Malaysia - Part One, KL

Just returned from our 'Asian Island Getaway'.  Did the job: restorative, warm and totally different!  Here are some views from our entry and exit stay overs in Kuala Lumpar.

The tallest 'twin towers' in the world (Petronas Towers) are 'jewelled' with light at night.  I fell in love with them.  They are just so 'Malaysia' and everyone is so proud of them.

 Hibiscus (the national flower of Malaysia) referenced everywhere.

 The best basement floor eating I've ever done in a mall. Chinese, Malay, Japanese, Taiwanese, Western, Indian, Thai.... We were pigs in mud and this is where we could be find most of the time...

We didn't have time for any purposeful cultural insights - and there wasn't much popping out on the streets - bar this light relief of a mural down a side street in a very trashy China Town. I like the cyclist.

The Islamic influences structure continues with so much of the architecture... This was in another shopping mall!

 Street scene looking down from Pavillions Mall (their most esteemed mall)!  

Tropical well planned urban spaces were few - but super good when they appeared!  We pretty much spent most of the time in airconditioned walkways to malls etc. Not much time - but great to be in a totally pumped city - making a go of everything, so much money, so much diversity, lots of ideas, kind of conservative and ordered for Asia, with no creepy crawlies (human or insect), yet full of 'Asia' including exotic food smells, the ever present sounds of scooters, phenomenal rain storms, traffic jams and that thick haze.  Asia is so good for the soul.  The everyday disorder makes Christchurch's post earthquake situation seem horribly dull and stagnant.  Maybe cities in the world are always changing like Christchurch currently is - but they do it daily - sans a disaster.  We're just not used to it, and haven't previously been forced to change with speed before? No population pressures, war or politics creating infrastructure issues here.   My brief impression reflected back home was this: we so have to get over ourselves and get on with trying some stuff.  

One Year, Marked

I don't really want to post on the one year anniversary. It was a media crazed week. But I think it is important to show 'where we are up to' here in Christchurch, one year on - just for the record.  

 Outside the Red Zone, facing Hagley Park, one of the four Viagra Towers is already down - the demolition was explicit and merciless! It attracted huge crowds and showed people's belongings being clawed out.  Seemed like another 'up yours' to humans and their need for things.

 Inside the RedZone. Looking to McKenzie and Wills from Alice in Videoland building.

'Getting rid' (bit harsh but kind of true) of the rest of High St (C1 down) and Poplar Lane

 This is the last building standing on that side of High Street.  We used to live to the right of it. 

 The Excellsior facade still stands! Bit like a Roman Amphitheatre!

This is how they keep it up.  Not sure why this one has been chosen to save - it has had a lucky break.

And still in the Red Zone, I walked through the tragic Victoria Square.  Tragic - in that the lanterns from the festival that had just happened there a year ago are STILL hanging from the tree. Tragic-  that the state of play for the Town Hall is still unknown. Tragic that this is where we were married - Boaters Restaurant. It now hangs literally from the main Town Hall building over the river. 

And back to outside the Red Zone and a little bit of cheer. We had a great day last weekend with Ribs, Riesling and Rubble - getting some people together in the many spaces that yearn for activity.  

 

This spot will soon be a super dope bar.  Its getting some good attention! 

To close! The back of the Odeon theatre (in the Red Zone).  Whilst this is just another example of a cleared site where you can't remember what used to be there, it shows how beautiful some of the buildings are when seen for the first time from a new angle. 

Malaysia - Truly Asia

We are going on holiday soon. So we prepped at Malaysia Delight tonight.  Recommend the Nasi Goreng shown here, roti and gravy and Beef Rendang.  Great benchmarking...

I just bought a new jacket designed by this sister...

http://www.vogue.com/voguepedia/Isabel_Marant

I'm in love. (With the jacket). Long may it continue...

Abberley Park's Hydrangeas (next door to us)

This is what kept me away from blogging in January...

Mystery Visitor to NYE Party

New Years Eve. Definitely not a significant day of the year for me - and the custom of celebrating it wears thin on a good year!  However I was grateful to be invited to a small, homely and gentle NYE party, where the food was ample, full of colour and spice, the hosts generous, the music interesting (Pitchfork Top 100 of 2011) and one of the guests brought a hand-made pinata to get the party started...

 No one could guess who the face belonged to....until they gave us a clue! 'The Wire' (of which we have just finished Series 5 and it truly is one of the most beautiful thing ever created but that is another story).

So the mystery character? Twas 'Herc'.  Emma chose to create him into a pinata so we could "smash his head in".  Lets just say he is kind of annoying, bit thick, but likable enough as all characters on that show are!

This is the work of art following one clear blow (where the paper mache was so robust that Herc's head fell to the ground rather than being split and overflowing with sweets!  We instead tore his head apart to be rewarded at 12.01am with Mackintoshes (she knows what she is going) and I shit you not - home-hole punched confetti.  Astonishing.  Who will be next! Nice memory to start 2012.