Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Nonnie the Veggie Hater

Forgive me if this post is too long and make no sense at all because I'm in the mood to 'talk'.

I understand that all students will be given homeworks to spoil their holiday because all teachers are evils *nyek nyek nyek* do, but.. why am I also stuck at home facing the pc and doing my 'homework' as well?

I'm a teacher for god's sake. I should be the one giving the students a hard time. Why can't I enjoy my holiday? Oh well, what to do... small kaki cannot say so much.

No no no. I'm not complaining because I'm a gutless coward. I'm just...erm... *Help anyone?! What's a better and sweeter word to substitute 'complain' other than whining, protesting, grumbling and nagging? *

I planned to take guitar course, play with my mum's old sewing machine and learn how to bake this holiday... seems like it's more like "Mission Impossible" now.

The only productive thing that I'd achieved so far is... went to the dental clinic and made an appointment for filling and scaling.

And as for the two projects, or more like my homeworks... *ppppfffffttttt* I'm sure I can finish it earlier if I can concentrate on it for more than 30 minutes each session without wanting to surf and check what's on the TV or my lovely fridge...

Not to worry, I'll finish them on time. Just that I'm always the last minute kinda person. Need some pressure to push me.

* * *

Tell me, if I ask you to name me 10 different type of green leafy vegetables, can you? Rule - They must be all green and leafy. (Don't throw rotten eggs to me leh!)

I went grocery shopping with a friend last few weeks and she said she wanted to buy some veggies. And so we walked to the veggies and fruits corner... She was busy picking and I wasn't paying attention to it.

Suddenly she asked me,
"Hey King, what's the difference between these two ah?"

I lowered my head and looked at them... It was printed "Sawi Manis" and "Sawi Keriting".

Oh----Kay.... I thought Sawi is just Sawi... I didn't know there are Sawi Manis, Sawi Keriting, Sawi Pahit, Sawi Putih and Sawi Taiwan. Yes!! Just "Sawi" itself we saw 5 different types! (Refer to picture posted as below)

Probably by now you'll get the idea that I'm someone who seldom company my mom to 'tamu' or wet market to buy food and groceries one.


(The answer is - NONE! Healthy and Yummy are never good friends. They are enemies! Delicious foods are alway unhealthy and healthy foods make you feel like a cow/ sheep/ horse!)


You say die or not?

How to be a good mother like that?

I was a hardcore veggie-hater when I was a kid. I wouldn't eat that plate char-kueh-tiaw or mee-hoon if I saw a single strand of bean sprout in it. I would pick it out strand by strand, tossed it over and over again just to make sure it's "safe" to eat. The only thing closely related to fried veggies that I would eat is, mixing the 菜汁 (veggie sauce) to my bowl of rice, which no traces of onion and ginger.

So.. that is why I never bother to learn the different type of veggies. For me, they only have one standard name.. 青菜﹗(Green leafy veggies).


Oh wait, I did knew one.. SPINACH, because Popeye eats it (even though I still can't tell the difference in real life and I always thought spinach are all canned). I think the main point of this cartoon is to con innocent children to eat it. You know, normally parents will tipu and say, "Nah boy-boy, Popeye eat veggies so got power to beat bad guys. You must eat it also oh~Uhmmmmm. Taste good or not?". -_- Cow-dung, tipu small kid.

But still, I ate tofu, carrot and mushroom...because they're not green and they taste way better.

As years passed by, I learned that eating vegetables is good for our body.. and so I tried to force myself eat some. Still, only the leaves, strictly no stems! And I don't get those people who said "stem" are the most delicious part because it's crunchy.

I wonder how will I react if my kids hate veggies too.. Should I go,

"Yay! You got mommy's genes leh! Mommy also hate it when I'm at your age. Bah we don't eat it together. Just throw them away and don't let daddy know."
,

which is too much... or I should just lie to them and say,

"Its very delicious one! Mommy loves veggies the most. Don't believe? I eat and let you see. Ah--Uhmmmmm. Yummy!!!" And proceed to the nearest bin to spit it out.

Sigh, like this cannot. Like that cannot.. Teach me how?

* * *

And it's funny to see how they translate those Chinese names of the veggies to English or Malay.


Now I can named a few of it liao, like the usual kai-lan (but still not so sure what's the difference between Hong Kong one and local one..), Xiao-Bai-Cai, Cai-Xin (Choy sum), Bo-Cai.. erm, but I get confused once in a while.

Still.. got improvement mah!

So how about you people out there? How many green leafy vegetables can you name? (Excluding broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage... because they're not leafy!)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Random photos ahead.

Taken on last Saturday when Theen asked me whether I wanted to go have dinner with her and shark fin soup was on the menu.

Her parents got those tickets from donating money to some local association but due to the reason that they're vegetarian (like my mum...) and so there wouldn't be any 'edible' food for them (except for those decorating cucumber and tomato slices obviously). But they also didn't want to give up the chance of winning something from the lucky draw and so forced their daugther Theen to go. And so... I got a delicious and filling free meal. Kekekkekekee.



Can you see what's wrong with the banner?

