There's always a First in Life!

While looking back to my first day in Muscat, suddenly I remembered a 1967 song The First Cut is the Deepest by Cat Stevens (now Yusuf Islam). 

This is a lyric which I have amended  a little and lullaby only in my heart to suit my story ... :D 

There's no intention of plagiarism though - since I truly acknowledged that the copyright of the original lyrics is still rightfully intact with the writer Cat Stevens (@^@)! So, mine will be the First Time is the Hardest ...

"The first time is the hardest, Darling ...  I know ....

Oh! The first time is the hardest, I'm feeling it ...

'Cause when it comes to being lucky, you're cursed ... He He He

When it comes to loving you ... She's worse! Hu Hu Hu

But, when it comes to being loved, she's the first

Cause, that's how you know ...

The first time is the hardest."

I like Cat Stevens song and it brings nostalgic feelings to me when I silently humming it and it brings back beautiful memories of my younger days. Anyway, the only word that captured my eyes and heart from the song is "First"! There is always a first in our life, be it first time, first love, first come first served, first person, first cut, first word, first born, first book, first year, first posting, and many other firsts - just named it, it'll pop on your mind! 

In my case, first experience  (to do or learn something) as a normal  housewife in Muscat @golden age! Indeed, it is truly the first time in my life and I tried my level best to like it. LOL! To this day, I still don't really like it, but I just do it as and when I feel like doing it! Anyway, what are these firsts?

So far, there were three 'first' projects, one 'completely done' and two still ongoings at snail pace throughout my two years here. Sounds good huh :)

In 2011, when I first arrived and made friends with another DS, I learn to sew by hands and eventually get my first project to be framed. But, before it could be materialized I had to purchase all the gadgets and what noughts such as cloth, scissors, needles, threads, ribbons, safety pins, straight pins, pin cushion, rotary cutter and a picture frame (for the finished project). Wow! So ambitious? Yet, I think it is not a bad thing at all for someone who was approaching her golden age, then! 

I called all these gadgets > the essential sewing supplies for beginners! If I am not mistaken I spent about OR20 only. My gratitude to YG who took me to Ghafoor Trading and for introducing me with the necessary essentials! Not bad for an investment for good skill and useful knowledge. Who knows one day, I have to sew a hole of someone's pants or trousers? 

Hah Hah Hah but not Funny, because I had used my first experience to sew for a good course! Alhamdulilah ... But, fortunately or unfortunately only once because The Owner still prefers to go to the professional tailor or the seamstress! Perhaps HE pitied or sympathized with me after looking at my bruised fingers after being 'abused' by the blind sewing needles! TQ TQ Mr Big Boss :)

But, I must say that my first project was accomplished. The result of my first and most probably last handsewn project made in 2011 is as follows:

Thanks to my teacher and mentor YG for being so patience with 'moose'! But, finally she did it. The one and only for her CV in 2011. Moose will surely keep it save for her first grand child's room. LOL! But on second thought do you think he or she would want it - the first handmade gift from Granny! Wish me luck :)

In 2012, I started another project since we moved to a new home in Qurum29. I like the kitchen very much - spacious and all the gadgets in it are all brand new and they still 'bau kedai'! So, I started what a normal housewife would do. Guess what? I want to learn cooking. Wow! That's news for someone who will be 50! Surely, my MIL will not believe me if I tell her. But Mom, please do! I am serious :D And, I did learn from her the very basic of cooking her son normal foods called "air tangan Ibu" from her when she visited us last year! Yeah ... My first formal cooking lesson > I did it in style in 2012!

But, before she arrived with an entourage of fourty people, me as always with my enthusiastic feelings had prepared all the necessary utensils needed for cooking which I bought in London from John Lewis. Also, I took out my new crisp green and white Harrod apron which was a gift from Perwakilan London (Group Dinamik). Also a cap to cover my hair from HomeCentre. So, finally all are set and I just waited for my MIL to share her knowledge with me! In fact she did. And Wallah, the first dish which she taught was fish curry - to be exact, ikan tenggiri masak kari stail NekWa! 

Wooooo not bad, and though still not as perfect as hers, I still practice cooking this dish till today. Although not everyday but at least twice a month for her son. So, I can safely said as HE kindly admitted that now 'tak le kempunan nak rasa makanan air tangan Isteri' or not to late to taste his wife's cooking after nearly thirty years!

