Our routine over the past two weeks has been limited and the Movement Control Order has been extended till mid-April. I’m missing my Sunday banana leaf lunch with the family and tried to replicate it today with missing ingredients nevertheless. Here’s lunch for today, white rice, fish sambal, dhall and siew pak choy fried with…
Category: Asia
Village With A Runway?
A runway in the middle of a village? That’s exactly what ‘Lawan Kuda,‘ a quaint village snuggled amongst the green hills near the town of Gopeng in Perak features. It’s the first thing you’ll notice as you pull into the village. Built by the British as an emergency landing strip and referred to as ‘feigeichang’…
Coffee Tea anyone?
Coffee flower tea, cultivated and harvested in the town of Gopeng in Perak, brings together a refreshing brew of two all-time favourite beverages in a cup.
‘Pop’ Goes the Bagel
We normally wouldn’t take the trouble to drive all the way out of town on a weekend, especially while we are still in a stupor from severe lack of sleep and running around town like headless chickens over Christmas and New Year. But a hospital visit in the area prompted us to stop by this…
New Year Glow
It’s barely a month since we ushered in the New Year and rolled up the Christmas lights and wreaths. In place of the twinkling Christmas lights are now the warm glow of red and yellow Chinese lanterns, strung up to usher in the Chinese Lunar New Year next Saturday. The simple joys of living in…
Christmas in the Tropics
We have this thing called the Christmas weather where we live. Every late November till late January the North-Eastern monsoon hits the coast of Peninsular Malaysia and it pretty much means wet weather for that whole period, with sunny days in between. It is generally much cooler, but not much fun if you’re rushing about…
Sweet Bubble Treat
Never understood the fixation with Bubble Tea and it’s variants, but to each their own. So with apprehension, I agree to try a cup with our friend Sel who was raving about it! It was 10pm at night, and there was a line when we pulled up in front of Xing Fu Tang Bubble Tea…
Floral Finery @ The Taj
The attention to detail at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India is astounding. The bright flowers that greet you at every lobby, reading corner and table tops were a testament to this. In addition floral floor decorations in our room lent a lingering fresh smell of jasmine and roses which lulled is…
Backwaters Adventure
I heard of Kerala’s Backwaters for the first time from my 93 year-old grandfather who was at that time, slowly slipping into early stages of dementia. “I used to sell pots from a boat,” he announced one afternoon. I was puzzled but didn’t heed his comments. He had just eaten his second lunch, because he…
Malabar Monsoon Adventure
As we were boarding the flight for our two week trip to Kerala, I scrolled through the weather report and was a little concerned that rain was expected throughout our trip that included a drive up to the highlands in Munnar, the forests of Thekkady and the backwaters of Allappuza in addition to Fort Kochi….
Church By the Water
The St Mary’s Forane Syro Malabar Catholic Church was packed with devotees when we stopped by Sunday afternoon. Many made their way to mass on passenger boats that ply the backwaters of Alleypey. This church has been rebuilt several times on its foundation that was constructed in 427 AD. It serves the community in a…
Performing Arts: Kathakali
Prep for traditional Kerala Kathakali performance. Stage make-up session starts one hour before the performance. It involves the application of several layers – base and colours made out of crushed natural coloured stones mixed in coconut oil. The performer applied his own make up first and is later aided by another artist. Before the performance…
Maria Dass the World 