I generally dislike writing about myself but the golden rules of web design state that you need, and must, provide an About Me section on every single website you make. It’s where people get cursory information about you and what you do.
OK now. Name’s Abdullah Arif, and this is my website. It’s where I host my various web and computer-related projects. I might also write about and commentate on certain topics and issues whether they be related to food, language, religion, culture, games, programming, drugs, and whatever else that pops into my mind.
In the past, I created and maintained the popular PHProxy and GameFOX projects (Google them if you want), but have since abandoned them for different reasons. Blachan Lab represents an evolution of my past web endeavors with a different and ‘better’ approach as to the purpose of what I create.
Blachan
Food Lover’s Companion defines blachan (also spelled: balachan, belacan) as:
[BAHL-ah-shahn] A popular flavoring in the cuisines of Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia, Burma and Indonesia. It is made from shrimp, sardines and other small salted fish that have been allowed to ferment in the sun until very pungent and odorous. It's then mashed and in some cases dried. Balachan is available in paste, powder or cake form in Asian markets.
Even though I am a Jeddan Saudi, Sambal Blachan has been an ubiquitous condiment with the food I ate growing up, which featured frequent Malay dishes. I was always intrigued by blachan’s exotic odor and name, and recently, its flavor. So what better identity to give this website, right? Right. I could further philosophize on this point, but I don’t think anyone is reading right now.
I hold a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with concentrations in Finance and Management Information Systems, and I have been coding and designing the web ever since I was 13.