I Love KL @ Galeri Kuala Lumpur

Sudah banyak kali sampai sekitar Jalan Raja berhampiran Dataran Merdeka tetapi kali pertama berpeluang masuk dan tinjau apa ada di Galeri Kuala Lumpur. Galeri KL adalah satu-satunya tempat yang perlu dilawati jika ke Kuala Lumpur untuk mengetahui latar belakang sejarahnya.

Galeri Kuala Lumpur terletak di dalam sebuah bangunan peninggalan penjajah dan berusia 114 tahun betul-betul bersebelahan Dataran Merdeka. Ia merupakan sebahagian daripada Kumpulan ARCH dalam visi mereka untuk mempromosi warisan dan budaya negara. ARCH adalah merupakan sebuah syarikat yang terlibat dalam mempromosi cenderamata dan barangan koleksi yang diperbuat daripada papan veneer. Produk mereka berupa arca-arca dan model bangunan-bangunan dalam bentuk 2 dimensi dan juga 3 dimensi. Galeri Kuala Lumpur menempatkan dua bahagian iaitu sejarah Kuala Lumpur dan galeri pameran produk cenderamata ARCH. Pengunjung juga boleh melihat sendiri pekerja ARCH membina arca-arca dari kayu itu.

Pada ruangan Memories Kuala Lumpur, pengunjung dipersembahkan dengan foto-foto lama bagaimana Kuala Lumpur dibangunkan sejak Yap Ah Loy tiba pada tahun 1868.

Di kawasan Galeri ARCH, pengunjung boleh membeli cenderamata yang dihasilkan mereka sebagai kenangan. Disamping itu terdapat juga lain-lain cenderamata yang berupa buku-buku yang berkaitan sejarah dan juga baju T.

Galeri ini dibuka resmi oleh Datuk Bandar ketika itu iaitu:

Galeri ini dibuka pada masa seperti berikut

Alamat ARCH Collection
No. 27 Jalan Raja, Dataran Merdeka
50050 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
Facebook: www.facebook/kualalumpurcitygallery
Laman web: klcitygallery.com

SABAH VISIT–STOP OVER KUNDASANG MEMORIAL PARK

This trip was done in February 2011 when was on my family’s trip to Sabah.
Our journey to Ranau gives me the opportunity to stop at the Kundasang War Memorial Park that is dedicated to


This is not my first visit though but I can see the changes since my first visit to this memorial in the 70s while I was serving in Kota Marudu and travel to Ranau or Sandakan.
Kundasang is popular with her vegetable product and almost everybody who travel on this route will make a stop at Kundasang to buy fresh vegtable to take home.
As in most public places visitors has to be reminded on ethics and here are some placed within the Garden to remind visitors.

Signages within the Garden VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

The garden has been segmented and dedicated to the various parties involved in the memorial.

Australian Garden VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

		Borneo Garden VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

		English Garden VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

The administration area. Here video clips and memorable photos is being displayed for visitors.

View from the Garden

Saya Nak Cuti - Hope Dashed

I was contacted twice and the second was an appointment for a video shoot for Saya Nak Cuti. I was made to know that I am in the top 20 finalist for the program about a week before the closing date and two guys from a production company came to my office for the video shoot.

Oh, how nice it is to appear in front of the camera and if lady luck is on my side, I might be in the top 12 in the finals and have the opportunity of a life time to host my own travel show expense paid beside going to my dream vacation - Bali. I was always admiring those show host traveling and promoting places aired over the electronic media.

These are the guys from the production company that came to my office and the first video shoot took place. Well, maybe for a first time, I could feel that I was nervous and my presentation was not lively.

Two days after the closing date, I receive another call and it was bad news. I was told that I was not selected. Oh Noo.... It really affected my mood the whole day and my hope of going to Bali with all expense paid dashed. However Bali will still be my dream vacation destination.

Irama Warisan Kita @ Dewan Filharmonik Petronas

o

Orchestra Fans and music lovers will be treated to another world class performance in Kuala Lumpur and the venue is non other than the Dewan Filharmonik PETRONAS at KLCC. The performance presented by Merdeka Award and Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra tittled Irama Warisan Kita will be presented from 11 - 13 December 2009. Tickets are priced at RM110 , RM 90, RM60, RM40 for Friday and Saturday while on Sunday at RM95, RM55 and RM25.

I picked this up from the promo postcard:

The first ever on-stage collaboration between the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra and Malaysian Philharmonic  Youth Orchestra delves into the rich treasure-trove of popular Malaysian songs. Under the baton of Dato' Johari Salleh, and vocals by Aishah and Lah Ahmad, hear well-known songs like Bahtera Merdeka, Getaran Jiwa, Hijau and Cindai in a glittering showcase of the country's musical heritage. Hosted by Awal Ashaari and Deborah Henry , don't miss this extraordinary performance,onlyat Dewan Filharmonik PETRONAS.

