How Not To Promote A Shopping Centre

I lifted this from The Star Online

Friday December 2, 2011
Latin crooner charms ‘crazy’ crowd.

KUALA LUMPUR: Armed with umbrellas and ponchos, scores of people braved the rain to watch Latin crooner Julio Iglesias sing a selection of his hit songs at YTL’s Concert of Celebration 2011.
With 350 million records sold in 14 languages and 79 albums released, the 68-year-old Iglesias showed why he was still top of his game at last night’s concert.
He made up for the damp weather by rousing the audience to sing along to some of his songs, which included Spanish numbers and the ever popular To All The Girls I’ve Loved Before and Crazy.
His most energetic number came at the end of the 90-minute set when he belted out Me Va Me Va.


Now,I've got nothing against Julio and nothing against the crowd who stood in the rain to watch him.
My issue is with the organisers.
Bukit Bintang in one of the busiest roads in KL.
It was closed for 3 days.
The traffic chaos was terrible.
And I mean Terrible.
It's difficult to imagine how a private company can get permission to shut one of the busiest roads in order to promote one of their shopping centres,whilst all around chaos ensures.
Whenever the opposition parties apply for a permit to hold a rally-it's refused on the grounds of "It will cause too much traffic chaos and inconvenience to the public"
Errm,Hello!
You may think that's Double Standards.
You may be well be right.
There were diversions in place but honestly,trying to squeeze 4 lanes of traffic into just one ain't gonna work.
So,as people left work and thought "Oh no!,rain again- it will be a bad journey home tonight" they had no idea how bad it really would be.
The organisers if they even thought for just one second of the chaos they will cause probably didn't care "as the people stuck in the horrendous jam aren't the type of people who shop in Star Hill anyway...and so what? our VIP guests will arrive by a motorcade with police outriders who will carve their way through the traffic"....
And,if you read the report it says "scores of people (for all you metric people a score is an old-fashioned way of saying  20)..so it was hardly well attended....they could have all fitted inside the shopping centre they were trying to promote.

I really don't understand why they didn't use one of the many under-used stadiums.....

Can You Guess What It Is Yet?

I recently purchased this item-See if you can guess what it is-and what it actually does from the description on the back of the packaging.....and I quote as follows;

Expansion Rotary Anti-spattering Machine
series of expansion rotary anti-spattering filter adoptsthe excellent
materials and elegant craft,the wiggly and fluctuationghydrant is
available, convenient and ingenious, welcome to use theproducts
at our factory

Answers by way of the comments option....

New RM 20 Note

I lifted this from The Star...

Thursday May 26, 2011

RM20 banknote making a comeback

By JOSHUA FOONG


PETALING JAYA: After a 16-year hiatus, the RM20 banknote will be re-introduced by Bank Negara.

It is part of a new design of Malaysian banknotes and coins which will be issued for circulation early next year in an exercise that is undertaken periodically every 12 years.

“The re-introduction of the RM20 banknote in the new currency series is primarily to function as an intermediary denomination to bridge the value gap between RM10 and RM50 for greater convenience in making payments,” Bank Negara told The Star in a statement yesterday.

With the new RM20 banknote, the central bank expects a reduction in overall demand for RM10 and RM50 banknotes.

The old RM20 banknote was introduced during the second series in 1982 and was discontinued in 1995.

It featured Malaysian traditional ornamental designs and the Bank Negara headquarters on its reverse side.

Read paragraph 3 again....Priceless Drivel!

I Think I'll Buy Two!

If you think that BB Plaza is a less than busy Shopping Mall tagged onto the more popular Sungei Wang ,you'd be right.
Most people just use it as the main entrance to Sungei Wang (but that's actually on the side facing Jalan Sultan Ismail)...and the shops in BB Plaza such as Metrojaya or MPH never seem to be busy but I came across this little jewelery store the other day and was amazed that they were advertising an item in their shop window for...wait for it....put little finger in mouth like Dr. Evil in Austin Powers....

One and a Half Million Ringgit!

That's right..RM 1,500,000.

Now to me,it looks like a Jade Cabbage.
I know that lots of people in this part of the world like Jade and the special powers such as Good luck,Peace and Wisdom that Jade is said to bring but I think that if you can already afford RM 1,500,000 for a cabbage that you've already had enough  good-luck but you may indeed be lacking in wisdom!

Are They Sure.....

Malaysian advertising companies can be a bit too creative at times,whilst at other times they completely miss the mark.

