NOT AS YOUNG, SLIGHTLY OLDER THAN BEFORE

May 2, 2024May 3, 2024 / Alan Atkinson / Leave a comment

In the late 1970s, at one of the Christmas gatherings, when delicious super tender, hot and spicy beef rendang (1) was served, I thought that it would go well with chocolate. As it was the Christmas season, with lots of chocolate going around, I decided to try the combination of eating chocolate with beef rendang. Unusual combination of food – yes. I thought it was out of this world. It literally was! However, I don’t believe I went for that combination of a chocolatey, hot spicy beef rendang again. I wonder why…💭🤔Maybe, at that time I was slightly younger. Now, I am slightly older.

Many (you can’t use the word “multiple” here…it doesn’t sound like it will gel in this sentence) may ask me, “Why is being younger better than being older?” Good question. The perception could be is that when you are younger, you dare to do more things, that is walk the journey and then “connect the dots; not connect the dots first, then move along the connected dots”.

Maybe so. It could be because the young are brash and do things without giving it much thought. Like they would dare go bungee jumping, even though the other end of the cable he or she is attached to, is not secured to anything. I don’t know.

When my wife, Jeannie and I, first went to the U.S., yes United States of America, not the local U.S. (Ulu Selangor) (2); we had to do the touristy thing: We visited Disneyland at Anaheim. We stayed in Hollywood, at a hotel behind Holiday Inn. It kind of looked that we were staying at the Holiday Inn at that time, but we weren’t 😀. We caught a hotel shuttle that took us to Disneyland, Anaheim. I remember passing Knott’s Berry Farm, which was another theme park, that was close by Disneyland.

As we passed the theme park to get to Disneyland; I thought the name of the theme park was “GUTS”. If it wasn’t, it should have been named that. It was actually the Knott’s (for knotted guts after you’ve been on one or more [if you can take on more than just one ride. you have to be stark-raving mad!]) Berry Farm (a misleading name. You ain’t gonna find or pick berries there). Their rides definitely were not meant for the weak hearts a.k.a. normal people. And the people that went on these rides – they definitely got their thrills (terkejut [3]) and spills. We’ve got to give them credit.

From the road as we passed “the farm”, we could see the “Supreme Scream” ride I think, which had just opened a couple of days earlier. We could also see the Boomerang. Jeannie and I must have been way too young (underage, perhaps?) because we were not going to take one of those rides; not on your nellie. That meant that we were normal people.

What do normal people do? They go to Disneyland. Our first “ride” as we got inside Disneyland, was when we hopped (not literally, you know what I mean) on an open bus that that took us around the theme park. We had a barber shop quartet, dressed in colourful outfits, wearing perfectly round panama-style hats, stand on the steps at the back of the bus; and sing and entertain us, the passengers all along the route. We used Disneyland money to pay for things. We smiled and laughed a lot. We went back home smiling and happy, not scared out of our wits.

Now, that we are not as young as we used to be, which is slightly older than before; we tend to think or map all our moves out, leaving nothing to chance unless its Magnum, Toto or 1+3D (4) (for some people. The thrilling anticipation as the results come out…). I wonder why? All our moves are calculated, more or less. More more than less.

However….however, the younger will act on instinct…with the help of Google and the “in-thing” of today, Artificial Intelligence or ChatGBT. They are faster off the mark… they want quicker results…and get them. If the results aren’t up to their mark, them make adjustments and keep going. They seem to have topography of their ideas.

In the meantime, us that are slightly, just slightly older than the younger…we will go for coffee and scones.😋😉😁

result of veering off…

NOTES:
1. Beef Rendang is a Malaysian curry. It is the curry of all curries, mouth-watering delicious, all the time. It is a dry curry which means it is with very little or no gravy. The beef is ridiculously tender.
2. Ulu Selangor is a district in the state of Selangor, Malaysia.
3. Terkejut is a Bahasa Malaysia word for “shocked”
4. These are “games of chance”.

He found his thrills… The great Fats Domino, “Blueberry Hill”

AN AFTERNOON AT STEEL RIVER

May 1, 2024May 2, 2024 / Alan Atkinson / Leave a comment

2nd Edition, May 2nd, 2024. 8.20pm

It was about 3.30am when I decided to hit the sack or turn in. It was a good evening, where I managed to publish an article and get some other work done. It did not take too long for me to fall off sleep.

I was up bright and early in the morning at 9.00am. It was a public holiday today, celebrating Labour Day. My cousin Chris, and his wife Evelina; was coming to pick Jeannie and I up at 10.30am, and together, we were going over to their friend, Allen’s place. Chris introduced Jeannie and I to Allen when we met at Grand City Restaurant in P.J. (1) a few months ago.

