MA ( ) FAMILY COOK
LIFE OF A FAMILY COOK
Miss Oraphim Worathongchai ,
as most members in the Ma ( ) family called her “Pah Noi” (Auntie Noi), is a family cook. When she was 12 years old, she decided to move out of her hometown, Korat. Her main reason was she saw her friend who had been working in Bangkok always came home with beautiful stuff. So, she wished that one day she could be the one who had a beautiful life in a big city. Therefore, she skipped her school life to find a new opportunity in the capital city.
“I hope my life would be better if I move to the capital city.”
“Going to the market and meeting my friends have been a part of my life.� She became a part of Ma Family because her eldest sister used to work with Ma family and her sister asked Mr. Ma if she could bring her younger sister to work in the family. The answer was YES. Since 14 years old, she became a part of Ma family. In the early days, she could not even cook. As time went by, she improved her cooking skill by learning from Mrs. Ma. With strong will and practices, she finally became the cook of Ma family. Since she left her hometown until now, she has been with Ma family for over 40 years. More than half of her life was spent with Ma family.
“Hi! How is your day?�
Pah Noi usually starts her daily
routine from 4:50 a.m. in the morning to prepare breakfast. She finishes before 6 a.m., then she will take a shower and dress up beautifully. At 7:30 a.m., it is her go to market and socialization time. She loves to have conversation with the vendors at the market. Some vendors talk to her as if they were long time friends.
“Auntie, have you had breakfast? Yesterday, we made some Kao Tom Mud. I want to bring you some.”
“I love to exercise in the morning to keep me in good shape.�
After coming home from the market, she will practice yoga to keep her in good shape. Then, she will have her own breakfast together with her colleagues who also work in Ma family. As soon as she finishes breakfast, she will wash all the dishes in the sink. Then, she will take a short break by reading local newspaper.
“What do you want to EAT today?�
At 10 a.m., she will start her housekeeping routine. Then, time to prepare lunch for Mr. and Mrs. Ma. Her own lunch will start after 12:30 p.m. and after that she will prepare raw materials to make dinner. She will take afternoon break from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. which she usually takes afternoon nap and listens to radio.
She will start making dinner at 4 p.m.. The dinner will be ready one hour later. Then she will standby in the kitchen to serve Ma family members upon request. At 6:30 p.m., she will start cleaning dishes, then she will clean up the dining table. She will stop all work at 8 p.m. latest. Her normal workday ends in her private bedroom, relaxing, watching TV news before sleeping.
Pah Noi is a key member in
Ma family. Ma family members will miss her a lot whenever she takes a vacation. She is very persistent, consistent, and frank. Although she may sometimes feel exhausted, she will take a good rest and wake up the next morning to cook for Ma Family without complain. It would be hard to find anyone like her these days. Ma family is fortunate to have Pah Noi as the family cook.
“I usually watch TV news before I go to bed.”
By: Jirapak Atsawaprecha 629010037 Fatima Eakanee 629010056