Heritage Bazaar

We went there because it was convenient. We were rushing during our day trip and we parked in the covered parking lot at Dataran Pahlawan. My Mum wanted some belacan. Easy decision then. There was a bazaar next to the car park and it had all the usual things you needed to bring back to KL. It might not be the best of quality but when you have to grab something quick, this would do.

Idlan wondering why it was called "gula Melaka"Still fascinatedTidbitsThis bazaar was called the "Heritage Bazaar", which hosted plenty of the stalls selling the usual touristy tidbits. It occupied quite a large portion of the lower ground floor at Dataran Pahlawan and it was usually filled by tourist. Of course we paid tourist price to buy the stuff there but the local guys there was really nice in making sure we get value for money.

So, in the end we got our belacan, cencalok and some cookies. Idlan got some things to fiddle with, so he was happy. And I didn't have to walk far to the car after that ...

Freeport A'Famosa Outlet

First it was the JPO - Johor Premium Outlet. Then came the IT retail park near KLIA called the Mitsui. And now the retail outlet fever had properly hit Malaysia with the recent opening of another one near A'Famosa near the Negri Sembilan-Melaka border right along the PLUS highway heading south. Only about 90 minutes form KL, it certainly worth a look. And that was we did yesterday on our way home from our day trip to Melaka.

It was still brand spanking new - I was sure less than 3 months old. Some of the parts were still closed and the road leading to the outlet was still being built. Getting there was straight forward especially those who had visited the A'Famosa Resort before. It was right by the entrance to the resort. And parking was not a problem. The main issue here was exposure to the elements. The pace was hot!

Camel. Apt. Since the place was scorchingly hot!

Impressed with the architecture though ...Free hugs ....Is it better than the JPO? Unfortunately it was a resounding no. In fact, the JPO is in a different league all together. The absence of many brand names should alert you that retail experience won't be nearly as good. But the facilities was better. In fact, I must say that it was more family-orientated.

Can you get Sacoor? Yes. Can you get Samsonite? Yes. Nike? Yes. But that was about it.

No Tumi. No Burberry. No Armani. No Kate Spade. No Boss. The list goes on! A different place compared to JPO.

Cool watery surroundingNot sure how the windmill fits inYes, you can climb into the windmillMore water sproutsBut I managed to get some good Under Armour garments from one of the sports outlet. Limited choice but the price was OK. Oh! And better look closely at the items as some of them were not as it seemed. I was looking for a Citizen watch but it turned out it was a different brand in the cabinet. Even the drinks outlet could be copycat. They have "Juicee" here instead of "Boost" although the menu looked almost identical. Sneaky!

Keeping it under the shadesOne of Anita's favourite designer, Melinda Ooi also has an outlet hereTime to cool down ...Would I go there again? Maybe after another year or so when the place was more established. I would definitely rather go to JPO than here at the moment ....

The Ferry Home

There were plenty to reflect. And one of them was how fast my children has grown. They are their own men now. And I must make it a point to spend some time on holidays twice a year.

I had a good time with them although they had their diva moments of course. Just the four of us out in the sea was great fun.

The front compartment was quite fullBest not to leave the camera bag unattended!It was tiring though especially when I was still carrying my rhomboid spasm. The ultrasound session at the physio certainly had helped tremendously but it was something I could do without. I had to take the Arcoxia this morning to make sure that I can drive later.

They would be back to school tomorrow while I had to do my taxes for last year's submission. It would be a long night... But it was worth it!

Kuala Kedah Jetty

We could only manage the noon ferry, and compounded by this being a Saturday, it seemed to be the most popular trip. The next one after would be at 1.30, and that may be too late for us if we want to enjoy today at Langkawi.

We set off from the hotel at around 10, after everybody had a hefty breakfast. It was only a 15 minutes drive to the jetty but getting the MOV parked - there were no formal roofed parking space here - was tricky. Finally, we saw somebody waving at the side of the road with a sign saying “Parking Berbumbung”. We literally parked next to his house. And yes, it was covered and it was right opposite the road from the ferry terminal.

Problem solved. But we missed the 10.45 ferry. Initially we thought that the ferry will depart every hour at the half hour. Apparently it had been changed - and of course with no prior details. So, for the past hour, we have been enjoying our ice creams in the terminal, the crowd was building up and the ferry had just moored.

We should be off in the next 20 minutes. Time to drag the bags! Langkawi, here we come!

3 Days

My lab at Park City had just undergone a national audit earlier this week and in the last couple of weeks, the staffs had been hard at work making sure that the audit went successfully and without a hitch. The assessor came to visit on Tuesday with a short interview with me on the same afternoon. That also meant that I had been traveling back and fro regularly lately between the two hospitals and to be honest it could be tiring.

Luckily I managed to cancel a few clinics making the workload in Subang slightly bearable during the duration of the audit.

The feedback had been largely positive and the assessor did come up with a few suggestions for the hospital which would help my lab service. Hopefully the management had been paying attention. But credit must go to my lab manager who made everything looked easy ..... Well done!

Now that the audit was done, it was time to have a nice cup of mocha ....