Happy Earth Hour

After the call last night, I decided to take Puan Anita and the boys to KLCC to sample Earth Hour. The place was crowded and we ended up spending the time at a balcony of a restaurant overlooking the event.

Probably a better choice. And of course, the lights at the restaurant were out. Well mostly. We enjoyed our dinner by the candle light .....

At Pavilion Today

As soon as I touched down in KL, my boys cried out to go for an outing. After some thoughts, we decided to go to Pavilion, to some food and maybe some shopping. Off we went.

The Tugu Drum Troupe doing their .... drummingThere was also promotion for the upcoming Malaysian GPNice sunny weather it was as wellIt was a party atmosphere there as there would be a party later on that evening to celebrate Earth Hour. When I ventured out, the Tugu Drum Circle was strutting their stuff. On the same day, the Porsche showroom at Bukit Bintang was being opened. The Porsche owner club turned for the event and they parked on the front entrance of Pavilion, by the famous fountain. I counted nearly 20 cars were parked there by about 4 pm.

Then Puan Anita did her retail therapyI do not in any way subscribed to what was said on the wall ...While I was looking after the boys .... well-behaved of sourse We had to rush back though as we have a birthday party to attend later that evening. But that was not wrote some retail therapy for Puan Anita.

Holiday Inn

View form my room at dawnAs everyone was aware, during our trip to Melaka last weekend, we stayed at the brand new Holiday Inn right smack in the middle of Bandar Melaka. It was only right if I write a few words on the establishment. It appears to be a straight forward hotel, 4 stars I think, mainly with standard rooms, called deluxe. Each rooms equipped with flat screen TVs, access to rooms can be a pain at times as there were only three lifts for the tenants - with a separate service lift thankfully, a couple of eateries - one being a cafe next to the lobby and another n the second floor, a nearby conference centre and ballroom, on a separate area of the hotel accessed via the spacious lobby. There were 20 floors, with the top four being executive status. There was a nice pool area on the third floor - the main one carrying right to the edge, giving an illusion of one swimming into the sea - the infinity pool -  with a separate children pool next to it.

The lounge and my sofa bed ....Seatings on the loungeThere was also a spa and a gym - the gym being free for guests. There was also an executive lounge on the same level as the pool - rather than at the top near the executive rooms. This lounge were filled with magazine and a spacious sitting area. It also served breakfast - as part of the complimentary set if you don’t fancy mixing it with the commoners on the second floor - and evening supper from 6 to 8 pm. We stayed at the family suite, situated at the 19th floor and were given access to the lounge and the butler services there.

Checking inThe bedroom from the bathThe kitchenette First and foremost, the hotel made effort to be children friendly. There was the separate pool for children as an example and a creche service - which we did not use. The restaurant also allow kids to enjoy free buffet if accompanied by a paying adult. Breakfast was inclusive, and offered a full local, English and Continental set. On one of the evening, we also sampled the buffet dinner. Now for the good bits; the room was very spacious and comfortable. We certainly got our money’s worth. The suite have a big bathroom with a separate shower and  tub. There was a queen-sized bed and as expected, I slept at the lounge on the sofa bed. There were a couple of TV, one in the bedroom and another in the lounge. There was also a small open kitchenette with a dinner table to seat four. Parking was aplenty, either by the lobby area or on the lower ground floor which was covered and guarded, and can be accessed directly through the guest lift from the room. Parking was free. Getting in and out of the hotel by car was also simple and should you fancy, you can either walk to Dataran Pahlawan or take a trishaw. The pool was really nice according to Puan Anita with the deepest end being only 1.5m on the adult side. There was no life guard but since it was just outside the gym, staff was always available.

Settling into breakfastSmoked salmon ... Yums!The breakfast was really decent. The staffs were helpful and well-organised. They always give priority to small families and try their level best to give us the better seats. The main breakfast area was spacious and open. Access was direct from the lift with no need for any stairs. Service was prompt.

Now to the not-so-good part. The food for dinner buffet and room service were both expensive and not very yummy. I had a steak on my first night upon arrival from KL. Failure. The boys’ nasi goreng were also plain and off the mark. The buffet cost us around RM250 - bearing in mind the kids eat free. The spread was minimal, and the main buzz was the seafood barbecue that they offer. The grill selection was disappointing. There was no fresh fish, let alone chicken or meat - mind you, the theme was seafood. Seafood was mainly prawns and shells. I skipped that. The nasi ayam was not very appetising, and so was the Italian and rice on offering.

Manchester United was playing that weekend and I had to give it a miss as the channels on TV did not include ESPN - just StarSports. There was only a single movie channel as well. We had a DVD player in our suite, so we were content with that. Internet was also only free for the first 30 minutes, but I had my own portable access with my E71. On the evening that we had the buffet, the lights were dimmed as Earth Hour dawned. The hotel took the initiative seriously, dimming the lights, and switching off the unnecessary ones. Staffs were stationed on each floor with torchlights to help us make our way to the room in absence of lighting. 

Candle lit dinner during Earth HourOn the whole, would I recommend the hotel to a friend? - yes. Would I stay there again? Maybe not the next time, as we fancy the Mahkota Hotel right next door! Will give that one a try after this! Variety is the spice of life after all.

Earth Hour and .... Happy Birthday Facebook!

The couple above put a new meaning the phrase 'Love is Blind' when they get hitch under candlelight during Earth Hour at Sheraton Subang. How lovely! Just follow this link for the full story. So what did you guys do during yours? Mine was pretty boring. I went out in the car with my kids around MRR2 - leaving the lights at home off of course - and all the lights were still on. Sigh! KLCC lights were off, good. Hmmm! That's all!