Taman Damai W.P Labuan

 Tugu Peringatan Pulau Maida sebagai tanda kehadiran tentera Jepun di Kepulruan Borneo, khususnya Labuan, maka Taman Damai ini terletak di Pantai Layang-Layangan pula merupakan tanda penamatan pentadbiran Jepun. Di sinilah yang dinamakan surrender point di Kepulauan Borneo, apabila tentera Jepun menyerah kalah semasa Perang DuniaKedua selepas bandar Nagasaki dan Hiroshima dibom oleh Tentera Bersekutu. Tentera Jepun menyerah kalah di tempat ini pada 9hb September 1945.

Saya telah berkesempatan untuk melawat Taman ini pada tahun 2007 sewaktu menjalankan tugas resmi di sana.

Plak di bawah menunjukkan statistik tentera Australia dan Jepun yang terlibat dalam peperangan, terbunuh dan yang tercedera. Ini merupakan satu keistemewaan tugu ini kerana tercatat statistik untuk dijadikan rujukan oleh pelawat.

Peta Google di bawah menunjukkan lokasi Taman Damai diLabuan yang terletak di pantai menghadap Laut China Selatan.

Memories Of My Early Days In KL

 have already published my previous post to Blog4FT and now drafting another blog while waiting for the rain to subside. I am not sure whether I can finish and publish this blog before my laptop battery runs out.

Pertama Complex is one of the earlier shopping complex in Kuala Lumpur. When I was not yet a KLite this Pertama Complex is a must visit whenever I come to Kuala Lumpur. Another shopping complex is the Campbell  Complex not far away from Pertama.

I am now sitting facing the Bangunan MARA and some new development is going on. The signage says its another projecr by MARA and the contractor is Pembinaan Jaya Zira Sdn. Bhd. It is the Kompleks Perdagangan Persada Putra (MARA). MARA has been so synonym to Malay and Bumiputra businessmen in helping them to face tough competitions from other established enterpreneurs. This Bangunan MARA is a symbol of Malay enterprise in the heart of Kuala Lumpur.

At the site of this construction was the point where Mara Express buses from other parts of peninsular Malaysia made their stops. In 1973, when I was called for an interview to enter teacher training college at Kota Kinabalu, this is where I disembark and greeted by my cousin who stays in Petaling Jaya. He was an undergraduate at University Malaya then. I can still visualise clearly the day that is considered as my first time I step foot on Kuala Lumpur soil.

Then the next day we walk along Jalan Ampang right up to the Rubber Research Institute building where the Sabah Liason Office was for the interview. We had to walk all the way because my cousin too, do not know where the RRI is and we did a countdown of the address.

The second time I came to Kuala Lumpur was a few years after that and stayed a budget hotel and I can still remember the name "Beautiful Hotel" along Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, somewhere near Chow Kit. Being so ignorant, I did not know the hotel house prostitutes too. I came to know only when night  fall and hear footsteps outside. Then only I could see Chinese women, sitting on stools outside the rooms and a few men walking around. Hahaha....If its today, they might think that I am a gay prostitute plying my trade at cheap hotels to make end meets. Those were the days.

Between 1976 and 1980, I became quite familiar with the Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz area and I will stay at Merdeka Hotel, Lorong Hj Hussien 2 on transit while travelling to and from Kota Kinabalu. The rate was RM10.00 per night.

In 1992, I was undergoing specialist teacher training at Institut Perguruan Darul Aman in Jitra, Kedah and during that same year, I took a Diploma in Fitness and classes were held at Malaysian Olympic Council on Jalan Hang Jebat. Since I was on a tight budget, I turn out to be like a vagrant in Kuala Lumpur. I have to come to Kuala Lumpur for three times during the school holidays to attend class. On my first visit, I stayed at a backpackers hostel at Jalan Pudu Lama for three nights sharing rooms with foreign backpackers. It was a bed and breakfast hostel.

However during my second visit, I did not stay at the bed and breakfast anymore. I leave my luggage at the left luggage service in Puduraya for RM 1.50 per day. I only carry one piece of clothes that I am going to wear for the day. I attend class from morning to evening and at night I sleep at an enclave next to the escalator   to Maybank Tower. Woke up before the Suboh prayer and walk to Mesjid Negara to bathe and pray before attend class at MOM. Thats my routine for the whole duration.

Another memory was that the Hari Raya Aidil Adha falls between class and I couldn't go back to Alor Setar because it was a one day holiday. So I spent my Hari Raya Aidil Adha at Puduraya not feeling any Aidil Adha excitement at all.

I became a KLite on 1st April 1995 when I report for duty at my present organisation. My home was at a rented house cum hostel at AU3 Keramat. My room was shared with three other room mates. Now when I go back to AUe Keramat, most things have changed. The area has been developing.