Leisure: 100 Doraemon Secret Gadget Expo, Viva Home Mall, Kuala Lumpur

Hi All,

It's my turn finally to catch the Doraemon Expo happening at Viva Home Mall today. For your information, this expo is first of it's kind in Southeast Asia and Kuala Lumpur had been selected to be the host of this big event Doraemon Expo happening at Viva Home Mall. It features 100 Doraemon's secret gadget which was used in the movie and in the TV series. If you do not realized it, this gadget that you seen on TV or movie can be found here and patrons can experience a wide range of Doraemon miniature and 3D wall paintings as well as Doraemon's friends at the expo. Remember do bring your camera to take some photos or else you will finish walking around the expo pretty fast. The pricing for the expo would be RM25 for adults and RM15 for Children (4-12 years old). The entrance fees above is excluding a RM3 ticketing fee which you need to pay together when you buy the tickets. So the total would be RM28 for adults and RM18 for kids. Senior Citizen above 60 years old as well as OKU (Orang Kurang Upaya) are Free Of Charge.

You can get the tickets at various channels (BHPetrol, MyDeal) including the ticketing counter located at the Viva Home Expo itself without any hassle. Time of visit is from 10am - 10pm Daily from 14th December 2014 to 23rd March 2014. I advice you to visit during weekdays as it has less people and more comfort to take photos if compared to weekends, eve and public holidays as the expo are very much crowded. Also what you can see at the expo? There are also some photo booths where the selected photographer over there can take photos for you and then you may proceed to purchase the photos at an affordable price (RM25 - 1 photo) ; (RM46 - 2 photos) ; (RM64 for 3 photos). There are souvenir shops that sells Doraemon merchandise at an affordable price as well. If you are tired and hungry, do stop by at their cafe (after you exit from the expo) and remember to try out Doraemon's favourite Dorayaki Bun (RM5 per bun) with choices of peanut, red bean or chocolate. The portion is quite small but it's worth of trying and it's nice. There are also booths for your kids to play and try out their luck on the Doraemon games with a small fees as well to participate and win cool prizes as well.

It may take you around 1 hour to 150 minutes to walk around the expo if your intention is to take photos and read thoroughly the description of each Doraemon Secret Gadgets they are using. It's worth every penny you pay (entrances fee) as it maybe a chance of a lifetime for you to watch it at Malaysia. I would strongly recommend you to come over and catch this expo and you will enjoy it if you are a big fan of Doraemon just like ME & Kimmy. If you find insufficient information here, alternatively you may check out the website below for more information. Also do check out the full photos on our Facebook Page (about 115 photos). Link is at below as well. Enjoy! MY RATING: 5/5 (PERFECT) ; KIMMY RATING: 5/5 (PERFECT)

100 Doraemon Secret Gadget Expo Website: http://www.100doraemon.com/

alexleow-kimmy.com Facebook Page Doraemon Photos: 100 Doraemon Secret Gadget Expo Full Photos

Location:

Viva Home Shopping Mall,
85, Jalan Loke Yew,
55200 Kuala Lumpur
Business Hours: 10.00am - 10.00pm Daily


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Leisure: Pavilion & Farenheit88, Kuala Lumpur Chinese New Year Decorations 2014

Dear All,

Welcome back to yet another edition of mall marathon Chinese New Year Decorations. This time around we continue our journey to Kuala Lumpur as this time around we've visited Pavilion Kuala Lumpur and Farenheit88 Mall to check out the Chinese New Year Decorations over there. We kick things off now with Pavilion Kuala Lumpur followed by Farenheit88 Mall.

Pavilion Kuala Lumpur

This year Pavilion Kuala Lumpur Chinese New Year Decorations would be very reddish and nice too but using almost the same theme as the Christimas ones as well especially the horse ride for kids which is available during Christmas as well. Other than that, the mall was then equipped with lots of Tanglung and flowers to welcome the spring blossoms. It was very nice indeed and you can enjoy the beautiful reddish scenery which gives you a fresh look while you're there. Do spot some great entertainment of the mall including some cultural Chinese dance as well as lion dance performances as well. Not forgetting, this year's theme for Pavilion Kuala Lumpur would be "688 Trail Of Fortune" which commences from 8th January 2014 to 14th February 2014. Do come on over here to take a look at the spectacular view as usual for the Chinese New Year Decorations installed for its patrons. Enjoy! MY RATING: 5/5 ; KIMMY RATING: 4/5

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Farenheit88 Mall, Kuala Lumpur

This year around Farenheit88 had apparently featured a great theme for the Chinese New Year Decorations. It would be "Blossoms Of Happiness"  which features the 12 zodiac displayed on the concourse area. Of course the main zodiac for this year would be the Horse so the Horse would take center stage. It's roaring like a tiger at the concourse area accompanied by another 11 remaining zodiac that can be seen on the concourse area. Due to its limited space, this year decorations would be simply yet meaningful as well. The decorations commences from 8th January 2014 to 14th February 2014. Do come over and take a pictures of yourself with your favourite or your own zodiac according to the Chinese calendar. I would recommend you to come over here as the decorations is good and above average this time. Enjoy! MY RATING: 4/5 ; KIMMY RATING: 4/5

Leisure: Paradigm Mall Chinese New Year Decorations 2014

Hi All,

Welcome back to yet another edition of Chinese New Year Mall Decorations and today ME & Kimmy had visited Paradigm Mall to continue our journey towards the mall marathon again. The theme for this year's Chinese New Year would be "The Beary Journey" which is part of the movie theme The Journey (一路有你) produced by Astro Shaw. It showcases a lot of bears in its theme decorations and it's the same like the ones used during Christmas. The only difference is that the bear costumes had been changed from Christmas to Chinese costumes. It's more reddish right now at the mall if compared to the previous Christmas ones. 

