It was the period of Al Jarreau, Journey and The Police. I was 13 years old. I had just come back from school with a message for my parents.
“They’re not offering Commerce in my school,” I said, and promptly burst into tears.
My parents didn’t understand the intensity of my emotions and dismissed it as a phase all teenage girls go through. After all, what could possibly be so terrifying about cooking classes?
In the old days, female students were streamlined into “Commerce” and “Home Science” depending on their inclination. Having grown up in a predominantly male environment, I had an aversion for cooking, sewing and cleaning, all of which were covered in the Home Science stream. As I scanned through my Home Science text book that night, I shivered. I read Chapter 1, Safety Measures on Using a Stove. I burst into tears again. They’re going to marry me off early, I thought to myself. When I eventually nodded off to sleep, my dreams were filled with visions of child brides, toothless husbands and exploding stoves.
As fate would have it, within a week, the school had a new teacher who could teach Commerce, and all students were quickly segregated to the respective streams based on their primary school grades. It was a simplistic method and an overly easy way out for the administrative office – the ones in the first two classes were put in Commerce, while the rest were put in Home Science, presumably so that they could be married off easily upon completion of high school. As a naive 13-year-old, I didn’t think too much of it. All that mattered to me was that I didn’t have to study Home Science. In one careless, uncomplicated decision, my fate was sealed. I studied Commerce, went on to become an accountant, and got married at the ripe old age of 32. I also did not encounter any exploding stoves.
******
My friend, Adle, who currently lives in Canada, initiated our class reunion. Once she got the ball rolling, Janice and Ivy managed to get flight tickets from Australia and France, and soon after that, we got the locals to commit to a date. Other than a grand get-together at Simply Mel’s, a smaller group of us decided to spend the day cooking at Bayan Indah. With the help of Yvonne, our Malaysian liaison, we locked in a date with Rohani Jelani and gave her a list of dishes we wanted to learn how to cook. Over the years, we had all developed a mutual appreciation for good food and, via Facebook, we shared our love for it. As such, it made perfect sense to consolidate our discussions and organise a private class with the affable Rohani Jelani. I have said so much of her and her classes in previous posts (see links below), and I will not hesitate in recommending Bayan Indah to those who want to learn hands-on cooking in a warm, friendly environment.
******
And so we toiled over the stove as we whipped up ayam percik, briyani, rendang, fish curry, char koay teow and tako, not always with the ease of experienced chefs, but with laughter, camaraderie and intimacy that only old friends can understand.
Thirty years later, without the benefit of attending Home Science classes, it feels like we’ve finally come full circle.
Bayan Indah’s website – www.bayanindah.com
Past posts on Bayan Indah:
– Cooking Class with Rohani Jelani at Bayan Indah
– A Second Cooking Class at Bayan Indah
Chicken rendang
Table setting
Ayam percik
Janice working the blender
Char koay teow
Yvonne and Ivy looking chirpy
Fish curry
Easy briyani
Rohani Jelani with Adle
A birthday cake for Rohani
A satisfying labour of love
OMGosh~ You have immortalized us! 🙂 This unmatched souvenir of my heart and mind would not have come to pass without your input, dearest Lyrical Lemongrass. I am indebted to you forever.
You have so lifted the standard for 2020 (or in between) – there’s no turning back, go France/Melbourne!
So yummmmy! 🙂
We have our highschool class reunion every year, usually during CNY. What we do is eat eat and eat, then follow by card game or mahjong. 😛
Read thru your stories is like reminding me about my old school days. It was split in between Home Science and Commerce. 🙂
We have great fun with you girls around and best time to share RJ’s birthday with too! Thanks so much 😉
Hey, if you’re organising the next cooking class, I wanna join in hahaha cos I have a voucher to use up :p
Adle and jlwow: The pressure is on for France/Melbourne/maybe Canada, eh? Whee! Now with the internet, we can plan from anywhere! Count me in for the organising committee please! 😀
Jules: Absolutely! You should sign up for a class when you visit next!
devilck: I like your style! hehe! Looks like food is an important element for all our reunions!
