Spirituality

 

In eastern cultures, Nirvana is a term used to describe a profound peace of mind...

 

Contentment...

 

Peace and harmony...

A state of being that is free from suffering...

All over the world, we, as a people have sought out different paths to "enlightenment" or understanding. This transcendent state is achieved when we gain realizations about ourselves and our surroundings.

Numerous philosophies and religions have described "spirituality" in similar terms. It is one of the goals to be attained through prayer, meditation, or deed. It is most certainly a provocative idea. One that used to seem distant or unreachable to others. Could it be possible that individualism is no longer the norm? That to get on the path we must do so as a community. The poet Maya Angelou offers us a glimpse in her poem "A brave and Startling Truth":   

"When we come to it,
   We must confess that we are the possible
   We are the miraculous,
   the true wonders of this world
   That is when, and only when
   We come to it."

It is serendipitous that she read this poem during the 50th anniversary commemoration of the United Nations. 

It is because of this that I decided to put together a set of note cards that celebrate the essence of spirituality and community.

The 6 photos (taken by me) used here comprise a set of 12 cards and envelopes. Each P250 set that is sold will help fund a feeding program for Unang Hakbang Foundation. The beneficiaries are kids who are at risk of turning to a life in the streets.

 

I have always believed that it is only when we find ourselves and know who we are and our purpose in life that we can turn outward and help others.

(For inquiries please call or text 09178151585)
 

Kontemporary Kuala Lumpur (Part 2) Sights

I have come across a realization...

There is a vast world of difference between an old city and a newer one. As an example,  New Delhi encompasses 7 ancient cities and the area has been inhabited since 300 BC. That is an old city. On the other hand Kuala Lumpur the capital of Malaysia was founded as "early" as 1857.

 

I had always thought that older cities were more interesting as local cuisine, culture and architecture would have had greater time to mature and develop. That said, I was  pleasantly happy to delve into life in KL if only for a few days.

 

One most helpful person was Vinaa our guide. We had the most interesting conversations about politics, religion, culture and food. Having grown up in Kuala Lumpur, he knew the city very well and we were very lucky to have his inputs as we would plan our trips. As the rains were unpredictable, he would always try and re-arrange our itinerary to maximize what we could see. He always tried hard to please, which is a rare thing nowadays when most people just want to earn a living and go home.

 

Oh, having a guide is very helpful and being friends with the concierge of your hotel has its benefits, but travelling around KL is quite easy with taxi cabs too. Just be sure to use the blue cabs which are usually found at hotels and malls. Most locals use the red cabs, the blue ones are usually for tourists. They are a bit more expensive but you know that the meter is being used and the driver won't try to cheat you. they are also bigger and can fit more people.   

 

As you hay have read from the previous piece about KL, you would know by now that there is time for a leisurely breakfast and a relaxing swimming in between seeing the sights and shopping. That is what I loved most about this visit and this city. It's like time hovered and gave you time to catch your breath. A vacation should be like this, not the frenetic schedules that constantly see you rushing in and out the hotel door.

 

Our first trip out the hotel to see the city started at 11 am. As we had a late breakfast and there were lots of places to find food, lunch wasn't an issue. The first day would be spent combing the city's more famous landmarks.

 

First stop was the National Museum. The compound was just 10 minutes from the Hilton KL. This is the facade of the main building that houses a collection of artifacts showing the history of Malaysia. Photography without flash is allowed.

 

 

This mosaic pattern on the steps leading up to the entrance caught my attention. It appeared to mimic some sort of woven cloth.

 

 

Next up was a quick look at the National Monument... (I apologize for not getting a front view, it was just too hot.)

 

 

and the National Mosque...

 

 

 

60% of Malaysians are Mulsim and a lot of them come to the Masjid Negara to worship. They observe strict visiting hours and women must cover up if they want to enter the premises.

 

After a quick drive by of the Aviary and some government buildings, we next visited the KL City Gallery which was just on one end of Independence Square.

The Gallery is not your typical tourist trap. They have a very beautiful small scale mock up of the city complete with LED lights in the second floor. Work on this project still continues as they add more buildings and features. They also make use of hard woods to fabricate scale models of KL's prominent architectural landmarks like the Petronas Twin Towers. We missed out on walking in Independence Square because of a sudden downpour. We were told that this used to be a cricket field. 

