Water Fountain at Orchid Garden, Kuala Lumpur

This picture was taken at The Orchid Garden, Kuala Lumpur.

This is my entry for Monochrome Maniacs. My grateful thanks to Aileni for hosting this wonderful site. For other MM posts around the world, please click here.

KLCC Pool - Scenic Sunday # 72

This picture was taken on Friday, November 27, a public holiday in Malaysia. During this day muslims around the world celebrate Hari Raya Haji or Aidil Adha or Eid al-Adha . It is also know as "Festival of Sacrifice" or "Greater Eid". Early in the morning, men, women and children dressed in their best go to mosques to perform prayers.

As it was a public holiday, KLCC was crowded with many visitors, both local and foreign. Many also took the opportunity to go for a dip in the pool to cool off during a hot afternoon.

This is my entry for the fun and wonderful weekly memes, Scenic Sunday #72. To participate or view other pictures around the world, click here.

Christmas Sale - Weekend Reflections # 10

The Year End Sale has already begun at many stores at Suria KLCC. With Christmas season round the corner, Yuletide decorations are already up.

This is my entry for Weekend Reflections # 8. To view what others have posted for Weekend Reflections, please click here.

Skywatch Friday Season 4 Episode 20 - Petronas Twin Towers

Petronas Twin Towers is know as Menara Berkembar Petronas in malay, our National Language. Many regard it as the new Malaysian icon and a symbol of our great leap forward.

This 88 storey towers were designed by Argentine-American architect Cesar Pelli and completed in 1998. It took 7 years to build this structure. Upon completion, they were the tallest building in the world until 2004 after being overtaken by Taipei 101.

According to information provide on Petronas Twin Towers official website:

1. Petronas Twin Towers is an integral part of the KLCC development. KLCC is a city-within-a-city, a 103-acre cultivated urban environment of commercial, retail and recreational facilities that includes the 50-acre KLCC park.

2. Pelli was honoured at the Aga Khan Award for Architecture 2004, in New Delhi India, for producing a building concept that successfully addresses the needs and hopes of Islamic societies.

"For the PETRONAS Twin Towers, I tried to express the essences of the country. The building is rooted in tradition, but it is mostly about Malaysia's aspiration and ambition,"
........ Pelli

Petronas is an acronym for Petroliam Nasional Bhd, is Malaysia's national petroleum corporation established on 17 August 1974. It is a Fortune 500 Corporation engaged in oil and gas industry with business in 35 countries.

I'd like to wish all my muslims friends,

SELAMAT HARI RAYA AIDIL ADHA

For more Skywatch Friday Season 4 Episode 20 pictures and to participate, please visit the Skywatch site. Skywatch was created by Dot and put in motion by Tom, who made it a huge success. Now it is hosted by Klaus with the help of Sandy, Ivar, Wren, Fishing Guy and Slyvia.

Think(ing) Green Thursday # 25

Our gracious host for Think(ing) Green Thursday, Michelle or Rambling Woods has been sponsoring Nature Notes Thursday and Think(ing) Green Thursday for months now. She wanted to show her appreciation to those bloggers who blog about their love of mother nature or show concern for the planet.

She says, "You can’t be a nature lover without being a ‘green thinker’ or a green thinker without being concerned for mother nature".Please accept this award. All I ask is that one post be devoted to how you try to take care of the planet by trying to live green and being more environmentally conscious."

Michelle, thank you very much for this beautiful and meaningful award. I certainly would continue to dedicate one day each week towards Think(ing) Green.

The picture above shows a collection centre stationed in front of a bank. There are workers here to help you unload your waste if you are driving and there is no parking.

In addition to the orange collection boxes (see my last week's post) that this company has put up at different strategic locations at housing estates, they also set up these collection centres every Sunday at different locations. Usually, the collection points are near to markets and parks where many people frequent.

According to an article published in the Star Newspapers on Monday, September 23rd, here are some facts about Kuala Lumpur:

1. Kuala Lumpur produces 3,500 tonnes of domestic and industrial waste per day. This could fill Petronas Twin Towers up to a height of 11 metres.

2. Every 40 days, KL-ites would be able to fill up both towers with waste

3. All the waste that are rotting in our landfills produces a toxic substance called leachate* which contaminate our rivers and seas.

