The National Textile Museum & Zandra Rhodes

The beautiful Moghul-Islamic architecture of the
National Textile Museum building (CNB 2013)

On the last weekend of 2013, B and I decided to go to the Muzium Tekstil Negara (National Textile Museum) at Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin, KL. We wanted an update of the exhibitions in the galleries there, and to catch the special exhibition on Zandra Rhodes' 'lifelong love affair with textiles'. The last time we visited the museum building was way back in the 90s (Karyaneka then??). Now it has certainly been well conserved and refurbished as a museum (since 2007) and we were greatly impressed. What we thought was going to be a short hour visit became a whole morning affair.

The exhibitions in the five galleries (Pohon Budi, Pelangi, Teluk Berantai, Ratnasari, Saindera) of the museum were most interesting and we would highly recommend a visit by all culture vultures. The role of this specialised museum is "to collect,conserve and document and display the diverse national textile collection, especially the traditional handwork of the multi-ethnic society of Malaysia ..." So expect to be mesmerised by the rich tapestry of our textile culture and history.

An exhibit at the Galeri Pohon Budi (CNB 2013)

Another exhibit at the Galeri Pohon Budi

Mannequins at the Galeri Ratnasari (CNB 2013)

We toured the 'Zandra Rhodes: A Lifelong Love Affair with Textiles' exhibition in the Saindera Gallery (for thematic exhibitions, etc.). Her textile designs seem as quirky as the shocking pink-haired lady herself. (Sorry, no photography allowed here, so no pictures to show except to say the exhibition was most interesting for us. It enabled us to catch a glimpse of the life of a well-traveled textile and fashion designer).

B and a ZR poster (CNB 2014)

Note: There is no entrance charge for the National Textile Museum, but for the Zandra Rhodes Exhibition (12 Nov 2013 - 12 Jan 2014) it was RM5 for B and RM3 for the OKU (as printed on the ticket, i.e. me, because at my age I am entitled to a discount for being less able to climb the stairs, I guess).
28 December 2013

A Walk in the KLCC Park

On New Year's day 2014, we went to Suria KLCC to check out the park there, knowing full well it would be thronged by our foreign labour community who love to congregate there on their off-days. I guess the more the merrier. For me it was the first time I did a full circuit of the KLCC Park and I must say that I did enjoy the walk. There was a lot to see that day, from children happily wading in the shallow pools to adults fussing over their children and others strolling around taking and posing for pictures. And this last group included us.

A view of Symphony Lake (CNB 2014)

The children's wading pools (CNB 2014)

This beautiful public park was designed by Brazilian architect Roberto Burle Marx with the aim to "leave the world a little more sensitive and a little more educated to the importance of nature". The man made lake in front of Suria KLCC Mall (Lake Symphony) has water fountains that shoot water up to a height of 42 metres. Later in the evening the water features were 'colourfully' lighted up and the fountains danced albeit without the aid of music. A 43 metre elevated bridge that cut across the lake provided a vantage view of the park and the twin towers.

Beneath the elevated bridge and the twin
towers (AB 2014)

There is the 1.3 km long jogging track (covered with special rubberised material) but we were not  properly shod  - A was in sandals and I had the ugliest shoes on - my favourite Crocs! So we just strolled along appreciating the various features of this little green oasis within the big city - the trees and shrubs, sculptures, fountains, and pools around the park. I found out later that 23 mature and rare specimens were transplanted from the old Selangor Turf Club that made way for the Petronas twin towers to be built. Also that 1900 indigenous trees and 66 species of palms were planted to promote bio-diversity.

Steel sculptures of a whale and two dolphins (CNB 2014)

The children's playground was full of kids having a great time. But we did come across a little girl who was crying because she had somehow lost her parents. We did what we could to calm her down and handed her to the lady security officers who were on duty there. (We hope she was reunited with her family soon enough). There was some construction going on so the beautiful As Syakirin mosque was pretty much hidden from where we were.

We did enjoy our walk that day (01.01.14) and hope to make repeat performances in the future.

The dancing fountains of Symphony Lake (CNB 2014)

Note: KLCC Park information gleaned from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Welcome Twenty14, Goodbye 2013

Dear Stella,
Thank you for the beautiful Christmas and New Year card you sent at the end of 2013. The picture of the tulips in your garden are very pretty. I'm sure your garden gives you joy the whole year round, as does mine.

This is my first blog post for 2014 and I would like to dedicate it to you and our >30 year-long friendship.

New Year resolutions last only a week usually (for me at least), so this year I have not really consciously made any. It is all going to be up to serendipity ... so in failing to plan for 2014, I guess I am planning to fail. Oh, well - life goes on, and I will continue to count my blessings, especially where travel is concerned.

Pantone's colour of 2013 - Emerald green (CNB) 

Let me recall what I did in 2013 so I may be grateful to have gone through another year of 365 sunrises.

In January I went 'home' to Alor Star, Kedah by train, the day they closed the Railway station.

We celebrated Chinese New Year in February with feathered friends at the KL Bird Park.

