My paternal uncle bought a house in SS14 Subang Jaya in the 1980s. At that time this neighbourhood was the Hounslow of Malaysia – and a hub for airport and airline staff. It’s proximity to then Subang International Airport meant that planes would be flying over your house every hour or less. That put off…
Category: Kuala Lumpur
Home Bound Day of the Dead
It’s a different Cheng Beng festival for the Chinese community today as the Movement Control Order (MCO) measures are tightened in view of a peak of Covid 19 infections in mid-April. This annual festival which is essentially the Chinese version of ‘All Souls Day’ is one where families gather at cemeteries all over the country…
Restricted Movement Sunday Lunch
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…
新年快乐 (Xinnian Kuai Le) 🐭
A Happy Chinese New Year to the WordPress community, readers, friends and family! Special wishes for those born in the year of the rat.
An Abundant Ponggal to All
I didn’t realise it was ponggal (harvest festival) today till I noticed the boiling earthen pots under sticks of sugar cane, propped up in front of my neighbours homes this morning. All dressed up in colourful clothes, the families were gathered around the pot waiting for it to overflow so that they can shout ‘Ponggal!’…
‘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…
Tropical Blooms
We’ve been through a heatwave over the last two months – says my poor blemished skin and electricity bill. The air conditioning is switched on most of the day and air-conditioned gyms are a welcome respite compared to the muggy outdoors. This is why the heavy rains over the last two weeks is a welcome…
Splash of Colours
Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) Park in the heart of Kuala Lumpur is a popular spot in the city for locals and visitors alike. Located at the foot of the Kuala Lumpur Petronas Twin Towers, it is one of the best places to catch a city sunset. Watch the city lights take over the evening…
Traditional Tiffin Take-Away
I spotted these beautiful tiffin carriers that used to be a common sight in most Malaysian kitchens at one time. Unlike the stainless-steel Indian tiffin carriers, the Malaysian version is usually in plain pastel colours or adorned with beautiful motifs – usually flowers. I’m not entirely sure, but I think these originate from the kitchens…
Thin: Tea-time treat
Tea-time is a big deal in my family home. My mum and our neighbours used to team up to bake, steam or cook up a variety of delicious sweet and savoury afternoon snacks and delicacies. Us kids used to be the guinea pigs for experimental cookouts – we didn’t complain very much until we grew…
Maria Dass the World 