From Where I am.........Kuala Lumpur

Bukit Bintang Crossing modelled after Shibuya Crossing

2013-05-21T16:05:00.002+08:00

It's a beautiful day outside today. Kuala Lumpur is bathed in bright sunshine, blue skies and cottony balls of whitest clouds. If you are visiting KL or Malaysia for that matter, an umbrella is a good friend. Not only do you need it for the rain, it comes in very handy on a sunny day.

Here, let me show you the kind of weather we are enjoying today..

A little inspiration from SK's post about his recent visit to Tokyo. Following is an image of the junction at Bukit Bintang at night. I do have a day picture of it but needs some looking.

Nothing special about this crossing or junction except that this junction is extremely busy during the day and could be the busiest right in the heart of the Golden Triangle. This is where Jalan Bukit Bintang meets Jalan Sultan Ismail.

Bukit Bintang crossing..

A few years ago, this junction was named Bukit Bintang Crossing or just Bintang Crossing, modelled after the famous Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo. At the famous Shibuya Crossing, traffic lights all go red at the same time allowing pedestrians to cross over to the other side all at once. Considering the volume of people crossing the street at this junction, the city mayor decided to adopt the same style as the Shibuya Crossing and convert this busy intersection naming it Bintang Crossing.

Not sure if it is still practised today because there is not much publicity about it nor any indication anywhere near the crossing. You may want to rope in some friends to check it out. But just be careful though.

A little tour of Kuala Lumpur on a rainy day

2013-05-18T15:38:00.000+08:00

What a glorious day it is today. By contrast, yesterday was just the opposite, weatherwise, that is.

When I set out on an errand yesterday, though it was morning it certainly could be mistaken for dusk and a grey one at that - and it was raining as well. At the rate and how early the rain started, flash floods came to mind and true enough, by evening, local papers were carrying news of flash floods in various parts of Kuala Lumpur and the Klang Valley. Here's one flooded area from NST.com

Let me show you the kind of weather it was yesterday in Kuala Lumpur as well as take you on a little tour of the part of the city where I went to.

Bummer! What a weather to start the day but the thought of it being Friday helped.

Then soon enough it turned dark and ominous, like a dark and sinister blanket overhead.

Further into the city, the weather got better allowing some more pictures to be taken. I wanted to show you a little bit of this part of Kuala Lumpur, the part that glitzy travel magazines don't often feature - mainly because it's the older part of the city (as opposed to the Bukit Bintang area) and practically no significant tourist attraction here. However, this part of town is a local shopper's paradise when it comes to bargains and range of products.

As a tourist, you may notice that the colonial past is still present in Kuala Lumpur as well as in other parts of the country particularly in the building architecture. This is the Medical Research Institute converted from an old colonial building. It is located near the KL General Hospital (which is further down the road to the left in the other direction).

Moving further down the street to the right of the above picture, we come to a junction of crossroads branching out to various parts of the city. Being an older part of the city, prewar shophouses like the ones in the picture below are still a part of the landscape of this part of town.

Come Hari Raya (Aidil Fitri) and Deepavali (Festival of Lights), this part of town becomes bustling with activity just like Chinatown during Chinese New Year. You can find practically everything here from day-to-day products to wedding paraphernalia to popular festival items such as regular items like clothes and shoes to headwear (including and especially songkok) to fabrics for clothes and curtains, rugs and carpets, gold jewellery, you name it. In this area there is a huge wet market, Chow Kit market, which serves a wide clientele from humble homes to restaurants. A good place to check out if you like going to markets. It opens every day of the week from pre-dawn to dusk and into the night though I'd advise going there during the day.

More prewar shophouses. In fact, they flank both sides of the street. This street used to be called Batu Road. There must be a reason for it being named such as 'Batu' means stone in the local Malay language. Notice 'Road' instead of 'Jalan' the local version. We can only conclude that this road name was coined during the British colonial times. Today, this street is called Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman after Malaysia's first Prime Minister. Jalan means road or street in the local Malay language and Jalan is placed ahead of the name.

Prewar shophouses.. Apologies for the blur image..

My stop yesterday was at Jalan Sultan Ismail. Jalan Sultan Ismail is in the Golden Triangle and home to a number of 5-star hotels in the city. If you were coming from Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, as mentioned above, you would pass by the Renaissance Kuala Lumpur on the left (though this hotel is at the junction of Jalan Sultan Ismail and Jalan Ampang (where the Petronas Twin Towers are) and next to Renaissance is New World Hotel.

This is the facade of Renaissance Hotel taken yesterday on the way back..