4. Think about the greenhouse gas emissions such as nitric oxide and methane which is 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

5.The current waste generated by the average household in KL has now reached 0.8 to 1.3kg per day. Out of the 3,500 tonnes of wastes that end up in our landfill, 50% is organic waste.

A Solid Waste Management Committee has been set up by under the Housing and Local Government Ministry. One of its project is to divert organic waste from entering the landfills by treating the organic waste using the method of vermicomposting.

* According to wikipedia, leachate is the liquid that drains or 'leaches' from a landfill; it varies widely in composition regarding the age of the landfill and the type of waste that it contains. It can usually contain both dissolved and suspended material.

Now, we too can do our part. If we cannot do vermicomposting at home, the least we can do is to learn to separate our waste. We can start to do this voluntary. No need for the authorities to impose fines before we start doing it. Many items are recyclable and should not end up in landfills. Think carefully before throwing them into the rubbish bins. Moreover, there are organisations like the picture above that helps us recycle waste. Do not send bulky items like old electrical appliances, computers, furniture to the giant rubbish bins as it might end up in landfills.

I would like to wish all my American friends,

HAPPY THANKSGIVING DAY!

This is my entry for Think Green Thursday # 25. My grateful thanks to Rambling Woods for making this possible. To view what others around the world have to say or to participate, visit here.

J Card Member Day at Jusco 1-Utama

Today is ABC Wednesday Round 5

S is for

...... Sensational Sale

Yesterday and today was J Card Member Day for Jusco Bandar Utama department store. It is a special day for J-Card members only to Shop,Shop, Shop at the Sensational, Sizzling Sale. Prices are slashed down by as much as 80%!

This section is for guys. There are T-shirts, slacks, track suits, luggage bags and sports wear on sale.

Ladies view this sale seriously. Some drop by during lunch time. There are even some who take leave from work to come here. This is serious business. Kids have to tag along, grandma, grandpa and even the maid servant's help is needed today. Sisters are most welcome to join. Sales people anticipate a huge crowd, so they even take down orders if you come a day earlier before the sale to try out and select the clothes and underwear in advance. On sale day, you just have to go and pay before you collect the goods. There are so many people that you may find it suffocating and some dear souls may suffer some fainting spells eventhouth soothing songs are played via the stereo PA system.

After a long day of shopping and bargain hunting, now is the time to redeem your vouchers. You get a RM 5.00 voucher for every RM 100.00 you spent on supermarket items and RM 10.00 for other items. Just look at the long queue. But don't worry, the security staff are on hand to help maintain order. So shouting matches, screaming, pushing and shoving were avoided and everything went smoothly.

After seeing all these scenes, I bet you can understand why The Rainforest of 1-Utama is such a welcomed relieve for the tired body, mind and soul. How you wished you could get home fast to have a good, invigorating soak or perhaps a cool refreshing shower.

Look! There is even an ambulance waiting here to take care of any emergencies. Either you go home or to the hospital! Ha Ha!

Don't worry if you bought the wrong items or change your mind within 7 days. You can exchange the goods provided you keep the receipts. That's what I call great after 'sales service'.

I used to get very excited whenever I see the word SALE in a shop window. I must get inside to check it out, otherwise I will suffer from severe withdrawer symptoms if I didn't get my 'fix' . Now, I shudder, shiver and sometimes break out in cold sweat when I see such a scene. I'd rather go home to play a game of scrabble and have some tea and scones before I smoke some spare ribs and make seafood spaghetti for dinner. Or should I season some meat to make sizzling steak to go with Scandinavian chowder soup instead? Maybe I'll go and buy some salmon sashimi and sushi.

Today's post is an entry in ABC Wednesday Round 5, the meme initiated by Denise Nesbitt. For more information and photos, please log on to this site.

Jalan Hang Lekir of KL Chinatown - Part 1

“Jalan Hang Lekir of KL Chinatown - Part 1”, a copyrighted post, was written for Klang, Malaysia Daily Photo blog by Autumn Belle @ http://mymalaysiadailyphoto.blogspot.com/

Today we shall be walking down Jalan Hang Lekir (formerly Cecil Street) of KL Chinatown. At this junction is the Lee Rubber Building. It is a prewar old building that dates back to the 1930s. The ground and first floors are occupied by Popular Book Store. There is a home decor shop with cafe on the second floor.

Here's the entrance to Jalan Hang Lekir. The whole street is full of stalls and it looks like a flea market or bazaar. The stalls are opened every day.

There are many small stalls selling travelling bags, handbags, clothes, traditional cheongsams, sunglasses in front of Hotel Malaya. The whole row on the right sells all sorts of bags, scarves, watches of the latest designs and there is so much variety, some genuine, some fakes. But you need to bargain hard. As in any crowded area, be careful of pick-pockets too. This is a well known tourist attraction, so many of the vendors can speak English.

The Jalan Hang Lekir Hawker Centre (Penjaja Gallery Jalan Hang Lekir) is just visible behind the bag stalls and flower shop. Inside is is a wet market that sells vegetables, fish, meat and fruits. There are also hawker stalls selling yong tow foo (stuffed tofu), chee cheong fun, curry noodles and desserts such as cendol and ice kacang (ABC). However, the seating is not as comfortable as air-conditioned cafes.

There are many florists and flower stalls on both sides of the road.

Stalls selling many types of imported and local fruits and also cut fruits. Why not try some local fruits like rambutans, guavas, mangosteens, duku and langsat.

The signages of Terrace Cafe, Restaurant Kim Lian Kee and 7-Eleven is just above the 4D lottery shop. There is also a soya bean drink stall there.

Restaurant Kim Lian Kee on the left is famous for its charcoal fried Hokkien styled noodles. It also serves delicious Cantonese fried noodles, Loh Mee, Imperial Concubine Chicken, Teocheow styled steamed fish.

This little stall in front with the blue umbrella is Sei Ngan Chai, (Spectacled Guy or 4-Eyed Boy). It sells the most delicious roasted duck. It used to be located along Petaling Street, just a few steps away. I guess they temporarily relocated here because a certain section of Petaling Street has been blocked off on that day. I used to come here every Chinese New Year eve at the wee hours of the morning to queue up for my roasted duck. We droved all the way from Klang to come here and the journey is about 50km but it was worth it.
There are indeed a lot choice for food and shopping stuff here.




This is my entry for My World Tuesday Season 2 Episode 7, a meme, strictly non-profit, where we have fun by showing you our world. My special thanks to the MyWorld team: Klaus, Sandy, Wren, Fishing Guy, Louise and Sylvia. See how others view their world or to participate, click here.

Horse Riding at Titiwangsa Recreational Park

This is the horse stables at Titiwangsa Recreation Park.

The public can enjoy horse rides during the weekends and public holidays.

The opening hours are as follows:

Saturday, Sunday, Public Holidays and School Holidays
Morning session: 9am - 12noon
Evening session: 3pm - 6pm

The charges are as follows:

1. Horse riding - RM 1.50 for adults and RM 1.00 for children for 1 round
2. Horse drawn carriages (4-5 persons) - RM 1.00 for adults and RM 0.50 for children for 1 round

For horse riding, a trainer will walk with the child or parents may wish to personally escort your child. For horse drawn carriages, the ride will take you on a quick tour around the stables and the park. During weekdays, you may get permission from the management to walk through the stables and take a look at the horses.

I think horse riding will be an enjoyable and fun experience for children. What a great way for kids to learn to appreciate animals. At RM 1.00, it is cheaper that kiddy rides at shopping centres. After all, here is a beautiful recreational park with plenty of greenery, blue skies and fresh air.

This is my entry for Monochrome Maniacs. My grateful thanks to Aileni for hosting this wonderful site. For other MM posts around the world, please click here.

Kuan Ti Temple at KL Chinatown

Today we are taking a walk along Jalan Tun HS Lee (labeled B) of Kuala Lumpur Chinatown which is the main road just behind the row of shop houses (labeled A). The buses and taxis are coming in along Jalan Sultan. The building on the right is Klang Bus Stand.

If we walk along Jalan Sultan from A to B, Jalan Tun HS Lee is the first main road we see at the junction. Take a left turn and soon we will reach the Kuan Ti Temple.

This is the entrance to the 121 year old Guan Ti Temple (关帝庙) or Kuan Ti Temple. As you walk into the Taoist temple, you will be greeted by 2 stone lions guarding the entrance. Chinese lions are used as protective symbols to ward off evil and killing energy. As you can observe here, the lions are not identical twins nor a couple. They are actually a family. The pair is usually placed quite high on a pedestal with the male positioned on the left side of the main door (inside looking out) and the female on the right. The male is usually seen with a ball. The female has a baby with her. Together they make a happy protective family that brings peace and prosperity to the homes or buildings that they guard.

The 2 gentlemen behind the the 2 dragons are Door Gods ( 門 神, Men Shen), also guardians of the temple. There are 2 more smaller lions behind them.

When you visit this temple, look also at the roof top. You shall see dragons and chi lins there.

Inside the temple, there is a service counter where joss sticks and incense are sold.

A colourful dragon coils around each of the 2 main pillars inside the temple.

Kuan Ti is the God of War & Literature and has many names. He is also known as Guan Gong, or Guan Yu. This deity is highly respected as the people's defender due to his righteous, loyal and heroic character. In Hong Kong, the police as well as triad members worship him. You can find his altar at police stations as well as underground triad associations halls. Businessmen worship him and you can also find him in many homes.

As a mark of respect for all temple deities, it is usually not recommended to take full view picture portraits of them.

The picture above shows the guan dao and guan jien (Kuan Di’s sword and spear) which are kept as a pair at an altar in the temple. To read more about this temple, please visit here.

There are some fruit stalls and food stalls beside the Kuan Ti temple. In this picture alone, you can see Malaysia's 3 main races, Chinese, Malay and Indian. Can you see the temple, slightly hidden on the right?

This is the Jalan Tun HS Lee Hawker Center located further up the road. Next to it is another coffee shop.

The Sri Mahamariamman Temple (built in 1873) is also located along this road. Currently it is undergoing some renovations and is therefore not opened to the public.

This is my entry for the fun and wonderful weekly memes, Scenic Sunday #71. To participate or view other pictures around the world, click here.

Weekend Reflections - Signages for Directions

This picture is taken at Titiwangsa Lake Gardens.

While you admire the scenery and reflections on the water, I am cracking my head over the signage here. Even when one is standing there on the pavement, it look as though the public toilet is in the lake. Actually it means that you should walk straight until the end where the washroom is located in a building about 100 metres away.

I hope the people involve in placing signages will think and plan before they place signages for giving directions. If the workers are illiterate, then their supervisor should teach them properly. Don't they ever check?

Quite often, tourists get lost on the road, walking up the wrong street due to ambiguous signages. On the road, even our local motorists end up in the wrong road while trying to follow road directions. I have encountered quite a number of times where the road sign is only visible after a turning has been made. By then, it would be too late to change directions. In other cases, the signboard is hidden behind some trees. So, what is the purpose of a signage then?

This is my entry for Weekend Reflections # 9. To view what others have posted for Weekend Reflections, please click here.

Skywatch Friday Season 4 Episode 19 - Sunrise

“Today a new sun rises for me;
everything lives, everything is animated,
everything seems to speak to me of my passion,
everything invites me to cherish it”
..... Ninon de Lenclos

This picture was taken at 6:48 am on the Sunday of November 8th 2009, just as the sun was rising along Jalan Batu Unjur 1, Bayu Perdana, Klang.

For more Skywatch Friday Season 4 Episode 19 pictures and to participate, please visit the Skywatch site. Skywatch was created by Dot and put in motion by Tom, who made it a huge success. Now it is hosted by Klaus with the help of Sandy, Ivar, Wren, Fishing Guy and Slyvia.

Think(ing) Green Thursday - Recycle for Charity

If you have any recyclable items like old clothes, old newspapers, plastics containers, old toys, CDs, videotapes, cassettes, old shoes, school bags, handbags, luggage bags, computers or used electrical appliances, don't throw them away. Why not drop them into these bright orange 'collection boxes'. If you have big and bulky items like used household furniture and jumbo electrical appliances, no problem. Just give them a call and they will come to your home to pick them up. For example, when shifting to a new house, you can fix an appointment for them to come and collect your old stuff. They have a big truck that can accomodate all the bulky items. And in the process, you will feel very happy that your burden has been lifted and you have also contributed to charity. Some poor folks will benefit from the cast offs. What is considered as waste to one person is actually of use to another.

We can find these orange collection boxes at many residential areas all over the Klang Valley in Malaysia. To me they are a welcome sight. When I shifted to my new house, there were so many off stuff and unwanted items accumulated over the years, it could fill up the whole dining room of my new house. Alam Flora will not collect my excess waste. Luckily, I found this telephone number and a telephone call and an appointment, my burdens were gone in 2 truckloads! Even until today, I have less headache about where to send my recyclables. I do a good deed and I can also contribute to a greener environment.

Pertubuhan Amal Seri Sinar or Seri Sinar Charity Organisation is a non-profit organisation founded in 2003 by Datuk Eadon Ching. He set up the organisation with the aim of raising funds for charity by collecting and selling recyclables. The money raised had benefited orphanages, poor students, underpriviledge children, the sick and disabled, single mothers, old folks home and indigenous people (orang asli).

Seri Sinar accepts all kinds of recyclables. For the pick ups of bulky items and locations of their recycling boxes and mobile collection centres, the contact is as follows:

Tel: 603-9021 1888
Email: serisinar@recyclecharity.org.
For their website, please click here.

Practise the 3Rs today: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

This is my entry for Think Green Thursday # 24. My grateful thanks to Rambling Woods for making this possible. To view what others around the world have to say or to participate, visit here.

The Rainforest of 1-Utama

Today is ABC Wednesday Round 5

R is for ...... Rainforest

The Rainforest of 1-Utama is located inside the 1-Utama Shopping Complex in Petaling Jaya. There are 100 species of flora and fauna with real forest trees and flowering plants in the rainforest garden. This picture shows a man-made waterfall landscaped with beautiful rocks and boulders. The rainforest gives visitors a chance to learn, appreciate and experience nature in tranquil surroundings. One can just sit here to rest, recharge and rejuvenate after a tiring day of walking and bargain hunting at the shops. How very relaxing. Soon you will feel much refreshed.

There is a pletora of koi fishes swiming happily around this man-made river. Can you see some reflections on the water?

It was reported that this shopping complex also practices the environmental friendly principles, i.e. the 3Rs of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle on its resources.

Today's post is an entry in ABC Wednesday Round 5, the meme initiated by Denise Nesbitt. For more information and photos, please log on to this site.

This is also my entry for Watery Wednesday #62. To see what others have posted or to participate, click here.

Zhing Kong Restaurant at Jalan Hang Kasturi

The buses and taxis are coming in along Jalan Sultan. The building on the right at location B is Klang Bus Stand.

The corner restaurant at location A is Resoran Zhing Kong. It is located at Jalan Hang Kasturi, formerly known as Roger Street. You can reach Central Market by walking all the way up along this road i.e. towards the left of the picture.

This is Zhing Kong Restaurant (星江茶餐室). This established restaurant has been here for decades and it is also serves good beef noodle soup. Beef balls, sliced beef, ox tripe and offals are served together with the noodles. I have come here many times, from a kid to teenager to adult to savour the food served here. There is also chicken rice, fish ball noodle soup, many types of soft drinks, herbal drinks, fruit juices and I think they even sell liquor. Office staff and commuters drop by to have lunch, tea, dinner or supper before going back to work or boarding the buses back home. It is a recommended restaurant in the Lonely Planet.

The address:

No. 90, Jln Hang Kasturi
50050 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2070 8868

This restaurant is visible and within walking distance from the Pasar Seni LRT station. It is just opposite the Klang Bus Stand. There is another hawker centre above the Klang Bus Stand that serves mainly northen malay food and Restoran Hameed on the ground floor that serves nasi kandar and indian muslim food.

The junction at location A is an important landmark for backpackers, tourists, street walkers and people like us who want to go to Jalan Tun HS Lee (Kuan Ti Temple), Petaling Street (heart of KL Chinatown), Jalan Hang Lekir (florists and food) and Central Market (handicrafts).

This is my entry for My World Tuesday Season 2 Episode 3, a meme, strictly non-profit, where we have fun by showing you our world. My special thanks to the MyWorld team: Klaus, Sandy, Wren, Fishing Guy, Louise and Sylvia. See how others view their world or to participate, click here.