Traffic was quite smooth and after multiple x multiple turns, we arrived. I was trying to get my bearings to see exactly where we were in K.L.. (2) All I knew was that we were somewhere in Sungai Besi. (3) “Sungai Besi” is Bahasa Malaysia for “Steel River”.

It was good to meet with him again. His beautiful condo was definitely a place to unwind, chill and relax. Allen saw to it that it had all the trappings of comfort. In it, included a very large maintenance free, wall mounted aquarium. What else could one ask more of? The aquarium was his tv.😁

We weren’t there for very long as we had to leave, and take a short walk to a cafe for lunch by following Allen. A friend of his was joining us there.

As we arrived at the cafe, so did his friend, too. Introductions were made. Sidney is a very close friend and former La Salle School, P.J. classmate of Allen’s.

The cafe was Called, “Memorie”; with it’s tagline, “Taste of Eurasian”. That was going to be interesting.

*The red door entrance. The first thing we noticed about this cafe / restaurant is that it is quite spacious. No knocking of elbows when you want to cut through the food with a knife and fork.* *Doesn’t it look Eurasiany? Very pleasant set-up.*

We sat right inside, which was the front of a ship. No kidding. Jeannie said, we could stand in front of the ship and pretend to fly, like in the film, “Titanic”. Not to mention, sing the song, “I Believe I Can Fly”. Doesn’t sound quite right. I think it’s, “My Heart Will Go On”. Must be because I am not quite a fan of Celine.

*Sitting on “deck”, in the front of the ship. Not sure who was going to sing, “My Heart Will Go On”. It is obvious from the wide spread of food on the table, our hearts were going to go on.*

Jeannie and Evelina did most of the food ordering. I ordered the Shepperd’s Pie. Allen ordered a green curry noodle (I think) dish, which did not have any shrimp ingredient – just the way he liked it.

*Clockwise,7 o’clock, The two “Alans” sitting together: Allen junior; Alan (Senior), also known as the Hatted Writer; Jeannie, Evelina (Christopher’s wife); Christopher and Sidney.*
*Clockwise,7 o’clock, The two “Alans” sitting together: Allen junior; Alan (Senior), also known as the Hatted Writer; Jeannie, Evelina (Christopher’s wife); Christopher and Sidney.*

The food arrived quite fast. It not only looked good, it tasted good as well. The Shepperd’s Pie came with some french fries, some leafy stuff and half a cherry tomato. Yes, half a cherry tomato. So, the focus zoomed in on half a cherry tomato instead of the whole dish. That fact stuck in my mind. The Shepperd’s Pie had the usual mashed potato baked as atop layer of the pie. The pie’s filling was beef. I thought it would come with minced beef. Instead it came withy chunky pieces. Tasted good. In fact, all the dishes were good.

*My contribution towards ordering of the food. This is Shepperd’s Pie. Looks good. Notice the half the cherry tomato? Decoration purposes (Only?).*

There was lots, o.k., o.k., “multiple” stories told of school days and what they did. I had a little bit to share of La Salle P.J. School days as I studied there when I was in Standard One through Standard Three (Year 1 to Year 3 in “today’s terminology). I still remember when my Standard One class teacher, Mrs. Lee, came to our house one day to complain (share her concern), that I was slow in class. I didn’t think of myself as slow. I just did not want to waste time on trivial matters like Year 1 school work. I had big dreams and I was making plans on how to achieve them.💭😏

The wide array of Eurasian food ordered. Besides my ordering contribution of the Shepperd’s Pie, there was Devil (or is it Debil? Maybe, this is A.I.’s [Artificial Intelligence] way of spelling it, I don’t know) curry (Who in their right mind would come to a Eurasian restaurant and not order this primary dish?), the other two dishes were fish / seafood based). The egg omelet dish had not been served yet.

We adjourned back to Allen’s condo for coffee for some of us, and the hard stuff for the others. Sidney shared a lot about playing squash on wide courts, as he was still playing at tournaments “at his age”. I don’t quite using “at his age”, “at our age”, etc; as it is meant to indicate that we are suppose to slow our pace down, or we can’t do this or that anymore. So, here, when “at his age” is mentioned, it is meant to indicate that he plays in the “Masters” – indicating the seniors’ age group.

The view from the condo was quite breathtaking. It was slightly hazy. We were told that the night view can be spectacular. Looking at the picture below, you can see that construction for high rise buildings are still on the go.

By the time we left, it was half four, or half past four, or 4.30pm in the afternoon for some, and evening for others. We all thanked Allen, who was the perfect host. He invited us to go over again soon for another good “session” like the one we just had.

