Thursday, July 31, 2008

Rojak Entry

Don't one just love rojak mamak? Off course, there are some who does not. But judging from the many rojak businesses around town, my bet is that there are more lovers of it than not. Me, I find a good rojak simply bowl-licking good! Er...do kindly excuse me for that as I amjust an uncouth barbaric hermit trying to live a civilised life as defined by people of another civilisation, particularly those who does not believe in eating with fingers and find it...disgusting. And I find that, to be totally perplexing when one take into consideration that those very fingers are part of one's physical self. It would be understandable, off course, had one just dug into one's own nose, then begin eating with the same finger without ever washing it. Doing one of the 2 is already a no-no for many. But doing both? As the Mexicans would say it: "Aiyai yai!"

Dropped into an old friend earlier today. Akhbar - think I've mentioned him in one of my entries - is Money Changer guy who together within another friend, we tried to apply for a licence to operate our own sometime in 1996. Due to the circumstances of the time then, we were unsuccesful and each then drifted a different direction. Exept for Akhbar.

A sharp eye on forged currency, pleasant manner and easy with the smile, his boss found him trustworthy and had elevate his status from that of an employer to a business partner in another company. But the business there did not prosper as expected, and he is back assisting the boss in the Money-Changing business just next to PJ Hilton.

When I met him just now, Akhbar had a very worried look on his face. It seems, there has been a very sharp increase in crime and disturbance within the housing area he is in. Now, he is looking for another place, preferaly somewhere within Damansara where he can commute easily to his shop. I told him the area here is not as peaceful as he thinks as there have been several cases of break-ins. But he sounds adamant about it. Thus, insyAllah, this weekend, he will come over and together we will try to get him a place.

Crimes, it seems, is on the rise. With many people unable to maintain a comfortable life with the increase in prices of goods (Light crude is down to USD126 according to CNN) more than several people have decided to help themselves to illegally gained money. In fact, poor GM (at my links), have just been a victim of snatch thieves. But what have the Doraemons and the Sarkas been doing about it? They decided to heap the public with more lies, especially in the case of DSAI. It got so that at times I just want to scream "Hey Musa, when are you going to tie the swastika and the Doraemon picture on your armband?" But sadly, not are they blind and dumb, but deaf too. Also, they seem to like poking their fingers into someone else .... Do they know anything about integrity and honour? Or are they dumb because they do not know how to cleanse themselves, esepecially before eating. This, reminds me of another use for fingers, one which is pleasing especially to the ears.

Alina, had posted an entry about Moonlight Sonata together with notes for guitar. Now, being a barbarian, I off course, could never differentiate much between one classical piece to another. Thus, when I heard the song, it sounds very much like a Libestraum piece which I used to love. Ahem, mind you, that was when I was 14, and have not heard it since then. And when I listened to the piece at Alina, I mistakenly took it for the Libestraum below.

Believe it or not, I use to be able to play like that guy above. But off course, that was in my dreams :)

14 comments:

ZABS said...

Salam Shah,
Do you like rojak or pasembur better? I like the pasembur in Penang and the rojak in KL.
The other day I was talking to a middle age man (for the first time), about the hard time we had now, while sitting at the same table having tea tarik.
He does not agree with me, when I said that now business getting bad. Instead he said that it is getting worst.
When I said that we are heading for a ficancial crisis in 2011, he disagree again and said that in his word "nak sampai tahun 2009 pun tak tahu lagi".

Anonymous said...

hello shah and salam

rojak is nice especially if u have a bowl of cendol. there is a shop selling just that, about five minutes drive from where i am now. but the place isnt really safe anymore. it has become one of the places described by your old friend, akbar.
i think that is what happening to a country where more and more ppl are getting less and less for their hard-work earnings. dont think a ratio of one police to one citizen would help too.
maybe we should really smoke rokok daun, sit back with no tv and listen to beethovens moonlight sonata playing in our minds.
:)

Snowflake said...

Assallamualaikum
Waduh.. your 1st para, should I say it.. eeeioee.. just like KFC, finger lickin good huh!!
Surely you and I have something not in common, I only know how to cakap rojak.
Aje, don't forget my pesanan to Shirz ye.

cakapaje said...

Wa'alaikumusalam Pak Zabs,

Now, that's a tricky question there, one I believe Cikgu KTN would be the best person to answer; as far as I know, our rojak here is pasembur in Penang and vice versa. But if you mean locally, then I prefer rojak anytime.

And that old man, he perfectly epitomise the difference between Pasembur and Rojak :)

cakapaje said...

Wa'alaikumusalam shirzad,

Aha! So, like me, you too think that Libestraum no 3 and Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata are the same thing, or at least sounds very much alike. OK, this means I'm not as barbaric as I thought, lol!

