Barbeque Party with CSS family.

Barbecue party is something very common when you are studying in Kampar. Students always gather around and have a barbecue session together where they burn whatever they can find. Hahaha, just kidding. Chicken mostly.

The CSS mandarin group organized a barbecue party cum CNY celebration. Needless to say, i had a great time preparing the ingredients with sister Theresa, i learnt many things too.

When we arrived, sister enthusiastically greeted and welcomed us with her apron on. She was preparing us some homemade cincau water! She boiled Pandan leaves in a pot of hot water and let it sit, before pouring it all into a big container where all the grinded cincau lies. The natural sweetness of the drink is purely from the pandan without much added sugar, i can't transcript into words how fragrant is the kitchen with the aroma of pandan circulating the air.

While i assist sister Theresa in washing the fishballs, tofu, fish cakes, squid and so on, we had some conversations together as she used to service back at a church in Johor where most of my relatives are staying. She shared some interesting stories and insights about the church and my family which i did not know, before i splurt some squid ink on sister's clothes! *Slams forehead* I quickly submerge the squid into the basin of water and stared guiltily at her inked clothes. She taught me how to clean up squids, remove their skins which she claim to be bitter, dig out their intestines and splurt out the inks which otherwise will end up in everybody's mouth that night.

Here's the committee working together to set up sister Theresa's beautiful lamp all the way from The States! It lit up stunningly at night as the light directly shot up towards the ceiling which illuminated the surrounding in less than seconds! Talking about speed of light. 

The barbecue place was originally set up beside the house, a spacious area, but it started drizzling on and off, we didn't know what the sky wanted, so we had to move indoors instead. 

Irene. I just got to know that she's a cousin to my sunday school ex-classmate! And her aunt used to be my school teacher. What a small world. 

I asked sister Theresa "Don't you think that it seems like we're going to have a steamboat instead of a barbecue party?" She agreed with me, most of the ingredients are steamboat friendly. HAHA. 

As a few guys successfully set up the fire, and trying their best to keep the fire going, we went on with our orthodox rituals - singing and praying before meals. We sang to the Chinese New Year songs (Not those "fa da cai" "hong bao na lai" "zao cai jin bao" lyrics), but more melodious and harmonious type.

We also had a surprise birthday celebration for Imelda! Who rushed back from her sports competition that day. With a hint darker on her already tanned complexion.

Some chickens we barbecued that night. Along with grilled corns and fishballs. 

All in all, i had a wondrous meal that night, learned some living skills, including setting up fire, though i did not truly laid a finger on the bricks or the fire per se. But the thought of gathering under God's name truly calmed my heart, (seeing i have 3 midterm 2 assignments to hand in the following week thereafter), especially in the presence of 2 beautiful sisters. :)

kthxbai