KLCC Park's Asy-Syakirin Mosque

After a late breakfast (once again) at McDonald’s, I trooped to Pasar Seni Station and headed to KLCC (where the Petronas Twin Tower is – 1.60 ringgit). I was actually looking for DVD titles by Thai director Apichatpong Weerasethakul, particularly the obnoxiously titled “Uncle Boonme Who Can Recall His Past Lives”, “Syndromes and a Century” and “Tropical Malady”. If you were searching for such in Southeast Asia, Malaysia would be the most logical place outside Thailand because of it’s proximity to the Thai border. In fact, one can easily take a 10 hour bus ride to get to Hat Yai, Thailand’s 5^th biggest city.

Unfortunately, after scouring through 2 DVD shops at the 3^rd floor of KLCC (and from one shop from the Pavilion, another one from Berjaya Times Square), I realized that Thai titles aren’t among Malaysia’s film stocks. Sure, the Thai rom-com “BTS – Bangkok Traffic Love Story” is enjoying a month-long run at the Pavilion, but their Thai collection can be counted using all the fingers in your hand. Most times, they even include a Filipino horror movie called “White Lady” (2006), starring Angelica Panganiban, directed by Jeff Tan. Elsewhere, pirated discs have bunched up “Petrang Kabayo” (Horse Petra, 2010) with Thai titles as well. While watching the Ip Man-wanna be Kung Fu drama “Choy Lee Fung”, I saw a commercial of Kellog’s Special featuring the curvaceous Chinese Malaysian actress Carmen Soo who is sorely missed in the Philippines.

I’ve wanted to get a Pakistani film called “Khuda Kay Liye” (In The Name of God) in KLCC but I kept putting it off, thinking it would be available in Berjaya Times Square. It wasn’t! Dang!

Racing Superstar Michael Schumacher was in town for the big F1 event in Sepang. In fact, to spruce up the event, a beautiful Mercedes Benz XLS-63 was on display at the KLCC Suria’s activity center.

But the real treat of the day would be my visit to the mosque at the extreme end of the KLCC Park – called Masjid Asy-Syakirin! I have started to love the architecture of mosques with their graceful domes and intricate minarets. And the fact that I am intrigued by the way I am not able to set foot inside prayer halls. I am a Catholic after all.

Adorable rom-com "BTS - Bangkok Traffic Love Story" with Theeradej Wongpuapan (right)

Filipino films bunched up with Thai films: "Horse Petra" (a fantasy comedy where a mean spirited cross-dresser turns into a horse) and "White Lady" (an urban legend about a wandering lady in white).

Carmen Soo for Kellog's Special

MOSQUE IN THE PARK

From the fountain area, it was a leisurely walk amidst the greens of KLCC Park. This is such a wonderful place to unwind and it is evident how well they maintain this leisure compound. The mosque itself, white and medium sized, is almost deserted. Upon reaching the stairs, I took my shoes off and wandered carefully, not sure if I would be turned away, but I found people sleeping on the glistening floors instead. When I reached the entrance towards the air-conditioned Prayer Hall, I saw a guard who was almost oblivious to my presence. He was there to assist anyone who was inappropriately dressed, thus I could see gray gowns ready for such visitors.

GAZING AT ME

I didn’t bother get inside the prayer hall but I peeped from the side. A guy was stooping down; as he knelt and touched his forehead on the floor. Then I was taken aback by someone staring at me from down the carpeted floor. I was snapping for photos – unobtrusively, that is (no flash). He took me by surprise! But if I were an unwelcome presence, he was conveniently enjoying the cool AC air, lying down his back and far from praying.

MOSQUE ETIQUETTE

The mosque was a lovely place. The shadow of the succession of arches created dramatic silhouettes. As far as I am concerned, there were major tenets in mosque etiquette: the dress code, you can’t eat or drink inside, you have to take off your footwear, you can’t make a lot of noise unless it’s a mass chanting of praise, you have to turn your phone off or switch them to silent mode, and finally, you can’t sleep inside. And there were a number sleeping there. I actually envied them. It was such a relaxing place. In fact, it felt remote from the city. From the prayer hall, I took the steps down below, which had a separate color scheme, but nonetheless beautiful. There wasn’t much to do afterwards so I went to pick up my shoes and took the red-rubbery jogging path back to Suria KLCC Mall for my train ride back to KL Sentral (1.60 ringgit).

That early night, walking half way through Jalan Alor to supposedly check out more DVD titles, I suddenly stopped just before reaching Jalan Bukit Bintang. I saw a waiting shed-cum-bus stop and sat there along with other commuters. I didn’t need a bus. I just watched people and vehicles passing by. It was comforting. For some reason, I didn’t feel like going to Jalan Alor anymore, so I trodded back towards my hotel, heading straight to KFC for a 2-piece original recipe chicken. I wasn’t even hungry yet, but there was an inexplicable craving. Maybe I was missing home. Food over DVDs. It’s a first.