Crossing over the intersection with Jalan Ampang onto Jalan Sultan Ismail is the Concorde Hotel, also on the left side. (Incidentally, here in Malaysia, we drive on the left side of the road.) Hard Rock Cafe is located in the Concord Hotel. Equatorial Hotel (now under renovation) is closeby. On the opposite side of the road is Shangri-la Hotel. There is a monorail station nearby as well as an LRT (Dang Wangi) station.

On the way back to the office, my drive was along the same route.

Visibility was still affected by the weather (remember it is still early part of the morning) which requires cars turning on their headlights.

What caught me by surprise here was the pedestrian walkway on the left, which only goes to show how long I've not visited this area. This covered walkway meanders over a few streets and a lot safer for pedestrians not having to battle auto-traffic down below. The structure on the right is the monorail track. This was taken near Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur hotel. This is still along Jalan Sultan Ismail, the tail-end.

A closeup of the nice walkway..

I've often read about Maju Junction but have not been there. This is a new shopping complex this side of the city. The complex houses a few government departments including the Road Transport Department. The building is shown below the red arrow in the following picture.

Notice the covered pedestrian walkway extending right up to this Maju Junction. Very neat!

If you intend to visit Kuala Lumpur, the next landmark in this area may interest you.

This is the Tune Hotel, the only one in the city. It is right opposite Maju Junction which is an ideal place to stay if you are looking for a nice hotel on a budget. How convenient is that!

Forgive shaky hands..Maju Juction is across the street on the left (not in picture)..

And that, ladies and gentlemen, we've come to the end of the short tour. Hope I didn't bore you too much. :D

Sir Richard Branson dons a skirt on AirAsia for losing a bet

2013-05-17T18:28:00.000+08:00

Virgin chief executive Richard Branson made his debut as a female flight attendant this weekend, donning a stewardess' uniform and serving drinks to passengers after he lost a bet with a fellow airline magnate.

The Virgin Group founder was honoring a bet made with Air Asia's CEO Tony Fernandes over whose team would win the 2010 Formula 1 Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi.

Shaving his legs for the bet but keeping his beard, Branson wore heels, false eyelashes, makeup and red lipstick while serving customers on an Air Asia flight from Perth to Kuala Lumpur.
More.. including video..Virgin's Branson Dons a Dress After Losing Bet

The interview by CNBC with Sir Richard was conducted in Singapore. Could that be the iconic rooftop Sands SkyPark infinity pool at the Marina Bay Sands hotel behind Sir Richard?

Source: CNBC
Watch video..

Images from videos

Friday Frolics - Is Your Soul Hippie, Punk, or Goth?

2013-05-17T08:32:00.000+08:00

I am what I am..

Happy Friday!

You Have a Hippie Soul

You are free as the wind, and you don't like following rules.

You're open minded and nonjudgemental. You just enjoy the journey of life.

You're neither a leader nor a follower. You own your own blissful path.

You believe that people should love more and hate less. It's really that simple.

Is Your Soul Hippie, Punk, or Goth?

Learn Something Surprising About Yourself

Last Week's Quiz: How Should You Change The World?

Malaysia's New Cabinet

2013-05-16T07:46:00.000+08:00

After the controversial win at the recently-held General Election, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced his new Cabinet line-up on Wednesday saying that it was a balanced Cabinet made up of ministers who were a mix of the experienced, technocrats and the young. He retained Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as his deputy. The new Cabinet will be sworn in at 3pm on Thursday.

The new line-up of Ministers and Deputy Ministers are:

Prime Minister: Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak

Deputy Prime Minister: Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin

1. Prime Minister's Department:

Ministers:
Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom
Datuk Seri Abdul Wahid Omar (to be appointed senator)
Datuk Seri Idris Jala (to be appointed senator)
Tan Sri Joseph Kurup
Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim
Nancy Shukri
Datuk Joseph Entulu Belaun
Datuk Paul Low Seng Kuan (to be appointed senator)

Deputy Ministers:
Datuk Razali Ibrahim
P. Waythamoorthy (to be appointed senator)

2. Finance Ministry:
Minister I: Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak
Minister II: Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah
Deputy Minister: Datuk Ahmad Maslan

3. Education Ministry:
Minister I: Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin
Minister II Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh
Deputy Minister I: Datuk Mary Yap
Deputy Minister II: P. Kamalanathan

4. Home Affairs Ministry:
Minister: Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi
Deputy Minister: Datuk Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar

5. Communication and Multimedia Ministry:
Minister: Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek
Deputy Minister: Datuk Jailani Johari

6. International Trade and Industry Ministry:
Minister: Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed
Deputy Minister: Hamim Samuri

7. Natural Resources and Environment Ministry:
Minister: Datuk Seri G. Palanivel
Deputy Minister: Datuk James Dawos Mamit

