Credit photography: @joesyahmi @katkazman

Last week, Joe, Kat and I made a very impromptu, unexpected visit to Ipoh. My mom approached me the night before, urgently asking for our help to deliver something  to a client, so we agreed and took the day off work. I suppose things do fall into place because Joe and I have been meaning to bring Kat to Ipoh before she goes back to London. Our weekends were consumed with errands, weddings etc so we thought we couldn’t make it-but it turned out we did! So our intention to feed her until she can’t move came true!

First stop: Breakfast! If you’re ever at Ipoh, it’s a MUST to stop by at New Hollywood Restaurant at Jalan Lee Kwee Foh, Taman Canning. The roti telur goyang, the kopi ais, the kuey teow goreng, the chee cheong fun, that fried flour thingy with the kaya dipping sauce, sorry lah your diet will surely go out the window. The restaurant was full of people and it was a weekday, which brings no surprise because that place is so popular – but worth it!

The three of us were already in a food coma and it was just the first stop in Ipoh. So we decided to walk off the calories at Jalan Panglima and ended up going to the Yasmin Ahmad Museum at Kong Heng. The moment we stepped foot into the museum I could sense the wittiness and charm of the late director. The place was decorated with her quotes, pictures, views on life.

We saw three bean bags chairs facing the television so of course we sat there and did not move for the next hour. The tv was showing all of her advertisements and documentaries. Kat and I have this thing, when it comes to Arwah Yasmin’s ads, especially the ones about families, friendship and patriotism, we’d watch these ads together and will end up crying like a bunch of weirdos (especially during raya time). Watching these ads continuously made us bawl like crazy,  I felt so sorry for Joe, he probably had thoughts on what he married into haha.

We were walking around town to kill time (before we could eat again haha) and I reminded Joe that the last time we were here, was with our friends we were still dating. That was donkey years ago and even though it made  me feel a teeny bit old I felt so grateful because there we were, already married, jalan jalan Ipoh with my sister. Who would’ve have thought. Alhamdulillah for everything.

I’ll leave the pictures to do most of the storytelling of our trip, and some of my favourite Yasmin Ahmad quotes. We had a wonderful time and till next trip, Ipoh!

Thank you for being charming, as always.

‘Perhaps, in the end, there are no such things are creative people; there are only sharp observers with sensitive hearts’

‘I wept recognizing that no one was effect and that if we are expected to be loved for all our imperfections, why are we so reluctant to accept and to forgive the imperfections of others?’

‘God gives everyone the same amount of talent. It’s just up to you to korek’

‘If you want somebody to change so much, what is it that you love about that person?’

‘If your intentions are pure, if you apply your craft with a view to observe humanity and ultimately, God himself, very often something powerful will surface’