of mushrooms, moss, tired chicken wings & dented pee

I was reading a friend's recent post in her blog on her recent lunch do with some friends. And found out that she knows how to cook the East Malaysian delicacy of Laksa Sarawak. So I asked her if she knew how to make Bubur Pedas. She thought I was making this up. Learnt to savor many Sarawak delicacies while I was there back in '93. Picked their dialect along the way as well & it brought back some funny memories on how I learnt to appreciate this food (and yet there are others I will not try even if you paid me to but then again, you'll never know..) & how different words can mean different things...

..difference between moss & mushrooms
It was during the fasting month & a friend brought over a dish he called bubur pedas. I looked at the dish & asked him what's the main ingredient to which he said 'kulat'. Trying very hard to contain my disgust, I thanked him for it & kept in the fridge for about three days or so before throwing it out. Why did I throw it out? Well, ask yourself - he said 'kulat' (which is moss in English..you know the green stuff growing on walls or damp areas) & the bubur was green. The next we met the friend who gave us the bubur, he asked how it was. Yes, I know telling a lie is a no-no especially during fasting month (you know, see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil, do no evil) but I considered it tipu sunat so as to not hurt his feelings. A couple of days later, my staff gives me another container of bubur pedas & this time it looked less green. So I asked her what is the main ingredient. She too said kulat & this time I asked her "What is kulat?". She told me "Oh, it's the Sarawak slang for mushrooms". Boy, did I feel like an idiot that time. When I tried the bubur, it was actually really really good & true to its name, it's pedas. (Sorry bee, you will have to pass out on this one)

..tired from all that flapping
Lunch time & I was heavily preggers. There was a stall selling nasi campur that was our usual hang-out every Friday noon after the Zohor prayers. As much as I did not consider fried chicken as my favorite food, during my pregnancy I was practically craving it every other day. So one day I am picking out my lauk & I wanted to have fried chicken wings. After beleking the chicken parts, I couldn't find any wings. So I ask the lady there "Takde kepak?" & she looks at me funny. Hubby tells me not to be picky so I settle for the drumstick instead. The next day, I tell my staff what happened with the kepak thing. She was laughing so hard that she almost fell off the chair. She told me 'kepak' in their slang (again!!) means tired & if I wanted wings I should say 'sayap'. No wonder the woman looked at me weird. She must have thought me crazy to tell her I was tired while poking at the chicken parts...

don't drop the baby
A friend delivered at a hospital in Sarawak. The gynae makes his rounds & comes to her. He asks her "Baby udah kemeh?" & now she looks at him weird...She says "Tak, tak baby tak kemek". So there's a weird exchange of glances with him asking her if the baby has kemeh and she insiting that she didn't drop the baby to cause him to kemek... The doc finally realises she's orang Malaya & translates "Baby sudah kencing?"

Apart from finding it difficult to get Sarawak delicacies here in Semenanjung (midin, umai, ikan pais, bubur pedas, mi sapi, ambal, mi kolok, kek lapis sarawak, sarawak laksa), I still get to practise the lingo I learnt there with Silver Surfer & now, Angelita. Boleh sik?