8. Transport Ministry:
Minister: Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein (acting)
Deputy Minister: Datuk Aziz Kaprawi

9. Tourism and Culture Ministry:
Minister: Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz
Deputy Minister: Datuk Joseph Salang

10. Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry:
Minister: Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob
Deputy Minister: Datuk Tajuddin Abdul Rahman

11. Defence Ministry:
Minister: Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein
Deputy Minister: Datuk Abdul Rahim Bakri

12. Works Ministry:
Minister: Datuk Fadillah Yusof
Deputy Minister: Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin

13. Health Ministry:
Minister: Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam
Deputy Minister: Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahaya

14. Youth and Sports Ministry:
Minister: Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar
Deputy Minister: Datuk M. Saravanan

15. Human Resources Ministry:
Minister: Datuk Richard Riot
Deputy Minister: Datuk Ismail Abdul Muttalib

16. Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry:
Minister: Datuk Hasan Malek
Deputy Minister: Datuk Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah (to be appointed senator)

17. Women, Family and Community Development Ministry:
Minister: Datuk Rohani Abdul Karim
Deputy Minister: Datuk Azizah Mohd Dun

18. Foreign Affairs Ministry:
Minister: Datuk Seri Anifah Aman
Deputy Minister: Datuk Hamzah Zainuddin

19. Urban Well-being, Housing and Local Government Ministry:
Minister: Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahalan
Deputy Minister: Datuk Halimah Sadique

20. Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry:
Minister: Datuk Seri Douglas Uggah Embas
Deputy Minister: Datuk Noriah Kasnon

21. Rural and Regional Development Ministry:
Minister: Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal
Deputy Minister: Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi

22. Federal Territories Ministry:
Minister: Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor
Deputy Minister: Datuk Dr J. Loga Bala Mohan

23. Energy, Green Technology and Water Ministry:
Minister: Datuk Seri Maximus Ongkili
Deputy Minister: Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid

24. Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry:
Minister: Datuk Dr Ewon Ebin
Deputy Minister: Datuk Dr Abu Bakar Mohamad Diah

Number of Ministries: 24

Number of Ministers: 30

Number of Deputy Ministers: 27

Total: 57

Source: The Star..Malaysia’s new Cabinet

From The Malaysian Insider..

Have you heard of Groove Juice?

2013-05-15T21:18:00.000+08:00

A colleague bought a piano for her son who recently started piano lessons. She's glad it's the piano that he's interested in instead of drums. She's actually concerned about the maintenance part of the musical instrument when she said that. While the maintenance of a piano is by a piano professional technician, a drum set is not, she thinks, or at least the cymbals need to be cleaned every now and again to get rid of the dirt and give them back their shine.

No cause for worry, I thought, because nowadays there are good cleaning liquids available that are able to do the job with less effort and in a shorter time too.

Groove Juice is one such product I saw online the other day. All you need to do is to give the cymbal a spray or two, let it sit and then scrub it off with either a kitchen pot scrubber or a toothbrush. The cymbals will come out as good and shiny as new. The ad says it doesn't smell awful as there is no ammonia in it.

If I own a drum set or cymbals, I would certainly buy groove juice. For that price and the work it does, I'd be crazy not to give the product a try.

The Kardashian Kollection

2013-05-14T12:20:00.001+08:00

If you are a fan of the Kardashians, their clothes, their reality tv shows, and if you are in the UK, here's a chance to grab a copy of the Fabulous Magazine of the three Kardashian ladies (Kourtney, Kim and Khloe) on the cover which features them wearing their new Kardashian Kollection for Dorothy Perkins. Or get the magazine free this Sunday with The Sun newspaper - in the UK.

Source

Manchester United Champions 2013 Trophy Presentation - May 12 2013 - Old Trafford

2013-05-13T13:13:00.000+08:00

I'm seeing a spike in blog traffic today (which actually started last night) from keywords relating to Manchester United Champion 2013. Surprisingly, the bulk of the traffic comes from Great Britain and Indonesia, the latter a real surprise. Local Malaysia traffic comes in third.

It happens. Sometimes we write a post that hits an interest level at the time and the post could even remain as one that constantly gets traffic over the months, years even. These are posts that make it all worthwhile, you know what I mean.

As for the match last night between Manchester United and Swansea City at Old Trafford, it was a good game to watch but the highlight of the night was the trophy presentation after the game. Last night's game was the 723rd game and the last game for Sir Alex Ferguson for the Old Trafford club. David Moyes takes over from the next game on May 19 which is the last match of the season in which MU will play West Brom. If MU wins this game, it will bring them to 91 points, just one point shy of their highscore of 92 during their 1993/94 season and the same score as their 1999/2000 season. At one point, MU looked set to break the record of 95 which was set by Jose Mourinho's Chelsea side in 2004/05.

