"Friendly frontliners needed at KLIA". Would like to share my experience too.

A throwback
About a month back (why did I take so long to finally complete the draft of this note before posting...), I came across a letter entitled "Friendly frontliners needed at KLIA" sent to the Editor of The Star by reader G.K. Gill.

I concur with what Mrs Gill had written.  Likewise, I shared a similar experience some nine years ago.

My intention to share my personal experience is not to defame any party, but just to share a fact that took place quite some time ago. 

First class infrastructure does not guarantee first class service

"I am first-timer"
My pioneer international trip took place in June 2005.  Being a first time user of KLIA, I was excited.  Please don't get me wrong, as being an ordinary person (I am not a wealthy person), I only travel very very occasionally.

Everything started off pleasantly until I was about to go to the queue to board into the plane.  An officer was there checking the passports of passengers.  Passengers boarding that flight comprised mostly Japanese, followed by a handful of others including Malaysians.

Politeness is selective
Mister Immigration Officer on-duty appeared very polite to the majority of passengers. He greeted each one of them "good morning" before taking a glance at their respective passports without asking questions.

When I gave him my passport, the demeanor of his face transformed from smiley to stern. There was no greeting whatsoever.  Fine, I understand perfectly well the mantra of "mandatory politeness to foreign nationals, but politeness is optional or selective once it comes to your country folk".

It is a fact that in the past, some Malaysians used to go to where I was traveling to under the pretext of being visitors, complete with valid travel documents and return tickets, but ended up remaining there longer than allowed to work illegally.  Maybe it's a phenomenon of "nila setitik, rosak susu sebelanga" - a Malay proverb which literally says 'a drop of ultramarine spoils the whole barrel of milk'.

But still, even if you have grounds to suspect  (note: suspect, not confirm) someone for possibly being hanky-panky, do you have to show a tight face to that person even before you confirm your speculation? 


Mr Immigration officer: "Ni frst time punya passport ke?"
Me: "Ye encik" 
(He then took about 5 minutes flipping through every page of my mostly empty passport, still with a stern facial expression)
Mr Immigration officer:"Visa ni you buat kat mana?"
Me: Penang
Mr Immigration officer: "Berapa you bayar untuk buat ni?"
Me: Tak kena bayar... free.
(Mr Immigration officer then returned my passport and left without a word)

While I understand he is merely performing his duty, I wonder about the necessity of having to show an expression that is borderline-hostile, if not truly hostile.  If I had been hostile to him first, then I can see why he had to treat me like that.  But I was never one, never been arrogant to any public servant whom I have came across all my life. 


My visa was genuine alright.  Rather than to go through the hassle of going to the embassy to apply for one, I had mine done through a travel agent.   My trip was not under any tour group, so I had paid a commission to the agent to have it done.

Those were the days when a visa was mandatory for Malaysians to visit Japan, but it is no longer applicable today.  I knew that the visa was issued free-of-charge, or else, I might kena kantoi at the stage of Mr Immigration officer's interrogation.  Imagine if I had mistaken the commission paid to the agent as payment to obtain a visa... then Mr Immigration officer would have thought I had "bought" a fake visa.

Conclusion
During the days when my mood was still boiling, I thought of not using KLIA anymore because I hated the rude encounter I came across.  First time kan, sure traumatizing.  Fortunately the immigration and customs people whom I encountered during my return to KLIA were nice.

The Alammi Spa

Just in case if you're wondering what happened to Tanamera Wellness Spa at Sooka Sentral and Concorde Hotel Shah Alam, the spa is now known as Alammi Spa.

View from the main waiting area

The good news about Alammi is that it is run by the same team of people as before, still exclusively using  Tanamera products and retaining the same range of spa treatments - traditional Malay spa within a modern setup. 

The spa had undergone extensive renovation.  The one at Sooka is currently occupying two lots on the third floor instead of just one previously.

