THE BABY!!!.....and Empanadas & Lighting

Pascual Cuauhtemoc (pr: gwow-teh-mock, Mayan, soaring eagle)

3-01-09 3:04pm 7lbs 15oz 19.5in and born just 25hrs after I arrived in KL Malaysia!

You maybe asking yourself, "Now why did it take this heffa so long to get his picture up?" Well, its because last night was the first time I held him for longer than 10 or 15min. His poppa loves to steal him from me! (This man LOVES his babies, almost like I've never seen before) He was bare chested holding him skin to skin just a few minutes after he caught him. (I simply unraveled his very tight cord from around his neck- other than that his poppa caught.) I ended up having this delicious babe to myself for over 2hrs while he was WIDE awake and his parents and brother got some much needed rest. I'm jumping ahead so let me start with the lightning....

Yesterday (Monday), there was lightning and rain during the day, which is actually strange here this time of season. It was a holiday of some sort so everything was closed, the kids and I played under the covered complexes jungle gym. We bought some more fantastic produce from the truck that comes by 2x a week. I took the boys to the pool during a break in the storm and the sun came out full force for a whopping hour. ( I am coming back to Cali TAN I tell you!!) Once in the house and settling in for the night the lightning, thunder and rain was shaking everything.

We were all bored and I wanted to do something exotic for dinner and the poppa (my friends hubby, who is Mexican/Mayan) and I had been kicking around the idea of empanadas. Well hells bells, why not learn how to make empanadas in Melaysia- stranger things have been done! She's a vegetarian (no meats whatsoever), so I made a sauteed zucchini, onion, potato & cheese filling! We had extra pastry dough so I sliced up some apples, tossed them in lemon, cinnamon & allspice with a little raw sugar and made some sweet.
FYI- the crust recipe is so friggin easy and GOOD I memorized it, with my "momma brain" it must be a big deal if I put it to memory.

Roll out our circle in plastic wrap, fill and then fold over with the plastic wrap! No Mess!


On the pan into the oven, there are no after pics cause they were inhaled with fresh guacamole, spring greens, green chile salsa.

Sooo after everyone was good and full and smiling, my friend (the momma), fell really ill. She was having some abdominal pains that almost had her in tears....it wasn't my cooking, oh I triple checked. She said that she has a pre-existing condition and it just flares up randomly but this was the worst it had ever been. She just needed a little alone time in bed, and after a heating pad, some Rescue Remedy (a homeopathic) and some TLC the rest of us retreated to the living room.

We watch a cartoon dvd of Star Wars - Clone Wars?? Anywhoo, after everyone finally went to bed (even A.L.B.B) the babe Pascual decided he was NOT tired. So to give this parents a break I offered to hang out with him.

We bounced on the exercises ball, we walked, we read OK! magazine, and then as a last and final coup d'état? I introduced him to a 5 ft 10in tall voluptuous, long legged chocolate, big forehead having...Tyra Banks. (America's Next Top Model) well he liked her. Like most young men she managed to keep his attention longer than anything else I had been doing except for bouncing on that silly ball. (At 11pm at night who cares?) As soon as the show was over, he was sleep, his momma wanted him and I was ready for bed. Too bad the crazy thunder and lighting kept me up for another hour and a half. But hey, I learned how to make empanandas....I hope ya'll are hungry cause we I get back we're going to have an empanada making party! (Somebody get working on my margarita now)

Ohh Shiela.. I mean Ming Na? aka It Came in a Baggie and I Ate It!

(That was for Jaymie)

So the kids we're completely whooped after a day out and I was kinda over the whole retail/commercial scene. I wanted some nitty gritty, some stankonia if you know what I mean? I wanted to smell the aromas of the various vendor's cooking mixed in with the stench of close quarters city living. I wanted the zooming vespas & motorbikes racing by while cabbies yelled in various tongues / dialects with the cheapest fare. I wanted to mingle.... none of these things are frowned on with children, but while I had my friend's child with me I was much more conservative. (They ate Burger King in the mall- enough said) So once I got both of the boys home safe and sound, and put the VERY A.L.B.B. to bed I went a walking!