It was a 2-1 match win for MU last night with a late 87-minute winning goal by defender Rio Ferdinand whose last goal was scored in Jan 2008, if I remember correctly what the commentator said. It's memorable for Ferdinand that being the last game for Sir Alex. Last night was also the last game for Paul Scholes who retires the same day as Sir Alex and which he (Sir Alex) acknowledged in his farewell speech.

Sir Alex says farewell - watch video

'Nuff said. If a picture tells a thousand words, here are a few thousands and more on the Manchester United website. Enjoy the celebration (MU supporters), albeit virtually..

Manchester United Champions 2013, also their 20th Premier League trophy..

All images are from Manutd.com

Manchester United receiving 20th Premier League trophy tonight

2013-05-12T10:38:00.000+08:00

Source: Manutd.com
Two more matches to go before we come to the end of yet another great English football season especially for fans of Manchester United the latter who are the Champions this season. Yes, Manchester United are the Champions for 2012/2013 season. This is their 20th Premier League title. Check out photos of the trophy-presentation and celebration at Old Trafford..

(Incidentally, Wigan beat Manchester City last night at the FA Cup finals. This means MU will be playing Wigan at next year's Community Shield game at the start of the new season.)

Manchester United will be receiving the Barclay's Premier League trophy after the (last home) game tonight with Swansea at Old Trafford. The game starts at 11pm Malaysia time. Mamak stalls and pubs tonight (Bangsar area comes to mind) will be packed with patrons filling tables anxiously waiting for the jubilant trophy-lifting moment, a significant event in any club's history. In Malaysia, watching an English Premier League game is ingrained into the Malaysian culture.

The match schedule..

MU will play the last game of the season next week on May 19 against West Brom. Tonight's game will be the last for Sir Alex as manager of the club.

Sir Alex retires from Manchester United after almost 27 years with the club since he joined on Nov 6, 1986. He will remain at MU as director and club ambassador.

As one who has been instrumental in the club's success, Sir Alex's announcement of his leaving some two weeks ago had an impact on MU's stock price. The club’s share price fell as much as 3.5 percent in early trading in New York within hours of the statement from Britain though it recovered some and was down 1.44 percent in afternoon trading.

Ferguson has seldom missed a day on the training field, much less a night in the competitive arena, whereas a coach his teams accumulated 49 trophies — including 13 seasons as England’s champion but only two, in 1999 and 2008, as the Champions League winner.

Ferguson’s reign makes him the most successful manager and coach — rolled into one — that the sport has ever seen. It is difficult to think of any comparable tenure in sports, politics or business during his time at United. (NY Times)

Who will succeed Sir Alex? There were a number of club managers who were being speculated to succeed Sir Alex. NY Times' list includes Real Madrid's Jose Mourinho, David Moyes of Everton, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer formerly of MU, Pep Guardiola, Jürgen Klopp of Borussia Dortmund and a few other honourable mentions. If you had put your money on David Moyes, you would have won as David Moyes, 50, a fellow Scot, has been named to replace Sir Alex. He takes over in July.

Ferguson, knighted in the British custom for outstanding service to his ‘'industry, faces surgery when this season is done. He will undergo hip surgery in August.

We Are The Champions!

Source: NY Times

Tulips for Mother's Day

2013-05-11T13:46:00.002+08:00

Source: The Star
It's springtime in Paris where tulips and primroses are in full bloom in front of the Eiffel Tower as pictured above. Remember there is a Tulip Sale for Charity at the concourse of Sungei Wang Plaza today from 11am onwards. Surprise your mom with tulips this year. Buy her a pretty bunch of tulips flown in by KLM all the way from the Netherlands.

To All Mothers, Happy Mother's Day, May your day be filled with love and happiness.

Of breweries and pubs, stainless steel & aluminium fabrications

2013-05-10T21:38:00.000+08:00

Amediate Engineering is a specialist engineering company that provides Aluminium Fabrication, stainless steel and steel metal fabrication for commercial and industrial products. If you or your company is looking for specialist fabrication work, you've come to the right place.

Amediate Engineering is based in Auckland, New Zealand, and provides specialist fabrication services from design to product installation for a wide range of commercial and industrial applications.

They include breweries and bar pourers; telecommunication installations (including installation of frame with high lift crane over 4 x funnels with 20mm total clearance); civil and ground works in which their house team is able to provide and manage a large variety of concrete works including those hard to access areas; platforms and walkways to facilitate routine service work on roof, for instance; truck trailers; boilers; custom signal masts; production line systems; building and fencing; installation of solar panels and wind vane; signboards manufacture and installation; crane and lift works; ladders and mounts as well as site specialist fabrication fit-outs and a host of many other custom fabrication and installation works. Making an enquiry is easy on their website.