 Sample of Tanamera natural oils and body scrub to help you choose your favourite oil and scrub

 Bath tub... for flower bath ;)

Cup of ginger tea, mildly-sweetened, pre and post-session 

 Spa bed in one of the many rooms

I was in for a pleasant surprise when I went to the spa for a very brief session recently after being away for a very long time.  I find the newly-transformed Alammi spa better than ever, being much cozier and more spacious now.

Packages at discounted prices are available and recommended for anyone who intends to become regular patrons.

Peak Day, Peak Hours
As Alammi at Sooka is surrounded by various office blocks, a number of its patrons are thus comprise mostly people who work around the area.

The spa is usually fully-booked (by appointment) on Friday afternoons from between 12.30 - 2.30 pm, in view of the longer lunch break adopted by a few organisations based near KL Sentral.  So for those who would like to spend the Friday noon break for a facial, hair treatment, massage, bath, etc, it's best to call (03-27851815) or walk-in a few days earlier to secure an appointment.

Alammi Sooka opens on Saturdays too, but for shorter hours. It closes on Sundays and public holidays (while Alammi at Concorde Hotel Shah Alam opens on Sundays too, but closes on Mondays).

P/S (added on 07.09.2015) : The Alammi Spa is currently only at Concorde Shah Alam.  Its branch at Sooka Sentral had ceased operation since 30.08.2015 after MRCB, the owner of Sooka Sentral had sold the building, and the tenants of Sooka are supposed to move out by a certain date in September.

Public Transport in KL

Recently, I had the experience of taking a few public transports around certain areas of KL and Selangor after being away from taking any for a long time (with the exception of that train which I board).

A. To Ampang with Love...
Haha... speaking of the town where my "Ampang hero" was born.  A busy town with a thousand memories. 

There was one day when I had be in Ampang for a certain matter.  It's so long since I drove, because I've "sold" my car to my brother.  Therefore, I have to try to be as street-smart as possible (if at all I am...) by resorting to public transportation.

View along the five-foot-way, near the bus stop in front of Menara MPAJ

LRT to Ampang
The nearest LRT station to places such as Menara MPAJ and Hospital Ampang for instance, is the Cempaka station (Ampang Line, formerly known as STAR LRT).

Up-close with the bus from Cempaka station for play time with dear babe
From Cempaka, there are two RapidKL feeder buses that cover those places, as well as areas around the Selangor part of Ampang.  The bus fare is very low at just RM1 per ride, but they may not be very regular during non-peak hours.
 
However, please be prepared for the buses to be highly-packed during peak hours e.g. at 5.30 pm.  I have taken the bus twice in my life, both during my "confinement" period when I found myself missing Alvin so much... it's actually untypical of a new mom to be away from her newborn baby and thus, the untypical decision to go out during the day, without waiting for Alvin's dad to finish work to go to Hospital Ampang.

I used to go by excuses like "I'm running out of milk supply for Alvin, so I need to go there urgently".  I defied all confinement rules by carpooling with my brother to the city center (my brother drives my car to work), board the LRT, then the bus to Hospital Ampang.  My awaited moments?  Play-time with Alvin through the armholes of the incubator!  Anyway, those were the days when my kid and I were still away from each other before he's allowed to go home.

Cabs from Cempaka to around Ampang
There are also taxis operating from Cempaka.  During peak hours, the cabbies go by the "once full, then start moving" concept.  It simply means the cabbie will wait for his cab to be full (4 passengers) before moving.  They go by the meter system nonetheless, but I'm not sure how the bill is split.  In any event, it's much cheaper than one passenger booking the whole cab.

Bus from Ampang to KL
From my one time experience of waiting for a bus at around 9.30 am near the MPAJ bus stop to KL, I found the waiting period to be very long.  I did not sight a single feeder bus which goes to Cempaka.  Don't know if it has a connection to being a non-peak hour.   But after that one-time experience, I wouldn't recommend anyone to take the bus unless one is able to spare the time to wait.  The only bus I finally managed to get was a RapidKL intra-city bus which goes to Bukit Bintang (BB)... way out of my intended destination.  The bus took a long route from Ampang to Pandan Jaya, Taman Maluri Cheras, Pudu, and finally to BB. 