This is the Eye in the Sky!

Jogging path beside an immaculately maintained field of green.

A waiting shed of verdant green.

Asy-Syakin Mosque

Land of the sleepy souls.

Prayer Hall (above and below)

Shadowy ground floor hallway

Landslides and Ticket Troubles en route Cameron Highlands

It was a folly to plan out a visit to the Cameron Highlands, a tea-planting resort village at the northernmost tip of the Pahang state of Malaysia. But it wasn't completely careless. I thought I had the right information. I was carrying with me some print outs of a Wikitravel article which said that it only takes 1 1/2 hours to get there, even an hour if you take this so-and-so route. Confident of my knowledge about malaysia's transportation system, it was "go".

I proceeded to the Puduraya Station, and within 30 minutes, I was on a bus along with several other backpackers. I was probably the single soul planning for a day-out, expecting to be back in KL before midnight.

As it happens, there had been rains in the region the last few days. The winding mountain roads of Cameron Highlands were fettered with landslides and the ride was agonizingly slow. Our 350-pound driver drove so slow - I was seated at his back - at 40-50 kph, and everysooften, he would stop somewhere and EAT! The whole ride stretched for hours until I realized it was going to be almost triple the amount of time I expected to get there.

Upon arrival, I hastened to get a return ticket, only to be told that all the transportation services headed back to KL have been cancelled for the day - EXCEPT the bus I took. BUT it was already fully booked! What was I to do? I wasn't ready to stay there overnight! I was just told to sit and wait with no guarantees for a ride. The bus was to leave at 4:30PM leaving me little time to gallivant the area. I resorted to the most basic maneuvers - begging! I had to literally beg the fat lady by the counter to just let me on the bus - I was ready to brave standing up the whole ride through. Finally, she looked at me intently - as if charmed by my smile - hehe - and finally relented. She pulled a bunch of tickets from under her table, then sold me one - at 23 RM (x14 = PhP).

The ride going to Tanah Rata, the main town was dazzling. You didn't even have to take local transport to see the famous tea plantations - it was on the road and stretches for kilometers of well maintained roads! Closest to heaven on earth! I remember seeing this same sight in the commercial blurbs of Jericho Rosales-Carmen Soo telenovela "Kahit Isang Saglit" (Just For A Moment).

My heart-pounding experience to get to the foggy, cool and picture-perfect Cameron Highlands was all worth the trouble.

Shah Alam and Klang City - Magic in the Klang Valley

Blue Mosque in Shah Alam, Malaysia photo courtesy of flickr's lloydi


On a whim, I decided to go on a day trip to Shah Alam, a city 20 kilometers west from Kuala Lumpur, situated in Klang Valley at the province of Selangor. I took the KL Komuter train from KL Sentral, then the Rapid KL Bus from the Shah Alam station to the city center. The highlight of this little adventure would be this enormous Blue Mosque located around a serene park and lake. I loved being able to see what was inside. As midday drew on, hundreds and hundreds of faithfuls began trooping inside the mosque. Non-muslims weren't allowed inside the huge Prayer Hall but I was able to sneak a peek from the door. I was even able to photograph what was inside, which wasn't allowed.
CARMEN WHO?

Later that day, while shopping for DVDs at the spiffy SAC Mall (at a video shop called Video Ezy), I caught a film that starred the Malaysian guy who completed the Jericho Rosales-Carmen Soo triangle in the telenovela "Kahit Isang Saglit" (Just For a Moment). I asked them if they have films starring Carmen Soo, this spectacular Malaysian actress. After consulting some other shop staff, they arrived at a concensus - they didn't know who she was. They're familiar with the Malaysian actor though, as well as the boxed set series of the Jericho-Kristine telenovela "Pangako sa Yo" (My Promise for You) which is prominently displayed on their shelf. The very same thing happened back in KL.
Carmen Soo isn't actually a household name in Malaysia, which is not to say that she isn't a great actress. It took ABS-CBN to actually discover her. I can only be proud that it happened on Philippine shores. Carmen is a darn good actress! She will be sorely missed now that the series has come to an end.
On my way back to KL, I took the wrong minibus which actually travelled to Klang City (instead of the Shah Alam station)! This was 2 train stops farther away from the Shah Alam station. I did ask the driver but it must have been lost in translation. He was just nodding away probably to get rid of me.
I found myself at a new city outside my itinerary. Medium sized malls, a bus garage, a mini-plaza, a post office that doesn't sell postcards, a towering white mosque from a distance... I knew I was lost. I just had to get to the nearest KL-bound train station. And this had me walking from Klang's small plaza and through a 10-minute leisurely stride crossing a bridge. Fun times getting lost.
This is the Eye in the Sky.