Crossing Over

Kota Darul Ehsan - I hope - is the name of this arch. It divides Selangor from Wilayah Persekutuan. Basically separates PJ from KL. I used to be awed by it when I came to KL for visits when I was a kid.

I will be away for the next few days. Trying best to still make it for theme day - bridges! Have a great week!!

Cover Up

There was a exhibition on Japan's Iwate at a local mall. Guess these are their traditional masks. Not sure it's for decoration or performance.

There are quite a number of Japan expats here. Hypermarkets like Jusco and Cold Storage sell imported Japanese products. There is also a shop in Gardens selling purely Japanese stuff. Mostly food. I am always fascinated by Japanese and Korean foodstuff.

Do you have any foreign shops at your city?

Iced Peas

This is what we call - Ais Kacang. In English, it literally means Iced Peas.

It is one of the most popular dessert in Malaysia. The ice is scrapped into snowy flakes. Syrup and condensed milk are poured in. Sweetened red beans, peanuts and 'chendol' is added in as well. Some will add in jellies as well.

It is the best to be taken during a hot and sweaty afternoon.

Look Who's Here

Hello... Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs are here..for Christmas!

Another festive decor at the mall.. this time the mall built a giant snow-covered wooden cottage complete with colorful lights.
Fenix, Disney characters are quite popular here. We have annual performance of Disney on Ice where parents will spend much money bringing the kids to see Nemo, Beauty&The Beast etc..

To be among you

What fascinates me about other cities, mostly cities in the west, is that they have really nice parks for people to just laze around, read and play. Most of time, you can just lie down on the grass and go to sleep.

Unfortunately we don't have such parks here. With the hot sun, unpredictable rain and humidity, being at such places to sleep is almost impossible, minus if you are homeless. :P

It is my wish, therefore that one day I can find a nice park in this city where I can just lie down on the soft grass and cute little flowers, looking at the great blue sky.. and probably start seeing / counting sheeps jumping over the moving clouds. :)

Getting Ready

Local TV station is holding a football reality show for kids. I took this during their audition few weeks ago. The turn out was very encouraging. All the kids came prepared with shin guards, knee guards and the complete ala-professional-footballer-attire. They were in high spirits and looked as if they were ready to play for world cup.

Although there had been complaints recently about the progress of football in our country, it is still one of the most popular sport. And certainly one of the most inspiring.

Garden Cafe

Dining under the cool leavy shade

This is the 'garden portion' of a popular indian restaurant. A real nice place to have breakfast / lunch during the weekend. Having delicious banana leave rice under the leavy shade is cool :)

Chips Chips Chips

This uncle was selling chips at the LRT station. The packet which he is tying is filled with 'muruku' a local favourite, especially during Deepavali. It's made from strips of flour fried in oil. Can be a little spicy.

The other chips are made from potatoes and peas. All nice and crunchy. These are more cost effective and tasty snacks compared to those we find in supermarket.

P/S : Thanks Fenix for spotting the typo :P

Make-Do Cherry Blossom

On first glance I thought it was a cherry blossom tree in PJ! It's a pity we don't have the different colors of 4 seasons. At least we have 12 months of sunshine... and rain :)

Musical 'Chairs/Cars/Horses'

Have you ever sat on these when you were a kid? I used to love these 'musical moveable units' - not sure what they are called. My parents will drop in a coin, and I will be sitting in these 'mobile trains/horses/carriages/animals with a big grin on my face. You used to see lotsa these in shopping malls, not today though. Guess kids are exposed to other more sophisticated stuff.

I would still love to have a ride, especially in those toy trains or merry-go-rounds. Too bad I m too big to fit now.

Dried Food

Taken from the my favourite market again. Those white stuff hanging are the vermiecelli, 'mee suah' - a kind of chinese noodles. Those yellow dried food are some kind of dried fish cake stuff we put in soups.

I think most will agree that Chinese food are one of the most diversified cuisines in this world. In Malaysia, Chinese has even more choices as cuisines are localised. On top of that we enjoy food from other ethnic groups as well. Indian, Malay, Italian, Japanese, you name it we have it here.

Let There Be Lights

Tomorrow is Deepavali. Also known as the festival of lights. A day where good conquered evil.

Happy Deepavali to all who are celebrating.

