A Home in Shah Alam

After my retirement from USM, Pulau Pinang (PP), we moved to Shah Alam (SA). A was still in uni, so living near her college was the best thing to do. Besides, on several visits from PP, I found SA to be condusive to retire in. After all it is not busy, bustling Kuala Lumpur (KL), but quite a laidback capital of Selangor, with all the amenities close at hand.

Kota Darul Ehsan demarcates KL and Selangor (CNB 2011)

Why do I love SA? For one, its a very nice change from congested PP. Anyway we had been living in PP for so long, it was time to try new pastures. But of course PP will always be my kampung halaman because my mum lives there, and my children grew up there.

SA used to be the backwaters of KL, but no longer. It is pretty well planned and all amenities within easy reach.  The best discovery for me when I was new to SA was the GPO drive through because it proved to be most convenient (I still pay my bills at the GPO, despite online enablers, so sue me!). There are also the Selangor divisions of the various government bodies; Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara, the Immigration Department, the JPJ, etc., etc.

The sights and landmarks? There is the Masjid Sultan Salahuddin or Shah Alam Mosque aka the Blue Mosque with its towering minarets, the Museum Alam Shah for some history of Selangor and the sultanate, and the Public Library next door to the Museum. Then there is the Taman Pertanian Bukit Cahaya Seri Alam/Taman Botani Negara. The lakes and landscape gardens around them are a boon to joggers and walkers (including M and B; me? - I'm too lazy to exercise!).

Shopping at the malls/shopping centres here may not be comparable to the ones in KL, but adequate enough. The SACC Mall in the Shah Alam City Centre has the MPH bookshop for my book/reading needs and the Teapot Deli for when I want to go Anglophile at tea time.

The SACC Mall (CNB 2011)

The Plaza Shah Alam/Masalam in Section 9 has the Istana Batik for batik/songket textiles and clothes, and quite a few eating outlets, Speedy for my cut price movie CDs and also a bookshop, and for groceries, a Giant outlet. The Plaza Alam Sentral has lots of shops, the hairdresser I go to, and a bowling centre (though I don't bowl, its nice to know its there). The PKNS shopping centre has a myriad of outlets for clothes, clothes, clothes and more. Then there are the usual supermarket/hypermarket outlets of Tescoe, Giant and Hero. The Giant Hypermarket has a Medan Selera with a few stalls serving kway teow, cendol and pasembur very nearly like the PP originals. So when I feel like the taste of PP, I go to these stalls.

Just after our move to SA, B went to the USA for the Au Pair program experience. A later graduated with her second degree in law and followed suit. I spent the time doing up our new home which I hoped would be a sanctuary, 'an abode of peace',  for me and my family.