Why Would I Write

  • Clown Feet

    Clown Feet

    It’s been a while since I’ve had to wear shoes. Working from home for the past two years and rarely going into the office meant that my shower slippers were what I wore 99% of the time.

    A few weeks ago, I put my shoes on because I had to visit the office. All seemed fine until midday when the soles of my shoes started falling apart. I had to hobble back to my car with half the class of the Mentos lady.

    I figured, old shoes, untouched for a long time, they’re expected to deteriorate.

    Fast forward a couple of weeks, I put on the nice dress shoes I hadn’t worn in years. The soles literally crumbled as I stepped out of my house onto the welcome mat. What the fuck was going on?

    I looked it up. Basically, shoes are designed to crumble so they don’t clog up landfills when they have been disposed of. It’s called Hydrolysis. The materials in your shoes are broken down by water and this process is accelerated when they are kept in places where moisture can’t escape (like in a regular shoe cupboard). The solution to this is simple though it sounds counterproductive: wear your shoes frequently so they can dry out.

    With two pairs destroyed in this manner (and one more falling apart, though I think it can be saved with shoe glue, will be bringing that to the cobbler), I decided to shop for new shoes.

    My requirements were simple: footwear suitable for formal and casual occasions (so I can wear them more frequently), brown in color, and within my budget of RM500. I didn’t want to spend over a thousand bucks on something that is meant to be replaced.

    Which led me to the most unfruitful shopping trip of my life. It wasn’t that I couldn’t find shoes that matched what I wanted – far from it, I’m not that picky. There were many pairs I could see myself wearing if only they came in the correct size.

    I walked into almost every shoe shop in Mid Valley and Gardens (Aldo, Clarks, Isetan, Aeon, Metrojaya, Tomaz, Bata, Pedro) – none of them stocked shoes that fit my feet. Geox and Ecco were out of my budget but looking at online stores, it doesn’t seem like they have larger sizes either.

    For context – I wear a range of sizes, from UK 11 to 13. Even though size 11 shoes are the correct length, they usually aren’t wide enough to be comfortable for me. I have to buy larger sizes to accommodate my extra-wide feet. This width isn’t standard across all brands and types, hence the variation in my shoe sizes.

    Initially, I thought it was a budget thing – maybe cheaper brands don’t have so many sizes, nope. After talking to everyone at the different stores, they don’t stock shoes for people my size. Even Zeve Shoes, a store which a few friends recommended, told me they don’t stock larger sizes anymore – nobody bought them. They recommended I get custom-made shoes instead. How crazy is that?

    For feet lovers

    I thought, maybe it was an offline store issue. They have limited inventory space, so they can’t keep every single size in stock. Would you believe me if I said Zalora has the same issue?

    I filtered men’s shoes > formal > brown > size 12 UK. I got a whole bunch of shoes, but almost every shoe I clicked on was out of stock for UK 12. The only brand that had shoes that size was called Kings Collection (3 out of 27 listings) and I had never heard of them before.

    After some deliberation, I decided, fuck it, pulled the trigger, and purchased a pair. I never buy shoes online because of my need to try them out (also, I find the process of returning goods such a hassle) but seeing how I don’t have many options, I might as well go through it once. Let’s hope they fit properly first try.

    If I can’t walk into one of Kuala Lumpur’s largest malls to pick up a pair of shoes that fit, something’s very wrong with this country – or me. Am I the only person with clown feet in Malaysia? How do other people deal with this?

  • Farewell Doiffee

    Farewell Doiffee

    I’ve never frequented a place long enough for me to see it open, shut down, reopen, switch owners, and then close for good – until l discovered Doiffee. It was a tiny cafe in my neighborhood, run by a husband, wife, and their sons.

    I remember my first visit – I was there with my sister and my nephew. I had my first taste of the shop’s signature beans, a cup of hot long black coffee. It became my go-to taste for years to come. From that night onwards, every cafe I visited led me to compare their long black against Doiffee’s. Doiffee always won.

