ഹലോ from Kerala! I am writing this to you from the backwaters of Kerala. We are here for my BIL’s wedding, which happened beautifully over the weekend. Now, we are spending the rest of our time hanging out with the fam and eating Mallu food. Life is good 🙂
Highlights
💇 ━ I got a long overdue haircut and colour earlier this month. Oh man, sometimes I forget how good a pricey self-care can be. I am going to book a massage in the next month or so.
💇 ━ We went to an Open Gardens event a few Sundays ago, showcasing the three best gardens in the neighbourhood. My favourite was the food garden, where the owners shared below quote:
Because of our garden, we have made friends, fed our neighbours, exchanged ideas and
information with people who understand the importance of prioritising habitat and above all,
our garden has connected our family with our community, the land we live on and, each
other. – Francisco & Michale’s Food Garden.
🏢 ━ We moved to a new office, and the building reminds me of Matrix. The good thing is it’s located in the CBD, which means endless coffee and lunch choices ━ It’s enough motivation to come to the office, for now.
🍽️ ━ We hosted a dinner gathering in the house and had the bestest time chit-chatting with our guests. I wonder why we don’t more often?!!
Love and Found
📚 ━ Super important announcement: Jik, Waggs, and I started a book-ish IG called Jik Got Lit. Follow us for a wide range of book reviews.
📔 ━ Meanwhile, the neighbourhood book club’s book of the month was the award-winning The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida. Despite conditioning myself to read it, I couldn’t read a page a day or a few minutes of the audiobook. The book is very well-written, but it was not something my brain was willing to digest in any situation or condition. Oh well… at least I read and loved Cold Enough for Snow by Jessica Au.
📔 ━ I am reading Happy Stories, Mostly by Norman Erikson Pasaribu ━ an Indonesian queer author. I saw the book in a bookstore in London, bought it in Melbourne and now reading it in Kerala.
Media Watch
📺 ━ I have been looking forward to You Season 4 for over a year and finally watched the first half of the season this month. Yes, the show might be losing its’ steam, but Joe’s internal monologues still got me hooked. I paid $2.99 to watch the 2020 Hellraiser; it was worth the money. I watched Red Rose on Netflix but stopped halfway because the teenagers got too whiney.
Foodie Guide-y
🥘 ━ Fafa took me to Atlas for Valentine’s, and as a thank you, I took him for a mid-week dinner at Chibog, a Filipino restaurant in Barkley Street. Also, in Barkley, I went to the newly opened Jaathara and had their Karam Dosa. It was delicious, and the service was good. At $7.99 for a plate of Dosa, I can foresee them being a regular take-out place for us.
🍛 ━ One day, after unwillingly running for 6.5km, I had Huevos Pericos, Colombian-style scrambled eggs, for breakfast at Small Graces cafe in Footscray.
🍲 ━ I made Kukul Mas Kari, Srilankan chicken curry, which according to Fafa, is perfect. I’ll take that! I also redid Tiff Loves Tofu’ Harissa Enoki Mushroom viral recipe with Gochujang.
🍷 ━ Wine recommendations: Casteli Estate’s 2020 Shiraz Malbec and Sit Stay Society 2020 Violet’s Gruner Veltliner.
Browsing History
A divorce announcement written beautifully ♥ Found an Indian travel blog with impeccable writing, Trippin’ on Life. Unfortunately, the author doesn’t update it anymore.
Tiny Joys
Phone calls with Jik ♥ Lunch with Nadia ♥ Houseplants ♥ Free coffee ♥ Fast Internet connection ♥ Cider on hot days ♥ Eating ice cream in bed ♥ Face-timing parents ♥ Sleeping in on Sundays ♥ easy-as Refund ♥ Hot jam doughnuts.
Meanwhile, on Kulture Kween:
A Morning in Mangwon Market Korea Traditional Market ♥ Must Do Korea Travel Culture Activities ♥ Gohyang Kalguksu Gwangjang Worthy of Netflix Fame ♥ Kimchi ━ KoreaKorea’sCO Intangible Cultural Heritage ♥ Banchan The Icon of Korean Food Culture ♥ The Best Street Food in Gwangjang Market Seoul
Time Machine
Read more about last year’s happenings.
Thank You, Next!
🍲 ━ We are doing a Singapore stopover on our trip back home. As usual, a trip to Singapore equals a lot of eating, this time with friends and family.
🛫 ━ I am off to Auckland for a week or so this month ━ hoping to try Māori Hāngī cuisine during this trip.
🍲 ━ On the last week of March, I am watching Bea Barbeau-Scurla House stand-up comedy show.
Follow me on Instagram @KultureKween for more recent updates.
Keep Kultured! ━ KK.