B. KL Monorail
Just in case if you notice how come all pictures come with portrait layout, that's because I tried to be as discreet as possible when I took those pictures with my phone. 

Back to the story, here's the latest looks of the the Imbi monorail station, some time in early April.  It's a pleasure to see fans and digital clock fixed around the platform so that passengers can line up in comfort and convenience.

Below is a snapshot of the ongoing renovation work to "add length" to the existing platform.  It's high time the monorails be upgraded from just 2 coaches to at least 4, considering the existing size of our monorails that does not tally with the high volume of passengers during peak hours, and also weekends when there are many folks going to places like Times Square, Low Yat, Sg Wang, etc. 

Inside the monorail, looks almost like any other ordinary tubes.   But if we were to look at the monorail from outside, it surely reminds us of a theme park.  It's miniature, very short and compact. 

C.  The hot route from the "KL Sentral Monorail Station" to KL Sentral
It's hot, indeed.

Contrary to the name "KL Sentral" given to the monorail station, the platforms and station are actually located outside and opposite the transportation hub called KL Sentral.  A project is currently in place to build a connecting bridge from KL Sentral to the "KL Sentral Monorail Station".

The bridge project aside, there is a host of construction work presently taking place in front of KL Sentral - shopping mall, office buildings.... and a hotel named Aloft was recently completed and officially-opened.

Due to ongoing construction work nearby, it has become quite a mess to walk from the monorail station to KL Sentral.  What used to be a direct and straight route has become a twisted one today.

Looking at the picture below, one can see how dark and perhaps suffocating the lower ground (LG) level of KL Sentral has become today.  The LG level which houses the RapidKL bus hub is dark and feels claustrophobic now.  From LG, one has to take the escalator or manual stairway up into the KL Sentral complex. 


This is what one sees when coming from across the road near Public Bank in Brickfields to KL Sentral...















D. Conclusion
It will be too early to comment on what the situation will be like once the construction projects attain completion.

Fingers-crossed, things should gradually improve so as to create more incentive for the people to take the public transport.  A little improvement is better than none, albeit slowly.  But shouldn't be too slow either... or else the objectives of having public transport will only be defeated.

In short, our existing public transport does generally bring us to many places that we intend to go, but the coverage is not as comprehensive as what would have been ideal.

Taking the public transport becomes challenging when trips get irregular due to reasons like traffic jam and the negative attitude of some (important note: some, not all) who are entrusted in operating, maintaining and improving the public transport system.

The Mentari Spa at Tanamera

Craving a self-reward after working hard in looking after the kid for the past few months, I have decided to head to Tanamera Spa for some pampering.   
 

View of the floor from above the bench ~ rose petals and chrysanthemum floating on water

Mentari Spa for the "night-owl"
After moments of consideration, I have decided to try the "Mentari Spa", a mini package comprising body massage, scrub and mask that takes about 2 hours.

There are a selection of plant-based massage oil to choose from - basil, coconut, ginger, coffee and mixed herbs.  The mixed herbs oil has a sharp but pleasant fragrance that's supposed to be stress-soothing.  Well, I am stressed because I have many new challenges to face nowadays, and sleep-deprived because my kid is a night-owl (and therefore I'm forced to be one too ).

For scrub and mask, I have chosen coconut-based selection.  The scrub and mask smell heavenly-sweet.  Upon application, I was reminded of kuih made of coconut milk, as if I'm in a kuih-making kitchen.  Yum... reminds me of  kuih lapis.  The coconut scrub and mask work wonders, where the skin feels much smoother in the aftermath.

A review
Overall, I'm happy with the 2-hours session.  The massage was professionally-done, and I feel fresher after that.   I really miss feeling fresh after not being able to sleep soundly uninterrupted.  Anyway, I don't mind the interruption because at least it shows the kid is more active compared to last time, although the timing (i.e. late at night) isn't ideal .

The scrub and mask were done after massage.  I noticed that it feels a little chilly in the spa room when mask is applied to the body.  But not to worry, the chill felt is only very mild.

After everything is done, you'll be shown to the shower room for a warm shower.  Bathing robe and towel are provided.

