School of Hard Knock - Royal Selangor

Sometimes I get lucky, and my weekends start a little earlier than usual. We were invited to visit Royal Selangor for a project that I am working on. Its been on my list of places to visit around KL for a while now, so I was pretty happy to go for the project.

http://www.royalselangor.com/rs2/index.php

Royal Selangor is a pewter company thats been around for four generations now. Known originally as Selangor pewter, it was given the Royal seal from the Sultan of Selangor when travelling overseas. It is said that he was not recognized by the public, but when told he was King of Selangor, people were excited and recognized the term Selangor from their familiarity and popularity with Selangor pewter. Thus, upon returning to the mainland, the king decided to bequeth the Selangor Pewter company as the Royal Selangor pewter.

Its really one of the best centers Ive been too. Unfortunately I only had my blackberry with me to take the pictures. Upon coming in, you are immediately assigned a local tour guide to bring you around the place. On the first floor there are two main areas showcasing historical pieces of art as well as some interactive information on the making and casting of pewter. After which you are brought to an area where you can watch closely at different stations how the molds are cast, cleaned and shaped.


(Testing out the assembly line)

You'll walk past the main development line on the main factory floor. After which you can attend the School of Hard Knocks. They give you a piece of tin aloy and teach you how to turn it into a bowl. All good fun I tell you, and especially good after a long week at work (simply imagine boss)


(Seeing how difficult it is to knock one straight line on a mug)


(Us making a bowl)

You even get to bring the bowl back, which is fabulous! Outside you can enter the retail space which is the largest Royal Selangor retail space available. On the right hand side is the amazingly quintessential cafe. I loved the decor and setting.

Since it was a project, we were able to linger around and check out the museum and all, but I would most certainly make it back here and this time on my own free time

Entrance : Free

Head Office & Visitor Centre
Royal Selangor International Sdn Bhd
4 Jalan Usahawan 6, Setapak Jaya
53300 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tel: +60 3 41456000
Fax: +60 3 40251389

ATV Party

(Getting ready to rumble!)

After being away in Egypt for two weeks then recuperating for another weekend, I finally went out again to do something different this weekend. The Boyfriends birthday was yesterday and since I didnt manage to throw him a party last year (a fact that I have been reminded off) I looked around to throw one this year.

Located in Kemensah, right behind the national zoo is ATV Malaysia. A rigged out ATV center where you can rent ATV's to travel around on regular routes or to head over to a waterfall. We opted for ~3 hours where it took us about an hour or so to head over to the waterfall, spent some time at the waterfall with a picnic and heading back here.


(The waterfall)


(Driving up from the waterfall)

The downside... we got drenched!!! it was the wrong season to go I guess and even worse that we didnt realize to prepare for it. It poured the entire time we were there and while we ate but dried up whilst we were riding back. Initially I was super freaked out riding it up and down all those slipper rocks and mud but was a lot of fun to have this kind of adventure rides in the rainforest.


(You'll get stuck in the mud sometimes)

Some tips the next time you go. Wear shoes and proper attire. Wear clothing that you dont mind getting completely splattered with mud.

and enjoy!

~1.5 - 2/3 hours : RM150 each

http://www.atvmalaysia.net/index.html

Hiatus

Hello everyone,

I will be going on leave from this weekend till the 8th of November. Ill be in Egypt! see u after!

Treasure hunting

Last weekend my sister came to me with a very interesting proposition. Why dont we go treasure hunting she said. The hunt in mind? Food treasure hunting! She had heard about it through the grapevines and signed us up. Me, her and her gf. RM70 per person per car with a max of 4 people in each car.

We met up at 630 am on a Saturday. yes.. the things I do... and still werent close to being the first car there. By about 730 we were off! with a total of ~140 cars participating


(all the people waiting to go)

The trip is broken down into two phases. Phase one with four different locations. Clues are given to each team and youre supposed to note down the answer to be submitted. Answers can be found on signboards or signs around that area. Youre allocated four hours to finish this leg. After 4.5 hrs, you are disqualified.


