Travels on the Sabah State Railway Sabah is not a state in Malaysia; it is a country within a country. Partners in an agreement. I am reminded of this every time I line up to have my passport stamped at immigration. My welcome here expires in 90 days. It is 7:45am at the Tanjung Aru …
How to disappear completely: Conversation with a permanent migrant
What follows is a slightly edited transcript of a conversation with a migrant worker from Indonesia whom I have known for some time. Personal details have been omitted for privacy. Fluid borders My hometown? Surabaya. Going through immigration is easy. It costs about RM250 to 300 per person. After paying, you just go to KLIA …
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Longing and Belonging in Java (JFKL Newsletter)
My project, titled Longing and Belonging, is primarily interested in understanding the relationship between people and railway heritage in contemporary Southeast Asia and Japan. Between December 2019 and February 2020, I was based in Java, Indonesia. This is a brief report written for the Japan Foundation Kuala Lumpur Newsletter 'Teman Baru' Issue 112, July - …
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The Grand Machine
The machine has started working again. Gears grinding, wheels turning. Steel biting into concrete, into earth. Men with burnt skin carry heavy loads on their backs, only slightly lighter than the burden in their own hearts. Giant cranes stand tall near and far, swinging their necks from side to side. This grand machine turns fresh …
The boy and the road
There was once a boy who traveled so far until he became a man. By the time he stopped, he could barely remember his home, why he had left, or if there was anyone waiting for him. His boyhood was a dream, painted with fleeting glimpses of different people in different places. Through all those …
Daydreaming in the city
Questions and answers from an interview with an online and print magazine on my work in Kuala Lumpur. 1. Have you always lived in KL? Actually no, I grew up by the beach in Kuantan, far away on the other side of the TItiwangsa Range. All though my schooling years, Kuala Lumpur was like a dream. …
Living with tsunami
Iwate Tsunami Memorial Museum is part of the larger Takatamatsubara Memorial Park for Tsunami Disaster. The park was created together by the national government and local governments of Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima prefecture, to 'pass down the memories and lessons learned to the next generation' and to provide as place for 'memorial and reflection on …
Mapping Java
A participatory workshop on mapping physical and cultural connectivity across Java. Description Chu chu cha cha chu..., a train carries many things as it moves across the land; people, cargo, ambitions, ideas, cultures, and histories. The space within a train is experienced as both public and private at the same time, a meeting point for …
The traveller
“Where are you going?” I asked the man with the weight of the world on his shoulders. He didn’t stop, but he looked back and replied, “And why are you standing still?”
Alternate Realities
Text from my brief presentation at a Virtual Reality (VR) Masterclass at the inaugural Taylor's University Film Festival (TUFF) 20 November 2019. Many thanks to Taylor's University and Ministry XR for the invite. ***** Sunday morning cartoons. Do you remember sitting in front of the tv while having breakfast? Do you also remember your mother …
Mahen Bala 