Parting Glass to a Master Chef

 

Parting Glass to a Master Chef

 I had just woken up when I saw Jock Zonfrillo’s latest IG update. It was surprisingly black in colour and was barely a few minutes old. Came to realise moments later that it was not his. That’s how I got to know about his passing.

 Jock, together with Michelle and Andy, made up as trio judges for Masterchef Australia since Season 12, with the latest season, entitled ‘Secrets and Surprises’, was supposed to be premiered last Monday (Malaysia time).

 The show, especially since the ‘Back to Win’ season in 2020, has been phenomenal and came at the right time when the Covid-19 pandemic had (and still) affected the lives of people around the globe. It was uniquely different compared to most competitive reality TV shows. The judges, plus the contestants, have warmed the hearts of viewers with their emotional and uplifting support of one another. At one point, the show felt less of a competition, but rather a large support base for people to be inspired and motivated, all while being surrounded by amazing circle of friends and new families from within and outside the competition itself.

 Then, there was Jock. He was incredible since the start. As a Michelin star chef, and a protégé of the legendary chef Marco Pierre White, he was undeniably a class of his own. While I was in awe by his culinary skills, especially when he displayed his passion in cooking through the Masterclass episodes, you couldn’t help but have a sense of admiration for the guy. He was humble as a teacher, a great listener, and was willing to be at the same level with his contestants to learn of their expertise and specific cooking skills.

 From the show, and through his personal socmed account, I am also able to see what he was; a funny and great friend, a special mentor, and a loving husband and father.

 And, that is why I, among thousands of his Masterchef fans, have been affected by his death. It was made worse when it was recently revealed that Jock was secretly suffering from bowel cancer, of which was detected in a colonoscopy in 2021. People would fall to their lowest with that kind of revelation, but he didn’t. Instead, he persevered as long as he could, while he continued with his passion in cooking and witty behaviour, spreading positive words and inspire people around him.

 Going to miss his loud yell of support at the end of each Masterchef episode. May his family, friends and fans be strong enough to deal with the loss. The upcoming season premiere will undeniably be a bittersweet experience.

 As for now, a share of his words. “Go home, make yourselves a cup of tea, be kind to each other, and we’ll see you back in the kitchen soon.” 

 

By: Muhammad Nazreen.  A Malaysian & a Masterchef Australia fan.

Throwback 13 Presents: A 'Negeri' Wedding

The Throwback 13 Promo

-------------

7 April 2013.

It was a fine day for a trip. It was also the day when my colleagues (Shifak & Bobo) and I decided to go for a trip to a colleague's (Lisa) wedding reception. The meeting place was at the office in KL. Shifak had already decided to be the driver of the day. Can't imagine if I was the driver...you won't end up reading this blog if I was. :)

Khan, another colleague, also planned to join us as a convoy at the Senawang exit.

So, with Shifak's car, we started our journey (around 10am-ish) to Palong 10, Negeri Sembilan. It is a Felda settlement at Jempol. It sounded near. Come to think of it, the whole Negeri Sembilan sounded near enough from KL/PJ. You can reach Port Dickson from KL in about an hour's time. Air Keroh Melaka may take two hours, even though if you are a rule-observant driver. So, the journey should be short, right?

Gosh, we were totally wrong about that.

 It was smooth sailing when we first started; the given direction from wedding card map was clear cut enough as a guide. So, from the KL-Seremban highway, we exited to Senawang. After a few traffic lights, and a very long-winded road, we exited to the Kuala Pilah highway.

The Kuala Pilah highway was way longer than the one before the exit. But it was a cool journey for city folks...as you can really appreciate the natural surroundings. The forest and the green hilly slopes were a good visual therapy.

We got so excited when we reached Batu Kikir. It means that we had already reached Jempol...and we were closing in to Lisa's place. We we extremely happy, and Shifak picked-up the speed.

It was a short-lived celebration. We got lost after that. We found out that we were heading towards Muadzam Shah, Pahang, which was a bunch of kilometres away from our current location.

After asking from directions, used Khan's Waze, made a few stops to understand where we were heading, and came across another colleague (Azlin), we continued our journey.

Finally, after about 3 hours since departing from KL, we managed to reach Lisa's wedding place.

