An Institutional Heritage

A mere ten minutes walk from my mother's house leads me to my alma mater. For the first time I showed Aidil the school that I attended during my secondary years. My most enjoyable time is not in the classroom but on the field where cricket was played by only a handful of us and it was not as glamourous as basketball, badminton or volleyball. I vividly remember that  the most hilarious time is when my old buddy Mussadikh Meah tricked Amin Carrim into believing that breathing correctly is vital in cricket. With a special apparatus Amin covered his mouth to breath in very deeply which actually turned out to be the 'ball guard'. We all laughed our heads off.

Howzat! What a view it was from this very same cricket pitch.

- FORTIS ATQUE FIDELIS -

Grand ol' Penang

According to the Penang Heritage Trust, there are about 4,655 shophouses with 500 abandoned homes in various zones in Georgetown that needs restoration. The recent 2009 Budget has allocated rm50 million Ringgit, in the hope of improving the image of Penang as a destination site. It was indeed timely but whether it's enough or not it's definately better than nothing

A very short walk from one end of Bangkok Lane to the other, reveals an architectural treasure chest.

The entrance door itself makes you feel welcomed
this house belongs to an English photographer married to a Thai wife and prefers staying here with their little daughter even though they are currently working on a project in Bangkok.

Who wouldn't?
flowers in full bloom hanging by the window 

don't you want to live here?

Well actually this is the main reason why I came by to Bangkok Lane...

"Saya sudah meniaga sini ampat puloh tahoon sudah masuk sumua tv lah suratkhabar lah, internet lah, majalah ...sumua sudah. Aiyo ...Lu mau ambik gambar saya ...ambik lah"

even the signage is evidently clear of its heritage status

Food glorious food, is surely part of Penang's Heritage too.

Moleskine inspiration

At last a page in my Moleskine got drawn. I had no direction, just followed my 'feel' stopped and continued without pressure and by the end of it I almost finished this work. 

coincidently, I drew on a page next to a concept drawing of a moblie kitchen which is totally in contrast with this organic form.

It has been ages since I doodled and come to think of it must be the mee mamak Bangkok Lane in Penang that inspires me. Not bad for starters, even though I have no idea what I did.

Rejuvenating Monday

It was a welcoming change when Amy and the others suggested that we go for a picnic, after all everyone had been working very hard running our last weekend event in Kota Bharu. A deserving break I must say especially on a Monday. What else but 'pot-luck' and a quick 45 minutes drive into the wilderness of peace and tranquility where Mother Nature offers what the city failed to fulfilled in our quest for a well-rounded lifestyle.  Yes, some are truly blessed with privileges. Gangway ......wooaah sejuk nya!

Any more bright ideas, Amy?

visual thinking

Whether its in a name or a logo, designers must always be aware of local sensitivities and not evoke or depict negative connotation deliberately or otherwise.  When I first saw it a few days after it was launched I told my good friend Mazlan  - "remove the red logo and what do get?"

This was the corporate signature when it was first launched

And this was after they lifted the 'BAN'

So much for improving credibility of our local 'designers' or was it a foreign designer unfamiliar with the local landscape?An expensive lesson indeed, and we have not even discuss about the design yet.

its all about the hospitality

Yes again we managed to arrive at thecafe@lui in the nick of time, there is still signs of mist in the surrounding mountains. This time Aidil was riding pillion with me while the rest took the car. Riding alongside me was 'canyoukira' which is his first trip and definately won't be his last . He even jotted some comments in his brand new blog.
You may have good food and even good environment, but without good hospitality the experience is not fulfilling especially if you want that extra push to come back again and again. Its that sense of belonging that makes this place special like 'rumah saudara kita' . 

The big difference is - we have to pay for our food  ;-) hehehe

The Weeping Willow in the mist reminds you of the English countryside

Since we have only a couple of breakfast weekends left before the holy month arrives, we might as well make the best of it, and lastly to all Muslims - 'Selamat Menyambut bulan Ramadhan'. 

Don't you dare have breakfast during that month in any cafe !

AKLEH boleh !

There were mixed reactions when the Ampang Kuala Lumpur Elevated Highway (AKLEH) decided to allow motorcyclist to use it.  This is to lighten the burden of the lower income group due to the petrol price hike. Apart from the physical reason where there is no more space to widen the lane due to the close proximity of the office building, this after-thought makes the motorcycle lane remains very narrow as you approach the toll gate. It makes you wonder wether this is deliberate as we are made to believe that the lower income group can only afford small bikes like the 'kapchai' and scooters. 

What about the bigger bikes. Are they made to be punished for being able to afford them?

Take a deep breadth cause the lane becomes narrower as you approach the toll gate

 

Ok, slow down, place one leg on the kerb and the other on the road. Make sure you don't get nicked by the rails

You almost there, watch the metal grill, steady now off you go. Congratulations, you pass !

Footnote: the talent on the bike was paid Nasi Padang at Restaurant Garuda near Chow Kit.

source of creativity

an invitation  by CRN to the opening of its new premise in Petaling Jaya. This hot shot ad agency is owned by a friend whom I had the privilege to collaborate with in a campaign to promote 'Planter's Haven' (Sime Darby Property) sometime in June last year.

catching up with old friends and rubbing shoulders with new ones

A quick 'fix' at the cafe@lui

The thought of taking out my ride around Ampang but ending at the cafe@lui in Hulu Langat was purely incidental and one of the 'spur of the moment' kinda thing which was actually an act that is sometimes beyond my control. Unfortunately I missed the 'morning mist' for being late, like the Malay saying 'matahari dah tinggi'. Lucky thing the chickens made up for it. 

While chatting with the 'guardians' of this wonderful place, I mentioned about recommending to others the opportunity of creating activities like photography, art and drawing while we enjoy the natural surroundings. One blogger came to mind is the talented emila yusof who will definately enjoy doing her sketches and photography with the abundance of subject matters all within reach.

incubating galleriiizu

Selamat datang... collectors !



After such a long silence, I finally managed to catch up with izu of galleriiizu to find out what he has been up to lately. Quietly but surely the building of another 'treasure chest' is progressing steadily within Kuala Lumpur slated to be launched sometime before the year ends. Having known him since his early days, galleriiizu has been moving around for quite a bit from a private gallery in Bukit Antarabangsa, to Tasik Titiwangsa, to Bukit Tunku to Menara UOA to Annexe Central Market and finally to Hotel Shangri-La. He will announce pretty soon his plans and innovative concepts of this new gallery which I can safely say would be more 'personalised' in its offerings.
A couple of days back I had the privilege to attend a 'site visit' with the man himself and I am proud to share a glimpse of his new 'baby'. 

Izu busy picking freshly ripe mangoes in the courtyard. Planned in the foreground will be a lap pool situated right infront of the doorway (a hundred year old door)

.... juicy fresh mangoes anyone?