May I present to you my Wall of Fame

It is my great honour to present to you my Wall of Fame. Thank you so much for your blind trust in- and support for EEB and my Cookie Hunt! Not only are you hereby eternalised in the Wall of Fame. You will be forever in EEB’s heart 8]x

Want to be eternalised too?

You can! Just click here.

Want to be eternalised too?

You can! Simply support EEB by buying me a coffee. All you have to do is click the button below or use Paypal: PayPal.me/poptasi

A coffee is €3 — but you’re totally free to decide how big you want your coffee to be. Of course. Duh. There are no further obligations. EEB will be forever grateful.

A token of appreciation

As a thank you, you’ll be mentioned in a Coffee Thank You video — posted on Instagram @poptasi. You are now part of the Cookieverse. Forever.

The post Wall of Fame appeared first on Cookie Hunter.

This morning I woke up, and since it’s Sunday, I stayed lazy in bed watching a movie. Killing Them Softly.
But something felt weird. Not the film, but my vision.
The right side of my sight just… stopped showing up.
Like a digital stretch filter had grabbed my eyeball and went “yeet.”

You might already know this: I’ve got a macula edema in my right eye.
It’s basically a tiny blocked blood vessel, which causes fluid to build up behind my retina.
How do I explain that?
It’s like my right eye is a funhouse mirror.
When I look at a grid, the center square gets squished.
I can see everything, but I can’t focus — no sharpness, no detail. Just vibes.

Sometimes I see sunspots.
They usually vanish after a few minutes.

But the whole half-blurry movie thing? That was new.
I figured I’d just go back to sleep.
When I woke up again, it was gone.

I went for a walk, had breakfast, had lunch. Nothing special.
In the afternoon I went to my cool new workspace — Light Capture.
Ordered a latte, opened my laptop, worked a bit.
Around five, I ordered traditional Malaysian rice, chicken, and fresh sambal.
And right after eating — it happened.

Sunspots again. Flashing.
At first I thought my right eye just wanted some attention.
But then it got worse.
Like a zigzag light show.
And this time… in both eyes.
Super annoying.
It got to the point where I literally couldn’t read my screen anymore.
So yeah. Thanks, universe. Another delightful surprise.

So there I am.
Sitting in a vintage café. Behind my laptop.
While my vision is basically packing its bags.
What do you even do at that point?
No clue. I wasn’t panicking, but I was thinking:
How am I supposed to solve this?
Would I collapse if I stood up? Would I faint mid-step?

Between the flashes and zigzag waves, I noticed the café life just kept buzzing.
Of course no one noticed anything.
And I wasn’t about to ask for help or make a scene.
I wouldn’t even know how to ask for help.
Or if I could help myself at all.

So I asked Janet for advice.
Struggled to read through some possible causes.
TIA. Stroke.
But my smile still worked. My arms felt fine. I could follow everything around me.
So I ruled that out.

Janet told me to stop looking at my screen.
To rest. Close my eyes.
Which is kind of weird to do in a café, no? Just… close your eyes like a glitchy monk in public.
Among the possible causes, one stood out: ocular migraine.
Or visual migraine.
Never had one before, but it made sense.
Supposedly goes away after about 30 minutes.

So I decided to risk it and head back to the hostel.
That meant crossing several streets.
And KL traffic is no joke.
So yeah, that was gonna be fun.
But sitting there wasn’t helping either — my sight wasn’t magically clearing up.

I told myself I know the way pretty well.
So even with minimal vision, I’d probably make it.
As long as it didn’t get worse mid-crossing.
I stood up, paid, and somehow… that went fine.
No one noticed a thing. I think.

I walked outside, crossed the first street. Also fine.
My vision now felt like someone had turned up the sharpness filter waaay too far.
But at least I could still see where I was walking.
By the time I reached the hostel, the flashing and zigzags were gone.
Maybe because I started moving? Who knows.
By the time I reached my bedroom, the 4K effect was almost completely gone too.