Some of Amediate Engineering's fabrication work and clientele include larger fabrication, machining and installation work of up to 10 tonnes for companies including Portacom, Westinghouse Rail Systems Australia, Invensys Rail, DB Breweries, Lion Breweries, Thermosash, Arrow International, Rayglass Boats, Vodafone, Ullrich Aluminium, The NZ Fire Service, Telecom, Transfield, NZ Communications, 2 Degrees Mobile, Sky Communications, Infratel, and Compac Sorting Equipment.

Amediate Engineering is also specialist Stainless Steel Fabricators for breweries and pubs which entails bar construction from design stage to fabrication and fit-out of brass beer taps and stainless steel systems.

Their brewery and bar systems are built in their Auckland factory and their experienced staff (with over 250 years combined experience) then install them on location, for instance at Christchurch, Wellington, Auckland and even Tahiti. They custom-design and manufacture bar pourers, drip trays and other accessories needed in modern bars, clubs and pubs.

Some of their recent projects include for Cock & Bull English Pubs, R’toto Pub & Café, The Loaded Hog - Akl & Levin, Sales St Brasserie, Yellow Cross Brewery - Christchurch & Temperance Bar - Wellington.

Other custom fabrication projects include shop fitting design, manufacture and installation for Snipps Hair Design, North Beach Surf & Skate as well as many other smaller retail outlets.

Amediate Engineering has been in business since 1992 founded by Ken & Tania Brown-Bayliss.

Ken is a qualified fitter and turner and over the last 20 years has built Amediate Engineering Ltd with a reputation of designing and producing superior quality engineering products, getting them completed on time, on budget, every time.

How would we know if a company is good enough to do business with. Amediate Engineering's list of clients speaks volumes and further reinforced by their customer testimonials. Don't just take my word for it, you have to check them out to appreciate the exemplary work and the highest quality of products and services provided.

With the kind of engineering projects they undertake, safety is also a priority at Amediate Engineering alongside ensuring timely delivery of quality products and services. Safety can cover from eye protection to hearing protection to foot protection and so forth. For foot protection, there are various types of Safety Boots that serve different purposes. At Amediate Engineering, safety is emphasised at all times. A safe place is a happy place to work and with that superior quality of products produced. Ultimately, it is the customer who reaps the reward of a positive company culture.

Friday Frolics - How Should You Change The World?

2013-05-10T16:48:00.000+08:00

This week's quiz is about how best you could change the world based on your personality. Take the quiz to find out how.

Happy Friday, everyone!

You Should Change the World By Helping Others

You can truly be there for another person. When you care, you are incredibly giving and compassionate.

You're incredibly thoughtful and able to give people what they need most. Generosity simply makes you feel good.

You are willing to be a voice for those who don't have one. You always speak up to defend others' rights.

You believe in helping on a community level. You are happy to feed the hungry and cloth the homeless.

How Should You Change The World?

Take a Quiz. Annoy Your Friends.

Last Week's Quiz: What's Your Motivational Phrase?

Celebrity Fashion - What were they thinking?

2013-05-09T13:54:00.000+08:00

What they were thinking? It can happen to the best of us..

Kim Kardashian

Source: http://omg.yahoo.com
Adrienne Maloof

Source: http://omg.yahoo.com
Ciara

Source: http://omg.yahoo.com
Ivana Trump

Source: http://omg.yahoo.com
Jade Jagger

Source: http://omg.yahoo.com
Katie Price

Source: http://omg.yahoo.com
There's more where these came from - at Expressogossip

Cargo ship slams into tower in Genoa, Italy

2013-05-08T13:13:00.001+08:00

Ugly! Just read about this cargo ship that slammed into a tower in Genoa, Italy. Genoa is the capital of Liguria and the sixth largest city in Italy.

ROME, Italy: Three people died and several others were missing in the water in the port of Genoa on Wednesday, after a container ship smashed into a control tower in a night-time accident which revived painful memories in Italy of a deadly cruise ship disaster last year.

Part of the tower in which about 14 people were present at the time of the accident crashed into the water.

Rescue workers dived into the inky waters around the port - one of the busiest in Italy - in a frantic night-time search to find around 10 people believed to be missing.

Six others were reported seriously injured.

An employee of the Messina Line company based in Genoa which owns the vessel confirmed that "there was an accident when the ship was leaving the port. It ran into the tower, but we don't know why at this point, nor how many people are hurt."

The accident, which took place at around half past midnight (2230 GMT Tuesday), spooked Italians still reeling from the Costa Concordia night-time shipwreck off Giglio island in January 2012 which left 32 people dead.

