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slightly astray

an honest look at life on the road

[Kuala Lumpur] I finally eat durian for the first time

I’m not in too much of a blogging mood lately because I’ve been obsessed with working on some DIY clothing projects in my spare time. But I thought I’d quickly share this all-you-can-eat durian thing in case there are any readers in KL who really love durian.

I’m leaving Malaysia in less than a week. After over a year of being here, I’m happy to say that I’ve done mostly everything I wanted to. I’ve checked off most of my Malaysian wishlist items, including: going to Penang, Melacca, Langkawi, and Redang, going up KL tower, and trying most Malaysian dishes at least once.

But with my imminent departure looming so close, there was one more thing I still haven’t done. And it’s a biggie.

Eating durian.

I just never got around to it. First, it’s just not a very appetizing idea. And I wouldn’t just go around eating it by myself. And even when I mentioned to friends that I want to try it, the response I’d get is “it’s not the season.”

Well guess what, finally it’s durian season right before I’m due to leave. So this past weekend, I grabbed the one person I know who loves durian more than anything in the world and asked him to take me to eat it – my local friend James.

My mother’s daughter

Every now and then, I wonder if I’m doing the right thing. I worry that I’m not making enough or not living up to my potential. And I wonder what kind of future I’ll have. But then I think of my mother and I know it’ll all turn out okay. This post today is for my mother. You see, today is her 60th birthday (a major milestone!) and being half a world away, I can’t offer anything else except to tell her…

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May 2017 travel re-cap: Langkawi and Ubud

May shaped up to be another good month! I managed to hit up two places on my Southeast Asia wishlist: Langkawi and Bali. I’m actually in a bit of a hurry right now, because I’m going to pick up my sister at the airport in a couple of hours! So this will have to be a quick one. And hence the instagram inserts instead of photo edits. I will write more detailed posts later (if I ever catch up, at this point!)….

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Budget breakdown: 2 weeks in Dubai

How much does it cost to visit Dubai? I disclose my entire budget breakdown for 2 weeks in Dubai, as well as plenty of tips on how to do things cheaper! Don’t forget to also view my post on free or cheap things to do in Dubai! I know some people were interested to know how much stuff cost in Dubai and how I managed my budget. So here it is! In total, for a 2-week trip to Dubai, I spent…

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Dubai on a budget! Free or cheap things to do

When I booked my visit for Dubai, I only had a few things I REALLY wanted to do: go on a desert safari/ride a camel (check) eat a fancy brunch (check) go to the top of the Burj Khalifa (check) When I got here, I quickly realized that Dubai is freaking expensive and all these things cost way more than I thought. Not to mention just general things like a cell SIM card and transportation. So I needed to save…

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[Penang] Battle of the char kuey teow: which is best?

There is no dish that symbolizes Penang more than char kuey teow. Char kuey teow (ckt), or essentially fried rice noodles, was invented in Penang and is the city’s most beloved dish. I swear they revoke your Penangite card if ckt isn’t one of your top 2 favorites. This noodle dish has just a few ingredients: pork lard, prawns, cockles, egg, Chinese sausage (optional, but always better with it!), bean sprouts, fresh spring onions, soy sauce, and a spicy paste. And the key? A delicious…

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April 2017 travel recap: best month ever on Penang

Now that I’m traveling again, a lot of things are back… including monthly travel recaps! Wow, this past month. I don’t even know where to begin. I’ve really had the best time on Penang. I feel like my real solo-traveling journey started with Penang, which coincidentally was also the start of a new year of travel. After I realized I had to leave KL, I decided to finally come to Penang for a change of scenery. This decision was made mostly because Laia…

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A day in the life: Penang, Malaysia

A Day in the Life is back! Remember when I used to do those? :) It’s so hard to pick a day that I want to tell you guys about. Each day in Penang is different and exciting. Some days I go to the beach to read and watch the sunset. And some days, it’s to Georgetown for foodie adventures. A couple of times, it’s to the night market with my Airbnb host and a lot of times, it’s just…

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