Bajmeher

Bajmeher, also known as the Verdant City, is an independent island city in Northeast Talia, and the center of trade in the region due to its location. It is situated at the nexus between Mahala, the Jalayam Reaches, and Kandus. It is the pioneering investor in solatric technology and development, and is famous for its 'open door' policy to immigration and foreign investment, given its lack of institutional borders. It was preceeded by Bandar Subuh, a state of Kandus.

## Geography

Bajmeher is technically the tip of the Jalayam archipelago, although for political reasons it is rarely included. It has a total area of just under 1000km2 and low elevation. It was previously comprised of a number of smaller islands pre-independence, but the canals were filled in through a long period of land reclamation, now leaving only the Subarah River through the center of the island. It is equatorial and protected from many weather events by the neighbouring landmasses.

## Governance

Bajmeher does not have a ruling authoritarian body, although it does have a constitution and a comprehensive legal system that is enforced by community consensus and accountability. The Meheran philosophy underpinning many of its decisions is that people want to be happy and purposeful, and by ensuring that basic needs are met, people will instinctively look for ways to entertain, create, and learn rather than harm others. To this end, small guilds, leagues, and groups have sprung up across the island as interest hubs, ranging from casual stitch and bitches to formally organised laboratories. These are all overseen by the Counsellors, a small organisation that functions both as advisors and as auditors. Not all groups need Counsellor accreditation, but those dealing with areas like ethics, community work, and environment require it.

## Economy

Bajmeher has a blanket ban on the use of currency in all forms, of all denominations, from all places. Barter is common, although not expected in most shops and markets, and tends to be a more personal practice between people who know and support each others' businesses or endeavours.

## Cuisine

The city is filled with communal gardens, and residents are encouraged to contribute to these or to grow their own on their property. These gardens began as ways to rescue endangered plant species and were located on the north of the island around Harvest, but their full potential was realised and, due to land restraints, vertical and rooftop gardens became incredibly popular. New buildings are expected to have green walls and roves, and there are new trends in underground farming to take advantage of the subterranean train system. Because of this, Bajmeher has more than enough food to feed its population and actually exports a great deal of produce to nearby islands. Hawker centers, cafes, and restaurants all provide meals for free, regardless of cuisine or level of gastronomy, and the limiting factor is often manpower or the physical size of the restaurant. Large, single kitchen establishments are unusual and chains or franchises are borderline non-existent, often only a result of familial brand expansion.

The major influences on Meheran cuisine are Jalayam, Mandarina, and Tokkiew cooking. With the civil war in Sarashti, the city has seen an increase in the immigration of Mahalan and Kejastani refugees, and so there are new movements among the F&B scene to capitalise on the influx of new recipes, spices, and techniques. Kandushta cooking is often regarded as a bit gauche, due to lingering resentment of the long-fallen empire of Kandus. Ingredients like ginger, galangal, various varieties of chili, fish, chicken, tofu, eggplant, okra, and coconut are all very popular. Pork and beef are very rare due to difficulties ethically farming them with such little land available, and the religious and cultural prohibitions on their consumption from a number of communities. Chai and kopi wallahs are extremely common, and still wander the streets on their bicycles even as most hawkers moved into hawker centers.

As Bajmeher accepts and actively assists any immigrants, its immigrant population actually outnumbers its indigenous population. To this end, there is representation of all Talian cuisine, a significant degree of Rejan, and a smattering of Cantanan. Fashions tend to favour cuisines whose ingredients can be grown in equatorial, land-restricted Bajmeher, or can be easily imported.

## Cultural Touchstones

Bajmeher belongs to the solarpunk genre, and tries to reimagine Singapore in a post-capitalist future. It draws inspiration from the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency and Twilight Mirage.

## References

1. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solarpunk
2. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore
3. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The\_No.\_1\_Ladies%27\_Detective\_Agency
4. ↑ https://twilightmirage.fandom.com/wiki/Twilight\_Mirage\_Wiki