----------------

It has been 4 years since that journey. A lot of changes happened to us after that. Bobo has moved to a new workplace in Terengganu. Shifak is now happily married with 2 children in Penang. Even Lisa has 2 kids now. The rest of team are gaining family members too.

So, to narrate this story is somewhat a personal and emotional journey. Browsing through past memories...and recollect all the things that we used to do together...I notice that I missed the friendship, and the camaraderie that we had as office mates. We are still connected through social network apps now. But, really hope that someday...our meeting will be a real one....insya allah.

Please browse through the pictures. Hope you enjoy browsing through them, as how I enjoyed taking them in the first place :)

The start of a very long journey...like, crazy long. Like, what was I thinking?

Lisa...the bride in zesty orange. Rich in Vitamin See.

Here comes the bridegroom...facing the bride. A complete Ikea sofa set could be filled between them.

A combination of colours. A migraine-friendly pic.

Sincerely happy for them...and for the free food.

The Kompang team. Could this be defined as 'busking'?

My office family. Shifak (middle) has succumbed to Lisa's infectious V sign.

Really love this pic of my office family. And because I looked thinner in this.

On the way back. What we see here is the signature Minangkabau roof. The colour is a bit modern though. The Nippon Paint 'Blobbies' have done it again.

The traffic was so bad on the way back, that we've used up at least 50% of the wedding food energy for the stress alone.

Some of the fruits were in season during this time. The road's double white line made it out of season. *sigh.

Holy smoked meat! (AKA Daging Salai) 

It's a sign, I tell ya.

We were actually tempted to stop for a visit. But our wallets said "Go forth. Avoid regrets".

A prehistoric site. A compartment from my fridge fits that description too.

The colour Green soothes the soul. Green with envy pretty much damned it.

Bobo. Another V sign victim.

This looked like a cool recreational place. You just need to bear with the ongoing repair works, poorly-lit park, and the eerily-quiet surroundings. 

The second highest bridge in Malaysia; a cool fact the first time...not so much on the way back.

Senawang. I believe the name was given to honour the singer who did a collabo with Joe Flizzow of Too Phat.

It was a smooth journey at the PLUS highway. The toll of the journey was the Sg Besi Toll.

Reached KL now. 10 minutes left to be a passenger, and with the time to appreciate the natural surrounding. Missed being a passenger :)

A travelogue video that I did for the journey. Not mobile-friendly :)

Throwback 13 Presents: The First Day of February

Throwback 13 Promo

--------------------------------------------------

Read interesting novels for hours. Listen to light and easy songs. Travel solo around on multiple public transportation options, while observing people and the natural surroundings. Viewing and listening to nature. Make poetry.

Those were the things that I used to do when I was single. It was a life without real commitments. It was a life when you can take your time to appreciate each and every intricate details of life in a very relaxed manner. 

In short, I could almost walk on water and talk to butterflies. That's inner peace for ya.

But,  what I have now, is way perfect than what I used to have as a bachelor. I now have a new purpose in life; to take care and to love my family, and to be loved in return. And that involves responsibilities and commitments.

But, deep down inside, sometimes I do wish to do some of things that I used to do when I was single...even though it's just for a little while. Well, I had that once. It was the year 2012, and it was the Federal Day.


Wifey couldn't get a day off that day, as her office is in Selangor. And Irtiza was just starting with his formal pre-school education (so don't wanna make him skip classes). In the end, I was the only one left to celebrate the holiday.

The start of the day was normal. Irtiza was super-excited to go to his pre-school and meet his friends. Wifey was prepared to go to work. So, we dropped Irtiza off first, as his pre-school was nearer to home.

The 4-year-old Irtiza. Gosh, I missed him being this young!

Mama's shades; contributing to Irtiza's cheeky poses for the past 3 years...and counting.

Photogenic. Emm, what's the idiom...the apple fell not far from the tree? (*grin)

Papa will be back soon. Papa needs 'me' time/therapy sessions too.

After dropping off wifey at her workplace, I was determined to do something that I haven't done for quite a while. So, I uttered two words that I haven't said for the longest of time; 'exercise' and 'gym'.

How frequent do I visit this place? As frequent as the Malaysian General Elections.