No surprise. That is what I am going to conclude but still the decorations with the bears are still one of the best and it's nice and kids should love it very much too. Do look around from time to time where there will be special performances such as lion dance, Chinese traditional dance and many more for you to watch. I would strongly recommend you to come over to Paradigm Mall to shop and to enjoy the great and beautiful Chinese New Year Decorations here. Enjoy! MY RATING: 5/5 ; KIMMY RATING: 5/5

 

Festival: Happy Thaipusam 2014

alexleow-kimmy.com would like to wish all Hindus a Happy Thaipusam. Enjoy yourself in this festival and remember to be extra careful on the road.

Thaipusam (Tamil: தைப்பூசம்) is a Hindu festival celebrated mostly by the Tamil community on the full moon in the Tamil month of Thai (Jan/Feb). It is also referred to as Thaipooyam or Thaippooyam in the Malayalam language. The word Thai-pusam is derived from the month name Thai and Pusam, which refers to a star that is at its highest point during the festival. The festival commemorates both the birthday of Murugan (also Subramaniam), the youngest son of god Shiva and his wife Parvati, and the occasion when Parvati gave Murugan a vel (spear) so he could vanquish the evil demon Soorapadman.

 

Skanda (or Murugan) was created during one of the battles between the Asuras and the Devas. At one point, the latter were defeated several times by the former. The Devas were unable to resist the onslaught of the Asura forces. In despair, they approached Shiva and entreated to give them an able leader under whose heroic leadership they might obtain victory over the Asuras. They surrendered themselves completely and prayed to Shiva. Shiva granted their request by creating the mighty warrior, Skanda, out of his own power or Achintya Shakti. He at once assumed leadership of the celestial forces, inspired them and defeated the Asura forces.

 

Kavadi Attam is a dance performed by the devotees during the ceremonial worship of Murugan, the Tamil God of War. It is often performed during the festival of Thaipusam and emphasizes debt bondage. The Kavadi itself is a physical burden through which the devotees implore for help from the God Murugan. ^[ Generally, Hindus take a vow to offer a kavadi to idol for the purpose of tiding over or averting a great calamity. For instance, if the devotee's son is laid up with a fatal disease, he would pray to Shanmuga to grant the boy a lease of life in return for which the devotee would take a vow to dedicate a kavadi to Him.

Devotees prepare for the celebration by cleansing themselves through prayer and fasting. Kavadi-bearers have to perform elaborate ceremonies at the time of assuming the kavadi and at the time of offering it to Murugan. The kavadi-bearer observes celibacy and take only pure, Satvik food, once a day, while continuously thinking of God. On the day of the festival, devotees will shave their heads undertake a pilgrimage along a set route while engaging in various acts of devotion, notably carrying various types of kavadi (burdens). At its simplest this may entail carrying a pot of milk, but mortification of the flesh by piercing the skin, tongue or cheeks with vel skewers is also common. The simplest kavadi is a semi circular decorated canopy supported by a wooden rod that is carried on the shoulders, to the temple. In addition, some have a small spear through their tongue, or a spear through the cheeks. The spear pierced through his tongue or cheeks reminds him constantly of Lord Murugan. It also prevents him from speaking and gives great power of endurance. Other types of kavadi involve hooks stuck into the back and either pulled by another walking behind or being hung from a decorated bullock cart or more recently a tractor, with the point of incisions of the hooks varying the level of pain. The greater the pain the more god-earned merit.

The largest Thaipusam celebrations take place in Singapore, Mauritius and Malaysia. It is a public holidays in several states in Malaysia including Selangor, N.Sembilan, Penang, Perak, Johor, Putrajaya and Kuala Lumpur. The temple at Batu Caves near Kuala Lumpur offen attracts over 1 million devotees and 10 of thousands of tourist. The procession to the caves starts at the Sri Mahamariamman Temple, Kuala Lumpur in the heart of the city and proceeds 15 kilometres to the cave, an 8-hour journey culminating in a flight of 272 steps to the top.

In Malaysia, although rare, scenes of people from different ethnic groups and faiths bearing "kavadi" can also be seen. Thaipusam is also increasingly being celebrated by ethnic Chinese in Singapore and Malaysia. Thaipusam is also celebrated at other cave temple site, the Sri Subramaniar Temple in Gunung Cheroh, Ipoh Perak and at the Nattukottai Chettiar Temple along Jalan Waterfall in Penang. Temple Secretary P. Palaiya Sri Subramaniar Temple in Gunung Cheroh reported that about 250,000 devotees participated in the festival in 2007, including 300 "kavadi" bearers, while 15,000 came with milk offerings.