Visit to Muzium Negara

The last time we visited the Muzium Negara was when Idlan was still a toddler. 2008 if I wasn't mistaken. We didn't enter the building. We just lingered outside and Idlan remembered the locomotive parked outside the museum.

We went to the museum last Sunday afternoon and this time we entered the building and looked at the exhibits. The boys were quite interested and on the particular afternoon the place was relatively empty.

At the central hallway in between the two wingsI remembered this stairs from my schooldaysExhibit-wise, the museum was divided into four compartments over the couple of floors. Imaginatively named Hall A to D of course. Going from memory, we had the natural history exhibit, Malacca and history of early Tanah Melayu, Kesultanan Melayu and the latest one being the Merdeka exhibit.

The other exhibits were pretty standard - what you'd expect from a National Museum, but the Merdeka exhibit was rather good I thought, although I would've curated it slightly differently. They should've emphasised the actual struggle against the Malayan Union and what the real Merdeka struggle was all about rather than shoehorning and streamlining the history as if we were reading a textbook, prepared by Kementerian Pelajaran. I didn't discover anything new. There was no critical analysis. For example, what were the roles of Sir Tan Cheng Lock and Tun Sambanthan? Were they just there to make up the numbers? We would appreciate some anecdotes. Like when they stopped the negotiations to watch a football match at Wembley. Some juicy bits like that.

After all, you had to pay to see these exhibits. Please not them be propaganda instead. I knew it was only RM2 to enter, but still we had to pay.

It was definitely worth the visit, but it would take more to make me come back anytime soon.

Zoo Negara Part 2

From Part 1

Yes, there were plenty of constructions going on around there. But the operative word here is "around". There were plenty of housing projects going on white close to the Zoo compound. Ironically they were called Zoo View. At the rate they were going, there would hardly be any zoo left to view ......

The animals looked thin and unhealthy. The giraffe looked malnourished. Even the elephant looked gaunt. The sheds looked in need of repair. In fact the whole place needed a facelift. They need a new management. They don't need to look abroad. Even the Bird Park in town was in a better state. I was sure they could learn a thing or two from there.

The place was depressing. It seemed that the management lost focus of what their strengths were and trailed to capitalise on it. They should consider giving away most of their exhibits as clearly they were not able to look after them and concentrate on a few star attractions. They have a great number of flamingo there and the lions and tigers were a big hit with the children.

The amphibians and reptile exhibits were maintained very well, and it was great that my boys spotted it and spent some time there. The penguin house was also great fun, and clearly the animal show was organised quite well. Quite rightly the staffs pointed this out as a must see. Shame that space was limited and the weather was too hot. They should make more coverings as I was sure the place would be soaked through in heavy downpour.

The cafe was not bad, although rather run down. We didn't have to go to the toilet - Thank God. The drink machines were mostly broken, or did not accept paper money - more kiosk needed, run by actual staff. There should also invest in children guides with organised activities. This should be done by professional rangers. I seemed to be guided by buggy drivers as we were taken around by the tram. Even my children pointed out that there were hardly any information they could read about the displays. There wanted to learn more, but there was just nowhere for them to turn to. A missed opportunity here.

We left right after the animal show. The boys only caught some of it as there were just to big a crowd there to be comfortable. We left after having some ice-cream and looking at penguin house. They were too exhausted even to enter the children area. They wished that they had spent more time at the reptiles and amphibians exhibit. They wanted to see more snakes and camouflaging frogs.

Will we be recommending the visit to anyone? As much as we want to support Zoo Negara, we found that the management had missed the boast for far too long. Something needed to be done as very soon, nobody would miss it should it be moved. The location seemed to be prime land to be converted into residential zone, and soon that may be a serious consideration. This is a serious problem and should be addressed professionally, but it doesn't seemed to be a priority. Going to zoo Negara when I was a child used to be a treat. Now, it was just a sight for sore eyes ......... Shamefully mismanaged and soon would be run to the ground.

FRIM Day Out

Today was the final day of my Raya break. Since most of my friends were still away, the "Rumah Terbuka" would only start this weekend in earnest. Kuala Lumpur was still mellow traffic-wise and we decided to do a bit of trekking.