I will be out of town for the rest of the week, will be back on Monday.

Jewelleries Booth

In conjunction with Deepavali, there are many stalls selling jewelleries and cookies. Striking and colorful. Think all festives in Malaysia are rich in color.

Night Symetry

This is near MidValley Shopping Mall. It seems to be a hotel. The lines and color looked striking against the dark sky.

Fish

A small market near Tmn Megah. One of my favourite places in PJ. Lotsa interesting things to see, or maybe I am just attracted to the varieties.

The food sold are fresh and at reasonable price. My regular vegetable vendor - Keong - always gives me free stuff like chilies, corriander, ginger etc.. :)

November Theme Day - The Color Blue

Taken from the back of a Malaysian flag sticker. It's the 50th anniversary of our country's independence. Many buildings have either sticker of the flag or flying the actual flag. I feel lucky to be born here. Even after 50yrs, I think this place is still pretty cool. I see the glass as half full. :)

Catch the other 'Blue' sites participating in Theme Day - Boston (MA), USA - Cleveland (OH), USA - Philadelphia (PA), USA - Arlington (VA), USA - Cape Town, South Africa - Portland (OR), USA - Sequim (WA), USA - Selma (AL), USA - Arradon, France - Petaling Jaya (Selangor), Malaysia - Stockholm, Sweden - Singapore, Singapore - Wassenaar (ZH), Netherlands - Phoenix (AZ), USA - Seattle (WA), USA - Toulouse, France - The Hague, Netherlands - Moscow, Russia - Fort Lauderdale (FL), USA - Kyoto, Japan - Tokyo, Japan - Saint Paul (MN), USA - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Stayton (OR), USA - Maple Ridge (BC), Canada - Detroit (MI), USA - Crystal Lake (IL), USA - Port Angeles (WA), USA - Cottage Grove (MN), USA - Nelson, New Zealand - Bandung (West Java), Indonesia - Greenville (SC), USA - Hyde, UK - Radonvilliers, France - Albuquerque (NM), USA - Nashville (TN), USA - Manila, Philippines - Port Vila, Vanuatu - Saarbrücken, Germany - New Orleans (LA), USA - Bellefonte (PA), USA - Melbourne, Australia - Hobart (Tasmania), Australia - Forks (WA), USA - Wichita (Ks), USA - Barton (VT), USA - St. Louis (MO), USA - Joplin (MO), USA - Chandler (AZ), USA - Quincy (MA), USA - Setúbal, Portugal - Inverness (IL), USA - Christchurch, New Zealand - Toruń, Poland - North Bay (ON), Canada - Le Guilvinec, France - Chateaubriant, France - London, England - Minneapolis (MN), USA - Naples (FL), USA - Norwich (Norfolk), UK - Sydney, Australia - Austin (TX), USA - Mumbai, India - Boston (MA), USA - Santa Fe (NM), USA - Menton, France - Monte Carlo, Monaco - Paderborn, Germany - Montréal (QC), Canada - Jackson (MS), USA - Stavanger, Norway - Orlando (FL), USA - Grenoble, France - Cheltenham, UK - Forks (WA), USA - Mexico City, Mexico - West Sacramento (CA), USA - Silver Spring (MD), USA - Weston (FL), USA - London, UK - Jefferson City (MO), USA - Ocean Township (NJ), USA - Belgrade, Serbia - Paris, France - Shanghai, China - Montego Bay, Jamaica - Montpellier, France - Saint Louis (MO), USA - Wailea (HI), USA - Rabaul, Papua New Guinea - Auckland, New Zealand - Evry, France - New York City (NY), USA - Nottingham, UK - Las Vegas (NV), USA - Oslo, Norway - Minneapolis (MN), USA - American Fork (UT), USA - Cypress (TX), USA - Haninge, Sweden - Trujillo, Peru - Trujillo, Peru - Melbourne (VIC), Australia - Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation - Durban, South Africa - Brussels, Belgium - Anderson (SC), USA - Budapest, Hungary - Wellington, New Zealand - Prague, Czech Republic - Saigon, Vietnam - Ystad, Sweden - Miami (FL), USA - Seoul, South Korea - Hong Kong, China - Melbourne, Australia - Baziège, France - Greensboro (NC), USA