Friends Are Precious

Friday, 27 April 2007

We come from different backgrounds. Our races are different. Our present occupations are different. Our religions are different. But that didn't matter. What is important is we both believe in one God who loves all, no matter who we are and what we are.

We had the opportunity to spend a tiring but memorable weekend at Langkawi with Lian and Yean in March. It is a blessing again to be able to spend this afternoon together again, right here in the Kuala Lumpur city. which is neither our 'hometown'.

We met at Bandar Tasek Selatan LRT station and took the train to Hang Tuah LRT station and from there walked to Bukit Bintang Plaza. We wanted to walk back to Hang Tuah LRT station at the end of the day but because it was raining heavily we decided to walk across to Lot 10 shopping centre to take the Monorail to Hang Tuah LRT station. The Lot 10 shopping centre is linked to the Bukit Bintang Plaza by a covered pedestrian bridge so we were dry :)

The monorail train happened to be there when we reached the platform. The doors were opened. Things happened so fast. I told Aisah to go in quickly. The train was going to move; the signals sounded. I didn't follow her in! I guess the signals scared me. I was scared of being squashed by the doors!

It was kind of funny looking at each other through the closed glass doors. We have no intention to part yet. I smiled, waved and mumured "see you".

She smsed "I wait for you at Hang Tuah". She was not going to leave until she was sure I know which train to take to go back to Salak Selatan LRT station. She was going to Titiwangsa LRT station and that was in the opposite direction to Salak Selatan LRT station. She is an expert LRT traveller and I am new to this mode of transport.

Thank you, My Friend. This posting is especially for you. I thought this picture that Lian took of us inside the cable car in Langkawi was cute and so I decided to upload it here. I look funny without my spectacles! You are always beautiful to me. Love you, My Friend. Thank you for all these years of friendship.

A visit to Putrajaya

Thursday, 19 April 2007

First time here. Beautiful city! According to Wikipedia, it is a planned city and a Federal Territory that acts as a Federal government administration centre for the country.

Some of the buildings:







Putra Mosque





One of the walkways


The waterfront and the Seri Wawasan bridge.

The Pursuit of Happyness

Monday, 5 March 2007

One thing I like about Kuala Lumpur is watching movies on the big screen. I talked about watching movies on the big screen in another blog. I was in fact very tired from the weekend in Langkawi but couldn't resist the invitation to go to the cinema and watch movie tonight. We are going to watch "The Pursuit of Happyness" at the Petronas Twin Towers.

I like the story of the film because it teaches us about the power within each one of us - the power to realise your dream, the power to succeed through determination, perseverance, patience, faith in oneself. Last but not least, the power of love.

Look at the Storks

Tuesday, 20 February 2007 - 3rd Day of the Chinese New Year

Another symbol of a New Year and a new beginning - stork.

I learnt that the stork:

(1) announces the coming of Spring. After their winter migration, the storks return to nest.

(2) is the harbinger of happiness, joy and prosperity. The bird's feeding on snakes is being viewed as a positive force, helping to eradicate our evil instinct.

(3) is an emblem of parental care. It was noted in ancient history that a stock pair will be consumed with the nest in a fire, rather than fly and abandon it.

(4) is a symbol of the Annunciation in Christianity. The angel Gabriel announcement to Virgin Mary of her conception of Christ. Thus the stock is a symbol of childbirth in the western culture as seen in the popular picture of the stork carrying a baby! It also represents Mary's qualities of piety and chastity.

......... I think no. (2) would be the most appropriate symbol of the storks in this Kuala Lumpur Plaza, at this time of the year. What else would business people want?

Chinese New Year - 2007

Sunday, 18 February 2007

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR! WISHING YOU A HAPPY, PEACEFUL, HEALTHY AND BLESSED YEAR OF THE PIG.

Chinese New Year 4705 started today. The year of the pig! So if you are born in the year 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983 or 1995, then you were born under the Chinese zodiac sign of the pig. Pigs are labelled as lazy animals, but I don't believe that people born under this zodiac sign are lazy. Anyway, it is interesting to read about it and find out what sign you are born in, but don't get too carried away with what you read, especially the Feng Shui stuff.

While some people would be enjoying themselves at family gatherings, parties, resorts, parks, cinemas, restaurants, Lian and Bong enjoyed themselves playing the guitar.

It is amazingly how lovely the music turns out to be when played in duet, than alone.

The decorations at Mid Valley Megamall

Saturday, 17 February 2007

It was a week since I came back to Kuala Lumpur and it was Chinese New Year's Eve. We were out at Mid Valley Megamall again. Most of the shops had closed for the festive holiday, and there were not as many people there.