Almost three decades of waiting, I think it was worth while! LOL He He He ... Recently, HE bought some kerapu fish from Seeb Market and requested me to cook curry and I simply did. This time without using coconut ala ala Indian style! I added vegetables including brinjals, ladies fingers and tomatoes. This version is different from MiL. Eventually HE liked it and that's another achievement for my first!  Also I managed to 'masak campak-campak' few other dishes like sotong lemak cili padi, sambal tumis ikan bilis, sushi & tempura and of course chicken soto and Ramadan favourite the Bubur Lambuk. Also not perfect like other housewives but as HE recognized "Bolehlah" and so far HE hasn't experienced any stomachache instead HE feels his trousers is shrinking since HE could not fit in! Hah Hah Hah.

Although I am feeling good, yet honestly I don't like cooking :( It's not my forte and I shall leave it to the expert my Mr Right! Yeah :D and till today, HE religiously love to cook for me all my favourite dishes since the day we sat eyes on each other especially during weekends - the chicken tandoori, the lamb stew, the grilled fish, the steamed garoupa, BBQ beef and the  newfound  recipe by Mr Right is a 15min Kungfu Lobster Noodles! I truly love it!!!

So the Chef of the house is still Mr Right! Last weekend's meal was Lobster Noodles. Big TQ HE Mr Right ;)  I truly appreciate your Mom aka my MIL who patiently taught me my first cooking lesson here in Qurum and not @St Lewis! But, I appreciate her more for making sure that you learnt cooking since age seven knowing premonition-ly that you have to cook and feed a wife for your entire life. He He He Thank You Mak for your 'see-ing' and as the saying goes: Only mothers know what's best for their sons!!!

And my third 'first' for year 2013 is again to learn sewing, but an upgraded version - using Janome Sewing Machine! This is a present from Mr Right on my 51st Birthday although HE prefers to utter the figure 15th and not 51st! Anyway, as enthusiastic as ever, I went to Gafoor Store and happily purchased a few meters of polka dot materials vis a vis cream and brown. The other set was blue and cream. At first sight, I know the combination of the colours is stunning and eye catching. I am dreaming of making my first hand sewn blanket or bedcover for Mr Right. Am I thinking straight? 

But, on second thought I have doubts upon thinking of the outcome of the end product! Will it look good and okay? Or will it be more suitable for the dustbin? Wow! This is awesomely challenging especially I have no experience at all in handling an electric sewing machine. The closest was more than four decades ago using my Mom's 100 year old Singer Hand Sewing Machine which was manually operated for my class project @Primary School. Even then, it was Mom who patiently sewn the assignment after all the nagging and tears welling in my eyes because I don't want to do it myself.  LOL! 

Anyway, my first 2013 project succeeded although not as I dreamed or planned. Instead of a full and beautifully sewn blanket, it turned out as a small table cloth or cover which unevenly sewn and some parts were obviously crooked! But, I must confess that it still has the 'sweetness' sight of a patch work design. He He He! 

In fact, Mr Right commended it and encouragingly said, "Not bad for a First Timer, Mama!" HE further boosted my motivation by adding, "This weekend, we'll go to Ghafoor and buy more materials. Practice makes perfect!" Ha Ha Ha ... TQ Mr Right. I truly liked your way to motivate me :) 

So, the long awaited result of my 2013 project is tra ra ra ...

A table cover for Mr Right's Chinese Tea Table instead of his blanket ... What do you think? I beg U > Please ignore the unevenness :)

Trying very hard to sew straight for the borders. After all the sweat even under full blown AC room, I can never get it right! Indeed, I am still an apprentice in the seamstress world :(

In sum, I always believe all of us have to go through many firsts in our life. I admit that I am lousy in many areas which many housewives including my Mom and MiL have excelled, especially cooking and sewing! But, I also feel that it is never too late to learn new things in life for the very first time. I may not like what I am learning, but I strongly believe that whatever knowledge that we gain from our learning will someday be useful to us. Indeed, it is never a waste to acquire knowledge for knowledge is Power! So, keep on learning Moose and acquire your many Firsts :)