Liz Sinclair
Bio
Amateur historian who loves travel and lives in Asia. I write 'what-if' historical stories, speculative fiction, travel essays and haiku.
Twitter: @LizinBali. LinkedIn: sinclairliz
Stories (46)
Filter by community
How Bali Taught Me To Love Tempeh. First Place in Travel Cuisine Challenge.
Before I moved to Bali, I didn't really care for tempe (or tempeh, as it's spelled in the West). The few times I'd ordered it in vegetarian restaurants, it was cooked in a stew or grilled as a whole cake, and tasted soggy or bland. But that's not the best way to eat this unique fermented food made from soybeans. Indonesia is full of a range of delicious recipes made from tempe, and the people here have been cooking with it for hundreds of years. After all, they invented tempe.
By Liz Sinclair5 years ago in Feast
So you want to live in Bali?
I live in Bali. Now, before you say, awwww, that must be like living in Paradise, let me give you a quick reality check. Yes, it can be an amazing life. There aren't all the rules and regulations that constrict us in the Western world. People come to Bali to re-invent themselves, create new careers and lives, find love, get healthy and fit, tap into or expand their spirituality -- think Eat, Pray, Love and how Liz Gilbert re-discovered herself, her love of writing and found a soulmate.
By Liz Sinclair5 years ago in Wander
"Where are my scissors?"
Introduction So I'm living here in Bali, Indonesia, raising an adopted daughter. Long story short - she was fostered with the director of the health center where I came to volunteer many years ago. Her birth family couldn't afford to keep her. When she was two, Elle adopted both of us as her mothers (that's a different story) and so we co-parent her. She divides her time between our two homes. We -- her two Moms -- are also creatives. We're both writers, for one thing, and I'm also a knitter, while the Other Mother sews and makes jewelry. We've passed our love of creating on to Elle. The women in her birth family are weavers, so maybe creativity is in her blood as well.
By Liz Sinclair5 years ago in Families
Pizza with Love
In 2004, my partner Tom and I were driving out of Melbourne to visit his parents. They lived in the small country hamlet of Violet Town, near Shepparton, a two-hour drive from the city. One of us had worked late so we were leaving the city about 9 pm. Neither of us had eaten, and we decided to stop on the way at a restaurant, rather than delay ourselves even more by making a meal at home.
By Liz Sinclair5 years ago in Feast
A New Home for Singapore's Stray Cats
Samuel Chua grew up playing with stray cats. “In public housing in Singapore, it’s illegal to keep a cat,” he said, “So if I wanted a pet, I had to play with the cats that lived in the common areas around our building.” Many Singaporeans today still live in soaring, high-density apartment buildings where pets are not allowed. “This is why people come here,” said Sam.
By Liz Sinclair5 years ago in Petlife
Thrifting Through Life
Thrifting is in my blood. I can't walk past a garage or yard sale without stopping, and I can never resist going into a op-shop anywhere in the world. I've found favorite pieces and treasures in second-hand stores across the USA, in London and Australia, and on holiday in Italy, Singapore and Bali.
By Liz Sinclair5 years ago in Lifehack
The Woman in the Silver Frame
I keep a photo of a woman on my desk. In the black and white photo, she is dressed in clothes from the turn of the 20th century, a sheer black blouse over a white muslin top. The silver frame has never tarnished, even after 12 years in Bali's tropical humidity. The woman was my great-grandmother. She died long before I was born, long before my mother had even met my father. I have never spoken to her, or seen her living face, but she has shaped my habits.
By Liz Sinclair5 years ago in Families
