Gallimaufry#93

Just a gallimaufry of photos 📸

Meet Ahmed, my favourite vegetable seller at the wet market.

Ahmed is a migrant worker from Bangladesh. He speaks better Malay than I do!

WHEN FOODIES RUN INTO ONE ANOTHER ...

Son#1 and I ran into our former neighbours in the mall, and we decided to to have lunch together in our favourite restaurant

OODLES OF NOODLES 🍜

Dry curry rice vermicelli with roasted pork

Mee Yoke — noodles in an umami-loaded prawn broth 🦐

Flat rice noodles in a chicken broth topped with shredded chicken, prawns, and Chinese chives

Cockles with bean sprouts

A funny for today ...

FROM THE TRAVEL ARCHIVES

The Royal Palace, Dam Square 2019

I have been feeling disheartened lately. My beloved country has never been more divided, with race and politics increasingly being the source of tension and conflict in the country. Growing up in the 1960s, we were once a shining example of a harmonious multi-racial country with our eclectic mix of Malay, Chinese, Indian, and other ethnic cultures. This rich and varied tapestry of cultures and religions was once a source of strength rather than division, and we were proud of our unique national identity.

Recently, MR. DIY, a Malaysian home improvement company, carried out a social experiment in a local mall, and after watching the video, I suddenly felt my spirits lifted. There is hope yet.

Malaysians from all walks of life, races, genders, and ages came to the aid of the elderly man in the video. This is such a profound reminder of who we Malaysians truly are when we put aside our differences. We may be divided by race and religion, but we are all one and the same. We are anak Malaysia.

*anak in Malay translates as children

Take note of the old man's response in several languages and dialects. The average Malaysian speaks three languages: English, their ethnic language in various dialects, and Bahasa Melayu/Malay, which is the country's official language.

Malaysia will be celebrating its 66th Hari Merdeka (Independence Day) on 31st August 2023.

GOD BLESS MALAYSIA!

Oyen and the capybaras

A video to put a smile on your face 😊

If animals of different species can live in harmony, why can't we?

FUN FACT

In Malaysia, ginger cats are generally named "Oyen", said to originate from the word orange.

Gallimaufry#92

Just a gallimaufry of photos 📸

Chinese guardian lions made of balloons

FROM THE COOKIE ARCHIVES

Hubby's former co-worker treated us to a traditional Keralan dinner.

Briyani platter

Brinjal Masala

Pulao

Paneer

Egg Masala

VIEWS OF MY HOMETOWN FROM MY AIRBNB RENTAL 

Sometimes the wrong train will get you to the right station.

                                                                    quote from the movie The Lunch Box

The Lunch Box, a heartwarming movie set in Mumbai, revolves around a mistaken delivery by the Dabbawalas (lunchbox service) of Mumbai, which leads to a relationship between Saajan, a lonely widower close to retirement, and Ila, an unhappy housewife, as they start exchanging notes through the daily lunchbox.

FROM THE TRAVEL ARCHIVES

An Italian police car in Vatican City

Curious, I asked ChatGPT if the Italian police is permitted to enter the Vatican.

Gallimaufry#91

Just a gallimaufry of photos 📸

Yarn-bombed tree

Dinner—Thai

Thai steamed fish with lime and garlic

Pad Gra Pow (Thai basil beef)

Galam Plee Pad Nam Pla (Thai Stir-Fried Cabbage With Fish Sauce and Garlic)

Nostalgia

My mom used to drive a Morris Minor just like this one. I will always treasure the memories I have of her driving her blue Morris Minor and the good times we shared while riding in it. Mom bought it in the 60s and she drove it right into the noughties. It was her first and only car. She refused to get behind the wheel of any other car than her Morris Minor!

Boxy, with round headlights, and a chrome grille, it was a beauty.

FROM THE TRAVEL ARCHIVES

The Grand-Place, Brussels 2019

SKYWATCH FROM MY BALCONY

Gallimaufry#90

Just a gallimaufry of photos 📸

*Cat tax

*A cat tax is a cute image or video of a cat posted online as a fun, ironic “fine” (tax) upon introduction to a forum or social media platform, for breaking an internet group rule, or just for fun. Meow 😺

Lunch - Mee Goreng

Just another rainy day

FROM THE TRAVEL ARCHIVES

Church of the Holy Spirit, Heidelberg 2019

The Roti Man

Roti in Malay means bread

This display in a shopping mall brings back so many wonderful memories of my childhood. Growing up in the 60s, waiting for the Roti Man as he made his rounds in our neck of the woods was the highlight of our day. He was our local hero. Kids would run out of their houses, yelling and waving for him to stop, excited to know what he had in store for us that day.

With an assortment of breads and colorful snacks dangling around his tinkered bike, the iterant Roti Man would rove the neighbourhoods, honking while pedalling his wares. Back in our days, our Roti Man wore a white dhoti and rode on a bicycle instead of a motorcycle.

image source - https://medium.com/@chrislimatwork/the-roti-man-d3357d78397

A rarity these days, the Roti Man can still be sighted in villages and rural towns.

Navigating the busy highways is all in a day’s work for the Roti Man.

Alas, the Roti Man will someday be a relic of the past. Times have changed, and I am certain kids in this day and age would have no appreciation for the Roti Man. His honks would not evoke the same excitement they once did. 

Kids today do not cherish such small joys as they simply do not know about them. Instead, they are consumed by their electronic gadgets and virtual world.