Johor Bahru: Take It on The Other Side
After twelve years a guest in Singapore — the career break on the other side of the causeway: rent, cat, desk, then the nomad map.
Kevin Myat · Kevin Moe Myint Myat
It's about the journey, not the destination.
Southeast Asia road journal — a finished chapter of the story.
Software engineering in the background; places and people in the foreground.
Arc ends in Hanoi, 31 December 2025. Current work: kevinmyat.com.
Prelude
Before the 2025 nomad arc — origin essays and earlier cities.
Nomadic notes
The 2025 career-break map — filed in order, JB through Hanoi.
- Johor Bahru: Take It on The Other Side
- 7 days, 7 states, 700km Pilgrimage
- Krabi and Ao Nang: I'm a pirate
- Batam: A Burmese Bule's Quickstop
- Saigon: A Thằng Điên's Diary
- The Bali-Bound: Garuda on my chest
- Kuala Lumpur: You are my Gateway
- Da Nang: đợi, đợi, rest and reset
- Hanoi: Handing back the Sword
Epilogue
After the sword returns to the lake — a thank-you to everyone who read to the end.
By country
Malaysia
7 days, 7 states, 700km Pilgrimage
Seven days to day seven at Kek Lok Si — KL and Ipoh lingered; Selangor and KL count as two; Langkawi after.
Kuala Lumpur: You are my Gateway
KL as gateway, not home — AirAsia/KLIA year, Texas Chicken, Uncle Roger norm, 5am bus, AH2 sleep to Larkin; one month inside the hinge.
Thailand
Indonesia
Batam: A Burmese Bule's Quickstop
Three or four days from JB Stulang — Berjaya Waterfront to HarbourBay, Nagoya loop, Burmese bule, Asal Kau Bahagia, missing Jie Mao.
The Bali-Bound: Garuda on my chest
Sixty nomad days — kost and Airbnb, Dracula standups, runs to Canggu, Tequila Sunsets, storage in Sanur, and Chinese food hunts.
Vietnam
Saigon: A Thằng Điên's Diary
A full HCMC month — monsoon, phở-shop standups, Master Dong routes, Malvin nights; lived shameless like a thằng điên before the turn.
Da Nang: đợi, đợi, rest and reset
đợi, đợi — wait out KL collapse, lungs, storms, family tears; Da Nang as rest and reset before Hanoi.
Hanoi: Handing back the Sword
Long Biên bridge first, Tây Hồ East, Ba Đình with parents, Nguyễn Đình Thi west lake alone — NYE at Hoàn Kiếm.