I’ve been thinking a lot about how life is really just a collection of small moments stitched together: dinners with family, bookstore afternoons, spontaneous plans, comfort meals, inside jokes, and people who make ordinary days feel special. April gave me plenty of those moments.
Highlights
🎂 — We went to Jakarta to celebrate double birthdays (of Fafa and Sanjoe) and, as usual, had so much fun while eating even more. The trip came and went in a blink, but it was one for the books. Forever grateful that I get to make these little memories with the fam, even though we live eight hours apart.
🥻 — Fafa took me to Alfred 47 to celebrate the Tamil New Year, followed by the Crazy Funny Asian Comedy show. The show itself wasn’t amazing, aside from an insider tip to try Hanbaobao on Elizabeth Street and an Indian comedian named Ashwin Srinivas, who was absolutely hilarious.
✍🏽 — I spent a day in Fitzroy, starting with sticky chai at Elektra Himalayan Café, followed by a calligraphy workshop at Zetta and, naturally, a stationery haul. Lunch at Mukka, stickers from Kami (thanks, Fafa), flower pick-up duties, and a saffron pistachio gelato date at L’Artigiano del Gelato.
🎭 — Most of my April was filled with the comedy festival. I went to the Brown Women Comedy show with my brown girl gang, followed by dinner at Old Beijing afterwards. I ended up loving one of the comedians so much that I decided to watch her solo show the following week with Fafa 😬 — Sareeously Not Sorry by Sharul Channa. Then there was the comedy pub crawl, though the only comedian who really left an impression on me was Carey Marx. Definitely watching his solo show next time.
🪡 — I finally did acupuncture, partly because I’ve always wanted to try it and it’s been sitting on my bingo card for ages, but also because the right side of my back, hand, and knee had been hurting for no specific reason I could pinpoint. Jess, the acupuncturist, reminded me to nourish myself afterwards, so I got a mushroom burrito bowl from Guzman y Gomez and had one of the best naps ever.
🍙 — Aina and I introduced yet another Indonesian food to Jen. This time: Nasi jinggo and Tahu. Afterwards, we continued our catch-up and family gossip session at Captain Melville across the road from YOI.
🚆 — I finally collected the new train line stamp from Anzac Station. Only four more left to go
Foodie Guide-Y
🍛 — We started a new tradition at work, a bi-annual finance potluck (or at least I want to make it bi-annual). This time, I made Amma’s chicken rendang recipe. Asmi brought the world’s best chicken curry, and another colleague brought a plethora of Sri Lankan cuisine. I had Mung Bean Ka’em and tried milk rice for the first time, eating it four ways: as is, with honey and curry, with curry, and just with honey. I liked it best with honey and curry. For dessert, we also made homemade tiramisu and delicious rum balls.
🍽️ — We celebrated Fafa’s birthday with a family lunch at Plaza Senanyan Rembulan and date night at Esa in Jakarta. We continued with the rest of the trip with a delicious feast at Marco, Rempah, and The Garden Osteria at One Senopati. We also tried Panca Bar, which was supposed to be one of the best bars in Asia, but we didn’t like it. Even the Union Bar, where we had locally inspired cocktails, was much better. Other memorable treats include: klepon cake and sea salt matcha in DJournal, Bubur Ayam Spicy Level-5 Bakmi, and daily Gojek coffee deliveries.
🥣 — Also, continuing our tradition, a few hours after we got back to the land Down Under, I made us rasam. Rasam has tremendous healing power. And it’s the comfort required to ease us back into this home after flying from the first home and making a brief stopover in the second home. This time, the rasam was accompanied by canned spicy salted squid I got from Jakarta; the combination was to die for.
🍗 — This month, I also cooked Indian Railway Chicken Curry, inspired by the chicken curry Fafa, and I had at Mukka earlier this month. I also made Pasta Miso Butter. I baked an Easy Cake Recipe, which turned out badly, but I think it was my fault, so I vow to tweak the recipe next time. I also made Dal for the first time, though I don’t know whether it turned out well. I only know I made too much and had to throw most of it away. Before throwing it out, we ate it with canned smoked tuna that I got from Jakarta.
🥩 — Fafa took me to Alfred 47 for steak with butter sauce before the Crazy Funny Asian Comedy show. The show wasn’t great aside from an insider tip to try the Hanbaobao burger place on Elizabeth Street, and an Indian comedian named Ashwin Srinivas, who was hilarious.
🌮 — Another new to me cuisine/restaurant this month: Arepa, a Venezuelan dish from Papelon. It had pulled beef, cheese and other stuff in it. I’m not a fan; it’s a bit too processed.
🍜 — It took me years, but I finally learned that I don’t like Saigon, HCMC, or Southern-style pho. I prefer Hanoi-style pho, like the one from Pho Nung Vietnamese Restaurant.
