Sitting in an air-conditioned restaurant in Subang Jaya last Sunday, I thought the food I grew up with – the palappam, putu, with coconut sambal and sardine peratal – tasted delicious, but the atmosphere was all wrong. There are no sounds of family members talking over each other, no scratchy radio blasting Hindi music, filling…
Tag: Malaysia
Annah Rais: The Living Longhouse
I had heard a lot about longhouse living and experiences, but apart from seeing the traditional houses at the Sarawak Cultural Village, I could rarely claim to have had an authentic experience, which is why I jumped at the opportunity to visit the Annah Rais Longhouse, located just about an hour outside Kuching. Our group,…
Traditional Trades: Dobi
Dhoby Ghaut, Penang: A Living Legacy Just off Jalan Air Itam and York Road in George Town, Penang is a hidden enclave that has been around almost as long as the establishment of Penang as a British trading post. Dhoby Ghaut – once Penang’s laundry district was established in the early 1800s. This riverside settlement…
Happy Halloween 2025! 🍸🍹🍻🎃
Have never been big on Halloween parties, preferring to stay in and be a couch potato instead of wading through a sea of ghosts, ghouls and witches. But this year, dinner plans with a friend, who is back home from New York for a few days, saw us bar hopping – Gen X style ……
The Wishful Dip: Lata Tok Muda
There is nothing better than plunging into the crisp, cool, clean waters of a waterfall with a natural slide to boot … especially after a 20-minute hike on a sweltering hot day. Alas, my colleagues and I just had to contend with dipping our hands into the clear waters of Lata Tok Muda in Kampung…
Lessons from a 50-year-old killer shark
Happy 50th Jaws!
My First Roller-Coaster Ride
I had to explain why this bus was such a big deal, and such a significant part of our daily lives to the Gen Zs and Aplhas in the family recently. A journey on this notorious Bas Mini – through the streets of Kuala Lumpur was sometimes worse than a roller-coaster ride. It was organised…
‘Notre Dame in the Jungle’
Read all about the Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church (est. 1895) in the village of Pagar Tras on Penang’s mainland, the significant role it played in the growth and transformation of Hakka migrants, the contribution of French MEP priests to the community, and the reason this magnificient structure fell into ruins in later years.
Ipoh Padang: Then and Now
What a view! A bird’s eye view of the beautiful city of Ipoh, built in the late 1800s to sustain the tin mining industry in surrounding towns.in Kinta Valley. This capital city of the state of Perak has a well planned layout and is surrounded by lush green hills. Fun fact – it was the…
Golden Glow: Cintra Street
The golden glow of yellow lanterns illuminates this five-foot way of century old shop houses on Lebuh Cintra, George Town, Penang. This street was once home to the Japanese ‘Karayuki-san’ or women of the night who left their homeland to escape extreme hardship. Many were sold off by their families and ended up as domestic…
Gloomy Days: George Town
The city of George Town in Penang, on a gloomy afternoon – just before rain. The old quarter of town is visible right up to Swettenham pier, where two cruse ships are docked for the day. The gantry cranes of Penang port along Penang Strait are in the background, and further behind, mainland Seberang Prai…
KL temple procession back after 63-year hiatus
160th Anniversary of Kuala Lumpur’s (KL) oldest temple – the Sin Sze Si Ya temple – was celebrated with the return of the Qi An Da Jiao parade last Sunday after a 63 year hiatus. The procession through the city was held annually for blessings, fortune and protection for the city, and its dwellers. The…