My Mother's Meat Balls

 Growing up in  Pulau Kerto first and then in Sibu, my first ever Foochow banquet was in Nang Chong village whereI remember very clearly how a huge feast was prepared "under" the stilted Big House, and the Rubber Smoke House. There were probably a few stoves going at the same time.

I remember some pigs were slaughtered and many chickens and ducks cleaned up on the floating jetty. There were so many able bodied people and willing hands to help my Third Uncle, Pang Sing Giew Giew the chief chef. Neigbhours came, members of the same clan came to be the helping hands. And thus 15 tables of food were prepared. In those days a village Foochow wedding banquet consisted of 10 different courses.

It was for my eldest cousin, Huong's wedding. I was not yet ten.

The most remarkable dish presented, in my opinion, then and now, was the steamed fragrant pork meat balls with lovely spring onions on top. The broth was chicken!!

I am not sure why that dish struck me. May be it was the fresh pork taste, or may be I found the meat balls very easy to eat.

And I remember my mother helping to place one meat ball in my ball. Mum was always very polite and she quietly told me that I could have one first and if there were any left, I could have another.

Thus I learned to use my eyes to look at the food, at others and only to have extras when others had their fill.

My mother was always a fair person, always thinking of others first. Had she been born later, I am sure if she had more courage and a burning fire in her, she would have been a great fighter, an awesome activist, to speak out for all the trampled, and to share fairly everything. 

Consider others first before self. Would that be the 8th Habit of an effective person? 

Later as I grew up, I watched my mother make meat balls from scratch. She would choose good meat, not too much fat, and prepare a good chicken broth. My father was a discerning eater, so she cooked very meticulously, spending slow time in the kitchen preparing food, even when she was not well some days.

When a child was sick, she would tie him to her back with a sarong baby carrier. That really tore me apart. Furthermore she would shoo me out of the kitchen asking me to go and study.

She never had a maid in her life, rejecting the Foochow tradition of having servants and adopted daughters, Ya Tou , to have at beck and call. Yes, she worked from the minute she woke up in the morning all on her own.

She used to say,"I am not afraid of working."

I still eat one meat ball first and wait for more at the bottom .....for later I may get a bonus. Postponement of wants.