34. Growing Up and Responsibilities

While we were growing up, everyone of us have to help our mother do some of the chores in the kitchen such as boiling water to fill up the hot-water canisters, and prepare fresh Chinese tea. We learned how to cook rice using the charcoal stove which was later replaced by the electric rice-cooker. We took turns performing these chores, starting with the eldest sibling who would hand over the duties to the next sibling as soon as he or she was big enough. Besides helping our mother in the kitchen, we also have to sweep the floor every morning, and to light the joss-sticks for worshiping the ancestors and deities.

During the week-ends and school holidays, some of us we would follow mother to the market and she would teach us how to choose the best vegetables, fish, and poultry, and how to bargain and not get cheated. In the kitchen, she would patiently show us how to clean and prepare the vegetables, fish or poultry, and other ingredients for cooking the various dishes and soup.

Mother Lee Mooi Cooking

Mother Lee Mooi Cooking

Mother was an excellent cook and a good teacher. Some of our favourites were her vegetarian dish, yam and pork slices, and chicken and potato soup. Our father would show off his cooking skills by preparing his tasty Hainanese chicken rice. He showed us the secret on how to get that smooth and tender chicken skin and delicious meat. He insisted that the family should eat together as often as possible as it nurtures strong family bonds and cohesiveness.

During the festivals such as the Chinese New Year, Cheng Meng, Lantern and Mooncake festival etc., the kitchen would be a buzzed with activities and everyone doing their part. We had lots of fun time in the kitchen and also lots of delicious home-cooked food to eat during these occasions. Sometimes we have leftover food like roasted pork and chicken, and mother would re-cook these with some black sauce and sugar, so that they could be kept longer as we do not have a refrigerator in those days.

Reunion Dinner

Enjoying delicious durian

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