BROWSER casual encounters in knowing
> SIGHTSEEING Expand your carbon footprint > ADD TO BAG Things to love about globalisation and consumerism > CONSIDER THIS Walking as an acquired skill > LOOKING BACK What a Modernist chemical plant looks like
#1
> IMPRINT Behind this issue
Editor's note The small, monotone pages you have in your hands today is yet another print experiment from a fellow life enthusiast. There are things to buy, places to visit, ideas to consider and facts to know. I hope they enrich your brain somehow. If not, pass it on to the next reader. Thanks for your time! L.
Words, images and art direction Liyana Aina liyana.aina@gmail.com Instagram: @pfrsch Browser #1 Produced in Kuala Lumpur All rights reserved Š 2016
> CONSIDER THIS Walking as an acquired skill
The sights are all too familiar to you; that tennis court by the highway exit, the factory-lined road at the edge of your neighbourhood, the barren strip of land by the river. You zoom past them during your daily commute, without giving second thoughts. Those very surroundings that contribute to your boredom holds an adventure, no compass necessary. It only takes a pair of comfortable shoes to get you going from sofa to wayfarer in 60 seconds. Taking a walk is a rare activity as weekday
Start walking • overlook no path, even if you are
commutes become longer. There is less time in
familiar with it. It always looks different
the morning to gradually warm up the body and
on foot.
mind – we tend to jump-start our senses with some kind of instant stimulant. Usually coffee. 30 minutes later we are out the door, trying to dodge the traffic jam. By the time we get home from work, the sun is down. Walking is a natural and intuitive act. It
• leave the bag. A smartphone, an identity card and a few banknotes would suffice. Slip them in your pockets and walk hands-free. If you need anything else (like refreshments), get it along the way.
stimulates our mind and reflexes; moving aside to avoid bumping into that woman with a stroller,
• try not to stick to your route all the
noticing the changes of pavement and flooring
time. Detours often lead to surprising
when you cross different properties, the stream
discoveries.
of air blowing through a narrow alley, the way shadows are casted by trees and poles. Once you have mastered the basic skill of getting around, take it up a step with a microadventure. This term was popularised by Alastair Humphreys, who navigated the M25 (a
• be observant. You might miss something interesting if you limit your perspective to just what's in front of you. • your walk need not last for hours. It could happen during lunch time. A stroll
highway that encircles London), and was named
around the city block beats getting stuck
National Geographic's Adventurer of the Year.
listening to your colleague's ramblings
Give it a go here: www.alastairhumphreys.com
over take-away.
> SIGHTSEEING Expand your carbon footprint
Cape Rachado Forest Reserve
Bernam Bakery
A 90-minute drive from Kuala Lumpur is this
What are the odds of finding a Danish bakery in
forest reserve that is best known for raptor-
the middle of an oil palm plantation? This
spotting. The lighthouse dates back to the
unassuming building that sits next to the Teluk
Portuguese colonisation in the 1500s. A 20-
Intan carriageway bakes butter cookies,
minute trek down the cliff will lead you to a
vanillekranse, pastries, simple cakes, and
wonderfully deserted beach and a tomb. At low
coconut buns, a favourite among estate
tide, you can get around the cape on a rocky
workers. The plantation is run by a Danish family
path. The water is comparatively better in
since the 1920s and produces 20% of
quality than the nearby beaches at Port Dickson.
Malaysian's palm oil.
Tanjung Tuan, Malacca
Unitata Berhad, Jendarata Estate
2.403969, 101.854150
36009 Teluk Intan 3.852472, 100.967554
Jalan Raja Bot market
L45 Library
Rough, hardy neighbourhoods make perfect
Nestled in a mature, compact neighbourhood is
studies for the social spectator. The Jalan Raja
L45, a community library for those who like to
Bot market has served the needs of its multi-
read in conceptual architecture. Don't let the
ethnic shoppers since the 1950s. The city hall is
industrial finishings distract you from the array of
in the midst of building a new complex that runs
design books mostly donated by architects, as
between a hangar-like wet market and a row of
the housekeeper will count who's there to read
Midcentury shophouses. Visit it this coming
and who's there to Instagram the 'rainbow
Saturday night to experience it at its busiest,
shelf'.
before gentrification takes place. Jalan Raja Bot, Kuala Lumpur
45, Lorong Kurau, Bangsar
3.164269, 101.699048
54900 Kuala Lumpur 3.122707, 101.669915
> ADD TO BAG Things to love about globalisation and consumerism
A mĂŠlange sweater It's true that people in the tropics wear more colours than those who have evolved in temperate climes. But as more and more Western chain stores appear in Southeast Asian cities, we have replaced our love for garish prints with a spectrum of greys. And why a sweater near the equator? Because we need to protect ourselves from the subzero airconditioning in malls and offices. Grey cotton-mix hoodie, UNIQLO
A face moisturiser with SPF Let's face it - global warming is for real. The ozone layer is thinning. Beat the UVAs and UVBs with a coat of the right, white stuff before you step out. We are currently loving the wax-like texture and speedy absorption of this face moisturiser from NIVEA. The 75ml size is perfect for those who don't believe in refilling flimsy PET bottles whenever they need to jet off. NIVEA MEN Daily Defense Moisturiser with SPF 15
A paper clamp There is no other place that makes you want to spend your hard-earned middle income than at the 100 yen shop. Automatically, you rationalise the need for these multicoloured paper clamps. They are too cute to be stowed away in a desk organiser, or holding reports to be handed over to your undeserving supervisor. We recommend attaching one onto your lapel for that career-chic look. And like everything else in this world, it's made in China, and not made to last. Multi-coloured paper clamps (pack of 10), Daiso
A pair of petit beurre Cookie jars are fast becoming a relic of the preobese world; you're most likely helping yourself to a sachet of cookies straight out of an 8-pack when you visit your aunt today. This single-serve pair of milk chocolate-coated butter biscuits from Belgium lets you have a piece of what little Tim in Antwerp is having for recess in school. Petit Beurre, Delhaize
> LOOKING BACK What a Modernist chemical plant looks like
Malaya Acid Works This disused factory sits on prime land, overlooking the ever-congested Federal Highway. The parameter walls are topped with shards of soda bottles from the 1970s, a primitive yet effective trespassing deterrent. While it’s a massive abandoned site, there are guards at the gates. This view is seen from the inner road where many other factories are still in operation.