Had been reading about Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve in the middle of town and decided to give it a go. So, we set off at 10 am, found the car park by the visitor center, only to be told that the Reserve would be closed for the the year, and would only be opened September 2013. We surfed the net high and low yesterday and there were no mention of the park being closed both in blogs and official websites. Talking about Malaysia going into the digital edge eh?

Even the lady at the counter was rather embarrassed with this fact. They don't even have presence on Facebook and their website were probably updated once in a blue moon. Fail!

Plan B then, off to FRIM. Again, we were told that the canopy walk was closed until next week, but luckily the trails were opened and we decided to stick to that rather then turn back. Again, no mention on the official website. Double fail!

At least they got to see some fungiBeing the first time in FRIM, we were lucky that there were hardly anybody else there. Parked by an entrance to a trail, by the picnic area and set off up the hill. A gentle trek, but well shaded and cool. Weather was holding up, but the track was slippery from the rain the day before. None the less, we soldiered on. The stream up the hill was inviting and there were a few families taking dips, but we decided against it. Anita had a phobia about leptospirosis.

After some time at the top, it was time to hike back down, but Irfan wanted to explore an old bridge further up the trail. It looked like it was an abandoned part of an old trail. I imagine that the trek was longer but it lacked maintenance.

The whole place got plenty of potential, but it was ashamed that it wasn't realised. The place was a treasure, as it was right at the edge of town, but seemed hours away. With a bit of planning and investment, the place could have gone a long way. It was glaring that I learned more about FRIM from the Discovery Channel than what was available from local media. Although the staff on duty were kind enough, there were no maps or leaflets available to enable the visitors to plan their day better. The maps they had on display were not the best ......

Energy booster for IdlanWhile Dad had some roti canaiEnded the stay by having a quick picnic. The picnic area has a couple of stalls which were closed during the Aidilfitri festivities. Roti canai, some tea, and the children had some cookies and other junks. Proper picnic. On the way out, we decided to explore another park, Taman Botani Kepong, but it turned out that we had to pass through an unpacked uphill road. Survived that into an empty park - there were hardly anybody else the today. We then pressed on home ......

We would definitely be back now that we understood the layout a bit more, but I could imagine that the place would be packed then. And with the limited parking space on offer and crammed trails it looked like a fun combination .....

Publika at Solaris Dutamas

It had been raining all afternoon. We initially planned to take the boys out to the park in the afternoon but the thunderstorm changed our mind. We then drive to Plaza Damas to let the boy loose in the indoor gym, but that too was closed. After a quick snack, we drove across the road to Publika as we had been curious about the place for a number of months. And it was a revelation.

The place was much bigger than we initially thought, even with not all the shops were opened. The anchor tenant, Ben's Independent Grocers - or BIG - more than made up for that. The place was a groceries shopper heaven! Upmarket - slightly less than than Jason's at Bangsar Shopping Center, but bigger size-wise. But that was just half of the story.

By the main entranceI was not joking when I said that the place was spaciousHmm! Artwork?Mooo!There were seats scattered around the walkwayIdlan trying out one of the chair. Verdict: uncomfortable.The place was spacious and parking was plentiful - although bear in mind that KL was quiet today with the city dwellers still making their way back from kampung after Raya. We explored some of the shops, but what struck me was the emphasis on space. The corridors were wide, airy and full of natural sunlight from the clear ceilings. There were also some artwork - mainly designed from garbage littering the walkways, with seating area tucked away at regular intervals. It was easily 200m from one end to the next, and there we also shops in the walkway outside. It would take one whole day to really explore the place.

There were interesting artworks lying about. Idlan was sure that this was a girl robot. I wondered why?This one was right colourfulWe didn't have the chance to venture outside. Maybe on the next visit.A quick dinner stopBy the toiletThe whole Solaris Dutamas complex was not just Publika - this was the main shopping mall. There were office buildings parallel to the mall, with roads linking the buildings. There were plenty of restaurants and offices around there, which I was sure had an exclusive ring to it. Where is your office? Solaris Dutamas. Got class maaan!

After a couple of hours, we decided to have a quick drink, then off to groceries shopping at BIG. It practically had everything ...... And that would require a separate entry .....