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| Petronas Twin Towers Kuala Lumpur City Centre |
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| Suria KLCC Shopping Centre Kuala Lumpur City Centre |
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| Mid-Valley Mall Mid-Valley City Centre, KL |
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| Pavilion Kuala Lumpur Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur |
Happy New Year to all my readers. Hope the year 2025 brings you great happiness, luck & joy especially in travelling !
A few days ago, we just ushered 2025 & witnessed via social media / TV channels the displays of fireworks / music in major capital cities around the world for a spectacular countdown to 2025 & at the same time said bye bye to 2024 passing the year & our LIFE as though at a whirlwind pace resembling that of a tropical cyclone or sandstorm ! Come Lunar Chinese New Year which falls on Jan 29 2025, it's time for us to bid farewell to the year of the Dragon & welcome the year of the Snake (a good time to buy a pair of the new trendy sneakers) ! No doubt 2014 was a year of towering changes & challenges (geo-political tensions & international economic policy issues) in the world stage, regional Asia & in my home country, Malaysia !
Looking back of my Good Old Days in 2024, it was an eventful year for me in so far travelling is concerned. My present state of mental & physical strength (at the age of 74 if I could still do 6,000 > 8,000 steps per day, I am blessed) allowed me to make 5 free & easy visits & 1 package tour to the following countries (India, China, Sri Lanka, Indonesia & Taiwan):
- Dec 11 2023 > Jan 17 2024 (my 37 days free & easy visit to India - Amritsar, Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Mumbai, Goa, Hampi, Bengaluru, Mysuru, Ooty, Mettupalayam, Coimbatore & Tiruchirappalli)
- March 7 > 20 2024 (my 20 days free & easy visit to Taiwan - Taipei, Ruifang, Keelung, Taichung, Chiayi, Tainan & Kaohsiung)
- July 30 > Aug 1 2024 (my 3 days free & easy visit to Batam Island, Indonesia)
- August 29 > Sept 6 2024 (my 9 days package tour to Inner Mongolia, China - Ordos, Hohhot & Baotou)
- Oct 10 > 24 2024 (my 15 days free & easy visit to China - Beijing, Tianjin, Shijiazhuang, Jingxing County & Gubei Water Town)
- Nov 14 > Dec 8 2024 (my 24 days free & easy visit to India & Sri Lanka - Kochi, Salem, Puducherry, Mahabalipuram, Chennai, Puri & Bhubaneswar; Colombo & Galle)
In addition, in my own backyard of my home country, Malaysia, I had made 4 staycation trips in Peninsula Malaysia (states of Perak, Johor & Terengganu):
- May 6 > 10 2024 (my 5 days free & easy visit to Ipoh & Taiping)
- June 10 > 13 2024 (my 4 days free & easy visit to Pekan Nanas, Ayer Baloi, Pontian, Kukup, Tanjung Pial & Johor Bahru)
- July 28 > 29 2024 (my 2 days free & easy visit to Johor Bahru)
- Aug 12 > 15 2024 (my 4 days free & easy visit to Kuala Besut & Pulau Perhentian)
I like to take this opportunity to thank my wife, siblings, travel buddies (KF Wong & Thompson Tham) who had one way or another made things happened in my travelling year of 2024 !
A little traveling is a marvellous thing in LIFE. LIFE is made up of small pleasures. Happiness is made up of those tiny successes. The big ones come too infrequently and if you don't collect all these tiny successes, the big ones don't really mean anything ! Hence my little LIFE pleasures are all about a little walking (daily 30 minutes morning & evening walk in my neighbourhoods, weekend walkabout in Kuala Lumpur city centre, window shopping in premier malls etc), a little travelling (free & easy, package tour & staycations & my passion), a little eating (with my wife, family members, siblings & travel buddies & friends), a little reading (daily newspapers Star & Sin Chew Jit Poh), a little TV viewing (CNN news, Aljazeera, CCTV, Phoenix News & Chinese movies), a little writing (posting of pictures & relating my travel experiences in my travel blog), a little nap & micro sleep (early afternoon while watching CCTV4 movies), a little qigong practice (early morning at home), a little meet up with my travel buddies (chats on proposed travel plans, macro & micro planning etc) .... not a tall order if you enjoy doing these little things hopefully to collect tiny successes as we walk our path of LIFE each year !
Listening to Harry Chapin song every now & then reminds us that "All my LIFE's a circle, sunrise & sundown ...... But I can't tell you why, season spinning round again, the years keep rolling by" ...... If you have a travel dream chasing after UNESCO World Heritage Sites (anyway dream has no expiry date), transform it from an ideal to a realistic one, even though you know that the road ahead is a rocky one as we all realise that LIFE is never a straight line ! Happy travelling KM & stay healthy so as to make 2025 another fruitful & rewarding year for you ! Cheers !