On our way back, we were met with sputters of rain along the way, nothing much. We reached home at about 5 on the hour. I thought I’d go on my 10km walk. However, the skies thunders gathered and before long, the rain followed.,

The view from Allen’s condo on the 11th floor. Menara Merdeka 118, the world’s second tallest building; can be seen on the far left. The KL Tower and Petronas Twin Towers, both amongst the tallest buildings in the world, can be seen from the left, just after the Menara Merdeka 118. Watching the vehicles go by, minus the pollution and noise from them; can be quite therapeutic.

Addendum (I wonder if we can call it this. By jove, we can. 😁): May 2nd, 2024; 8.20pm:
Allen added that I missed out on mentioning us reminiscing on some of the Malay hits of the ’70s and ’80s by “Freddie & the Flintstones”, “Search”, “Alleycats” and many more. Oh yes, and Allen is quite the singer and dancer: he’s a good singer, he’s nimble and he’s got the moves.

NOTES:
1. Petaling Jaya or P.J. as it is more commonly referred as, is a city in the state of Selangor, Malaysia.
2. K.L. or Kuala Lumpur, is the capital of Malaysia.
3. Sungai Besi is Bahasa Malaysia, which literally translates to “Steel River”. It was a historical mining town with many heavy industries such as steelworks, waste steel plants and other steel industries. Sungei Besi Tin Mine site was the largest and deepest open cast alluvial tin mine in the world and in Malaysia. The town has since developed from a large area of village settlements. wikipedia

SUNDAY MORNING INDIAN CUISINE BRUNCH

April 28, 2024April 28, 2024 / Alan Atkinson / Leave a comment

8.25am, Sunday morning. Just managed to park the car in a good spot, about a third of a kilometer away. You don’t really hear people say half a kilometer, or a quarter kilometer or even a third of a kilometer away. It’s usually a quarter or half a mile away. So, many of you must be wondering, “How far is a third of a kilometer in miles?”

The calculation will be 300 metres (0.3km or a third of a kilometre) x (stands for multiply) 0.621 miles (1 kilometer = 0.621miles) = (will give you the answer) 0.2484 miles. To round the answer to 2 decimal places : 0.2484 miles = 0.25 miles, or a quarter of a mile.

You may ask, “Why didn’t I say miles in the first place?” Well, the Americans use the non-metric / imperial system : miles, yards, feet, gallons. The rest of the world or most countries use the metric system: kilometers, metres, kilograms, etc. Now, both sides will get an idea of the distance.

Parking the car this far from church was not really by choice. We, that is, Jeannie and I; left our house later than usual and arrived at church later than usual. Hence, our third of a kilometer or quarter mile walk to church.

We were 5 minutes late. So was the priest as mass had not started yet. He was caught up at the confessional, I think. The Assistant parish priest of Church of The Visitation Seremban, Rev, Fr. Xavier Andrew was presiding at mass this morning. He was at St. Thomas More church to promote Archdiocesan Ministry of Ecumenical & Inter-Religious Affairs (AMEIA). Lively priest. Interesting ministry. I remember working with Rev. Fr. Jojo Fung, SJ; to start up a fairly similar ministry like this on a regional / international scale; somewhere in 1999.

After mass, a leisurely walk back to the car must have created an appetite as we had to decide what to eat…as usual. This time we narrowed the choices down as the figure on the weighing scales was inching (not millimetering) its way up. It would have been a good idea to use A.I. or Artificial Intelligence in weight meaurement. Then, we won’t have to believe the scales.

I am determined to get back down to the weight I set as a goal. By being conscious what we eat, the amounts we eat and the times we have our meals, getting to our desired weight goal is possible.

We decided on the place where all the stars meet, Star Bhavan in SS14, Subang Jaya. (8) We had to go round a couple of times, looking for a car park. We found one about 150 meters away.

The restaurant was crowded. However, we managed to get a table. Jeannie ordered idli (1) and black coffee. I wanted capati (2) (as it is made without oil), but they were out of it. So, I went for their roti canai (3) and an iced lime juice.

Jeannie’s Idli came with 3 condiments: curry, white coconut chutney (4) and a sort of red / orangy chutney / sambal (5). She enjoyed her meal. My roti chanai also came with 3 condiments: fish curry, sambal (chilli) and what looked like a vegetable curry. Our meal was light, yet tasty. It was more brunch for us.

*Jeannie’s meal: Idli with side condiments of coconut chutney, curry and an orangy, spicy sambal.*

*My roti canai with fish curry on the right, sambal and a vegetable curry.*

On our back to our car, Jeannie wanted to stop by at the provision shop to buy some Indian Spices. SS14/1 has one long stretch of shops selling all sorts of Indian products. There are many restaurants along this stretch, Star Bhavan being one of them. This is a sort of a mini or micromini of the Mini India found in Brickfields, K.L.; (6) or Jalan Tengku Kelana in Klang (7).