 

 

 

No, this is not a close up of a model of the world famous twin-towers. This is the real thing as seen under overcast skies. It is a real sight to behold, especially up close, as it's diamond faceted facade of stainless steel extrusions never fails to impress.

 

 

The last stop of the day was to a chocolate outlet. I was surprised to find out that Malaysia has a large chocolate industry with a number of brands available. The quality of their chocolate is comparable to the better brands (Believe me, I know what I speak of) from Europe. I thought that Beryl was from some place in Western Europe...uh, uh...it's Malaysian!

The next day we started our explorations mid afternoon and this day's outing would take us into the night. I really looked forward to our first destination, The Royal Selangor factory.

Growing up, I remember always looking into the store windows of Royal Selangor shops in Hong Kong. I was enamoured of the name and the material they used to manufacture their products. Pewter!

Traditionally composed mainly if tin, the manufacture of pewter grew because of the accessibility of this material from the mines of Kuala Lumpur. KL originated from these mines that soon grew into a frontier town. The name Kuala Lumpur actually may come from the words Sungai Lumpur, which means "muddy river and Sungai Klang, Klang River.

Pewters most interesting property is not it's light weight or its ease in polishing, it is the way it can maintain the temperature of drinks longer than other metals.

This photo below shows how coins were made. This "money tree" was actually used a currency in the past. You can see the contract between the polished and unpolished metal.

This is a giant replica of a cast that is used to fabricate the "coin tree" you see above.

 

This is the factory where craftsmen create the beautiful products that get sold in the factory store and elsewhere around the world. 

 

In fact, Royal Selangor puts a lot of premium on the abilities of its workers that once someone has reached the   5 year employment milestone, am imprint of his hand is put up in the showroom walls as a badge of honour.

Should you feel a touch of stress coming on and maybe find an excuse to bang something hard, maybe the "School of Hard Knocks" is worth a visit. Here they teach you how to create a bowl using a wooden block and mallet.  

Next on the agenda was an out of town trip to the seaside town of Kuala Selangor (no relation to Royal Selangor) with a stop over to see the Batu Caves.

You know you have arrived at the historical Batu Caves when you see the giant golden statue of Murugan.

 

 

Murugan is a Hindu deity more popular among the Tamil of Southern India. This Hindu god is a son to Lord Shiva and a sibling to Ganesh. This statue, which stand guard outside the 272 steps to the entrance of the caves, is considered the tallest Murugan statue in the world.

There are also a number of beautiful Hindu deities carved on the rooftops of shrines that are found at the ground level of the complex. Some depict the other incarnations that Murugan is associated with like the multi headed figure sitting atop a peacock.

Having some "seniors" with us, we decided not to venture up the steps to test their cardiac stamina. The falling rains eventually forced us to ditch any last minute mind-changing and we proceeded to our next destination, the fireflies of Kuala Selangor.

The highways were quite impressive. Thick rain forests lined both sides of the concrete strips and traffic moved briskly. The rains were still falling but Vinaa our driver cum guide reassured us that it may not be raining where we were headed.

It was such a quick trip and there was too much daylight to catch the fireflies. We had heard of this place nearby where you can see eagles being fed that it intrigued our group enough to check it out.

You need to get on a river boat that will take you a few kilometers out to where the river empties into the sea. The muddy river was wide and had lush jungle on both sides. The boat driver stopped in the middle and emptied a bucket full of raw chicken meat. Well, you can see that happened next...

It was fascinating watching the eagles fly in from their nests atop the trees in the forest and soar around before gliding down to grab a chunk of meat to take back home. There were maybe up to 60 or 70 of them flittering and flapping their wings.

This was going to be a busy day...we next went up a Melawati Hill to try and feed some monkeys that were known to loiter around the area. The rains prevented us from seeing any monkeys but the arriving darkness made for a great background for a photo op with the Altingsburg Lighthouse.

Dinner time was upon us and the venue for this repast was a quaint seafood restaurant beside the river. There were some convenience stores across the road that we perused after our meal. There were all sorts of dried sea food as well as an assortment of shrimp crackers that we bought to bring home with us.

I shall have to disappoint you again at this time because I did not anticipate the lack of lighting in the river when we went to check out the fireflies (and my camera had no infrared mode)...but let me pain you a picture.

The light from the moon isn't too bright tonight. I was surprised that we also went to the same place where we got the boat to see the eagles. Before beginning this trip, we were advised to apply some mosquito repellent. Soon we were on our way...the big outboard motor at the back of the boat creating a riotous roar in contrast to the lack of light. We navigated the river in the dark, our only light coming from the highway off to the far left of us. The cool wind whipping our faces and the gentle bobbing of the boat created a very relaxing and calming atmosphere. After about 15 minutes the boat started to slow down, the might roar softened into a rhythmic putt-putt. We drifted towards the left bank and soon, our eyes adjusted and we beheld what looked like hundreds of LED christmas lights blinking on and off amidst the mangroves. This went on for a kilometer or so and the sight of a "lightning" bug up close was amazing. Just to prove to us that these were not some form electric trickery, the boatman stopped to reached out to capture and place one of these quirky insects in my hand. It sat there for a few seconds and flew off.

The weather gods were really kind to us that evening, not 5 minutes after we got in the van that took us back into the city the rains started to fall in torrents (so that's where the download term came from...duh).

As we arrived back in Kuala Lumpur, Vinaa decided that before calling it a night, we had to check out the City's more famous landmarks lit up to the nines. Here are some of them...

The Old Railway Station...

Telecom Tower...

and again, The Petronas Twin Towers...

The last day we were there, the kids decided they wanted to check out some avian creatures over at the Bird Park. This is considered the worlds biggest open park in that most birds are not kept in cages but instead are allowed to roam and fly under a giant mesh canopy. Here are a few of them...

Lastly, we were fortunate to be in KL while they were celebrating the Deepavali or Diwali Festival. Known as the Festival Of Lights, this five day Hindu festival is one of their most important occasions of the year. It is common to see beautiful works of art made from colored uncooked rice around various malls and shopping centres.

The flight home offered a glad respite from the past days activities. It gave me a chance to observe the terrain in the jungles of Malaysia and as is usual for me I was able to snap a final photo of a snaking river cutting through dense vegetation.

I consider this trip to Kuala Lumpur unfinished business as there is still so much to see and experience. I look forward to a return trip one day soon to sample more of the sights, tastes and sounds of this bustling, modern, and energized city!

Kontemporary Kuala Lumpur (Part 1) Hilton KL

 

I have heard many a friend mention that women can be very fickle. If that is the case then the weather that greeted us in Kuala Lumpur was most certainly a woman. It is early November and monsoon season is at hand. What that means in practical terms is that it can rain at any time of day and last for as long as it wants to. Much like a woman's temper tantrum...ooooops, did I say woman?...I meant child...(I apologize, I like to joke at times)

 

Vinaa, our driver and guide who promptly picked us up at the arrival hall of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 10:30 pm (by the skin of his teeth, I later found out...weeeeeell, our flight arrived early) told us that it had rained all afternoon and  had just stopped its heavenly lacrimation just then.

 

It takes an hour to drive from the airport into the city and passing through the rain soaked highways gave us our initial impression of an organized, disciplined and very modern metropolis. As we wandered into the luxurious lobby of the Hilton KL, the warm greeting that we received more than made up for news of the weather. Jo Ann at the counter efficiently took care of our room assignments. I also briefly said in passing that I would like to meet someone from the PR department if possible and that this trip was a present for my parents who were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary this year. Noting the late hour (it was almost midnight) I didn't think it had sunk in, but by the next afternoon, upon returning to their room, my parents found this surprise... 

and after dinner, they were equally surprised to see their bathtub filled with soapy suds and red rose petals...

Nice touch! It certainly made for a great story back home.

Thanks too to Jo Ann's efficiency, Mr. Nigel Gan, PR & Events Manager, soon called to say that he was free for a chat. Unfortunately we had an appointment to see the city (more about this in the next piece) in a few minutes and had to reschedule for after breakfast the next day (more on the breakfast in a bit).

One of the amazing things about this hotel is the attention to detail and technology. The desk in the room had a side panel that included connections for hooking up a lap top to the TV, an RCA composite from a camera to the TV and a DSL cable, two convenience outlets and the light dimmer.

There was also a swivelling mirror in the bathroom that had a small LCD TV. Considering that this hotel has already been in operation for eight years makes the high-tech details all the more impressive. 

 

I also liked the way the room was laid out and designed. It was very well thought out and had a real homey feel to it. For one thing, the bathroom had a night light to help you get your bearings, should a  need to navigate your way to tinkle town arise. Another feature is you could conveniently gain access to your clothes in the closet from the bathroom or the hallway. Also, one side of the bathroom had two panels that could be pushed into a wall recess to create a more open feel.

 

Since KL is still a city with a lot of open and green spaces, it never gets tiring to look out of one's hotel window. This is the view outside...

 

and below our room. That is the "Space Age" look of the roof of the train station.

 

Our whole group was looking forward to our first (of five) buffet breakfasts in the hotel coffee shop. We were greeted by such wonderful smiles each morning from Nadzirah (left) and Peggy and this set the tone for a relaxed and comfortable first meal of the day. Kudos too to Ramlah whose kind attention to our needs was impeccable and warm.

 

This beautiful stained glass ceiling hung over the atrium just past the entrance.

 

 



 

The food available was very varied and of great quality. Each morning I eagerly chose a muffin that was served still hot and in the pan it was baked in. Among the choices available were blueberry, chocolate chip and oatmeal. I can still smell the buttery sweet aroma.

 

Muffins aside, they also have an assortment of the usual breads, cereals, pastries and sandwiches; Malay, Chinese, Indian, Japanese and American dishes; a noodle bar, an omelette station and a fresh juice bar! You can have your fill of the endless vegetable and fruit combinations. 

 

As the young like to exclaim nowadays: "Breakfast was insane and they got good fast WiFi too!"

One outlet you have to try when you get the chance to stay at the Hilton is Chynna, which serves glorious Chinese food.

Once seated, a special tea blend called the 8 Treasure Tea is served by a master tea craftsman who is also part acrobat. Coming from Chengdu in Xichuan Province, he has been with the hotel for 5 years and has never spilled a single drop from the long spouted pot. He does this with Kung-Fu like moves and is considered the only one doing this in KL. 

 

The interior of this restaurant is a modern take of Shanghai in the 1920s and is casual yet elegant.

 

 

Like I mentioned in the past, I don't usually talk about food in detail (who am I kidding) but the Garlic Beef dish served with dried shredded chicken  meat and the Fluffy Beancurd with assorted seafood is highly recommended.

 

After finally meeting Mr. Nigel Gan, I realized how busy he usually gets at his job and meeting with me was a real courtesy. Despite his attention being needed all over the hotel he graciously stayed and chatted for almost an hour. I learned that he had been with The Hilton KL for less than a year and was very excited about his work. He was organizing the final details to a bridal fair that afternoon called "Fantabulous!" and invited me to have a look. "Fantabulous" was such a great name and a wedding should be nothing but...

 

 

This 28 year old PR & Events Manager  seemed particularly proud of the modern room design and told me it was very business centric with an open space concept. When asked where he would go when he needed quite time he quickly decided on the pool area. Located on a terrace on the 8th floor and with a waterfall and garden, this was truly a relaxing place to catch one's breath. (If its thrills you're after, check out the pool slide that twists and turns before you hit the water!)

 

 

 

Nigel considers Chynna to be their most impressive in house restaurant although the Iketeru, which serves Japanese food once hosted the Ambassador from Japan who was quite impressed with the special menu and authentic tasting recipes  the chef created for him. Maybe one day that menu will be made available to us "common folk".

Another place to chill out in is the Vintage Bank Bar at the lobby which has relaxing music by way of an acoustic jazz band that can ease the days troubles away.

 

As an aside before he took his leave, he mentioned that the Hilton is a good place to get star struck as they have hosted the likes of Katy Perry, Justin Beiber and a host of other Asian celebrities.

 

As promised I did drop by the bridal fair that afternoon and was taken with the simple sophistication of the event. It was a pity that I couldn't watch the pageant showcasing several designer bridal gowns as I had to leave and watch some eagles get fed in a river out of town (Video of this in the next KL article). 

 

I leave you with a few photos from that occasion. The next part  will detail sights one can see in the city and an out of town excursion.