    It was the perfect blend of bitterness and thickness and perfectly priced. Since it was cheaper than coffee at western cafes everywhere, tasted better, and was a few minutes away from home, I had no reason to go anywhere else. I have yet to discover a cafe that uses the same beans.

    Coffee and cigarettes

    I spent many nights there after work, on weekends, and on public holidays. They used to open till 10 PM on weekdays and midnight on weekends. It was quiet, they had fast internet and plenty of seats. Perfect conditions to work or chill on my laptop. I’d even go there to read.

    They were rarely closed. If I wasn’t anywhere else, I’d be at Doiffee, on my laptop while I sipped coffee and smoked cigarettes. Occasionally I’d order beers or food but I was mainly there for the coffee.

    Unfortunately, times got tough for the cafe. Over the years they started losing customers. It wasn’t common for me to be one of their only customers for the whole day. I’m not sure why, perhaps it was all the other new places opening up in the neighborhood, or the location of the venue. I didn’t care that much. As long as they served the coffee I enjoyed, everything was alright. However, one customer does not keep a business afloat.

    Then the pandemic hit. Doiffee had to close its doors. They tried doing deliveries for a bit but it wasn’t sustainable. I couldn’t visit the cafe for a long time. Many months passed without any change. Then one day, when I was in the area, I saw the shutters opened for the first time and wandered in. I met the new manager of the place and he told me that the previous owner had sold off the business. He was the new person in charge. They were making some renovations before they reopened it in a few weeks.

    I was ecstatic. Doiffee was coming back! And it did. I resumed my trips to the cafe again, as soon as possible but one important thing had changed – they weren’t using the same beans anymore. Despite the fancy new food menu, their coffee was no longer the same. But that didn’t stop me from returning.

    I spoke to one of the staff about the beans and he said I wasn’t the only one who noticed the different beans. I wasn’t the only customer who had brought it up. Eventually, he convinced the manager to switch back to the old signature beans. All was good in the world again.

    At this point, traffic to the cafe was decent but it was still nowhere close to what it was in its heyday. Their closing time was now 6 PM but it was better than not being open at all. Things weren’t looking promising.

    A few months after the reopening, the new owner pivoted the business. They were no longer interested in cafes and turned it into a Chinese restaurant. They renovated the place, gave it a new name, and changed the staff. That was the end of Doiffee. Though the food there was decent, it was no longer a place to get coffee or to sit and work at. The business was much better for them, but I no longer had a reason to work there.

    I’m not sure what happened but a few months later, the Chinese restaurant closed down and turned into a western food place.

    One day I’ll find a replacement

    Since then I have found another haunt to frequent but I doubt anywhere will be able to replace Doiffee for me. The number of hours I’ve spent there – writing, working, finishing online courses, reading, performing, and chilling with friends – have made it a significant part of my life.

    Although I wish it was still around for me to enjoy, a part of me is glad it’s gone. Like a dying animal put to rest – it no longer has to suffer. Would it be right to equate it to your favorite TV show canceled early? Or ending before it dragged on and turned into a mess?

    I guess that’s how life is. Everything has an expiry date, we’re merely not privy to that info most of the time. That limited lifespan teaches you to appreciate them before they’re gone. You never know when your favorite cafe (or pet/person/place/thing etc) is going to disappear. Enjoy it while it lasts.

  • Writing for the Masses; a 40% Keyboard FAQ

    Writing for the Masses; a 40% Keyboard FAQ

    ABQ

    Based on analytics, the majority of visitors come to my blog looking at my mechanical keyboard posts. Even though they are many years old at this point, my UT47.2, Tofu HHKB vs Tokyo 60 and 1UP Keyboards HHKB reviews still bring the most traffic to this blog. It’s crazy, are there not enough reviews of those keyboards on the internet? Who knows. The funny thing is, I don’t get comments on those posts so I’m not sure if people find them helpful.