More..Three dead, several missing in Italy shipping accident

Source: Wikipedia

Philippines volcano spews rocks killing 5 people

2013-05-08T07:30:00.000+08:00

One of the most active volcanoes in the Philippines rumbled to life yesterday, spewing rocks ‘as big as a living room’ according to one guide. 30 climbers were caught surprised. Five people (including three Germans and their guide) have been killed and many others injured. The injured are all foreigners.

The 2,460m mountain, about 340km south-east of Manila, has erupted about 40 times during the last 400 years.

Read more: Today..Philippine volcano spews rocks, kills 5 climbers

Blue skies not Haze in Kuala Lumpur

2013-05-07T13:11:00.003+08:00

No, there's no haze here in Kuala Lumpur currently, the weather kind, that is. This post is in response to a number of searches the past few days enquiring about haze in Kuala Lumpur 2013. Or was it this haze they meant.

From observation all these years, May is not a month for haze (although we did have some haze for a few days in March of this year). Come back to check in Aug/Sep and you'd be reading about the smog that usually envelopes the west coast of the peninsula - mostly due to open field burning in Sumatra (Indonesia) as the people there get ready for the planting season. Malaysia is separated from the main island of Indonesia by the narrow Straits of Malacca. There are passenger boats plying the straits facilitating travel between the two countries.

A check on Google shows that I have talked about hazy days a number of times over the years. I thought I'd put together a montage of images from those posts to give you an idea of what it was like during those foggy days in Kuala Lumpur and in other parts of the country.

In case you may be wondering, most days Kuala Lumpur has blue skies and bright sunshine and the iconic Petronas Twin Towers resplendent in all their glory just like in these shots which were taken on a trip to the KL City Centre and the city one fine weekend morning.

Come visit Kuala Lumpur, a city that's listed at No. 4 on CNN's The world's 10 best shopping cities in Nov 2012 (Hong Kong at No. 6); and No. 2 best shopping city in Asia Pacific behind Hong Kong according the latest Globe Shopper Index in Oct 2012. And the food.. definitely a treat for the tastebuds!

Malaysia General Election results

2013-05-06T17:40:00.000+08:00

Yahoo! news..
4am: Final tally: Barisan Nasional holds 133 seats, Pakatan Rakyat gets 89 seats (PKR, 30; PAS, 21; and DAP, 38).

This means that the National Front (the Barisan nasional coalition) extends its rule of the country which they have been doing the past 56 years!

For the state assembly seats, Barisan won 275 seats; PR 230 seats (DAP, 95; PAS, 86; and PKR, 49).

The Opposition is not taking the results lying down as they have cited fraud (no secret actually) and the Opposition leader, Anwar Ibrahim, says the EC must explain the electoral fraud that happened during polling session.

I was seated next to a guy at the mamak stall the other day and we started talking about the forthcoming election and he said something interesting when we touched on the subject about enrolling foreigners to vote. He said that Malaysia could be the only country in the world that is doing that. The young (Malay) man was shaking his head. This is just one malpractice engaged to ensure victory at the polls and at all costs. There are more dirty tricks (read seditious activities). I'm embarrassed to even write about them. The end justifies the means - never more true! Disgusting is all I can say!

The Opposition is not accepting the decision - Pakatan rejects GE13 results, cries fraud

Pakatan Rakyat should not concede defeat!

Australia's ABC.net..
Malaysia's polls close amid fraud claims

Anwar seeks ‘national consensus’ to reject BN rule. A mass gathering will be held at the Kelana Jaya Stadium at 8:30pm this Wednesday where he will address Malaysians for the first time after the polls.

This afternoon, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak took his oath of office as Prime Minister at the Palace.

Earlier, Najib thanked voters for their support of the coalition to continue to lead the country.

The Barisan chairman reaffirmed that all pledges in the Barisan manifesto would be fulfilled.

The Malaysian Composite Index surged to an all-time high of 1,826 points early today, while the ringgit advanced to the highest since 1997 against the US dollar.

Tonight is the Night - Polling results and Man Utd vs Chelsea

2013-05-05T15:34:00.000+08:00

Like a good citizen, I headed to the polls bright and early this morning. It was already hot but I was lucky to be in the queue with some shade from a row of trees nearby. Didn't need to put to use that umbrella I brought along. The Met Department was right when it forecast rain in the afternoon. It rained for a while but seems to have stopped, at least in my area - with an hour and a half to go before polling ends at 5pm.

