More Kelby Photowalk

You can tell that it has been a while since I have been pressing the shutter on my 7D. I did not have much opportunity during Ramadhan to do so. I wish that one of this evening I will be able to take the camera out to Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman to mingle with the crowd. It may still happen, but for the meantime, I thought I might as well upload more pictures from the recent Scott Kelby Worldwide photowalk.

KTMB Headquarters, opposite the old KTM station in the middle of KL

Masjid NegaraTied up in a knotLining up to cross the road. By the Masjid Jamek monorail station.We stopped for lunch at an Indian shop by Lebuh AmpangNasi daun pisangLebuh AmpangSaya Anak Malaysia - Lebuh AmpangThe sign on the wall - Lebuh AmpangWinson Hotel, near Jalan PetalingFresh flowers at Chinatown

Finally ....

Finally Irfan agreed for a haircut. It has been a good 4 months. His hair was getting thick and he was getting sleepless night with his scalp being itchy. Even then, it was really tough getting him to agree for a haircut. After much bribery, we brought him to a hairdresser in IKANO. Even the hairdresser was asking me twice what kind of haircut did ‘she’ need. Everybody was mistaking him for a girl …..

He sat down. Rigid, awaiting the fate of his hair, clearly upset. 10 minutes later, everything was done. No drama. On the way back, he said he did not mind going there again …. which was just as well.

Raya Decor at The Curve

It was three more weeks to Hari Raya. The shopping malls has started decorating their lobby for the occasion. Since the boys were ill last weekend, we did not have the chance to explore. Earlier on Sunday, after getting Irfan his haircut, we spent some time at The Curve.

Not a great vantage point to watch a show wasn't it?Neat lighting hanging down from the ceiling The main lobby was spruced up with a replica Malay kampung house. When we arrived there in the afternoon, there was a show going on. A Malay dance troupe were doing some traditional numbers. The replica house was complete with old bicycles and a antique motor car. Unfortunately the house itself was not open to the public.

Antique car and bicycle

The rest of the foyer was occupied with stalls selling clothes, cookies and other Hari Raya goodies. The stuffs were however rather expensive. Never the less, it was great fun browsing around. Initially Puan Anita wanted to have a look at the Sunday Market, but due to the hot weather, puasa and all, she decided otherwise.

Iftar at Flamingo

One of my pet grief is having iftar at hotels or restaurants. They usually offer buffet. Often with not much choice with the patrons clamoring for the offerings. The price were never cheap. You will be doing well to get them for less than RM50 per head. You also have to think about the children - with will also be charged even though there weren’t fasting, and the maid. With all the chaos, jostling for food and table, it can often be a frustrating time. And then, there was the traffic getting in and the parking. We ended up arriving very early, staring at the food, with the children driving us up the wall!

When my sister Julia asked if we wanted to take our parents out for iftar, I cringed a bit. Over the years, it had not been that pleasant an experience. We phoned a few joints, but they were already booked. Understandable. It was Saturday evening after all. Puan Anita then went through her Halal Food Guide book and came across Flamingo Hotel in Ampang and gave it a call. A couple tables were booked. Flamingo it was.

Driving in was fine. Got there around 7 pm. Shortly after, with all the fumes and excitement, Idlan had an asthma attack. Oops! We forgotten to bring the inhalers. A mad dash back home and a lecture from mum-in-law later, and all was well. I got in around 10 minutes after iftar. Puan Anita got the food ready for me, sparing me the hassle of queuing for food. Off we went.

The selection were authentic Malay. There were bukhari rice, tempoyak, roast lamb, fried kuey teow, nice satay. Not bad. The customers were booked into tables, so one do not have to worry about seatings. Since the place was actually a converted exhibition hall rather than their a usual restaurant, there were plenty of space. The tables were comfortable and well-spaced - which is important because when my boys met their cousins and had some sugary dessert, you know what they would to do? Run around in circles! What does a good parent do? Leave them as they were and went on to enjoy the food of course!

From left - Imran, Idlan and Irfan. Yes, we need imagination ....Self-made ais kacang for dessert. More syrup and creamer please.

The place was well organised, plenty of staffs and the food was very well-stocked. One thing I noticed was, the waiters and waitresses were in high spirits. Very friendly and accommodating. While we were having food, there were also some live music, some traditional Malay ensemble. The food were fine. The nasi bukari and satay was good. They also have a continuous supply of iced Milo and teh tarik - important this!

