I grew up watching my father—Mr. Lim—spend hours in front of that old furnace-like wok, sweat glistening on his brow, the thick smoke curling around him in the roasting room. As a boy, I never understood why he would stand…
“When the wind blows right, you can smell the sea before you even see it.” That’s what old Mat always says. Every morning, before the sun spills gold across the rippling Kemaman River, Mat stands on the dilapidated wooden jetty…
I still remember the scent of the morning—earthy, with a hint of horse sweat and smoky grilled corn wafting from nearby stalls. My son’s tiny fingers gripped my calloused hand tightly as we walked into the beating heart of the…
The sky was a deep, glowing amber as the sun dipped behind the paddy fields, casting long shadows across the kampung. The familiar scent of lemongrass, smoke, and the earth after rain hung heavy in the air. After a gruelling…
Arif slumped in the backseat of his father’s car, earbuds jammed in, eyes glued to his phone as the dusty kampung road jostled the vehicle. TikTok videos flashed by in bursts of neon text and dance challenges. Every kilometer away…