10 bucks

Hi Natty!  Wow, what a beautiful girl you are.  Let's make love.  Wait... can't do anything while we're still driving, can we?  I hope you are having lots of fun being a supermodel, please try to keep your precious self safe and don't forget to pray.  I have a little bit of money right now, so I paid all my bills and now it's time to do some grocery shopping.  I want to use up the food I have left first.  I still have a lot of dough in the cooler, plus a batch of chili.  Also 4 eggs, a couple of burgers, and some cup of ramens which my Dad gave me- I suppose he wants me to know what people who can't cook have to eat.  But I used to eat cup of ramens all the time- they're a quick fix, and if you cracked an egg in there makes it more filling.  The ones I have are kind of bland.  Anyway, I bought a kilo of roasted peanuts and some sliced cheese, then went to McDonald's for a vanilla cone.  But what do you know, their soft serve machine is broken.  Yeah, right.  We all know it's a conspiracy.  All I ever get from McDonald's is a vanilla cone for a buck.  Hey, I know how to make a cheeseburger.  But I guess I have to pay for not paying.  😠  Oh well, from Allah is our origin and to Allah is our return.  I also have all this rice vermicelli at home I don't use.  I have over 2 large packets from last year's Chinese New Year, they come dried so they last as long as the wrapper is busted.  It doesn't occur to me to use them, I usually just go for something else.  Then just now, my Mom gave me 3 more packets.  Yikes!  Looks like I'll be having fried rice vermicelli for lunch tomorrow.  I have some soaking right now.

Old commercials

Hi Natty!  How are you feeling?  I guess you're not ready to be Mrs. International Rock Star even though you're not even married yet, but that's how crazy people are.  But hey, you are traveling on a very unique ride, so please be grateful to Allah.  Meanwhile please have tons of fun, keep safe and pray.  I had a busy day today.  I paid my bills in the morning, and the wind died down so I did some burning in the evening.  I bought my dinner at the night market to save time.  Not bad.  Local fare.  Chicken rice.

I'm not ashamed to admit that I do have some influences that are old commercials.  Some of them have great jingles, probably all original too!  Here's one of my favorites:

Qur'an 20190129

In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

100.  Say, "Not equal are things that are bad and things that are good, even though the abundance of the bad may dazzle you.  So fear Allah, o you that understand, that you may prosper."

(The Repast 5:100)
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Sunday

Hi Natty!  How are you feeling?  It's Sunday here, and I'm afraid I'm feeling a bit grumpy because I'm tired compounded by lazy.  Alhamdulillah the weather is cool and breezy, and I was able to keep my temper.  Nothing is fun when you're exhausted.  But I'm glad to see you out and about on your time off, and trying to keep a modest appearance.  Well everybody wears tights nowadays, so in that sense it averages out to modest.  Nothing special on the menu today, I ate takeout and my Mom gave me some noodles.  I haven't had dinner yet, but if I get hungry I'll just heat up the chili.  It's a good batch.  Sweetheart, I know you may be intimidated by all the big business, but your career is still rising so I don't recommend that you go all out into hiding yet.  Learn to cope with all the gossip and not let it affect your emotions.  That way you can have more fun and make more money inshaAllah.  Anyway, please keep safe and know that you are my girl and that I love you.  And don't forget to pray.

"Cucur udang" (prawn croquettes) part 2

Hi there, beautiful Natty!  Are you enjoying the ride?  I haven't heard from you in a while, I am sure you are busy.  Please eat sensibly and get enough rest, and please pray.  It's a crazy business, and I don't blame you for not wanting to say anything, and I don't blame Erin either for wanting to hide, especially when you realize how big this game is.  I on the other hand have to say something, because I want to reassure you that things will work out great for us inshaAllah.  So don't you worry about a thing OK?  Don't forget that this is a spiritual arena, so the bad guys are having a hard time too.

The "cucur udang" (prawn croquettes) I made the other day were so good, I wanted seconds.  Plus I didn't take any snapshots for the tourists to look at, so I whipped up a batch this morning.  Yes Honey, you use the entire shrimp, heads and all, and it has to be the small shrimp because the big ones don't crisp up.  Of course you can make the fried shrimp cakes with peeled shrimp, but that would not give you the experience of crunchy fried shrimp cakes.  So this batch turned out successfully, alhamdulillah.  Next time I want to make them crunchier, but it's a fine line between perfect and burned.  So I played it safe this time.  Want some?  Oh, I ate them all!

The connection between the mind and the stomach

Hi Natty!  How are you feeling today, my darling?  I hope you are feeling healthy and confident, and having a fabulous time.  I'm doing OK, just sitting here trying to type out this letter, while I have a batch of beans cooking on the stove top.  I'm trying to write this letter, but Floofy is in heat right now and she needs a lot of hugging, cuddling and love.  I can't resist her, after all she is my kitty, I love her so much, and she's very soft and fluffy.

15 minutes later, she wouldn't let me put her down!  She's such a love cat.  Anyway, I have a batch of beans going right now, I'm about to make chili.  Chili is great for a small budget, especially if you know how to make bread, and it's very filling.  I'm going to add my "sambal tumis" (chillies, onions, and "belacan" (fermented shrimp) fried in oil until saturated) to give it heat.  I'm grateful that Allah taught me how to cook, however my stomach has become more sensitive.  I'm having trouble finding a tomato sauce that doesn't give me heartburn- does that mean I'm going to have to use fresh tomatoes to make sauce from now on?  I had sardines and rice for lunch today.  You know how sardines in a can come cooked in a tomato sauce.  That usually doesn't affect my stomach.  And this batch of "sambal tumis" is mild on the stomach.  But put the two together and I got heartburn so badly, and right before voice training too.  Good thing I had some sunflower seeds.  I don't know.  Maybe my "sambal tumis" isn't as great as I thought it was.  But it worked wonderfully with other foods I made...  😕  It must be the tomato sauce.  All ketchup gives me heartburn lately.  Except and only except when I eat it with fries.  😕