G STRING CHANG

The fifth day of the fifth lunar month marks the celebration of the Chinese festival “DUAN WU JIE a.k.a. DUAN YANG JIE or DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL”. Like many Chinese festival such as Chinese New Year, Mid Autumn festival, Duan Wu Jie is also widely celebrated by the Chinese families all across the globe. It is an opportunity for the whole family to gather and feast.

I have moved out from my comfort nest a couple of months ago and this shall be the first time celebrating this festival without my family. It’s a little uncomfortable but I believe I will get used to it soon. I gave my mum a buzz last night and she started to complain that I should come back often. This has always been the start of my conversation with my dear mother. Although, the conversation seems to be extremely predictable, her nag has become somewhat calming… duh? Ok ok………. I miss her.

I believe everyone should have downed at least a couple of CHANG a.k.a ZONG ZI (Glutinous Rice Dumpling) last few weeks. I have decided to make some CHANG for myself, my family and my friends. Making CHANG is a very tedious and a patience-demanding process. It begins with proper planning of the ingredients, follow by cooking these ingredients individually.

The next challenge, is the bundling of this dumpling using the bamboo leaves. Believe me, this step requires a lot of skill and patience. Not too much ingredients, not too tight, not too loose etc. Many had failed and many thought they have succeeded till they found out that their CHANG disintegrated at the last stage -- boiling. This is somehow analogous to the way how one deals with another, be it at home, at work or among friends. Isn’t it?

Anyway, my housemates and I have great fun teasing each other’s masterpiece. We are all very engrossed in making our very own bundle of hope and joy, especially my friend, the proud-lover-of-her-husband's-inverted-nipples lady. I have never seen her so focus and so determined to get that pyramidal shape. But ended up, she has created her very own G-String CHANG!!!!

I believe at the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter how weirdly shaped your dumplings are (Typically, CHANG should be pyramidal), as long as we had fun.

We have put our heart in making these CHANG and I believe these CHANG will be exceptionally tasty and priceless. ( G string CHANG )

I think my mum will definitely be my number one fan, be it the only fan.

Cheers for more to come and be free…..

P.S. Popiah next week? Any contenders?