Prime Fine Dining

As part of it's pre-opening preparation, Le Meridien's Prime restaurant invited me for a simulation dinner. Prime specializes in beef and wine. How can I say no to a complimentary dinner and a glass of wine?

The restaurant opens at 6:30pm. I went there around 7pm, and I was their first patron for the night. The place is very swanky - high ceilings, paintings on the walls, special lamps and subdued lighting, very high-backed leather chairs, crates and racks of wine bottles here and there, etc. As I was the only diner, I was given 5-star service. A gentleman introduced me to the restaurant and showed me my table and got me a menu. A lady took my order and inquired if I wanted any magazines or newspapers to read. Another lady poured my glass of mineral water.

The striking thing about Prime is that it's kitchen area is fully visible to the diners. That way you can insult the chef's cooking and still make sure that he doesn't put anything funny in your food. And all the chefs are garbed in black, which is a nice touch. Chefs in white tend to dirty their uniforms faster. The kitchen looks very clean and utilitarian - stainless steel and brass and glass all around.

For my dinner, I ordered French onion soup, prime Australian beef (80 days grain-fed, 320 grams) with truffle sauce and foie gras, and a glass of the house red. For side dishes, I had mashed potatoes with corn and cherry tomato fondue and steamed asparagus. Browsing through the menu, the items are pretty expensive. Starters range from RM15 to RM30 or more, (considering for the same amount, you can get a complete meal elsewhere). The side dishes cost a bit more. The main course is the killer. The choice of beef is mind-boggling (and so are the prices). You have Australian, Angus, and Wagyu. For each type of beef, it differs whether it's 80 days, 120 days, 200 days, grain-fed, grass-fed, etc. The most expensive item on the menu is the 340-gram Australian Wagyu beef (Kobe-style) with a marble score of 6. That one costs RM380. I didn't want to bankrupt the restaurant before its formal opening, so I opted for the cheapest Australian beef on the menu. I think my main course costs only RM80, IIRC.

The lady who took my order brought me bread (two kinds) and a selection of spreads (salted butter, sun-dried tomatoes, and an herb paste). Before I had the chance to try them, my soup came. There's no way you can recognize the French onion soup because on top of the soup bowl is a piece of French toast. (That makes the onion soup French.) The soup bowl is kinda special, too. I didn't bring my camera along, so I'll just describe it. Imagine a square piece of rubber sheet, which represents space-time fabric. Put a heavenly body (the Earth, for example) in the middle of it. The Earth makes a round depression in the rubber sheet. Now freeze time and take out the Earth, so that you end up with a rubber sheet with the corners slightly upturned, with a round depression in the middle. That's how my soup bowl looks like. I ate my soggy French toast and finished the browned onion skins left behind. But where's the soup?!

Next came the beef. Another group of ladies came up to my table with a cart. They rolled up the silver cover and inside is a huge chunk of beef. One of them cuts a slice for me and served it up with the truffle sauce and bits of foie gras. The beef is very nicely prepared, but it lacks the flavour. The mashed potatoes and asparagus are very good, though. The chef dropped by for a chat and I gave him my constructive criticism about the soup and the beef, which was my job for the night anyway. The chef used to travel with QE2 (the Queen Elizabeth II), and he fondly remembers their stops at Circular Quay because as they come into the dock, he said, all these smaller ships and boats would surround and accompany them.

Too bad the restaurant didn't have Italian gelato for the night, so I ordered the tiramisu (RM30). I like my tiramisu done the traditional way. Apparently, Prime is not a traditional restaurant. My tiramisu came in a soup bowl. Instead of the mascarpone cheese and/or custard that comes on top, I get a soup of thin cream with cocoa powder. Digging deep for the Lady Fingers, I find them too soggy - from the espresso, rum, and cream.

All in all, not too bad - good value for my money. I'm sure everything will be better come opening day next week.