This is the queue I was in.. and like everyone else, I came away with an inked fingernail on the left index finger. Read that this would stay on for a week or so but somebody suggested a paint thinner would do the trick of removing all traces of the indelible ink. Maybe so, but I won't. It screams "I voted!" - some sort of a bragging right. You know what I mean?

Tonight would be a suspenseful night for candidates and government administrators of both sides when ballot-counting begins.

For those of us who care, we'd be glued to the tv anxiously following the results.

For football fans, there is to look forward to the match between English League champions, Manchester United and Chelsea, the latter currently in 4th place with two games in hand with 65 points. The match starts at 11pm.

League standings as of today, May 5

Have a wonderful evening!

Malaysia Polling Day - GE13

2013-05-05T07:45:00.000+08:00

Today is the day! Malaysians go to the polls today, May 5. Will we have a new government for the next five years or will the government that has been governing Malaysia the past 55 years continue its 'reign' at Putrajaya..

Candidates are vying for 222 parliamentary seats and 505 state seats which means some polling centres will have two ballot boxes.

Voters are encouraged to bring their umbrellas as the Malaysian Meteorological Department has forecast thunderstorms and rain in 109 of the 222 parliamentary constituencies Sunday afternoon.

Related articles:
- Public holiday in certain states
- Helpful information - Casting Your Vote on Polling Day - May 5
- Yep, even the Mangoes..
- Mari Mari Mengundi - a new twist to an old familiar tune

Image sources:
- Google
- The Star

Public holiday in certain states

2013-05-04T17:47:00.001+08:00

Monday has been declared as a public holiday for Selangor.

Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim said the decision was made for the convenience of voters, who would go to the polls tomorrow.

And in Penang, Caretaker Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said Monday would be a holiday for Penang.

Kedah declares May 5 a public holiday. Sunday is a workday in Kedah.

Kelantan has declared a "cuti peristiwa" (occasional holiday) for polling day on May 5, a Sunday, which is a working day in the state.

The Terengganu government has declared polling day on May 5 a public holiday, joining Kelantan and Kedah which had announced this earlier.

Happy casting your vote tomorrow!

Free Foreclosure listings

2013-05-04T14:33:00.000+08:00

Looking for a foreclosure home in the U.S.?

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This free foreclosure website has an extensive listing of foreclosure homes and properties from Alaska to California on the east coast, from Maine to Florida on the west and all states in between and not forgetting Hawaii. The site also provides a list of banks and financial institutions with Real Estate Owned Foreclosures. For a wider choice, you can also find a list of Top Foreclosure Auction websites here.

Whether it's Free REO foreclosures you are looking for or if you have a foreclosure listing you want listed, Free Foreclosures is the place. If you are a realtor, you can get listed here as their city foreclosure real estate expert for free.

Helpful information - Casting Your Vote on Polling Day - May 5

2013-05-03T17:33:00.000+08:00

An Opposition rally at Gelang Patah, Johore, on Labour Day
The time is fast drawing near. In two more days, Malaysians will go to the polls.

May 5th is the day of reckoning as to whether Malaysia will see a new government (of the Opposition coalition - Pakatan Rakyat) or return the National Front coalition (Barisan Nasional) government for the next five years. Since the country's independence in 1957, Barisan Nasional has been the only government the people has known.

Will Malaysians see a change of power in this fiercely-fought general election touted as the mother of all elections?

If you are going to the polls this Sunday, the following information from an email might be helpful.

The writer says:

I have just completed my training to be a Polling Agent/Counting Agent/Barung Agent for this 13th GE to be held this coming 5th May 2013. I hope to be assigned to the Kota Kemuning voting centre but due to needs and other factors, I may be moved somewhere else. Personally, I am voting at Khee Beng school in Jln Bkt Kemuning and I suspect most of us who registered using our Permai address will be voting there. This can be checked on line at http://daftarj.spr.gov.my/semakpru13.aspx

I am writing this email becos of the many things you must be aware of before you go to the polling center. I 'll try my best to list them down here.

1. Be at the polling center real early, as I m suspecting that there may be a long queue due to the new polling process. Many will be sick of waiting and waste their vote. Don't be a fool to do that. Polling center opens at 8am till 5pm. If queue is long, hang in there, do not leave even after 5pm once you entered. Polling center gate closes at 5:00pm sharp RTM time. Polling continues till all in queue is done, regardless of time.

2. Check on-line first (http://daftarj.spr.gov.my/semakpru13.aspx) and print out your details before going to the voting center. You may be able to by-pass the Barung counter since you have a printout and know where to go and thus short cut your time.

3. Bring your IC, if you lost your IC, then use the temp IC. If you also lost your temp IC, then you can use your passport. Avoid using passport as we the counting agents will insist you fill up a Borang 11 which will take time, and affects the queue. This time EC allows even Gov't employee tag... hmmm... polling agent will seek verification if sees anyone using that.

