Merdeka

Despite certain Ministers claim that KLites lacked Merdeka spirit, I think it was more to do with certain unpopular individual rather than lack patriotism. With the SEA Games coming, Malaysian would be coming out in droves to support our home team I was sure. And with that, the Merdeka spirit would be soaring high.

Unfortunately, the statement by the said Minister seemed succeeded in only making himself unpopular. Life for the KLites would still go on. These KL folks are more likely to love their country than the Minister would think. Most of them studied abroad and had a sense of belonging to return home making a living here.

Maybe the Merdeka spirit for the minister was different from mine. So, good luck to him then ....

Rimau #KL2017

The SEA Games is gripping Malaysia at the moment and the opening ceremony had even yet to happen. So far Malaysia had won more than half a dozen gold medals and the momentum was building.

Last weekend, the area in front of Pavilion by the famous fountain were covered with these little critters. Those were little miniature tigers or Harimau, which had been given a cute moniker - Rimau.

I was sure by the end of the games, those Rimau would be everywhere .... From what I have seen the games had been embraced by the KLites all over. Hopefully the events would go on smoothly. I have yet to be able to watch any of the events so far but am certainly looking forward to it. Bangkit #KL2017.

New Look Bukit Bintang

It must have taken at least four years to get the MRT done around the centre of town. That was how long that famous intersection at Bukit Bintang was thrown into chaos, followed by the closure of Bukit Bintang Plaza - which is still being rebuilt.

Still some landscaping needed doing ...Another entrance round the cornerThose iconic landmarks ...It had finally be opened and the place had been cleaned up quite well. The traffic were starting to build but the flow was a lot smoother than it used to be. It looked less chaotic but I was sure once the new Bukit Bintang Plaza was built, the chaos would return.

Let's go across ...Passed the old Bukit Bintang towards Capitol Hotel and Low YatThe old car park being torn down ....The new MRT station there was still spankingly clean, transforming this area.

Back to Bukit BintangThere used to be a nice cafe there, which had been closed earlier this yearI am sure this crossing would be iconic in the futureI was at the intersection a few Sundays ago to have a feel of how the place had become. More cosmopolitan but on the whole rather too sterile for my liking. Maybe in the months to come, the place would acquire a character of its own, if not back to the old charm.

The Pantry

One of the advantage of staying around Bangsar is the number of cafe around where we live. Some were better known than others, some were right hidden gems. But lately the turnover rate of those cafes were pretty high, reflecting the uncertain economy.

The entrance with the rustic doorPleasant and uncluttered The special for today - linguine marinaraWe found a new place to sit a couple of Sundays ago about 5 minutes drive from the apartment. Nestled at a residential area in Lorong Kurau, The Pantry looked plain on the outside but really cosy once you stepped in. The rustic door helped the ambiance somewhat and inside the soft music in the background just set the mood for you to relax.

Tea for AnitaAnd coffee for me ....Anita went for the linguine marinaraI had the salted beef with plenty of cheese and fries The items on the menu were staples in these cafe but the highlight must be the pasta. It was fresh and delicious, served in portions just nice for a late afternoon snack or a spot of early dinner. The coffee was not bad either.

On the couple of occasions we had been there, the place had been relatively quiet but the quality of the food appeared consistent. It was not a bad place to spend an hour or so on a Sunday afternoon having a conversation or just catching up with things.

Sampling the ambiance ....

Ornaments and bitsI might be going there more often should I have some free time. I kinda like the place ....

Update on Sunday, August 13, 2017 at 11:23AM by Haris Abdul Rahman

Just found out that The Pantry will be closed and today was its last day ... Details here.

First MRT Ride

It had to start somewhere.

Even though half of the MRT line connecting Kajang and Sungai Buloh had been opened for the last 6 months, this was the first time I tried the ride. After parking my car at NU Sentral, I walked along KL Sentral towards the connecting station at Muzium Negara. A nice walk - across at least 6 escalators which were moving faster that I used to.

This way ...Then up this escalatorWalk straight on towards the entrance to Le Meridien and HiltonAnd further on ...After about 10 minutes, I reached the station proper, tapped my Touch & Go card, down another escalator to the platform. Very frequent train - every 8 minutes on that Saturday afternoon - which each train stretching along the whole station. It must have been 8 coaches per train at least which definitely made the journey both pleasant and efficient.

The coaches were also more spacious that the notoriously cramped Monorel - which not only had less frequent services, only served a couple of coaches per trip. It was night and day.

Everything was well postedAnd then we go deep undergroundAnd we go deeper ....Finally we reached the terminal. And time to get the tickets ...On the whole, I was very pleasantly surprised. It was more in keeping with KL heading towards a World Class city. The shame was the project was delayed a few times. Such public transport should have been in place 10, if not 15 years back. The fear moving forward would be the investments put in for maintenance. Generally speaking, we are good at building but slow to act and service what is crumbling ...

Now we are at the platform ...To the left, or to the right?Make sure you catch the right ride ...Finally reaching Bukit Bintang. Another escalator up ...Definitely worth a try and I personally would be using it more as the trip from NU Sentral to Bukit Bintang was nothing but pleasant. Best to take advantage of the 50% discounts before Merdeka.