I dare not take my camera, cause I hate that look...goofy tourist with a camera taking pics of people cooking, traffic, sewage systems, night life....maybe next time. This was my first time out alone and I was going to relish it: Kurta (Long conservative tunic) -check, Linen pants -check, $70+ Ringgits (Malaysian Dollars) -check, Sandals -check!

Not ten minutes before I walked out the door there had been a crazy rain storm, the kids and I had taken a cab home because it was so bad. To my delight it had completely cleared by the time I was to embark on my little adventure. I walked out the complex gates and heard a little diddy in my head:

"Well, you can tell by the way I use my walk,
I'm a woman's man, no time to talk.
Music loud and women warm.
I've been kicked around since I was born.
And now it's all right, it's O.K.
And you may look the other way......"

Yeah, I know, but I'm just trying to give you the WHOLE picture....oh yeah and your girl's loc's where pop'n too! (An updo if you're interested)

Anyole whoo, everything immediately out the literal gate was very Western. Why the heck would I come all the way to Malaysia to eat Mexican or Irish Pub food? Oh crap, I forgot people actually live here and DON'T want to experience Malaysia, they just want to get by till they can get out....so sad. I decided to be bold, be daring, be...who else ME. I went down a small street off of Restaurant Row, and immediately found myself surrounded by little stands. Some had tin roofs, other's look like cheap cabanas, and a couple looked like old markets or liquor stores that had been turned into makeshift kitchens. All of the cabbies that had been harassing earlier were perched at various "cafes", eating from banana leaves, Styrofoam boxes and mismatched dinnerware. JACKPOT, go where the people are and you will find the GOOD food. So I walked a couple more blocks before I settled on "Curry House" - there was a buffet option and al a cart. I ordered:

1. Biryani Fish Rice (Fried Rice w/Currants & Golden Raisins instead of Peas & Carrots)
2. Garlic Naan (I watched him make it....ohh gaaawwwwddd!)
3. Shirmp Marsala
4. Curried Veggies
5. Marsala Tea (Cardamom Tea w/Evaporated Milk & Sugar)

Total; $29.50 Ringgits = $7.90 USD

It smelled so friggin good I almost opted to eat it there, but I didn't want A.L.B.B. to wake up and me not be there and then unleash is rage on our lovely hosts. (Which he totally would) So I boogied back, with a song in my heart, mud on my feet and a stupid grin on my face. I got back to the house and realized I had forgotten to order some of the aromatic Jasmin rice, so I threw on some brown rice. This is the before:

Curries & Marsala's in the baggies, Fish Biryani in the box

This was about 2minutes before the carnage:

I know for a fact that I'm going to have to find out if spices are allowed as carry on...I'm also going to now hard boil eggs to chop up and put into my biryani rice, cause I'mma learn how to make it!

So the meal, deelish, everything was just bursting with exciting spices and textures. The oral orchestra that was playing in my mouth was most certainly along the lines of the most robust Paganini.

I have the itis and must go to bed, I will dream of my leftovers that I will be eating for lunch and the next food adventure.

Thanks Mahh (aka Roz), the woman who taught me that eating with the locals wherever you are is THE only way to really experience a place.

We Made it Out!

In hopes of giving my friend & her hubby some much needed rest, I offered to take the boys out for a few hours. (The helpful housekeeper is only M-F and for max 3hrs- or so I've noticed)
I was offered a bevy of options, but we settled on the famous KL Twin Towers. They're surrounded by a "Central Park" meets the Orient type situation, at the base of the towers is the most amazing mall, and through an underground walkway is the Aquaria (Aquarium). The photo's below say more than I could ever....


The mall at the base of the Twin Towers, was friggin ridiculous. I don't need to be in a mall that has Ferragamo, Hermes, Cartier, Versace, Coach, Vivianne Tam.... I never felt so broke in my whole life, though I did wish Eion was here. There were over 5 shops to have cut & sewn custom mens suits with BEAUTIFUL silk linings....


The Whale Statue in KL Convention Center Park








Can you say Yikes! There was this crazy tunnel that you walked through while the sea life swam around and over you...blogger won't let me add anymore pics so I'll have to post my food adventure separate.....oh it's good folks, really really good!