Then, after being in the gym for less than an hour, it was time for me to enjoy the pool at the condo. It is a funny fact actually...to live at a big condo area, where there is a private pool for every block. And yet, I seldom have time for it. It was like donating the maintenance fees to the management on a monthly basis. So, I was determined to use what I paid for. But first things first...and the first things were the 'glaring' house chores.

A serene view...

...before panning into reality (House+work=housework)

Pre-Gopro days. The most extreme shot ever taken with wifey's digital camera

Glad that the camera is inanimate, and without feelings. This shot would scare the hell out of Tuty (yes, it's a she)

It didn't take too long for me to feel the loneliness after that.It was an ironic experience...as I was actually waiting for the opportunity to have the time for me to do all the things that I missed on doing for a very long time. And...surely enough...I wished hard that Irtiza was with me at that time.

It was late in the morning. The house looked so empty and quiet. I was bored...and I saw Irtiza's toys. And I had an idea. The result; the music video at the bottom page of this entry.

Irtiza's toys. Well, the teddy bear used to be his mom's, that was previously presented as an act of courtship by yours truly. Woah, that bear is old.

Towards the end of the way, while I was counting the last hour before picking up both wifey and Irtiza, I've experienced the realization that life is empty without my family. I was more appreciative of them, and will always love their company, no matter what.

Here's to a loving family :)

 Irtiza, with the hand puppet and the bear.

I got bored due to the loneliness...so I made this. Presenting...Irtiza's toys!

Once Upon a Haze

Words can’t describe how much I loved the Scottish Highlands. Or perhaps I can...’coz I’m writing about it now :)

I believe the feeling started, after watching the first Highlander movie back in 1986. Perhaps I was in love with its untainted natural setting. Or probably it was the cool and misty weather that did the trick. Then again, maybe the super-powered characters appealed too much to me as a kid, to the extent that I wanted to live like one. 

So the kid version of me dreamt, made a broomstick sword, and took my slumber like how a highlander would (with the help of the air-conditioner in my parents’ master bedroom). But the experience never felt complete, due to the lack of the misty visual effect. 

Then, it was the year 1997. By that time, Backstreet Boys seemed to be way cooler than being an immortal Highlander. But my love of the beautiful mountainous region was still intact. That year, I managed to relive that childhood memory...through what people would call as one of Indonesia’s most popular exports. It was the haze...and it was also my misty visual effect.

The haze came to ‘blanket’ Malaysia again last mid-June. The worst hit areas were those at the southern part of the peninsula. Petaling Jaya (PJ) was still far away from being rated as bad in the Air Pollution Index (API). Then, like a sour filling of a sweet candy, the haze abruptly came  to PJ in a big way last 23rd June (Sunday).

It was a bad surprise, with the API reading reached between 100 to 150 for PJ. Still, it couldn’t top the haze that happened back in 2005 (it was so bad that everything that you see from outside your home was filled with bright and strong orange hues...like that preliminary scene from Dante’s Peak, when Pierce Brosnan’s character struggled to drive in the volcano-spewed haze).

We already had the haze going on a day before that, but the visual rate was still ok. As a precaution, we cancelled our planned trips to Malacca and the Pet Exhibition at Midvalley Megamall, and made a ‘home quarantine’ for the weekend. 

But, there was a big need to go to the Sunday wet market at Uptown Kota Damansara. So, I made the journey alone, together with my 50 cents mask. It was still a struggle though, with the smell of Indonesia’s burnt trees seeping through the mask. Still, it was better than not wearing any. Plus, I was an ecstatic Gregory House wannabe...minus the beard, the walking stick, and the long list of sarcastic remarks.

A ‘smoky’ lane

The T-junction near Sunway Giza, Dataran Sunway 

Gonna buy some ‘smoked’ chickens

Being out for the trip, I was quite surprised that almost all of the folks that I saw weren’t wearing any mask. People still go to the pool, played at the playground, jogged and rode their bicycles. It was a sad thing to see parents bringing along their children to the haze-inflicted outdoor. In some cases, I actually saw some small kids coughing profusely, while the parents were busy chatting and buying things at the open market.

The haze dissipated slowly a few days after that; through a very long, satisfying rain. I remembered reading a lot of happy status updates from a bunch of very grateful FB folks that day.

