Why Would I Write

  • Quiet Places ☕️

    Quiet Places ☕️

    Whenever I found a cafe that fit what I deemed good, I would visit it to death. Sometimes literally. 

    The cafes I enjoyed visiting would have one of two outcomes: they become popular, overcrowded and noisy, making me not want to visit them or they stay nice and quiet but eventually shut down.

    So what makes a cafe good?

    • They serve reasonably priced coffee which I enjoy (non-fruity/acidic Americano/Long Black).
    • They have a quiet and comfortable environment, good internet, conducive for working.
    • They are in locations that are easy for me to get to with no parking difficulties.
    • Their business hours fit my schedule—I love cafes that don’t close and are open during public holidays).

    I don’t think this list is excessive, and it’s not like I complain or leave bad reviews if a cafe doesn’t meet my needs–I simply don’t visit it and look for an alternative. Lists like these make it easy for me to determine if I’m going to frequent a cafe.

    But the other day, after the closure of another cafe I frequented, I started thinking to myself – maybe it’s not a coincidence that all my favorite cafes died. If we reframe how I determine the goodness of a cafe, it can seem pretty selfish:

    • A cafe that serves exactly the kind of coffee I like—none of that fruity, acidic nonsense. Just cater to my taste buds, please.
    • A cafe that lets me hog a table all day, guilt-free as if it’s my personal co-working space.
    • A cafe so quiet that I’m the only one there. Other customers? Who needs ‘em?
    • A cafe with perfect parking, meaning it’s not busy enough to attract too many people.
    • A cafe that stays open whenever I need it to—public holidays included. It exists to serve me.

    Since I don’t make up the majority of the population in Kuala Lumpur, these traits are a death knell for any cafe looking to survive in the long run. Which is my list of favorite cafes has morphed into a casualty list:

    • Doiffee (the best, my favorite cafe RIP)
    • Since 18s (not dead, but moved somewhere inconvenient for me, so basically dead to me)
    • Sudo Brew (was my go-to place for public holidays and late nights, gone despite a rebrand)
    • Zus Taman Desa (still alive but too noisy now)
    • Mister Coffee Taman Desa (didn’t die either but became popular and too noisy to work in)
    • Dose N Mega (my pre-gym hangout, was a dead cafe but great for working in)
    • LDG Brasserie (my second pre-gym hangout after Dose N Mega shut down, now also dead)

    So yeah, either I’m the cancer, or I have a thing for doomed establishments.

    Lately, I’ve been hunting for new cafes to haunt, but the perfect spot has been elusive. Coffea Coffee has been decent—when it’s not too busy. Sparq at Bloomsvale Shopping Gallery has been my go-to for weekend mall trips, but who knows how long that will last?

    Nice and quiet

    If you have any suggestions for cafes that fit my selfish needs, let me know so I can pay a visit and curse them too.

  • All That’s Left

    2024 was a year of learning. While exploring how to improve recording and bedroom music production, I came across many YouTube videos and Reddit threads full of advice. It’s amazing how helpful random people are on the internet.

    Over the past year, I’ve learned about singing techniques, guitar chords, production tips, plugins, the importance of Dynamics Processing, amps, pedals, amp sims, and so much more. I didn’t even have to ask the questions – every question you can think of has probably already been asked by someone else on the internet. It’s just how the world works now.

    Because of that, I’ve been able to record higher-quality music through constant practice and knowledge absorption. 

    Let’s come back to the point of this post: I’ve got a new demo out.

    This is dedicated to Miki, Vanessa’s dog, who passed away earlier this year. He’s one of the goodest boys. I’ve been playing the song at recent live shows and a friend asked me to record it so he could listen to it without coming to watch me (hah!). I put it off – until last night.

    Feeling inspired, I set aside some time to record a demo of Miki before I played some nightly Dota. What I intended to be a two-hour session turned into four despite it being a simple, short song. I kept redoing parts until it got too late to yell (without waking up neighbors), so I settled with acceptable takes for vocals. Then I had to figure out how to stop tracks from clipping without being too soft, equalizing, compressing, and the whole shebang.

    The result is a demo I’m mostly happy with. I can improve the vocals and drums significantly, but that will take another day. Here’s something that I believe is good enough to listen to. Maybe get a real bass for the bass guitar parts (but who listens to the bass anyway 😂).

    Either way, my goal was to have the song recorded and out there for people to listen to – mission accomplished. I have a few more songs in the cooker but I’m unsure if I’ll be able to complete them before 2024 ends. Regardless, one recorded song this year is better than none.

    Happy holidays everybody. Take care.

    Miki
    dry nose
    I see you lying with your
    eyes closed
    staring at an endless
    sunset
    the sun won't rise again
    even if you believe it

    dry nose
    shallow breathing with your
    eyes closed
    what you see is in your mind
    it never used to be this way
    but now it happens all the time

    respond to me, respond to me
    miki show me you're still breathing
    call out to me, call out to me
    miki let me know you're healing
    come back to me, come back to me
    miki I will be here with my arms wide open saying
    I love you

    I know
    you're better off without this
    pain I'd
    like to believe you're in
    peace all
    dogs go to heaven,
    at least that's what they say

    I hope
    it's more pleasant there, and
    you're happy
    someday I'll see you again
    I'll make
    sure to bring you a treat
    you bet it'll be something sweet

    I miss your tongue hanging out
    the soft footsteps that you made
    as you struggled up the stairs
    but you never gave up hope
    how you curled up when you slept
    and scratched at the door to
    go out to see the morning light
    how you yelped when I hugged you tight
    now all that remains are ashes of you

    I’ve also uploaded it to YouTube and TikTok because Instagram no longer accepts posts or reels over 3 minutes (such a dumb dumb move).

    https://www.tiktok.com/@goodnewsgeorg3/video/7452057920251940103?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7353522883526116882
  • Gig #145: Twenty Eight Music Bar

    Gig #145: Twenty Eight Music Bar

    Writing open mic announcements on my blog is more for posterity than anything else. It’s a way for me to look back and see—oh, hey, I’ve played X shows so far!

    It’s been a while since my last one, so I’m playing a show this Monday at Twenty Eight, Telawi. Drop by and spend your evening with some cool tunes and cool beers, I hope to see you guys there!

    Google Maps | Instagram | 9 December | 8.30 PM