As for this example,I'll let you decide...
But I never thought that I would see the words 'naughty" and "Volvo" in the same sentence....

OK-It now seems that I was wrong.
This is a global campaign,not just in Malaysia
so whatever advertising company came-up with the slogan needs to do a bit more "creative brainstorming"

Tired of Traffic Jams in Kuala Lumpur?

If ever you've sat in one of KL's horrendous traffic jams,especially on a Thursday or Friday when it's usually very hot and is always quicker to walk to your destination you may find yourself wanting one of these new MPV's....

I think they would be particularly useful when one of those motor-cades of VIP's or Tin-Pot Dictators snarl-up the traffic even more....

....if you don't want an MPV they also do a sports version.....

Kasturi Walk Central Market Kuala Lumpur

Kasturi Walk is the much-hyped new tourist-friendly development in KL
running alongside Central Market.
It opened with lots of fireworks and publicity a few weeks back.

And guess what?
It's no big deal at all.
Just an extension of Central Market so you can buy more tourist bric-a-brac.
In the publicity blurb it goes something like .." enjoy an al-fresco shopping and eating experience"
In reality it's a row of little kiosks offering snack- food and the usual tourist junk.
I saw T Shirts priced at RM 29 which I'm pretty sure you can pick-up in Sungai Wang for RM 10.
OK,so I have to admit that the pavement ,which they call a "walkway" is better than before because it's level and clean and if the stalls are all owned by local entrepreneurs then good luck to them.
Kasturi Walk even has 24hr security guards who will not let you walk down before the stalls are open.
But come on,RM 8 million for this?

Best Not To Ask.....

If you're sensible enough to ask "What's in the other 10%?", you're probably not crazy enough to actually eat it!......

A Bridge to Nowhere.....

I came across this the other day and thought it so bizarre that I had to write about it.
The road junction of Jalan Sultan Ismail and Jalan Raja Chulan,at Wisma Cosway is one of the busiest in town.

About 9 months ago it was decided to slightly alter the one-way system with the result that one of the traffic islands was made redundant.
So,there was this big triangle of land that no one knew what to do with.
"I know!" said some guy in the local council..."Let's build a bridge!"
I can imagine other people looking at him thinking WTF?....and then a bit later on saying "What a brilliant idea...you've earned your promotion!"
"But there is absolutely no need for it" a lone voice of dissent is heard to cry.
"Why don't we concentrate on fixing the uneven pavements around town or even try to unblock the drains"
"You're fired for lack of imagination" says his boss...."Besides,we need to give that grumpy old blogger something to complain about!"

Xmas Lights at Pavilion Shopping Mall (part II)

I had to go back to Pavilion at night to see what the Xmas lights looked like....not as impressive or tacky as I thought they would be....But...
What has happened to Bukit Bintang?
I've always thought it was a bit tacky at night with all the foot-massage places,pimps and taxi-drivers touting for business as I've mentioned before but take a walk between Pavilion and Lot 10 on the side of the street with all the Middle Eastern restaurants and you'd be amazed at how grubby,tasteless and depressing it has become...there's a row of of Middle Eastern beggars with their children and a few touts selling fake and/or stolen watches.handphones and toys...it's like a mini-thieves market.
Now,as all this happens on Kuala Lumpur's main shopping street right next to the Millennium Hotel I can only assume that the authorities are aware of it and let it carry-on to provide a service to tourists,as they think that it's what tourists want to see....

You get that real third-world experience on Bukit Bintang of finding High-end expensive fashion like Gucci and Hermes shops right next to a guy sitting on the pavement selling fake watches.

Can? or Cannot!

I always find things like this quite amusing....

Fake Cops On The Prowl....

Taken from "The Star"....

Published: Thursday October 28, 2010 MYT 6:45:00 AM

Updated: Thursday October 28, 2010 MYT 11:00:25 AM

Kiwi tourists robbed by a couple of ‘cops’

TWO New Zealanders lost RM10,000 to a couple posing as police officers, reported Harian Metro.
The two victims in their early thirties were walking along Jalan Tong Shin in Kuala Lumpur around 5pm on Oct 26 when they were approached by the couple in a car.
According to a source, the suspects in their early 20s came out from the car and told the Kiwis that they were police officers and wanted to see their passports.
“The ‘police officers’ seized their passports and their wallets, got into the car and sped off,” said the source.
The victims made a police report at the Dang Wangi police station.

