THE NEW EDGE

Malaysians in Malaysia would never dream of trying to make roti canai at home. Firstly, why bother when a mamak is around every corner.  Secondly, much mess is created. Thirdly, dexterity and skill is required, skill which seems elusive and proprietary to the 'mamaks' - in Malaysia, the rotis are made almost exclusively by Indian Muslims.

But hey, go to a restaurant in Sydney and you see Chinese flipping the dough, so it must not be so elusive after all!

When it comes to attempting roti canai, a recipe is not enough.  That's why this roti canai making page is perfect with its recipe and tutorial on how to stretch the dough. Use the enriched dough recipe if making the sweet variety, and the second plainer dough if intending for savoury uses, like to eat with curry.

As for the 10.8% protein flour he mentions, the closest I found was Woolies' Homebrand plain flour, which is made up of 10.9% protein. I checked out Coles, White Wings, and other brand flours and it seems the more expensive, the lower the protein content. Go figure.

The pix above is my first attempt. Looks right, doesn't it? I was jumping up and down with glee! Unfortunately, although it was already membrane thin, it wasn't thin enough by far. I think I need a hundred more flips and folds before I get it right. I can virtually hear my family groaning as that is a hundred rotis they have to eat before they get to eat anything decent.

I accompanied Number 2 to his scout's meeting last week, and sat there seething.

There was this Girl. She clung to Number 2. She was holding his hand at every opportunity, stood next to him whenever they had to line up, and hugged him whenever their team won a game. While they were sitting cross-legged on the floor, she put her arm around him and leaned onto him.

My jaw dropped. I wanted to go up and poke her in the chest and say, "Hands off, he's mine!" But the fact that she was seven years old led me to holding myself back.

"It's cute," says Hubs. "His first girlfriend." It's so not cute.

Number 2 looked a mite uncomfortable with all the attention but bore it with a wane smile. They were making a Mother's Day macaroni necklace and after he completed it, he ran over to me, and strung it over my head as I bent down and he gave me a hug and a kiss.

"So there!" I thought, and looked at the girl out of the corner of my eye but she wasn't paying attention... Darn!

I wonder what I will be like when they bring home real girlfriends.

Number One is growing up too. He is going off to a scout camp for four whole days next year, which Hubs sneakily signed him up for before I could object.

He flew the coop for the first time last year for a day... it was such a milestone.


I fretted over it. I wondered how he would do with people making him cook and clean and having to sleep with people he didn't know. But he surprised us, and made us proud.

When we went to pick him up, he was busy taking down the tent. I called to him and he came over and gave me a hug. He was 'cool' but his eyes and the hug spoke volumes. They said "I miss you," and "I'm glad to see you."

He rated the experience a nine out of 10 and thanked his father for sending him to camp, and getting all the equipment for him. And here he goes again next week and next year.

From the time they take their first steps, they are learning to be independent. But thankfully they take baby steps on the path to independence or my heart wouldn't be able to take it.

What do I do at an expensive, classy place?

I go take a picture of the toilet door.

In the middle of our 3-hour anniversary lunch, me being 7 months pregnant then, had to go for a toilet break. I head to the toilets and come across this :



and

No other words, just those two symbols.

I pause and look back and forth between the two like an idiot for 20 seconds until I figure it out. Even then, I tentatively push open the door in case I got it wrong!

I was so tickled I decided to take a photo before we left. So while Hubs was paying the bill and distracting the reception fellow, I go to the loo and take these snapshots.