🧋 — More food highlights from the month include delicious mushroom baos made by my neighbour, Ayam Penyet Ria dinner after Comedy Pub Crawl, Asian grocery store stock-up on Yan Yan, and bubble tea from Top Tea (I had Mango Sago Pomelo, and Fafa had Mango Bomb). We also had delicious Jasmine Milk Jelly at Dainty Sichuan. A pit stop at Bharat for samosas and pistachio badam milk. Trying Mandi for the first time. Pistachio latte, T’s Easter Bunny Cake, Tess’ communal homemade chilli oil, and a spicy sogeum-ppang stall on my way home.
Read, Watched & Browsed
📚 — To get the 2026 Global Book Crawl Penguin card and a stamp from Chestnut Tree Bookshop, I picked up The Swimmers by Julia Otsuka and ended up reading it right there on the spot, outside the bookstore in the sun. It became one of the absolute highlights of my week.
☕ — I need to make reading and honey soy chai at Chestnut Tree Bookshop a regular ritual. I now know I am having a good day/week if I manage to sit in a bookshop and read for an hour. I love books that make me pause, think, take notes, and add random things to look up later, as well as thoughts that suddenly come to mind while reading. I also love books that simply bring me joy. And book club is a must! As I tend to come home feeling so energised because book club does that to me, and it is almost always the highlight of my day/week.
🥟 — I got my Chinese Cuisine tarot deck this month, and I absolutely adore it. It also made me realise how much of my life revolves around food and food-themed things, from my tarot cards to my fashion choices. Very on brand, and I am very okay with it.
🏕️ — I went to a talk for The Hiding Place by Kate Mildenhall, hosted by Donita, and it was inspiring. I now want to read the book (already added to the list), go camping, and somehow buy a town.
🧧 — My favourite movie of the year so far is Project Hail Mary. It made me wonder whether I should finally read the book after watching it, or maybe dive into more sci-fi novels, because I think I like sci-fi (yes?). I watched it with Liz on a whim after our South Yarra bathhouse plans got cancelled because the hot water system broke, but thankfully, the day still turned out great. I started the afternoon with a sando at my beloved Tivoli Road Bakery while waiting for Liz. We then wandered to a South Yarra Cellar for copious amounts of Montepulciano before the movie. Liz also pointed out that we somehow always end up watching sci-fi together. Before this, we watched Another Life with Pedro and then Alien: Romulus. Tbh, I do not mind if this becomes our thing, Liz. I also watched and loved Astronaut, this time without her.
👻 — I finished Murder in a Small Town, which is exactly the kind of feel-good, basic-B, low-brain-effort TV show I sometimes need. I also watched The Ghost of Jim Bray on Tubi. Peak random viewing habits.
📚 — I read Like, Follow, Die. This book is… something. It made me feel old, and it lingered in my mind much longer than I expected. If you have read it, you would probably understand exactly what I mean.
🎧 — No podcasts this month (booohoo), but I started following Layze on YouTube. He is funny, and his videos made my long commute home better.
Meanwhile, on Kulture Kween:
This month, I wrote 13 Anti-Mainstream Travel Hacks (I stole the concept from my genius cousin).
Tiny Joys
❤️ I have a big joy to start with: I’ve been searching for a multi-use big mug (think Central Perk-sized or bigger), and I finally found it in Brunswick (of course). It’s humongous, it’s in basil green, and handmade by Brook Clunie from Byron Bay. Absolutely loving it.
Winter light ❤️ Free PT until May ❤️ Coffee treats ❤️ Smelling coffee the minute I step out of Melbourne airport ❤️ Being able to sleep on a plane ❤️ Cat hair clip ❤️ Automated gates in the airport ❤️ Unstuck middle door ❤️ Five bouquets of roses ❤️ Brown roses ❤️ Crawling into bed for a long nap ❤️ Fun workday ❤️ Feeling lighter and better, which feels especially good after feeling draggy for days ❤️ BWC ❤️ Compliments ❤️ Mojo ❤️ Having written drafts ❤️ Listening to BWC Callum’s series of stories ❤️ W charm from Mena ❤️
Time Machine
🌴 ━ The happenings of this time last year and last decade.
Thank You, Next!
🃏 — I pulled the Eight of Wands for May, represented by Starch Sausage in the Chinese Cuisine Tarot deck. It says: “…smell the aroma on the street corner; while you are still hesitating, the vendor has already flipped it and finished — sizzle — the scent hits you. Grab one quickly so you do not miss a life milestone.” This card usually signals momentum, rapid developments, messages, travel, opportunities, and quick decisions. Well, I will gladly take all of the above, including the sausage.
🍸 — Super Vi will be in town next week, and I am beyond excited to have her over. The last time I saw her in person was at our wedding, and I cannot wait to properly catch up with her. I have been thinking about where to take her, what to do, and making plans, while also being mindful that she has an Uluru trip in between. Alas, I will still try to squeeze in as much time with her as possible.
🎮 — Fafa finally caved, and we now have a pink PS controller, which means I can finally get back to farming in Stardew Valley while wintering in Melbourne.
🏡 — I am off to Singapore and then Chiang Mai for our annual cousins’ trip at the very end of this month. That is definitely something I am looking forward to next month.
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