
Like any kid that grew up in Brunei, every now and then we need to have a taste of home. In Brisbane, you can seek it out in Chinatown or Sunnybank where most of the Asian restaurants are. You can get a chicken rice or a roti for ten bucks and it’s actually not that bad. But there’s nothing like coming back home and having the real deal. Over the Christmas break last year, Jen and I visited Singapore and Malaysia.
My parents retired in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia so ‘home’ isn’t Brunei anymore. But anyone who grew up in Brunei and regularly visited Kuala Lura or Labuan would know that Malaysia is just as familiar with its culture and cuisine.
When I think of memories of growing up in this part of the world, I think of Tiger beer, roti, sticky humid weather, ice cold air conditioning, milo ping, International School students and my dad’s trusty old Feroza. It was great to take a walk down memory lane in December and do it all over again.
Singapore is a different kettle of fish. Singapore was always that city where I would spent 8 hours in transit on the way to New Zealand or Scotland. This time we spent five days there. I didn’t quite get to relive my teenage experience of Singapore (Tower Records doesn’t exist anymore) but I had a terrific time exploring the city. Orchard Road with its endless parade of cosmetics stores and designer clothing stores doesn’t really do it for me but if you’re game to hop on the MRT and go for a ride you can have a lot of fun exploring places like Tiong Bahru and Demspey Hill which is exactly what I did.

Here I am at Changi Airport, ready to start my Singapore and Malaysia adventure

Best street

The best curry in Singapore is at Samy’s. Served up on a banana leaf, you should have the lamb, chicken and fishhead curries with a side of lime juice

The fish head curry at Samys

Singapore Chicken Rice at Tiong Bahru food court

Signboard at Tiong Bahru

*Click*

The most popular chicken rice in Singapore is at Tian Tian in Maxwell Hawker Centre

The queue 

The famous Tian Tian chicken rice

Boutique bookstore in Tiong Bahru

…that happens to sell cassette tapes and Subbuteo sets

“Poh-tea-toh” It literally serves chips and tea 0_o

Writing a New Years message for Singapore with an old friend

Tasty but outrageously over priced ($27)

Pennhaligon’s

Pork broth in suburban Singapore

Yum cha in Singapore because why not

Sting ray in Glutton Bay

Malaysia, Mum and Monsoon rain

Beverley Hills, Kota Kinabalu

Rainy Selfie (it rained a lot)

Just like home!*
*not really

Breakfast at Mum and Dads

I un-ironically love shitty bootleg DVD covers. There is something about those faded colours and crammed headshots. I can’t get enough.

Rambutans! One of my favourite SE Asian fruits

My dads trusty ride. Twenty years, still going strong.

I was surprised that counter-culture books in Malaysia are sold openly in shopping malls

Nothing like an ice cold Tiger after a round of golf

Tea, Mince pie, Bolkiah

Indeed

Papaya for brekkie

Says it all really

Having lunch with my folks at the best laksa joint in KK

Yee Fung Laksa

Modern Family
Neat pics buddy – springs lots of memories….
dude, we totally stayed in Beverly Hills KK when we were there on tour two years ago.
ahhh, loved this! also, really starving for some fish head curry. I’m homesick now (in a good way)