Jeannie did not just stop at one shop. She went into a few shops. I thought it was quite interesting when I walked into a provision shop with her. They had multiple products from India. I guess this would be a one-stop shop to get all the ingredients for an authentic Indian curry. We bumped into Uncle Ronnie, my dad’s youngest brother, who bought a comb of bananas. He was in and out of the shop in a dash. It was good seeing him.

Looking forward to the rest of the day, though at a relaxed pace. Have a great Sunday!

NOTES:
1. Idli or idly is a type of savoury rice cake, originating from South India, popular as a breakfast food in Southern India and in Sri Lanka. The cakes are made by steaming a batter consisting of fermented black lentils and rice. wikipedia
2. Chapati, also known as roti, rooti, rotee rotli, rotta, safati, shabaati, phulka, chapo, sada roti, poli, and roshi, is an unleavened flatbread originating from the Indian subcontinent and is a staple in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, Sri Lanka, the Arabian Peninsula, East Africa, and the Caribbean. wikipedia
3. Roti canai or roti prata, also known as roti chanai, and roti cane, is an Indian flatbread dish found in several countries in Southeast Asia, especially Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand. wikipedia
4. Coconut chutney is a south indian condiment made with fresh coconut, chilies, spices & herbs. Swashti’s Recipes.
5. This is a Kerala style Red Coconut Chutney. Yes, red because of the dried red chilies in it, yet not something that is too spicy to handle! The flavor of this chutney is as beautiful as it looks. Thus, instantly becomes a great pair with Dosa, Idli, Medu Vada, Uttapam and Appe.
Red Coconut Chutney (Kerala Style), Dassana Amit, Dassana’s Veg Recipes, http://www.vegrecipesofindia.com
6. Kuala Lumpur or K.L., is the capital of Malaysia.
7. The Little India enclave, located along Jalan Tengku Kelana in Klang, is the largest Indian-influenced street in Malaysia. Klang City is in the state of Selangor.
8. Subang Jaya is a bustling city in the state of Selangor, Malaysia.

NIGEL AND COUSINS RENDEZVOUS – GOOD TIMES!

April 25, 2024April 26, 2024 / Alan Atkinson / Leave a comment

It was Nigel’s birthday today. I remembered how he and our cousins, Christopher and Ronald: with their wives, Shirley, Evalina and Debbie; would meet every week – a cousins weekly get together. They would mostly rendezvous at ‘Q’ Bistro restaurant restaurant in SS15, Subang Jaya. My wife, Jeannie; and I; had the opportunity of joining them once. This was before the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted everything for everyone all over the world.

No one would have guessed that it would have been the last time that Nigel, Christopher and Ronald would meet. Nigel passed away due to a vaguely described hospital reason / illness (the jury is still out on that) in August 2021.

*L to R: Christopher, Nigel, Ronald.* *This picture was taken in 2020 / 2021.*

When Christopher and I were leaving “Le Bread Days” cafe today; I made a suggestion that he, Dato Ronald and I, together with our wives; meet for dinner today at ‘Q’ Bistro, in remembrance of Nigel. Chris thought it was a capital idea and got on the phone to Ronald, told him of our dinner meet up plans and asked him and his wife Datin Debbie, to join us for dinner. Ronald was game and our dinner plans set.

Jeannie and I arrived at the restaurant about 20 to 8. As we were about to enter the restaurant, we met an old friend, Pel Poh and his wife, coming out of the restaurant. It was good to catch up with them after a long time. Pel said the food at the restaurant was good, more so, today. They enjoyed their dinner.

*Jeannie’s meal, roti Naan (a sort of a plain puffed up bread), with tandoori chicken.*

Christopher and his wife, Evelina, arrived soon after. We proceeded to order our dinner as Ronald informed Christopher that he and his wife, Debbie; were going to be late.

Jeannie and Evelina both ordered roti naan and tandoori chicken. Christopher would have his dinner later with Ronald and Debbie. I ordered rojak. Pel was right. The food was good. Their drinks on the other hand, not so, well, at least mine. The iced coffee I ordered was awful. Even Jeannie agreed. So, I ordered an banana split ice-cream to make up for the awful iced-coffee.

The banana split ice-cream was like a banana split ice-cream you would expect. The banana was not overly ripe, just how I like it. Generally, the ice-cream was ok.

