Friends

Old And New.

We meet people all the time. We make friends most of the time too. Some friends remain friends forever; others may not. But childhood friends do remain strong because somehow the bond is there. Bonds made in initial years do remain. Just like when my brothers come back from wherever in the world, they look for childhood friends who are dear to them. This time, the friends took a trip down memory lane to Muar, the town of our origin.

Meet Jeff Tan. A Rotarian all his life, he still is one. Back from Melbourne, the die hard Rotarian is out to raise funds for charity at the Ritz Carlton chain by cooking. He is a well known chef in Australia more so for his charitable heart...read an article which says that he cries when he sees the plight of the homeless and sick. So he's back for a few days to cook for homes !

Meet a new friend , Peter. A grand dad already, he is also a professional chef. He is here too to help his comrade of years. Last night I was told they served 8 guests for 80k... all for a good cause. Peter is amicable, friendly and has become Esther's best friend; just overnight. He is good for her as he is young at heart and entertained her all the way to Muar about any topic under the sun. He surprised her most when he said he visited the local night club in Melbourne with his son to listen to popular music. Esther knows too well her mama is not so gungho and wishes that she could be as accommodating as Peter. They say leopards don't shed spots ; not after 5 decades.

Of course, big or small chefs...everyone has to eat. When in Rome do what the Romans do. Consume our local brands ! Where else to go? Except to Ah Khong's!

The mee still tastes yummy and Peter said it was good. I hope it's not a white man's courtesy but most importantly he finished neatly. One thing I do notice though, Peter enjoys food of every form and gives praises freely and sincerely too; I hope.

See, at this humble corner these four people from Australia whether it be for education, work or retirement all had a fair share of fun at Ah Khong's noodle stall. Really, it's just not what you are, but what you make out of it that people remember you by...we, the authentic Muarians cannot forget this stall and never fail to bring our friends for a meal.

After the meal, Jeff said Peter loves the 'mee suah' of Chuan Tin. So to Chuan Ti we went for dinner. It was not only mee sauh. We had 'tanghoon' and kueh teow ... all different forms of noodles that caused Petr to say...hmmm, hmmm, yummy... Food, glorious food but alas, I forgot to snap for memory.

Of course, this morning we had the famous chicken rice balls for breakfast. Poor Peter; to have rice for breakfast. But when he took the first mouthful, he asked for the secret of the unforgettable taste. Hey...it may just be ajinomoto! The guests ate and were happy.

But most of all, they were glad to meet Kong and Por. Look at the cheeky old man. Peter asks for the formula to his youthful disposition. At, 91 he still drives and I hope to keep this skill too. He always has problems renewing his driving license and the last time saw him renewing for a span of 10 years to avoid further interrogation. By the way, the JPJ counter people are his friends...

Old and new friends unite to have a warm and meaningful evening together to share matters of the heart, families and loved ones. Jeff's daughter will be married next September...

When will we meet again?

For Esther it may mean having new friends in Melbourne.