will i am's delayed diary

The end of May was travel season for mum and I. Both of us joined Uncle J for a pilgrimage to Medan. Traveling with Uncle J is no-frills, but extremely value for money because he does not profit from it at all. He was our tour leader for Bali pilgrimage the year before. At 8:30 AM, we were all checked-into our AirAsia flight and were having a typical kopitiam breakfast at Kopi Kita . A very warm welcome was waiting for us at Kualanamu, arranged by Lucia, the same tour agency boss we engaged in Bali. Once we grabbed our bags, we were draped with ulos , a traditional Batak ( indigenous people of Lake Toba ) woven cloth draped over the shoulder and headgear, and greeted with "horas", an all-purpose greeting of the Toba Batak people. Who doesn't love playing dress up? Deja vu -- Nasi Padang for our first lunch in Medan, just like on our Bali trip. The food at Restoran Simpang Tiga wasn't exceptionally good, but it was definitely a bit exotic. The meal would sustain us ...

On Sunday, we attended Sunday mass at the Church of St. Thomas the Apostle, where mum was baptized in 2000. The pews were mostly unoccupied. Back in the day, my secondary school with the same "Doubting Thomas" as its namesake was also located right next to it. Our breakfast was at La Gourmet Noodle House , a shop that was new to us. Their chu cheong fun is silky smooth, and the curry noodles are topped with fried fish skin which is pretty uncommon. KH and I started out journey back to KL after the heavy breakfast and did not stop until we were at Mentakab. Ate dim sum for lunch at Yuan Man Dim Sum which has since stopped operating. No loss because most of the classic items were not well-executed with the exception of the wu kok .  In town, we were attracted to a beautiful pre-war shoplot with ornate decorative relief. We found a umarked cafe inside that building, located on the first floor. With no obvious signage, its no wonder Si Ji Cafe is also no longer open. It had cl...

A trip to my hometown of Kuantan is not complete without sampling the exquisite Malay food. Breakfast was at the famous Nasi Kerabu Mekla , Permatang Badak with the Y Tribe. Always a great place for a large selection of traditional Malay delights. Then we were introduced to Slow Bar by Kopicat , a cafe operating out of an old wooden house along Jalan Alor Akar. The young baristas with their manual espresson machines make quite a mean cup of coffee.  With our bellies full, it was time to visit the goldsmith. Quite a tradition to buy gold from the shop owned by the Y Tribe due to their honesty and competitive pricing. Mum would always gather her loose or unwanted items for a trade-in. Hours would go by browsing the selection of chains, rings, lockets, and charms. In the end, we found something for Mother's Day.  KH and I slipped away later in the afternoon for a paktor session at The Rolling Dough , a cafe located in the Alor Akar neighbourhood, very near to where I used to stay...

The month of May is reserved for celebrating mum's birthday. In 2024, The Tribe brought my brother and mother on a road trip to Kuantan for makan-makan and visiting old friends. From the photos, it looks like mum had loads of fun at Sungai Lembing and Gunung Tapis. Very surprised that she managed to navigate the rocky terrain at the waterfall. Fantastic sunrise and 'sea of clouds' photos too.  I joined them later due to work commitments and spend some quality time with KH. Started our journey after noon and by 2PM we were at Mentakab. Made a short beverage stop at Rakutea, a bubble tea shop that no longer operates today. We arrived at Kuantan some time before 5PM, and were just in time for a yumcha session at Rasa Sayang Cafe with   the Y Tribe who are our Kuantan hosts. So many goodies on the table -- kopi , roti titab , pulut panggang , tebosa , mango cheesecake, toasted kaya bun, and  kuih ketayap.  The best thing is, dinner ain't gonna be light.  Acc...

FYI, Toast Maker Kota Kemuning hires young Chinese boys ( Roshan Melwani's voice rings in my head ). Not sure if there's plenty of consent though. Haha. 

Thrifting has become popular in Malaysia with the entry of big names like Second Street. Homegrown thrift shops like Jalan Jalan Japan and JBR Bundle also provide variety to the scene. I don't have qualms about wearing pre-loved clothes, but I draw the line at underwear! Amazing to see so many used boxers and boxer briefs on sale at JBR Bundle. Although curious, I was not tempted enough to browse through that rack. Perhaps there are some connoisseurs who look for such fermented treasures.