NKOTB: Hard to forget some of the best times of our lives, eh?
babe_kl: You have a voucher?? lol. So cute, considering that you’re teaching there too! Let’s do another one soon! I had so much fun. 🙂
I would have stood out like a sore thumb if i had taken up your offer to attend the classes 😛
Nothing beats catching up and cooking up a storm while you are at it 😉
unkaleong: we’re not man-eaters, sweetie. ^^
Hi, it’s so nice to read your blog update again. It’s been awhile. Why lar? Pls write more often. Enjoy reading them.
ooh, that’s the healthiest-looking char kuey teow i’ve ever seen! mana kerang ar?
i hope that when i reach 48, i’ll exude as much youthful vigor as all of you 😀
what a lovely blog and such nice pics! sounds like such a wonderful day. i am envious!
treasure memories: Sorry about the lack of updates. I’ve been pretty busy with my real life work. hehe. Will do my best to keep this updated, k. 🙂 Thanks for faithfully reading. 🙂
Sean: No kerang. 🙁 Rest assured that if I cook it at home, it will have both kerang and non-halal ingredients. As for reaching 48, didn’t you tell me that you had turned 48 a couple of years back? Now now, no need to be shy.
emma: Thank you, emma! It was a beautiful day where all the elements came together perfectly. 🙂
Gosh, I wish I can jump into my laptop and have those food. Lovely images.
Btw, regarding the Ayam Percik, I heard that we are not supposed to decorate the platter with items that we cannot eat (effect of watching too many cookery competitions hehe). Did they allow you to decorate with the flower? Is it acceptable.
Hi Munzi! Glad you enjoyed the pictures. 🙂 I chose to decorate the plate with bunga telang (clitoria) which is an edible flower. Like you said, a non-edible decoration may not be so acceptable. 🙂
Yea I second Treasure Memories… you should update more often la… love your photos and reading your stories.
So much delicious food! Which one did you cook?
Baby Sumo: Will do my best, ma’am! 😀 Oh, we all cooked together. I had a hand in the ayam percik, CKT and the final bits of the fish curry. 🙂
love this story, indeed makes me look forward to coming full circle with my friends 🙂 friends make the world go round!
You are way too modest. I’ve always heard you were no mean salad-ier yourself. Hee.
Your classmates look so radiant. Lots of love, laughter and friendship must have gone into the years to keep y’all ever-young. Hurrah!
rokh: I agree! Can’t live without good friends. 🙂
Kenny: I’m an awesome salad-ier! 😀 Yeah, my classmates are the awesomest people in the whole world! 🙂 Love them lots.
Pls ignore the previous one..
Ah. I did not know that is an edible flower…
Another quick question. Its been ages since I had Saralee Ice cream and frozen cakes. Do you know where I can buy them in Malaysia. Too bad didn’t get to have them after 2008. Craving for 4 yrs :’(
Wow…. the chicken rendang looks absolutely mouth-watering!!! btw, Adle looks the same like she was in Form 5 (like the pic in my autograph book)!
Absolutely lovely, Lyrical. I’m counting the days to going back to KL for the summer break. mm, mmm
Police and Journey and you were 13 years old? I remember that time vividly so by my calculations, that makes you about 26 now then…. 🙂
Nice post!
You always take such good pictures. I have been to Rohani’s class once and she is a very nice lady and a good teacher. I love the environment there too, so serene and beautiful. I enjoyed the food she taught us to cook and we had so much fun that day.
Reading this again and loving the experience one more time. Humungous hug from 12 time zones away for making this happen for me. Looking forward to cooking and eating with you and RJ at Bayan Indah again. PS – kiss that camera of yours too for making me look like I’m close to our Form 5 age (thanks Angie Lee!)… LOL!!
The Ayam percik makes me hungry.