A stroll @ The Gardens

The Gardens @ Mid Valley, that is. This new mall opened today and I decided to pop over after gym to check it out. So, here are the very first impressions of KL's newest shopping landmark.

This was what greeted me the moment I stepped into The Gardens. Loose wiring hanging everywhere. Exposed fluorescent light tubes still without their panel covers. Doesn't look like they're ready for business as there are still a lot of renovations going on everywhere. Sounds of hammering, soldering and nail guns firing can be heard all over the mall.
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Some shops, though open for business, are still without signboards and employees can be seen unpacking stuff and putting up their window displays.

This is what it should look like with the beautiful covers in place.
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The layout reminds me a lot of Suria KLCC. The one uncomfortable thing is walking around a mall that is covered in dust from the renovations. I had to walk cautiously as the dust made the floor slippery.

Very interesting skylight effects.

The design gives The Gardens an upmarket feel.

The thousands of sparkling lights on the left wall makes them look like twinkling stars in the night sky. Interesting light displays are projected on to the huge panels on the right.
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This pharmacy (w/o signboard yet) has a very unique facade.
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It's facade is designed to look like the inside of a traditional chinese medical hall.
(FYI, the drawers are used to store herbs used in TCM)
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Cinnamon trader? No, it's a restaurant.

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Does this mean Gurney Drive is moving to KL?
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You'll find many retail big timers here.

Finally, Robinsons has come to town, I hear you say.

"Life imitating art?"

This lady must be thinking...

a) I can pose better than that mannequin

b) I wonder if that two-piece swimsuit comes with a Joanne Drew package

c) Does that bikini have a tear-proof guarantee?

d) I'm certain I can fit into that bikini swimsuit if I suck my stomach in.


Ok, ok. I'm just being cheeky.
She's actually an employee of the store figuring how to set up the window display.


So, there you go. Not too pleased with what I saw today but I'm sure when everything is in place, it'll be another shopping paradise. If you got the dough, that is.

Swingin' & Jazzin' with the MPO

I know I'm a little late in posting this as it happened about a month ago. Anyway, just to break the long silence...

Yes, I'm still alive and kicking, thanks for asking.




The awesome Petronas Twin Towers that once held the honour of being the tallest building in the
world, is home to Malaysia's very own symphony orchestra, the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra.



The beautiful Dewan Filharmonik Petronas (DFP) sits nestled at the podium level between the soaring towers. For the past ten years, those who were privileged to hear the orchestra play would readily agree that the MPO is certainly of world-class standard.

Recently, I had the chance to hear the MPO perform when they celebrated their 10th anniversary with a birthday bash of six very appetisingly-priced concerts.


No, I did not go for all six concerts. However, I did go for two of them though. All because they played two of my favourite kinds of music.

The first one was themed "Symphonic Broadway" and the musicals from Broadway filled the air of the DFP. The MPO brought to life the music of the likes of Gershwin, Bernstein, Rodgers, Ellington & Strayhorn.

They showed their versatility in performing the musicals superbly even though they are a classical orchestra. From the soothing oboes and mellow bassoons to the thundering timpanis and clashing cymbals, the orchestral arrangements were simply magnificent.

The highlight had to be " That Doo-Wah Thing" or otherwise known as "It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing". That hip-swinging, foot-stomping piece almost brought the house down! If only it was a dance hall...


Two and a half weeks later came THE concert that I was really looking forward to, the Latin Jazz Fiesta. I almost couldn't get tickets as they were sold out before I could get my hands on them. Thankfully, they released the reserved Corporate Suite seats for sale. These premium VIP seats were going for only RM80!!




This time around, the MPO had a guest conductor, the Portuguese-American Jacomo Bairos. But the person everyone was there to see and listen to is none other than the very special guest flutist, the famous Puerto Rican, Nestor Torres.

He played the flute like it was an extension of him. The way he blew the flute, literally blew us away.


The whole atmosphere of the DFP was like that of a Latin Jazz club. Flashing coloured lights (yes, you read that correctly) and people were swaying and gyrating to the rhythmic sounds of the bongos, congas, maraccas, guiros, marimba...

Again, the MPO lived up to their reputation as a world-class orchestra, handling the Latin Jazz style with ease. From the slow tunes to the heart-pounding and breathlessly fast ones, not a note was out of place. Or at least I did not detect any!


Some of these are very familiar songs but they've been given a breath of fresh air. I must say that these were the most awesome arrangements I've ever heard!

For instance, we are quite used to hearing Besame Mucho in a moderate to lively tempo. Mr Torres however, turned it into a slow, orchestral-style arrangement that made the performance a very moving experience. Almost brought a tear to our eyes.

Three top Malaysian jazz musicians were invited to join the MPO for this concert. They are John Thomas on drums, Eric Li on piano and Fly on bass guitar.

The best part of it all was we were seated just above the stage looking down at the strings and percussion section. We could almost read the music scores from where we were. The gallery we were in had only 8 seats. Each gallery section had their own adjoining suite complete with plush sofas and butler service with tea & coffee provided.






However, the strict dress code was a little damper to an otherwise unforgettable evening of mesmerizing music. The people in DFP need to know when to enforce and when to relax the dress code. Wearing a lounge suit to a Latin jazz concert just doesn't make any sense at all.

And guess what? When the MPO stepped onto the stage, they were in colorful Hawaiian floral shirts. Some of the ladies wore spaghetti strap tops. One had a red flower in her hair. There was this French Horn player in shades, yes, dark glasses. So cool. How he managed to read the music is beyond me! From where I was sitting, I could see that the drummer was actually playing barefoot. If only cameras were allowed, I would've had a field day shooting loads of interesting pics!

So, you see how silly we all felt in our lounge suits and long-sleeved batiks!

These have been two of the best concerts I've attended in a long while. Hoping that there will be more great performances like these and affordably-priced too.

Let's hope we do not have to wait another 10 years...