Here goes my little story of my Little LIFE Pleasures in the last quarter (Oct > Dec) of 2024 !
My Little LIFE Pleasure (Tuesday Dec 31 2024 New Year Eve) - a little shopping & eating in PJ Old Town.
1) PJ Old Town, Selangor - household wares shopping with my wife in PJ Old Town (Petaling Jaya Old Town, my wife's birth place), Selangor near the PJ Old Town wet market & food court.
2) Small Eat - an early lunch with my wife in a old established chicken noodle stall in a food court in PJ Old Town after the shopping.
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| Fish Ball & Chicken Mi Hoon Soup Rm7 (US$1.55) |
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| Chicken Flat Noodle Soup (Rm 8 = US$1.80) |
3) Globalite Travel & Tours (M) Sdn Bhd, USJ 6, Subang Jaya, Selangor Tel 03-56380698 - accompanied my wife to inquire about a package tour to Guiyang / Libo / Zhaoxing / Xijiang / Anshun / Zhenning for a mid-March 2025 visit to coincide with the Sakura season in Guiyang.
My Little LIFE Pleasure (Good Friday Dec 27 2024) - a visit with my wife to Garden Hotel & Mid-Valley Mall, Mid-Valley City Centre, Kuala Lumpur to meet up my brother Hong from Singapore.
1) LRT train ride from Subang Jaya > Hukum Abdullah & a visit to Mid-Valley Megamall together with my wife to meet up with my youngest brother Hong (now living in Singapore) who was on a 6 day year-end holiday with his family in Kuala Lumpur.
2) Garden Mall & Mid-Valley Megamall - Christmas decor with a magical snow white forest theme !
3) The Gardens Hotel, Mid-Valley City - one of my brother's favourite hotels in Kuala Lumpur ! Convenient location near First Coach Bangsar Terminal, KL Sentral & well connected with Abdullah Hukum LRT station & KTM station.
4) Mak's Chee Hong Kong Style Authentic Wanton Noodle Restaurant in Mid-Valley Megamall - yet to taste but will KIV this restaurant in my next visit to Mid-Valley in 2025 ! I loved HK style wanton noodle, my favourite stall is Nanyang Cafe & an old established wanton noodle stall (1979) in my neighbourhood Subang Jaya, Selangor.
5) Small Eat - lunch with my brother Hong in Putien Restaurant, Garden Mall, together with my wife & my youngest sister Mei, savoured 5 dishes of Putien's signature dishes ie 2 x Heng Hwa Bee Hoon (S) + Putien Bian Lou Soup + Putien Cabbage Rice (S) + Putien Red Mushroom Lor Mee + Chrysanthemum Tea = Rm164 (Rm36.50), a treat from my bother Hong.
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| Heng Hwa Bee Hoon Rm26.00 ++ (US$5.80) |
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| Putien Bian Lou Soup (S) Rm14 (US$3.10) |
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| Putien Cabbage Rice (S) Rm26 (US$5.80) |
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| Putien Red Mushroom Lor Mee (S) Rm31 (US$6.90) |
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| Heng Hwa Bee Hoon Rm26.00 ++ (US$5.80) |
6) Exiting the Garden Mall & took a LRT Rapid KL train from Hukum Abdullah LRT station > SS15, Subang Jaya (my home place)
My Little LIFE Pleasure (Tuesday Dec 24 2024 Christmas Eve) - a dim sum lunch with my son & my wife followed by a solo evening visit to Petronas Twin Towers & Suria KLCC Megamall.
1) Small Eat - a dim sum lunch with my younger son & my wife in Hoong Foong Dim Sum Restaurant, USJ21/10, Subang Jaya, Selangor, opposite Main Place Shopping Mall; savoured an assorted dish of dim sum (total 11 dishes = Rm95 (US$21.10 inclusive of service tax), a treat from my younger son.
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| Siu Mai (Pork Shrimp) Rm7.50 (US$1,70) |
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| Ha Gau (Prawn Dumpling) Rm8 (US$1.80) |
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| Chilli Chicken Feed Rm8 (US$1.80) |
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| Prawn Cheong Fun Rm8.50 (US$1.90) |
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| Fried Carrot Cake Rm7 (US$1.55) |
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| 2 Portuguese Tarts Rm7.50 (US$1.70) |
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| Lo Mai Kai Rm7.50 (US$1.70) |
2) Petronas Twin Towers by Night - first time seeing both towers with new lighting that can change colors & create light shows, for this Christmas season, the tall towering buildings were lighted up in green transforming into a powerful being like an incredible Hulk ! I spent a bit of time at the front & rear of Petronas Twin Towers / Suria KLCC admiring these magnificent building & the night scene here was superb & spectacular !
