Showing posts with label [Kuala Lumpur] Celebration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label [Kuala Lumpur] Celebration. Show all posts
Time does indeed fly. A new year in it's inevitability is fast approaching. It's that time again to rejoice, to reflect and to remember all the good times we've had in. Let's look on the bright side. The festival of lights aka Deepavali/Diwali is just around the corner - on the November 5th, 2010. That's 10 more days, WOOHOO! It's a public holiday in Malaysia. On a deeper level, Diwali/Deepavali signifies the light which dispels the darkness of our ignorance; it is a festival of the light which shows us the way on our journey through life.
According to Diwalifestival, lighting a lamp symbolizes the destruction, through knowledge, of all negative forces- wickedness, violence, lust, anger, envy, greed, bigotry, fear, injustice, oppression and suffering. Indians will light 'diyas' or lights of oil, or oil lamps. This is done by using a small brass plates or tiered plates as a lamp and putting oil or ghee (clarified butter) in the plates and putting wick and burning it.
I recently got a chance to visit the bazaars in Brickfields and Klang's Little India to witness The Colors of Diwali 2010 in A.C.T.I.O.N. It's been so long since I've been here! I was very surprised to find a brand spanking new Brickfields. The RM35 million makeover on Brickfields has changed the look of one of the most visited places in the city.
Colorful decorated pillars and the paved walkways make it convenient for a fun and comfortable shopping experience. Killer potholes roads? Smelly back lanes? Those days are long gone; at least in Brickfields. GUESS WHAT? Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his visiting Indian counterpart, Dr Manmohan Singh, on Wednesday October 27th, 2010 launched Little India, Kuala Lumpur's Indian enclave in Brickfields. Source: TheStar Scroll down the page to watch the opening ceremony of 9th Deepavali Carnival.
Later, I traveled to Jalan Tengku Kelana in Klang. The Diwali/Deepavali festival in Klang is way merrier than Kuala Lumpur. The bazaar was packed to the brim until one could hardly walk. I HATE crowds. I felt kinda of lost. LOL! Anyway I had a great time in both Brickfields and Klang's Little India. The Colors of Diwali 2010 is beautiful, warm and memorable. I'll let the pictures do the rest of the talking.
Wishing all my Indian friends a very Happy Deepavali. தீபாவளி வாழ்த்துக்கள் ♥
Title: The Colors of Diwali <印度纱丽★ - Indian Saree>
About: A beautiful piece of Saree cloth. Gotta love the colors!
Title: Princess Diwali <性感的女士 - Sexy lady>
About: A snobbish mannequin. Latest fashion statement of today? lol!
Title: I'm proud of who I am! <我♥我的花 - I love my flowers>
About: A hawker peddling jasmine flowers and garlands. These flowers are aesthetically pleasing to the eye and appeal to the sense of smell by imparting pleasant fragrances. Ooh La La!
Title: Saree galore <★屠妖节★ - Deepavali>
About: I was walking along Brickfields and KL Sentral. Next, I stumbled upon a traditional Saree shop. The morning light was perfect. So I grabbed my camera and click away. Halfway, the lady boss came out. She was wearing a beautiful Saree. We chatted for awhile about the latest development in Brickfields. She was quite happy :)
Title: Eyes on ME <♥来看看 - Take a look ♥>
About: A nosy man or just a curious passerby? You tell me :)
Title: Amma, it's the holiday season! <购物时间! - Shopping time>
About: I was looking at them from a distance. Waiting, waiting and waiting. Finally, I got it! Voilà! The perfect candid moment.
Title: The flower guys <花的力量 - Flowers power>
About: I realized that most of the Indian hawkers do not want to be photographed but with a little bit of persuasion and luck I was able to get some photos :)
Photography 101: People do have a right not to be photographed. It doesn't matter if they are in a public place or not. If they do not consent to the photograph, you are SHAMEFULLY VIOLATING their privacy.
Title: Big sales <纱丽拍卖★ - Saree auction>
About: Be it in any part of Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur Sentral and Klang's Little India, the magic of saree is everywhere.
