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The Funny Mom

June 30, 2026 by Enida

The instruction says…

Adult: Take 3 capsules each time, 4 times daily.

Tapi dalam pack ini cuma ada 6 capsules. Daily tu maksudnya setiap hari atau dalam sehari. Ini tak cukup pun untuk sehari. Setengah hari dah habis. Mana ada batuk baik dalam masa setengah hari. Ke ada?

But that’s not the issue. Masalahnya kenapa capsules ni tak disusun semua sama arah? Atau 3 capsules biru arah ke atas, kuning arah ke bawah? Kenapa 1 biru ke atas, kemudian 2 biru ke bawah, selang lagi 1 biru ke atas, then 2 biru ke bawah? Kenapa? Kenapa tak bertiga-tiga? Haa, cepat jalan.

Ini adalah satu penyiksaan minda terhadap orang yang berfikiran seperti saya. I am not an over-thinker. But this arrangement made me think and talk about it with my children for at least 20 minutes last night. It was quite disturbing having to choose 3 capsules in order to leave 3 remaining capsules in a proper arrangement.

Sudahnya I only took the two capsules on the right, and told my daughter that I might only be healed ⅔ of the way. Batuk dan kahak pun mungkin ⅔ je keluar sementara nak menyampai keesokan paginya. She said, “Mom, you’re funny!”

Earlier, when I asked my son to get me some “Adult” cough medicine from whatever kedai yang masih buka in the area, dia senyum-senyum. So I added some ‘adult’ ideas to whatever thought he had in his mind when he asked, “Adult?” Senyum-senyum.

I said, “Ya, adult cough medicine. Look for the 18SX on the packaging. Not PG13, okay?” Gelak dia! Hahaha… anak-anak saya dah besar. Dah boleh bawak gurau yang mengarut-ngarut. I guess that’s what my daughter meant when she said, “Mom, you’re funny!”

Banyak mengarut mak dia ni.
Tapi susunan HURIX’S ni lagi mengarut.
Saya tidur tak lena malam tadi.

Reminded by Facebook Memories:
Written on June 30, 2025

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Sesushi

June 30, 2026 by Enida

Sushi is not something I would go for unaccompanied. It was always a Pax-of-Three for many years. But today I am braving it on my own to mark Day 70 of being Mother but Single.

I miss the Little Big Man who would always make sure I never had to touch the hot water tap. And I miss the Little Miss who would always mix my soy sauces for me before handing over the chopsticks.

And I miss singing my silly Sushi song every time my people suggested Sushi dindin. So if you know “For He’s A Jolly Good Fellow” song, sing along now!

For he’s a jolly good fellow,
for he’s a jolly good fellow,
for he’s a jolly good fellowww…

And sushi all of us.

#andsosayallofus

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Waiting for Me

June 23, 2026 by Enida

When someone asked me what I would want for my birthday this year, I was quick to respond that I would want to spend it in Taiping again. Just like what I did with my Monchies last year. And then I rambled on saying oh I pray for my health and wealth and the usual gobbledegooks. Not really thinking. For myself.

Then the same question was repeated, “What do you want for your birthday?”

I went quiet. I fell silent. I didn’t know what to want, let alone what to say. I was almost painfully sad and glad all at once to realize, “Really? Can I want?” And I ended up saying, “You know, I have not been asked what I want for my birthday for many many years. I can’t think of any.”

Of course the kids have asked. With Monchies, every day was my birthday, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, their birthdays. Every single day was a special day. We asked one another all the time. Every day. But in all honesty, I had not been asked by another adult, twice, within twenty minutes, about what I wanted for myself on my birthday! I had the right, but I remained silent.

Really, can I want?

Ten Days Later…
I have not answered the question. I am still thinking. I am still waiting for me to come home from being gone a long time.

Thank you for waiting with me.

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You Have Your Own

June 18, 2026 by Enida

It is amazing how we keep discovering and rediscovering ourselves as we age.

At 53 I just realized that life is not about what I want and what I need. These days it is actually less about what I need and more about what I don’t need. What is more amazing is that I just learned this from my daughter! That tough cookie of mine sometimes outsmarts me in ways that I least expect.

Mandak FaceTimed me this morning (GMT+8) while having her ME time at an ice-cream joint (GMT-6) one hill and a half away from home. Apparently there was an incident she wanted to tell me about, a situation between her and a supposedly-mature housemate the night before. The housemate was being silly, licking a phone holder with suction cup and throwing it to the TV and tossing it around and what-not. It landed in Mandak’s bowl of tofu she was having for dinner in front of the TV.

She got upset, of course. Air liur tu orang sudah masuk dalam mangkuk dia. Mommy dia yang mendengar cerita pun rasa macam nak hayun jak tu mangkuk! But to cut the story short, the housemate got defensive when Mandak was upset. Dia bilang, oh dia felt sorry for Mandak’s narrow-mindedness, itu pun mau upset. Dia main-main jak, kenapa lah ndak pandai have fun, siiikit-sikit mau marah.

Eh!