The Beautiful & Ugly Truths

The ERL is one of the most comfortable trains of world class standard in Malaysia. But dishearteningly, many (though not all) of its passengers are "kiasu".

So familiar, yet so strange

Getting It
Try boarding the KLIA Transit during peak hours e.g. in the mornings and evenings when folks are busy commuting to work and back home, and you'll get what I mean.

No Better, Maybe the Worst
If you happen to be one of those in the needy category (e.g. being an elderly, or visibly pregnant, or a person carrying a child), you'll soon appreciate this "kiasu" factor more than ever. The chances of being offered a seat in the KLIA Transit because you happen to fall under the needy category is no better than when you take the LRT or KTM Komuter.

One in a Million
In general, meeting generous souls is quite a rare thing in our public transport scenario. Sad, but true. But from my personal experience, the chance of meeting kind folks who offer their seats to those in need is highest when you board the Kelana Jaya Line train (formerly known as PUTRA LRT), followed by Monorail, the Ampang/Sri Petaling Line (formerly called STAR LRT), KTM Komuter, and lastly, the ERL.

The Connexion
The ERL happens to be the most expensive amongst all the trains here. I wonder if higher purchasing power has any correlation with the higher level of "kiasu"ness among some (not all) ERL passengers - like maximising the money's worth of the ticket purchased. Or is it any other factor?

Far from Pleasant
My two cents here is that, the public transportations in our country is still far from passenger-friendly. The ERL may top others in terms of punctuality and arguably even comfort, but alas... the actual scenario is unfortunately tainted by "kiasu" attitudes among many of its passengers.

Thank You
However, having said that, I nevertheless highly appreciate those in the minority good Samaritan category who kindly offer their seats to folks in need of seats.

Those Days
Self-praise is no praise, but I used to offer my seat to others until I become needy of a seat myself. Do I expect anything in return of my small gesture? No, I don't and I shouldn't. There were even times when I felt discouraged to offer my seat, when I came across "recipients" who were either expressionless or thought there's no need to say "thank you".

Yes, I did get angry at times, being an imperfect human in the world. But I had to do it. It's either my conscience of making sure that a heavily-pregnany woman in front of me doesn't fall and cause harm to at least her innocent little one inside, or making an unfair generalisation that all passengers on board are "kiasu" and therefore deserve no help.

Nowadays
Pretty desperate for a seat nowadays, especially a long day out from morning until evening, I have little choice but to queue up on the platform to maximise my chances of securing a seat. I wish I can relax on the steel bench while waiting for the train, but I can't because so far, I've encountered only one precious occasion (after taking the train for how many times?) when a young lady was kind enough to ask me to sit.

Concert Day

School semester is coming to an end soon and KLCC was packed with many schoolboys and girls from various states for their school trip over the weekend.

The fountain of KLCC Park as seen from inside Suria KLCC

What's most memorable about this visit is none other than "Bach to the Future" presented by MPO and Platypus Theatre...


Yes, I enjoyed it very much! Likewise my husband who's attending concert at DFP for the first time. Indeed, "Bach to the Future" is an interesting and fun way of introducing classical music to children as well as adults. :)

P/S: I did not take any photo inside DFP.

Dog on Track

Dog on track, randomly pictured at KLIA Transit station in Bandar Tasik Selatan:


I've been seeing this dog for the past few days from where I boarded the ERL. It looked very lost, fearful of humans, but well-kept (it has smooth-looking hair and looks properly-nourished, still).

I suspect it was once someone's pet but now abandoned. Probably its former owner used to mistreat it, or else it may not fear humans so badly.

Just last week, a few ERL crews tried to get it away from the tracks, but in vain as it only ran from one track to another. Poor dog wanders around the rail track with fast trains passing every 30 minutes.

Products from Tanamera

Fell in love with Tanamera recently! :P

How it started

Upon hearing about the good services at Tanamera Wellness Spa in Sooka Sentral from one of my colleagues, I became curious to try it out. I like Tanamera spa for 2 major reasons, namely that all Tanamera products are made from natural tropical plants and free from strong chemicals, and that it's an "all-ladies" spa. I have nothing against guys, but I find it more comfortable to do certain things in an exclusively-ladies' spa.