Kuala Lumpur Current Affairs

• Tan Sri Francis Yeoh's YTL Corp. proposes RM8 billion high-speed maglev train link from KL Sentral station to Singapore
• Tan Sri Razali Ismail is claiming RM360 million compensation from the government for work done on the aborted half-bridge project
• Singaporean man robbed of RM200,000 soon after leaving a bank in Taman Sentosa
• 70% of public varsity graduates head jobless queue (compared to 26% from private institutions of higher learning)
• Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to setle RM7,820 in traffic fines
• Civil service may be able to absord 30,000 grads
• Durian, hot weather blamed for flu cases
• Johor Bahru police round up illegal racers at Second Link bridge and seize more than 400 cars and 150 motorcycles
• Penang taxi drivers agree to start using meters starting August 1
• Roadworthiness of 150,000 second-hand cars in doubt

Konsert Klasik at Istana Budaya

To commemorate W.A. Mozart's 250th birthday anniversary, the Orkestra Simfoni Kebangsaan (National Symphony Orchestra) is having a Mozart's Greatest Hits concert at the Istana Budaya (National Theater) called Konsert Klasik. I got there quite early after work, so I decided to explore the nearby National Art Gallery. It was closed already, but I managed to take some photos of it's mural-lined walkway. Next on my list is the National Library, but for the life of me, I just can't find it. I asked a couple of locals, but interestingly, they understand not a word of what I'm saying. After some wandering around (and sweating loads), I ended up watching some guys play sepak-takraw at a park. On my way back to the National Theater, I finally figured out that I took a wrong turn. Rushed to the National Library, and it turns out that it's closed on Mondays. Oh well.

I entered the concert hall 10 minutes before 8:30pm. Had this been in Sydney, majority of the orchestra members would have been busy tuning their instruments and the audience settling down already. Not in KL. At 8:30pm, no one is on stage, and the concert hall is only a quarter full. When the concert proper finally started 15 or so minutes later, there are still lots and lots of unoccupied seats. Such a pity.

Full program as follows:

• Overture: Marriage of Figaro
• Symphony No. 40 in G minor: I. Molto Allegro
• Requeim "Dies Irae" (Koir Kebangsaan/The National Choir)
• Simfonia Concertante for Violin & Viiola: III. Presto (Maya Musaeva and Veronika Thoene)
• Horn Concerto No. 4 in E flat Major: III. Rondo. Allegro vivace (Kim Vyacheslav)
• "Welche wonne, welche List" from "Abduction from the Seraglio" (Syafinaz Selamat)
• March of the Priests from "The Magic Flute"
• Andante for Flute in C Major (Keiko Nakagawa)
• Rondo for Flute in D Major (Keiko Nakagawa)
• Ave Verum Corpus in D Major for Children Choir or Mix Choir (Koir Kebangsaan/The National Choir)
• Divertimento in D for String Orchestra: III. Presto
• Eine kleine Nachtmusik: I. Allegro
• Overture: Don Giovanni

The concert is ok, but if I have to be frank, it's not as good as I hoped. The orchestra is performing as if they are rehearsing. You hear the right notes, but there's no life to it. The choir, however, is remarkable. So is the soprano, although she needs to put in more power and volume. The flute and horn solo performances need some improvement. I'm no expert flautist or "hornist", but I can tell that not all of that wind energy is being converted to sound. A lot of it is not being blown into the hole. Final comment to the guy sitting beside me across the walkway. There's no need to thump your feet and nod your head and sway your hands during every piece to show that you've heard it before. And they're not that good to merit your raptuous applause and outbursts of "Bravo!" either. Still not too bad at RM20.

Wimbledon 2006 Men's Championship - Federer vs. Nadal

Men's tennis doesn't get any better than this. World's number one vs. number two. The Swiss matador vs. the Spanish bull. The master vs. the upstart.

Federer is his usual cool self, with his new Nike-designed Wimbledon jacket. You should see it when Nadal stepped into Centre Court. He was running around, jumping up and down, limbering up as if he's on a boxing ring, instead of a tennis court. This boy means business. He has always beaten Federer on clay, but today he's breaking new ground.