But my Mandak did not need the negative and childish statement thrown at her. Coincidentally, her brother and another housemate were around, didn’t know the whole story but playfully pressing it on her that she could not take jokes and teases. She retreated to wash the bowl, and withdrew to her room and then went out bicycling for a few miles.

I felt her. The whole retreat and the decision to withdraw was a statement of, “I don’t need this.” It was such a relief knowing that my Mandak realized it, and made a wise and mature decision to not confront immature acts and words from people around her. Bagus! Memanglah hati masih sakit. But what is more sakit is the mentality of people who think their saliva masuk dalam makanan orang is funny.

People say things whether they mean it (for you to think and consider later) or they are just trying to be mean for the moment. But to either let it get to us, or let it go is solely our choice. It hurts when people judge and label us negatively. Just know this, though; people see things not the way things are. They see things the way they are.

Aren’t we all learning? Just because Mandak did not find it laughable when a licked phone holder landed in her food doesn’t mean she is no fun or she is narrow-minded. Hold our tongue, and if we need to speak, speak well. Speak gently. There’s nothing stronger than a gentle word. And in my case, just because in the past I made some poor decisions does not mean I need to be judged at present or in the future. I am learning my lessons from my mistakes.

And I own my mistakes. All of them.
“Yes, I messed up. Tomorrow it will be another day, next year will be another year. It was my mistake, not yours. You have your own.” Thank you Salma Hayek.

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Kalau Rindu Itu Panas

June 18, 2026 by Enida

Inikah penyejuknya?

It has been almost two months of waking up in an empty house. I haven’t closed Monchies’ bedroom doors since they left. Many nights since April 20th, I kept myself away from home. Work lah, Raya lah, visits lah, work some more lah.

This morning, I walked into Edrick’s room and found this fan on his old sewing-machine-stand desk. There was no way it would still work uncharged for two months, I thought. As it was, I never saw my son using the fan since I bought it two or three years ago.

I turned it on.
It worked like it was charged yesterday. And I miss them like there is no tomorrow.

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Bunyi Sunyi

May 17, 2026 by Enida

Masih ternanti-nanti
bunyi
tapak kaki
Monchies
turun pagi-pagi
di tangga Mesra ini
memanggil, “Mommy!”

Dua puluh tujuh hari.

Enida
17 May 2026
Mesra Terrace

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Adakah Kamu Terbilang Jua?

May 15, 2026 by Enida

Banyak bilang perkara bilang,
bilang apa si tampuk manggis;
Banyak hilang perkara hilang,
hilang apa beresak tangis?

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Aku Bukan Kidal

May 8, 2026 by Enida

Kenangan adalah
kunci-kunci
yang kusimpan
di poket-poket
celana kargoku.

Dan kau
adalah kunci
di poket kiri.

Supaya tangan kananku
tak selalu
mudah mencapaimu
lalu memandu rindu
laju-laju.

Enida
SGIVC Timurbay
Delapan May

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Hanya Saja

April 27, 2026 by Enida

“Jangan sombong.
Di atas langit masih ada langit.
Hanya saja berkatnya berbeda.”
~Yelisna Zalukhu

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The Last Supper

April 27, 2026 by Enida

“Anything you would like me to cook or make? Anything you’re craving?” That was my offer even though I knew there’s practically nothing they can’t get at T&T Supermarket in the city where they will be returning to.

Kitreena wanted Nasi Lemak at first, but changed her mind to Lontong. She changed her mind again to Nasi Lemak, but was okay with the vegan one at Hungry Tapir since we were going there the night before their flight. Lontong is easy enough for her to make 8,169 miles away nanti, katanya. While Edrick wanted his favorite Green Curry Pasta and he specifically craved for farfalle. The Dancing Chef Green Curry paste I usually used was a no-go. It had dried shrimp in it. So I grabbed Adabi Kurma powder at Hartamas when we made a quick run for some last minute stuff there.

Monday pagi-pagi lagi I was making pasta – unheard of at our Mesra home. Pasta has always been for dinner. Oh well!


VEGAN FARFALLE KURMA

4 cups of Barilla farfalle (boiled)
2 blocks of hard tofu (mashed)
1 packet of Adabi Kurma powder
1 cup of coconut cream
1 cup of pasta-boiled water
1 cup of grated kyuri
1 holland onion thinly sliced
½ cup of shallots thinly sliced
½ cup of fresh/frozen cilantro
cooking oil
salt and pepper

1. Sautee sliced shallots and holland onion in oil til golden brown.
2. Mix in mashed tofu, kurma powder, coconut cream, pasta water.
3. Simmer til boiling, pour in pasta, kyuri and cilantro.
4. Mix well, add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Serve with love.

Menitik airmata Edrick dapat makan Green Curry Pasta yang saya sempat buat, realizing that he might not get anything like it di negara omputeh. “Alahai sayang, nanti buatlah sendiri. Bukan susah sangat.” Ya, katanya. Tapi takkan lah dapat sama macam Mommy’s cooking. Of course lah. I am simply irreplaceable!



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