And this too...
(But only for those who can read Chinese)

Oh my god... Instead of 蟹, crab﹐ they wrongly printed as 蠍, scorpion...


And so I guess the bowl of soup was suppose to turn out to be like this....



Again... no one proof-read before they print kah? (Just like the WYWY Menu) How about the printing company? You guys don't help to double check and correct your any mistakes found kah?

And this uncle...


I admired his courage to wear this out!

At first I thought it was just some usual batik or floral print (like most uncles love to wear to make them feel young), but on a second glance... wah seh... Japanese manga character leh. But, I don't know who.

13 comments:

Effy said...

me first!! wait, lemme think of veges that i know and i'll come back here again. till then.. remember.. i am first!! wahahahahaha

Jason said...

weeee... 1st again!

10 veggies ahhh...
1.fan shu ye (sweet potato leaves),
2.kang kong,
3.ma ni cai (no idea wat's the english name),
4.bai cai,
5.xi yang cai,
6.you me,
7.bao cai?
8.does bi ling count?
9.bo cai,
10.kai lan

nah. i don't care. it's very hard to name that many, so i don't care whether right or wrong ahhhh!!!

you can always say:
"mummy also hate veggie, but it's good for us, so we work hard together lah? i eat one, you eat one"

or tell a lie again =p:
"if you don't this veggie ahhh, your hair will drop ohhh, then not beautiful anymore!"

i hate raw carrot, or else, carrot is okay. oh yah, i hate bitter leaft green veggies. dunno what name. somehow, the bittergourd my mum cooks tastes better, not bitter at all!!!

Jason said...

ehhhhhh someone beat me to it... seee! thinking up of veggies is too hard bah!!!! took me so much time. yehhhhh!

Paupau said...

hahaha.i can't really think of any leh,only kai lan and kan na kia i supposed..don't really bother to think the name also,cuz as long as it's cooked and edible,i just gobble down..lolz.

i hate eating stems too!everytime i take the vege,i sure cut the stems away and only eat the leaves..haha..mum always nag me didn't eat the stems d.=p.

i can't remember whether i'm a vege hater when i'm small or not,i only love bean sprouts since small,crunchy and juicy(not like those stems,yuck.)..hiaks.

Nonnie King said...

Effy : Yes you're first and you better come back here with the answers~

Jason : Steady leh you! But but but.. what's #6 you me (I know got restaurant almost same name lah)? And I feel so qing-qie seeing you calling the veggies ma-ni-cai and bi-ling lah.. Those are the names my mum call it too, but other people call it "Shu-Zhi-Cai" and something else I cant remember for bi-ling.

I think I'll prefer the first answer to tell my son instead of lying. But, it's going to be less than 5 stalks of veggies. Hehehhee.

The bitter veggies, if not wrong is call "kua-cai". Hate that.

And I'll only eat bitter gourd if it's sliced so damn thin till I can't taste any bitterness or, got meat stuff inside.

Pauline : Kan Na kia sounds like scolding people leh. Got such veggie meh?

My mum nags me too... but I threaten her back and say if she talks so much, even the leaf part I also don't eat next time. Yes, I was very naughty and bad. Now I change liao lar, very kuai.. though still don't eat the stem. Hhehhee

Nonnie King said...

Forgot to say..

Jason : Next time book the first place first. =p

Anonymous said...

Don't worry lah Nonnie, for me all greens are the same, all taste the same! I don't bother to learn, I just buy whatever's fresh and green and teach my kids to not distinguish one green from another!

Paupau said...

nonnie,don't know ar.i always heard my aunt say this vege d when she wanna cook for lunch..so..i also blur blur..hahahaha.you yaiyai lor..still threaten lagi ar..hahahhaa..

Nonnie King said...

Jewelle : LOL! You're such a cool mother! I think I'm so going to follow your way.

Pauline : Aiyah.. only child andang manja a bit mah~

Jason said...

#6 you me. i dunno boh. i just know it's a very nice one when we go to restaurant, though some places don't have it.

"you2 me4 cao3 fu3 yu2". the dish! with the chinese sounds, whether it's 1st or until the 4th.

i will the book the first place next time. wahaha

Anonymous said...

I also like to eat the veggie leaves too but as time pass I also eat the stem. I'm don't know what are the veggies chinese name but I like one called 'Pak Choi' i think that's the spelling. Does Kangkong fits to the category too?

You ahh, now I just know that you don't like vegetables. Of course the first reply to the kids is not good. You must be a role model for them. I can imagine myself saying this to you both.."If you both are good and eat your veggie, daddy will buy you both ice-cream."

I know the manga picture on the uncle shirt. It's called "Samurai X". Si Beh Cool it look.

Nonnie King said...

Jason : Still... never heard of it.

Bobby : Where can like that leh? Veggies are healthy, ice cream is unhealthy, eat both at the same time later lausai ah.

I andang don't like lah.. just that I still pretend to be good and eat the leaves. You don't see I always leave the stems meh? =p

Oi, next time you become uncle cannot wear this kind of shirt okay. Else you don't walk next to me and throw my face.

Merv Kwok said...

tight panties???!! briefs lar! haha