Facial & Shopping

My first visit to Tanamera spa in Sooka was for a 'sengkuang' facial. On top of the facial, I've recently bought a few items from Tanamera to try out. There was a Tanamera Mega Sale where all products were discounted for 20%. After trying them out, in a nutshell, I'd like to say that Tanamera products are of high quality, environmental-friendly and reasonably-priced.

1. The Tanamera's Spa Jerneh Body Moisturiser: Pleasantly fragrant, very moisturising yet non-sticky, and I'm happy with the fact that unlike other ordinary lotions, its fragrance doesn't cause me to sneeze.

2. Re-mineralizing Aqueous Facial Mist with Standardized Herbal Extract and Lavender Essential Oil: A cool facial mist that refreshes and gently moisturises the facial skin. I use this as my daily toner.

3. The Brown Soap:

I don't clearly remember the exact ingredients of this soap, other than turmeric. It has a gritty surface (of rice) to act as scrub. This soap is ideal for showering or whenever one feels like having a body scrub. It helps to unclog the pores on my back.

4. The Black Soap: This is a facial soap. Best for oily skin or those with acne. Similar to the brown soap, this soap can be used as a cleanser, scrub or mask. 3 in 1, just need to do according to the leaflet of instructions. Although I generally don't have acne problems, I have combination skin. I'm currently using it daily. But I try not to scrub now because after my first time scrubbing my face with the soap, I ended up with a few pimples suddenly popping up. But I like this soap because it works very effectively in cleansing and smoothening my facial skin. And all without drying it up.

5. The Scalp & Hair Revitalizer: This is a hair conditioner. I bought this for my mom. But I managed to try some and like those other items listed above, I love this conditioner. No more frizzes. I wish to buy one for myself later. I wanted to try the shampoo too, but the Tanamera at Sooka had ran out of stock at that time.

The Tamanera Menu

Tanamera spa offers various types of services comprising face work (3 types of facial - 'sengkuang' / 'manggir' / kacang hijau'), hair work (treatment and henna), body work (body scrub), massages, etc. Tanamera spa also provides bridal package (face work+hair work+body work+flower bath), once a week for 4 cycles, and post-natal package. The services offered are a combination of the Malay and ayurvedic practices.

Back then

I remember that I used to frequently walk past a Tanamera stall at the KL Central Market . However, I did not pay much attention to the stall at that time because I had a false impression that such "fragrant but all-natural" products must be very pricey. But in reality, they are not much dearer. No doubt costing slightly more, but the quality is worth it.

I enjoyed the facial

Back to the facial, I enjoyed the session very much. First, the spa therapist cleansed my face with the Tanamera gentle cleanser. Then followed by a 'sengkuang' scrub. Next was a facial massage using the Tanamera cold pressed virgin coconut oil. After that, there was the hand and shoulder massage which was very relaxing and comfortable. Finally, I had a hibiscus mask. Smooth and nice, I would definitely consider another in the future.

Hair Work

The latest I had at Tanamera was the hair treatment last week. Also a good one. I wish my hair can be as smooth as the aftermath everyday.

Moving forward

The spa therapist recommended me to take up the bridal package if I'm getting married (hah, marriage? At my age, it's no surprise to get married). With such professional service and excellent products, it's worth the consideration. :)

Lastly, I almost can't believe it that I've fell in love with going to the spa, facial, hair work and such. I don't know whether this is for good or otherwise, but this is definitely something unimaginable back in my earlier days. Though I'm no pretty super-model, I'm obviously beginning to appreciate the need to upkeep myself with how a woman ought to care for herself, apart from having a balanced diet and doing enough physical activity. Physical activity - the next area to look into.

The Other Train - KLIA Transit

The ERL at Bandar Tasik Selatan...

