2019 Ta Da! list

2019 has almost finished and a new year beckons tomorrow along with the promise of shiny fresh starts, hopes and possibilities. Some insist that we're also about to start a new decade and are busy recounting on social media how the last decade has played out for them. Although not technically correct (yes, it depends), I'll play along.

2019 has been an epic year for me. It sped by as I learned and did things I could never imagine this time last year. There were some bumps in the road but overall the good things outweighed the bad this year.

As someone whose To Do lists frequently get the better of me, I've made a Ta Da! list reflecting on 2019. The To Do lists can wait until tomorrow. 

Things I'm proud of

• I fought for something that really matters to me and learnt to make it a priority.
• I've always known that there's nothing more important than whānau and was reminded of this again as we banded together when it mattered most and supported each other through various health scares.
• I started to use my professional voice after keeping it quiet for so many years. This led to professional opportunities that may have previously passed me by. 
• My professional volunteering experience in Bangladesh left me tired, refreshed and overstimulated all at once as I processed what I experienced while well out of my comfort zone. I started learning to look for optimism and hope in adverse conditions and gained a new perspective on life. Giving, giving back and giving forward has led me to take on a role in a professional committee but also to know my limits.
• I said no when someone asked me to do something waaaaayyy beyond my boundaries. I felt terrible about it for ages thinking how I'd let her down, but it turned out just fine and we're still really good friends - because good friends understand and respect boundaries and limits.
• I didn't buy much this year and was more contemplative about what I already have. I'd rather do things instead of buy things with my money.
• I was a Good Bitch 17 times, baking 17 batches of sweet treats for charity recipients, nine birthday cakes and several care packages for friends and whānau.
• I completed this year's Goodreads reading challenge after some sleepless nights finally pushed me over the finish line. Yuss!

Things I've learnt

• My sense of identity is stronger than other people's perception of it. I'm especially proud of this one.
• If contracts are like sprints and permanent jobs are a marathon, then a fixed term role is a half-marathon. You can't run a marathon by sprinting like a contractor. The same goes for life in general.
• Life, misery and exhaustion is not a competition. We're all in different spaces and that's absolutely fine. I've learnt to empathise and support but not be dragged into someone else's negative space just because they're having a tough time.

Things I'm still working on

• Saying yes to people and experiences without taking on too much.
• Managing, protecting and nurturing my energy. Sometimes this involves having ridiculously early nights.
• Pacing myself. I just can't be or do everything I need or want to all the time. 
• Letting go of the shoulds. 

And so I finish the year tired but not completely exhausted, looking forward to a break but energised by the possibilities of doing things (or not) over summer. Bring on 2020!

Christmas high tea at the Intercontinental

I set myself a Christmas watershed of 1 December 5 years ago as a way of managing the annual Christmas madness. For some reason I'm feeling quite festive this year so lifted it a day early, officially declaring the Christmas season open by celebrating Christmas high tea with friends today.

The Intercontinental puts on a spectacular high tea (or high coffee). This year they have a special Christmas high tea available every day until Christmas Eve. The menu is extensive (17 items!) and drinks include the usual tea selection or coffee and either a festive mocktail or a glass of Veuve Clicquot champagne.

An excellent start

Half the fun of high tea is matching the extensive menu with the food presented to you. Sure, it was explained to us by staff but 17 items is a lot to keep your eye on. And then a bartering system began. "I'll trade your asparagus roll for my ham slider" was followed by "you can have my eggnog cheesecake if I get your cheese scone." We all passed our pumperknickel with blue cheese to one person who declared that four was enough!

Christmas high tea

So what did we eat? The savoury tier included a cheese scone, asparagus roll, cucumber sandwich, smoked salmon blink, champagne ham slider and pumpernickel with blue cheese.

Sandwiches and savoury

Things started getting sweeter. Eggnog cheese cake, strawberry tart, white chocolate choux, mini gateau, Christmas pudding panna cotta, a Christmas fruit tart and a cute little gingerbread man. I needed to pause during this tier.

Slightly sugary

The finish was very sweet. Macarons, trifle slice disguised as a Christmas pudding, a welcome palette cleansing berry fruit salad and a fun chocolate and popping candy lollipop.