(Example of clues : Newspaper that's brand new? Or are they greens for me and you)

Then you stop at the pit stop. And face a quick 'challenge'. Then go on to collect Phase two clues.

Phase two involves driving in accordance to the directions given - i.e. using the meter measurements. And again, being given clues and you having to find the answers on signboards around that area. You are allocated two hours to complete.


(Example of clues : Saya dengar siapa siapa pun boleh minum kopi di sini (I hear 'anyone' can drink coffee here))

At the end of it, you submit all answers to the final stop. On top of that you can also opt to complete the bonus questions and find the 'treasures' noted on a clue page in case a few teams would have the same score. The final challenge is then also used as a tie breaker.


(The final challenge)

In this case, the final challenge was to toss a roti canai in the most graceful way... not easy I promise you


(They also have a best dressed contest)

All in all, it was quite a lot of fun... and drama of course!

Go ahead and sign up for the next one. But be prepared! and take a nap the day before!!

http://www.timeoutsolutions.com/

Port Dickson weekend

(The view from Acheh lookout, Avillion)

2009 is a year where everyone in Malaysia waited to see if the recession would finally hit these shores. Companies including mine started cutting costs and streamlining their workforce. Budgets were halved, hiring freezed, and people working extra hours to make up for increasing client demands. Its been a tough year, and what had been my company's annual retreat for South East Asia had been cancelled.

But then, the year didnt end up as bad as everyone had anticipated, and the Big Boss decided to bring all of us out for an offsite trip to Port Dickson!

Located about one hour out of KL, Port Dickson is a small town by the sea. The KL-ites used to flock down here in droves to enjoy the sun, surf and sand. But years and generations of not being civic minded had damaged the waters and the beach. Its not even close to being pristine with soft silky beaches like their sisters on the East Coast, but the hotel we stayed at played it up quite smartly.

We stayed at the Avillion, a cluster of water chalet hotels located on stilts facing out to the sea. Its actually really nice and has some really nice quite lookout points (look for the Acheh lookout) where you are under a tree, under an umbrella, looking out at the sea, hearing the sea and enjoying the breeze without actually touching the water or having sand kicked onto you.


(Balcony in Avillion)

If youre not a social person, each room comes with two deck chairs and a balcony where u can enjoy the view and the sun and sea in your own privacy. They also have a really amazing open air shower with a lookout floor directly onto the sea.


(House on stilts)

For those with families, they even have a petting zoo! and plenty of cute bunnies.


(Baby bunnies!)

So, we didnt do much there ourselves, some team games in the evening, and then we went for dinner at El Cactus, a Mexican restaurant located close by. Then back to the hotel for a giant karaoke session with all office staff before passing out, packing up and leaving the next day.


(Dinner at El Cactus)

If youre looking for a quick retreat to somewhere quite cosy, and breezy, I would deff recommend going back there. I know that I probably would.

http://www.avillionportdickson.com/

Mulu weekend

Once in a while, I get real lucky. This time around, my work required me to actually travel around Malaysia and to visit some sites. My team decided to check out East Malaysia (Sabah and Sarawak). Since Ive been to Kota Kinabalu (attempted to climb Mt. Kinbalu), I opted to go to the Mulu caves in Sarawak instead.

To get to Mulu, first you need to take a flight to Miri or Kota Kinabalu (KK) and then switch flights to a propeller plane (MAS Wings) to Mulu. Takes about 30 min.

Miss C and I opted for a package deal (you can find some good ones on MAS wings website) that costs RM600 per person for the transfer flight from Miri (round trip), hotel for one night and two days at the Royal Mulu Resort (most high end in Mulu, there's 3 resorts all together though there are also Homestays), food (breakfast, lunch and dinner) as well as the tour guide and park fees itself. Quite a good deal I would say.