View from the platform at Bandar Tasik Selatan KLIA Transit station...
From here, we can see the newly-built bus terminal that's scheduled to open by end of 2010. Traffic at Bandar Tasik Selatan (BTS) is already heavily congested now, and is bound to become more so after the bus terminal starts its operation for good.

The New Babe called ETS

Friday the 13th... 13/8/2010 ~ My first ride on the new train from KL to Ipoh. Yes, the new KTM ETS has finally come into service on 12/8/2010. :P

At Platform 2, KL Sentral:

Getting There

At KL Sentral, ETS passengers are required to buy their tickets at the "ETS Counter" which is located at Level 2, opposite the Genting ticket counter. There's a lounge (with wi-fi) for passengers to comfortably wait for the trains. I managed to get a ticket for 8.30 am. About 30 minutes before departure, a stewardess came to guide passengers to the platform at Gate B.

Crowd-wise

There weren't many people taking the train at the time when I took the train, mainly due to the fact that it was during office hour on a working day. Comparatively however, I remember the KTM Shuttle Train to Ipoh being very largely occupied on similar days. It's probably due to cost factor as the tickets cost a little more those of the DMU trains.

The Trains

The promotional ETS ticket price for KL - Ipoh is currently set at RM30 per trip, while ticket price for the KL - Ipoh shuttle train is set at RM22/trip (Second Class) and RM12/trip (Economy Class). If it's the First Class coach on the train to Butterworths, a trip from KL to Ipoh is RM40. The ETS is classified as Premier Class, as indicated on the ticket. The trains are manufactured by Hyundai Rotem.

View from my seat:

Inside Coach B... there are a total of 6 coaches per train.

The train reached its top speed at 148 km/h when I took it. This picture was taken when the train reached 144 km/h. The top speed of these ETS is 160 km/h, which is reasonably fast (nb: ETS is not bullet train). I like the display of speed and time, it really reminds me of such similar screen in the plane.

Through the windows, a scene away from the concrete jungle:


At the railway station in Ipoh:
Here are my comments in a nutshell...

1. Comfort

Nice and smooth. I like the ETS for its quietness sans the sound of diesel engine. The overall train design is very pleasant.

2. Speed

The train achieved its promise travel-time at about 2 hours ++ for the Transit service.

3. Service On Board

The crews are polite, friendly and helpful. Well done. :)

4. Conclusion

I like this new service and look forward to riding the ETS more often. If possible (i.e. if cost does not matter), for every trip to Ipoh. It's like an addiction, where after taking the train once, I feel like taking it again and again.

I've heard about the proposed new price after this introductory period, at RM45.xx per trip. I've also heard about the possibility of the introduction of monthly pass for this service. Well, if it's going to be somewhere a little above RM5xx per month (the maximum that I can afford with my novice income), I seriously consider shifting back to Ipoh for good and commute to work in KL by ETS daily. I really love Ipoh very much; the food, the place and of course being my hometown. Right now at RM30 per trip, if I were to take the train daily, it will cost a handsome total of RM1,200 per month - as good as buying a house in KL.

I'm so in love... with the new trains and the fact that folks travelling to Ipoh have even more transport alternatives now.

Bukit Bintang reminds me of my beloved summer...

Monday was public holiday, so it's a day to walk around. I met up with my bro for lunch at Lot 10... there's a 'cha chan teng' feeling at the food court of Lot 10. We've not met for a long time in about 3 months already, although we're not that far from each other.

The "Shibuya" of KL...

A few years ago during the first time I stepped onto this place around Bukit Bintang, this place reminded me a little of Shibuya (a district in Tokyo). I've been there during my summer holiday visit at grand-aunt's in Japan (my paternal grandmother's youngest sister) in '05. I remember going there by densha from Tama Plaza station in Yokohama, and if I remember correctly, took about 30 minutes. I thought I was just being sentimental for thinking too much of the 'surprise holiday'.

Later on, I read somewhere that this particular place here in KL was indeed inspired by the street design of Shibuya. Oh, no wonder. To me, this place looks more beautiful during night time when the streets and signboards are brightly-lit. Here's another view, facing the monorail track.

