REUNION DINNER AND FINDERS KEEPERS

Reunion dinner seems only yesterday but it was celebrated on the 14th of Februaury. What is it with getting older that makes time seem to move faster. I still remember when a day takes soo... long to move from waking up to bed time and then suddenly... waking up and bed time are seconds apart.

This year, the reunion dinner with my brothers and families was at my place. It was "pot-luck" so I did not slave over a hot "wok" and look drenched in prespiration. The temperature this February was hovering at 38 C with a humidity of over 90%. Sweating is what we do best in Malaysia. Together with pre-menopause and the hot flushes, I can get really get sweaty in a jiffy. Why is God so unfair that he made men with "no-pause."

My brother did not want to spent his Saturday cooking so he bought take away - satay (skewered beef and chicken) with peanut sauce and "ketupat" (rice pieces). My 14 year old daughter, MartianGirl made fried rice (very Asian) with parmesian cheese (very Italian). She wanted to contribute something.
I baked some coca cola pork ribs and

tamarind prawns.

For vegetables, I had button and Chinese mushrooms, clams, snow peas, dried oysters and cauliflower. My brother said it looked more anemic than a ghost. I should add some red capsicum next time.

There were gifts from everyone - pineapple tarts for good luck,

barbeque pork,

oranges and chocolates.

When buying the barbeque pork, I lost my wallet. I didn't realise it till I got home that my wallet with money, credit cards, identity and driving license was all gone and this was at 10 pm. My husband, GizmoMan, and I drove to the police station to make a report. The officer was a super kind and patient gentleman helping me type out the report in Bahasa Malaysia and that little gesture reduced my frustration level as it was already midnight. When he told me that the printer was not working and that I had to pick up the report from another police station the next day, I really couldn't get angry. After that, we drove to the bbq stall which was still open to meet the heavy orders for the New Year. No, he did not see the wallet.

Then at 4 am, I got a call from the guy at the bbq stall that some one had left all my cards on top of a public phone booth next to his stall. He found my number from my name card - one smart guy. He said he recognised GizmoMan and MartianGirl from the family photo. But the money and wallet was gone.

Lesson to learn - keep your name card and family picture in your wallet. Findes keepers but they only want the money. Some Good Samaritan may just return the rest to you.