Happy 2014

We enjoyed the firework display right from our balcony at the stroke of midnight tonight. Great view of Kuala Lumpur skyline, able to see from KLCC to Cheras. Not as spectacular as yesteryears, reflecting the current economic constraint as well as the decision to cordone off the traditional gathering place of Dataran Merdeka.

Partypoopers.

So, the four of us was at the balcony staring away. One of our neighbour must have hosted a New Year party judging from the cheers and whistles coming out from the unit. All looking towards the City Center. At least didn't rain.

So, to all my friends and colleagues, wishing all of you a great year ahead. Cheers to 2014. Cheerios to 2013.

Dull Xmas Morning

Finally I managed to get six hours of uninterrupted sleep last night. The first in almost two weeks I guessed. And I felt so refreshed this morning and had been spending the morning sitting at my balcony waiting for the sun to rise.

Unfortunately, it had been dull so far. Where has the sun gone? On my off day?

The boys were still asleep, and I have some emails to catch up on as well as some reading. There was a birthday party to attend later in the afternoon. So, I had plans for the rest of the day more or less.

Happy Xmas all!

Part 9 Last Stop

It had been a nice sunny day, and I was happy that snapped more than 300 frames. It would be a long day of editing right after but as usual, we met up one last time to say our goodbyes and of course, had something to eat.

This year, it was a cafe right next to Masjid Jamek. It was called CoffeeBox. Not great but it had wifi and air-conditioning. That should do the trick nicely.

Busy crossing

Networking..... and post-mortemThis was when we exchanged cards and found out a bit more about what the other participants did for a living. We had a Government Servant, a senior Bank Officer, a retired pilot, and full-time photographer i the mix.

I enjoyed the walk this year, and it was a lot to do with the fact that I was not involved in organising it. Being a walk leader was not really hard work, but on the day, you worry about what the participants would take back from the walk. You ended up trying to keep things on track rather than you yourself walk around enjoying the day. I also managed to get the day off, meaning that I only had minimal interruptions from the hospital.

Time to say goodbyeBack to the LRTIn the end, a afternoon off for me, and I managed to learn a few things about Chow Kit and central KL. When I was talking to the fellow walker at Capital Cafe, we felt that there were plenty of KL which was left undocumented. These celebrated past may be left untold to the future generations. Plenty of anecdotes about the shops and cafe would be lost forever if we do not start jotting them down. Something to take for the future I think ……. Something well worth pursuing …..

More about the walk here.

Part 8 Masjid India

By the time we left Capital Cafe, it was already well past noon. Masjid India was already crowded by then, and as customary on every Saturday afternoon from 3 pm, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman would be closed for the night market.

We could hardly go anywhere without bumping into people, and the big dSLR which some of us carried looked awkward in this crowd.

Still in the spirit of MerdekaBlind street musician. Had been a feature here since the 80s.Sweet stuffNot your typical "Gadis dan Bunga"A couple of things I noticed about the place. Firstly, the crowds were mainly local, which was a change from Chow Kit. And secondly, there were too much bling here. There were goldsmiths everywhere, and the place must have the highest concentration of money changer in town. It seemed that on one of the rows, every other shops were money changers. I wonder what was the crime rate like at this area?

"Reserved"Lost count of how many jewellers and money changers around hereMore money changers and jewellersThe sun was bright. And we just had lunch. Not really in the mood to venture too far from the route. We ended up entering one of the Indian cafe and again, talked to one of the owners. This particular shop sell ladoo to the airlines and made them fresh everyday at the shop by hand. Some of them were sold at the shop next door, while some of them were transferred to a small warehouse in Sepang to be sent to the airport.

The gentleman I spoke to was there to help out his family after he retired, and he spoke in perfect English. We asked what did he retired from, and it didn't come as a surprise when he used to work as a journalist. He certainly got plenty of story to tell.

The place was also full of Indian candies - ladooRead the signs - Palaykat!Stopped by a ladoo shop, where they actually prepared the candies on siteWe even interviewed the ownerTime to move onAfter lingering on for another half an hour, it was time to meet up at the last destination sadly. We gathered at a cafe next to Masjid Jamek for one last meal ……

Links to the write-ups here.

Part 5 Choi Hoong

I didn't know about this shop but one of my fellow photographer did. it was a simple shoe shop but a shop like no other. They made bespoke orthopaedic shoes made to order. And it was about the only one in the country and the shoes here cost a lot less than the alternatives which were usually imported.

On that particular morning, the sifu was away from the shop, so we did not manage to photograph him doing his trade. Instead, we were allowed in to have a look at his tools and talk to his assistant. Everything here was hand made.

The conspicuous front boardThe apprentice would have a hard time following this upLike the old days, things were more straight forwardThese were from taken directly from the customer's feetCut by handFor the orders, the intended user had to be present so that the exact shape and measurements of their foot could be taken. A mould would then be created and the sifu would then go about making the shoes to fit snugly and comfortably on the user later.

People came from all over the country to have their shoes made here, mainly for those with special needs. There were plenty of examples to be seen at the shop, but it would have been nicer if the sifu was in. It would have been quite a photo session if he was ……

More on the Choi Hoong Shoe Enterprise on here. The blog entries were compiled here.