02-Aug-2023
I had a less than fabulous hospital visit today, so a big hit of comfort food was definitely needed.
Solution: A visit to TeaPack.
We first met Foochow mangi last weekend courtesy of our landlady, whose food recommendations and gifts are always top-notch. They are crispy, doughnut-like, and delicious, and they come with or without sesame seeds. Having sampled them, we determined to track them down to their source.
Which is what we did today. Additionally we tried what TeaPack call jun nv piang, but which are known as well, I think, as zheng dong bing. Also Foochow, these are softer, sweeter, more bun-like, but equally delicious.
A decadent haul of mangi and zheng dong bing
Making zheng dong bing
Note that TeaPack is a milk tea shop, so you can't get "plain" drinks like black coffee or black tea. And if you're carb- and/or cal-conscious you won't feel able to tackle milk tea AND buns-and-doughnuts. But never mind, because The Coffee Code is right opposite...
Duly sustained, we headed for Kampung Musi, whose Lung Hua Kong Musi Temple -- we'd read -- sports the largest dragon sculpture in Sarawak. What is even cooler is that this is a walk-through dragon...
The weather had turned to serious custard by now, but for once we welcomed the rain, hoping it would put the fires out, and clear the air
"Auspicious" goes without saying if you're a dragon, and I think the "Artificial Intelligence" bit means he can be remotely controlled -- insofar as you can ever control a dragon, of course...
Still belting down with rain, but the thunder booming overhead definitely made our dragon visit more atmospheric
Nigel venturing boldly
In the belly of the dragon
Various dragon parts
The dragon's surroundings are also very attractive:
By way of a coda, it was just today that I happened to read this, which offers an interesting insight into the significance of dragons in Chinese history.