Parents and kids...undeterred

Those tall condos are actually not that far from my place

The best status update of the day.

The haze came again a few days prior to this entry. But it was still bearable in KL and PJ, with slightly higher API readings in some parts of Malaysia. Guess the haze will keep on coming, till there’s an agreement between Indonesia and other ASEAN countries, in order to find the best solutions to counter this recurring old problem. As for now, what I can do is to be prepared for any incoming haze...masks and all.

Hope it’ll rain today :)

A video of Kota Damansara on the 23rd June 2013

A bonus video: Irtiza's Earth Hour 2013

Irtiza on PRU-13 (Kinda)

The 13th Malaysian General Election was held last 5th May. It was a tough fight...with unexpected results. 
 
I don't really reveal my inclination to the masses through the online mediums; Facebook, Twitter, and sorts. I do have my very own opinions...it's just that I still struggle on how to share them...without jeopardising the relationship with relatives and friends from opposing stands. Plus, my vote should be a secret.

What I can reveal is...we adults quarrel a lot of late. Perhaps we should learn from children; they quarrel about stuffs, but they reconcile later on. 

Here is my son's take on the General Election :)

Ps:/ Kids are also like sponges, right?; they absorb the surroundings...good, or bad :)

Politically Corrected

This was an article that I wrote for an interactive bulletin back in April 2009 :)

Politically Corrected

By Muhammad Nazreen Zainudin

‘Siddiq’

The first ray of light. A welcoming sight for newborns. It paves the way to a journey of enlightenment. Still, the destined truth was never an easy grasp. Within the first few steps, we stumble and fumble…and stumble again a few times more. Then, a couple of wisdoms were gained. But they were never enough.

‘Air Mata Kucing’ is made of cats’ eyes. Sharpening both ends of a pencil can shorten one’s life. The middle side of the bed is a ghost-proof area.  And Smurfs live under white mushrooms’.

20 years ago, Imagination made it a challenge for a kid to distinct between fiction and reality. A mixture of both worlds made the kid aspire to be what he wanted to be as a profession; a real-life MacGyver who owns a Knight Rider car (With added flux capacitor for time travel).

Naivety was partly due to a disclosed affair with the stupid box.

Then, the inevitable happened. This rectangular electronic devise...an occasional trickster with comforting entertainment, slowly descends into something sinister…a darker personality. Images of happy families were replaced with dysfunctional ones. Conflicts and confrontations were made more appealing than peace and serenity. Real violence and bloodshed engulf what’s left of their fictionally-entertaining counterparts.

The end results; a mix of hyperboles and understatements. At given time, the world would slowly but surely become a letter full of distorted truths…and signed with ‘Yours truly’.

‘Amanah’

‘Kanak-Kanak Parlimen’ was a successful TV propaganda. It made each and every kid believe in one thing; politics is an epitome of pure and white. It goes well with some ad catchphrases on cleanliness; spotless, super clean, clean and clear, clean and white, whiter than white, and insanely white. Ironically, it was later revealed to the kid that politics…is a dirty game.

Literally, the kid assumed that the position of politics is something like football. Or fundamentally the same...like Care Bears and Gummy Bears...or Bujang Selamat and The Karate Kid. He wondered..is politics a game between two opposing teams, constantly trying to reign over a lifeless, inanimate ball? Would the players (In their elected positions) do anything to achieve their goals…even in dirt and sweat? Could honesty be a bigger challenge to achieve than the game itself (As it is not invincible from corruption and injustice)?

Perhaps his intuition was not far off from the truth. Perhaps it was a false judgement. In any case, it was just an honest opinion.

‘Tabligh’

In politics, truth hurts…especially to a kid’s fragile mind, as it is revealed in different versions; the fundamental truth…the ideally-perceived truth…the majority-decided truth…and the inconvenient truth (Made convenient by fabrication). The outcome; the ironic uncertainty of what’s real…like the Padini Authentic bags in Petaling Street, tourism ads, and dual-natured ‘individuals’ at Lorong Haji Taib.

The history subject; viewed as truthful and real.…informing about past mistakes and achievements. The headache starts when history is written and rewritten in different versions by different organisations and countries. The heroes and villains…the rights and wrongs...the good and the bad…would be determined according to conformity of policies, ideals and interests.

