, which could be more arduous than your Ipoh-Muar route on the NSE now.
With my little knowledge in cooking, I managed to teach my youngest daughter (when in college in KL) to cook ‘kang kong’ and brinjal with belacan sauce (prepared), steamed minced pork and egg), while my better half with the skill did not have the time.
She made her own wedding dress, yet had no time to sew buttons back.
With children, there was the added emotional strain each time I left BG (where the kids were with in-laws) and KL (where my aged mother lived alone).
This separation problem seems very common these days with the more and more ‘lui keong yan’ and some sort of compromise is necessary. I wish you all the best.
Comment by K S Ong — October 9, 2008 @ 11:12 pm
Lat Chiu Cai
It seems that you are more pro in politics compare to being housewife ya.
I like to see you giving speech during ceramah around KL this year. Your speeches are so inspiring.
Comment by LX — October 10, 2008 @ 9:58 am
YB PK
Always around and supportive of what you do. Anyway, keep it up.
Comment by Jeffrey Chew — October 12, 2008 @ 7:49 am
just do not force ur own sister to eat what you cook! haha
hhmmm…though it is indeed pretty delicious…
keep it up! Mrs Tan…
Comment by kl — October 12, 2008 @ 2:05 pm
Dear YB,
not many housewives can go to parliament and scare the day lights out of grown men. (ok, maybe some not grown ones too)
cooking needs practice, then you develop instinct. how much salt, how much water, how long, to stir or not blah blah blah
as much as your kitchen needs you, Malaysians need you too
you have already given a lot in your life to a great many ….
Comment by Lee Wee Tak — October 25, 2008 @ 5:35 pm