A day out with Ila - part I

Ila was back from Tokyo yesterday. After having Nasi Lemak with Mirza and Mira, Ila and I went for outing around Tokushima City. We went to Awa Odori Kaikan and bought ticket consisting a package of Bizan Ropeway and Awa Odori dance performance. Guest what? I had my day dancing Awa Odori at the end of the performance and was awarded a certificate as the top three. What a day?! By the way amongst the Japanese visitors, it was obvious that Ila and I were foreigners, and was asked earlier about our country by the MC when he introduced the Awa Odori dance.

The aunty next to me was the first of the top three.

He scrutinized me with questions though I told him that I was no able to converse in Japanese language. I tried best to answer him....sigh!

MC giving away the prize

Traits to be a developed nation?

Hijab stir a curiosity.

The title seems a little out of context but I wanted to make a statement that Japanese in general is very curious. They wanted to know the answer of any arising issue and will go to great length of trouble to find out the answer.

Why I am saying so? This is the observation of a foreigner who lives here in Japan (Tokushima) for the last 3 years, a Muslim lady who wears a hijab.

About the hijab, definitely none of the Japanese wears any cloth to cover their head accept for cancer patients or some old ladies who are losing a lot of hairs or in Edo period, a Ninja. Hence, it is common to hear a comment from a little boy asking her mother, “Is she a Ninja?” This question will always bring a smile to anybody nearby who can understand Japanese language. The mother will then hush-hush the little boy who appear to be shy.

The query about the hijab does not stop with only with the little boy. Any passing old ladies or men will also ask about the hijab, and definitely nothing related to the Ninja thing.

Actually, I lied. Not only old people ask the questions. Lectures or professors had asked me the question, even my adopted mother of Hiroshima.

The first question usually, ‘How do you feel wearing hijab especially during summer. Is it hot?’

Summer in Japan is hot and they are curious on how the Muslim woman is coping with the heat. Then the next question is do we open the hijab at all, as example in our house. Then, they wanted to know if we do cut our hairs because we can’t open up the hijab in public, so how about in the saloon. The next, if we can buy the cloth of the hijab in Japan and are there any specific colors permitted. If woman they will end the question saying that the brooch that we used is beautiful. The man will tend to say that he just wanted to ask because he is thinking about the hot weather of summer in Japan.

Those are the normal and standard questions. No hard feeling from me because the questions are sign of curiosity. I can understand it since I am a researcher myself.
Today, I was asked the same set of questions again during lunch time at the bicycle parking area. An uncle who appeared out of nowhere approached me just to ask the questions. Can you make it the guts that he had, coming up to a stranger and asked a question about her lifestyle? I can’t ever do that.

I guess the Japanese is very curious people and they love finding the answer straight from horse’s mouth. I can’t blame them but I salute their braveness. I just think that probably those are a few traits of people needed to build a developed country. Any ideas Malaysian?

The Festival of Lights - Happy Deepavali

Malaysia may not be the rich country but we're unique. The uniqueness that differ us from the rest in the world is the multiracial community that we live in. One of the best things to be in multi-racial society is to have many festivals to celebrate each year (which I look forward since I was a small little girl).

Today, 16th of October 2009 is the Deepavali day or Diwali. For Malaysians and everybody in the world who celebrated Deepavali, Happy Deepavali. Enjoy the Open House for me as I can't be there in person.

Open house of Mira Mirza in Japan

It was almost the end of Aidilfitri but our two Malaysians single and available young ladies of Tokushima decided to hold an 'Open House' last Monday. This was the first time they had invited almost all Malaysians living in Tokushima to their house, and that too, to taste their own home made Soto.

Ila and me started early from my apartment to Tokushima Station. Mira, one of the two was coming to the station and then we took taxi together to her house. She had to 'jemput' us at the station, the correct way to express it. The problem lies on not having the second bicycle repaired (so Ila and I can't just cycled to their house) and then not knowing of how to get there on my own by bus. Thanks Mira!

When we arrived, Mirza was still doing some chores. Both of them had been cooking since the night before. Anyhow, most of the preparations were ready and we just help to do the final touching here and there before the crowd arrived at 1 pm.

