We're still busy as, and to speed things up a bit, we hired a car for a few days this week.

We know ourselves well, and we are aware that our window for getting things done is the few weeks when we first arrive back... If stuff is not achieved then, it never will be -- or at least not until the next time our return marks a new start.

And it is quite important to get certain things done, hence the need to strike while the iron is hot.

Replacing defunct or careworn bits of kitchen equipment, for example. And sorting out a more ergonomic work area for Nigel (he's again been headache-free for a few days, and we're really keen not to do anything to upset that).

Plus, we were still stocking the pantry. As I said in the last post, this doesn't just involve a quick trip to a supermarket. It involves trips (plural) to several supermarkets.

The other thing that the car was supposed to facilitate was the whole business of getting me back behind the wheel... I haven't driven since I left New Zealand 15 years ago... For a start, we haven't owned a car since then. And whereas I don't like driving, Nigel does. So whenever we've hired a car, it has always seemed to make sense for him to be the pilot. Earlier this year, however, it would have been really useful for me to have been able to relieve him of some of the driving, which explains why "start driving again" now figures on my agenda for the next few months.

I made just a couple of sorties this time. I started out trundling round a quiet area out of town, to get the feel of the car, and then drove back to the mall where we had had brunch (on the grounds that we had also spotted some decent yogurt, and if you spot decent yogurt, you buy it). And the next day I drove back to Kuching from Paku (in quite heavy rain, which made it harder). I made a couple of silly errors, and felt a little disheartened. But I suppose it could have been a lot worse. I just wish I enjoyed it more...


In amongst all the shopping and driving practice, however, there were some very pleasant little interludes, mostly involving food and drink...



The picture at the top by the way, just to keep things in chronological order, is of the State Mosque, as seen from our library circuit (and this is the report of the fire we saw on the way home -- just a street or two away from us...).

La Promenade is an up-and-coming mall on the outskirts of Kuching. It boasts a well-stocked Mr DIY and a good supermarket (both very important at this juncture). And Leonard Siaw, whose wonderful murals have featured frequently in this blog, has a big project under way there:



We also tried out Zoro, which has one of the most interesting brunch menus I've seen in a long time:





La Promenade also houses a branch of the Black Bean, familiar to us from their Carpenter Street incarnation:



Our other culinary epic was dinner with our landlord and landlady at Planet Amore. Great to catch up with them (we've wanted to have dinner together for ages, but until now, the usual obstacle stopped it happening), and the food was all top notch (clam soup, duck, lamb, fish curry, prawns and broccoli, tofu and pumpkin...)



The only slightly untoward element of this experience was what happened to our poor vehicle... We'd had to park right by the kitchen, and either the chef had heaved out a pail of slops that partially caught the front of the car, or the extractor fan effectively deposits an oily layer on everything in the vicinity -- any which way, our windscreen was well and truly coated with grease... We did an emergency cleaning exercise with wet wipes, and then set about it properly -- with buckets, cloths, and washing-up liquid -- once we got home.

Other items from the gallery this week: