Malaysia (My Little LIFE Pleasure in August 2024)

Pulau Perhentian, Terengganu, Malaysia
August 2024

Photography Exhibition on
Malaysia-China Ties
A Journey Through Time - August 2024

Durians Eating - August 2024

Kwai Chai Hong, KL
Chinese Opera Drama Queen
Art Installation - Aug 2024

The month of August 2024 was filled with abundance of little LIFE pleasures that bring joy & contentment in my daily LIFE & in the travelling arena (I decided to complete this Post today as I am leaving to KLIA airport this morning to China, short of 2 more days before August 2024 fades away !). My late July / early August (July 28 > Aug 1) staycation solo visit to Batam, Indonesia followed by another visit (Aug 12 > 15) to Pulau Perhentian, Terengganu in East Coast of Peninsula Malaysia (both were my 1st time visit, this was a dream delayed but not a dream denied !) & my Inner Mongolia package tour 9 days visit from August 29 > Sept 6 (my body & soul are soon to be in Inner Mongolia, China) gave me the little joy (a LIFE well lived) making the August month of 2024 extra-ordinary in so far of my travelling LIFE is concerned ! 

Durians eating, a seafood dinner gathering with my ex-colleagues, attending a photography exhibition celebrating 50 years of Malaysia-China diplomatic ties in Mid-Valley City, Mid-Autumn (Moon Cake) Festival Chinese Opera Drama Queen art installation in Kwai Chai Hong, eating out with my wife / sisters & travel buddies, performing filial piety & praying session to my deceased parents & 2 brothers, missing out the National Day celebrations (August 31) ..... whether it is a little LIFE pleasure, a big LIFE pleasure or a missing LIFE pleasure (being out of country), anything you do no matter how ordinary, it is the simple pleasure you could find everywhere in your LIFE !    

Saturday August 31 2024 (Malaysia's National Day or Independence Day) - as I will be out of the country hence miss this year National Day celebration mood & National Day Parade at Dataran Putrajaya (south of Kuala Lumpur) on this most remembered day - August 31.  Malaysia achieved her "Merdeka" or independence from the British in 1957 (I was a 7 year old primary school kid then !) "Malaysia Madani: Jiwa Merdeka" has been chosen as the theme of the National Day & Malaysia Day celebrations this year ! For this auspicious occasion, let's "whisper" to our neighborhoods or best still to the entire peace loving multi-racial population to do or learn a tango, Malaysia - Boleh style, dancing to the tune of this John F Kennedy's famous speech " Ask not what Malaysia can do for you, ask what you can do for your country " !

August 31 Malaysia National Day

7 shouts of Merdeka
on August 31 1957 !

Dataran Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia Flag (Stripes of Glory)

Rome was not built in one day !

Thursday August 29 2024 - today, both my wife, myself & my travel buddies, Thompson & spouse will be flying off to Inner Mongolia on a 9 days 7 nights (Aug 29 > Sept 6 2024) package tour (Rm3,999 = US$899) organised by Confidence Travel & Tour, Taman Batu, Kuala Lumpur; my wife 1st visit to Inner Mongolia (China), my last visit to Inner Mongolia (Hohhot & Manzhouli) was in Aug 2011 & Outer Mongolia (Ulaanbaatar) in June 2009 ! Nice to show up again in Inner Mongolia after a lapse of 13 years ! A refresher course awaiting me to learn more about the might of Mongol Empire, the founder & first Khan - Genghis Khan, the 5th Emperor Kublai Khan (the grandson of Genghis Khan) ....... & also the sightseeing aspects ie Mongolian grasslands & natural landscapes, Mongolian tents, whistling dune bay, grand canyon, alpine lakes etc. 

Wednesday August 28 2024 - meet up with my travel buddy, KF Wong in KLRex to discuss our forthcoming free & easy visit to Southern India (22 days) commencing Nov 14 > Dec 5 2024. Prior to the meet-up, I made a short visit to Kwai Chai Hong (Little Demon Alley), an alleyway in Lorong Panggung, City Centre, Kuala Lumpur with Chinese-style street art & interactive murals reliving a part of KL Chinatown in the 1960s ! In conjunction with the Mid-Autumn (Moon Cake) Festival, Kwai Chai Hong brings Chinese Opera to life with their art installation themed "Drama Queen" which runs from August 16 > Sept 22 2024. 

1) Kwai Chai Hong (Little Demon Alley) & The "Drama Queen" Chinese Opera Art Installation, Jalan Panggung, City Centre, Kuala Lumpur, a favourite Instagram spot for local & overseas tourists especially from China (visa free for 30 days) ! Took a few pictures of Kwai Chai Hong using my newly bought (online) Redmi Note 13 Pro (5G) mobile phone (Rm1,099 = US$247) ! 

2) "Drama Queen" Art Installation - Chou is a comedy role in Peking Opera. It can be divided into two types: Wenchou, a civilian role such as a merchant or jailer, and Wuchou, a military role, skilled in acrobatics. The characteristic of this type of painted face role is a small patch of which chalk around the nose.  

3) "Drama Queen" Installation - Dan is the term for female role in Peking Opera. The roles can be divided into six subtypes based on characters played. There is Zhengdan (Qingyi), Gui mendan, Wudan (acrobat), Laodan (old woman), Huadan and Daomadan (a stronger, more forceful character). Four examples of famous Dans are Mei Lanfang, Cheng Yanqiu, Shang Xiaoyun & Xun Huisheng. 

4) "Drama Queen" Installation - Sheng is the male role in Peking Opera. This role has served subtypes according to the character's age, personality & status, which has Laosheng (Senior Male Role), Hongsheng (middle-age male), Xiosheng (handsome young male role specialising in song & recitation), Wusheng (Acrobatic Male Role), and Wawasheng (a child role)  

5) Street Art along Jalan Panggung, City Centre, Kuala Lumpur 

Wednesday August 21 2024 - Taman Connaught Night Market, Jalan Cerdas, Kuala Lumpur, the longest food street in Kuala Lumpur, as it was in the late morning at the time of my visit, the night market had yet to open business - so I may have to re-visit this place in another occasion during an evening weekend to see some action & get a feel of the atmosphere here !  

Friday August 16 2024 - bought my morning breakfast ie fried mi siam (Rm4), yam cake (Rm3) & rice salad roll (Rm3) as takeaway from a roadside stall near a morning mini market in SS14, Subang Jaya, my 1st trial, the food tasted good, well cooked & yummy so I shall return to try out other small eats on sale in this stall ! 

Yam Cake (Rm3) & Rice Salad Roll (Rm3)

Mi Siam (Rm4)

Monday August 12 > 15 2024 - my 4 days 3 nights visit (by express bus from Bandar Tasik Selatan, Kuala Lumpur) to Kuala Besut & Pulau Perherntian Kechil (Small), Terengganu, Malaysia; my 1st visit together with my travel buddy, KF Wong. 

1) Kuala Besut Town, Terengganu - a small town in Terengganu on the East Coast of Peninsula Malaysia, the gateway to Pulau Perhentian. 

2) Kuala Besut Jetty, Terengganu  

3) Pulau Perhentian Kechil (Small), Terengganu - a well known island resort in East Coast of Peninsula Malaysia, my 1st visit ! 

Saturday August 10 2024 (18.00 > 23.10) - an evening outing with 11 of my ex-colleagues (dinner, coffee chat & supper); Good Friends, Good Food, Good Mood & Good Times ! 

Saturday August 10 2024 (10.30 > 11.30) - an interesting visit to view a photography exhibition captioned " Malaysia-China Ties : A Journey through Time " in Mid-Valley Megamall, Kuala Lumpur. I was a young working adult (aged 24) then when Malaysia & China formalised their diplomatic relationship in 1974 ! 

1) Cityscape of suburban Kuala Lumpur (near Taman Seputeh) as viewed from the link bridge connecting Mid-Valley City / The Gardens / KL Eco City overlooking the Federal Highway. A fine morning, clear blue sky - not a blue day but a cheerful one ! 

2) The Gardens Mall, Mid-Valley City, Kuala Lumpur  

3) KL Eco-City Mall, next to Mid-Valley City, Kuala Lumpur 

4) Malaysia-China Ties : A Journey through Time, Mid Valley Megamall, Mid Valley City, Kuala Lumpur organised by Ministry of Tourism, Art & Culture Malaysia - a down the memory lane photography exhibition celebrating Malaysia & China's 50 anniversary of diplomatic ties featuring key figures & transformative moments that have shaped the everlasting relationship between both nations. 

5) New Chapter Begins, The Year 1974 - a new foreign relationship & friendship between Malaysia & China in the making ! 

6) Malaysia- China Head of State official visits - The Past & The Present ! 

7) Head of State Handshake Diplomacy 

8) The Pandas diplomacy - Malaysia My Second Home ! 

9) Ping Pong diplomacy - China keen to set up ties with Malaysia

10) Badminton diplomacy - We are the Champions !

11) Malaysia-China Tourism, Arts & Cultural Ties 

12) Durians Diplomacy 

13) Fly Air Asia to over 17 destinations across China.  

Saturday August 10 2024 - RT Pastry, Subang Jaya - my favourite bakery shop near my home place, bought wholemeal toast bread (Rm6.80 = US$1.50) &  Europe walnut bread (Rm6.80) as my breakfast for the following morning ! 

Wholemeal Toast Bread Rm6.80 (US$1.50)

Europe Walnut Bread Rm6.80 (US$1.50)

RT Pastry, SS15, Subang Jaya, Selangor - every product is baked from fresh everyday, use the freshest, finest & best ingredients in their products, my family's favourite bakery shop in Subang Jaya ! A wide variety of mooncakes (attractively wrapped & packed @Rm24 - Rm26 = US$5.40) are now on sale in RT outlets as this product is traditionally eaten during the Mid Autumn Festival which will be held on the Sept 17 this year !  

Thursday August 8 2024 - joined my travel buddy KF Wong for a lunch (a treat from KF) together with two of his new travel buddies, Kuen Chen & spouse in The Uma Restaurant, Jalan PJU 5/21, Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, a friendship day (Good friend, Good Food & Good Time) & our group discussed a proposed visit to South America (a draft travel plan initiated by KF) for Feb/ March 2025 travel ! I enjoyed a set menu of grilled chicken whole leg + grass lemon tea & my other buddies picked their delights ie sweet soy pork & Balinese pork curry ! A yummy yummy meal for this friendship day ! 

Grilled Chicken Whole Leg
Rm15 ++ (US$3.30)

Balinese Pork Curry Rm15 ++ (US$3.30) 

Sweet Soy Pork Rm15 ++ (US$3.30)

Monday August 5 2024 - bought a takeaway pack of roasted chicken rice (Rm7 = US$1.50) & roasted pork rice Rm9 (US$2.00) as lunch from a favourite chicken rice stall in SS19, Subang Jaya, Selangor.

Sunday August 4 2024 - picked up my sisters Inn, Peng & Mei in Taman Equine to attend a grand praying session for the deceased (my mum & dad & 2 brothers) in Kwong Tung Cemetery, Bukit Petaling, Kuala Lumpur (09.30 > 12.00) followed by a yong tau fu lunch & buying of durians in Taman Equine, Selangor ! 

1) Bought D-24 durians @Rm25 (US$5.55) per kilo from a roadside stall in Taman Equine, Seri Kembangan, Selangor after a Yong Tau Fu lunch with my wife & 3 sisters in Taman Equine. 

2) Lunch (after attending the 28th Grand Annual Praying Ceremony for the Living & Dead in Kwong Tong Cemetery, Bukit Petaling, Kuala Lumpur) with my wife, 3 sisters ie Inn, Peng & Mei in Puchong Batu 14 Yong Tau Fu (Taman Equine Branch), Jalan Equine, Taman Equine, Seri Kembangan, Selangor, ordered an assorted yong tau fu (23 pieces) totalled Rm53.20 (US$11.80), this yong tau fu food chain originated from 14th mile, Puchong, Selangor & reputed to serve the best quality of freshly made yong tau fu in the Klang Valley, Kuala Lumpur ! 

3) Participated the 28th Grand Annual Praying Ceremony for the Living & Dead in Kwong Tong Cemetery, Bukit Petaling, Kuala Lumpur together with my wife & 3 sisters, a 7 day-night annual event (August 4 > 10, 2024) in the Garden of Virtue Kwong Yee Pagoda conducted by Chief Monk Ven Shi Kai Guo from Lim Loo Ting of Jalan Ayer Panas, Setapak together with other members of monks, 2 benevolent rituals were performed ie "Virtue of Passage to Paradise of the West" & "Virtue of Longevity, Peace, Prosperity, Happiness & Health"; my 4 family members ie dad & mum, brother Yuen & Kheong had an urn burial in the Kwong Tong Cemetery hence our participation in this praying occasion (praying for filial piety to the elders & family members), free vegetarian lunch packs were given out to participants as takeaways or eaten in the canteen ! 

4) Bought Musang King (Raja Kunyit) durian @Rm38 per kilo (a treat for my sisters in Taman Equine) from a fruit stall in Morning Mini Market, SS14, Subang Jaya, Selangor; this durian variety taste great, creamy texture, bitter sweet flavors & small seeds - prices of this premium durian is much lower in the current 2024 durian season ! 

Saturday Aug 3 2024 - Lunch with my travel buddy, KF Wong in Sin Kee, Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur after our meet up in KL Rex to discuss a proposed visit to Southern India in Nov 2024; KF ordered a plate of Sin Kee mun fun pork (a signature dish) Rm14 (US$3.10) whereas KM savoured a plate of Sin Kee pork chop Rm17.50 (US$3.90).