TinyWOrld

We are in the last two days of the first month of the year. Chinese songs and decorations are already up in commercial areas and restaurants. Today, I had a chat with my neighbor across the street. I saw him trimming the berry trees and, feeling curious, asked why he was trimming the ones in front of my house. ​I found out he retired at the age of 51. He is living off his EPF, which I assume he saved quite a bit of during his working years. All of his children are married, though they do not live with him. I asked him how he spends his time during retirement and what made him want to retire so early.

I was hiking today, and as I was coming down the trail, I suddenly saw a dog in front of me. He stayed put, looking curious. I lowered myself and extended my arm to greet him, but as I did, the dog began to growl. That part of the trail was still dark because of the tree canopy, so I couldn’t see if the dog had a collar. This felt unusual, as I know mongrel dogs usually don't act that way. ​Then, I heard an owner behind me saying something to the dog, that’s when I realized he wasn't a stray. As the owner passed by, I asked him to leash his dog, mentioning that some people are afraid of or sensitive to dogs. He apologized. ​However, there was another time with a similar situation where the owner got defensive, and we ended up in a commotion. He even waited for me at the trail entrance. As I passed him, I overheard him saying he didn't recognize me otherwise, I assume he would have tried to 'teach me a lesson about dogs.' hahaha. ​We shouldn't wait until someone ...

The last time we camped together was during our school days, over 30 years ago. One friend spent more than RM600 for this trip, buying a brand-new tent, table, and flysheet. We booked a night at a rainforest park. I am not usually a fan of paid campsites, but for the sake of our friendship, I thought, "Why not?" We booked two platforms for a total of RM400. Due to a land dispute, we couldn’t drive all the way to the campground, so we unloaded our gear and a staff member drove us the rest of the way in his 4WD. Pitching a brand-new tent for the first time was hilarious, especially with the occasional gusts of wind. Another friend brought his two young sons, hoping to expose them to nature, but they seemed more interested in their phones. After going out for dinner, we sat around the new table with a metal bowl in the middle. We started a charcoal fire to keep warm while some of us grilled corn and cocktail sausages. Another friend brought a 20-year-old bottle of Remy Martin co...

The Mount Stupid theory describes how, as we gain a small amount of knowledge, our confidence levels spike until they reach a peak. The problem is that we think we know it all, when in fact, we 'don't know what we don't know.' In psychological terms, this is known as the Dunning-Kruger Effect. An example of this occurred during the peak of my cycling 'career.' Many people thought I knew a lot about bicycles, but in reality, I knew very little. As we continue to seek knowledge, our confidence level drops into the Valley of Doubt because we realize the true complexity of the subject. I may be in this valley now. For instance, I am no longer certain if the America actually landed a man on the moon or if it was faked. However, if we continue seeking knowledge, our confidence will hopefully rise again. This time, the rise will be gradual and more humble. The moral of the story is to always ask questions and never view yourself as an expert. Do not place too much trus...

I’m getting better at this solo camping, though usually just for one night. I’m not sure if I can mentally handle staying in the same spot for multiple days yet. ​One of my biggest challenges is the mosquitoes and tiny bugs that cause my skin to itch. The worst part and the area I often forget to protect is my lower legs. This time, I brought socks and wore them even during the day. It made a huge difference.  ​A new item has made it onto my list of "a little this goes a long way" my USB fan. In some places, especially at the beach, it provides great comfort during the day and inside the tent at night. It also has another function, helping with the fire pit. Setting it to speed number three instantly reignites the fire, saving me the hassle of blowing on the embers. ​For this trip, I found several fallen tree trunks and dragged them to my campsite. Sawing them into smaller sizes really took my breath away and made me sweat! I wore my windbreaker while working to ...

This memoir follows a child actor whose mother spent years grooming her for Hollywood fame, but that quest for the spotlight eventually turned into an abusive and controlling nightmare. She never really got to be a kid; instead, she was pressured to stay thin, which led to a long battle with bulimia and years of pain down the road. It’s a sad "Catch-22" where the parent says they want the best for the child, and the child just wants to be "good" and stay out of trouble. In the end, when that parental control gets too suffocating, it can lead to a dark place where the child feels like the only way to finally be free is if their parent is gone.

When I first came across this waterfall on the map, I was skeptical. 20 story high? Okay, I had to check it out. Judging by the map, it looked like a pretty short hike, but I knew those could be deceiving. Off I went to have breakfast in Bukit Tinggi first. As always, I had roti bakar and half-boiled eggs. I checked my OSMand map and headed to the trailhead. As I was riding, the place began to look familiar. I had once done a survey here. I parked my motorcycle and decided to walk instead of riding up at least I would get a workout. The surroundings consisted of a farm on the hill slopes. To me, the vegetables looked like long beans. A few hundred meters into the climb on a gravel road, I saw a tall durian tree on my left by the slope. Looking up, I saw several durians hanging from the branches. I looked around for any fruit that might have dropped. It was my lucky day! A small durian had fallen on the slope and was held in place by the soft ground. I took it with me as I walked furthe...