The exact same thing happened to a friend of mine at 3am on a Wednesday the week before when he was walking home...
He had the the presence of mind to ask for their ID and the "cops" got a bit more aggressive and threatening but he walked slowly on and manged to contact the real police who swooped-in with a vengeance (5 police cars in total) and nabbed the two impostors.
He said that the impostors were a bit thick,slow and stupid as they let him make a phone call-and let him keep walking.
The police had been alerted earlier as the impostors had also demanded a free massage from one of the foot-massage places along Tengkat Tong Shin.
The only downside was he then spent a few hours at a police station giving a statement-but he did the right thing.
He said that the real police were very polite and friendly.(which surprised him!) but rather unorganised and chaotic at the Police Station (which didn't)

I know that some people here think that a tourist/foreigner must carry their passport with them at all times (locals carry ID cards) but I have never read this in any official documentation and certainly new arrivals are not told this at the immigration desk.
My friend needed to take his passport to the police station as part of the procedure for making a statement but he didn't have it on him...and the real police weren't bothered-they just drove him home to get it.

This Should Help....

Some people never learn.
One of the big problems facing Kuala Lumpur and the whole of Malaysia is the problem of litter.

People just drop rubbish everywhere.
If you take a walk along Bukit Bintang you will notice that there are litter-bins every few yards and yet ignorant idiots still just throw their rubbish anywhere.

Sure,the bins look horrible as people stub their cigarettes out on the tops and burn into the plastic but at least you can deposit your trash in them and walk away.
At least Bukit Bintank is swept and cleaned every day-take a walk along the side streets and it's even worse as pink plastic bags and foam food containers are strewn everywhere and block-up the drains.
So,to try and combat this menace the local council have spent a few hundred thousand Ringgit erecting signs telling people to keep the city clean.
The signs assume that only people who can read  Bahasa Malay cause the problem.
So,all the old and ignorant Chinese and Indian guys who walk along the pavement spitting and throwing their cigarette butts on the ground can carry-on.
Tourists never drop any litter,do they?

All the young shop workers and foot-massage touts who "carefully" place their used lunch containers in the gutter can carry-on, for the sign doesn't mean them does it?
After all,they're in a rush and well,someone will come and clear-up the mess won't they?
Why deprive them of a job?
People here drop litter because either they know no better-or they do but they just don't bloody care!
Now,call me a cynic but putting-up signs telling people not to drop litter won't work as the idiots who drop the rubbish are too stupid,thick and ignorant to read the signs and act upon them.
There are a few litter-free places in Malaysia,places like Kuala Terengganu and Kota Baru on the East Coast come to mind so it is possible to achieve and maintain a clean,litter free city but most people in KL just don't seem to care....

Looking for Somewhere to go in Kuala Lumpur?

I came across this story in "The Star" recently.....

"Lack of maintenance has resulted in more than half of the 19 automated toilets, each costing RM400,000, in Kuala Lumpur being damaged and one is not operational.

The toilets were launched in 2006 by then Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak who also said that foreigners could tell about a country’s culture and civilisation from the condition of its public lavatories.
The Automatic Street Toilets (AST) are located at strategic points in the city that are mostly frequented by tourists.
Fully automated including the cleaning of the toilet bowls, it only costs RM1 to use the air-conditioned AST which comes in two cubicles per location.
Good maintenance needed: Each AST costs RM400,000 and is fully automated from the RM1 fee collection to the toilet bowl.
Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng and Bukit Bintang MP Fong Kui Lun highlighted the issue and said it was Kuala Lumpur City Hall’s (DBKL) responsibility to maintain these toilets.
“According to the status report of the AST we received from DBKL, four of the toilets are not operational while three have only one operational cubicle. Out of the 19, 12 have been damaged,” Lim said.
According to the report, the problems include leaking air-conditioning, damaged automatic door motors and lack of water supply since June 1.
Lim also claimed that the contract for the AST maintenance was not done via open tender which could have lessened inefficiency.
“We welcome high-tech toilets as a means to attract tourists but since the ASTs are not taken care of properly, it has most likely caused the opposite result,” Lim said.
Lim also highlighted the matter of Najib saying back in 2006 that there would be a total of 23 toilets in place by 2007.
“According to the AST status report there are only 19 toilets and one is being build at Pasarama Kota. What happened to the other three?” he said, adding that somebody has to take responsibility of the matter."

How Many Islands in Malaysia?