4. Make sure your left hand index finger is clean, any makings or stains will caused you to be disallowed to vote. If you got band aid plaster on that finger, they will require you to use the right hand index instead. The default is left hand index finger. No stains allow on either fingers. The polling kerani will mark your left index finger with an ink.

5. Important! The ink will take about 30 second to dry. Bring along a tissue to dry off your finger before holding your ballot papers. Any smudge or stain on the ballot paper will render it spoiled vote. So be extremely careful. Now you understand why you need to be there early.

6. Your ballot paper will have a serial number, but must be clean of any extra marking or words or stains, smudge, pencil/pen marking or dots or TEAR on all the surface of the ballot papers. YOU CAN REJECT THE PIECE OF BALLOT PAPER AND INSIST ON A NEW ONE IF YOU SEE ANY OF THOSE. Do not be intimidated by anyone there as this is your ABSOLUTE RIGHT.

7. Ensure that the kerani that handed you the ballot paper, do not write the serial No. of your ballot papers next to your name on the list. He or she is suppose to just neatly cross out your name on the list. If you see that she wrote something, please raise hell. Make sure she crosses out your name on her list and we will do the same on ours.

8. If in some strange (may happen) event you were told that you have already voted, eventho you have not, and your fingers have no markings, you MUST raise hell. We the polling agents will raise hell too. It means that somebody has voted on your behalf. You will be required to fill forms and etc. Remember, your constitutional right to vote.

9. Do not wear any t-shirt or buttons or hat that is aligned to any of the political parties. You will be ask to remove or disallowed to enter the polling center.

10. When casting your vote, be careful not to make any other marks on the ballot paper. You will be using a pen instead of the usual pencil. So if you make a mistake and it is accidental, please request for a new ballot paper. They have 10% extra papers to cater for this sort of things.

11. Fold the ballot paper neatly in half checking to see that all is in order before proceeding to the ballot boxes. Here, we will have 2 ballot boxes for Parliament and State.

12. At the ballot boxes, SHOW and put the ballot paper into their corresponding box. Stand there to ensure that the kerani push your vote into the box. Please do not have any tissue or other paper in your hands as you may be stopped for search by the Polling agent. We are trained to look out for people who brings out their blank voting papers to sell. Don't do that, you 'll go to jail.

13. This time, we have 4 candidates for Parliament and 3 candidates for State. Please vote wisely and your vote is your right and it is nobody's bizzness on who you vote for it is PnC.

14. I am not aware of any special lane for the disabled or elderly.

15. Please send the words out to all your foreign friends or employees to avoid being seen near or around all polling centers. They may put themselves in harms way. This is actually a warning to all of them that I got in the internet. Especially those who somehow got blue IC.

Please do read again what I have written and feel free to forward to all your friends, make sure that everyone goes to vote. Every vote counts. This election is most crucial and super dirty.

Thank you.

Happy voting!

Friday Frolics - What's Your Motivational Phrase?

2013-05-03T13:23:00.000+08:00

Some of us have some motto or phrase that keeps us going or motivated or guide us through life. This week's quiz tells me mine is Don't Worry, Be Happy. Interesting!

What's yours? Take the quiz to find out..

Happy Friday!

You Are "Don't Worry Be Happy"

You're very unique, but you meld well with a group. You are easy to get along with.

You are a positive thinker and a true optimist. You believe in filling your life with good things.

You do your own thing, but you're always thinking of the community around you.

You like to let loose every once and a while. You don't take yourself too seriously.

What's Your Motivational Phrase?

Friday Frolics: Cheaper Than a Therapist

Last Week's Quiz: How Does Your Cookie Crumble?

Get Tulips for Mother's Day - KLM Charity Tulip Sale

2013-05-02T08:28:00.000+08:00

Like last year and the years before, the KLM Annual Charity Tulip Sale will be back again for Mother's Day this year.

Be at Sungei Wang Plaza concourse on Saturday, May 11 from 11am onwards for a chance to buy a lovely bouquet (tulips air-flown by KLM all the way from the Netherlands) for your mother, your loved ones or for yourself. All for a good cause.

Priced from RM5 each, there will be 3,777 stalks for sale. Purchase 150 stalks of tulips and get a FREE bottle of Lanvin Eclat D’Arpege EDP worth RM205!

Source

The Banglas have arrived..

2013-05-01T14:40:00.001+08:00

An email came in with these pictures - droves of foreigners (from Bangladesh, presumably) were spotted arriving at KLIA. Nice white tees and so lucky, ready buses waiting..

Are they here to fill jobs in the palm oil industry, do you think?

Image source unknown