Since I am on call today, I thought I called it a night early, but not before reading a few blogs. How long have you guys joined Facebook? I joined sometime in 2007, introduced by one of my colleagues, Vijay Ananda. Yes, the Endocrinologist Dr Vijay that just got married with Dr Sasheela, the ID Physician - and planning to open a clinic specialising in diabetic foot infection I am sure in the future. My only regret ... or might be a blessing is my failure to convert my wive to be a fellow facebooker - she might learn all my secrets however, so status quo can only be good. And worst still, all the cool misconception that all of you have about me can be wiped out by a single toxic entry!

Back to Facebook. They are turning five later this week! Their membership has skyrocketed to 200 mil, doubling in the last six months or so - they reached the 100 mil milestone last August. With that number of clients, being a free service, they will need to find funding from somewhere. Hence the new 'upgraded' interface. Its founder Mark Zuckerberg - who is only 24 by the way - went on record to admit that advertising will creep in, but subtly. There will be things like 'whch colour M&Ms is your favourite?'. We will then vote, and Facebook will earn sponsorship with every vote casted. He has employed a former advertising guru from Google, Sheryl Sandberg to be the chief operating officer and there is no plan to monetise the service. To you an me, Facebook will continue to be free a la Gmail.

Driving for ward round with Toad on the dashboardThe other main reason for the recent facelift is competition. The micro-blogging service Tweeter is catching up fast, although the subscriber is only less than 10% of Facebook at the moment. The main advantage of the utility is the ability to stay online and updating in real time. To be a 'real time' entity Facebook will need to have an interface that update itself without the need to push the update button. It will be some sort of a streaming service, so you will notice the interface scrolling down fast if you have a lot of friends. This may disorientating to some, but it is the direction Facebook is taking.

Another awkward issue with Facebook is he fact that it lacks a physical barrier. I am involved in this awkwardness being a lecturer, should I fraternise with my students? Especially during the exam period. What if if I apply to befriend one of my student and he or she declines, what perception will it have to them. My rule is simple. Do not write anything that you would not say to them in a chance meeting in the corridor or in the ward round may be. Keep away from any touchy feely subjects. Just ignore some comments that you as a student would've made if you are in their shoes. Cut them some slacks. But if they come asking for help, I will definitely respond. Also try not to get too personal with them, but in real life I am very approachable, hence I will not pretend otherwise online.

Enough rambling as I have a ward round to attend - I am on call today, and no, I will not tell you what cases were admitted. I am wishing all my students the best of luck for the long case tomorrow. Remember my tips. Which two questions to ask. Now go get them tiger! I have taken leave on the 7th of April so that I can attend the diploma ceremony. I EXPECT TO SEE ALL OF YOU THERE, AND I EXPECT TO HAVE TO CALL YOU DOCTORS!

Put The Lights Out Brother

The boys do IKEA

Children just don't know when to stop. We went out for dinner in KLCC last night after Idlan's music school. Had a wonderful time at Spice of India. Stopped over at Kinokuniya, bought a few magazine. Idlan and Irfan making noise as usual running around the book store, burning off the extra energy after earlier doughnuts.

Waking up this morning, they wanted to go out again, and as I will be on call tomorrow, it may be a good idea after all. Anita wanted to go to IKEA and as usual, the kids wants to have lunch at Marche. One thing I really love about The Curve is the outdoor market they have during weekends. Today the boys got a Doraemon and Luigi dolls, while I myself got Toad to hang in the car. Nice! Anita bought herself a bag. We just got home and the two boys are asleep.

The Day Market at The Curve

The drawback of this all though is I missed much of the UMNO Assembly speeches. Will need to wait for the RSS feeds to come through later and read the editorials and blogs. But it is clear that Abdullah will be stepping down as early as next week as he is seeking an audience with the Yang Dipertuan Agong coming Thursday. No doubt there will be an eagerly awaited cabinet reshuffle soon after. There will be intense lobbying until then by the politicians to land themselves the coveted cabinet posts.

Idlan with his Luigi, reading at MPH

Daddy's Toad

It looks like Earth Hour is going off with a bang this year. The publicity is better as the one last year seemed like a non-event. For those unaware, it is a yearly event, first organised in 2007, but only in selected cities, Sydney being one of them. 35 countries participated in the event last year. Despite Singapore and the Philippines doing their bids, the concept sounded alien to us back home apart from in and around KLCC - the Twin Tower lights were switched off then. To be honest, even though the event was initiated by the the WWF (not the wrestling one ah!), it did not receive a full backing of the UN. The UN Headquarters will only be switching off their lights for the first time this year even though the whole of New York, including the Empire State Building was in darkness last year. Even the Google homepage was dimmed for an hour during the blackout - they are not doing this year. The irony is, some cities are planning to celebrate the darkness with firework shows .... hmmmm .... carbon emission ... global warming .... you do the math! I pray that KLCC won't be doing the same. But to be honest, the relevant ministers have got their hands tied up in the UMNO Assembly to care much about it.

 The fountains around th Day Market

It looks like everyone is embracing it this year which can only be good, but the main objective is not how much we can save in that hour. The main goal is to create awareness. The fact that it is becoming an event with cult followers will hopefully spawn other ideas in the future. At the time of writing, watching CNN, Sydney has switched off its streetlights and other non-essential lights. I will be doing so as well although it will not be popular in the household. Everyone will be watching Akademi Fantasia!