5/23 tourist in your hometown

another food marathon, this time with your friends  at 云南圆 with similar food but different taste.

 another round of popiah

 another round of char kueh, this one actually taste better than the night before, perhaps is personal prefrence

 not the typical kolo mee but one with black vinegar and it's so good!

 another round of kueh chap, this time without the rice flakes, taste wise almost identical and comparable to the one that your sister brought you to the other day

laksa, this trip you have no craving for laksa, perhaps you have been cooking this so often in the lowland, yet you insisted on one bowl to share and you dislike the coconut oil taste that almost tells you the coconut milk is not fresh. yakk!

after a long chat at the eatery, you a quick stroll at water front, and exploring your home town with a different perspective.

and peep inside of the cafes that you never set your foot in before...

lunch at a restaurant that serves pak lo ark ( braised soy duck)

and the duck livers and gizzards, yum!

the assam fish is not something that you will try again but you'd be back for the duck

 a boat ride to opposite river, friends want to check out the layered cake ( kuihk lapis sarawak), so off you go with the boat (sampan)

 and a short stroll to the cake house under the fierce mid afternoon sun!

 along the way, you saw the interesting way of marinating the salted fish

 with a fan at work to chase away the flies...

then you're at the cake house, the cakes are beautiful, colorful and different taste, but you didn't taste any as it's not your cup of tea.

back to the water front, you manage to have your cup of latte at your favorite cafe.

with your besties...
it's been a very busy day but totally worth it even when the tiredness kicks in ^^

4/23 absolute.tribal

your first evening with your childhood friends, at a restaurant called absolute tribal. you'd have thought it's a local tribal cuisine that you're in for but it turns out to be bit of everything, the restaurant literally serves chinese, thai, malay and tribal food.

 you believe it's the climate of the dining business here that a restaurant couldn't survive by serving just one distinct cuisine...the food is a mixed feeling with some dishes they really excel yet a total disappointment for other dishes.

 fried kai lan

 mango kerabu, not realy exceptionally done but it's just your personal preference for veg that made this dish shines...

lemon grass kerabu turns out to be a lot better even though you find it a tad too woody when you bite on the lemon grass.

 pandan chicken

 lamb

 tom yum soup, quite a disappointment

 nasi goreng dabai, local olive fried rice, it has a very distinct taste of borneo

your green, plum, bamboo, horse (青梅竹马) aka childhood friends. it's a great night out with a lot of girlish giggles and laughter.

4/23 weekly mjc market

a weekly market that not to be missed.

where a variety of local produces were put on the market showcase.

 keropok lekor and lemang (glutinous rice char grilled in bamboo)

 the local fruits!! how you wish you have a stomach to eat them all!

and more local produces, some are familiar, some you lost touch and others are totally foreign to you...

it's always an interesting experience and you brought some fruits as you walk along the market...

4/23 nostalgic.breakfast.seafood.lunch

 meeting with your eldest sister's friend and had a very nostalgic chat down the memory lane.

this place is famous for its dimsum but that's not the food that you most sought after.

 while they ordered some dimsum, you went ahead with some nyonya kuih... the taste of childhood

and an order of two half boiled eggs and toast. the eggs turned out at tad over cook and the toast is not exciting either.

your friend brought you to afternoon to muara tebas (青山岩) for a seafood lunch

the place is just next to the fishing village jetting where the seafood is harvest!

 clams and jelly fish

 it's been awhile since you last taste a big,juicy clam as such

local green fried with egg

 another time of clam, this one you got to suck the flesh out....

 steamed tiger prawns, you just need simple cooking when the seafood is so fresh

 fried squid which was ordered later but turns out a bit too much just for the two adults and one kid

this soup is super naturally sweet and yummy.

this was a delicious meal and great catch up with friend, you're eye opened when she took you to see the greater part of the meow meow city.

3/23 local.food

you started your journey on the 9th but you didn't reach home until the late evening of the 10th.  by the time you're alive and kicking it's already the 3rd day of your vacation.

it's good to smell the green grass and lavish plants at your brother's house.  it's really the green green grass of home when you inhale in the moist air and feel your sticky skin.

one thing that you missed most is this, kuey chap. Your sis brought you to a decent one at stutong.

 you sample some popiah

and the famous foochou snack - kong pia. all good for the first in a very long time.

And you had a moment where your hair do is a little shorter than bob cut. 

and walked over to padugan for the siobee (steamed pork dumplings), a local variation of cantonese siew mai.

A most drop by at the India street for the baking gadget and goodies.

to the carpenter street for a bowl of fish bowl and the pork satay just sold out :(

 dinner the char kuey and for the many years, you ate the sweet version again^^!

 the sweet very is a bit greasy but that's how a sweet char kuey should be...

 the sarawak fern for the kid

 a bowl of kolo mee to share

thanks to this young lady who can really eat and she just wiped all the plate clean for you!

==
apology for the influx of food photo as i try to eat or rather taste as much as i could within the short 4 days in my hometown
==

2/23 the arrival

arriving at the capital airport the next day, helping friend to re-check in their luggage which she couldn't forward through to final destination. you had a really quick bites together and sending them off to their gate.
meantime your flight is further delayed, at this stage you know you will only reach your final destination close to mid night. there gone the supper plan...

1/23 the.journey

this trip you're not along, you're accompanied (co-incidentally) by a girlfriend of yours who's also travelling alone with 2 kids.

 knowing the quality of food served in the airline, you got into the lounge and ate your decent dinner before taking off

of course you tag along the little vip with you.

it's been a crazy day to close out the existing project and starting of the new one on the last day of work in 2013. and every thing come to and abrupt stop when the clock ticks 5pm, and you just shut down, forget everything about work and drive yourself to airport.
but at least it's the beginning of the holiday journey!

happy.new.year

you arrived this morning. although it's just about 3 weeks but you really feel that you're rested and now slowly settling into the routine again.  you had your afternoon nap and after that you serve tea for both of you to celebrate the new year.  these are all the sweet stuff you hauled all the way, they're all in good condition since you got them just before you leave for the airport.  the royce nama (raw) dark chocolate, the komugi nama cheese cake and the cinnamon baum cake also from komugi.

may each new year bring you new opportunities to know Him more, to walk in faith, and grow by His grace  may your year be blessed by the Lord.

eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him 1 cor 2:9