This is near outside Lot 10:

View of Sg Wang from the overhead bridge connecting Bukit Bintang station to Sg Wang & Lot 10:

In conjunction with Chinese New Year that's around the corner, there were a few Chinese cultural shows in Sg Wang to entertain its patrons.

Chinese New Year decor outside Sg Wang:

Sg Wang was very crowded, so we walked to Pavilion for a drink.

"Hanami" (flower-watching) in KL? ;P

Cherry blossom decoration at Pavilion... though we actually don't have the plant here in our country. Looks pretty real isn't it?

The 2+2

The 4-coach LRT... finally. These random pictures were taken during a joyride (as opposed to a necessary ride to work or back). At last, I've got no more complaints that I've still yet to try the new train ever since it was launched to the public in December 2009.
Since the pictures were taken from the 2nd last station, there are plenty of empty seats and thus, the freedom to take out the phone to take pictures as if I was riding on LRT for the first time in my life.
The interior...
The section for passenger(s) on wheelchair...

Spacious-looking...

On the outside...

The air-conditioner is much colder than those of the 2-coach train. Possibly because it's new, and also that when a train is twice its original capacity, there needs to be higher capacity air-conditioners in order to ensure sufficient ventilation. There's also a slot at the windows which may be opened in case of emergency.

Bizarrely, the train came around when I didn't expect it to come. What's more, I sneaked the opportunity to ride on it for fun and out of curiosity. Yay.... I'm sure LRT rides will be much more comfortable when all trains are 4-coached.

Christmas Trees, Locally

Christmas Trees at Random

This is definitely outdated as I haven't got time to update earlier. It's already a week after the last day of Christmas... for instance, Christmas is celebrated on January 5th in Russia. Photos found in my phone:

Christmas tree at Mid Valley... colourful.




Christmas tree at the humble Ipoh Parade... colourful too.



And one at The Legend Hotel, KL... love the blue lights. Seeing the grand piano there made me imagine what could it be like to be up there playing it.

How Long?

The RapidKL Kelana Jaya Line (PUTRA LRT) has got a few 4-car trains a few months ago. However, they're currently still under test runs. It's real, I've spotted the new trains a few times now. Below is a video by "kelvinkhew" on YouTube:



Personally, I can't wait for the day when Rapid finally launch the 4-car trains into actual service. Firstly, our 2-car trains are already way overloaded like crazy. For a long time, we've been in dire need of trains with larger capacity due to the ever increasing number of passengers. Secondly, like most people, I'm excited to experience new things, including new trains. Given a choice, I'd like to remain in PJ and commute to work at KLS for just 20 mins by LRT daily (than to drive over everyday or to take other train like KTM Komuter because compared to LRT, Komuter service seems inconsistent).

Here's another video, posted by "turbokitube":

Strangely, I get excited when I see the new trains on test runs. At the same time, I wonder how long are we going to wait before we get to ride on them... it's been a few months already.

Cheras Leisure Mall

Down memory lane to January 2002... this is a view from the glass panes of A&W at Cheras Leisure Mall today.



It was actually an unplanned visit. To Leisure Mall today... down memory lane which recalls those days when I was an ex-student of Sedaya (now known as UCSI) for 1 year.

During those times, Leisure Mall was the place where I spent time with my college friends. We watched movies, shopped / window-shopped, dined and played pool there.

Cheras Leisure Mall and Taman Segar still look pretty much the same, except for a few changes. There are a few new outlets at the Leisure Mall, like the 'Wong Kok Char Chan Teng', Secret Recipe, Bread Story and a few other shops, which did not exist when I was there back in '02.

The formerly 'in-front-of-college' "Restoran 933" is not there anymore. Similarly, the regular Lien Fatt restaurant which I used to go with my friends was not there, and the shop is now occupied by a Bank Muamalat branch. Probably the restaurants have shifted now. Maybank is still at the same place.

The building formerly occupied by Sedaya is now called Cheras Plaza. There's a Tai Thong Restaurant, Neway Karaoke, and offices in there. The basement parking looks the same as those days when I used to go in there, except that it's an autopay parking now.