    This means if I wanted to increase the number of viewers to my blog, I should write more about keyboards. However, my involvement in the hobby has slowly waned over the years. It’s not that I’m done with the hobby – my tastes/interests have been honed to the point where I’m only interested in 40% keyboards. Since it’s not the most popular segment of an already niche hobby, there’s not much to keep up with (which I’m thankful for – it’s been a blessing for my wallet and time).

    UT47.2

    That being said, I could spend a lot of time talking about how much I love using 40% keyboards. Would it be boring or irrelevant for most readers? Probably but I would be writing about something I care about. I’m not claiming to be the authority on all things 40% but as an enthusiast for the past four years, I know enough to provide intelligent answers.

    I reached out to my friends, compiled some questions about 40% keyboards and will answer them in this post.

    Daisy HHKB

    Where are your numbers? I could never use such a thing!

    How do you remember where your capital letters are? It’s really the same thing. But instead of pressing shift, you use a different button. If you think of it that way, you’re halfway there to using a 40%.

    In fact, most people have already been using 40% keyboards for a while – think of the keyboard on your smartphone. Almost all the symbols are hidden behind a layer key. It’s the same thing here, with the only difference being you’re typing on a much smaller keyboard.

    Equinox

    Is there any other point of 40% other than portability? Why do you inconvenience yourself by using such a small keyboard?

    The main reason I got myself a small keyboard was to make travelling with one easier. I used to lug around my full-sized to work before I got into smaller form factors. Bringing such a large device around was a hassle, especially when working out of cafes that had tiny desks. I knew I needed something smaller.

    Small keyboards give you the joy of typing on mechanical switches without taking up too much space (on your table or in your bag). That’s my main reason for using a 40%. After getting used to the layout, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. It no longer became an inconvenience.

    Being able to hit every key I needed without stretching was a game-changer for me. I enjoyed it so much that my 75% at home has a 40% layout mapped out to its keys. I only use the redundant keys when typing with one hand.

    Kumo

    Should I use a 40% keyboard?

    I don’t think everyone needs to use a 40% keyboard but if the opportunity presents itself, I’d recommend trying it out. There’s no harm if you discover it’s not for you. But if you do give it a shot, don’t give up after a day or two. It’s not something you ‘get’ right away and will require some effort. Use it daily for a few weeks before you make up your mind.

    If you’re content with what you have and don’t need to downsize your keyboard because you don’t travel much/work away from your desk or you’re happy with your laptop’s keyboard, there’s no reason to try a new form factor unless you’re feeling curious or adventurous. Or you like its aesthetics.

    Planck

    Do people just instinctively know where to press for what keys and layers etc, after a while of using them? Or is there an easier way to remember for beginners? Like a layout chart or something?

    For me, it wasn’t instinctive. I had to learn the hard way. Fortunately, my first 40% keyboard, the Vortex Core had side printed keycaps that helped with the transition. For the first few days, I kept looking at the keyboard to make sure I was hitting the right keys. However, that didn’t last long. Once I started remapping the default layout, the keycaps didn’t match them anymore, so I had to rely on my memory. I also saved images of my layout on my desktop.

    I used a Vortex Core in the beginning which eased the transition – but couldn’t rely on the keycaps after a while when I started mapping my own layout. Completely ditched them in the end but I did rely on screenshots/images of the layout I saved on my desktop. I used the same technique for some of the keyboards I got after the Core, but after a few months, I didn’t need them anymore (all my 40% keyboards have very similar keymaps).

    Prime E

    What are the 2 space bars for?

    I use left for space and right for activating a layer. When first moving to 40% keyboards, I paid attention to which thumb I used for the space bar and learnt that I always hit with the left one. This was an easy decision for me to make.

    Having a function key for the right bar is something I picked up from using the Core. Since it felt natural to use, I haven’t bothered changing it. I know some people bind it to backspace or enter, and that’s the magic of QMK (or programmable keyboards), you can make it whatever you want it to be.

    Ristretto

    This wraps up the first part of my 40% FAQ. I’ve got more posts lined up on the topic – questions from a hobbyist perspective and an explanation of my 40% keymap, stay tuned!