One of the best things about being Malaysian is the opportunity to grow up amongst people with such diverse cultural and religious backgrounds – Malay, Chinese, Indian, Iban, Kadazan, Eurasian, Sikh, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, Taoist, I know, this is insane... – that we’ve become experts at navigating the minefield of cultural do’s and dont’s that would leave others baffled or worse, offended.
July 25, 2009
Brunswick, on Melbourne’s inner north has long been overshadowed by the more artsy Fitzroy and the very Italian Carlton, despite arguably having the highest concentration of specialty groceries, Middle Eastern bakeries and a plethora of restaurants serving Turkish, Afghan, Lebanese and Greek cuisine. This could be due to the sheer long stretch of Sydney Road,… [Read more…]
July 15, 2009
Tucked away on an anonymous spot on Albert Street, a few steps shy of the traffic rush descending upon Sydney Road, La Paloma is like a little slice of Buenos Aires in bohemian Brunswick. Housed in a building that looks like it has seen better days, distressed walls with patches of stripped paint, weathered door… [Read more…]
March 18, 2009
The Old City of Damascus is essentially a tangled network of alleyways criss-crossing and snaking through buildings patched up and conjured through centuries of trade and human settlement. This medieval city feels more like a village that has completely outgrown itself, with no planning or consideration for later, modern inventions such as the private automobile.… [Read more…]
March 15, 2009
The Middle East’s greatest contribution to the culinary world and global happiness is arguably the baklava, along with its many wonderful variations. These tiny morsels of pleasure, made up of a dense, nutty centre surrounded by flaky phyllo pastry drenched in fragrant syrup, works as a pretty good antidote to ward off afternoon fatigue. Just… [Read more…]
July 5, 2008
Sambal terung has got to be one of our favorite Malaysian dishes, the savory smoky sambal piggybacking on the velvety creamy flesh of the eggplant. However, eggplants are notorious for their sponge-like ability to suck in oil. Sambal terung done the traditional way starts off with deep frying the eggplants, where more than half of… [Read more…]
December 3, 2007
Fat seems certain to overtake tobacco as public enemy number one, and already regulations are being put in place to restrict the individual’s right to compromise their health and good looks by snacking on sugar-laden and over-salted junk food. There is genuine concern that fat people, also known in PC-speak as “heavy-boned”, “carbon-rich” and “generously-endowed”,… [Read more…]
February 9, 2007
Dalam artikel lepas, kami meramalkan perbezaan antara Sweden dan Malaysia dari segi falsafah senibina dalaman, di mana Sweden lebih pragmatik dan ringkas manakala orang kita, agaknya terpengaruh dengan promosi Warna-Warna Malaysia kelolaan Kementerian Pelancongan, lebih tertarik dengan gaya hiasan yang riuh-rendah dan berbagai-bagai. Sifat kedua-dua negara ini juga boleh dilihat dalam budaya masakannya. Makanan Malaysia… [Read more…]
January 25, 2007
Kami sebenarnya agak keberatan untuk mengulas topik yang agak sensitif ini, kerana kami pun sebenarnya mempunyai masalah berat badan, walaupun tak terlalu kronik. Perkembangan ekonomi mantap Malaysia yang membanggakan diikuti dengan perkembangan perut rakyatnya yang kurang membanggakan. Ini memberi kebimbangan bukan sahaja kerana kos kesihatan yang akan melambung, tetapi yang lebih penting, orang Malaysia seperti… [Read more…]
February 19, 2010
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