Mulu is really nice. Deff a good place for eco-tourism if people are interested. Essentially you are immersed in nature. Rainforests surrounding you, the Melinau river by your feet. Not a single skyscraper in sight. Not even a taxi actually. I was informed that a lot of Germans and Dutch like to come here for a vacation, few domestic travellers (though after this article you should deff go)

We visited two caves on our first day, Langs Cave and Deer Cave. Langs Cave is nice to see the formation of different stalagmites and stalagtites. Deer Cave is where ~3 Mn bats live (~12 different species). Its the biggest cave in the world (even after part of it fell in seprataing Deer Cave from Green Cave) and can easily fit in a 747. There is guana (bat poo) everywhere, but the trail is actually very very good and very very easy to do (essentially you can just wear flip flops the whole day). Its planked walkway EVERYWHERE. The dark clumps that you see on the ceiling are the bats! And in the evening, you walk out to the viewing area to watch all the bats fly out to have their dinner. Was pretty fascinating especially seeing that bats seem to fly in single formations and by species groups.


(Inside Langs Cave)


(Bats flying out of Deer Cave)

And at night for dinner, you'll be able to watch a cultural show as well as participate in bamboo pole dancing and blow pipe exhibition.


(Inside Deers Cave, the largest in the world)

The second day you'll visit Wind Cave, Clearwater Cave and Young Lady Cave. Wind caves is great for that little area where it cooly blows over you, Young Lady Cave amazing for the different formations (look out for the Kings face, the young lady herself, the statue of Kuan Yin and his followers as well as the really creepy baby's hand hanging down. Clearwater cave is called so for the fact that clearwater connection (waterway) runs right through it. There's also a legend that claims if you wash your face with water from there you'll be young forever =)


(Abraham Lincoln's profile in Deer Cave)

Outside of Clearwater cave there's actually a real nice pool of water. Pack a pair of swimmers with you for this days hike. After all that walking around, trust me, youre going to enoy dipping yourself into the pool. I sadly didnt bring mine and had to remain sticky and itchy the whole way back.

What was great was actually the trip back to the hotel. You ride a longboat down the Melinau river. Its very peaceful and calming and you will feel that you are the only person in this untouched land.


(Boating down the Melinau River)

***

Tour guides are great, price pretty decent, and infrastructure of the Mulu Park amazing. Not a piece of rubbish in sight! Tour guides speak fluent English and are extremely knowledgeable about the flora and fauna in that area.

If the Mulu caves itself is too tame/ much for you, there are ATV's and bikes that you can rent and ride around the area (there's a hot spring nearby)or if youre in shape and want to be challenged, you can try to climb to see the Pinnacles. Word of caution, you need to be in pretty good shape to do this.

Hit me up for more information!

Active weekend

This weekend was filled with zoom zoom zooming around the city. After listening to The Boyfriend talk about all these exciting plans he wanted to do I started feeling a little left out. Then I thought, I seriously need to pick up a hobby. So I tried to filter down what I would like to do and ta-da! dancing came back to me.

I used to be a semi serious dancer, did ballet all the way to Grade 5 (so close to a diploma, I am still kicking myself for not just finishing it). I was a gymnast as well for 3 years (and a funky chicken dancer for a few more). I thought about the different things I could pick up and decided on...

Pole dancing!

A lot of people have this look of shock/ disgust/ interest on their face when I say this. The Boyfriend of course is not very keen on the idea. But erase the erotic and exotic nature of the dance and what do you get? Dancing, with a pole.

In Malaysia there's only one group that teaches this (Im guessing its hush hush since our country isnt very 'open' about ideas like this). You can find all the details at http://vivavertical.com/ look under the schedules and classes and you'll find Lola's contact details.

