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Yearly Archives: 2016
Everyday Asia 2016 – Happy New Year!
It is a time of celebration. It was a year of change. From some nerve wracking months when I didn’t know whether I could remain in India to manic work back in one of my favourite places – Jakarta – 2016 had lows and highs and many moments in between.
Blogging honestly hasn’t been a priority. From September, I was more in Indonesia than India. Even when home, my focus was on the project. However I didn’t just work in Jakarta. I did manage an escape to Bogor to breath in oxygenated air at the Botanical gardens and even attend a Christmas fair in Kemang.
Did you want this box?
Sunday at Como Park, Kemang… Jakarta adventures
Everyday Asia has been quiet for an understandable reason – I’ve been pre-occupied with a project in Indonesia for a couple of months. When not in Indonesia, I have either been in Singapore or Mumbai or somewhere in between.
There has been lots of activities and not much “down time.”
Even weekends have been packed with things like Whisky Live in Singapore or cramming four social events into a single evening home in Mumbai.
Until the long weekend. In Jakarta.
Naturally I had delusions of being able to go on adventures outside of Jakarta… maybe Yogyakarta and Borobudur or other places…
Naturally I also did not book anything in advance… So by the time I tried to fix on a plan, most places that looked reasonable were full.
Feeling blessed…
This time of year is special. I feel particularly blessed… and while the last five years have had some ups and downs, the good far outweighs the challenges.
Five years ago Christmas Eve is when I met my partner.
Bangkok romance, 2011
Whisky Lady – November novelties
My Whisky Lady posts kept speed with lots of activities in November despite being away in Indonesia most of the month with a short detour to Singapore for Whisky Live.
Before flying off, managed to sneak in a session with the Bombay & Malt and Cigar gentlemen which was a quest for quality affordable cask strength whiskies:
- Linkwood 24 year (1991/2015) Cask No 586497 53.8% (TWE) – Somehow just too much discord between nose and palate…
- Longmorn 24 year (1990/2015) 53.7% (TWE) – Autumn delight, all elements in harmony
- Balmenach 26 year (1988/2015) Cask No 3242 51.1% (Signatory) – Faaaar too easy to enjoy
Our original tasting group carried on to sample an interesting assortment of Teeling whiskies – which I also tried at Whisky Live in Singapore… so didn’t feel completely left out! (more…)
Music Musings – Emel Mathlouthi
Emel Mathlouthi performed at Mehboob Studios as part of the first Johnnie Walker – The Journey festival – and part of reviving my old Music Musings series!
Emel seduced the audience with the powerful emotions her voice emitted… punching through with passion, protest, shifting from lilting to wrenchingly raw.
After the show, Emel shared how much she enjoyed their short stay in India. Yet after extensive touring also appreciated a chance to relax in the hotel, swim outdoors…
She shared that they had been to Vancouver and Montreal and enjoyed their Canadian tour. I later met the guitar player who talked about being busy working on their new CD, soon to be independently released – Ensen.
Emil Mathlouthi – Ma Lkit
Want more? Check out:
- Website http://emelmathlouthi.com/home.html
- Facebook https://www.facebook.com/E.Mathlouthi
- Myspace https://myspace.com/amelmathlouthi
I’ll admit I’d never heard of her before the event… and yet for much of December, Christmassy music was replaced by the haunting sounds of Tunisia.
Related articles
Whisky Lady – October offerings…
Happy Diwali and Hallowe’en everyone!!!
As the lights glow, firecrackers pop and people get dressed up in silly costumes, time for my monthly Whisky Lady round up! Even being away in Jakarta for a good part of September and early October did not deter sampling adventures….
Nor an opportunity to share an extract of an interview with Inver House (AnCnoc, Balblair, Old Pulteney, Speyburn, Hanky Bannister, Caorunn) Master Distiller Stuart Harvey on whether “Single Malt drinkers are promiscuous.” (more…)
Saying farewell too soon…
Saying farewell is never easy. And when it is too soon, even more so.
We said farewell to a friend. We celebrated his life. We remembered first moments, great moments, mad moments and more. We were reminded how life takes us on many journeys with twists and turns.
Farewell my friend, may your journey continue…
Spinach head + pissing milk
A sometimes amusing thing about having a smattering of more than one language is how what you hear pops something completely different into your head courtesy of another language!
It can result in some rather odd brain combinations…
The 1st time I was asked if I wanted ‘susu’ in my coffee in Indonesia… had a quite gross image of a kid pissing into my sacred morning ritual with a heavily caffeinated brew!
Cus ‘susu‘ in my Hindi-colonised brain now means… well… taking an erm…. leak.
Whereas in Bahasa it means milk!
Last trip to Jakarta during my stay-cation massage, I thought the girl asked if I wanted a palak massage too.
Now palak to me means spinach…. So I instantly had bizarre cartoon images of spinach dancing in my head!
Turns out she was actually saying kepala i.e. head but obvious my ear was wired to food!
I wonder if others have this strange experience of hearing (or mis-hearing) one thing which bears zero relationship to what is ACTUALLY being said?
Photo: http://www.bukalapak.com
BTW… if you haven’t yet checked out Simone (Lady of the Cakes) new blog on Multilingual by Choice yet, do….
Related posts:
Zoe Moonlit Zapa’s 1st Birthday
So we don’t actually know when Zoe’s first birthday really is. The vet’s estimate post rescue was likely October…. sometime…
Baby Zoe…
See our precious little princess was a stray. Initially brought home by one person, then adopted by another before prancing and pouncing into our home as a gangly pre-teen on Boxing Day aka 26 Dec 2015.
We adore her to bits… and there is little doubt when she comes to curl up for a cuddle, Zoe kinda likes us too. (more…)
Whisky Lady – Speedy September
My Whisky Lady posts kept speed with lots of activities in September… including celebrating the 300th post!
The month was supposed to welcome the return of all three tasting groups… However my Jakarta trip derailed our Bombay Malt & Cigar night… oops!
Everyday Asia 