*A different type of naan bread, with tandoori chicken.*

*This iced-coffee didn’t taste good at all.*

Ronald and Debbie joined us about an hour later. He, Debbie, Chris and Evelina brought up stories of the past, where Nigel was very much a part of it. Nigel loved his local food, so did Shirley. Their meet ups centred mostly on family. They also talked a lot about tv shows they watch. Nigel loved comedy shows, especially, “The Jeffersons”. He would “relive” comedy scenes and laugh heartily about them.

He did have a great sense of humour. He talked about the local “Halle Bailey”. It was the first that Jeannie and I heard of it. I thought that was the best joke I’ve heard for the day. Trust Nigel to come up with something like this.

It was close to midnight when we called it a night. We all agreed we had great fun. We also agreed that we revive this cousin meet up, at least once a month. Our next meet up will be to celebrate dad’s birthday in two weeks time. He will be 92.

*L to R: Me, the Hatted Writer; Christopher Nellaiah, Dato Ronald Gomes and his wife, Datin Debbie Gomes; Evelina (Christopher’s wife); Jeannie, the Batik Influencer.*

A DAY IN THE CITY

April 22, 2024April 23, 2024 / Alan Atkinson / Leave a comment

The Sun, seemingly throwing everything it had, every flame flickering and shooting from its source some 93,000,000 (that is 93 million) miles away, yet the flames (imaginary) could be felt, just about touching my skin, as though I was being bar-b-que-d, as I moved out of cover from the protection of the building. There seem to be no letting up from the fierceness of the heat.

I don’t know if it is usually as hot as it is today just to test the Panama hat I had on; on the way to the bank. The hat did offer some cover, especially from the rays (UV) / glare. It worked well, that’s for sure. I’m glad I decided to wear it. For your information, I never paid any attention to the U. V. rays.

I got into the bank with my Panama hat on. The air-conditioning was a delightful welcome. I felt like I was visiting the bank while on holiday. The Panama hat sort of “created” the holiday atmosphere.

I did my banking errand and was out of there in less than half an hour.

Maybe, I was not dressed for the scene: bright sunlight, Panama hat, t-shirt, tan coudoroy pants, glasses, grey banded Samsung Watch 6 Classic and strapped across Bellroy Sling crossbody pouch.

Did I say “t-shirt”? I should have worn a baggy, floral or scribbled colour art, with white background, untucked in, short sleeve shirt. And, I should have worn a sombrero instead of the Panama hat – that would have done the trick. The rest of my attire was OK. I was not with boat shoes without socks. I strapped on a pair of Teva mountain tracking sandals.

Maybe, just maybe, all this is not proper be-in-the-sun attire. I don’t have much issues when I go on my 10km exercise walks between 12.00pm – 3.00pm, averagely; when the sun is in all its glory. I’m in my exercise shorts, t-shirt and walking shoes – that’s it. At the end of my walk, I am drenched in perspiration (not “sweat”. Animals sweat, so I am told). Have a cold shower, rest for a bit; then, I am good to go for the rest of the day.

Here, I am talking about Subang Jaya city (1); the No.3 lightning capital of the world. It can be two extremes – extremely hot and the next moment, electrical storms with the occasional floods.

Putting the weather aside, this is a nice place to live in. In fact, it is so self-sufficient in most aspects of comfortable living, we do not need to travel out of the city for anything.

I am writing this… I wonder if it is actually right to say “I am writing” when actually , I am typing on my laptop computer (I have to mention “computer” 😁) keyboard. I am sitting in the back seat of the car, putting this article together; while Jeannie, my wife; is seated in the front passenger seat, working on her laptop computer. Quite the romantic we are, don’t you think? We think so…thanks to a power outage in our area. Haha.

If the power is not back up in the next ten minutes, we are going to go to the Scottish restaurant, McDonalds, for a coffee, while the utility company, T.N.B. (Tenaga Nasional Berhad) has the power outage problem sorted out.

NOTES:
1. Subang Jaya is a bustling city in the central Peninsula Malaysia south state of Selangor, Malaysia.

AN OUTING AT STARLING

April 21, 2024April 22, 2024 / Alan Atkinson / Leave a comment

I guess it’s one of those days…You know… when something does not go your way… I was working on this article and had put together something. Was half way done. Then, my wife Jeannie had to go on an errand to the shops nearby. I volunteered to go with her. I thought I had saved my work before shutting down my pc. It didn’t save. I think my pc shut down faster than it could save. Well, that means, my re-written / typed / Logi keyboard thumped work, should be better than the first one lost.

It was a good day to start with. It was like a day off with plenty of time…no I will rephrase that, “quite a bit of time”, free. The tasks I set out to do until now, was completed ahead of schedule. So, extra time to spare. After a couple of hours extra rest, I felt I needed to do something.

