Boys To Men

Brave nephews, Rio (left, 5) and Zico (7), going through a rite of passage.

As Muslims, all boys have to go through it. Circumcision. It is being done before boys reach puberty although there are some parents who circumcised their baby boys as young as about a month old.
So after it had been done, the boys can’t wear pants, as the wounds were still raw and tender and it would be painful if the fabric touched it. So we gave them sarongs to wear. And to further ensure that the sarong wouldn’t graze the wound, Malays came up with this ingenious contraption using a bent clothes hanger strapped around the boys waists. So there they were, walking around with a sarong and an obvious protrusion in the groin area. Quite amusing to see.

To mark this momentous occasion, the parents (my brother in law and his wife) decided to have a small gathering with the family and close neighbors. And the wife, an Indonesian and an excellent cook), cooked up a storm with help from her friends.

Ayam Penyet (Indonesian smashed chicken)

Fried Tofu and Tempeh

Oxtail Soup

Fried Bee Hoon

A “village” salad comprises of round eggplant, cucumbers, lettuce and cabbage with a spicy sambal and lime squeeze.

Fruits Rojak. Young papayas, guavas, turnips, cucumbers and apples eaten with a spicy prawn paste sauce.

And there were sweet and savory snacks as well.

Curry Puffs

Kueh Dadar

Chendol Nagasari, a sweet steamed pudding

Kueh Lopes

Fresh Fruits

Chocolates in little cases for guests

And as a “bravery award”, my brother in law bought them an Xbox 360!!

My son, Razin, trying out Grand Theft Auto.
And with an unerring logic of an 11-year-old, he is willing to be circumcised again just so he can have an Xbox. Haha! Kids!

-hazrock, yummy in my tummy