The dance itself is quite... painful. You are essentially balancing and holding yourself up with your two hands the whole time. Your entire weight is shifted to your hands. I joined the beginners class which was a lot of fun (though I must warn you since all you do is spin around a pole, you might get a bit dizzy). Please wear shorts and sleeveless top to enable you to exercise better (and not get stuck to the pole). For my first class we learned a dance routine that included two spins around the pole. Incredible fun, but it is now two days later and I am still aching in my arms and my legs (from falling down from the pole oh-not-so elegantly)

And of course, if you do want to learn the fancy schmancy exotic pole dancing. That option is available as well =)

http://vivavertical.com/
Contact Lola : 016-209-6997
RM 50 per class for drop-in session
RM 160 for 4 lessons

Acquaria - KLCC

Ive always been a fan of acquariums. Im not sure what is it about it that really gets to me. Maybe its the slowness of the fish swimming. Maybe its the cool blue of the 'ocean' bottom. Its always been fascinating to watch the giant fish just swim about. So last weekend The Boyfriend and I visited Acquaria - KLCC, KL's acquarium in the city.

Its located right next to the twin towers in the Kuala Lumpur Convention Center (also known as KLCC - similar to the shopping mall under the towers itself). You have to walk downstairs to the lower ground area where you will see a food court. Keep on walking straight and you will find yourself at the acquarium. Entrance will set you back around RM28 per person for an adult with a MyKad (make friends with locals since only one person needs to have the MyKad to get the discount)

As you enter, you will be greeted by piranha's. =) These fish are actually quite pretty with its silver streaks and you cannot tell that they eat meat! since their teeth looks pretty small. They do have a piranha feeding session but you can check up to see what times these are (we missed it)


(eeps! Piranha's!)

Further in you'll see the reptile/ insect section (dont ask me why an acquarium would have this). Tends to creep me out what with the scorpians and tarantula's running around their little glass boxes. Im freakishly scared of them breaking out.


(Reptile zone)


(Heading on downstairs to the big tanks)

Then you enter my favourite part of the acquarium. There are huge tanks here - one just on Amazon life where the fish are HUGE. And please bear in mind fish seem 30% smaller viewed than they actually are. Keep on walking and you will enter a tunnel filled with sharks and rays. The walk-a-lator will keep you moving nice and slow while you enjoy seeing these animals belly first as they swim over your head. Keep a peep out for the GIANT ray fish in one of the tanks. I swear i thought it was a huge rock at first. And then it MOVED.


(Inside the walk-a-lator)


(Shark attack!)

The walk-a-lator is the last part of the acquarium and brings you right into the... gift store!

The Acquarium also allows for diving with the sharks (if you have a diving license) as well as sleepovers at the acquarium! (except its only for kids... phoey)

Acquaria KLCC
http://www.klaquaria.com/
Adults without MyKad RM38 with MyKad RM28
Opened daily from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Flea Market - The Recyclists (Updated)

Hi everyone,

Im about to head over to set-up shop at The Recyclists Flea Market. Its at Noble House Restaurant which is close to the Pavillion Mall. If you are coming from Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman and turning in near Prince Court, it will be on you left hand side before you reach Pavillion.

Come over and support a great cause. Parking is available nearby for RM3 each. It starts at 12 p.m. and goes on till ~6 p.m. (I might leave a bit earlier especially if everything gets sold) =)

There will be some stage performances and celebrities walking about
(and The Boyfriend is giving out free stuff) ;)

See you there

**Updated**

Phew, its a lot harder to sell things than I earlier thought! There were so many vendors at this flea market though making it really difficult to try and capture the customers. Luckily I had a spot closer to the front. Unluckily it was facing the back, so I had to leverage The Boyfriend and some creativity to have cardboard signs written up.



(Did you know it was almost impossible to give away free stuff? People were extremely wary when we said, please just take our stuff. We want to get rid of it. Had to practically pack it up and throw it into their bags!)



All in all though, still lots of fun and deff lots of bargains to be had. As for the rest of the stuff that we didnt sell, will be donating to Single Mothers Association (exact website to be updated later).

More flea markets are coming up (the non-pre-loved kind) which would make for far more fun buys (I always find it hard to go one by one to find good buys for pre-loved items)

Langkawi

The Boyfriend decided to surprise me with a trip to Langkawi! this weekend. Something has to be said for a Boyfriend who loves to travel my country as much as I do.