As the verdict, I can happily announced that the Open House was successful, with flying colors! The Soto was delicious and so their mango pudding, and not to forget the cheesecake. All the guests seemed to enjoy themselves eating and chatting happily with each other.

Girls, I am looking forward for your Open House again next year!

Mira

Mirza

Anchovies tumis nasi kerabu

The night before Ila arrived, I was busy in the kitchen, preparing and cooking nasi kerabu and sambal tumis. I planned a small lunch party to celebrate Ila and had invited Sakuraiman.blogspot owner (Emi) and family(Nuar and Iman). They picked Ila and me from the Tokushima bus station that morning. Then, Mirza and Hadi came to join us. During the previous week, both of them had been very kind to accompany me entertaining the guests from USM for one whole day.

I don't want to digress further...Back to nasi kerabu, I wanted to make it since the last few months but the thought of going to eat nasi kerabu alone made me abandon the project (sigh! so lonely, so kesian). That night after coming back from lab, I started the cooking project. I used Yani's Myresepi.com Nasi Kerabu Perantau with a little twist (because I had twisted my hand!).

Here is the story. I had a bottle of anchovies sauce in my cupboard that I had always wanted to use as a replacement for budu in tumis preparation. So, I opened up the bottle. Usually, liquid in newly opened bottle is quite difficult to come running down. Having that in my mind and acting like a pro-chef, I poured the sauce directly into the pot but I was definitely wrong in my assumption about liquidity of the sauce (being too confident is not good, girl!).

More than 3 spoons came down (as was suggested in the original recipe)! Infact it was nearly ¼ of the original volume of the sauce. Startled for a while but quick thinking, I decided to taste the tumis before making the next move. It was quite salty but then again, to start making it all over again would surely take more time. And at that moment, the wall clock was showing 11.30pm, almost midnight. I didn't want to miss my sleep because it's going to be a long day tomorrow. Using some magics ingredients (of sugar and water, sigh!) and a packet of instant coconut milk, I managed to reduce the saltiness. God! What a relief? (Really?!)

Personally, I think the anchovies sauce can't never replaced budu or even belacan. At the end, an inch of belacan was added to the tumis to get the correct taste (according to my taste buds). But no, it was not as delicious as the original nasi kerabu of Kota Bharu but enough to satisfy my desirous of nasi kerabu.
Iman with his charming smile

Nasi kerabu

The chocolate pudding was from Emi, sedap!

A small gathering with friends and Ila

Arrival of Ila

At 4.30 am, the taxi was waiting when I reached downstairs from my second floor apartment and took me straight to the Tokushima Station. Next, I hopped in the limousine bus and slept through the journey of almost 3 hours. Though the morning scenery was very picturesque, I couldn't bring myself to take the picture. I was very sleepy.

When I arrived at Kansai Airport, it was almost 8 am and Ila was there at the North Arrival Gate, chatting with a Malaysian guy. The guy was a new student coming for a Master course study and will be studying in a university somewhere in Kyoto (I couldn't get the name). Ila and I parted our way with him as we needed to take the next bus back to Tokushima at 8.35 am.

North Arrival Gate of Kansai Airport

Ila, all ready to go to Tokushima

Posing for my blog

The limousine bus stand outside the building

"SMSing families and friends, just to let them know that I am fine"

My cousin is coming...

Ila is coming and will reach Tokushima tomorrow morning. The bus ticket or kippu on Japanese for Kansai Airport had been bought and I will take 5.05 morning bus to meet her at the airport. Above all I am happy to have her here.

By the way, she will take the entrance exam on 14th and 15th and will stay at Dr Widya apartment in Tokyo. Hopefully everything will fell into places as plan and she will be able to successfully enter the university for PhD course next Spring. I know that her father (my beloved uncle) is not very keen to let her pursuing her higher degree study outside of Malaysia. He, as everybody in our big family know, is very attached to his children and that's the main reason he is not happy for her choice of university. However, I pray that he will be given a strong heart to part with his daughter for only 4 years. I can understand his point of view but I guess, Ila should go wherever she deserved.

Go Ila Go!