FUNNYACCENT

First feminism awakening

I don't remember exactly how old I was when I read a story about a powerful king who ruled the land of abundance somewhere in the Middle East long, long time ago. Perhaps I was eight or nine years old. The book was written in Jawi (Jawi is a modified Arabic script written in Malay language). The book was a compilation of short stories about the grandeur kings in a distance land.

In this story, the king was portrayed as a wise, generous and loved by his people. One day the king told his queen that he was planning to take a second wife. The queen was upset. She stayed in her room and refused to leave the room for a few days. Knowing the news had upset the queen, the king decided to drop off the upsetting topic for a while. He ordered the palace chef to prepare the queen's favorite meal. Every day, while the chef brought in the queen's favorite meal. After the third day, the queen came out of the bedroom. She was still upset with her husband's intention to take a second wife, but she has a question that burning her mind.

The queen told the king she enjoyed her favorite meals, but the queen wondered why she was served the same meal for lunch and dinner for those days she stayed in her room (in this story, the meal was chicken). The king told the queen that he ordered the palace chef to prepare the same meal for the queen. The king asked the queen did the queen enjoy the meal. The queen said she did.  She loved the chicken, but into the third day, the queen said confessed she couldn't eat the chicken anymore. The queen said she loved chicken but she couldn't eat chicken every day. The queen said to the king years of marriage the king must be aware of the queen liked to try different food. The king said he was absolutely aware which food favored by the queen.

The queen asked the king again the reason behind serving her the same food for lunch and dinner for three days in a row.

The king brought the topic of taking a second, younger wife to the queen. The king reminded the queen that she grew tired of eating the chicken for three days in a row...........

I honestly do not remember at all what happened in the next paragraph. I don't think I finished the story, but there was unsettling feeling somewhere in my young head. I did not know what it was. I did not understand why. But it was upsetting me. Only many years later when I was in my twenties it hit me that king compared his wife to a chicken to justify his intention to take a second wife.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quick Note

My goodness, it has been almost two years since the last time I updated my blog. Where have I been in those two missing years?  Before the end of May, two of my favorite people are coming to visit me. I am all excited and grateful that I going to see them again. The spring is here, although the temperature is yoyoing between 40F and 50F, teasing us the NewEnglanders as usual, but it is my darling Spring.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Almost Over.

We are already in a final week of Ramadan. Where did the three weeks of Ramadan go? I almost forgot that Hari Raya will be this week when I was at the halal store at Haymarket on Friday to get some fresh sardines when I saw chickens were flying off the shelves so fast. When my brain made a 'click' noise all the good boneless chicken were gone. Dang!!! Perhaps I'll make beef rendang this year. They still have plenty of beef.

The first two weeks of puasa was a challenge because the temperature had been between 90F-94F. And riding a bicycle in 90+ degree in bulan puasa is no joke.

Run and Wind

I made three attempts to run since the temperature nosedive to between 25F-30F degree. I failed miserably. I was aware I could easily get hurt running in cold weather than say running in 60F degree, but I was hoping I could at least run a couple of miles. The cold was one thing, but the sharp as needle wind was brutal. The temp was easily dropped to single digit when the wind was sharp and furious.

After fifteen minutes, I gave up.

According to weather forecasters this weekend will nice and warm of mid 30's. I'll take it.

Selftalk

Wait a minute!!! What happen to the rest of November?

We are already on the seventh day of December, hello!!!!!!

What?

I beg your pardon?

What?

The dialogue took place in my head while I was writing a Christmas card to a friend.

Still Fall

After Sandy left, I keep forgeting that we are still in autumn because the temperature these days rarely gets to mid 60's let alone to high 60's. This time last year I was still wearing light jacket with short sleeves shirt underneath. Last year, in mid November Rohana and I merayap all over the city with only long sleeve Road Runner running shirt on our backs, and I didn't wear hat at all.

Now, everytime I go out I am in long winter boots, winter jacket and a hat!!!. And the winter is not even here yet.

Grateful

I went out for a walk a day after Sandy left. It was 8:15 a.m and my neighborhood was so quiet that I never thought this place would this quiet before. Although I live not far from the beach, but I am grateful that no serious damges that I could see with my naked eyes as I stood outside the building. The only visible sign that I knew was  broken twigs on the ground and a few fallen branches which the custodians were already started to clear them away.

 As NYC and New Jersey were hit hard by Sandy and they are still cleaning up the mess, I am grateful that Massachusetts, except for power outage throughout Northeast  which was restored mostly by Wenensday, Boston was spared from the devastation.