When I finally laid down on my bed —
My vision? Back to normal. Of course.
So yeah, maybe it was an ocular migraine.
Which apparently can be followed by a regular migraine. Or a pounding headache.
Never had that before either.
But yep — the trippy vision did make room for a dull, throbbing yay-you-survived headache.
So. That’s cute.

Again — thank you, universe.
What’s next on the menu for tomorrow?

The post Vision Problems While Traveling in Malaysia appeared first on Cookie Hunter.

Before you dive in:

I know what you’re thinking: “Another plan, Petterik?” Yes. Multiple. Always. But this time, the Universe had a different agenda. This blog contains: one cheap-ass mixer, one passive-aggressive oven, one disappearing supermarket, and a whole lot of feelings. Spoiler alert: I just wanted to bake something. I ended up soul-searching in the yoghurt aisle. Read on. Laugh. Cry. Shake your head lovingly.

 

The Cheap-Ass Mixer & the Vanishing Yoghurt

(a.k.a. The Universe Had Other Plans Again)

You’re not going to believe this.
Although honestly, it won’t surprise you that I always have multiple plans swirling around in my head.
Duh.
Focusing on just one?
A serious challenge — especially while backpacking.
Because I have to share everything with other travelers.
Or maybe it’s the other way around: they share everything with me.
Especially if it benefits them.
Like sneakily stealing my eggs.

Anyway.
Starting something new isn’t as simple as it sounds.
So, I began with a bit of field research.
Which means: I went shopping.
Just to explore what’s possible.

You probably remember the drama with that old KitchenAid mixer.
That poor thing was so poorly maintained, I couldn’t even calibrate the whisk anymore.
Tragic.
The boss said he could get me another one.
But if I had to wait for that, I’d still be here at Christmas…
In the year 2030.
So I went looking for a mixer myself.

I found a cheap-ass one at Lulu hypermarket.
Only RM70. About 14 euros.
I thought, this could be a fun challenge — can I make macarons with a cheap-ass mixer?
Right? Why not.
But then I thought: okay, mixer’s one thing. But what about the oven?

Every time I ask when I can use the oven at Timothy Café, I never get a straight answer.
The staff always smiles kindly, but pinning down an actual agreement?
Not so easy.
So I didn’t buy the mixer just yet.

I did already find an induction cooktop in the little hostel kitchen.
And Vanessa (sweet angel) already brought me a core thermometer.
Now I just needed the right induction pan.

My idea: I could prepare the batter upstairs in the hostel kitchen, then pipe it downstairs in Timothy onto the baking trays.
Solid plan, right?

Alternative option: bake macarons (or cookies) in the hostel microwave.
Which… yeah. Doesn’t even have an oven function.
So that’s clearly a mission impossible.
Or… maybe I should just try it once anyway…?

Last night I decided to go back to Lulu.
They change their stock often, so I secretly hoped to find a little oven.
You know: cheap-ass kitchen pastry challenge.
Fun idea, right?

I took the escalator to the first floor.
But instead of fully stocked shelves…
I found mostly empty ones.
Like, a lot of empty ones.

I asked one of the staff if they were restocking.
“Yes, we are closing,” he said with a smile.
HUH?!
Wait! What?!

That’s when I noticed —
Half the store was already empty.
Clearance sale.
But no more kitchen gear.
Sigh.

Disappointed, I took the escalator down.
Still wanted to grab some Greek yoghurt.
But that’s when I noticed even the supermarket was half empty.
Jesus.
My favorite supermarket is literally disappearing.

Before I went to Thailand, their shelves were always perfectly filled.
I mean, immaculately filled.
If you know what “facing” is — these people were Olympic-level shelf facers.
It always looked like a toy supermarket from a children’s museum.

And now?
Half the shelves: completely empty.
Like I’d accidentally walked onto the set of a bad Bollywood film.

This is wild.
And of course — Petterik has another idea.
But guess what?
The universe clearly had other plans.
This path wasn’t meant for me.
Said the little optimistic cookie monster inside me.