I have talked in my earlier articles that we may have forgotten how to enjoy the extra free time we have (1) . People become fidgety and load their time-schedule with more things to do and then complain that they are so stressed with too much to do and too little time to do these tasks.

It is something somewhat like the phrase, “No choice”. It is very common among Malaysians. However, there is no such thing as no choice. There is always a choice. Whether you choose to take action or not doing anything is a choice.

Wanting to jalan-jalan (2), my wife, Jeannie, the Batik Influencer; and I, the Hatted Writer😉; decided to take a drive down to Starling Mall in Damansara, P.J.. (3) It has no connection (I think) with Star Bhavan and Starbucks, just because of it having “star” in its name. It was more of Jeannie wanting to go there – change of scenery. The last time we visited the mall was several months ago.

Traffic was slightly heavy. It was smooth flowing. We arrived at the mall in under half an hour. The first thing we got there was to look for food. No wonder I am 76.8kg!

We came across this little restaurant at Foodies’ Nest called “Triple Happiness”. Their menu was basically noodles or rice based. We ordered “Roasted Pork Mihun Curry”. Jeannie and I had a heavy brunch, so we decided to share 1 bowl of this meal.

*Roasted Pork Curry Mihun or Curry Mihun with Siew Yuk.*

It did not just look good, it tasted great to the very last drop of the curry. Simply delicious. It came in a normal size noodle bowl. There was a generous serving of big pieces of siew yuk, half a hard boiled egg, tofu, green long beans, bean sprouts and spring onions. The meal was spicy, but not to the extent that you would perspire profusely. It was so good to the very last drop. It is a “must try” for those who can eat this. After our meal, I went up to the lady at the Triple Happiness restaurant and complimented their food as “excellent!”. She thanked me for the compliment.

*The Curry Mihun with siew yuk. It tastes better than it looks.*

After our meal, Jeannie and I will usually go our separate ways – she to the stores she likes, and I, to the ones I like (which were very few). However, whenever we come to this mall, we will together, visit “Tiny Bench” first. It is a store that was started by two young ladies, selling local leather products. When I last spoke to one of the owners a few years back, she said they put in many a day with very long hours. They have done well for themselves.

*The first product I bought: an A5 6-ring note binder in 2015.*

The first product I purchased from them in 2015 was an A5 notes 6-ring binder which I still have today. My decision to buy this leather binder was because I was impressed by the quality build and the leather materials they used for their products. Their prices were reasonable, too.

Over the years, we have bought more leather note binders for Jeannie and Laura, leather key-rings, leather bookmark tags and other items from Tiny Bench. They have an interesting range of multiple product lines and have opened several branches in various shopping malls.

*The smaller leather note binder is the right size for me to have it with me in my carry bag wherever I go.*

*Note the key-rings, and bookmark tags, too.*

Jeannie shopped for some clothes and got something for Laura, our daughter. It is a local traditional outfit in a very nice, striking, elegant shade of red.

We spent another hour or so at Starling before heading back home. Our ride home was smooth traffic all the way. It was a very pleasant and enjoyable evening.

I’ve completed this essay, and saved it, too.😅

NOTES:
1. http://leatherpotato.com/2024/03/10/lemon-coffee/
2. Jalan-jalan is a Bahasa Malaysia word for travel.
3. P. J. short for Petaling Jaya, is a bustling city in the state of Selangor, Malaysia.

IT’S YOUR CHOICE

April 14, 2024 / Alan Atkinson / Leave a comment

HAPPINESS IS A CHOICE.

IF YOU AREN’T HAPPY, MAKE A CHANGE.
IT’S YOUR CHOICE. STOP HOLDING YOURSELF BACK.
YOU ARE JUST A DECISION AWAY FROM A TOTALLY DIFFERENT LIFE.

~ ALAN IAN ATKINSON
Writer, Author, Storyteller

EXPERIENCING THE EXPERIENCE

April 13, 2024October 14, 2024 / Alan Atkinson / Leave a comment

Thursday, noon. The second day of Hari Raya (1) holidays here in Malaysia. Things were fairly quiet in Subang Jaya(S.J.) old town. Here when I talk about the old town, it is fair to say that SS15 is the “old town” and Taipan or USJ10 is S.J.’s new town. Taipan came about a decade after SS15. Both “towns” have run out of space to build. SS15 has resorted to tearing down older buildings (the oldest is less than or nearly 50 years old).

So, I got to SS15 for my tattoo touch up just before the scheduled appointment. Traffic was light. The touch up was done in a few minutes.

However, my appointment took a bit longer. I had another tattoo done. My third. I am proud of it.

After it was done, I suggested to Jeannie that we go to Good Ground Bakery for coffee. Their delicious, literally out-of-this-world scones was drawing me to their Bakery.

I picked (quite careful not to use that often used by many people, but wrong word, “fetched”) Jeannie up from home and headed to Good Ground. It was as expected – crowded. It did not really need a holiday to be so as it is almost always crowded. A good testimony to its always great cakes, pastries, coffee and other drinks and its dynamic group of employees. From what we see and know of Sarah, Good Ground Bakery’s owner; she is an exemplary person.

On the way to the cafe, Jeannie said that she was going to order their calamansi cooler. It is such a refreshing drink for the hot weather spell we have been experiencing over the past few months. So, we both had out taste buds set.

*Jeannie, with her calamansi cooler drink.*

Joanne took our order. Jeannie had the calamansi cooler; I, an iced americano; and a cranberry scone.

Monique delivered our order to us, soon after. We managed to get a table next to the counter. The calamansi cooler was superb as usual. It had that nice blend of lemon, lime, cucumbers and tonic water with a big cube of ice – the combination of the right quantity of each item to make this perfect drink.

My americano iced was the same, usual, standard, as can be expected – great. Lots of establishments offer americano iced on their menus. However, the right coffee from the beans and the right temperature (In this case, it was iced); puts it above all others.

And I am campaigning the idea that the temperature must be constant from the time you receive it, to the last drop, drank. The small ice cubes that many other cafes serve with their drinks, soon melts and dilutes the drink. The temperature of the drink becomes warmer, too. The large ice cube allows you to drink your drink at a slower pace, at your pace; and still maintain the temperature of the drink to the last drop.

The scone was simply, outrageously delicious; delicious enough to eat on its own, even though it came with butter and strawberry jam on the side. The texture of this pastry, the cranberries – Good Ground is the place where you can get the best, yes, the best; scones in Subang Jaya and P.J..

*The scone did not stand a chance. There was no time to have a picture taken before it was eaten. It was amazing. The americano iced provided for the back drop on the left.*

Jeannie and I enjoyed experiencing “the experience” of being here, away from our usual work and hurry burry. People come here to experience “that experience”, too. They can go back refreshed and recharged to carry on their life’s activities. For many of us, coming here often is testimony that this is the place to be, to relax and chill.

We left after an hour to carry on the rest of our day’s activities.

http://leatherpotato.com/2024/04/11/a-rose-is-but-a-rose-unless-its-tattoo-ed/

NOTES:
1. Known as Eid al-Fitr (holiday of breaking of fast) internationally. Celebrated by Muslims. wikipedia

THE BATIK INFLUENCER AND THE HATTED WRITER AT F1.02 THIS WEEKEND

April 5, 2024April 6, 2024 / Alan Atkinson / Leave a comment

Friday evening, 6.39pm.

Laura is at the gym, and we, Jeannie and I, that is the Batik Influencer and the Hatted Writer; we are at where the stars go (I presume), Star Bhavan for dinner.

Being the journalist in me, I tend to notice more than the average person. For instance, things are a wee bit slow here. I took note of this the last time we were here a couple of days ago. This is compared to all the other times when we practically did not have to wait too long for our food. They seem short-handedly. However, the food here is always good.

*“Why are we waiting?” in sing song fashion.* 😁

Our food arrived just as I was writing / keyboard thumb-typing (on my Samsung Fold 5) the last line. Jeannie and I both ordered the same: Roti (1) Sardine and Nescafe ice. By just looking at our drinks, you would surely ask, “Is the milk drowning the coffee?”, as the coffee was struggling to have some semblance of its colour, “brown”. The milk seemed to definitely over-power the coffee.

Just before that, we tapau-ed (2) both the kacang vadai (3) and the doughnut (“donut” in American) version. Foreseeing that we…o.k. o.k…. more Iike I will be hungry later on this evening or night. Now, figure this out. I didn’t plan on being hungry later on, but then… the vadai were singing, “take us home” to the tune “Country Roads”. The Nescafe ice must have been spiked, haha.😁😂 Can you imagine the 6 vadai in the bag singing a song to the tune of Country Home? That would be hilarious.

*Notice the vadai goodies in the bag, all set to be taken home?* *And the very light brown Nescafe ice?*

We discussed broadly, what we plan to do at our booth in Amcorp Mall this weekend, that is tomorrow and Sunday. Yes, we will be mending a booth at Booth F1.03 Amcorp Mall. The Batik Influencer will be introducing her latest JEANNIE’S OWN batik cape creations.

The Batik Influencer has introduced, encouraged and helped people understand why batik. So, why batik? Come see for yourself.

