STORIES, STORIES

To what can you compare the intense joy of discovering libraries and how they work? Because I really don't know. I'm 33 years old, and for the first time in my life, I used a library. It's crazy, I know, to be this old and discovering libraries for the first time, but it just never was part of my childhood. I didn't have access to actual libraries (bookstores don't count), and I never thought to seek them out once I moved out of Saudi and into a "normal" country that has  libraries, because I was too busy trying to "lead a normal life." I guess. At the National Library of Malaysia (Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia), I swallowed whatever potential embarrassment there was in asking for help – I asked the helpdesk lady to tell me how to navigate the library and what are its parts, and then I asked two library workers (are they all called librarians, you guys?) to explain to me how I can find books that I'm looking for. Inside the National L...

I never caught the travel bug, which I'm sure is a travesty when I’m finally adulting in the free world, and at a time when travelling is an affordable and common pastime for people my age. Nevertheless, I am fortunate enough to have friends who drag me out every once in a while to some non-airconditioned adventure that would yield lots of opportunities to take photos of them taking photos of our trip. Last month, it was to Teluk Intan, Perak, Malaysia, for a day trip that would only last about 8 hours, transportation and milling about included. Teluk Intan (“Diamond Bay”) is a small town in Perak most known for its own version of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Subtly tilted to the left, the Leaning Tower of Teluk Intan was also known as the Clock Tower, as its primary function was to tell the time with its large clock-face on top. It’s now just an official national monument and tourist attraction. I wasn’t as awe-inspired as I thought I’d be, disappointed as I was that I ...

Everybody loves food truck food. Even better, it’s one of those things that people are so proud to declare their love for OMG. I can’t help but hear the undertone of condescension – deliberate or not – when I’m in the midst of friends trying to outdo one another with their love for food truck food along with all the other novelty, kitsch items that our perpetually hipster generation gushes about. OMG YES, I just LOVE being POOR, it’s so BAD , is really what I hear (and also say, let's all be honest). Whether it’s buying things at flea markets, or living without furniture, or driving a beat-up car, I guess we get so tickled by the idea that we’re just not poor enough to have to really, unironically suffer through them. I feel this the most when I get my food from the food truck parked outside our office here in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. Unlike the food trucks in popular culture, this one is a stark reflection of not only tradition and culture in Malaysia, but also of how h...

I can't afford a car and all the other expenses that come with it (hello gas, toll and road tax!), but good gotdamn I can afford a driver's licence. I tagged along on a trip to Auto World in Sungai Besi anyway, just in case by some miracle, I ALL TOO SUDDENLY can afford a car. But a cat is fine, too. Welcome to douchebag country. ~END~ This post is part of a series of photos and stories very creatively called 100 days of Malaysia . 

It's common for expatriates here in Malaysia to live in condominiums that provide residents access to a swimming pool, and living in one and being able to just hang out by the pool and go for a swim on the weekends always puts me on that constantly-on-holiday vibe. I don't take advantage of this quite as often as I can or should. I remember growing up in Jeddah, how we'd have family pool parties with other expat family friends, or go rent an istira7a  (a private villa enclosed in high walls with a swimming pool), or have cookouts in the pool area of Saudi friends' homes. None of these involve alcohol – at least 90% of the time it didn't! – and they mostly happened during the day within the private confines of someone's residence. Coming from a conservative, religious family meant that when these happened, it was rare to have a mixed group. Often, we'd have two pools – one for men, another for women – or if there was one pool, there'd be separate set...

The Uber Sprint in Malaysia by Nessreen (of this Blog) I can’t help it. Here in Malaysia, when I hear someone – especially a female – complain about their driving conditions, or the public transport system, or the “crazy” traffic jams, I want to slowly and in ascending tones say Shush. Shush your WHINING AND BE SATISFIED.  Coming from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia where there is no public transport to speak of, and where (hey, have you heard?) no women are allowed to drive, I will take ANYTHING.  And I have. I’ve waited patiently for buses and trains, longer than “necessary”, and then I’ve tolerated bad smells, shit service and rude drivers and service providers.  Because shitty is better than nothing. But now, here, in the palm of my hand, inside a (sometimes buggy) app, sits Uber (“Yoo-ber”?), a gift from the gods.  Take this, the gods said, and enjoy the luxury of having your own personal driver whose car doesn’t smell like stale cigarettes or ...

IN SEARCH OF THE ARC by Kathryn Narciso She takes a long, deep drag off her cigarette, stares a hole through me, and blows tendrils of cloud into the air between us. What is he? she interrupts my pitch. It’s like telling the story of Jesus in two sentences, and just as I have crucified him all over again, the blood red-lipped evangelist goes back to the major character’s obsession. She blows a split second smoke in my face again. He is…   She exhales another.  I watch it curl up in the air and disappear into everywhere. He is a carpenter? Except he’s not. If I were really telling the story of Jesus, I would have not seen her eyes narrowed at the unsure tone of my voice. You didn’t watch it. But I did, I approached her cautiously. I just can’t remember. Perhaps teased by her own sneaking suspicion, she smiles at me. No, you didn’t watch it. I really did. Let me tell you another story. FIRST ACT Against her genius, ready to prey on any si...