april has a blog: eat, eat, and eat

air jambu fruit <3

Halfway through my Japan exchange last year around the summer holidays, I remember purchasing a book called Eat, Pray, and Love. (I don't recommend it to be honest. I fell asleep after reading the "eat" part of her journey.)

During that time I was also embarking on change.

Or should I correct myself and use the verb 'escaping' instead of 'embarking'?

Considering how I packed my bags in a day and was out of there in a taxi, all the while feeling a huge wave of relief, I'd say I was escaping.

It's amazing that the emotions I'd felt a year ago is still as fresh in my mind today.

I still hurt in all the same places, and am still fearful of rejection.

I still have flaws in all the places I wish I didn't, and can only think of changing without actually doing so.

All my family back here in Kuala Lumpur had the chance to read my blogs while I was in Japan, and of course, post first host family horror entailed the need to appease my pain through food from home.

My loving relatives remind me time and time again that I'll always receive the most food in Malaysia- and that Japan cannot and will never compare.

However prior to the Japan exchange I was already aware that no amount of food I had received in Japan could ever compete with the amount I'd eat in Malaysia.

It's only unfortunate my relatives forget time and time again that we all only have one stomach to digest the food they feed us.

So much so that there isn't time for anything else other than eating.

God, I'm a pig.

roti canai

Malaysia is a country of three different nationalities, each bringing three different cuisines to the menu- and not to mention the invention of new cuisines through various combinations.

You have your smorgasbord of Chinese food, Malay food, and Indian food.

I've already managed to work up my appetite in selecting photos to feature on this blog entry.

Wow, I really am a pig.

However Malaysian-Chinese food is very much different to what you'd normally be accustomed to when you think of food from China.

Chinese food in Malaysia is so packed with sinful indulgent flavors that its no wonder every single kid I've ever met has no trouble eating all three meals at adult sized portions.

To be charitable though, when I say "adult sized portions", I do not mean it in a Western context.

Our "adult sized" is almost a small in the developed world.

Nevertheless- the amount is still a lot, and having six meals a day is not quite normal.

Although the heat is irritating and unbearable at times, it is solely responsible for elevating our metabolism rate.

Living for almost ten whole years in New Zealand has denied me the privilege of indulging in food and never putting on any weight.

I've been consuming so much calories in a day, I feel ashamed of myself.

Only in Malaysia does one have pre-breakfast, breakfast, brunch, lunch, snack#1, snack#2, snack#3, pre-dinner meal, actual dinner meal, even more massive second dinner meal, dessert, supper at midnight till 2AM, and then drinks in the city.

I am disgusted with myself. But "I am full" is not a valid sentence that my extended family can comprehend.

That is why I love them...(and hate them).

To give you an example of how much we enjoy eating, we have a game we play that delegates the amount of seafood you'd have to eat per meal.

So you spin the…oh god, I need to google this.

Its called a lazy Susan, I think? I'm positive it's called a lazy Susan.

Any dish that has crab, lobster, or shrimp in it, we would stick chopsticks out at the sides, spin the lazy Susan around, and the person it points to has to then eat a piece.

The only catch is that seafood is usually served last- and by this stage, everyone is FULL beyond description.

This game is usually played in such an immature manner that we get stares from other people sitting next to us.

Nevertheless we eat anyway.

I am fully aware gluttony is a sin. But in my defense- I do not really have a say in what goes into my mouth when on holiday.

…that’s what she said. ;)

I've been here a good week and a bit, and rather concerned because I can feel my waistline expanding.

I am afraid that I will not be able to fit into my dress for the family reunion. Not to mention that the reunion is after my Thailand trip, which means that there will be more food each and every day.

Do not mistake this for ungrateful complaining, mind you, I love to eat.

My body however, punishes me by digesting only a smidge of what I eat and stores the rest as fat.

It realizes how yum the food is too, I guess. Can't blame it :)

It's odd that family members would make comments about your weight gain, then persuade you to eat more because "you can't get this delicious food in New Zealand or any where else in the world. Eat la, don’t be so shy…Eat more! More!"

Judging by what I've had so far in all different parts of the world, I can't help but agree.

I'm not being biased or anything, but there is something so cultural and different about Malaysian food that will always be dear to my heart.

Perhaps I feel this way because there isn't an authentic Malaysian restaurant in New Zealand, and tasting my home country's food after a long time is nostalgic.

Perhaps it's because of the vast variety of different foods available- one really wouldn't get bored.

Whatever the reason may be, I am only here for a short three weeks.

I'll most likely burn this all off trying to stay awake in lectures next semester anyway.

My classes seem so utterly boring. Yawn.

Apart from my shocking consumption of food this past week, I've been buying presents for friends, writing postcards, and bonding with the familia. (excuse my shocking use of italian there- I've been watching lots of Cake Boss episodes with my cousins and learning some vocab along the way.)

You notice how time flies when your youngest cousin couldn't walk, can now run , jump, and demand for food. Especially when my little cousin used to sing Barney songs to me can now tackle long division and negative numbers with ease- you feel really, really old.

You also notice how time flies when you realize how much your grandparents have aged.

Not physically, but by the lesser amounts they eat and talk.

Losing a set of grandparents already has been difficult enough, and I do not want to even entertain the idea of losing my grandparents that are alive and well at present.

Back to happier things that won't make me tear at the laptop...

Hospitality amongst Malaysians is emphasized through the giving and sharing of food :D

I will admit that there was a time where I didn't appreciate my own culture, and hated everything about Malaysia.

I hated coming back here to see everyone, I compared Malaysia to New Zealand unfairly, and complained about the heat even in an air-conditioned room.

Going to Japan has made me realize how much my family loves and cares for me- and despite our differences, ignoring them and having a good time is what makes fun memories.

So although I get called "buibui" (a hokkien word for chubby), and "black" (because as explained in my earlier blog post, I now have tanned to a shade that doesn't reflect any light whatsoever)- I'm no longer bitter about the comments.