*Roti sardine, with spicy fish curry (on the left) and what seems somewhat like “dhalcha”.*

The Hatted Writer (me, of course😉) will be there to talk about what’s next on the idea Sketchpad💡. One of the things that has caught my attention (amongst the many others) is that people are flaunting bombastic english words like nuance/s, exacerbate and stuff like that on talk shows and interviews. These people must be well-grounded in the language and may be seen as sesquipedalian. (4) Some people say that I am a logophile. (5) Really?

I guess in most ways I am a logophile as I find the English language quite fascinating. My interest in the language, to test its elasticity and boundaries, has only been quite recent. I find it more interesting to see if I can refrain from over-stretching the use of bombastic words. In fact, I try to refrain from such words if I can help it.

Come meet us this weekend at Amcorp Mall. This weekend is going to be as “fun” as ever. As everyday is. Looking forward to seeing all of you. 😁

*The semi-visible vaadai, ready for home eating. Eating while in “relax” mode.*

Amcorp Shopping Mall,
Booth 1.03, 1st Floor, West Wing,
8, Jalan, Persiaran Barat, Seksyen 52 Petaling Jaya, 46050 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
Date: Apr 6 and Apr 7, 2024
Time: 10.00am to 5.30pm (can be extended to 7.00pm)

NOTES:
1. “Roti” means bread in Bahasa Malaysia.
2. “Tapau” as in take-away or take-out, is used by Malaysians when they want to pack food. The “-ed” (past tense) is to add colour in the use of the word.
3. Vadai also known as vada, wada, or bara; is a category of savoury fried snacks native to India. Vadas are sometimes stuffed with vegetables and traditionally served with chutneys and sambar.
4. A sesquipedalian can be used to describe a person or something that overuses big words. People often assume that if someone gives a sesquipedalian speech, he / she was smart, even if they don’t really know what it was about because they can’t understand the words.
5. What is a “logophile”? A logophile is someone who loves words, enjoys learning new words, and has a deep appreciation for language. Logophiles have an extensive vocabulary and take pleasure in using and exploring words to express themselves effectively.

SEE YOU AT F3.02

March 22, 2024March 23, 2024 / Alan Atkinson / Leave a comment

3rd Floor, Amcorp Shopping Mall,
Booth 3.02, 3rd Floor, West Wing,
Amcorp Shopping Mall,
8, Jalan, Persiaran Barat, Seksyen 52 Petaling Jaya, 46050 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
Date: Mar 23 and Mar 24, 2024
Time: 10.00am to 5.30pm (can be extended to 7.00pm)

“I shall return”, said the Hatted Writer at the end of the last outing at Amcorp Shopping Mall in Petaling Jaya.

And so I will. The Batik Influencer and I, the Hatted Writer, will be at Amcorp Shopping Mall tomorrow, March the 23rd, and Sunday, March the 24th. We have loved every time we organised a booth at the shopping mall. It can be a tad tiring, but (stronger emphasis than the word “however”) we always have fun. Every outing has always been different mainly because we constantly meet new people who are kind enough to share their personal likes, family and culture with us.

This time out, the Batik Influencer has a whole new line up (every line up is new) of her fabulous “JEANNIE’S OWN” batik capes. The number of pieces have been limited to a very tight number. However (gentler word than “but”), they are already being snapped up pretty fast. So, if you want to own one or more of Jeannie’s Own Batik Capes, it’d be best if you come early to get it / them.

One of the Batik Influencer’s customers came by with her husband, the last time we were here, and shared their wedding picture of her, the new bride; wearing a JEANNIE’S OWN timeless creation at their wedding ceremony. Congratulations to the newlyweds. The bride looked beautiful in her newly acquired JEANNIE’S OWN batik cape.

The readers of Leatherpotato.com : I look forward as usual, in meeting with many of you, subscribers, readers, supporters, fans; this weekend. Come share your thoughts on how my book should pan out. There seems to be some historical facts (Though what we deem as “historical fact” is constantly altered to suit the whims and fancies of those who can alter [fact]) lined up, together with personal experiences, campur-ed (1) with sci-fi and hopefully humour. I can’t see through the depth of the novel yet. I wonder how J. K. Rowlings could even come up with a series of books. She is brilliant. J. K. Rowlings will not be at Amcorp Shopping Mall this weekend. You will have to settle with me. 😉😁😂

We continue, too; to have a wide array of things, including from our travels; that you can acquire for your very own. Come and have a look-sie.

I know that we are gonna (American for “going to”) have loads of fun. Come and join in. Make lots of noise. Looking forward to seeing you.

NOTE:
1. Campur is the Malay word for mix. the “-ed” is adding English flavour 😂 to the word to make it past tense – already done.