What a wonderful picture, plus I made all the wonderful food in it. The vegetable kebabs were a great idea until I started skewering the vegetable and it took me a long time!

The tandoori chicken (on the grill in the picture below) turned out to be a great hit, the honey soy sauce chicken was less of a hit but they still looked and tasted good. The vegetable kebabs were well received, but personally, I felt I had overmarinated the vegetables. The zucchini looked more like pickles than garden fresh zucchini. Cooking the tomyam beehoon was rather challenging, I still have no idea what’s the proper way to do it. I need fry-beehoon instruction!

Syahrul brought sambal and a big tray of fried rice with shrimps - both were delicious. After everyone left and I managed to clear up everything, I finally sat down at 12:30am to enjoy the leftover fried rice and sambal.

By the way, I forgot to take deep breaths today.

BBQing in the rain

This picture in some ways summed up the bbq. But then the party also had some totally unexpected surprises. The bbq began as an idea to gather a group of students and family members for a graduation and farewell celebration. Just an informal messy gathering - aluminium foil, paper plates, plastic cutleries - no big deal sort of thing.

The weather was not the best for an outdoor party. The rain came and went and came again. At one point, we had to move the party indoors and cramped 5 kids and 8 adults in my tiny apartment, while 3 others remained outside bbq-ing. As the rain died down and the feeling of overcrowdedness overwhelmed the party inside, the party moved outdoors again.

And then something unexpected happened…

Yesterday when I went to get the chicken from Ika, she mentioned that she and her family might not be coming to the party. But I persuaded her to bring them over anyway, even if it was for a short time. I told her Duh has a nice backyard and a tiny creek, and her parents should at least see that. Am I persuasive or what?! So midway through the party, Ika and her entourage of six came. And among them is the Deputy Minister of Human Resources of Malaysia … now, I know who Ika’s dad is!

Anyway, with or without the presence of a VIP, the party was still fun. But I would prefer a party without the VIP-ness.