I liked the decorations on the ground floor. This was what it looked like last Christmas, on the 18 December 2o06. Christmas trees! Ginger house?



Now it is the Chinese New Year, and of course the beautiful Peach Blossoms, in stalks, in rings!



I don't know what is the significance of this flower to the celebration of the Chinese New Year. Why this particular flower? Does it only appear during this season in China?

I found these pictures when I surfed through the net on peach blossoms. I learnt that there are 2 kinds of peach blossoms, 1 where the fruit can be eaten while the other is soley admired as another miracle of the creation of God.




According to Wikipedia Encyclopedia, it is highly prized in Chinese culture. I know it is quite expensive! And guess what The Languages of Flower said about Peach Blossoms. It represents "Longevity, I am your captive". Very interesting finding.

Back to the decorations at Mid Valley Megamall. I saw something else that caught my eyes. It looked like umbrellas. At a closeer look they were indeed umbrellas that have been stripped off their original covers and replaced with what they are now being decorated with to come up with another creative Peach Blossoms!

Supermarket Crawl in Kuala Lumpur

Wednesday, 10 January 2007

What I like about shopping in Kuala Lumpur is I can get more with the same amount I pay in Miri, not only in quantity and quality but also I have more choices to make. Some free gifts are only applicable in West Malaysia! It is not fair - you pay more for the same item in East Malaysia and yet no free gifts.

One con is too many choices that you end up spending hours at the supermarket! And that was what happened at TESCO last night - almost 3 hours!

I usually go to HERO supermarket, which is the nearest but wanted to experience a different atmosphere. I have been to JUSCO. I have been to CARREFOUR. I have been to GIANT. And for a change TESCO.

HERO is from Indonesia, JUSCO is from Japan, CARREFOUR is from France, GIANT is from United States and TESCO is from United Kingdom. Very interesting grocery retail outlets, it is fortunate that we get the feel of these international supermarkets right here in the capital city of Malaysia. TESCO even have their own packaging, competitively priced, compared to other brands.

.............Anyway, I am happy with what I could get in Miri.......don't have to waste too much time choosing...............just buy what is needed only.

Noise Pollution

Tuesday, 9 January 2007

There is one thing I don't like about living in a city and that is noise!

Continual noise of vehicles passing day and night.


The distinctive noise of piling during the day.


More noise of ongoing development projects, on one side of the condominium.


and another side.........eeeeeeee

Toycity - Mid Valley Megamall

Wednesday, 3 January 2007

What a colourful place for the children, at the top floor of the Midvalley Megamall.

Dressed Chickens for 2.99 MRinggit/kg

Friday, 29 December 2006

It was quite noisy at the meat section of the Hero Supermarket, Cheras. There was a row of people queuing at the dressed chickens section, especially at the whole chickens corner. The 2 male shop attendants were busy weighing the chickens, putting them in plastics and passing them back to the customers.

It then occurred to me that today was Friday evening and coming Sunday, the Muslims were celebrating Hari Raya Haji, an Islamic festival in conjunction with the Haj pilgrimage.

Not only was that the reason why the many customers were buying the chickens. I saw the price tag hanging at that counter as 2.99/kg!!

I don't know whether you have come across such a cheap offer before. For me, I couldn't believe my eyes! It was not because there was a bird flu epidemic. I don't know whether the other supermarkets in the city were selling their dressed chickens at this special price as well. I think it was a charitable act of the management or whoever owns the place because Hari Raya Haji festival also commemorates Prophet Ibrahim (Koran) or Prophet Abraham (Bible) willingness to sacrifice his son Ismael to God.

But in order to enjoy this price, customers were entitled to only 1 whole dressed chicken for every 20 MRinggit purchase at the supermarket. I am not sure some of the customers realised this condition because I saw some baskets filled with 3-4 chickens with no other purchases. It was only at the cashier counter that the appropriate number of chickens were checked against the amount purchased of the other items in the supermarket.

Never have I bought a dressed chicken for less than 5 MRinggit!

PJ Branch - Talentime

Saturday, 30 December 2006

On this morning, Lian been called to stand in for someone - as a partner in a dance - or else we would not have been here.

The Elders from the PJ branch with their musical instrument talent.


Lian & Owen with their dancing talent and Nelson with his singing talent


The KL youth with their acting talent, in one of their scene "Sound of Music"


The talented Chong family from the KL branch


And not forgetting the Branch President from PJ1, PJ2, Klang and KL