Scottish Highland Games in Kuala Lumpur- inagural Event!

What an excellent day of fun and activities it was back in May 2014 and a very good reason to wear your kilt!
This great event for all the family will be hosted every year and is a must attend for those looking to fill their weekends with a new experience such as watching and cheering on:

Rugby tournaments
Bag pipe band competitions
Haggis Hurl
Shot put
Axemen Shop
Axemen Tree Climb
Hammer throw
Food stalls and much much more......

To keep up to date with future events have a look here:
Highland Games Website for Kuala Lumpur.

Where to buy curtains in Kuala Lumpur!

I didn't realise what a task it would be to find a shop that stocked good quality curtains that were not cheap looking and ghastly. I find that the Malaysian taste for fabric is very different to that of most western countries. The variety of material here seems to be very loud, very busy (too busy for my taste) and made from a lot of synthetic fibres. A good, hardy cotton or linen curtain thick enough to block out the light was proving very hard to find.

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!

 

 

 

 

 

Other stores to have a look at which have a smaller selection and only if you have no luck at Sarah Hughes are:

 

Macy in Ikano Power Centre right opposite the Curve Shopping Mall

They have other outlets around KL. Have a look at their website:

Macy Website with Locations

 

Home's Harmony: They have outlets in Publika and Plaza Damas shopping Malls, Mont Kiara.

Home's Harmony Website

 

Art and Craft Supplies in Kuala Lumpur.

If you are looking for any sort of Art and Craft Supplies in Kuala Lumpur there is a great store called ART FRIEND.

They stock everything from paint brushes, sketch books, easels, to beads.

Art Friend is located in two different malls:

The Gardens/Mid Valley Mall- Third Floor   (Open: 10.00 to 22.00)
Tel: 03 2284 777
Or
The Curve- Second Floor  (Open: 10.30 to 21.00)
Mutiara Damansara, Petaling Jaya
Tel: 03 7722 2211

Forest Research Institute of Malaysia: FRIM are looking for Volunteers!

 


All you plant lovers out there who have some spare time on your hands are very much in luck!!

If you are interested in:

• Volunteering whilst working outdoors
• Learning about the diversity of native plants in Malaysia
• Be part of conserving one of the most beautiful parks in KL
• Learning how to conserve, propagate and maintain tropical plants
• Planting trees
• Meet some like-minded people who care for the planet...........

Then FRIM is where you want to be!






They are currently looking for volunteers for short term or long term conservation projects.
If you only have an hour per week to spare or you can come more often does not matter. The more the merrier!







For more information please contact NORSHAM SUHAINA BINTI YAAKOB who works in the research department at FRIM.

Her contact details are:

Email:  norsham@frim.gov.my
T : 603-62797000  (extn:7246)
F : 603 62731314


Address:

Forest Research Institute
Malaysia (FRIM), 52109 Kepong,
Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

Website:  www.frim.gov.my

Exemptions for Foreigners buying property below 1 Million RM

I have recently discovered that there are indeed some exemptions allowing foreigners to purchase property in 2014 below the new 1 Million RM mark.

To see if you qualify and for more exact information have a look at the EPU's official website.

Click on the blue link below:

www.epu.gov.my

Malaysian Culture with a funny twist.

Read comic books by Malaysian artist Datuk Lat! (Datuk Mohammad Nor Khalid)

That's right!  For expats or visitors who wish to understand more about Malaysian culture and the more humourous side to life in this country, his comic books are a must read! They are a great way to bring light to some of the peculiar and funny facts about everyday life.

Some of his popular comic book titles:
Kampung Boy
Town Boy
With a little bit of Lat

You can read more about the artist here on Wikipedia:
Artist Lat

Images below to give you a taste of his wit and style:

                                                           TAXI FRUSTRATIONS:

PARALLEL WORLDS.

 

THE DREADED KESESAKAN LALU LINTAS.

 

Visit Malaysia 2014!

What a shame that Visit Malaysia 2014 has gotten off to such a bad start!
There have already been 3 major issues that have hampered tourists experience and 1st impression of Malaysia.

Firstly, we experienced simultaneously:

1. Very dry weather followed by water rationing
2. Very thick, smelly and unhealthy haze/smog over several days in February and March.

3. Lastly the terrible and mysterious disappearance of one of the airlines of our major carrier: Malaysian Airlines MH370.

Our sincere condolences to all family and friends of the passengers and crew on that flight.

These 3 will undoubtedly shake visitors confidence in Malaysia and cause the number of tourists to dwindle during a year when Malaysia would be hoping to welcome record numbers of visitors.

To make matters worse the haze suffered by all this year was not caused by other countries but it is believed that the foul smelling, health hazard was caused here in Malaysia. When you travel to the airport you can see large areas of charred land, some still smouldering.

Images of the haze this year: makes for a very poor impression on visitors to the country.

Smell of burning in the air as haze engulfs Kuala Lumpur in March 2014.

Same view on a cloudy day.

Is there anything that can be done about the annual haze attack on Malaysia?
I welcome your thoughts!

Best Pork Schnitzel in Kuala Lumpur.

If you are craving a good schnitzel like I was the other day, then head to a unlikely place: Pavillion.
The Weissbrau at Pavillion serves the best schnitzel in Kuala Lumpur. It is even better than the one served at Brotzeit (Mid Valley). They serve 3 different schnitzels but I always go for the Wiener pork Schnitzel with Sauer Kraut and potato salad . Excellent portion (big enough for two) and great taste.

They have other German/Austrian dishes such as pork knuckle and sausages but can give no verdict on those as I have not tried them there, yet!

I am yet to find a true Wiener Schnitzel made out of veal in Kuala Lumpur. So in the meantime, enjoy the pork version!

Sailing School and Sailing Lessons in Kuala Lumpur.

At last you no longer have to go all the way to Langkawi to learn how to sail. Kuala Lumpur now has it's own sailing school.
If you want to "test the waters", you can try a one day introduction lesson to see what it is all about.

To book your lessons and for more information click on the Sailing School link below:

SAILING SCHOOL

Have a look at the photos below:

Example of one of the many sailing knots you will learn.

Pool at the Royal Selangor Yacht Club

Fishing Competition December 2013

To book your lessons and for more information have a look here:

Sailing School Malaysia

Foreigners buying property in Malaysia: Rules, regulations, fees and taxes

 You may have heard that as of January 2014 the minimum property purchase price is RM 1,000 000
for all foreigners. Capital gains tax has also been raised. This is naturally a huge shock and increase for foreigners but also a welcome ruling for local Malaysians. The hope is that this will result in homes being more affordable for locals.

For more comprehensive information please have a look at the site below.
Malaysian Property Regulations

Best places to buy property in KL

If you are a foreigner looking to buy property or you are currently in the process, your best bet, is to use a reputable lawyer who will help you navigate through the current changes.



Exceptions/ exemptions for certain foreigners:

I have discovered that there are some exceptions to the new RM 1,000 000 purchasing price rule.
Please have a look at the official EPU site to see if you qualify for one of these exceptions.

Please click on the blue link below for more information:

www.epu.gov.my