We took Malaysian Airlines to Langkawi from KLIA (direct flight). Cant really give you the cost since it was on him, but he did mention its cheaper than Air Asia. As soon as we landed we decided to rent a car. It is an island after all. Even though all roads in Malaysia are notoriously known for being bad, its not that bad on an island. I mean whats the worse thats going to happen right? You just end up circling round. The islands not even that big. Im guessing 1-2 hours to circle the entire island if you were driving non-stop.

We stayed at the Four Seasons since we got free nights there (the one upside of our constantly travelling jobs is the free nights we get with our hotel stays). The room that we got was incredible! I LOVED the bathtub that makes you feel like a Maharaja/ Maharani. The entire area is 1.5 km of private beach and was absolutely gorgeous.


(Our Four Seasons room)

Well, here's the funny part. What we didnt know was that it was actually rainy/ monsoon season in Langkawi. So the entire weekend that we were there... it rained! Though not a bad thing since I was with The Boyfriend. We just spent it lazing around, reading and watching a movie. But for those who might be looking for a bit more adventure, may want to check the seasons before opting to go.


(The AMAZING bathtub in Four Seasons room)

As for things to do around Langkawi, originally it was known to have many mystical stories and legends related to it. But from talking to friends who have actually gone to those sites they say its very campy/ touristy. Instead, a friend who went recently said that they should really push its ecotourism sector as there is a lot to do on that end. We were hoping to go on the cable car and actually walk on the hanging bridge to take in the entire island (but alas, weather not permitting).

There's also a beautiful lighthouse/ quay area near the Four Seasons, lots of budget hotels closer to the airport and if you still do want to see some of the legends of Langkawi, you can visit Mahsuri's tomb, Field of burnt rice, seven wells and more. All of this will be on the complimentary maps you can get at the airport.

We also managed to get dinner at Bon Ton (though it was scary driving in monsoon rain). Dinner was really really good. We had the Nyonya special. Absolutely delicious! You can also stay at the Bon Ton resort which have eight antique Malay villas. Done up beautifully.
http://www.bontonresort.com/


(Bon Ton restaurant... yummy!)


(They even gave me a delicious slice of their cheesecake for my birthday)

Even though we didnt get to see much of Langkawi, without a doubt The Boyfriend and I have decided to come back when its nice and sunny and we can enjoy the beach, hiking and taking in everything else we've missed

Islamic Arts Museum - Second try

After driving around for ~15 minutes, I FINALLY found the Islamic Arts Museum. Here's a little tip for you people who actually drive around KL, at the KTM roundabout, take that first left right after the exit for the train station and keep driving straight. It'll be on your left. For those who miss the exit, take the next left which is after the National Mosque, keep on driving straight and at the cross junction turn left and head on down. It'll be on your right. Otherwise, youre going to end up like me and circling around the Lake Gardens area... disgruntled.

But anyways, I made it!!!


(Current special exhibition)

Currently theyre showing the German Mosques photography collection. Its located on the ground floor on the right side in the special section. It is quite good. Interesting to note that in Germany where architecture is so future thinking and incredibly modern, the mosques actually do look similar to those influenced from the middle east. Though there are some interesting mosque that has some cubism influence.


(The staircase)

My favorite part was actually the permanent collections. On the first floor, located on the right are replicas of famous mosques from around the world. Theyve also done a pretty good job with the description of the different type of architectures. I thought it was really great, especially the larger scale replicas of Mecca.


(Open space on the first floor)

They also have a pretty decent collection in the rest of the museum. Lots of beautiful Qu'ran preserved, lots of different clothing attire on exhibition as well as pottery and weaponry. On the first floor in the middle section dont miss the giant curtain that had been preserved from the doors of the mosque at the Mecca. Its really incredible.


