Remembering My Mother (Part 1)

My mother passed away on 21st June 1999. I've just graduated from college and had rushed back to KL immediately. Was able to be with her for about three weeks before she left us. That three weeks was very intense for all of us. She was very sick and every one in our family was taking turns to care for her including my aunts. I've never seen her in so much pain. I've cried almost every night. She took her last breath with all of us by her bedside, including my uncle (my mother's youngest sibling) and his wife and a few of my cousins.

I've always wanted to start a memoir about my mother but sad to say I haven't done it. First, I was hindred due to my writing skill. Next, when I tried to write, I didn't know where and how to begin the sentence. Then, because there was no one pushing me to do it (unlike assignment/homework), I became lazy.

I will not postpone this farther even though now I am a lot busier than before. I know if I don't put it down in words, slowly my memory of her will fade away and she will be forgotten. My encouragement will be Brandon. I would like for Brandon (and Ethan too) to read about his Maternal Grandma and to know how great she was.

I think I will jot what I remember about her, may not be in any chronological order.

Her attitude:

"She was a fierce lady. Really ... ask anyone in our family ... they will agree with this. But she was really nice and caring too. To me, or to the three of us sibling, she was the world's GREATEST MUMM."

Her skill:

"She learnt to use the computer to communicate with me when I was started studying in US in 1996. She even had her own ICQ #5745473 with the nickname 'mUmm'. Back then, we used ICQ on dial-up connection to chat. We also tried audio conversation but only one person can talk at a time. It was fun. We chatted while she was cooking and she would tell me what she's cooking for lunch. And when it's time to pick up my siblings from school, we would stop the chat and continue after she came back from the daily routine."

"She sewed my brother's sleeping pants when he was a toddler. She also customed made a small little pillow for him during his baby age which he carried with him until he was a toddler."

Her recipe:

"She made egg dishes for my sister (almost everyday) because she likes eggs, we all likes eggs!"
"She made her famous microwave'Dark Soy Sauce Pork Chop' for my brother and sister because they like it and still do!" (luckily I still know how to make this and if I go back, I always make this dish for my brother, though it may not taste the same but it is pretty close - right JY?)

"She also frequently made 'Tom Yam Chicken Pizza' from scratch (dough and everything else) using her then "new magicmix food processor" which my brother also like a lot."

"She also used to make a 'peranakan' dish (I think is peranakan because I've seen the dish at peranakan restaurant), whereby a fish is sliced and a lot of herbs (kunyit, chopped garlic, chopped onions and other herbs) are squeezed into the opening and then panfried. " (I don't really know how and what the exact ingredients that goes inside the fish, though sometimes I wish I've known.)

Dear Relatives (JA, JY, JJ, Carmen, Nicole, Wai Mei and others whom may be reading):
Please contribute some of the memories of my mother and I would compile it together and make it another post. Thanks.