No doubt I used to dread being in that area due to rampant snatch theft and sometimes street molestation cases (though not sure about the case now). But that's also the very place where all fond memories are kept together. The good old days of being together with some of my best buddies were spent there.

Back to today, I watched 'On His Majesty's Secret Service' at Leisure Mall's GSC. It's a Hong Kong movie; I hardly watch Hong Kong movies before this, so today was my 2nd time watching one in a cineplex. The movie was humorous(it's a movie well done!)

After a long day of walking around for about 7 hours in total from morning till evening, we left Taman Segar. The roads were not busy today. For instance, it took only 30 minutes of to arrive PJ from Cheras, and another 30 minutes from PJ to Serdang.

What a seemingly short weekend! Tomorrow is back to work as usual. Will probably be getting my first task.

Diary Entry: Doing What

Taking a bus once in a while seems like a luxury! No need to battle (i.e. drive) through stressful street conditions to get to LRT station today.

Those days, I used to dread taking the feeder bus. Neither because of discomfort nor meeting up with my dear busmate, but it's the inconsistent schedule that upset me. If the bus had been more efficient, I wouldn't have bothered looking at car.

The main outcome of such inconsistency was arriving later than required at work. Not that I wasn't late today when I took the bus and didn't drive. Autumn leaves are falling down anyway, so it's perfectly ok if I'm late today, which is only once in a blue moon.

Reason for not using "my" car today is because I'm travelling today. Yes, I am... this evening. Though not going anywhere new, still, I'm delighted that I'm having a few days off. And if everything goes well, I shall travel a little further weeks later. Not anywhere far, but somewhere so near and yet so far. It's domestic travel (I'm taking KTM... I booked 1st class for greater comfort - 6 hours journey. Reason being, I've worked hard (arguably so, it's subjective), and saved enough, so it's ok to self-treat a little now).

Many friends have asked whether I drive my car outside the city. Well, seldom. So far, only to Ipoh once, Melaka once, and Putrajaya once. But I've always felt it to be a challenge to drive a small k-car on the highway. The car feels very lightweight and 'floaty', esp when coming across huge vehicles around or the speed goes above 100 km/h. So, I have decided to sit back and relax in a train than to drive. Btw, train is much more comfortable compared to bus.

I got some extra sleep from yesterday night. Confession of the day - I woke up a 7 am today. This is how I missed the 7 am bus, but still fortunate enough to come across the 7.40 bus when I didn't expect to see the bus around. As usual, the LRT is more packed than ever, since it's 8.05 when I arrived there. More people rushing to work at that time.

Work-wise, I'm beginning to get more work. However, they came a little too late when I'm in the midst of phasing out. Goodbye my dear colleagues...

Queue Up! Beratur...

This is going to be blatant because I'm sick of this awful habit - people's inability to queue up!

What's the use of having 1st class facilities / infrastructure if folks still possess a no-class mentality? Some fella' can dress up damn smartly and even appear nice, but they're actually monsters when it comes to lining themselves up fairly when boarding the LRT.

Like that 'uncle' who appeared so nice and pleasant, until he treated others who were in front of him as though they're invisible. Like that young woman taking advantage of another woman older than herself, until the older woman put her hand across and sternly said "please queue up".

These 2 incidences were observed on 2 days - the 'uncle' case occured today at Bandaraya STAR station, while the 'young woman' case occured yesterday at Masjid Jamek PUTRA station. All happened in the evening when people were busy rushing home after work.

The LRT ride per se is stressful enough due to the people-packed factor. Inconsiderate folks who jump queues only make things worse. But for cost and traffic-jam factors, I wouldn't have bothered taking the LRT at all. The streets around Sogo are terribly congested every morning and evening (especially evening), and being highly unfamiliar with that area, I think it's not a brilliant idea to drive there myself.

So, I continued enslaving myself with having to take PUTRA, then switch to STAR. And seeing inconsiderate people who can't queue for no good reason.

No amount of status, work position, etc, can determine whether a person can or cannot queue. It's all about civics. One is either civic-minded, or otherwise.