During my scouting days, my scoutmaster would insist that we make a fire whenever we went camping. As I continued camping into adulthood, and as more and more camping gear became easily available online and in physical shops, the need for a campfire reduced. Fewer people actually camp in the wild anymore. As a result, it is no longer easy to find dead wood around. It has even come to a stage where campers can buy firewood online. Until recently, I too had not started a fire whenever I went solo camping. Partly, I was lazy, and there was also little need for one just for a night. However, at one place I went, I needed to clear a spot for my campsite. As I was getting the area ready, mosquitoes began to attack me aggressively. I quickly started a small fire to create smoke. That night, I enjoyed the fire pit for keeping me “company.” Once, I went camping in Pos Sinderut with a buddy. It was a new campsite operated by the Orang Asli. My buddy enjoyed it because he spent the whole night ch...

. ​Today, I took Route 1 from Tanjung Malim and exited at Gopeng. Along the way, there were many stalls selling durian. They didn't interest me at all because I just had some free durian last week. However, just before the exit to the North-South Highway near Gopeng, a small durian stall manned by an elderly man caught my attention. ​A price board was displaying RM4 per kilo. I made a U-turn and approached the uncle. I asked him the usual questions, like whether the durians were from his own farm. ​I picked a few; each durian was exactly 1kg, which is usually a sign of good quality. I ended up putting four durians on the scale—4kg in total. I said to him, "RM4 x 4kg is RM16." Quickly, he said, "These are RM8 per kilo." ​Damn. Immediately, I realized those RM4 per kilo durians were smaller and kept slightly separate if you looked closely. He began to convince me that these were high-quality durians and that the trees were over 60 years old. It was...

13.1.2026 7:43 AM –  I was supposed to camp at the broken bridge, but when I arrived, there were a few new "kongsi" makeshift huts. I chatted with a guy who said that Bangladeshi and Indonesian workers are living there now. Some of them had just run off, probably escaping immigration officers. ​I found a small durian spot with about seven trees. There was a clear patch of ground and a bamboo shelter that was slanting to one side. I sawed off a piece of a log and slid it under the side of the platform; it’s a much better platform now. I have three durians in my motorcycle basket, and I worried: what if the landowner comes and accuses me of taking them from here? ​I had a good sleep after three cans of beer. At dawn, I heard the sound of a motorcycle. I was already awake, but I didn't move, expecting someone to come near my tent. That didn't happen. Half an hour later, I got out of bed, started making coffee, and read my Kobo. ​Then, someone arrived on a motorcycle. I ...

  This is currently the most hyped restaurant in Malaysia. Since its opening was announced by an influencer entrepreneur last December, it has been the talk of social media. The moment reservations opened, 3,000 seats were sold within minutes for the first week.   I have somehow been swept up in the hype myself. I am particularly interested in how the place operates, as it seems very systematic. So far, there haven't been any reports of long queues or traffic jams in the area.   There are a few rules: no walk-ins are allowed, and bookings must be made online. I have been trying to secure a table since the second week. Before it opened, I didn't even know which website to use; the official restaurant site only displayed a 'careers' link. Furthermore, I don't follow this influencer’s live sessions every day.   Now that I have the booking link, my browser informs me that I have to wait over an hour due to high traffic. By the time I finally access the reservation page...

This is new to me. Foreigners cannot work as cashiers at the counter. But the other day, I was in a small kopitiam in Petaling Street. After ordering my kopi O, I paid with my TnG QR. Something struck me immediately. The TnG account belongs to a foreigner. To confirm, I asked her, "Is this your name...?" She said yes. "Where are you from?" She acted like she didn't understand me. Is this unusual or otherwise?

How do I reduce my mobile phone usage? Previously, I spent most of my time posting on TikTok and Facebook. One day, I decided to stop posting videos on TikTok because it was very time-consuming. First, I had to spend time filming videos while I was out. Then, I had to edit and post them, hoping for as many likes as possible. This made me frequently check TikTok for the number of likes. The same went for Facebook posts. My first move was to cut the root cause: No posting, no likes, no checking my phone. As for Facebook, I don’t post photos anymore. This isn't just to save time, but also for privacy. Sometimes, the less people know about you, the better. The second step I took was to reduce the number of photos or videos I take when I go outdoors. This way, I have fewer headaches and fewer photos to post or back up. Memories should be held in your mind forever. If your mind loses those memories, let them go.

 Now why do I ended up here again after more than 30 years? Time has change for this time i want to write more than taking photos. To express myself more