#chilipaditravels
by Zara Jayne

Chili padi (or spelled cili padi), also known as bird's eye chili, a type of spice I eat with almost everything. The term is used to call a petite yet feisty woman because of its tiny size but spicy flavour. Hence, that’s me – a little Malaysian artist with a colourful personality and big dreams!

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This book unravels my backpacking adventures from a deep desire of wanting to take a gap year and travel the world on my own since I was 17. Maybe it was because of ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ or maybe it was because I needed to experience the whole pursuit of ‘self-discovery’ by myself, for myself, like a rite of passage into adulthood. After graduating from my Bachelor of Arts (Creative Writing) course in Melbourne, returning to Kuala Lumpur for a few months and then going through a breakup, this five-month trip meant more to me than before as my heart mended itself back together again, filling itself with more love and joy.

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I globetrotted seven countries in five months so here are some journal entries, a memorabilia of my thoughts, observations, encounters and dialogues between people I’ve crossed paths with during my trip. It was vital for me to note these personal accounts down because I needed to remind myself that it was all real, every part of it, even the moments that weren’t included in this memoir. These streams of consciousness still aren’t enough to describe my travels in full retrospect but they are bits and pieces of my heart left on paper. May you get a glimpse of the woman I am today through #chilipaditravels.

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My other published works include articles in the local Malaysian newspaper, The Star, under the MyStarJob section in 2014 and then later expanding to creative fiction and nonfiction pieces for indie and university publications in Melbourne such as The Bowen Street Press Review and RMIT’s The Catalyst. I also had the pleasure of delving into some travel writing for Coolmapp, a travel guide app curated to let you experience the authentic local culture in each city. With my love for both writing and dancing as I’m also a dance teacher and choreographer, I hope to push creative boundaries, and also inspire others through the message behind each work. 

 

With love, 

Zara Jayne Marimuthu