Talk to me

Food.

We all eat food. While our food selection might differ, the general idea of eating is the same. We eat not only to satisfy our physical need, but also emotionally. Many people ignore the emotional aspect of eating. I consider the act of ladling your food itself carrying a deeper significance.

By now, I’m going to assume you have heard of my favorite food, Nasi Lemak. (If you haven’t please browse my previous posts).

In some ways, I consider Nasi Lemak a friend. Someone that has been there for me in ways you can’t even imagine. Funny how for someone who doesn’t have a human attribute, it sometimes “speak” to me in subtle ways.

I was five when I had my first Nasi Lemak. I could still remember the “crunch” sound eating the dried anchovies. I have to admit, I’ve always had an unexplained addiction to this sound. I liked how despite the hard nature of anchovies, I had the ability to crush them and enjoyed the brittles in the process. No matter how salty or hard the anchovies were, I’d go on and never stopped. In some ways, this thought me perseverance. To keep going on no matter how hard things get.

Growing up, I always had the privilege of walking to school. My parents were convinced that no one would kidnap me along the way (they were right).

It was the thought of reaching the Nasi Lemak stall nearby that kept me going. It was my own version of a reward for attending school. Over the years, this reinforced my attendance in school. I’ve never skipped class (deliberately at least) in my 11 years of school. In fact, I’d often be the shinning example of perfect attendance. I’d like to thank Nasi Lemak for that. I realized to keep people going, they need motivation. That’s why often times I share with people the benefits they get from working on something. It helps to put the right perspective in place. Today, I am the president for most clubs I’m in. All I did was follow my Nasi Lemak’s advice.

Exams were never really my favorite part of school. I consider exams as Stress Management Practical. Nevertheless, I had my own share of stressing out. On the day of exams, I’d normally buy a packet of Nasi Lemak and carry it to school. I liked how nasi lemak in packets required diligence in opening them. You always had to start from the right side so that your Nasi Lemak would not make a mess. Over the years, I’ve turned into an expert when it came to this. I’ve learned how to analyze different packaging and ways to unfold them. Similarly, when I found different problems, I’ve always twitched my methods to fit the problem until I find the right formula. In exams, I stick to the most effective methods to solve equations and write essays. As a result, I’ve earned a good grade. More than that, I’ve understood the importance of finding the right path in doing something.

Nasi Lemak has given me another reason to love Malaysia. In fact, I dread leaving Malaysia because I’d have to miss a year of my good old friend. To be honest, I was contemplating whether to learn how to cook Nasi Lemak. In one way, it was my way to feel closer to home. But I ask myself, if I could make Nasi Lemak whenever I could, would it take away the special bond we have. Could reproducing mean it’s no longer special? More than that, could it mean that I’m not letting Nasi Lemak “speak” to me subtly, as how it always did.