3) Cityscape of Kuala Lumpur City Centre by Day (late afternoon) & Night as viewed from Petronas Twin Towers & Suria KLCC - the yellow lighted up tall building facing Petronas Twin Towers is the Public Bank HQ.
4) Cityscape of Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) as viewed from the rear of Suria KLCC Shopping Centre & KLCC Park.
5) Petronas Twin Towers by Day (late afternoon) - grey sky & slight drizzle at the time of my visit
6) Symphony Lake Water Show, KLCC Park - thrilling & entertaining to watch !
7) Tallest Christmas Tree, Suria KLCC, Kuala Lumpur City Centre - merry Christmas to all my readers !
8) Suria KLCC Shopping Mall - Christmas Village decor theme for this year, this premier mall was filled with local & overseas tourists at the time of my visit in the evening !
9) Taman KLCC (KLCC Park), Kuala Lumpur City Centre - a scenic public park right in Kuala Lumpur City Centre ! A great place for morning & evening stroll & family outing !
10) Art Exhibition, Petronas Art Gallery, Suria KLCC, Petronas Twin Tower, Kuala Lumpur City Centre - window shopping & viewing from the curtain glass wall only !
My Little LIFE Pleasure (Small Eat) - Monday 23 2024 - lunch with my brother Hong's family from Singapore together with my sister Inn, Peng & Mei in Big Chef Roasted Restaurant, Taman Equine, Seri Kembangan, Selangor, savoured an assorted dishes of roasted duck & pork, char siew, pork dumplings, white & deep fried chicken wings, prawn rolls, rice & noodle etc total food bill Rm154 (US$34), a treat from KM.
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| Roasted Duck (Half) Rm40 (US$8.90) |
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| Hainanese Chicken (Half) Rm30 = US$6.70 |
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| Combination BBQ Pork & Roasted Pork Rm23 (US$5.10) |
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| Signature Shrimp Paste Chicken Wings Rm10 (US$2.20) |
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| Crispy Prawn Roll Rm8 (US$1.80) |
My Little LIFE Pleasure (Small Eat) - Sunday Dec 22 2024 - lunch with my sisters Inn, Peng, Mei & my wife in Big Chef Roasted Restaurant, Taman Equine, Seri Kebangan, Selangor, ordered chicken rice, roasted pork & char siew, pork dumplings & noodle soup, total food bill Rm84 (US$19), a treat from sister Inn & Mei.
My Little LIFE Pleasure Saturday Night Fever Dec 21 2024 - my pre-Christmas visit together with my wife to Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, Bukit Bintang to get a feel of the festive mood in Kuala Lumpur City Centre, my 1st weekend outing in the month of December 2024 after well rested for 2 weeks following my 24 days visit to India (Nov 14 > Dec 8 2024) !
1) Pavilion Kuala Lumpur by Night - a starry starry night in Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur, experiencing artificial snowfall & festive fun in Pavilion Kuala Lumpur !
2) Pavilion Kuala Lumpur - enchanting Christmas trees display, celebrating the festive season in style !
3) Lot 10 Hutong Food Court, Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur - serving a number of signature street food dishes, pick your choice & enjoy the food & ambience in this popular Hutong Food Court.
4) Pre-Christmas visit together with my wife to Pavilion Kuala Lumpur Mall, Fahrenheit Mall, Lot 10, Starhill Shopping Gallery located in the bustling streets of Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur, jam-packed with local & foreign tourists - one up for Malaysian Tourism in 2024 granting visa free for a number of countries including China & India !
5) Small Eat - dinner with my wife in Lot 10 Hutong Food Court, Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur, savoured a plate of Duck Noodle & Chicken Rice totalled Rm37.80 (US$8.40)
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| Chicken Rice Set Rm16.90 (US$3.75) |
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| Duck Noodle Set Rm20 (US$4.40) |
My Little LIFE Pleasure (November 2024) - my 24 days Nov 14 > Dec 8 2024 free & easy visit to Sri Lanka & Southern India (Kochi, Puducherry, Mahabalipuram, Chennai, Puri & Bhubaneswar) with my travel buddy, KF Wong. My last visit to India was in Dec 2023 / Jan 2024.