An interesting article in "The Star" about increasing the number of tourist arrivals in Malaysia.
I've always been a bit dubious about the figures and how the government here counts a "tourist"
I think that if you remove all the next-door neighbours like Singaporeans,Indonesians and Thais from the figures you are left with a much,much,much smaller figure.
She's spot-on about the problems with litter though....
And,since when did Malaysia have 1,700 Islands?

Click on the title above to read the link....

There's Just Too Many.....

If you take a walk around Jalan Bukit Bintang/Jalan Alor/Changkat Bukit Bintang area, you may find that...
There are just too many...
Convenience Stores..... selling nothing but potato snacks and fizzy drinks...
Money Changers....must be at least 25 just on Bukit Bintang alone.(Best rate is the one just down the steps in BB Plaza)
Backpacker Hotels....how did so many suddenly spring-up?
Foot Massage places and their annoying touts...nearly as many as there are convenience stores and some do more than feet. The general rule (so I've been told) is that if the touts outside are wearing some sort of uniform/T Shirt then it's usually legit. If they are old and tired and worn-out looking girls from China outside, then you may get a happy-ending inside.
But keep your eyes closed and think of someone else....
And those retards with no teeth who hang around Bukit Bintang offering Nice Young Lady Beautiful Massage,Sir?
Coffee Bars....like any city now I guess they are everywhere but I have a big problem paying as much for a coffee as I do a beer.
and talking of beer....how come there are so many;
Irish Bars..
Tapas Bars..
Italian Restaurants..
they seem to be taking over....

If somehow you could combine all the elements above, you'll probably have the most popular place in town..

KL Wildlife

You may think that the only wildlife you'll see in the centre of KL would be rats and cockroaches, with a few stray cats hanging around foodstalls-but you'd be wrong.

The area around Jalan Alor/Tengkat Tong Shin is also home to an ever-dwindling troop of Macaques.

There used to be a big group living in the trees behind where I live but the developers have felled most of the trees and shot most of the monkeys.

Quite sad.

Nowadays,I see this old guy every now and again,he looks a bit grumpy as there have been so many changes to his neighbourhood;more concrete,more noise,more traffic etc etc but the stallholders make sure he's got enough fruit to eat,which he takes very gently from the hands that feed him.

How long he'll last I don't know,he seems fairly streetwise and I wish him a happy retirement.

If You Believe This......

.....you'll believe anything!


Update 23/8/10.
Well,that will teach me for being such a cynic..
This does seem to be working.
I recently took a taxi for a small trip in KL that used to cost me RM10 as either the meter was broken and/or that's what the driver wanted..take it or leave it.
Last night the driver automatically set the meter and the ride cost RM 3.20....nice.

The Ugly City of Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur is actually quite an ugly city.
I know there are some nice, atmospheric enclaves with a bit of character but,as I said..
It's pretty ugly.
The skyline,from a distance looks great but when you get up close and personal it's a different story.

The main reason for this is that the city never really looks "finished", there is ALWAYS some construction going on somewhere and because nothing is organised, planned or coordinated on a city-wide scale it's all a bit hap-hazard.

Then you've got a dirty,rubbish strewn streets with drains blocked-up by inconsiderate idiots who just throw their rubbish into the nearest drain.....
A good example would be Bukit Bintang-The Pavilion Shopping Centre was completed two years ago-it was huge construction site for ages,now what used to be KL Plaza is being re-modeled,so another huge and ugly site-Lot 10 is also going through a staggered re-development.
When that's complete,watch and see what happens to the land between the Grand Millennium Hotel and Pavilion which is scheduled to be serviced apartments....The premier street in Kuala Lumpur seems to be a permanent construction site....
Have a look around KLCC and the park there-more construction sites for yet more apartments plus another couple of hotels and office blocks and another mini-tower next to KLCC for yet more shops....
Alright,I know that in this part of the world,progress and development= concrete (never mind the lack of infra-structure) and some of the office buildings are quite spectacular but I just wish they'd all hurry-up and get it finished.
It makes a smoggy, hazy city even more dusty and the pavements/drains/roads are always getting damaged by heavy vehicles.
And it's the same in the suburbs as well...just take the LRT or monorail and count the number of cranes you can see...
I get the feeling that the domestic economy in Malaysia is fuelled and sustained by the construction industry.
All the condos/serviced apartments seem to be built for "investment" the developers don't seem to really care if anyone actually lives in them....

Valentine's Day at Gypsy Bar, Changkat Bukit Bintang

Where's the What?