The hilarious realization over the only reason why my random self even knows about BRICS ever since the oughts is simply because if there's one thing my country is good at, it's cultivating that chip on its shoulder about how we've wasted away our potential etc etc etc persistently worrying over if we'll ever escape "the middle income trap" (another World Bank special) and I was at that age where I was busy writing scholarship application essays and prepping for interviews.
(It's no use. At one point I heard back a feedback was, we don't need another Anwar. Even then I was insulted. And I was right to be. Hahahahahahahahaha.)
If you happened to be in Kuala Lumpur, please stop by Kampung Baru, which is walking distance from KLCC via Pintasan Saloma. Here you could sample local food & dishes on the heavier side.
I recently went there for late supper, so I had this plate of mixed rice at a #Kelantanese (of course!) eatery, Kedai Kak Som. I’ve been patronizing the establishment for as long as I can remember back in 2000s. The soy sauce beef is to go for!
Over the weekend, sampled “lontong darat” which is Johorean dish of which rice cake wrapped & cooked in banana leaf, then sliced & served with “sambal jawa”, coconut sambal, beef & jerky peanut gravy.
Beautiful sunrise over the weekend at Port Dickson. Rarely got a chance to enjoy sunrise nowadays let alone at beautiful settings with time to spare. So I took my time, sample all little things that we usually took for granted.
I’ve made an impromptu decision to went back to my hometown to vote during the recent PRN. Drove more than 1200km to Kelantan & back to Shah Alam in the same day.
These are some photos of what I sampled during the day trip. Stories in the alt text.
A typical street view in suburban Ipoh, a city known as the "mountain city" due to its abundant limestone hills. Home to Michelle Yeoh and Ian Miles Cheong.
Clickbait-y title/opening aside, this is a fascinating place that’s so much more than “it’s creepy/haunted”. People LIVE here. There’s a community inside with shops and barbers and all that.
We Malaysians might not be aware but apparently, we’re famous for our chocolate. Every day, an endless stream of buses filled with China tourists make their stop at chocolate factories that locals don’t even know exist haha.
Other must-buy Malaysian products according to this China YouTuber: Milo powder, instant white coffee, instant teh tarik and instant cooking bak kut teh.
watched an actual historical reenactor yt channel and redid my feather quill nib. I didn't realise I needed to remove the inner membrane! It's definitely working better, I can actually write and sketch more precisely. I'm still rusty at sketching though. The ink is one of the special Malaysia ones @pengallery did with Diamine Inks. This one is meant to evoke the mangosteen fruit, and it's deep purple with a green-gold sheen, which can be hard to catch in photos.
my cat was actually reclining, I don't mean to make her a shortlegged Scottish Fold 😅
Enjoying a classic Indian breakfast under the trees. One of my favourite mamak places cos of the ambiance.
It is also a good excuse for me to exercise - I walked here from my apartment.
The classic #Malaysian breakfast of Half boiled eggs, steamed bread and cold sugarless tea (Teh O Kosong Ais). OK, most people take hot coffee, but I want to take it easy on the caffeine today 😁
I usually dip the bread into the gooey egg mixture.
#MakanApaToday for dessert: sago pearls with coconut cream and gula Melaka (a type of palm sugar) syrup. Also, we don't really do any Happy New Year stuff for Awwal Muharram, but a happy Islamic New Year regardless. #TootSEA#Food#MalaysianFood#Feditiam
ETA: need to shop around for another instance or figure out the issue... Anyway:
Image description: A half-eaten pudding cup-shaped mound of sago pearls, coloured blue with pea flowers, with a little decorative cut-up bit of pandan leaf. It sits on a plate on top of a shallow lake of coconut cream and palm syrup, served in separate halves. some of the pearls have separated from the main and lies carelessly mostly on the sugar half.
This is considered a decadent meal for myself and I doubt I can finish it 😋
I just had to walk from my apartment to get here. But today I was lazy and drove halfway. I regret that now. That longer walk would have at least burnt 10% of this lol.
From left: Popiah (a type of print roll), dim sum and ice black coffee from McDonald's which was down the road.