(Beautiful mosiac greets you as you walk in)

Tickets to enter is RM12 per person. I would recommend visiting this at least once if youve never gone before, though Im not sure if its possible just to visit the special collections in the future (since Ive seen the permanent collection)

Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia
Jalan Lembah Perdana
50480 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tel: +603 2274 2020
(Photography isn't allowed so I couldnt get pictures inside the galleries)


(Inside Schokolart... apparently they sometimes do pole dancing here??)

And of course, after a hard's day work =) It was pretty nice to head over to Schokolart at Solaris, Mont Kiara with Miss C. I would deff recommend it, and order the traditional Hugga Mugga Hot chocolate. Yummy!!

http://schokolart.com/main.html
Block K-01-05, Soho KL @ Solaris Mont Kiara
2 Jalan Solaris
50480 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-62030968

When contemporary dance gets ruined

So Miss C and I went to watch the Short+Sweet Dance Gala that was happening at KLPac tonight. Short+Sweet dance had been going on for 2 weeks. Essentially showcasing 10 contemporary dances for week 1 and the more senior choreographers for week 2 (again 10 contemporary dances). Top 5 for each week were then invited back for the gala tonight.

I watched week 1, and it was so good that Miss C and I decided to go back for the gala night. We were deffinitely not disappointed. In fact Im proud to say that contemporary dance is alive and well in Malaysia. Dances are strong with meaning, good structure and story line and executed beautifully with plays on music, lighting, and picture slides. It seriously put a huge smile on my face and reminded me of that longing to start dancing again.

My favourite piece from Week 1 and again showcased tonight was Mirrors. There were 2 regular dancers and 2 handicapped dancers in this piece. It.was.amazing.

At times so painful that it breaks your heart and makes you just want to cry and say enough! but then at other times it just makes you think... wow... just wow... and how we always feel bad for the handicapped, but yet, here they are, just as well as we are.

I prolly am not doing it justice, but trust me, it was amazing. As were some other dances (personal favs; passive, nunuk ragang (THIS is how you turn a traditional dance contemporary), walking with angels (for its beautiful choreography) and Hungry for Hope (refreshing fusion of traditional indian dance elements with modern messages)

Now here is where the show gets RUINED. During Diaries '09, the line of their supporters sitting behind us started CHEERING! like SCREAMING! during their show. Seems like the performers were trained in wushu or a similar martial arts background. The guys were doing jumps and some flips, and these few stupid girls behind us started CHEERING. The entire audience was just quiet... and appaled! I mean, come on! did you think this was a CHEERLEADING CONTEST? Its a freaking contemporary dance SHOWCASE. Have you NEVER seen any jumps or flips? You OBVIOUSLY have no idea how to behave in such a setting. It was pretty sad, because while the dance itself was quite good, the crowd was far too distracted and appaled by these few idiots who insisted to keep on screaming (think theatre setting ok where everyone is sitting quietly and trying to enjoy the show. And maybe with 100 people in there only). So people were shifting focus between the dance and shooting dagger looks at the line of idiots. Part of me wanted them to LOSE the showcase because I was so pissed at them.

Then of course there was the Zapin Berangin. Wth? We watched them during Week 1 and already thought that this was seriously out of context. It was obvious that the dancers were VERY schooled in traditional zapin (Malay) dancing. Its the kind of performance that you expect at Colors of Malaysia or at some Sultan show or something.

Not.at.a.CONTEMPORARY.dance.show.

Miss C and I were EVEN MORE surprised when we found out that they made it to gala night. wth? obviously political was my guess. We tried to dechiper it and see if there was ANYTHING contemporary at all. Nothing. Not like Nunuk Ragang which succesfully fused and interpreted traditional into contemporary with messages, Zapin Berangin was just that... Zapin dancing. Good Zapin dance sure, but not CONTEMPORARY dancing.

AAARRRGGHHHH

Miss C and I were so pissed we left the show before they announced the winner. Who knows, those idiots fans of Diary '09 would prolly be screaming for their team to win or something

*PHEW* I feel a bit better getting that off my chest

But lets take away the good. Like I said, the dances... amazing, interesting and refreshing. Makes me look forward to the next round of Short+Sweet Dance

When weekends get ruined...

