Melbourne roared with a blue electric spark. Its ambient noise greeted me. Together, they reminded me of my experience of watching a special effect-laced movie at the cinema. Subwoofer noise always feels like an invisible force running through my chest. Waves produced by Melbourne’s trams running along its streets had the same force; the tremor [...]

[2119] Of the horrible Putrajaya

Some time in May 2009, overlooking the sparse city of Putrajaya from the Shangri-La Hotel perched on top of a hill, a respected former top Malaysian diplomat rhetorically asked me, “is it not a great view”? I somehow had the courage to respond, “I am unimpressed by it”. In truth, as a person with amateurish [...]