Title: Golden brown laddu <松脆可口 - Crispy and delicious>
About: Cute looking fresh ladoo balls :) It is often prepared on festivals or household events such as weddings and births or given as a prasad at Hindu Temples. It is made out of flour and a variety of other ingredients formed into balls.
Title: Yummy pink Burfi <草莓蛋糕 - Strawberry cake>
About: Ooh these strawberry flavored burfi do look tantalizing! Barfi aka burfi is a sweet from the Indian subcontinent. It is often flavored with fruit (such as mango or coconut) or nuts (like cashew and pistachio) and spices such as cardamom.
They are sometimes served coated with a thin layer of edible silver leaf. Usually, they are typically cut into square, diamond or round shapes.
Title: Gulab Jamun aka the brown waffle balls <美味蛋糕 - Delicious cake>
About: Three words to sum up Gulab Jamun - juicy, sweet and delicious! It is made of a dough consisting mainly of milk solids, traditionally, khoya, an Indian milk product (buffalo milk) is rolled into a ball together with some flour and then deep fried.
It is then put into in a sugar syrup flavored with cardamom seeds and rosewater, kewra or saffron. Click HERE to learn how to make your very own Gulabs :)
Title: Thosai man <印度薄饼 - Indian pizza>
About: A cook busy preparing some thosai (Indian pancake made from fermented rice flour) and roti canai.
Title: Happy Go Lucky <首饰 - Jewelery>
About: An elderly hawker selling cheap Indian bracelets. I asked permission to take a photo and she agrees. She said "Hold your horses". Huh? She adjusted her Saree and looked into the mirror. Finally, she smiled and gave me the go ahead sign.
Title: Bling-bling shop <金光闪闪 - Glitter>
About: Another bling-bling shop around the corner.
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Last updated November 4th, 2010 (10:48 p.m.)
Brickfields Deepavali 2010 - Directions, Getting There & Maps:
Brickfields and Kuala Lumpur Sentral 2010 Diwali/Deepavali Bazaar are just minutes away from Tun Sambanthan Monorail station. Here's the route. Click link (Map 1) to download the map. Note: File is hosted in MediaFire.
Updates: Malaysia Indian Congress (MIC) will host its Deepavali open house at the Putra World Trade Centre on Nov 5 between 9.30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, his wife and other Cabinet ministers, political party leaders as well as diplomats were expected to attend.
Map 1 (1 page, JPG file, 380 kb)
Brickfields Deepavali 2010 - Google Street Map:
Brickfields Deepavali 2010 - YouTube Video (Source: Malaysiakini):
KL Sentral Deepavali Carnival 2010 - YouTube Video (Source: Malaysiakini):
Brickfields & Klang Deepavali 2010 - Things to Buy/Try:
- Indian traditional cakes and snacks (Gulab Jamun, Burfi, Laddu, Athirasam, Pal Kova, Murukku ++)
- Indian food (Banana leaf rice, thosai, roti canai, North Indian Curries ++)
- Flower garlands
- Clothing
- Jewelery
- Prayer items
- Accessories
Deepavali 2010 - Read More & Useful Links:
- http://tinyurl.com/24u7r6p (Brickfields: All spruced up and ready to party, NST)
- http://tinyurl.com/38mrmpq (Manmohan to launch 'Little India' in Malaysia trip, Sify)
- http://tinyurl.com/yupz8v (All about Diwali/Deepavali, Diwalifestival)
- http://tinyurl.com/ddlfg7 (Gulab Jamun Recipe, IndianFoodForever)
- http://tinyurl.com/385kejw (PM Najib & PM Manmohan Launch Little India, TheStar)
Picture 1: Christmas Lunch
A senior citizen enjoying her packet of Christmas lunch given by the organizers. Picture taken at Central Market, KL with my Nikon D60 (27th December 2009).
Three days ago (Sunday, 27th December 2009), I traveled back to Kuala Lumpur (KL) to search for another inspiration.
