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

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,…

Sunset @ The Datai

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

Day Break over Bangkok

I’m not a morning person, and when the first rays of the sun stream in through the windows of my room in the morning, I’d rather pull the blanket over my head and roll over. But it’s different when I’m travelling or visiting a destination for work, because I feel obliged to capture photos and…

Tangkuban Perahu: Java

This may not be how it looks like today, but the Tangkuban Perahu Volcanic Crater an hours drive out of the city of Bandung was a spot of serenity when we visited about three years ago. There was a major volcanic eruption in 2019, so am not sure if the scenes are the same today.

Sunset Over the Andaman

Am missing the beach, the sound of waves rolling in and dramatic sunsets! The dramatic sunset over the Andaman Sea captured from Pantai Cenang, Langkawi Island, Kedah Malaysia.

Stuff you take for granted …

Things you take for granted until it’s beyond your reach because of restricted movement. Our sweet treat just one month ago on a scorching hot afternoon along the streets of Georgetown – ‘Ais Bola’ drizzled with syrup, sarsaparilla and grape & Penang Heritage ais kacang. Ice bola is hard to come by nowadays, but it…

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…