The traffic going in was kind, even when I had to drive back home to get Idlan’s inhalers. Parking was aplenty on site - at RM4 per entry. Those were the pluses. It was not perfect. One of my main gripe was the surau. It was a makeshift one on the second floor. A partition put on at the end of a corridor. One also had to walk to a toilet for absolution. It was not a purpose-built surau. The management should at least opened up a couple of the meeting rooms and convert them for praying instead of just some partitions. It looked like an afterthought. They should also provide some slippers for those wearing shoes to go to toilet for absolution. I was OK with my Crocs because I sort of knew what to expect.

How much do they charge? RM65 for adults and RM35 for children aged 4 to 12. They should have made children under 10 eat for free. I suspect the charging was to discourage parents from bringing in children really. Iftar during weekends were supposed to be a family affair, and to be honest, I did not see that many children. RM35 for them? A disgrace! As for the adult pricing, you really had to do very well to find a joint that charged less than RM50 per head in KL nowadays. Bora Ombak in Ampang and Penang Village in Great Eastern Mall were a couple which springs to mind. Judging from the venue and the food selection, it looked reasonable.

Will I come here again? Not for this Ramadhan I think, but definitely in the future. Will I encourage others to come? Certainly worth considering. Food was aplenty and there were hardly any jostling. Parking was ample and staffs were friendly. Do check the place out at http://www.flamingo.com.my/main.htm. 5, Tasik Ampang, Jalan Hulu Kelang, 68000 Ampang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia, Tel - 03-42563288.

KB Photo Walk

The famous Pasar Siti KhadijahOne peculiar thing about KB during my stay there was the gorgeous weather during the day, but it will start to rain late afternoon, making evening stroll during the golden hour a bit of a challenge. I decided to take my camera out during the late morning instead but unfortunately time was tight and I only had a couple of hours on my hands on the Monday morning for a walk.

There were quite a few places to visit reading through the various blogs. The ones I wanted to visit was definitely the famous Pasar Siti Khadijah - not for the shopping I must add - the War Memorial, the State Museum and Islamic Museum. Unfortunately time was tight, I plotted a round route taking me to the Memorial, Pasar then the State Museum.

Can't remember what this was called, but it was partially run down alreadyThe War Museum basically chronicled the struggle during the Japanese occupation. The materials were decent, plenty to read and ponder, even though there was not much in terms of exhibits. The ground floor was mainly on the World War while on the first floor, there were rooms housing royal mementos and the such. Took me close to 45 minutes to read through. Realising I was running out of time, I headed straight for Pasar Siti Khadijah.

Remember staying at this hotel during my first trip to KB back in 1988The Pasar - or market - was unique in the sense that it was under a big dome, and the majority of the sellers were Malay ladies. It has a central wet market, while the two upper floors mainly do packed food and clothes. If you were into clothes, you should check out Pasar Buloh Kubu next door instead. But be prepared to haggle. Make sure you have a local with you since the moment you open your mouth, people can tell if you’re from Kelantan or not - 50% discount if you were local trust me!

If you read websites or brochures about Kota Bharu, Pasar Siti Khadijah would definitely be a feature. From a vantage point on the second floor, you can see all the business taking place, a neat place to snap photos. It was too conspicuous of me to carry my dSLR walking around the market snapping picture on my own, so I stayed at the vantage point instead.

Puan Anita's favourite makan place in KB - Sun Two and Hoover

The Kelantan State MuseumNext was a quick stride across town to the State Museum, passing rows of old storefront, and Hotel Temenggung. I think I must have stayed there in 1988 on my first trip with my Mum to Kota Bharu. The hotel still looked the same. In front of the museum was a round-about with a newly built clock tower right in the middle. The museum was showing an exhibit on snakes - which was a hit amongst the local. I could see schoolbus-load of students coming through the entrance as I was making my way in. The locals - at least their children were pretty mesmerised by snakes. The exhibit was rather corny when I learned that part of the draw was a lady sitting in a glass room full of poisonous snakes - “Gadis dengan Ular Berbisa”. I switched off after that. I was hoping more on historical account of the state, wau bulan, gasing, wayang kulit and the likes.

My two hours was up. I had to go to Pengkalan Chepa for lunch right after, followed by a drive to Rantau Panjang for more shopping.