Nostalgia 3: Ma-ma-sak 家家酒

     As a girl, this is another favourite childhood games of mine!

      The name Ma-ma-sak was derived from Malay -  "Masak-masak" which carries the meaning of "Cooking".

     So, from the name itself, you would know that this is a game that involves cooking.

     I believe, there are still many children who are playing this game nowadays. However, they get to enjoy a more "luxury" game, where better "cooking tools" are used compared to my era.

     Having said that, the experience of playing my version of Ma-ma-sak still put a nostalgic smile on my face, until today!

     Living in a poor family in a small town, we don't get a chance to own "luxury" cooking tools, instead we played with some unwanted or broken kitchen utensils given by our parents.

     Although the cooking tools look shabby, but being country kids, we got to play with real "ingredients"!

     Vegetables = leaves picked from the trees;

     Fish = small fish caught from the drain; (thinking back now, urrgh...how cruel were we...but kids being kids)

     Soup = water took from bucket;

     Money = little rocks pick from the roadside.

     Ready? It's play time!

     Role playing: 2 girls (most boys think this is a girl thing, very few will enjoy playing it together with the girls)

    "I will be the papa, and you will be the mama."   "Ok, ok!" 

     Scene 1: At the market


     Leaves were being tied into small bundles, putting on the table (that served as a stall)...

     "How much is this choy-sum*?"   * cabbage in Cantonese


     "20 cents."

     "Wah, so expensive... 10 cents la..."

     "Ok la...ok la..."

     "And I also want the fish."

     "Here is the money." (handing over the rocks)

     Scene 2: Back home 

     The leaves were being chopped into smaller pieces. And the fish....Nah, you don't want to know about it.

     "Hmmm... nice smell, what are you cooking?" Papa walks in pretending he just came home from work.

     "Choy-sum soup and fish curry." Mama answers while stirring the leaves in a pot of water.

     "I'm so hungry." Papa said while rubbing her* stomach.

     "Ready to eat now!" Mama put the pot of soup and the fish on the table.

     "Yummy!"

     And both of the girls eat happily (pretentious of course!) 

     These are just two of the many scenes we played in the game, we were so creative back then that we created interesting storyline for our game.

     Sometimes, when I do my grocery shopping in the supermarket, picking up vegetables or fish as the ingredients for my meals, I can't stop but recalling the wonderful game I was preoccupied with as a kid.

     Ma-ma-sak, anyone?