Those were the days when everytime Chinese New Year was round the corner, my mum would join my grandma and aunties to make the delicacies for the festive season.
They would make some kuih gunting…
…and tins and tins of kuih kereta…
I got these from my foster-cousin who used to live with and work for my grandma and aunties and took care of them when they were old/sick until they passed away.
They used to make kuih bangkit too…
I bought these from the nyonya stall in the Food Avenue at Spring in Kuching when I was there not too long ago with my daughter for one weekend.
And of all the things they made, we always looked forward to the pineapple jam tarts. Unfortunately, I do not have any the way they made them this year but my missus did buy these miserable-looking homemade ones from somebody…
…but of course, they are totally different. Well, as they say, beggars can’t be choosers. People say some things never change and I guess it is just as true to say that on the other hand, nothing stays the same…
Moving away from the festive mood, my daughter’s flying off tonight from KLIA to Wellington, transit Auckland. This is one of my all-time favourite songs from New Zealand. It is sung in Maori and the lyrics may not be very appropriate as it is a love song more than anything else. Nevertheless, it does not change the fact that it is a hauntingly beautiful song and I would like to share it with everybody here…
Have a safe flight and a pleasant journey, love…God bless and take care. Daddy loves you…always.
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 
A safe journey to Mel. Wishing her a bright future, good health and happiness. Well, STP, she is just an email away, or an MSN away or Skype her, or even call her! She will always be the daddy and mummy’s girl no matter how far she flies! Mel, soar to your highest!
Thanks. Yes, we’ll keep in touch – even had a videocam fixed to my PC now. It’s only for two years. Yours will be away much…much longer.
Yes, Safe Journey, Smooth arrangements, Blessed Days in NZ and May God continues to guide her path to where He wants her to be…
As for mummy and daddy, may u have a wonderful time in KL and have a good trip back to Sibu…
Thanks, Claire and thanks for your sms too. Sure we’ll have a good time here in KL. Watch out for the posts…
Now I can taste what is Kuih Gunting and Kuih Kereta liao 😀
Yes, but this year, they’s not so good. Not enough hay bee for the gunting and the kereta kurang manis, kurang lemak. Probably with the economic downturn, she’s cutting costs…
Never mind. I’m watching my food intake anyway 😛
Wah! Making sure you’ll fit into the wedding dress? Getting married in the Tiger year?
what is kuih gunting? the cookies that were cut by scissors instead of cookie cutters?
Yes. In the old days, we did not have all the modern things. We used bottle caps…and cut strips for the sides…and clipped designs on the pastry, and for kuih gunting, we used scissors to cut the strips of dough and deep fried.
my mom used to make pineapple tart last time o any other cake for cny…too bad i might cant go sibu as i told godbro borrow his car if we went debak n he say the road to sibu very bad… :O
We all have similar memories. don’t we? Too bad many young(er) people today are not bothered to go through all that trouble and will just go and buy. It’s one of our traditional cultures that will die out completely pretty soon… Didn’t hear any complaints about the Kuching-Sibu road. That time, I drove to Sarikei – it was good. I did hear that the Sibu-Bintulu Road was quite bad, after Selangau…
Yeah! I remembered when I was young, I always helped my late mom with the cookies. 😀 Those were the days indeed…
Ya, we’ll cherish those memories in our hearts forever…
Why the issit cvalled kuih kereta? Duzzin looks like car wor!
They rolled out the pastry till thin, last time using bottle, Sun Valley no less…and then used this wheel-like cutter with jagged edge to cut into pieces and also the lines in the pieces…and then they were deep fried. The wheel in the cutter…like wheel of a car, so they called it kuih kereta lor.
SoBs… boohoohohhooo! Suddenly terbaca ur last sentence… now sent me bawling liao! 😦
Did you click the link to listen to the song? So very haunting! Sure to make you bawl even louder! Hahahahahaha!!!!
Nooooo… *horrified* U tink I haven’t bawl enuff… wait til I not so emo den oni come back click and listen. *shudder*
Hahahahahaha!!! Crying is good for the soul! Sometimes it helps to cry one heart’s out!
you are a great daddy!! =’)
Thanks, I try to be…
Kuih Gunting, Kuih Kereta……got Kuih Kapalterbang or not? LOL!
Wish your daughter a safe journey to NZ!
Thanks, Pete. Nope…no kapal terbang. Maybe you can create – fold kuih kapit/kapek to look like aeroplane?Lol!!!
Tonight when u send M off -u see her go down the escalator..thats the time u feel you want to cry…sob..sob-thats how I feel..you can still see her walk to immigration…after that you lost sight of her…i am sure you will still hang around KLIA ….feeling sad..a heartache you cannot describe..sob..sob.
HEY..she will be back with a blink of an eye.
WISH Melissa a safe journey…soon hong.
Thank you. Nope, didn’t cry and Melissa was strong too. Only the mum- a bit and Melissa had to tell her not to cry. She’s safe and sound in Wellington now…
Ya.. thats the most beautiful Maori Song..thats the song J. play with his guitar on our 1st date…rest is history…hahaha.
Wah! That’s why you fell in love,izzit? If music be the food of love, play on… LOL!!!
A very romantic Daddy indeed. Safe journey to ur daughter sir….
Thanks. Like that, romantic kah?LOL!!!
Oh my gosh! No wonder you said the jam on the tarts are less than your pi-khang-sai. So little! Didn’t even completely cover the miniscule ‘dent’ on the pastry!
I told you so! I have more phee-khang-sai than that! Hahahahahaha!!!
Hahahahahahaha!!!
Laugh! You know anybody who makes good jam tarts in Kuching – with lots of pineapple jam? Hint! Hint! LOL!!!
Pineapple tarts are one of my favourite. But not like these one la
Yalor…these are so pathetic. If it had been me, I wouldn’t have bought them!
so we must trained the younger generation to continue it…hehe
i wil try negotiate wih him again…btw my grandotter haven msg me so i tink he forget me liao since he enjoying in kch now…
Talor…but people not interested anymore these days. Would just buy from shops or order from people they know. Ok…do sms me if you’re coming or when u get in touch with Ehon…
Kuih kereta… my fav. Aiyoh…the pineapple tarts looks terrible. Hahah… its as if someone dug out the jam.
Ya…Mi said you love that, more than gunting! Hmmm….did you use to do that? Just eat the jam…leave the pastry! Hahahahahaha!!!
i think that grandotter of mine found bf liao so forgotten all…lol
Or she not impressed by you after she met you. What did you do that disappointed her? Hahahahahaha!!!!