Rural Malaysia - My Wife's Village in Batu Kikir

While Batu Kikir is the town itself, locals also refer Batu Kikir to include the villages situated around the town. My mother-in-law's home is in one those villages. It's a half-brick half-wooden house on a hectare (2 acres) of land surrounded by rubber trees, bananas and a few fruit trees. Then there are the few odd chickens roaming around and when fat, it's into the pot!

For those unfamiliar with rural Malaysia, most homes in the villages have electricity and piped water. So you have the basics - a fridge, television, washing machine and flushed toilet. Cooking used to be firewood, now it's the gas stove. There's even free internet access from the nearby aerial receiver/transmitter, courtesy of the government's rural internet access program.

Meet the in-laws

The kitchen and dining area