As for the rojak, the cendol is the icing for the simple meal, ummph. And later, down it with a good teh or indoncafe tarik! As the Italians would then say: "Mama mia!" :)

cakapaje said...

Wa'alaikumusalam shirzad,

Aha! So, like me, you too think that Libestraum no 3 and Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata are the same thing, or at least sounds very much alike. OK, this means I'm not as barbaric as I thought, lol!

As for the rojak, the cendol is the icing for the simple meal, ummph. And later, down it with a good teh or indoncafe tarik! As the Italians would then say: "Mama mia!" :)

Oh bro, snowy send her regards to you. She also mentioned your last entry as being deep, man, real deep, as I commented.

cakapaje said...

Wa'alaikumusalam snowflake,

lol! 'eeeioee' eh? But then, is that for the rojak or for the finger?

And snowy, having something not in common, is an not uncommon - it is like snowflakes - they all look alike, but never the same :)

ps. OK, I mentioned it to shirzad already.

Unknown said...

Urgh! How uncouth, how uncultured and how barbaric of you to even think of eating with your hands. Oh, thats terrible. Common Shah, that must change. Don't you know why God gave us toes?

Now the Penang Pasembur is trully rojak in content. Not too keen because of the heavy sauce which is not too kind on my sensitive stomach.

IGP: What are your officers doing patrolling the roads?

Insp: There's too much crime sir.

IGP: I don't care about that. Let the people handle that, you go get Anwar. You hear me? Get Anwar.

cakapaje said...

Salam Cikgu,

Lol! Toes eh? Wokay, will give it a try. But don't think sloths will take kindly to me imitating them.

DSP: What aren't you men patrolling the streets?

Insp: Er...the IGP told us not to. In fact, he said he will issue a directive for the entire Doraemon force to watch Anwar.

DSP: Really ar? Well, since the directive has yet to be issued, what say you men belanja me to a good rojak and cendol?

Insp: We...belanja you? But you earn more than all of us put together!

DSP: Don't be stingy lah! I know when you return from roadblocks and all, you guys are richer than before. Otherwise, I'll put you guys on desk duty...what say you then?

Insp: No problem Tuan! In fact, we can also belanja you to a karaoke session.

Anonymous said...

haha. i like the police joke!!

itu lah pasal! kalau policia pun dah samseng. habis samseng nak jadi apa?? pencen!

aahh.. thank you for the liebestrum. tapi ada satu lagu instrumental klasik yang sampai kini saya tak tahu tajuk apa.

and, ada most common lagu instrumental tapi saya rasa ramai tak tahu. jez youtube for zhamfir - einsamer hirte. lovely music.

dan ada satu lagi muzik yang saya tengah cari. lagu latar bagi kebanyakan drama arahan mohd noor kadir (mnk). saya rasa itu muzik dari timur tengah.

siapa tahu. tolong bagitahu. thanx.

cakapaje said...

Salam Alina,

Hehe, kalau dulu kat yahogroups ada kadetpencen, kini akan muncul pula samseng pencen.

That song by Gheorghe Zamfir on mouth organ, is beautiful! Tak silap tajuknya Einsamer Hirte, as in the you tube itself. And kalau tak silap juga, Biddhu juga pernah main lagu ini. Now, since we are on the subject of Bidhu, there is a song of his I can't find, one which simply entitled 'Aria'.

Alamak, Alina! You asking me for a Malay drama song...though I do know of many, I hardly watch them. MNK the Electrical Engineer turned producer's dramas are too heavy in drama for me - too dramatic! But I think I know the song you are referring to cuma...its at the tip of the tongue but unable to say it, if you know what I mean.

Ydiana said...

Salam Shah

Yes, the crime rate is getting horrible. They are also getting creative to take victim by suprised. Lately robers poses as the 'paper lama' guy. You call them in and they rob you easily. I'll never call them after this.

Now, rojak. Too bad its midnight now. Otherwise I would have driven to a nearest mamak restaurant and have a treat. :)

And its my dream to play like that...

cakapaje said...

Wa'alaikumusalam ydiana,

Well, to play like that guy there, you could always learn or pick some tricks from that once a great master himself....ala, siapa nama dia, that handsome chap tu? OK! Baru ingat, that cakapaje guy tu lah! :)

And, if you want to try one of the best rojak in town, you should try the one in front of the small Giant store in Kelana Jaya.

ydiana, Do be careful and vigilant.

Unknown said...

salam alinaabdullah

"ada satu lagi muzik yang saya tengah cari. lagu latar bagi kebanyakan drama arahan mohd noor kadir (mnk"

Vangelis - Conquest Of Paradise