Malaysia Coffee Fest 2018 Part I

Since downloading Facebook Local, looking for events to attend in town during weekends were that much easier. I didn't have to plan much despite this being post-call day. Left my car a Pavilion and I took the MRT to 1Utama. And I wasn't disappointed.

Looking down at the whole event from the upper floorCristo, the Italian blend offer a subscription-based service where the machine comes freeI had a few people recommending me VCR. I didn't get to sample it this time ..This would be the first time I attended the Malaysia Coffee Fest. Not really a big event but a packed one, held at the main lobby of 1Utama new wing over four days.

This being the last day, the place was packed and the barista competition were teaching the finale as well.

The Cristo machines looked to be a hitSamples which led me to drink too much ...Waiting for it to brewI spent about an hour there just looking around the rows of stalls, all selling coffee makers, coffee beans, introducing various method of brewing, some common, some not very ... There were also stalls selling tasty pasties. Plenty of things to sample.

By the time I took my fourth shot, I was really jacked up, blary eyed despite this being post-call. Some strong brew they got there.

Continued in part II here.

Sunday Ride

Anita asked me to take Grab. I was never very keen. I prefer MRT. And as I was planning to attend the Malaysia Coffee Fest at 1Utama, I decided to do just that. Rather than order Grab, I parked my car in town and take the MRT.

The entrance at Bukit Bintang StationNice and clean once you enter the stationThis is Malaysia's longest escalatorAnd the platforms were on top of each other ...I left my car at Pavilion this time as I planned to go to Low Yat later. So, after lunch, I strolled along Bukit Bintang and started my train ride there.

Arriving at Bandar UtamaAll mapped outVery convenient. Before long, I was already up in open air as the train emerged off the ground near Semantan. The weather was gorgeous and there were hardly anybody on the train on this Sunday afternoon.

An enjoyable ride indeed. Arriving at Bandar Utama stop, I then walked through the One World Hotel to reach my my venue. And the party was already at full swing as the aroma of freshly blended coffee bean hit me as I reached the 1Utama main lobby.

Time to head back into town ...Smooth ride both over and underground ...And the weather had been gorgeous all day ...Let's sample some beans ...

Vespa at Dataran Merdeka

It seemed that things were going full circle. Now, Vespas are the hipster way to travel in town and a few weekends back, I spotted a few gathering around Dataran Merdeka and I started snapping a few photos.

The guys there were pretty friendly and were very keen on their hobby. Most of them actually fix and maintain their vehicles diligently. And they cost a fair few bobs. Not exactly a cheap hobby this ....

There were many versions of the Vespas and they came from various generations. They were in pristine condition - most of them - and all the drivers had a story to tell. Great stuff all around ...

Last Sunday

Ramadhan was coming soon. And I was running out of weekend since doing photowalks during Ramadhan could be a bit of a struggle.

Sunday came and it was a beautiful one. I decided to have a quick walk around town - Anita was out with one of her friends attending a workshop.

Quite a nice outing it turned out to be, although I could have taken more photos. I spent much of the time just sitting at cafe as well as settling a few stuff on the net. A nice walk none the less ...

Afternoon in Putrajaya

Putrajaya is an architectural gem. Full of great buildings, great lakes. But often when you reached there, you couldn't figure out what to do.

Umai Cafe by the riverA gorgeous Sunday afternoon sunThe cafe was crowded ...The other weekend, Anita and I decided to have a quick drive there to enjoy a nice sunny Sunday afternoon. It was only half an hour away from our apartment. Along the eay, Anita was tasked at finding out which soot we should land at. We wanted to have a quick drink.

Back out into the sunThat famous balloon ...Too many skies ...The top pick was Umai Cafe, right next to a lake, in between Masjid Besi and Monumen Alaf Baru. I was pretty sure I flew my drone somewhere near there before.

Nice café serving local food. We stayed in the aircond since the weather was really hot outside. It was crowded for a Sunday afternoon, maybe because there were hardly any other choices. Before long, Anita was walking around trying the GoPro.

The administrative centre ...

The majestic Mosque We then drove towards Medan Putra before heading home. Nearby, we saw a new McDonald's. So, we might bring the boys the next time we venture there.