Eating Nyonya Food To Help The Care Home

Yesterday morning, I drove to Seri Kenangan Home to pick Uncle Seelan who had not been able to attend the church service at Calvary Life Assembly two earlier Sundays due to his back pain and last Sunday because of no driver. When he appeared, he was holding something blue wrapped in a white plastic bag. At first I thought it was an adult diaper that he was going to throw away before we left. When we got into my car, he took out the thing to put onto his face.

It was a mask!

I giggled and said to him, "Uncle Seelan, you look cute! But now there are only two of us in the car with open windows. You can wear it when we arrive at church.

"We were ordered by the office to wear a mask whenever we go out from the home."

"It's very careful of them to impose this to you since the elderly are vulnerable to the H1N1 virus..." I especially appreciated the fact that Uncle Seelan was obeying strictly the rule to reduce the risk of contracting the flu and infecting some other two hundred inmates of the home.

After I dropped Uncle Seelan at the main entrance of Calvary Life Assembly (CLA), I took some vouchers from Irwin at the canteen. Many Calvarites had purchased the whole coupon which included all the three Sundays' meals to get a RM2 discount. I was one of others who bought individual vouchers for desired items on the day itself.

While I was standing at the back of the sanctuary, the ushers' leader asked me if I could help to to pass an offering bag later. This time, I was wearing a cap blouse and jeans. My attire was OK as a salesperson of food vouchers but again was too casual for someone who would walk around the seats to collect the offerings. Since the leader did not mind, I accepted the new task.

After the service, I was requested to take a few pictures of the food stall helpers before the congregation flocked to the canteen.

Yesterday, the lunch special was Nyonya food from "Makko", one of the most famous restaurants in Melaka. White rice with ponteh chicken and vermicelli were prepacked in rectangle plastic containers. Pickles were put separately in small round ones.

Before the congregation flocked to the canteen, I had exchanged my food with the RM5 voucher and eat it while looking after the mineral water stall with Irwin.

The elderly had the priority to be served early.

When my rice was half finished, then only I noticed cincaluk (fermented shrimps) and sambal (chili condiment) with cut limes were available on the tables for us to add onto our rice.

The other best-seller yesterday was cendol which cost RM3, a popular dessert which would not quench the thirst but offered some coolness under the hot weather.

As shaved ice melted very fast, it could only be prepared on the spot.

After red beans, green starch noodles were placed at the bottom of a bowl and filled with shaved ice to form a mountain, coconut milk and gula Melaka (palm sugar) were drizzled over it.

Everybody who tasted this "Makko" cendol which had won a food award gave compliment to it. As I was going to a meeting at Pamela's house later where desserts would be served, I decided not to buy it. Even when Ps Les jokingly shouted, "Cholesterol free, sugar free, H1N1 free cendol, buy one free one!" I was able to resist the temptation.

I looked at Uncle Seelan who was sitting on a bench with his mask while waiting for Ps Angeline's family to finish their meals and send him back to the home. He was not interested in Nyonya dishes, so the canteen gave him free sandwiches instead. I knew he already looked forward to the South Indian special next Sunday.

Me too.