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The coolest uncle ever.

Uncle Jeff took me out for a quick spin on his BMW motorcycle. Man, it was a sweet ride. We sped up and down the highway and I couldn't keep the grin off my face (or maybe it was the rushing wind that contorted it, who knows.) I want my own bike! Uncle Jeff now surpasses my Uncle Derek, who took us out for midnight visits to the A&W in his red Honda Prelude when I was 9, as the coolest uncle ever.

Paper money used for burning at Chinese temples.

We went to "pray my grandparents", meaning we went to visit my father's parents' ashes which are kept at a Thai Buddhist temple in KL. It's a somewhat elaborate affair that requires preparation. You must buy food and drink for offering, and paper money for burning. There is a table in front of where your loved ones are resting, and you lay out the fruit, buns/dumplings/cakes, and drinks (orange soda for my grandmother, Coke for my granddad since that's what they used to like to drink) as an offering to your beloveds. You then take a few joss (incense) sticks, light them, and bow three times. In your head, you speak to your beloveds in prayer, calling them by name, identifying yourself and wishing them a good life in the afterworld. You leave the joss sticks burning in a special holder on the table.

Outside there is a big metal can used for burning. You unwrap all the fake paper money and fan it out, then put it into the can. You then set it on fire, all "millions" of dollars worth. This is so your loved ones will be wealthy in the afterlife. At Chinese funerals often paper cars and houses are also burnt.

I don't know if you can make it out, but it says "The Hell Bank Corporation" at the top of the bills.

Women in colourful Muslim dress.

The Tan aunties (Aunty Pearly, Nellie and Winnie) enjoying a scrumptious breakfast of roti canae, canae tissue and dosai tissue.

Probably one of my favourite meals ever, roti canae is like a flatbread that you tear apart and dip into curry. The canae tissue is a thinner, crisper version that is covered with butter and sugar, so it is sweeter and can be eaten on its own, like a dessert. The dosai tissue is a thinner, crisper, and slightly sour version of the roti canae. As you can see, the tissues are presented as these huge pyramids of deliciousness.

In the foreground are mugs of hot Milo (like Ovaltine) and teh tarik, a new favourite drink. Literally "pulled tea", the tea is mixed with evaporated and condensed milk, which makes it sweet, and then it is poured from one mug to another to create the frothy foam on top.

Frogs for sale at the market.