I remember the aunties

During my mum's days it was a norm to visit your friends often.  The friends would do a sort of rotation to visit each other in their homes, usually during tea.  People rarely bought food from outside and would cook something or serve biscuits. Good biscuits.   Some of my mother's friends are reknown cooks and their tea parties would be the time they show off their cooking finese.

Before, there was no internet and the explosion of information.  The ladies had to go and learn at classes like the Women Institution or WI as it was known.  Or learn from cook books. Or handed down by their families. Now we just search and the recipe appears in droves.

These days you cannot just drop in people's house without informing of your intended visit earlier.  It would be inconsiderate. Those days guest are treated with more revered appreciation, that you get dressed and serve them the best dishes you have when they come, even without prior notice.

Nowadays we don't change for our guest and we treat them in a very 'lepak' manner, picking up the mess as we welcome them into our houses and chitchat as we fry the keropok in the kitchen and stir the drinks in the   mugs.  Those days mugs are not allowed for guests.

Those days women lived up to their appearances.  Dress well, eat well and host well. The olden aunties' ways were always impeccable and proper. When we children are out of 'their' line, be rest assured that we  will know it, by their pinches. That's how we were taught. Mind our ways or get pinched!

I hope it is not too late to teach those ways to the girls. I reallly hope it is not too late but I don't know about the pinching part.