I needed to do something that stands out, something different, something that NOT every other blogger there is doing. It was not that easy as I first expected. Interestingly, the latest idea just came to me like that!
Picture 2: Guess What?
Can you guess, what is going on in this picture? Are they bargaining the price? Picture taken at Central Market, KL with my Nikon D60 (27th December 2009).
Picture 3: The Street Magician
Nope! Here comes our very own David Blaine - the Central Market street magician :) Picture taken at Central Market, KL with my Nikon D60 (27th December 2009).Picture 4: We Can Dance
Subtle, graceful and beautiful. Picture taken at Central Market, KL with my Nikon D60 (27th December 2009).Picture 5: We Can Also Sing
The talented native singers belted out string of brilliant performances. Picture taken at Central Market, KL with my Nikon D60 (27th December 2009).Traditional Christmas Song. Video recorded with my hand phone.
I was walking along Central Market. At first, I wanted to interview some street buskers and workers over there. Halfway doing that, I was distracted by something loud!! I heard 'live' Christmas songs from the open car park at Central Market. I quickened my pace, anxious to reach the crowded car park.
The management of Central Market has jointly organized Christmas Day 2009 Open House with some NGOs and Church groups in Klang Valley. WOW! I was impressed! This will be my first visit to a public open house in a shopping complex. I was jumping for joy! After hours of searching, I finally found it. 'Christmas Day Open House for 1 Malaysia' - What a great idea! HIP! HIP! HOORAY!
It was a cloudy day with occasional rain drops. The gloomy weather failed to deter Malaysians from all walks of life to celebrate Christmas together. I saw Malay, Chinese, Indian, Punjabi, Eurasians and even foreign workers at the open house. This is a very effective and proactive way to bring Malaysians from all walks of life, religion and creed together as one.
Picture 6: Sharing is Caring
Christmas is and was a day of unconditional giving and sharing. Picture taken at Central Market, KL with my Nikon D60 (27th December 2009).Picture 7: Under Control
A moment of chaos. This man (in green shirt) was trying to calm down the crowd. There were some pushing and mad rush to get Christmas goodies bag and lunch. I was shocked to see some senior citizens squeezed out! Luckily, everything was under control...15 minutes later. Picture taken at Central Market, KL with my Nikon D60 (27th December 2009).Picture 8: Thank You!
A man expressing his gratitude towards warm - hearted contributors for their kind donations. Generosity is natural for kindhearted people. We need more people in this world who are kindhearted and charitably inclined. Picture taken at Central Market, KL with my Nikon D60 (27th December 2009).Picture 9: A Hearty Lunch
Hundreds of Malaysians sat down to hearty Christmas lunches thanks to the work of charities helped by tireless volunteers. Picture taken at Central Market, KL with my Nikon D60 (27th December 2009).Picture 10: We Are 1 Malaysia
This is what 1 Malaysia is all about - Sharing special and joyous moments with everyone. The spirit of unity in diversity is timeless. It gels us together as Malaysians regardless of race and religion. Picture taken at Central Market, KL with my Nikon D60 (27th December 2009).
It was a simple Christmas Day Open House. But the crowds LOVE IT! The event was filled with laughter and happiness! The Central Market was bustling with people from all walks of life on the Sunday afternoon. Both the young and old, families and friends were spotted mingling with one another. It may be a typical scene in Malaysia but they were all present to celebrate Christmas regardless of race and religion. That's really AWESOME! You don't see this very often in KL.
Firstly, I visited the Christmas booth located along the main entrance of Central Market. Visitors were encouraged to play interesting games such as hoops on bottle neck and ping pong maze. It's a vibrant and festive mood of merrymaking. The organizers did a fantastic job of putting together a really polished event. The best event of the day is the distribution of food and hampers to general public, senior citizens and underprivileged groups. I was waiting eagerly for this event. I wanted to snap some pictures to share with my readers.
Picture 11: A Mesmerizing Performance
A choir group from Philippine performing some beautiful, soothing and pleasant Christmas song. Picture taken at Central Market, KL with my Nikon D60 (27th December 2009).