A sweet finish

I didn't make it all through the menu (although my friends did!) so took home a takeaway box of four items to have for dessert tonight. What a deliciously decadent start to Christmas 2019!

Return of the dragon yum cha and beer tasting

One Welly on a Plate event I hoped would return after an epic event two years ago was an evening of yum cha and beer tasting. Although most people wouldn't see these as a natural pairing, I was really excited to see Return of the Dragon in the festival events programme. On Friday night, Dragons Restaurant and Garage Project had a full house serving four courses of delicious regional yum cha dishes with matching locally made beer.

A lot has changed in two years and this is now a well organised event. Each course was made up of 3-4 regional dishes and served with a matching beer. There were top ups available, which Mr Weka enjoyed, and entertainment provided by some very cute dragon-style Chinese lions.

Onto the food. The first course was Sichuan themed and waiting on arrival. Here's what we ate from left to right in each photo and the Garage Project beer match. My favourite for each course is marked with an asterisk (*).

• Hot and spicy shredded chicken salad
• Chinese style canape with beef, Chinese sausage and vegetables
• Mixed nuts with spinach *
• Beer match: Hazy IPA with Mosaic and Motueka 7.2% (not bad for an IPA)

Spicy Sichuan starters

The second course was Cantonese-style dumplings and a delicious mushroom and pork mince bun.

• Mushroom and pork mince bun
• Prawn dumpling with golden garlic sand *
• Pork and peanut dumpling with squid ink
• Cumin chicken dumpling
• Beer match: Shaolin Sour dragon pearl jasmine aged sour 6% (pleasant at first but tasted more like vinegar with each sip)

Cantonese dumplings

The third course featured Beijing style food.

• Crispy jumbo prawn and cuttlefish ball
• Shredded duck bean curd roll
• Sweet as BBQ pork bun
• Crispy prawn beetroot rice rolls *
• Beer match: Spezial K Kellerbier, unfiltered lager 5.1% (heavy bitter malt flavour - no thanks)

Beijing third course

Finally, dessert. I saved the best for last; the warm sweet cocoa bun was heavenly and the beer match sublime. I also regretted being the sober driver (yes, I literally just sipped each beer twice to sample it) as I could have easily finished off a glass of the 12.5% Super Deluxe beer. It which was rich and warming - the highlight of tonight's beer tasting.

• Walnut and white chocolate cocoa bun *
• Sweet-scented osmanthus and coconut jelly (we had to Google osmanthus)
• Beer match: Super Deluxe bourbon barrel aged dessert stout infused with organic bananas 12.5% (tasted like a rich porter or even a glass of port)

Hong Kong dessert

A great evening of food and beer enjoyed with friends. We'll definitely be back next time.

Chocolate masterclass at Baron Hasselhoff's

I love chocolate. The Hands-on chocolate masterclass at Baron Hasselhoff's caught my attention in the Wellington on a Plate programme. After enjoying the Wellington Chocolate Factory Find your inner chocolatier event last year, Baron Hassellhoff's seemed the next logical event. It was a great choice!

Baron Hasselhoff's (no relation) has been operating from the old L'affaire au Chocolat premises in Berhampore since 2012. We were warmly greeted by owners Clayton and Erin, a glass of Lindauer Special Reserve, the intoxicating aroma of chocolate and some delicious samples.

Almond mole bar inspired by a visit to Mexico

We headed into the kitchen and learned about the origins of cacao near Mexico, the introduction of chocolate to Europe and how it developed into the form we know and love today. We peeled husks off cacao beans, a process called winnowing, which is quite therapeutic in small amounts. We used a mortar and pestle to gring the beans into a paste. The kitchen smelt amazing!

Winnowing or shelling the husks from the cacao beans

Despite learning how to temper chocolate and acquiring much of the equipment needed to make chocolate, I've never actually done it at home so this masterclass was a good incentive to give it another try. Tempering is the process of heating and cooling chocolate to create form V crystals, resulting in a glossy finish and a crisp snap.

Clayton teaches us about tempering chocolate

Then it was onto making chocolate bars and truffles. Tempered chocolate was poured into a mould and then shaken on a vibrating table-type machine to get rid of the bubbles. We could choose how to flavour the back of our bar before leaving it in the fridge to set. Here is the selection we were offered.