(Creative Kokeshi)

On Saturday I woke up early, planning on going to see the German Mosque exhibition at the Islamic Arts Museum then off to Bangsar for my usual pedicure appointment. But then of course, the stupid protest was going on!

A while ago something similar had happened, where the cops had closed off roads for a bicycle race. No prior notice given, and deff no alternative routes suggested. Essentially they just kept on telling everyone to keep on moving. So three and a half hour later or so The Boyfriend and I were STILL stuck in traffic having circled KL once. And I was desperate for a bathroom. Not a good thing to happen of course. I finally parked in a mall and walked back to The Boyfriends house(the downside of living in the city)

So anyways, having learnt my lesson from before, I decided that I will make one attempt to go to the museum and then Ill go straight to Bangsar. Lo and behold! the protest was GATHERING at the National Mosque which was next to the Islamic Arts Museum. So, cancelled my trip and went straight to Bangsar. Super disappointed seeing that I had to cart my SLR with me the whole time and way through.

Fortunately, there was a Japanese wooden doll exhibition going on in Bangsar Village 2. So at least there was something else to look at. Called Kokeshi dolls, they are Japanese wooden dolls made according to traditional local technique passed down through generations of craftsmen.


(Creative Kokeshi)


(Creative Kokeshi)

Kokeshi consists of only a head and a body. Each kokeshi is made by an individual craftsmen thus showcasing fully the characteristics of the person who made it.
They can be divided into two different types, traditional and creative, with traditional comprising of 11 different categories.


(Traditional Kokeshi)

But enough chit chat. You should go and see it for yourself in the concourse level of Bangsar Village 2. And of course, after youre done, you can do what I did, and just spoil yourself with a pedicure. Personally, I really like Chic Nail Spa by Soong Ai Ling. Love the ambience, the attention and especially the foot massages. MMMMmmmmmm


(Chic Nail Spa)

Chic Nail Spa : 03-2282-5972
1F-22, Bangsar Village 2,
No 2, Jalan Telawi Satu,
Bangsar Baru, 59100, Kuala Lumpur

(All Kokeshi information taken from exhibition)

Malacca - UNESCO Heritage site

(Famous Orang Utan T-Shirt shop close to the Jonker neighborhood)

Out on a stealth mission to enjoy our few days off work, The Boyfriend and I decided to have a road trip! (like we used to do) and ventured down to Malacca. Its good as a 'weekend retreat' as its not that far away to get to. Essentially ~2 hours from KL (faster if youre driving faster than my 100km/h)

We decided to stay at The Majestic as there was a nice special going on (RM699 for one night, a tour, as well as dinner, breakfast and lunch at the hotel). Under normal circumstances one night at The Majestic would set you back >RM1000k so this was pretty good. Though, be aware of the tour time. They told us at the very last minute (i.e. after dinner) that we couldnt get a tour guide because the next day was the guide's day off. I was like wth? Why didnt anyone tell me anything when we asked twice about the tours. The food at The Majestic is actually really good so its pretty worth it to get the free meals at the hotel. For dinner they give you 1 main course and 2 additional courses, for breakfast one course and for lunch 2 courses.

Of course if you decide to not stay there, there are a lot of places to stay at (see towards the end of blog) as well as plenty of places to eat at (chicken rice balls! chicken rice balls!) with chicken rice balls that would cost you ~RM4-5 each. Otherwise, other food available around the area isnt that expensive as well.


(Hitch a ride on a trishaw. One hour of sightseeing will cost you RM40)

Malacca itself has gone through tremendous improvements. Now there's even a river boat cruise! that seems to be gaining much in popularity. I wont be able to write about it since I didnt manage to hitch a ride, but from the boardwalk it seems like there deffinitely was critical mass. I just hope that it came with some explanations as well. The boardwalk itself is a new thing, its quite nice to walk along the river and just enjoy the breeze and the many (huge!) monitor lizards around the area.


