Rain continues to be more of a theme than it normally is in August.

We've had a bit of a respite over the last couple of days, but as I write, the thunder is rolling, and the wind is whooshing, and the black clouds are gathering again...

Still, there are compensations for rainy weeks.

One is keeping an eye on the river, which does "full" and "fast" on a frequent basis these days:


And, of course, there's nothing like a bit of wet paving to show your flashy new lighting off to full advantage:




Anyway, apart from the rain, I have little else to tell you about. It has been another week full of jobs. But you don't really get a good blog post out of going to the dentist, and having blood tests, and sorting out cupboards, and sticking your newly acquired change-of-address sticker on your driving license, and blatting yet another old computer, and taking stuff to the Salvation Army.

So let's turn to food news, because there's always food news in Kuching.

The first item is rather sad. My favourite pan mee stall -- the one at 38 Food Street, the one that produced the pan mee with everything just as it should be -- has apparently closed. Or moved. But if it has moved, we don't know where. Which comes to the same thing. When we went with a friend on Wednesday, we had the laksa from what used to be the stall next door, 128 Laksa, and it was very good laksa, no question about that, but there's lots of good laksa about, and not so much good pan mee. So that's a pity.

On a more positive note, we discovered a great new ding bian hu (pictured at the top). The damp weather suits this warming rice-paste dish perfectly. It comes (in generous portions) from a stall at Sin Poh Poh on Jalan Padungan; it was recommended by our favourite photocopying person; and it was really good...

Conversely, when the clouds cleared, and temperatures briefly rocketed yesterday, what you need is gula apong ice cream: