Food Wars and Cultural Listings: How a Small Island State Pulled the Rug from Under Its Larger Neighbours

My first article for the year in the Vibes.com 😊 Unesco listings: A means of cultural appropriation? https://www.thevibes.com/articles/culture/13632/unesco-listings-a-means-for-cultural-appropriation

Flying Retro ✈️

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…

Breaking The Pattern

Sign of the times – boxes and lines on the beautiful tiles of the late 19th century Cheong Fatt Tze (Blue) Mansion. The beautiful geometric patterns of the tiles imported from Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire, England have been marked with black tape to remind visitors to maintain social distancing as they visit the popular Heritage house,…

‘Mandi Embun’ (Forest Bathing)

Experience the traditional healing properties of forest bathing also known as ‘mandi embun’ by the Malays and ‘shinronyoku’ by the Japanese

Sunset @ The Datai

The harmonious sounds of the sea, gentle breeze and night sounds from the forest @
The Datai Langkawi

Food Trail: Gopeng

Gopeng isn’t usually a food stop for travellers plying the highway between Kuala Lumpur and Penang, with most choosing to stop in Ipoh for breakfast or lunch. But Gopeng has its share of unique dishes, ingredients and finds that are not only made with fresh ingredients from around the district but cost a fraction of…

Food Trail: Sepang

Sepang has an array of food, restaurants, cafes and stalls offering a treasure trove of delights for you taste buds to explore. Below are some options for you to consider on a day trip to this district. Breakfast at Adik Abang Restaurant Here, you will be served a long lists of mouth-watering locals food. Regulars…

Gopeng’s Saucy Secret

Check out Gopeng’s famous and only surviving traditional soya sauce factory that has flavoured the town’s fare for 104 years and counting.

Unmasking the ‘Mah Meri’

The Mah Meri aborigine group and their fascinating culture and traditions are featured at the Mah Meri Cultural Village in Kuala Langat, Selangor.

Sunset: Morib Beach

I’ve always found it odd that Malaysians do not see ourselves as beach bums. We do alive in a peninsular after all. In general the beaches along the West Coast of Peninsula Malaysia can never compete with the clear waters and white powdery sand of beaches along the east coast that face the open South…

Food Trail: Seaside Sojourn

The current global lockdown is going to force most of us to grow roots where we are right now. I for one am going to make the best of it by exploring my own backyard. Over the next few days I will be exploring the Kuala Langat district in Selangor – with some pointers from…