Picture 12: A Joyous Performance
Christmas choir performance. What an absolute joy to hear this choir sing their hearts out! Picture taken at Central Market, KL with my Nikon D60 (27th December 2009).Picture 13: Indie Christmas Rock 'n Roll
Christmas Indie Rock Band. This young chap is a cool and terrific singer. The crowd loves him! Picture taken at Central Market, KL with my Nikon D60 (27th December 2009).Picture 14: Emcee, You Are The Man!
The talented emcee. He really knows how to hold a crowd. Picture taken at Central Market, KL with my Nikon D60 (27th December 2009).At the beginning, the food distribution was chaotic! People were pushing and cutting queue just to get to the front line. It was getting uglier by the minute. OMG! I was shocked to see old citizens squeezed like sardines. Luckily, the organizers managed to calm down the crowd. I also shouted at the top of my lung. I said "People! The food is enough for all of you! Please do not push! Make two lines and we'll resume with the food distribution".
Thank God! Our wonderful Malaysians listened to our plea and start lining up. I did not expect to be the hero of the day. But, I'm glad the situation worked out the way it did for both parties.
At one point when the food was being distributed, I almost cried. I did not expect to see underprivileged Malaysians lining up for free food. It was surreal for me. It made me want to help out more and be a better person. Later, I approached one of the organizers and voiced out my intention to help out in future projects.
Picture 15: Make Me Gorgeous
Christmas makeover. Picture taken at Central Market, KL with my Nikon D60 (27th December 2009).Picture 16: Malaysia, Truly Asia
It was a definite crowd puller as the event saw a tremendous turnout of a sea of hundreds of locals and tourists who packed the car park at the Central Market. Picture taken at Central Market, KL with my Nikon D60 (27th December 2009).
Picture 17: It's Game Time!
There is no better time to observe happiness and laughter than during the Christmas holiday season. A man was throwing hoop on the bottles. Picture taken at Central Market, KL with my Nikon D60 (27th December 2009).After that, I walked to the stage to check out the Christmas performance from local Church groups. There were plenty of Malaysians sitting down enjoying the Christmas performance. I was granted a VIP access to the podium to cover this event. The person in charge gave his permission even though I'm not a reporter. I spent almost two hours documenting the Christmas show with my hand phone and Nikon D60 camera.
I've covered the following 5 events:
- Christmas rock band by 1 Malaysia youth (An amazing indie band performing 'live' Christmas song - a great hit among fans and spectators!)
- Christmas traditional sing and dance (The graceful native dancers enthralling the audience with their beautiful performance)
- Christmas clown and puppet show (An imaginative and entertaining performance - the kids loved it!)
- Christmas choir (The audience was enthralled by the performance of this choir which contained the ‘cream’ of talent from a variety of choirs)
- Christmas road side magic show (A fun filled magical entertainment for children of all ages and even the whole family)
It has been such a wonderful experience to join a colorful Christmas Open House. It's the best thing that's ever happened to me! The presence of hundreds of people from all walks of life signify the true 1 Malaysia spirit envisioned by our beloved PM Najib. This event is a celebration of peace, joy and harmony among all Malaysians. Well done Malaysians!
Christmas For 1 Malaysia - Slide show
Central Market - Getting There:
Due to its location in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, the Central Market is well served by public transport. It is located along Jalan Benteng off Jalan Hang Kasturi, near the Klang Bus Stand. If you walk from the bus stand, it will take around 5 minutes to reach there.
There are taxi stands and bus-stands (serviced by Metrobus) located at the front (Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock) and the side (Leboh Pasar Besar and Jalan Silang).
In addition, the PUTRA LRT Pasar Seni Station, STAR LRT stations and the commuter trains are located just a short walk away.
Central Market - Contact Info:
Central Market Sdn Bhd (643213-W)
No. 10, 1st-3rd floor,
Jalan Hang Kasturi,
50050 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 1300-22-8688
Fax: (6) 03-2032 2399
Email: info@centralmarket.com.my
Official portal: http://www.centralmarket.com.my/home.aspx
