Friday, September 03, 2010

Kurang Ais or Suam

Some people like to have hot drinks, some like it cold, some like it half cold and half hot, in this case we called it as "suam" in Malay language. Well, I am well aware that having too much icy cold drink is not good for our body, but then I just doesn't like hot drinks as it always sweat my whole body up after that. That's why I always order "kurang ais" which means less ice in English. However, I wish to check how people actually judge one as "kurang ais".  Why did I want to know? The story as follow.

This morning i went to the canteen and ordered for a cup of Teh O kurang Ais for take away. I saw this "Kak" is preparing the drink where she placed half of the cup with Teh O and then half cup of space is for the ice. With such a mixture, the cup has become as Teh O Ais instead of Teh O Kurang Ais as i can see the ice actually filled the whole cup which it will be dam* cold when i drink it. In that case it will be pointless for me to ask for "Kurang Ais". So I told her, "kalau macam tu, ia bukanlah kurang ais..!" She then seems like not really "syok" and said "kalau macam tu, itu Teh O Suam yang you nak..!" while removing some of the ice from the cup. After some ice removed, that's what i accepted as "kurang ice".

What I want to highlight here is, could people actually differentiate what is ice, less ice or "suam"? Whoever knows Malay language also knows that "suam" is referring something not cold and not hot, in this case room temperature plus a little bit hotter. We all can "see" if a cup of water fully filled with ice, it is of course to be called as "ice". So, what do you think less ice is? It is of course mean that one doens't want that much ice but still want it to be cold, that's why called it as less ice. What a disappointing morning. =.=

2 comments:

Ryan said...

I think it's air suam neh

Sam Wong said...

It's simple.. try order one at any mamak as swam as see what you get.. Hehe..