I feel as though I was stuck in moany mode for a lot of last week, what with the smoke and the noise.

And, indeed, we did have another night of noise, when we had to get out of the house to stay sane. Turns out it was all due to this guy, and his massive religious rally:


Still, the enforced evening out had its compensations:



Since then, the air has stayed clear, we've not been bugged by any racket, and we have had a very pleasant few days.

A surprising number of them have been spent in cafes...

I keep talking about cafes in these pages. They're definitely an important part of our Kuching lives, and we have lots of reasons for frequenting them (especially as most offer pretty good value).

Here are some:

-- To enjoy a respite from the heat (or the wet). Even the simplest cafe will have something to shield you from the elements.

-- To take a mid-walk moment. How long you can spend depends on where you are (kopitiams can get busy, so you don't want to be cluttering up a table once you've finished your drink, whereas the more upmarket places offer a roost for the entire day if you so desire). But you can check your social media, do your Duolingo for the day, catch up with your diary, follow up that random thought that struck you as you were trotting along the road earlier, or take in a chapter or so of your book.

-- Just to savour the pleasure of the tea or coffee. We get good-quality drinks here.

-- To check out some new food you've become aware of (like Indah's mango shortcake...), or revisit something you've not had for a while.

-- To people-watch (be prepared to be watched back, though, especially if the clientele is older...).

-- To meet friends (in the last couple of weeks, I've met people in cafes just to catch up, but also to talk about writing, and even to sit down and write together).

-- To benefit from an unplanned social moment. Maybe you bump into a friend (Kuching has a small core, so this happens quite often). Or you know the cafe owners, and there's time for a chat (we get some of our best Kuching tips this way).

-- To enjoy the environment. Your cafe might be a nicely-restored shophouse, or a Buddhist-influenced haven of tranquillity, or a mad-busy but characterful kopitiam, or a cool and shiny Bright Young Thing. But the venue almost always has something to contribute to the experience.




Not photographed but no less appreciated were return visits to the upper floor of Petanak market, which in the evening does good seafood and lots else, and to Zheng Shan Mei for Fuzhou noodles and dim sum.





Kuching's cafe culture is definitely something I miss when I'm not here.