UPDATE:
In response to Eion's question if A.L.B.B liked the fish...ahh no actually! He was also really crabby and tired. He refused to get out of the sling, kept yelling at me "That way momma!" He would scream bloody murder if I stood too close to the fish tank, and he wasn't in love with the underwater tunnel. Forget the touch tank all together!!

Mosquitoes Anyone?

Raggedy pics aside (I still haven't picked up batteries for the digi camera- though the BB is serving me well - thanks Pumpkin!) I have been attacked...sticking mosquitoes! My neck, my back...you get the picture. Better yet here are two....

These you can't see very well.... welcome to the guns show.

Ok I promise these suckers are like quarter / half dollar size, I better not get malaria....

Confinement & Colds

Let me first start by saying that this trip is business, I knew it before I came. I am hoping at some point to mix some pleasure with it.

In Malaysia, and most parts of the world outside of the US, women are confined to bed/home for 30 days after their birth. This is to ensure a strong bond between mother and baby, establish nursing, and it's a time for the mother to heal "her lovely lady lumps". Traditionally her mother, mother in law, sister's, sister in law's (if any) and girlfriends descend and make amazing foods, clean house, tend to the older children.

This is also recognized as the "Dutch Midwifery Model of Care", where the midwife sees you almost daily and not only does the standard medical checks but also feeds and takes care of the family. (The government pays for everything to ensure happy midwives & families)

For the past couple of days I've been cooking up lasagna, stir fry, taking the kiddos to play and straightening up here and there. (There is a fabulous housekeeper, "Lonnie" who is helping TONS). Today we woke to A.L.B.B. and his little buddy Miles both have colds, and it's butt ugly outside. My friend is resting and grappling with the healing up portion of childbirth, which has meant staying in bed 90% of the time. Nursing, eating, sleeping, crying, nuzzling her new little one (A pic is coming, I promise) and chatting me up and managing her 3 year old, all from bed. It's the boring part of postpartum if you aren't experiencing the traditional family induced confinement.

I did take the boys out to run around and play on the complexes jungle gym/trampoline while the parents rested with the little one. We stopped back by that AMAZING produce truck and picked up some more of that mystical non-fibrous ginger.

On a high note, I experienced Dragon Fruit- it has pointy scales on the outside and a firm texture inside similar to kiwi (lots of little black seeds), and a honeydew melon. The flavor is kinda bland, not really sweet and doesn't taste like much of anything. It does however stain everything it comes in contact with.

Only six more days before I will head out on an adventure with A.L.B.B, hopefully a K.H. and a beach.....

Afternoon Out, but Not Far

Monday Sol and I had the very exciting task of foraging for food....it consisted of going downstairs in an elevator, walking 20 feet and shopping at a produce truck. It was awesome! I ate a passion fruit that the vendor opened for me, we picked out a pineapple that he cut & cleaned in front of us.
We bought fresh caught salmon that I ended up cooking for dinner. Side note: I bought fresh ginger, I sliced it up to put on the salmon for dinner (that and some crazy spicy chili pepper- yum!). I would just like to say I had no idea that ginger is supposed to be soft, supple, moist and NOT fibrous!!! I ate it RAW, yeah it's that good. I wish I could put the smells into a mason jar, seal it and bring it home!

I don't know what the heck I'm going to eat when I get back stateside, I see myself ruined by the time I get back.....gotta go, there is a grape the size of a tangerine calling my name.

(Oh yeah and we picked up a loaf of bread)

I Slept, Woke Up / She Labored, She Had A Baby!

Well, I had a lovely first day in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. I managed a good 10 hours of sleep, and to my surprise found my friend having contractions!

Her contractions started at 6:30am, I woke up at 8am, the kids went to go play with the downstairs neighbor around noon. Not long after, laboring courageously through back labor, she and her hubby had a gorgeous baby boy at 3:10pm. He was born in water in the standard homebirth family kiddie pool.

I wanted to take pictures during labor, her son Miles running around with A.L.B.B. while she moaned and walked around. I wanted to capture her tenacity as she cursed through THE worst pain in labor. ( I had back labor with Zahn and it sucked) My camera, which arrived the night before at 9pm with THE bag, was dead- dead batteries!

I will upload the families approved photos soon! They are in bed now, enjoying that new baby smell and just resting from the oober productive day.

I give thanks for being able to do this work....no matter what nation, country, or island!