While sitting down to start writing this post, I was like, “OMG, where did the month go??” but then I was like, “Oh yeah, Fiji, year-end closing, EMF, budget, audit while balancing self-care with binge eating in-between“.
Highlights
🌴 ━ The highlight of this month was my girls’ trip to Fiji with Jik, which I will write more about soon. For now, know that I have now full-heartedly believe travel can be the balm for some weary souls. At least that was the case for me.
Food has been another constant highlight of this month.
🍲 ━ Liz and I went on a fancy date to ARU – a Vietnamese fusion restaurant. Generally, I wouldn’t say I like fusion food nor Vietnamese food, but the food and service were excellent. My favourite was the Kaya Parfait. It reminded me of the Singaporean ice cream sandwich, only that this one was ten times better and ten times more expensive.
🍛 ━ One Sunday afternoon, we went to our next-door neighbour for lunch, and they served Paneer Curry. I had never had paneer curry before, and it was love on the first bite. So much so that I want to try the Tiktok recipe but with the South-Indian spin, Paneer Pollichathu.
🧈 ━ I had Thai roti with peanut sauce for the first time in a restaurant my team went to for MO’s farewell lunch – so yummy.
🫓 ━ I am also on a Dosa binge, or more like it has become my go-to comfort food this month ━ , ranging from chicken 65 Dosa, Onion Podi Dosa, Chili Cheese and the last and the best one, Schezwan Dosa.
🥝 ━ Lastly, a newly developed obsession with passion fruit after having it for breakfast daily while in Fiji. I want passion fruit on all my food, from salad to cocktails.
Love and Found
🏚️ ━ One of my favourite winter activities is to lay on the bed and browse Machiya houses for sale in japan. They are Japanese traditional wooden townhouses. I have added Machiya Airbnb stay on the following Japan trip list.
📚 ━ I mostly read magazines this month, from Frankie to Tart – Food with Feelings. The latter is an Australian biannual magazine which I recommend to anyone who loves food, reading and can get their hand on it. Meanwhile, I made a reservation in the library on Permafrost, the next book for book club.
✍🏽 ━ I went to an #EWF2022 workshop called Writing Your Life, led by Sam van Zweden. She prompted us to list what we think we are experts at and then write our lives based on that prompt that afternoon. My list included eating chilli and being a homebody, and I had fun writing about both.
📺 ━ I watched Vikram at the movie theatre. Meanwhile, back home, I only watched one thing this month, The Good Wife, to accompany me through late-night budgeting work. I have watched the series at least twice before, and I started from season one again and stopped when Will Garner died because Alicia turned extra annoying after that.
🙏🏽 ━ To Fafa’s absolute horror, I have been using the prickly Shaktimat as a part of my bedtime routine. It did take a few days of adjustment, but I have started getting used to it now that I look forward to lying on it after a long day and seeing its benefit, including better sleep.
Browsing History
Italy’s Red Coral Capital Struggles With a Warming Sea ♥ 2021’s ingredient of the year: 19 Australian food lovers share their favourites ♥ Barolo – Fiji’s favourite Sea worms ♥ Fijians apologise for ancestral cannibalism in bid to lift curse ♥ Covid disappearing from our collective memories by Brigid Delany.
Rare Aboriginal art to return to Australia after Victorian government chips in $500,000 at last minute ♥ Sake Omakase in Australia ♥
If you are into the True Crime podcast, check out Red Handed if you enjoy Red Handed, vote for them on British Podcast Award.
Tiny Joys
All kinds of heating technology ♥ Listening to an uplifting podcast while exploring the neighbourhood by foot – currently listening to Ant Middleton’s Zero Negativity ♥ Seeing a rainbow ♥ Reaping the benefit of meditation (not the meditation itself) ♥ The neighbourhood ♥ Following the travel adventures of people I follow and am a fan of online – like Toeps adventure in Japan on her IG stories and Kalyan live-blogging his Europe trip ♥ hot jam doughnuts ♥ Visiting Jik new place in a new neighbourhood ♥ Australia’s heritage architecture ♥ Care package from Jik ♥ Bubble baths ♥ chocolate croissant Fafa keeps getting me ♥ Asian groceries haul ♥ hot pot.
Meanwhile, on Kulture Kween:
I wrote about a story of perfect falafels, jaffles, Fijian Cuisine, and Namaka Mini Market Nadi.
Time Machine
Read more about last year’s happenings.
Thank You, Next!
Looking back, June has been one fun-filled month! Now, back to adulting, I have to get back into running habit next month, start studying for the CPA exam and survive this f-ing winter. Wish me luck!
Stay tuned, stay cultured! ━ KK.
Follow me on Instagram @KultureKween for more recent updates.