On my birthday in March, I rode on the North Borneo Railway - certainly a most memorable occasion. And I also experienced the Kota Belud Tamu with our good friends in Sabah.

I went back (balik kampung) to Pulau Pinang four times. The first was on the sad occasion of my loving mum's demise in March (Al-Fatihah), the second for a family meeting in May, the third for Hari Raya in August and the last for my niece's wedding in November. (I have discounted the trip to PP to go on my first cruise on a big ship).

In October we went on a road trip to my nephew's place in historic Kota Tinggi, Johor (and also visiting Legoland Malaysia and Johor Baru).

In November we went on another road trip to another historic place (where it all began) Melaka. In the same month I went on the Star Cruise to Thailand (Phuket & Krabi). This is the only foreign travel that I went on for the year, so it has mostly been 'staycations' or cuti-cuti (di) Malaysia year for me. Not that I am complaining because, despite my 62 years, I am still discovering new patches in my own backyard, especially in Selangor. So far I did visit and 'document' 16 landmarks of this state where I now live.

Slowly but surely I will have visited/revisited the various landmarks that make up our built history and the natural sites the country has been endowed with. Appropriately, 2014 is 'Visit Malaysia Year', so I will make (serendipitous) road and railway trips around the country. I also hope to throw in one or two or more foreign travel. Wish me luck!

A Favourite Photograph: Pink Jellyfish

To close the year, here is my favourite picture (among thousands I have taken) in my last post of 2013. The picture was taken in an aquarium while travelling in a neighbouring country some years ago. Pretty pink jellyfish in bright blue waters ... beautiful and surreal.

Jellyfish notes:
1. Jellyfish is more than 90% water. Most of their umbrella mass is a gelatinous material (the jelly) called mesoglea, which is surrounded by two layers of cells and forms the umbrella (top surface). The subumbrella (bottom surface) of the body is known as the bell - Socialphy
2. Jellyfish are found in every ocean, from the surface to the deep sea. A few jellyfish inhabit fresh water. Large, often colourful, jellyfish are common in coastal zones worldwide. Jellyfish have roamed the seas for at least 500 million years, and possibly 700 million years or more, making them the oldest multi-organ animal - Wikipedia.

Merry X'mas 2013 & Happy New Year 2014

Wishing all who celebrate it, a Merry Christmas 2013, and everyone wherever you are, a Happy New Year 2014.

Note: The very 'Christmassy' Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) above, I bought at a garden centre a couple of years ago and tried to grow it in my garden. Unfortunately it did not thrive. I understand that to produce the beautiful colourful bracts, the plant has to be in about 14 hours of uninterrupted darkness! Definitely a plant for the short days and long nights of winter.

SA Garden Catalogue: Euphorbia Lactea & E. Trigona

I started growing Euphorbia lactea and E. trigona when I got some cuttings from my sister CY's garden. I thought they were cacti that do not need too much watering, and so very easy to maintain. (Kira malas nak siram pokok-lah!). But later I found out that they are really not cacti after all.

These Euphorbia may look a lot like cacti, but are not because these plants bleed white latex rather than water. This shrub has a profusion of crowded vertical shoots bearing tiny leaves at the growing tips. The leaves are usually shed early leaving behind persistant thorns. In Euphorbia lactea 'Cristata' the stems are expanded into combs. They love to grow in full sun and propagation is by cuttings. Their origin is probably India for E. lactea and West Africa for E. trigona.

(Pic E. Lactea 'Cristata')
Although these Euphorbia have small flowers, I have yet to see any in my garden. I have seen the yellow flowers on big specimens of the E. lactea grown on the ground at some gardens. I grow mine in containers to curtail their growth, maybe at the expense of flowers?

Weather-wise, December is still a very wet month. Most plants are doing well, but some like the Frangipani, have very 'unhealthy' looking leaves. I have done as much pruning as possible.

Note: With about 2000 species, Euphorbia is perhaps the biggest genus of flowering plants. Another species I have in the garden is Euphorbia milii (see my post SA Garden Catalogue: Crown of Thorns, 16 February 2013).

Tomatoes: Vegetable or Fruit?

Tomatoes are my favourite food (fruit? vegetable?), and I try to ensure I have them in my fridge always. After all, they are touted as the 'happy' food, and a super food to boot!


The best thing to do with tomatoes is to eat them raw, especially in salads. So easy to prepare - just slice them up and mix with lettuce and cucumber. Add whatever else takes your fancy and dress with just salt and pepper or add any fancy thingamagic dressing you like - French, Thousand island, etc. Comprende?

My earliest memory of tomatoes was in Alor Star in the early 50s. A neighbour's young daughter used to pilfer this fruit from the vegetable seller that plied his ware in the railway neighbourhood we lived in. No wonder this girl had pretty pink cheeks. Its from all those tomatoes she stole ate!

Although I do not grow tomatoes in my garden now because they are so cheap anyway in the markets, I did grow one tree in a container in my kitchen at Chorlton-cum-Hardy in the late 70s. It did produce some small fruits, hardly enough to make a decent bowl of salad. So that put paid to my ever growing tomatoes again.