(Cruising along the river)

The oldie's but goodies are still there of course, Jonker street, Afamosa, the churches, the mosque, the temples and the plentiful of small little cafe's all over the town. We went to the Dutch Cafe or also known as Kafe Orang Belanda for some incredibly delicious crepes! and coffee. When walking along Jonker, dont forget to also walk on the street behind it (closer to the Eye on Malaysia), there are quite a few cafes and hostels there and in perfect location too seeing that its super close to the historical sites.


(Inside St. Paul's church)

There are some things of course that I missed on my trip this time around, trishaw rides, eye on malaysia, river boat cruise, Peranakan Museum and all the other museums I wanted to see... butttttt thats the best part! seeing as its close enough to KL, you can always go down again for another trip!

p/s: Dont forget to try the famous Famosa Chicken Rice balls. They actually use a machine to make the rice balls! maybe if you come early enough you'll be able to see it being made. Its delicious! Dont forget the chilli!


(Chicken rice balls!)

Kg. Sg. Bumbun

Sorry for the lack of updates. I was still in Singapore last weekend for work and just got back yesterday. On the upside, my company has given me 3 days compensation for the weekend work and The Boyfriend and I are going to pretend its the weekend tomorrow!

I thought though since I havent updated in a while, that it would be worth updating you with something I did over the weekend sometime last year. I dont think Ill be going back again anytime soon, but its most deff worth a trip out I think.

The Boyfriend and I first saw these handiworks in Cameron Highlands. It was so amazing we couldnt believe it was all handmade. There was a news article on the people who did all the woodwork and we decided to pay them! a visit.


(Incredible statues all hand made!)

Located off in Klang, Kampung Sg. Bumbun comprises of the orang asli (aborigines) that focus on woodwork. They carve their gods generally used in a dance for worship. Originally each family would carve their own Gods. However as the community started swindling, theyve passed on different gods to the different members of the community.


(Hard at work)

Nowadays, their work has become a bit more commercial and they tend to sell it out to tourists. They make both masks as well as statues. When we saw the prices in Cameron Highlands, it was reaching RM1,000 plus each (mostly for the statues). However if you go there and try and buy it directly, you generally would get it for a much much lower price.



As mentioned, the masks were initially used in dance ritual, thus you can actually wear it over your head. I left buying a small 'owl' God (Got it for around RM80 if I remember correctly) and we left an order for The Boyfriends Dad. When I came back to pick it up, they had made an incredibly intricate (and semi scary) mask of wild boar God. The mouth piece was even hinged. When you place it over your face and open your mouth, the mask would open its mouth as well. We got this for around RM300plus.

It usually takes them about 2-3 days to make a small one and up to a week to make a large mask/ statue. The statues Im showing below took about 4 men ~8 days to complete. The woodwork here is truly truly impecable.


(This is as large as I am)

I recommend going over to see this at least once in your life, and bring cash so you can just buy things off the rack. I feel that its slowly dying out. When I last spoke to them, they mentioned there use to be tourist busses that would come down to see them, but nowadays its been really really slow for them as well.


(The shrine)

Kampung Sungai Bumbun. To get there, take the Federal Highway all the way to Klang, go all the way till you come up to the other end of Klang (the one with the Giant Jusco and mall which should be on your right) Keep on going straight all the way going straight on the flyover and just keep on going. Eventually you will see a sign that says Kg. Sg. Bumbun turn right. Turn right and keep going straight, you should pass the Sime Darby plantation on your left and right and there would be a Sime Darby office building on your right. Drive slow and there will be a small sign to your left that says Kg. Sg. Bumbun. Drive into the village and you will face a fork in the road. Turn right on the fork. Drive slowly on this one lane road. You will see houses to your right and left. But you will also see little huts that look standardized. This is where they do their work. Park anywhere and just wander up and down the road. The people are very friendly and you can just walk up to talk to them and ask them if you can watch them work.

Deff try and go before it gets too late and this tradition too gets wiped out from us.

Enjoy!