On the days I spend in KL, I usually treat myself to lunch, ordering something like smoked salmon salad or vegetable quiche – things that are not on the menu in any restaurant in Ipoh. But almost more important than the food, is the place itself. I choose a restaurant that has white tablecloths and serves the food on china plates. Most Ipoh eateries eschew tablecloths and you often get your (very tasty) food on a plastic plate. Yesterday I was at one of KL’s stupendous shopping centres where I found a restaurant that ticked all the boxes, plus there was wine on the menu! It is rare for me to be able to order a glass of wine so I thought why not? There I was at my beautiful table with my delicious meal on a white china plate, my glass of wine and my book. In came a woman and her daughter, both with their hair veiled and dressed in voluminous garments. The mother gave me a very disapproving look, the corners of her mouth turned down. They sat at a table a good distance away from me. The photograph above was taken at Wither Hills in Marlborough on a splendid summer’s day. Now that was a glass of wine to remember!