will i am's delayed diary

Bright and early the next morning, we checked out of Mikie Holiday Resort & Hotel. During the day, one can get a clear view of Gunung Sinabung in the distance. Gunung Sinabung is an active volcano located on the Karo highlands. Our first destination of the day was Taman Ziarah Kerahiman Ilahi Puncak 2000 , a pilgrimage site dedicated to the Divine Mercy. As its located on a peak, the spiritual park offers peaceful and majestic views of the surrounding highlands. Private mass was celebrated at the chapel. The drive from Puncak Siosar down to Danau Toba was very scenic, especially when winding down the crater towards to volcanic lake. Our lunch was at Vhi Vhi Resto , featuring local catch from the lake.  When I looked out the window, I saw the local fisherman casting their lines at the water's edge. Not a pretty sight because the edge was lined with garbage.  From the water's edge, we went back up the crater for some sightseeing at Maulana Cafe . For a small fee, we cou...

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. 

Drenched sheets! Sweat? Lube? Cum? I would be happy if this was the result of an intense sex session, but unfortunately it was due to the fact my room was like a furnace! 

If memory serves, the last time POD and Nic were in town was in 2010  to visit a friend who was unwell. Fast-forward 2024, they were in Kuala Lumpur for a happier reason-- POD's brother was getting married. Rather than the infamous Federal Hotel, they upgraded to DoubleTree by Hilton this time round. Met up with them at the lobby and walked over to our dinner venue at De.Wan , The LINC KL. Both of them looked well, and it was always never dull talking to POD. Always some travel stories and drama to share, especially with new in-laws in the picture. In terms of food, we all agreed that the Ayam Buah Keluak was delicious. As the night progressed, the conversation naturally touched on aches and pains and blurry vision. Hope to see them again soon. 

Tater was in town again and staying at his usual hotel in Bukit Bintang, so KH and I moved our Saturdate to the heart of Kuala Lumpur. The ramen at Tabushi was underwhelming and the only memorable thing about the whole meal was a weirdo who sat beside us. His meal was groceries from Isetan Food Market. He started with a banana, and when it came to the blueberries, he ate them directly out of box like a puppy. KH nearly choked on his ramen. Our first cafe stop was at Kita Coffee hidden somewhere in Fahrenheit 88. Took us some serious navigation to find it. When it was time to meet up with Tater, KH just fell flat right in front steps of Uniqlo Bukit Bintang. I suspect that it's due to his flat feet. Helped him limp all the way to Westin where Tater requested housekeeping for some ice cubes to ice his knee. We started with a yumcha session at CHICHA San Chen , Pavilion KL. The place was so messy and dirty, not recommended at all. When dinner time cam...

Back at Terrance and Phillip's Christmas party , KH and I got to know Drake and Ken who extended an invitation to us to enjoy some Klang delights. We finally gathered on Raya Pertama to celebrate the start of Syawal with steaming bowls of BKT at Samy -- Drake's favourite. Although it was the HQ, it wasn't my 'bowl of tea'. Obviously we did not have enough tea at breakfast and continued with another round at Midoree Matcha . This tea specialty shop is quite a find with its super zen atmosphere. Ordered the Japanese ceremonial tea but it wasn't a good choice for a long yumcha session because it was only a few sips worth.  After the cafe session, we made a short stop at Drake's home which turned out to be a mini zoo of sorts. The moment we walked through the front porch with its wisteria-like arch, we were greeted by dragon chickens and even a baby peacock in the various cages. In the living room, we were introduced to his mu...

Haidilao Hugh was spotted at Pavilion Bukit Jalil standing front and center, inviting all the cute boys to dip their raw meat into his hotpot. Do pay a visit if you're in that neck of the woods. 

Guess I have thing for yellow Marcuse swim trunks. 

March is the season of Lent and also the celebration month for KH's birthday. Birthday eve lunch was with JadedJeremy BunnyBan, QueerRanter-D and his boyfriend. A triple date of sorts. Right before the lunch, I had come from a funerary training at church which touched on emotional subjects on grieving, acceptance and moving on. On the practical aspect, the session also explained about the funeral mass with Xiao En Memorial Park providing a full setup including a casket!  Pretty subpar food at the fusion Japanese restaurant - Fugu . Stuff like charcoal soba with goma dressing and sashimi have no right to exist. After a coffee break at Provisions , we had a chance meeting with Lewky and his mum. His mum exclaimed that we should swing by more often. In truth, the old gang had changed dynamics and formed separate, smaller cliques. From then onwards, it was just the two of us. The teatime stop at Nichole's was quite memorable because we were serv...

Chap Goh Meh Year of the Dragon started of with a late lunch at Ni Kizoku  in the old part of town. The quaint restaurant reminded me of western style cafes in Japan. Pretty food presentation with hits and misses. Couldn't brain the Ram-bu-tan cocktail which they served me at room temperature. Although the streets were sweltering, we still did a bit of exploring at Jalan Sultan. Didn't take us long to stop for iced coffee at Stellar Coffee though.  To escape the heat, we boarded the MRT to The Exchange TRX . My virgin visit. Just another mall really. The only thing that interested KH was the hamachi sashimi at Seibu . Gathered at a friend's house for a potluck to celebrate the end of the lunar new year. A fun group of people who meet once or twice a year. A few days later, mum and I helped put with Seputeh Parliamentary district level Chap Goh Meh celebration. We were responsible for the 'tang yuan' stall at Salak Sou...

The Year of the Dragon was the first year that mum didn't cook reunion dinner. Instead of slogging in the kitchen, together with SK, we ate at Rinjin Shokudo , Bukit Jalil. The Japanese restaurant offered special dinner sets complete with lou sang loaded with salmon sashimi. The rest of the food came mostly from their regular menu with some special add-ons like fresh oysters. No need to stress about cooking and cleaning.  The first day of the lunar calendar was celebrated at church with a special mass. Unlike the other zodiac animals, the dragon is shunned so it's not used in the decorations. The most tiring mass in the whole year, having to deal with all the people who do not balik kampung  or are already in their kampung and the 3,800 mandarin oranges that needed distribution. Fun fact: KH helped out with the mandarin oranges preparation, removing the packaging and picking out the bad ones.  CNY lunch we had at De.Wan , BSC. Was so glad to plop myself on the cushioned...