Federer is the king of the grass court and he knows it. He totally creamed Nadal in the first set 6-0 in just 25 minutes. Recovering from a bad hangover, Nadal started fighting back. He chases down all of Federer's balls and even manages to return some spectacular shots. Sets two and three ended in tie-breakers with the players winning one each. Prior to the third set that Nadal won, Federer hasn't lost one single set throughout this year's Wimbledon. Nadal just had to spoil Federer's chance at breaking this 30-year record.

Doesn't matter though as Federer won the fourth set 6-3, and with it his fourth Wimbledon crown. Final score 6-0, 7-6 (7-5), 6-7 (2-7), 6-3.

P.S. See that racquet Federer uses? Bought that exact Wilson racquet just this afternoon. Roger Federer 27 - white and red titanium frame, Double Beam, Power Bridge. Royal Sporting House is selling the tournament-grade racquet for a relatively cheap price, so I bought it. I just hope it's not a fake.

Citrawarna 2006

The Citrawarna Parade is supposed to start at 8:30pm. I got to Merdeka Square with half an hour to spare. The multicoloured lights are on, the stage is set, the crowds are just starting to arrive. I managed to get a good spot - right at the mouth of the island that splits the main parade avenue into two. From here, I will have a good view of the procession as it comes and goes. Turns out a lot of other people have the same idea, so they start camping out in front and around me. Good thing a couple of traffic police were around to shoo them away to the sidewalks, but there's no shortage of people who'd like to try their luck. Photographers are a resolute bunch. Short of being arrested and dragged away, they won't easily give up their vantage point.

The Citrawarna Parade started around 9pm. Formations of performers in different costumes passed us by on their way to the main area in front of the Sultan Abdul Samad Building. They did their song-and-dance numbers in front of the assembled audience, then doubled back. From the other end of the parade avenue, performers representing each of the Malaysian states marched in and took turns entertaining the crowds.

Quite an interesting show: the state representatives with their colorful costumes, upbeat music, lively dances, cheers and jeers from the audience, etc. Unable to take the oppressive heat anymore, I left the place around 11:30pm. Had I known they'd be lighting the fireworks at midnight, I would've stayed a little bit longer. No choice but to enjoy the fireworks display from my hotel room window.

Wimbledon 2006 Ladies' Singles Finals

Nothing to see here. Move along.

I've waited so long for this one, it's just a pity I had to miss it. It's a toss-up between this Mauresmo-Henin-Hardenne thriller or the Citrawarna Parade. I was told the Colours of Malaysia parade happens only once every four years. It's also not every Wimbledon that you get Mauresmo and Henin-Hardenne battling each other. Then again, I get to take lots of pictures at the parade. I can also take pictures of the tennis match in front of the TV screen, but that's no fun, so off to Merdeka Square I went.

If you've read this far, Mauresmo won the match 2-6 6-3 6-4.

Tour of Putrajaya

I've always wanted to go to Putrajaya for a tour, but I was told the best way to explore the city is via car. Another option is to take the KLIA Transit to Putrajaya, then from there, either take the local buses or contract a taxi to bring you around. I made some more inquiries and was happy to discover that KLIA Transit itself is operating a day tour called "Discover Putrajaya with KLIA Transit". For RM25, you get one return ticket on KLIA Transit and a self-guided tour on a coach. Other tour operators probably do it better, but they also charge easily 4x-5x more.