1) Colombo, Sri Lanka
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| Galle Face Green, Colombo, Sri Lanka |
2) Galle, Sri Lanka
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| Fort Galle, Sri Lanka |
3) Kochi, Kerala, India
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| Chinese Fishing Nets, Kochi Tamil Nadu, India |
4) Salem, Tamil Nadu, India
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| Salem City, Tamil Nadu, India |
5) Puducherry, Union Territory, India
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| French Quarter, Puducherry Union Territory, India |
6) Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu, India
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| Descent of the Ganges Mahablipuram, Tamil Nadu, India |
7) Chennai (Madras), Tamil Nadu, India
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| Greater Chennai Corporation Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India |
8) Puri, Odisha, India
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| Shree Jagannatha Temple, Puri, Odisha |
9) Konark, Odisha, India
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| Sun Temple, Konark, Odisha, India |
10) Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
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| Udayagiri Rock-Cut Cave Temple Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India |
My Little LIFE Pleasure (Oct 10 > 24 2024) - my 15 days free & easy visit (visa free) to China (Beijing, Tianjin, Shijiazhuang, Jingxing County & Gubei Water Town) with my wife, travel buddy Thompson & spouse. My last visit to Beijing was in 2015 !
1) Beijing, China
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| Nan Chi Zi Street & Hutong, Beijing |
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| Imperial Ancestral Temple, Beijing, China |
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| Beijing Mid-Autumn & National Day Lantern Festival |
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| Badaling Great Wall Beijing China |
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| Wangfujing Street Beijing, China |
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| Guomao, Beijing, China |
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| Temple of Land, Beijing, China |
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| Summer Palace, Beijing, China |
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| Confucius Temple, Beijing |
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| Imperial College Museum, Beijing |
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| Yonghegong Beijing, China |
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| Bird's Nest Stadium, Beijing, China |
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| Water Cube, Beijing, China |
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| Temple of Heaven, Beijing, China |
2) Tianjin, China
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| Italian Style Street, Tianjin, China |
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| Century Clock, Tianjin, China |
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| Tianjin Eye, Tianjin, China |
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| Tianjin City Waterfront, Tianjin, China |
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| Tianjin Ancient Culture Street Tianjin, China |
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| St Joseph Cathedral, Tianjin, China |
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| Qing Prince's Palace, Tianjin, China |
3) Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
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| Rongguofu, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China |
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| Hebei Museum, Shijiazhuang, China |
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| Zhaozhou Bridge, Hebei, China |
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| Liberation Square, Shijiazhuang Hebei, China |
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| Wanglimiao Pedestrian Street Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China |
4) Jingxing County, Hebei, China
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| CangYanShan, Jingxing Hebei, China |
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| People's Park, Jingxing, Hebei, China |
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| Hanxin Park, Jingxing Hebei, China |
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| Harmony Square, Xingxing, Hebei, China |
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| Long Wan Shan Park, Jingxing Hebei, China |
5) Gubei Water Town Beijing, Mixun District, China
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| Gubei Water Town Beijing, China |
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| Simatai Great Wall, Miyun District, China |
My Little LIFE Pleasure (Small Eat) - Tuesday Oct 8 2024 - meet up with my travel buddy, Thompson re our forthcoming free & easy visit to China (Beijing, Tianjin, Shijiazhuang, Jingxing & Gubei Water Town followed by a beef noodle lunch & a walkabout in Pasar Seni Market area.
1) Central Market, City Centre, Kuala Lumpur
2) Kasturi Walk, City Centre, Kuala Lumpur
3) Small Eat - lunch with my travel buddy, Thompson in Soong Kee Beef Noodle Restaurant, Jalan Tun H S Lee, Kuala Lumpur.
4) Downtown, City Centre, Kuala Lumpur
7) The Rex Bar, KL Rex, Jalan Sultan, City Centre, Kuala Lumpur - my favourite meet up place with my travel buddy.
8) Petaling Street (Chinatown), Kuala Lumpur - bustling shopping district with haggling vendors offering a range of goods from clothing to food.
9) Pasar Seni MRT station, City Centre, Kuala Lumpur - nearest LRT / MRT station to Petaling Street (Chinatown) & Central Market, Kwai Chai Hong.
Little Life Pleasure (Monday Oct 7 2024) - meet up with KF Wong's group of travel buddies in Foodies Nest Food Court, The Starling Mall, Damansara Utama, Petaling Jaya, a friendship day & general discussion about KF Wong's proposal of visiting Central Asia & South America !
Monday Oct 7 2024 - walkabout in Kota Damansara shopping malls prior to my meet up my travel buddy, KF Wong to Foodies Nest Food Court, The Starling Mall, Damansara Utama, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Sunway Nexis Mall, Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Sunway Nexis Sky Garden, Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Sunway Giza Mall, Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Saturday Oct 5 2024 - visit to Kepong town for a lunch with friends.
1) Metro Prima, Kepong - a town in northern Kuala Lumpur, the name is a Malay word meaning "Enclose" or "Surround" as the town is surrounded by a mountain range.
2) Small Eat Saturday Oct 5 2024 - Lunch with friends in Fullwealth Seafood Restaurant, Jalan Ambong 3, Kepong Baru, Kuala Lumpur
Walkabout in Chinatown, Petaling Street, Kuala Lumpur
