Merdeka 2022

 Today is independence day for Malaysia the country of my origin. 65 years have gone by since 31st August 1957. Malaysia, you have experienced your fair share of trials and tribulations. Leaders come and go. Sporting heroes are born and deservedly take the limelight. What about the unsung heroes? In my opinion ,these heroes include the front liners in the medical field. the police , the army , the fire services. These are the people who put their lives on the line to maintain and protect our health, welfare and security. In the political scene, we have seen some important political events happening in the last 12 months. The Memorandum of Understanding between the ruling government and the Pakatan Harapan opposition coalition was a historic event, allowing key reforms to take place, most notably the passing of the Anti-Hopping Law. The Covid 19 pandemic had led to the loss of many lives. The economy was badly affected too but now hopefully we will see some recovery. In the sporting arena, Malaysia can be proud of having their mens doubles pair as World Champions. Whoever said that Malaysia can't be the best in the world ? At the recent Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, Malaysia and won 7 gold medals too which is a good achievement. There is every reason to have hope for a better Malaysia. There is every reason to believe that a shining light will emerge at the end of a long tunnel. There is every reason to feel proud as a Malaysian.  Selamat Hari Merdeka, Malaysia. Kau tetap tanahairku,                

Juara dunia badminton Malaysia

 Pasukan bergu lelaki Malaysia Aaron Chia dan Soh Wooi Yik telah muncul sebagai juara dunia badminton di Kejohanan Badminton Dunia di Tokyo. Mereka telah mencipta sejarah sebagai wakil pertama negara meraih kejuaraan badminton dunia. Ini adalah pencapaian yand amat dihargai oleh rakyat Malaysia. Pencapaian in juga secara tidak langsung memberi hadiah yand bermakna kepada negara kita yang akan menyambut Hari Merdeka yang ke - 65 pada Rabu ini 31 Ogos 2022. Tahniah kepada Aaron dan Wooi Yik! We are proud of you.       

Makan Malaysia #6

 Another favourite Malaysian breakfast which I managed to enjoy back home - roti dosa. I like the plain one , served with the curry gravy and condiments. This is best served with a hot mug of teh tarik which is also seen in this photo.     

One hot British Summer #1

 In a hot British summer of 2022, we had visited the Welsh border town of Monmouth. The town was a pleasant visit with plenty of history. There was a Roman settlement in this area in 55AD called Blestium. Later on the Normans had settled here and built a castle too. The last remaining bridge in Britain with a fortified tower is located in this town too. This bridge is known as the Monnow bridge. Other famous historical figures who visited this town include Admiral Nelson.   

Makan Malaysia #5

 

My next foodie quest in Malaysia takes me to Ah Cheng Laksa in Starling Mall, Damansara Uptown. We bought this back to eat at home. This is the revered Assam Laksa, a dish not to be missed when we are back in KL. It is spicy and sour soup based rice noodle , served with fish and prawn paste ( Har-Ko). Wunderbar indeed ! 

Makan Malaysia #4

 

This is 'Har Mee' or spicy prawn noodle. One of my favourite Malaysian breakfasts, I love eating this for lunch too. Growing up as a teenager in Malaysia we would always frequent the same coffee shop to eat this lovely meal. 'Har Mee' is a Hokkien dish that is popular in Penang, and I love eating this with both yellow noodles and rice vermicelli (or 'beehoon'). Add some sambal in and it is yummy indeed.     

Return to KL #3

 

This is the place to get nice Malaysian souvenirs. I bought 2 batik shirts in my last trip. It is a lot easier to get to this place now from TTDI than it used to be. It's just a 30 minute ride on the MRT. Central Market or 'Pasar Seni' is not as bustling as it used to be due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However there are signs of recovery in this iconic shopping venue in KL.        

Return to KL #2

 During our trip back to KL , we watched some matches in the Malaysian Masters badminton tournament. This was the first live international badminton tournament that I have attended in Malaysia. It certainly did not disappoint. World class badminton at your doorstep. I was please to see that the event was well organised and seemed covid -secure too. The picture shows the Indonesian pair Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan playing in the round of 16. This event has reignited my interest to play badminton more often.     

Return to KL #1

 We went back to visit family for the first time since January 2020. It was an emotional visit for a variety of reasons. It was truly heart warming to see Kuala Lumpur (KL) again, the city of my birth. This is the view of Masjid Jamek , which is one of the oldest mosques in KL. This view was observed from the MRT station next to Masjid Jamek. The Sultan Abdul Samad building lies in the background.    

Makan Malaysia #3

 

In todays blog, I share the wanton noodles with 'char siew' (barbeque pork) from the famous Annie One coffee shop. Boy writing this post is making me hungry already. This coffee shop is located in Damansara Uptown. Pre-covid this was a must-eat stop-over. Now we tend to buy back or 'tar-pow' to eat at home. Yummy wanton noodles !  

Makan Malaysia #2

 

In the second blog of this Makan Malaysia series , I would like to introduce another of my favourite breakfast, nasi lemak ayam goreng. This was bought from Village Park restaurant in Damansara Uptown in Petaling Jaya. The meal consists of coconut rice, hard boiled egg, anchovies,  ground nuts, cucumber and fried chicken. The sambal is added on at the side and the wholemeal is simply delicious!   

Makan Malaysia #1

 

It has been over 2 and a half years since we last returned to Malaysia. The food back home was sorely missed and here I want to share my favourite breakfast meal roti canai. This savoury pancake is served with dhall and chicken curry. We had this roti canai at our favourite Indian cafe Jaipur in TTDI, Kuala Lumpur. It was really delicious. This is the first blog for my series 'Makan Malaysia'.      

A Silver Lining

 The next Malaysian badminton star has arrived. Step forward Ng Tze Yong , a 22 year old player who hails from Johor. He was not expected to progress beyond the quarterfinals at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. However he has surpassed expectations by winning the silver medal. He has defeated the World Champion Loh Kean Yew from Singapore and the World No 13 K Srikanth from India in the quarter finals and semi finals respectively. He has made full use of his opportunity and truly has carpe diem! He fully deserves his invitation to play the World Championships in Tokyo later this month.  The article below from the Malaysian newspaper News Straits Times (13th July 2022) reported that The BA of Malaysia coaching director Wong Choong Hann had confidence that Tze Yong will land a medal at the Commonwealth games. With his excellent performance in Birmingham, Tze Yong has repaid the faith that his coaching director has in him.