Much as I'd like to talk about something else, the ghastly Spikes is uppermost in our minds again this week.

According to The Economist update that arrived in my inbox this morning, the true global death toll from the covid pandemic is somewhere around 10 million... In other words, "10 million people have died who would otherwise be living -- more than three times the recorded number".

Malaysia continues to do rather badly, with the 24-hour tally of cases in recent days not far off 5,000. Yesterday, for example, there were 4,855 new cases (395 of them in Sarawak), and 27 deaths (bringing the total death toll to 1,788). ICU beds are filling up fast, and there is a definite feeling that things are going to get worse before they get better.

I noted last week that KL and several states in West Malaysia had gone into lockdown (their third). By the time we went to bed on Monday, a full MCO had been announced for the entire country. Sarawak often has different views on these matters, and indeed the following day the relevant authorities issued a statement to say that we would be continuing with the CMCO, but its measures would be tightened still further, and dine-in was now a no-no.

I don't know what I think of all this. I have to welcome the new measures, because it's pretty clear the old ones weren't cutting it. But I also wonder how the decisions are made (are we sure that eating facilities are where it's at in terms of spread?). And of course, I can't help feeling desperately sorry for the people trying to make a living amid all these headwinds, and -- let's be honest -- regretting that another little pleasure in our already so shrunken and curtailed lives has once more fallen victim to this horrible enemy that just keeps f***ing us up.

Anyway, let's turn to jollier themes.

The second episode of the Kuching Old Bazaar video series came out recently, featuring people (and cats) that we're familiar with, but revealing food treasures that even we, food aficionados as we are, hadn't yet unearthed. Do watch it -- it's really atmospheric.

After the dine-in ban is lifted, we'll be back on the case...

Last Sunday, before the ban on eating out, we walked to Toast Bread for breakfast. We went a slightly different way, and found new things. In normal times you wouldn't even notice such low-key places, but anything remotely new is disproportionately precious these days...










This week brought Hari Raya (the festival marking the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan).

The Big Padungan Cat finally donned his festive outfit. Presumably because Hari Raya and the Gawai festival are very close together this year, it seems he gets only one set of party gear for both occasions. This seems a bit of a pity to us. But anyway, it's a very natty outfit.


Meanwhile, the display at The Spring, which I've admired previously, seems to have come up with some proboscis monkeys:


We took advantage of the quiet Hari Raya roads for another of our early morning walks:





As we couldn't have breakfast out, we thought we'd pick something up from our nearest foodcourt on the way home. Lao shu fan (rats' tail noodles) have a deliciously chewy texture. I've not had them for absolute aeons, and these, done in the manner of kolo mee, were REALLY good:


Random pics: