An Odd Landmark in Klang

This photo was taken in front of Maybank at Menara Trend, Intan Millennium Square, Taman Rashna, Klang in 2009. It was raining heavily when I took this photograph.

“An Odd Landmark in Klang”, a copyrighted post, was written for Klang, Malaysia Daily Photo blog by Autumn Belle @ http://mymalaysiadailyphoto.blogspot.com/.

Today is ABC Wednesday

X is for .....

Xtra long time for a building to be abandoned

Xtra ordinary eye sore

aXed - Has this building been sent to the X-files?

The building in front is an uncompleted building. It has been sticking out like a sore thumb in the landscape of Bandar Baru Klang and along the Federal Highway. I think this building has been abandoned for more than 10 years already. Some people even use this building as a landmark in giving directions!

You will surely pass by this building if you use the Federal Highway to come to Klang for Yeoh's Bak Kut Teh at Hokkien Association or go to Centro Business Centre.

ABC Wednesday hosted by Mrs. Denise Nesbitt and the ABC Team of Denise, Roger, Jay, Troy, Barb, Gattina and Slyvia. To participate and view what others have in mind, please log on to this site.

A Little Washroom at Bukit Raja Toll

“A Little Washroom at Bukit Raja Toll”, a copyrighted post, was written for Klang, Malaysia Daily Photo blog by Autumn Belle @ http://mymalaysiadailyphoto.blogspot.com/

A rest room at Bukit Raja Plus Highway near the Toll Office. Green surroundings. After the output at this toilet, you can refill your stomach by buying a drink at the vending machine, then reload your Touch N Go smart tag at the toll office.

This is my entry for That's My World Tuesday Season 2 Episode 38. To view what others have in their world, please visit here.

Ipoh Old Town to New Town Junction

“Ipoh Old Town to New Town Junction”, a copyrighted post, was written for Klang, Malaysia Daily Photo blog by Autumn Belle @ http://mymalaysiadailyphoto.blogspot.com/.

This is the junction that leads from Ipoh Old Town to the New Town area. In Ipoh New Town, we have the big shopping complexes, government offices and the famous Ipoh Salt Baked Chicken, Ipoh Bean Sprouts Chicken, Pomelo stalls and even the Frozen Roasted Duck.

Ipoh Old Town is famous for its heritage buildings, book shops and the most delicious food from the coffee shops and hawkers who have their family secret recipes. As a Perakian, I was (and still am) very proud of Ipoh food and used to boast that it is the "Best in Malaysia" of which my friends from Penang will be extremely aggitated and will always interrupt me by saying, "Ahem, Penang food is world famous!"

What is the most famous food in your city?

Tun Abdul Razak Library, Ipoh

“Tun Abdul Razak Library, Ipoh”, a copyrighted post, was written for Klang, Malaysia Daily Photo blog by Autumn Belle @ http://mymalaysiadailyphoto.blogspot.com/

The Tun Abdul Razak Library or Perpustakaan Tun Abdul Razak is a public library managed by the municipal council of Ipoh or Majlis Perbandaran Ipoh (MPI).

In Malaysia, there is a dress code for entering a public library. For example, mini skirts are not allowed and skirts must be below knee length. Also, no sleeveless shirts/blouses, no singlets, short pants, hot pants. This applies to the guys and gals. Well, I think this will apply to punks and anime fashion such as multi-colour hairdo. I'm not sure about males with makeup and loud earrings though.

If dress code is not adhered to, you will be refused entry.

This is my entry for the fun and wonderful weekly meme, Scenic Sunday #102. To participate or view other pictures around the world, click on the icon above.

Reflections from a Suria KLCC Shop Window

“Reflections from a Suria KLCC Shop Window”, a copyrighted post, was written for Klang, Malaysia Daily Photo blog by Autumn Belle @ http://mymalaysiadailyphoto.blogspot.com/.

Tell me, what can you see here?

This is my entry for Weekend Reflections # 40. To participate or view what others have posted for Weekend Reflections, please visit here.

Sunset Over Butterfly Park, Bandar Bukit Tinggi Klang

“Sunset Over Butterfly Park, Bandar Bukit Tinggi Klang”, a copyrighted post, was written for Klang, Malaysia Daily Photo blog by Autumn Belle @ http://mymalaysiadailyphoto.blogspot.com/.

There is a vast field in Butterfly Park, Bandar Bukit Tinggi, Klang where many people come to exercise. In the evenings, youngsters come here to play football (soccer), basketball and badminton. Adults like to jog, walk, do Yoga, Tai-Chi or Qi-gong. Some bring their families for some fresh air.

I was waiting for my son's football session to be over when I spotted this beautiful sunset over the west end accross the field.


For more Skywatch Friday Season 4 Episode 50 pictures and to participate, please visit the Skywatch site.

So Many Teddy Bears Today

Hey, if you like me, will you bring me home?

I am SO SOFT, SOFT, SOFT, SOFT, SOFT, SOFT, SOFT, SOFT, SOFT, SOFT ..........

This is my entry for Thursday Challenge Photo Theme which is "SOFT" (Soft Light, Comfortable, Bendable, Fur, Hair, Dandelion Seeds,...)" To view what others have for today, click here.

W is for ABC Wednesday's Watery Water Fountain

Today is ABC Wednesday

W is for .....

Where - Inside a 5-star hotel with World Wide fame in Putrajaya city, Malaysia.

What - It is a Water Fountain

When - Today is ABC Wednesday and Watery Wednesday

Why -This is a Well designed piece of architecture and I love the sunlight filtering through.

Who - Well to do people come here to stay, Wine and dine in luxury

With Whom - Wife (me) came with her Wonderful family for sight-seeing

Now, come on, help me to add more 'W's !!!

ABC Wednesday hosted by Mrs. Denise Nesbitt and the ABC Team of Denise, Roger, Jay, Troy, Barb, Gattina and Slyvia. To participate and view what others have in mind, please log on to this site.

This is also my entry for Watery Wednesday #93. To see what others have posted or to participate, click here.

A Local Wet Market at Taman Pengkalan Jaya, (SPPK) Ipoh

It is early morning and there are so many things on sale at the SPPK market located at Taman Pengkalan Jaya, Jalan Pasir Puteh, Ipoh. There is so much variety, I wouldn't mind doing marketing and cooking every day!

The traders are friendly here, prices reasonably cheap and if you ask them, they will give you some advice on how to cook the fish, meat, vegetables that they are selling. The produce are all fresh, some are directly from the trader's own homes. I get to buy eggs freshly laid by free range chickens, freshly caught freshwater fishes and even home cooked cakes and desserts.

Some people will go jogging, tai chi, qigong or other morning exercises before dropping by the market for their shopping. Along the road, there are some stalls selling clothes, accessories, beauty products and household items. Sales representatives like to come here to give demonstrations on how to use their wares. Nowadays they use microphones, so you can hear them from a far distance. Now, if you hear the word, Lelong! Lelong! it means that the pries are rock bottom and you can get household stuff at dirt cheap prices. No need to wait for the weekends.

Breakfast is just a few steps away in the coffee shops adjacent to these stalls. There are also some food stalls right inside this wet market. One stall sells the most delicous Wan Tan Noodles.

Eventhough I live 200 km away, I will never fail to visit this market whenever I go back to Ipoh.

This is my entry for That's My World Tuesday Season 2 Episode 37. To view what others have in their world, please visit here.

Kong Heng Kopitiam

This is Kedai Kopi Kong Heng, my favourite coffee shop in Ipoh Old Town. This is a section of Ipoh that still maintain the old world charm. Eventhough the builidngs are very old, I hope that this heritage is preserved.

Most of the hawkers here are into the 2nd or 3rd generation, faithfully serving the same family perfected secret recipes to perfection. This is so unlike many newer coffee shops in the Klang Valley where food is prepared and served by foreigners who can't even cook a proper meal.

Very delicious food is served here. Some examples are:

1. 
   
   Kai See Hor Fun (Shredded Chicken Koay Teow Soup), Ipoh beansprout chicken rice 
2. 
   
   Rojak buah or mixed fruits salad. The specialty is the black shrimp sauce with toasted belacan sprinkled on top.   
3. 
   
   Sotong-Kangkong which is cuttle fish with water spinach served in a curry peanut sauce.
4. 
   
   Popiah or spring rolls
5. 
   
   Beef noodle soup served with beef and/or cow stomach parts / cow innards
6. 
   
   Bean Sprouts Chicken rice or noodles
7. 
   
   Asam laksa

You can even order the satay and chee cheong fun from the next door kopitiam. They don't mind.

This is my entry for Monochrome Weekend Volume 2 Issue 43. My grateful thanks to Aileni and Dragonstar for hosting this wonderful site. To participate or view the world in monochrome, please click here.

Scenic View of Paliament House

This is the view of Parliament House from the Lake Gardens of Kuala Lumpur.

Some facts about the Parliament House (source: The Star, 20 June 2010)

• It opened on 2 Nov 1963
• It took 14 months to build at the cost of RM 18 mil.
• It is situated on a hill 61m above sea level and its total land area is 16.2 hectares
• The main block which is 3 stories high houses both the Houses of Parliament; i.e. (1) The Dewan Rakyat / House of Representatives and (2) Dewan Negara / the Senate
• The tower block which is 17 stories high used to have rooms for MPs but this was converted for administrative use in the 1990s. It contains offices for the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and opposition leader.
• The triangular structure that is the roof structure of the Dewan Rakyat has 11 sections, representing the number of states in the Federation of Malaya. Malaysia, including Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore was formed on 16 Sept 1963, just 2 months before Parliament House opened.
• The Parliament grounds has a Deer Park and there are currently about 30 deer housed here.
• The ornamental pattern on the exterior of the parliament, also known as 'kerawang' not only adds grandeur to the structure but also keeps the building cool.
• There is a supposedly a tunnel leading from Parliament House to the Lake Gardens to be used for emergency evacuation but its exact location is not disclosed.
• The Parliment House image has graced the back of every Malaysian coin from 1967 to 1988.

This is my entry for the fun and wonderful weekly meme, Scenic Sunday #101. To participate or view other pictures around the world, click on the icon above.

Weekend Reflections # 39

I caught this mirror relection while having dinner at the Grand Kampar Cafe at The Grand Kampar Hotel.

What can you see from the reflection?

This is my entry for Weekend Reflections # 39. To participate or view what others have posted for Weekend Reflections, please visit here.

The Royal Ipoh Clubhouse at Ipoh Padang

The Royal Ipoh Clubhouse (Kelab Ipoh Diraja) is the red-roofed building at the background of Ipoh Padang. It is located at Jalan Panglima Bukit Gantang Wahab, Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia.

According to local historians, The Royal Ipoh Club was established in 1895, making it about 115 years old now. It could have been established much earlier than 1895 but records of its history were lost during the Japanese Occupation in World War 2 (1941-1945) when the premise was used by the Japanese Imperial Army as a laundry house for the officers living at the nearby St. Michael’s Institution.

This black-and-white clubhouse was set up with contributions from the public in 1898 in commemoration of Queen Victoria’s Coronation. This building has since been declared a heritage building in the city of Ipoh.

Initially, the Club was only opened to "Whites" as was the practise during colonial times. During the day, the rich played sports like cricket and croquet and at night, there were grand social parties and gatherings.

The very first Malaysian to be invited to use the Club was the Sultan of Perak. The first Malaysian to become member of the Club was Eu Tong Sen, a tin miner and founder of the Eu Yan Sang Medical chain of shops and franchsies. Eu donated the present “Long Bar”, which was cut from a single tree and which is still in existence at the Club till today.

After our country's independence in 1957, more and more Malaysias were accepted as members. Today, there is no longer any discrimination and the public can enjoy social and sports activities at the Ipoh Club and Ipoh Padang. Some of the facilities available at the club include 3-star hotel rooms, games room for playing snooker and darts, gym, dance floor, library, conference rooms and dining restaurants.  For more information, please visit their website, here.

Can you recognise the Tudor styled roof of the building?

For more Skywatch Friday Season 4 Episode 49 pictures and to participate, please visit the Skywatch site.

A Beautiful Lady Statue

A beautiful bronze statue at the entrance of a hotel eatery.

This is my entry for Thursday Challenge Photo Theme which is "METALLIC" (Metal, Shiny, Mirror, Clothes, Cars, Jewelry,...). To view what others have for today, click here.

Recently there was a threat by 20,000 members of the Federation of Sundry Goods Merchants Association in our country to boycott the sale of the three price-controlled essential goods, i.e. sugar, flour and cooking oil due to the Government's new ruling which required all parties, retailers and traders to apply for a new licence to sell these items. They feel that they are already burdened with about the exising need to obtain about 10 licences to run their businesses. A licence is needed for each subsidised item.

The boycott has been called off following the governments announcement that the retailers need only apply for a single retail licence from July 1st for all the 6 essential items (flour, cooking oil, sugar, fuel, diesel and gas).

There will be enough sugar, flour and oil for us, the consumers.

Dumpling Festival & Dragon Boat Festival

Today, the fifth day of the fifth lunar month is Dumpling Festival which also coincides with the Dragon Boat Festival. According to legend, the tradition of eating dumplings and racing dragon boats was to commemorate Qu Yuan, a great scholar cum patriotic poet during the Warring States Period. (475-221 BC).

Qu Yuan was greatly saddened by king's refusal to listen to his advice which resulted in war. He took his own life by jumping into the Miluo River. To prevent the fishes from eating his body, Qu Yuan's friends and supporters made dumplings, set out in boats and threw them into the river so that the fishes would seek out the dumplings instead of his body. The dumplings were made of rice wraped in bamboo leaves.

To commemorate Qu Yuan, this custom is celebrated even to this day. Here, we hold prayers at home and eat dumplings. The dumplings are made of glutinuous rice with fillings of pork or chicken meat, mushrooms, chestnuts, salted eggs and dried shrimps. In Malaysia, the Nyonya or Peranakan community make blue coloured dumplings with peanuts, winter melon and dried shrimps fillings. The blue colour is obtained from the natural dye of the Butterfly Pea flower (Clitoria ternatea).

Annual dragon boat races are still being held all over China, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and other overseas Chinese communities.

Some interesting related news from The Star:
1.  Exciting Eggs-periment During "Chang" Festival. Some people believe that eggs can stand on its end on the summer solstice, winter solstice, spring and autumnal equinox but scientist explains to the contrary.

2. Halal Dumpling Treat for Malay Friends - also details of making blue coloured dumplings, the dye from the flowers of the Butterfly Pea.

Today for ABC Wednesday,

V is for a

Very important Chinese festival

Very delicious dumplings

ABC Wednesday hosted by Mrs. Denise Nesbitt and the ABC Team of Denise, Roger, Jay, Troy, Barb, Gattina and Slyvia. To participate and view what others have in mind, please log on to this site.

FIFA Worldcup 2010 Fever in Malaysia

Picture taken at the promotion area of AEON Bukit Tinggi, Klang

It is FIFA World Cup 2010 season from 10 Jun - 11 Jul 2010. The 19th tournament is being held at South Africa but every football fanatic all over the world are just as excited and will go to great lengths not to miss a single match when their favourite team is contesting.

On opening day of 10th June 2010, there were many activities, group gatherings and parties outdoors and at home to celebrate and be part of this historical occasion. Some examples are:

1. Cafes, mamak shops, coffee shops, restaurants setting up giant TV screens to lure football fans to watch the matches together, thereby incresing their sales revenue.
2. At the famous landmark place of Dataran Merdeka Kuala Lumpur
• all 64 matches will be broadcast live
• a 50' x 20' wide giant TV screen
• the field can accomodate 20,000 people
3. All major TV stations here are broascasting news and coverage of the matches.

In my family, we have supporters for England, Spain and Brazil. However, whichever team fail to quality for the next stage, we'll support each other's team till the end.

So, living in the 21st Century now, what I can conclude is that "The World's A Stadium."

This is my entry for That's My World Tuesday Season 2 Episode 36. To view what others have in their world, please visit here.

Thean Chun Coffee Shop (House of Mirrors) - Ipoh Old Town

Don't be fooled! The Thean Chun Coffee Shop (天津茶室) is the one next to Kafe Zun Seng Fatt. It does not have an english signboard. This restaurant is located at no. 73 Jalan Bandar Timah, Ipoh Old Town. It is opened in the morning and afternoon only. This place is very congested during lunch time on weekdays and parking is quite a problem. However, nearby there is a public parking operator that charges based on per entry basis.

Thean Chun Coffee Shop is also known as "House of Mirrors" as it has walls that are lined with aged old mirrors. Dining on the wooden tables with marble tops, sitting on the wooden chairs in this well preserved old building will bring you back to colonial days of old Ipoh. Even the pillars are left untouched but white-washed and given a fresh coat of paint. To top it off, the food is extremely delicious and reasonably priced.

What do you have here?

1. Very delicious Kai See Hor Fun (Ipoh Koey Teow soup with shreded chicken meat).
• They have newspaper cuttings pasted all over their stall to prove that they have the "Best Ipoh Hor Fun in the Country"
2. Chee Cheong Fun (猪肠粉), with pig skin curry. Chee Cheong Fun is a steam rolled rice noodles. You can have it plain
• 'Plain' with no fillings. 
• With fillings of turnip and french beans
• For the sauce, you can choose between plain (onion flavoured oil, roasted sesame seeds and soya sauce or with pig skin curry added.
3. Sunny's famous satay, the choices are chicken and pork meat, intestines, pig innards
• What I can say is you don't usually find 'satay babi' or 'pork satay' anywhere else in Malaysia.
4. Creme caramel (炖蛋) desert
5. Soft drinks, herbal drinks and fruit juices to quench your thirst.

Here's a place with The Old Ipoh Charm where you can enjoy and reminise the good old days.

THEAN CHUN COFFEESHOP
73, Jalan Bandar Timah
30000 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
Opened from 9:30am onwards for breakfast and lunch.
Closed on Thursdays

This is my entry for Monochrome Weekend Volume 2 Issue 42. My grateful thanks to Aileni and Dragonstar for hosting this wonderful site. To participate or view the world in monochrome, please click here.

Perak War Memorial Cenotaph at Ipoh Railway Station - Part 2

This cenopath at the Perak War Memorial in front of Ipoh Railway Station, was unveiled in 1927 on Armistice Day. When you click on the picture for the enlarged view, you will see the names of all the war heroes. The words inscribed inside the brass plate read as follows:

Top:   SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF THE MEN FROM THE STATE OF PERAK

WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR 1914-1918

Centre: The individual names of all the soldiers who perished

Bottom:  THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE

Below there is another white plaque that reads as follows:

AND TO THOSE WHO DIED IN THE 1939-1945

Yesterday,  more than 250 war veterens, their relatives and guests from far and near attended the Remembrance Day ceremoy here to pay tribute to those who died during the wars and the Emergency. The news was published in The Sunday Star 13 June 2010 titled, "A Day To Honour Battlefield Sacrifices." Please click on the link to read more.

The scenic view at the pathway that leads to the War Memorial. The blue building in the background is the Head Quarters of the Perak Police Contingent or Ibu Pejabat Polis Kontigen Perak. Notice the rows of manicured bougainvillea bushes. Ipoh is also know as "Bougainvillea City".

This is my entry for the fun and wonderful weekly meme, Scenic Sunday #100. To participate or view other pictures around the world, click on the icon above.

Perak War Memorial Cenotaph at Ipoh Railway Station - Part 1

There is a war memorial at Station Square in front of Ipoh Railway Station to commemorate all those who sacrificed their lives defending the nation since World War 1 in 1914. More details about this memorial can be found at the "Roll of Honour" website here. They have a picture of the original plaque.

According to source from Ipohworld Archives (click on link),  the brass plate on the front of the Cenotaph originally read as follows:

"Memorial to the dead of the

two World Wars.

Sacred to the memory of the

men from the State of Perak

who fell in the Great War

1914-1918"

After World War 2, a marble slab was added below it carrying the words:

 "And to those who died in the 1939-1945 War".

Sometime after 1970, the local Government made a new replacement plague which reads as follows:

 "Memorial to the dead of the

two world wars.

Sacred to the memory of the

men from the state of Perak

who fell in the Great War

1914-1918

And those who died in the 1939-45 war".

The plague that I have pictured here was taken in 2009 and it reads as follows:

"IN MEMORY OF GALLENT MEMBERS OF

THE ARMED FORCES, POLICE AND CIVILLIANS

WHO SACRIFICED THEIR LIVES

DEFENDING THE NATIONAL DURING

THE MALAYAN EMERGENCY

1948-1965

INDONESIAN CONFRONTATION

1962-1965

THE INSURGENCY PERIOD

1972-1990".

Do you think there is a grammatical error in the fourth line? I think it should be 'nation' instead of 'national'.

This is my entry for Weekend Reflections # 38. To participate or view what others have posted for Weekend Reflections, please visit here.

Skywatch Over Pengkalan Ipoh

Ipoh is located in tropical equatorial Malaysia in the beautiful Kinta Valley. This is the scene of a typical housing estate. Look at the blue mountain peaks covered with clouds. Don't it look like snow topped mountains?


For more Skywatch Friday Season 4 Episode 48 pictures and to participate, please visit the Skywatch site.

A Modern Cineplex

This is one of the 13 cinemas located at the New Wing of 1-Utama Shopping Complex, Petaling Jaya. It is owned by Golden Screen Cinemas (GSC), the largest chain of cinemas in the whole of Malaysia.

There are another 7 cinemas run by Tanjong Golden Village (TGV) at the old wing of 1-Utama, making the final total to 20!

The largest cinema chain is located at Mid Valley Megamall, Kuala Lumpur. It is owned by GSC and has 18 cinemas with a total capacity of 2,899 seats.

While I prefer to watch movies at the comfort of my home, watching movies at cinemas is still a very popular pastime among youngsters and young couples.


This is my entry for Thursday Challenge Photo Theme which is "URBAN" (Buildings, Traffic, Graffiti, Signs, People,...). To view what others have for today, click here.

Football Practise at Ipoh Padang

Today is ABC Wednesday

U is for .....

Football Players in Uniform

It is so good to have a lush green area the size of 2 football fields to practise your skills, make new friends and improve your fitness level. We need more of these spaces in Malaysia where the young and energetic can spend their time. So much better than hanging around or lepak at shopping complexes.

Ipoh Padang is actually a field meant for playing cricket, a game which was often played here during the colonial times.

Today is ABC Wednesday hosted by Mrs. Denise Nesbitt and the ABC Team of Denise, Roger, Jay, Troy, Barb, Gattina and Slyvia. To participate and view what others have in mind, please log on to this site.

FMS Bar and Restaurant Ipoh

The FMS Building (1906) is located at 2, Jalan Sultan Idris Shah (formerly Brewster Road). It was built in the Straits-Electic style in 1906 to commemorate the Federated Malay States (FMS) which was formed in 1896.

The FMS Bar and Restaurant was a popular watering-hole for European tin-miners, planters and servicemen in the early 1900s and a place for relaxation after office hours for those working in old town, especially lawyers from the courts nearby.

It is the only privately owned pre-war shophouse in the city gazetted as a heritage building by the Ipoh City Council.

The restaurant has been closed for business since March 2008. It is currently undergoing renovations.The old world charm of the FMS Bar and Restaurant will be retained when it reopens for business after a facelift.

For further info, please read the following publications:
1. Restaurant Revival - Star Metro, Monday 15 Mar 2010.
2. Lets Raise a Glass to the FMS Bar - Ipoh Echo 14 Mar 2010.
3. Nephew - May He Rest In Peace - Ipohworld's World 5 June 2010; About a popular barman much loved by the patrons and who had recently passed away.

Some history about FMS, Source from Wikipedia:
The Federated Malay States (FMS) was a federation of four protected states in the Malay Peninsula. The states are Selangor, Perak, Negeri Sembilan and Pahang. FMS was established by the British government in 1895 and lasted until 1946. The United Kingdom was responsible for foreign affairs and defence of the federation, whilst the states continued to be responsible for their domestic policies.

This is my entry for That's My World Tuesday Season 2 Episode 35. To view what others have in their world, please visit here.

Tokong Chow Kung at Ipoh Old Town

This is Tokong Chow Kung (1928) located in Ipoh Old Town. I guess it belongs to a Chinese Clan Association. The old architectural design of this building is still intact. I hope this building will be preserved as a herritage building.

This is my entry for Monochrome Weekend Volume 2 Issue 41. My grateful thanks to Aileni and Dragonstar for hosting this wonderful site. To participate or view the world in monochrome, please click here.

Scenic Lakeview at Taman Botani Putrajaya

This is not the beach but the view by the lake of Hibiscus Walk, Taman Botani, Putrajaya (Putrajaya Botanic Garden).

This is my entry for the fun and wonderful weekly meme, Scenic Sunday #99. To participate or view other pictures around the world, click on the icon above.

Reflections in a Tortoise Pond - Kwan Yin Tong Cave Temple, Ipoh

A brick wall, an iron gate and the opening to the sky is being reflected on this tortoise pond which is one of the main attractions at Guan Yin Tong Cave Temple, Ipoh. The temple is located at the edge of a vertical rainforest and limestone hill.

This is my entry for Weekend Reflections # 37. To participate or view what others have posted for Weekend Reflections, please visit here.

The Magnificient Kapok Tree

This is a sky view of our kapok tree (bottom right).  In Southeast Asia, the kapok tree is cultivated for its silk cotton fibres called 'kekabu' which are harvested and used to stuff pillows and mattresses. This tree grows to 100 ft tall and is a small version of the Giant Ceiba tree of the Amazon Rainforest which can grow up to a height of 230 ft tall.

The branches are spread out horizontally and when you look up, its crown looks like an opened umbrella against the clear blue sky.

In Malaysia, we can find a lot of them in countryside and villages in Perak. I hope that people will learn to care for the trees. The least they can do is not to cut them down when the trees obstruct their view.

For more Skywatch Friday Season 4 Episode 47 pictures and to participate, please visit the Skywatch site.

A Chinese Wedding Dinner with Karaoke Session

The chinese wedding dinner in the 21st century is a happy and jovial occassion. In the picture you can see a guest singing karaoke while another guest, an elderly gentleman had danced his way up to the stage. There are many volunteer singers seated on the tables, patiently waiting for their turn. Everyone is having an enjoyable time merry-making. There is also an LCD presentation of the life and love story of the bride and groom running continuously on the wide screen TV on stage. Soon, the whole family will go to the stage to say thank you and toast 3 times with all the guests who came to attend the dinner. Together we shall stand up and shout, Yum Sheng! very loudly and for as long as possible. This is when we really appreciate friends who have very loud and powerful vocals. Yum Sheng means bottoms-up. In our culture, noise and laughter signifies joy and happiness.

We always wish the couple:
a) to live a long live togehter, happily ever after
b) to have lots of money and property
c) to have lots of children and grandchildren

This is my entry for Thursday Challenge Photo Theme which is "FAMILY" (Moms, Dads, Kids, Relatives, People, Animals, Vacations, Weddings,...). To view what others have for today, click here.

ABC Wednesday - T for Trip

Today is ABC Wednesday

T is for .....

Trip

During my Trip to Kampar town, I caught this scene while sitting inside the car. It was drizzling outside and the droplets from the rain look like tiny white pearls on the windscreen.

Kampar is a beautiful town in the state of Perak, Malaysia. Kampar is a fomer mining town founded in 1887. As it is situated in the Kinta Valley, the landscape is of blue mountains and overlapping hills.

This new township area called Kampar New Town is experiencing rapid development and commercialisation brought about by the location of University Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) main campus.

The weather at the moment is sunny and warm in the morning and afternoon followed by showers and thunderstorms in the evenings.

Today is ABC Wednesday hosted by Mrs. Denise Nesbitt and the ABC Team of Denise, Roger, Jay, Troy, Barb, Gattina and Slyvia. To participate and view what others have in mind, please log on to this site.

This is also my entry for Watery Wednesday #90. To see what others have posted or to participate, click here.

June 2010 City Daily Theme Day - Funny Signs

This drawing on the wall wishes everyone "Selamat Hari Raya", meaning Happy Hari Raya. While I admire the drawing skill of the artist, I have scrutinized and looked at this picture many many times and I am still wondering what is the message that the artist is trying to convey. Is it happy, sad, or frustrated?

A funny sign because I still don't get it!

Is graffiti the art of a genius or art crime?

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

This is my entry for That's My World Tuesday Season 2 Episode 34. To view what others have in their world, please visit here.