We never had a balcony in Kuala Lumpur. It was a priority when we arrived in Phnom Penh. We spend every evening on the balcony. Cooking the BBQ, eating dinner, and watching the storms roll in. We have not used the air conditioning during the day. The breeze comes in and cools the flat. With…
Category: the grind
Camera comebacks
I have an old Nikon D3100 with a 35mm f/1.8G lens. I like the fixed lens. Uncomplicated. The old Nikons were simple enough to use on manual without being an enthusiast. It is a great setup. I carried the camera around Melbourne and took some nice shots. I used it a bit when we…
The Barber King of Chow Kit
3 November 2021 Grooming is not my thing. Left to my own devices, I would shave my head. The convenience of hair that requires no attention. Shell feels differently. It’s my ears, we both know it. A good barber is as important as a good physician. More important. “Beware the young doctor and the old…
Farewells
2 December 2021 A paragraph in the Dharma Bums, toward the end. Ray is heading to Desolation Peak and Japhy to Japan. A three or four day party to farewell Japhy. Ray and Japhy hike instead. The farewell for Japhy is without Japhy. What I need is a farewell for Grant without Grant. “I was…
The Last Supper
28 November 2021. ‘Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels’ – Kate Moss This quote caused a stir over a decade ago. Palaver. Brouhaha. Much carry on. The truth hurts. It is Sunday and I am preparing the week’s lunches for the last time. Rice, chicken, beans, and bok choy. The same meal, every day….
Interesting People
28 November 2021 Someone died, so there is a funeral. About a year ago. I didn’t know the person. Funerals bring people together. This person, who I didn’t know that died, was a teacher who once taught in the remote Northern Territory town of Jabiru. At least this is my recollection of what happened. Could…
Farewell Blue Dumpling
25 November 2021 The Blue Dumpling is gone. Rehomed, not dead. A humble ride, Perodua Myvi with the heart of a lion. The Proton is Malaysia’s first car, the Perodua is its second car. That would be the ‘dua’ in Perodua. A Daihatsu chassis with a Toyota engine. A unique blend of average. Dumpling, because…
Prologue
21st November 2021 After a single failure, the MSR Whisperlight works. The unleaded fuel in the bottle burned black and dirty but eventually a clean blue flame. Five years in Malaysia is drawing to a close. Crawling to the end. Pandemic, two years. What can you say, we all went through it, probably not Australia,…
Pressing Pause on Natural Wine at Puro Wine Bar – Part 2 of 4
Orange is the darling of the Natural set. When it comes to Natural Wine, the orange or amber wines hold the most street credibility. Orange wine is the Hipster’s beard. Indigenous yeasts during fermentation play a fundamental role in the Natural Wine process. Where traditional winemaking uses manufactured yeasts that allow for consistency in both…