Hainanese Temple - NATALIE OFF DUTY

My grandmother is from Hainan…it’s the smallest province in China, at the southernmost tip. It only made sense to make a trip to the beautiful Hainan temple here in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. What I love about my culture is how spiritual it is. How colorful it is. How unique it is. I fell in love with the bright reds, pinks, and blues of the Hainan temple. The rain started to pour as we ran into the temple and slipped off our shoes. My little cousins giggling, lighting candles, and making wishes. It was a beautiful, relaxing day of our trip. Quiet and peaceful amidst all the madness. Of course all I wanted to do was dance in the rain. There’s something so lovely about the heat and the tropical rain storms. It makes everything grow. A lot of Kuala Lumpur is green and lush. The heat always makes me feel super sleepy…making you go about your day in a bit of a slower pace. Though I felt so far from home, I still felt very connected…with myself, with my family, with everything. That’s the amazing thing traveling does…it opens your eyes and suddenly the world is really small. No matter your culture, where you’re from, what you do…we’re all so similar. And we all have a love for one very simple thing that brings us all together: FOOD. The spices in Kuala Lumpur make my mouth water. Every day was an overload on my taste buds. I want to try everything! My go-to? Hainanese chicken rice. Delicious. We had the best Hainense food in Melaka, but that requires a whole new post…it’s that good. But life is simple in Malaysia and that’s what I adore about it. A perfect afternoon is spent with a plate of spicy noodles and a Tiger Beer. Extra chili oil, please.