Grand Prix- Kuala Lumpur 2012-Sepang Circuit

                              Grand Prix 25th March 2012 in pictures:

Ikea Furniture, Woodchip Furniture and Mould in Tropical Climates.

Just a word of warning: Kuala Lumpur is a humid city and this can cause all sorts of mould to grow on your Ikea furniture or any furniture with wood chip backing.
Get you furniture treated or varnished before moving here or before installation in your home.

Pictures below of the havoc the mould can wreak without any damp spots, simply because of the humidity in the air.

Solution: treat the wood chip or have it covered in a mould resistant varnish.

Why is Petaling Jaya in Sections?: Sir Templer and KL:some interesting facts!

I always wondered why the addresses in Petaling Jaya were in sections rather than street names.
A taxi driver taking me there informed me that it all had to do with a certain British Field Marshal called Sir Templer and the control of Communism in the early 50's. Intrigued I looked it up.
In summary wikipedia has the following account:

1952: Field Marshal Sir Gerald Walter Robert Templer is appointed British High Commissioner of Malaya

He was brought in to deal with the Malayan Emergency: guerrilla war between Commonwealth Forces and the Malayan Communist Party

Petaling Jaya was created as a satellite town as a solution to the over population of Kuala Lumpur.

In addition Sir Templer also had the earlier housing  in Petaling Jaya fenced off to prevent the inhabitants from assisting the Communist Party.

So if you are ever in any of the Sections of Petaling Jaya, you will know now why the streets have such strange classifications.

More information Here:
Wikipedia: Petaling Jaya
Wikipedia: Sir Gerald Templer

Karaoke Booths in Kuala Lumpur, Berjaya Times Square, Imbi

Here is another unique way for you or your kids to spend their free time: Karaoke Booths at Berjaya Times Square, 6th Floor, Monorail station Imbi.

International Schools and Pre-schools in Kuala Lumpur.

After receiving several emails asking about International schools and pre-schools, I have decided to share the information here.

Pre-Schools contact the following for further information:

www.ibufamily.org
www.babycentre.com.my.
Pre-Schools and Prices
Eton House Pre School


Also have a look at this great blog which has a very extensive list of pre-schools with their price range so you can select one within your budget:
Pre-Schools and Prices


International Schools:

You can also contact these schools below to see what they recommend for pre-school children.

Expats send their children to these sorts of schools:

Garden International School

Alice Smith School
Alice Smith School- Jalan Bellamy/ Equine Park- They provide school buses to pick up children from various areas.

Mont Kiara International School

For the most up to date fees you will need to contact the schools.

For more schools please have a look here:
Expat KL

1 school which I have not heard of in my circle of friends but may be worth contacting is:

Australian International School

Sungei Wang Shopping Mall and Roller Skating in KL

One of the oldest shopping malls in Kuala Lumpur. To get there take the Monorail to Bukit Bintang. The mall is connected to the Monorail station.

Mosque Tour: A must do in Kuala Lumpur.

I cannot say how fascinating a recent tour of a Mosque was for me!! Being Christian I haven't quite been able to explain why my "real" knowledge of Islam has been so faint and vague up until now. The tour of the Mosque was both informative and very surprising to hear the obvious links between Christianity and Islam. It was even more refreshing to hear a couple of surprising facts.
On the tour you are encouraged to ask questions so please do.
If religion doesn't interest you, I would still recommend that you go on a tour so that you can admire the magnificent architecture and the intelligent uses of space and shapes to accommodate all sorts of activities.

There are several magnificent Mosques in KL. Some of these are:

Masjid Jamek at the LRT station by the same name. This is said to be the oldest Mosque in KL.
Masjid Wilayah, very close to Solaris and Publika, Jalan Duta. This Mosque combines architecture of The Blue Mosque in Istanbul (hence the Blue Domes), Taj Mahal in India and The Shah Mosque of Isfahan.
Masjid Putra in Putra Jaya the administrative capital of KL, situated on the way to KLIA international airport. This Mosque has a pink dome and is built on the water. It is absolutely breath taking in the evenings!

Please respect the custom of modest attire before visiting any of these Mosques. Modest means that arms and legs need to be covered and ladies need to cover their heads with a long scarf. Shoes must be kept at the entrance. Some Mosques will give you a robe to wear but it would help if  you went prepared.

Masjid Jamek

3 photos of Masjid Wilayah

Tours are free of charge and you are free to chose whether to leave a donation or not.

To book a tour at Masjid Wilayah please email or call Rose Ahmad at:
rose.ahmad23@gmail.com   or +60122102650
In her absence you may contact Bob Borhanuddin at bob.borhanuddin@gmail.com or  +60123257578.