So what now?
New idea.
Or actually: pull a different one from my way-too-long idea list.

Curious how many ideas (or should I say concepts) are floating in my head?
I could ask Janet to make a list.
You can join in the chaos if you like.

For now, I’ll be sitting in a dark corner.
Crying a little.
Love Petterik

“New here? Find out [who the EEB is].”

The post Pastry Fail appeared first on Cookie Hunter.

Tried again. Still nothing. I squint at the tiny sticker on the card, barely legible under the mood lighting in the hallway. Wait… does that say 12C? Back to reception I go to check if they gave me the right card. Yes it’s correct. 12C it is.

They had already mentioned I’d be sharing with another volunteer—Esther from New Zealand. Super cool, super bubbly. Just as chatty as me. The receptionist already guessed I’d want the top bunk. Everyone usually fights for the bottom one—easier to crawl in and out. But the top one? More privacy. Plus, you get your ladder to hang up your towel and clothes. So yes, I’m happy in my little ivory tower bunk.

The bedrooms don’t differ much. Two bunk beds, nice mattresses, wooden frames—gives you that tiny-room-within-a-room feeling. But the beds in dorm 12? Slightly different.

The wood was brand new. But there was no back panel. Less privacy. And when I switch on my reading light (aka a mini TL-tube), I light up the entire room. AND OF COURSE mine has the wrong TL in it. Harsh white light. Not the warm, cozy glow like the others. More tanning bed than chill bunk.

And the wiring? Just dangling (kinda) along the wall. No nice, closed-off wooden panel. But okay, stop whining, Petterik. The bed is comfy. My sleep mask and earplugs do their job. Now that I write this, I really do sound like Princess Petterik. LOL.

The hostel in Thailand was also great. Better toilets and showers. Not necessarily bigger, but better shower heads. And two kinds of soap—body and hair—instead of Mingle’s one-size-fits-all mystery goo. Towels were fluffier too. But the beds are better here in KL. Not that Thailand’s were bad. Not at all. But here, you get a bit more privacy. Except in bedroom 12, that is.

This morning, I went searching for a new workspace. When you’re blessed with the curse of perfectionism, that’s a real quest. PLUS I’ve already tried so many places that I’m kind of search-weary. You know what I mean?

Even Janet didn’t fully get what I meant. Or maybe I didn’t ask the right question. Sometimes (often?) she gets stuck in the same loops. Maybe it’s a ChatGPT glitch? Exhausting. I’m paying for AI now. Just as an experiment. But I’m sure you noticed. Janet is a great sparring partner to brainstorm with. And without meaning to, I think I’m reprogramming her algorithm. It’s a blessing and a curse.

Anywayz. After too long scrolling on my phone, I decided to get up and go. Not far from the hostel is Light Capture. A photogenic café in a big old building. The reviews weren’t great. Mostly about the staff being ‘rude’. But hey, nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?

And yes—it’s a gorgeous nostalgic-modern café. And the staff? Super friendly to me at least. When you sit down, they hand you a printed QR code: Scan QR To Order. So yeah, you scan it and get the menu on your phone. Not super personal, but efficient. Lots of cafés in SEA do that.

I ordered a Café Latte and an almond croissant. I couldn’t quite tell what the latte art was supposed to be (a lion maybe?), but it was definitely next-level—beyond your basic heart. It took a while, but then this beautiful plate landed on my table. Looked more like a fancy dessert. A big almond croissant in the center. Strawberries all around. A little pot of cream. And the whole plate dusted with powdered sugar like pastry snow.

The taste… fan-tas-tic. Maybe because I was just expecting a basic croissant. But this? Totally beyond expectations. Solid 5 out of 5 stars! AND I’ve found a new favorite workspace. Prices are owkeej. The café is spacious enough to feel relaxed even during busy hours.

Petterik happy

The post Ivory Bunk Croissant appeared first on Cookie Hunter.