If you can imagine it, it just might work

I followed the lead of someone else in the class and split my bar into two flavour profiles: freeze dried raspberries and marshmallows (sweet) and hazelnut chipotle chilli brittle and sea salt (savoury).

My chocolate bar creation

We learned how to dip sea salted caramel and coffee espresso truffles into tempered chocolate. This is not as easy as it sounds.

Chocolate truffles that taste better than they look

Finally, we wrapped our chocolate bars in a personalised chocolate label and bagged up our truffles to take home. I bought some other goodies to enjoy later.

Chocolate for breakfast? Don't mind if I do!

A huge thank you to Clayton and Erin for such an enjoyable evening. I love how they shared their expertise and enthusiasm for chocolate and am excited for everyone else who has booked in to visit Baron Hasselhoff's at their upcoming sold out events.

Psychological gastronomy high tea

Artisan at the Bolton Hotel hosts a great high tea. Their 2019 Wellington on a Plate event is Psychological gastronomy and described as "a not-so-traditional high tea" where savoury and sweet may not be as they seem. In fact, they're the complete opposite. Every item that appears savoury tastes sweet, and every item that looks like it should be sweet is savoury.

This was actually quite a challenge. Where do you begin? The high tea tradition of starting at the bottom savoury tier and working all the way up to the sweet finalé clearly wouldn't work here. We pondered the menu over coffee and a glass of Giesen Classic Cuveé.

Things are not how they appear

Here's how we played out our high tea strategy.

Savoury that looks sweet

• Duck pâté domes on sable biscuit
• Cheese profiterole
• Spinach and blue cheese cupcake with truffle icing
• Beetroot macaron with goat's cheese

Somewhere between savoury and sweet

• Compressed melon tartare with Chantilly cream

Savoury looking but actually sweet

• Brioche sandwich with chocolate and banana
• Rice pudding arancini with vanilla
• Chocolate pie
• 'Salmon' raspberry mousse with sweet blini and berry 'caviar'

This was a very fun high tea with a twist. The flavours were clever, delicious and beautifully presented. I hope Artisan holds another high tea event next year. We'll be there!

Homemade exfoliating facial scrub

Not me

I have very sensitive skin. It has led me to follow a very simple daily skincare routine with just two products: light cleanser followed by moisturiser each morning. I rarely wear make up (maybe once a year if I need to be on stage or look semi-presentable), drink heaps of water, stay out of the sun and exfoliate once a week.

I came across a recipe for a homemade exfoliating facial scrub made from pantry ingredients and have been using it for years. I made another batch today. It will last me around a year if I use about a teaspoonful each week. You can scent it with a few drops of vanilla essence or a sprinkle of cinnamon if you want, but I don't usually bother. It's cheaper and gentler than any exfoliating product I've ever bought and really couldn't be easier to make and use.

Homemade exfoliating facial scrub

Ingredients

• 65 grams brown sugar
• 65 grams caster sugar
• 40 grams coconut oil

Method

1. Smoosh it all together in a bowl.
2. Transfer to a jar.

To use

1. Gently apply one teaspoonful to face and neck.
2. Rinse off with warm water.

Homemade exfoliating facial scrub

The Lion King (2019)

 

The Lion King (2019) has been remade as a computer animated live action movie.

I've been in two minds about this since first hearing about it earlier this year. Sometimes newer isn't improved. Is it best to leave the classics alone? Or could a new imagining do the original justice and even add something? (Let's ignore the fact that I've never heard of a real life lion talking and singing.) I'm just glad it wasn't in 3D.

Nostalgia is a curious thing. I remember when a friend and I first saw The Lion King (1994) at the theatre. The singer in the band I was in at the time appeared to be a tough beer drinking rugby player - with a marshmallow heart. He urged us to go. He'd seen the movie three times and said he cried every time. Conversations at work recently made us realise just what a tragic tearjerker this classic movie is, yet we think every child should watch and love it like we did.

Could a remade version be as good as the beloved original?

Verdict: it was good but not excellent. Cleverly animated with extraordinary attention to detail, especially the animals' movements. But it didn't quite capture the magic and emotions of the original cartoon animation. I'm glad the legendary James Earl Jones returned to voice Mufasa, but Scar was no match without Jeremy Irons, Zazu was a little flat without Rowan Atkinson's cheekiness and nobody can replace Whoopi Goldberg as Shenzi.