People would say that we learn from history...but which ones are we learning from?

 ‘Fatanah’

What’s an ideal image of a wise person?

Most would instantly picture a person with a lot of gray hair, plus other qualities; a philosopher, a thinker, an art lover, and a bookworm who reads intellectual books.

Ironically...those traits fit Adolf Hitler’s persona nicely.

Some would say that wisdom is reflected through titles…to be placed at both ends of a name. In Malaysia, the formal ones are given to anyone deemed deserving…including an Italian F1 Team Manager and a Bollywood actor. The titles follows a trend originated from an idea that longer is better. Some would contemplate deeper and say “It’s not the length that matters…but how you use it”.

Then again, wisdom and titles would eventually contradict each other …like coffee and tea…working and gossiping…or a perfectionist and a dictator.

In the end, some would eventually see…that religion propagates wisdom; a piece of clarity to show that wisdom is guided by faith. From this significant realization…it is clear that besides The Book, humans need to be guided by a man towards the right path…as what has been done since the beginning of humanity. Not celebrities…or political leaders…but by the most perfect individual. A perfect guide…with four praiseworthy behaviours:-

Siddiq…Amanah…Tabligh…Fatanah.

Forever Black and Yellow…go Tiger!

It’s been almost 40 hours since the memorable game ended. It was the game with the Harimau Malaya securing a gold medal as a defending champion of the SEA Games 2011 football sport. Yet, people are still talking passionately about it at restaurants, Facebook, online forums, other media, and anywhere with a bunch of Malaysians around. The fire of the game is still very much alive…and roaring :)

The game really topped the finals of AFF Suzuki 2010 in terms of emotional display and Malaysian unity. It was no longer just for a gold medal, but a game to gain the national pride that was repeatedly tainted by flag burnings, bus-knocking, crowd-booing, desecration of national anthem, biased judging, and so on. With all the gold medals offered, that gold was the most important. It was coined the mother of all gold medals….and we’ve won it fair and square.

Truthfully, I’m not really a football fanatic (I belonged in a small percentage of weirdness in the Malaysian community where most people are either Liverpool or MU supporters). But I do have my moments of passion in football. I remember the Malaysia Cup finals back in 1991 when the Johor team fought against Selangor. The match was very dramatic, with Johor was down to 9 players due to injury and red card. It was Johor against all odds…and the team won 3 – 1 in the end. Boy I remember that clearly….plus my father’s memorable screams throughout the game.

Last Monday’s fight was a little bit similar to that….with lots of drama and gut-wrenching moments. The Harimau Malaya started slow and steady…and out of nowhere, a sudden goal was scored by Gunawan of Garuda at minute 5 of the first half of the game. That was a big downer, considering that the game was just starting and Malaysia faced tremendous pressure to get a tying goal to even things out. Mohd Asraruddin managed to do that with a very unique goal at minute 34. The second half of the game started with Harimau Malaya being more in the offensive mode compared to the first half. 

Two extra-time periods were given when both teams were unable to score a winning goal. Offside goals by both teams were a big teaser (I was very fortunate that my heart is in stable condition during that time).  Fakri was not a favourite among Malaysian fans that night due to his inconsistency in performance, with failed golden goal attempts and an easy third penalty kick. But all was temporarily forgiven through Khairul Fahmi’s amazing saves and Badrool’s goal that seal the deal to win the game for Malaysia. At that joyful moment, my wife and I gave our loudest roar of cheers….together with our condo neighbours.

The passion didn’t stop there. Rushed to my car at 6am yesterday to listen to the Hitz Morning Crew (they are very passionate in displaying their support for the Harimau Malaya…and they tend to inject a happy smile in your face). Was really keen to listen to their commentaries about the game. DJ JJ’s voice sounded hoarse due to lots of cheering. The DJs played Queen’s We are the Champions after that, and mentioned about their bet against Jak FM of Indonesia (resulted with the latter having to play Malaysian songs the whole day) The first song that Jak FM played for the day was Ultras Malaya-Selamanya…and that personally brings happy thoughts to me till today.

Harimau Malaya will be having the Olympic qualifying match against Syria tonight. Win or lose, you’re already a legend in the history of Asian football. All the best guys…..aummmm!

 The team celebrating their win :)