Some more exotic food in Kuala Lumpur.

Mmmh! Nyummy, Singapore Laksa. Look at the colour of this one! Coconuty deliciousness!

How about a steam boat? This one took me by surprise. Never seen one of these before. It is like a giant Mongolian BBque or a mega non-cheese fondue!

Haberdashery, Sewing paraphernalia and material shop in Kuala Lumpur.

For all those stay at home mums who have a creative edge why not make your own cushions, curtains or even wall deco to match colours and themes that you love. For all those who love to sew and are looking for bits and bobs: ribbons, needles, Velcro, I have found the place in KL for you.

All can be found in the Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman between Masjid Jamek and the Sogo shopping mall.

For sewing paraphernalia check out a store called Syarikat Bunga Reben. They have 2 stores in the area one of which is opposite Bata Shoe shop, KFC and next to Princess Shop.

For all sorts of Material check out the store Kamdar. Kamdar has 2 stores in Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman and 1 store in Mid Valley shopping Mall.

 

I am pleased to say that I have finally found a place with some great fabric. Most of their pre-made cutains are still not to my taste but that is alright because they provide rows of other fabric from which you can tailor make your own curtains. The only downer is they are on the expensive side so my next challenge will be to find a tailor who can make curtains at a reasonable price.

But for now here is the place:

Sarah Hughes @ Globe
185 Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, 50100 Kuala Lumpur,
Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2699 7115

Website: Globe by Sarah Hughes

It is near Sogo shopping Mall and curtains are on the 7th floor. The entrance doesn't look like much but
you will be surprised what you find on the upper floors!

Price of Alcohol in Kuala Lumpur

As promised see attached spreadsheet here:
Price of Alcohol


For more information go to this link:
Tax free Alcohol

Holistic and Alternative Therapy shop in Kuala Lumpur.

If you are looking for a Holistic Shop and therapy centre that provides anything from Reiki Healing to Essential oils and Meditation Cd's then do check out the Violet Flame.
They have a presence in Bangsar at :

The Violet Flame 
67-2, Jalan Bangkung,
Bukit Bandaraya,
59100 Bangsar,
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Phone no: 03-20959868 
  
Their website is: http://www.thevioletflame.com.my/

Hungry Ghost Month!

Have you noticed quite a bit of incense or paper being burned around town? We are in the middle of the Chinese Hungry Ghost Month which started on the 31st of July and will run through to August 28th, 2011. Last night and tonight there will be some festivals to mark this years Ghost month. The Chinese believe that during this month spirits and ghosts of the deceased are released and are allowed to roam here amongst the living. It is advised to be very careful this month and to pay the utmost respect to the spirits. Incense is burned to appease and others ensure that they keep seats vacant and free for ghosts to join in with any meals or activities such as concerts that take place.
Some of you may read this and possibly judge this as superstitious, macabre, hocus pocus but it is truly fascinating for me to draw parallels between different cultures who celebrate similar festivals:

Mexicans have the" Day of the Dead"
In Austria and in the Catholic Church first days of November is respected
as "All Souls Day"
USA has Halloween

I am sure there are many more.
Either way be safe this month!

Kuala Lumpur Boleh! Things to know about Kuala Lumpur.

My new home city Kuala Lumpur is wonderful! Where do I even start to decribe all the great things I have
discovered and experienced. There is of course the food. Everyone talks about the food. In London we used
to talk about the weather, in KL we talk about the best meal we had yesterday and which restaurant to try out next. The trio of cultures that makes up Malaysia has influenced it's cuisine and also the number of festivities we foreigners and visitors get to enjoy. We are now experiencing Ramadan which will be punctuated at the end by the great celebration of Eid. To date we have laughed and clapped at so many festivities from New Years's Eve in January, Chinese New Year in February through to Muhammad's Birthday, Buddha's birthday and now we are waiting in anticipation for Eid.
As if that weren't enough jolly for a year, Diwali and Christmas still await us.

But it's not all about food and cultural celebrations. No, Malaysia has so much more to offer. There are the highlands in Cameron with it's cooler air and tea plantations. Then there are the Islands, so beautiful and a heaven for scuba divers and Robinson Crusoenians. There is Borneo for the nature lover in you and Mount Kinabalu magnetically draws you to challenge yourself up her granite slopes. With Malaysia's low cost airline: Air Asia, all these dream locations are possible within a weekend's trip from Kuala Lumpur.

I also love the tropical jungle that surrounds and decorates pocket areas within the capital city. It feels so lush and enjoyable to drive past these leafy lungs that cool the motorway air and allows the city to breath! No smog to be found here!

I could go on and tell you more about Batu Caves, Mega Shopping Malls, Durian......but I wouldn't want to give it all away! It would just be better for you to come and discover it all for yourself. Why read about it when Malaysia is waiting here for you to experience it?

Happy travels!

Where to find maize meal or maize flour in Kuala Lumpur.

If you are from Africa and you are searching high and low for our beloved white maize flour, search no more. I did the same thing when I first moved here but in vain. I got a serious craving for Ugali/Pap/Mealie meal/Sadza/Nshima but could not find the flour anywhere in KL.
So:
1. If your stomach cannot take any more noodles and roti,
2. If you cannot wait any longer for your next trip home to Africa,
3. If your friends let you down and forget to bring you back a packet

then drop me a line at: expatliving@hotmail.co.uk.

If you are from anywhere else in the world and would love to try something wholesome full of magnesium,
vitamin B6 and protein then contact me too to order your maize flour.

In the meantime stare at the photos below and lick your lips!

Prices of groceries at supermarkets in KL.

As promised before, I have finally got a price comparison table of certain grocery items at various supermarket chains in KL. I hope this will help you decide where is best for you to do your grocery shopping.
At present I seem to do a bit of a mix: some shopping at wet markets such as the one at TTDI, main groceries at Village Grocer, detergents etc at the mini mart in our condo and good quality cheeses, pork, etc at Gourmet in Bangsar Shopping Centre.

Please note that these prices are as of April 2011, are in Malaysian Ringit and may change over the course of time but for now it should give you a good comparison and possible an idea of how much you need to budget.

I welcome you to share any other of your own bargain and quality finds so that these can help others  and new comers out there.

Grocery Prices here

For a list of supermarkets in KL go to this Link: Supermarkets and Malls in KL