So, I'd recommend you see this remade version of The Lion King before the cartoon animated original (if that's possible) and enjoy discovering its magic all over again.

Winetopia 2019

As an occasional wine drinker but keen wine sampler, I am pretty spoilt with the wine tasting options in my neighbourhood. Each month we are visited by a winery or distributor with 6-8 wines available to sample for a princely sum of $5. Add free Friday night wine tasting at Winesale.co.nz along with a few wine tasting trips and I have learnt a huge amount about what I like in wine, what I don't like and some surprising discoveries.

Winetopia hit Wellington this weekend. I hesitated to buy tickets. Other wine and food-type events we'd attended before either charged very expensive entry fees before any wine or food was consumed or were complete chaos. A very quick Twitter poll and last minute discounted tickets helped influence my decision: we'd give it our best shot.

With almost 60 wineries showcased, Mr Weka and I needed a solid strategy to maximise our wine tasting experience. Luckily we have similar tastes in wine and are also not averse to sharing germs on glasses (with each other - not anyone else), meaning we could share each 30 ml sample and try twice as many.

TSB Arena was helpfully organised into wine tasting regions. We decided to stay away from wineries we'd already visited or sampled. From there, our pecking order was sparkling wine (if available), sauvignon blanc and the occasional riesling or rosé. We set off for Hawkes Bay and Marlborough with wine glasses (real, not plastic) and five tokens each.

The next three or so hours were a flurry of 30 ml tastings and comparing notes. We added many wines to our yes list, one or two maybes and a couple of definite nos. It was good to see jugs of water available at every stand and some substantial food options. Crowds were well managed and, despite my initial hesitation, we had a great time.

How to maximise your Winetopia experience

• Check the programme and go to the talks you're interested in as they come with two extra tastings (if you're quick enough before they run out)
• Visit the Singapore Airlines Lounge and trading in your 'boarding pass' for a free sample of Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve Champagne. Delicious!
• Explore a region you know you like or you'd like to learn more about. 
• Pace yourself and drink plenty of water in between tastings. After a while it's gets hard to tell whether you like something or it's just blending in with something else you've sampled.

New additions to the yes list

• Junction Wines (Hawkes Bay) 2017 Persistence Brut
• Smith & Sheth (Havelock North) 2018 Cru Albariño
• Starborough (Marlborough) Sons of the Soil 2018 Sauvignon Blanc
• Dog Point (Marlborough) 2018 Sauvignon Blanc
• Jules Taylor Wines (Marlborough) 2018 Sauvignon Blanc
• Grove Mill (Marlborough) 2018 Sauvignon Blanc
• Grove Mill (Marlboough) 2018 Riesling
• Greywacke (Marlborough) 2018 Sauvignon Blanc
• Greywacke (Marlborough) 2018 Riesling
• Baby Doll (Marlborough) 2018 Sauvignon Blanc
• Astrolabe (Marlborough) 2018 Sauvignon Blanc
• Astrolabe (Marlborough) 2017 Farm Dry Riesling

Cats - The Musical

The phenomenon that is Cats - The Musical is sweeping up and down the country this month. Based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, a collection of poems published in 1939 by TS Eliot, Cats is not so much a story as an exploration of feline mannerisms and sociological behaviour through music and dance. Cats has become one of the longest-running musicals in London's West End, on Broadway and around the world, with audience members considering themselves experts because they can sing a few lines from its most famous song, "Memory". It was one of many 1980s productions to cement Andrew Lloyd Webber's name as a legendary composer of musicals.

It was with much excitement that my two nephews and I headed out for their first musical experience on a busy Friday night in Wellington. Mr 11 and I had already shared the thrill of a live performance at the NZSO Christmas Pops in December. I knew it would be a gamble taking a 6-year-old out well past his bedtime. He tried his very best to stay awake but finally succumbed at the start of the second half, curling up in his seat and reportedly "dreaming of the show" performing in front of him.

Sadly, this performance of Cats fell short in so many ways. I've spent much of the weekend trying to pinpoint why. About half an hour into the show, I wondered what was going wrong. Lack of energy? No, the cast were giving it their all. The set design? No, although the giant paddle boat wheel was a little strange and out of context. (I'm not sure how it relates to the Christchurch earthquakes, which replaced the original junkyard setting.) The dancing? No. The choreography was good and some of the solo dances were spectacular.

