27-Aug-2022
On the medical front, no advance on last week. We're still waiting to confirm a date and place for surgery (and we were prepared for the wait, as we knew the doctor would be upcountry this week).
It's not a pleasant limbo to be in, so we've been keeping ourselves as busy as possible.
As well as three day trips (to the Buddhist Village, the Fairy Cave, and Mount Singai), we've had quite an active time around Kuching.
There was another Sarawak Heritage Society talk at the Borneo Cultures Museum on Sunday. This one, on Melanau culture, was absolutely fascinating, especially given our recent expedition to Mukah and environs. It focused on the Melanau spirit world, charms, and healing artefacts. Living here, I'm constantly reminded how rich the cultural heritage is, and how very little I know...
Just down the road from the museum is Kantin (which used to be The Granary), so we called in for a Sunday evening aperitif. Crispy chicken, the most spectacularly tender squid, and a glass of Verdejo, a grape variety we'd never heard of, but would be very happy to encounter again.
That awesome squid
On Monday we celebrated three years at this address... They've been bizarre years, to be sure, but this place has always provided a port in a storm, and we couldn't wish for nicer owners.
To mark the occasion, we cracked open a bottle of tuak, and ordered in tea from the Telang Usan hotel (we'd been there for an event the other week, and thought the food was pretty nice). Big tick again for this consignment:
Rojak Sarawak: pineapple, turnip, tofu, and cucumber with a spicy dressing and peanuts; spiced fried chicken, and ikan bilis with onion and chili
Keladi (yam stalks) in hot-and-sour soup
Tuesday brought another Malaysian Nature Society talk, this time by two keen local hikers who have done some amazingly intrepid forays into Sarawak's tough and trackless wild. We'll never get to those sites (like we'll never get to the top of Qomolangma), but it's good to see their stunning images.
Ghost Month ended yesterday, so now we're turning our attentions firmly to the Mid-Autumn Festival. Which means -- MOONCAKES! Actually, we'd already had our first, as you know. But the season has now taken off properly:
Mid-autumn decorations at The Spring
If there's one thing I actually enjoy shopping for, it's mooncakes...
Black sesame mooncake
On our last day of car hire (which was yesterday), we usually go to the beach, eat a picnic breakfast, and watch the sun come up. But after our nerve-wracking drive in the dark on Thursday morning, with the headlights emitting mere pinpricks of light, we decided to change plans, and stick to roads with streetlamps. So we did a circuit of the Library (always a good stalwart).
There was a bit of a mist rising off the lake (which is what the picture at the top is all about), and we think Bill and Ben here are new:
Bill (on the left) is obviously having a bit of trouble with stuff dropping off. But hey, he has our heartfelt sympathy...