This is also my entry for Ruby Tuesday. To view what others have for red today, click here.

Matrade Building & MECC

This is a monochrome side view of the Matrade Building.

This 24 storey building that houses the MATRADE office and MECC is located in the city of Kuala Lumpur. This architectural icon has a unique archway that runs through the building and surrounded with the lush greenery of a beautifully landscaped garden. The whole area includes a Podium, Tower Block, an Amphitheatre and an Outdoor Exhibition Area. Inside the building there are 3 Exhibition Halls, 8 Function Rooms, the Matrade Hall and a theatrette.

The Matrade Exhibition and Convention Centre (MECC) was established by MATRADE (Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation) to promote exports and provide assistance to Malaysian companies, especially small and medium sized enterprises to network and do business. MATRADE is a statutory agency under the Ministry of International Trade & Industry (MITI) established to develop and promote Malaysia's exports to the world.

Contact details:
Menara MATRADE
Jalan Khidmat Usaha
Off Jalan Duta
50480 Kuala Lumpur
MALAYSIA
Tel : 603 - 6207 7077
Toll Free : 1 800 88 7280
Fax : 603 - 6203 7037

For more information, please visit thsese links:
1. MATRADE
2. MECC

This is my entry for Monochrome Maniacs. My grateful thanks to Aileni for hosting this wonderful site. For other MM posts around the world, please click here.

Pasar Seni LRT Station near KL Chinatown, Central Market and Klang Bus Stand

The Pasar Seni LRT Station is located very near to Kuala Lumpur Chinatown. It is served by the Rapid KL's Kelana Jaya Line. LRT stands for light rail transit. Pasar Seni is named after the Central Market nearby. Central Market is a Malaysia Herritage Site and another main tourist attraction. Pasar Seni or Pasar Budaya as it is known locally, is located along Jalan Hang Kasturi and it was formerly a wet market established in 1888.

At this station, we can reload our Touch 'n Go cards and there is also the ATM (autoteller) machines. In the picture, people are queueing up at the ticketing and service counter. I noticed that there are quite a number of foreigners and tourists taking the LRT here.

These are hand sanitizers placed on the table for the public to use as a prevention against H1N1 flu. This is also a lift and disabled friendly washroom facilities here.

The LRT Route Maps are prominently displayed at the notice boards here.

These are self service ticket vending machines. We need to get ready some small change to buy tickets from the machines. If not, we can also buy them at the ticketing counters manned by staff who also act as customer service officers.

Here is a view from the LRT station. In the far end is a train station and walkway leading to the Kuala Lumpur Railway Station which is served by the KTM commuter trains. This station is just 400 metres away. The colourful graffiti you see here is drawn by self made artists on a monsoon drain along the Klang River that flows through Kuala Lumpur city and Selangor state. In this picture you will also see a red taxi passing by, some buses waiting at the bas stand and a KTM commuter train passing by from under the flyover. Can you spot them all?

Here is another view from the LRT station. This is the Klang Bus Stand where we can board buses to other towns such as Shah Alam, Petaling Jaya, Klang and Port Klang (formerly Port Swettenham). Klang Bus Stand is the oldest bus transportation hub in Kuala Lumpur and is still is one of the busiest. In front of this bus stand, there are many taxis available. In the picture, the buses are coming in from Jalan Sultan. If we wish to go to Petaling Street and KL Chinatown, we can take a walk up there via Jalan Sultan. Central Market is also within walking distance towards the left.

This is the front view of Klang Bus Stand. There is a taxi stand just in front. Petaling Street and Chinatown is towards the left. The Pasar Seni LRT station is on the right. The Pasar Seni station here is one of Kuala Lumpur's main bus hubs. From here, there are many Rapid KL buses for destinations around the city. You just have to take note that there are a few bus stands here depending on the destination. Don't worry, if you are confused, you can ask the bus management company's staff who are in uniform and they will assist you.

For more information on Rapid KL's trains and buses routes and fares, please click on Rapid KL's homepage here.

This is my entry for the fun and wonderful weekly memes, Scenic Sunday #70. To participate or view other pictures around the world, click here.