On reflection, I think the show was poorly directed with little or no musical direction and weak orchestration. The chorus numbers were sloppy and the out-of-tune leads (Grizabella and Rum Tum Tugger especially) were painful to listen to. Like the dancers, some individuals shone but it seems like the cast were left to their own musical merits. If they could sing, great! If not ... never mind. Mr Mistoffelees' dance was show stopping but the score just ambled along afterwards, leaving him robbed of his much-deserved applause.

Lighting cues could have helped showcase the costumes, which looked dull and demure in the downlights, and a follow spot would have guided the action on stage, particularly for children trying to follow the plot and identify the characters. The whole performance came together like a school musical production - and I know first hand just how challenging it is to put on a show.

Also, no cats visited the audience during the show or before the second half began - a lost opportunity to encourage some much-needed audience interaction.

This review and its comments actually sums up the performance really well. Taking a risk by messing about with a tried and true formula just didn't work. It's too late now to say "save your money" and wait to see the show next time an international cast tours it, but I wish I had.

When you arrive but your luggage doesn't

I know it happens all the time. I'm not the first person to experience it and will not be the last. It's probably happened to someone you know, or maybe even you. It's something travellers prepare for when they decide what to carry on and what to pack. But when you arrive at an overseas airport and your luggage doesn't ... well, it's a different kind of travel experience.

Three weeks ago, I flew out of Wellington bound for Sydney, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur with the same airline (including one partner flight). I had been advised that the SYD-SIN sector would be delayed but my luggage would follow me to Kuala Lumpur, even when my SIN-KUL flight was rebooked to a later time. "Don't worry," I was told repeatedly. "We do this all the time. We'll put a priority tag on it." I tried not to worry.

Apparently the final flight on any given day is most likely to have lost luggage, especially when there are connecting flights. It's even more challenging if different airlines are involved. It makes sense, really. Given the choice of having a passenger arrive without luggage or having them both stranded in an unintended port, the priority is usually to board the passenger and hope for the best. I'm told that most bags and owners are reunited within 24 hours. However, the feeling of watching the last bag make its way around a large airport conveyor belt and realising that it's not yours is quite surreal.

And then the real process starts. Where is my bag? Who can help me find it this late at night? Which of the lost property offices do I go to? Not this one ... where is the right one? How come my bag can't be traced if it was scanned at every port? (Apparently a sticker fell off on the way to Singapore, so it was not scanned there.) Shall we cross our fingers and assume it just missed the final flight, rather than the first or second? How will I know when it's found? (Giving your email address and a contact number is no guarantee they'll get it right when they email you.)

To cut a long story short, returning to the airport 24 hours later and navigating airport security meant I was on the scene when it was discovered that my bag was in fact on its way to me and perhaps was even on the runway as we speak ... by now, I was getting to know the lone lost luggage attendant quite well and wasn't ready to let him out of my sight until my bag and I were happily reunited.

I have never been to pleased to see an inanimate object. Count all those priorities tags!

Three priorities tags!

Here is my plan for future travel.

Lessons learnt

• Pack one or even two changes of underwear. You'll be glad you did once you make it to your accommodation, shower and have to put your travel clothes on again.
• Carry two (2) USB power packs and several cables in your carry on luggage. Don't assume you'll be able to charge it when you arrive, unless you also want to carry a wall plug and adaptor.
• I travel with few toiletries but am glad I had a comb, deodorant, and anti-bacterial gel on me. A small toothbrush and soap could be handy if your hotel doesn't supply them.
• Take a photo of your bag before you travel so you know which details to record on the lost property form (colour, dimensions, brand etc). 

Oh, and the number of bags that arrived at the same time as me on my return journey from Dhaka - Kuala Lumpur - Singapore - Sydney - Wellington? One. Whew!

Travelling to Bangladesh: memories and reminders

Just a few days after returning to Wellington, life has quickly resumed its patterns and routines. Although there's a sense of comfort in familiarity, it's hard to comprehend just how different things were for me one week ago as I experienced a sensory overload on the other side of the world.

My short time in Bangladesh has taught me more than I could have imagined. I was excited but more than a little anxious before leaving New Zealand. Government travel advisories saying "don't go there" didn't help ease my anxiety and I learned that there is a big difference between helpful caution and destructive anxiety. Dhaka took the honour of being the second least liveable city in 2018, second only to war-town Damascus in Syria. Looking around the streets, it's easy to see why and it would be even easier to fall into a state of despair. But through it all, I was struck by the sense of hope that was visible every day among the people living in adverse conditions and poverty.

I experienced moments of satisfaction, pure joy, novelty and delight that far outweigh the one or two moments when I felt unsafe. This sunset is one of those special moments, as dawn and dusk last just a few minutes and the sun doesn't shine directly during the day in February. These are the memories that I want to capture and remember for next time, along with some helpful advice. Next time? Yes, I'd love for there to be a next time.

The sun setting over Dhaka

Bangladesh: memories and reminders

• Pack tropical strength (80%) insect repellent in your carry on luggage if you're flying in at night. You'll need to apply it liberally as soon as you enter the airport and the moment the sun goes down every day. 
• Check whether your antihistamine tablets are drowsy or non-drowsy before taking them in the morning. Falling asleep in the back of a car is ok. Falling asleep at a business meeting or workshop would not be good.
• Bathrooms and toilets are referred to as "using the wash room".
• Traffic.
• The food is really goooood and, being considered an honoured guest, you will be fed constantly. Try to combat this by only eating breakfast and dinner. Also, walk up the stairs to your hotel room, even if you get strange looks as you pass a staff member waiting to open the elevator for you.
• Stay away from raw salads, fruit you haven't peeled yourself and anything else that may have been washed in tap water unless you've built up an immunity that complements your Hepatitis A immunisation. (Although ... how do you build immunity to something you can't/don't eat? Hmm.)
• Sunrise and sunset happen really fast (within minutes). If you do capture one, it's a magical experience.
• Don't wear jeans with a belt next time you travel internationally. Just buy smaller jeans or pants without any potential for setting off metal detectors. It's one less thing to handle as you empty the contents of your backpack for inspection several times at every airport.
• Although a large screen laptop is wonderful to work on, it's too darn heavy to lug around the world.

Traffic in Dhaka

Traffic in Dhaka is renown by anyone who has visited or knows about Bangladesh. The word Traffic always has a capital T. Sometimes it is referred to as 'the Traffic'.

A short journey of a few kilometres can take two hours depending on Traffic. What time will you pick me up tomorrow? We'll leave early because of Traffic. See that pile of cars on the other side of the road? Traffic. We're an hour late for a meeting because of the Traffic. Tomorrow (Friday) is the weekend, so no Traffic. I should easily make it to my flight on Saturday night, because no Traffic.

Dhaka is a city of 12 million people, including 7 million who commute into the city every day. Think about it. Traffic. Traffic intensifies during thunderstorms, but also seemingly when it's fine and sunny. Rush hour is complete mayhem, but sometimes there is also Traffic at other times of the day. The roads and footpaths are full of potholes that fill up with rain, making for a bumpy ride. It's all part of the Bengali experience.

Today, the city of Dhaka is officially closed for the mayoral elections. No motorised vehicles are allowed on the roads, although I've seen one or two. That means there is very little Traffic. Vehicles are not vying for open spaces, regardless of whether or not they're allowed to perform a U-turn at a busy intersection or drive on the other side of the road. The car horns and rickshaw bells are mostly quiet and it feels safer to walk around.

Here are some of the vehicles you will see on the road. I've been for a short rickshaw ride and hopefully will have an opportunity to ride in a CNG. Unfortunately I'm unable to take an aerial photo of a really good traffic jam in action, but the gif above almost captures it. (It's a bit more orderly than yesterday's spectacular traffic jam that our Uber was somehow in the middle of.)

An elaborate rickshaw

Rickshaw taxi stand

CNG
because it runs on ... CNG

Pedestrians, rickshaws, CNGs and motorised vehicles
all vie for space on busy roads

A commuter train at dusk
Zoom in to see children hitching a ride on the roof

Downtown Dhaka

After a very short visit to Malaysia, I have now arrived in Bangladesh. Yesterday, I took a stroll around the streets of downtown Dhaka. After arriving in the middle of the night then teaching a full day workshop, it was my first opportunity to actually go outside and experience the capital city. I'd been warned about the traffic, which areas were safe to walk and how to get back to the hotel. I was ready.

First impression: it's mayhem out there. Road rules, including lanes, speed limits and which side of the road to drive on all appear optional. People walk in and among the traffic, barely flinching as vehicles vie for space on the road. You must lock your doors while in the car as you'll be approached for money every time you stop. So far I've had a small child smile and press two bunches of roses into my window and an elderly man put his prosthetic leg onto the car bonnet. Neither left until the car started moving again.

Car horns and bicycle bells toot constantly, even at 3am. I think I've worked out why. They seem to be using horns in place of indicators and as a warning that they're approaching something – anything. A car, a person, a corner, a bicycle ... anything. It makes for a very loud city.

Downtown Dhaka

And then there are the buildings. We may bemoan the rigor of our workplace health and safety rules in New Zealand. However, they're there to protect us. The construction site across the road from my hotel and the cabling I've seen on every power pole would be enough to scare even the toughest tradies!

Construction site

Power cables
This is not an internet meme!

I'm also a huge novelty. Everyone stares at the 'white' woman walking alone down the street. A few call out "hello!" and "you're pretty!", some offer rides on dubious forms of transport, but the staring and endless requests for selfies is sometime I'm not used to. This taxi driver was happy to pose for a photo but quickly lost interest once he realised I didn't require his services.

Taxi stand

Oh, Dhaka. You're like nothing else I've experienced.

The lights of Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur, the capital city of Malaysia, is described as the city of contrast and diversity. When an opportunity came up to visit this incredible city, I grabbed it with both hands. Although I only managed to have a tiny taste of this hot, humid city in three short days, KL easily captivated me.

It's hot here. Very hot. 34°C and humid during the day, or 28°C at midnight. Even though there is a lot of activity happening during the day, the area where I stayed came alive at night. Bukit Bintang, is a lively and vibrant shopping and entertainment district. The streets are buzzing with people well after midnight and lit up with stylised Chinese lanterns and modern digital billboards. There is so much to see and take in.

Bukit Bintang at night

Stunning architecture
Sephora shop

Just a few minutes away is Jalan Alor, the famous night food market that is open every evening from 5 pm. The atmosphere is electric as restaurants boasting giant picture menus compete with hawkers for customers. Here is what this busy street looks like at 9.30 pm on a Thursday night.

Jalan Alor

Jalan Alor

Dumplings!

A highlight was visiting the spectacular Petronas Twin Towers. These identical towers are a major feat of architecture and engineering. A light and fountain show starts on the hour every evening from 6-9 pm and is beautiful to watch. My photos cannot possibly capture the grandeur of these mighty buildings.

Gong Xi Fa Cai
Chinese New Year

Light show

Petronas Twin Towers

My tiny taste of Kuala Lumpur during my whirlwind visit has left this #TravellingWeka hungry for more.

I would not, could not in the shower

We had an interesting conversation in the office last week. I have no idea how it started but clearly remember the moment it changed tack. Someone (it might have been me) stopped and asked a colleague for clarification: "you drink tea in the shower??" 

A quick office poll revealed most of my team were as surprised as me. How does it work? Don't you get soap and shampoo and other stuff in it? What if you spill it? Doesn't it taste awful? The simple answer was "no", but no further information was provided.

My curiosity couldn't let it go. This now called for a Twitter poll. The results mostly confirmed what I knew already and also furthered the conversation.

But seriously, how does it work? Several people offered suggestions. Many shared that they take cups of tea or glasses of wine to drink while relaxing in the bath. (A friend takes it one step further and pops her Kindle into a zip-lock bag to complement her bath wine experience.) That makes perfect sense. The surfaces are relatively flat, the floor is not too far away and water or other substances are not potentially falling from above into an open vessel. It's the 7% who frequently shower with hot drinks and the 9% who have tried it that intrigue me.

This is not me

How do they do it? Splash-proof lids? Children's sippy cups? Or do they have gigantic walk-in showers with separate shelves away from the shower head that means they can quickly take a sip before stepping back under the water?

I'm reminded of a couplet from my favourite Dr Seuss book, Green Eggs and Ham - slightly revised for this new context.

I would not, could not, in the shower
I would not, could not, at any hour

I still don't understand how it works.