The tour started at KL Sentral where we boarded the KLIA Transit (at 11:03am) and got off at the Putrajaya station. We have quite a good mix of foreigners - one Aussie (that's me), two Koreans, a Taiwanese couple, another couple from Denmark, and one Indian family. A tour guide rounded up all the tour members and accompanied us to an airconditioned coach. He tells us that the 46-sq. km. Putrajaya is a planned city, much like Canberra. Unlike Canberra, it's not the capital of Malaysia. We passed by some high-rise condominiums, which are for sale to anyone - locals and foreigners alike. (But who would want to live here as no alcohol and night clubs are allowed?) Our first stop is the Putra Bridge, which gave us a good view of the Putra Mosque (Masjid Putra) and the Prime Minister's Office (Perdana Putra) on the right, and the Seri Perdana (PM's Official Residence) on the left. As we're right on the bridge, we're not allowed to get off the bus, so most of us took pictures from the bus windows.

First real stop on our tour is the Istana Melawati (Melawati Palace). According to the tour guide, this is sort of the summer palace of the King. This is where he sometimes hold official functions. We didn't manage to get into the palace grounds. Not sure if they actually allow visitors. Took some pictures at the gates. Next stop is at Taman Putra Perdana, right in front of Shangri-La Putrajaya. Due to time constraint, we didn't explore the park anymore. Even if we had time, I don't think I'd like to be walking around right underneath the hot mid-day sun. From afar, we can see the Putrajaya Landmark (Mercu Tanda), which is said to resemble a wizard's hat made of tinfoil. The conical monument marks the very spot where work on the city first started. Then-PM Dr. Mahathir Mohamad put in a time capsule at the base of the monument, to be opened in 2020.

From Precint 1, we passed by Parcels E, D, C, and B, all of which house the different government ministries: Education; Energy, Telecoms & Multimedia; Health; Housing & Local Gov't; and Unity & Social Dev't. We next reach Dataran Putra (Putra Plaza), which is the centerpiece of Putrajaya. The 300-metre wide plaza is decorated with water fountains and lights and flags and very nice lamp posts. You can't see this from the ground, but the plaza is decorated with three concentric rings of stars - an outermost 11-pointed star to represent the original 11 states of Malaya in 1957, an inner 13-pointed star to represent the 13 states of Malaysia in 1963, and the innermost 14-pointed star to symbolize the inclusion of the Federal Territories from 1974. Looks so-so in daytime, but spectacular at night (based on the brochure). On one side of the plaza is the Putra Mosque, which is built right beside the Putrajaya Lake. On another side is the Perdana Putra, which serves as the Prime Minister's Office. This one looks just majestic because it's built on top of a hill. You had to walk up an incline if you want a closer look.

I didn't get to explore the Putra Plaza much because I opted to join the river cruise called Cruise Tasik Putrajaya. Most of our tour members opted to have lunch. The river cruise costs RM30, but it's definitely worth it. (Doesn't come with lunch, just a bottle of water.) The 76-seater airconditioned cruise boat (called Belimbing) has wraparound glass windows arching from the passenger armrest level to the ceiling, which afford clear and unobstructed views of the shores of the 400-hectare man-made Putrajaya Lake. However, if you intend to take pictures, it's best to head for the open-air rear deck. The leisure cruise passes by most of Putrajaya's landmarks - the Putra Mosque, Istana Selangor, the International Convention Centre, the Millenium Monument, the Ministry of Finance, the numerous imposing bridges, etc. The lake cruise runs for 45 minutes. By the time we got back, the others have had their lunch and the coach is waiting to take us to the next stop. That's no lunch for me, and no up-close-and-personal visit to the Putra Mosque and the Perdana Putra.

We traveled the length of the Boulevard, passing by Putra Bridge, crossing Dataran Wawasan and Dataran Putrajaya, crossing the ceremonial Seri Gemilang Bridge into the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC). The Boulevard itself is a landmark. Four kilometers and 100 meters wide, it serves as the central spine linking the five core districts of Putrajaya. One thing I noticed is that different sections of the Boulevard has different lamppost designs. Those things must be expensive. PICC is where you want to be for panoramic views of Putrajaya. From here, you can see the stretch of the Boulevard all the way to Perdana Putra at the Putra Plaza around 4kms. away. By 3pm, our time is up, so we were brought back to the KLIA station for our trip back to KL Sentral.

Wimbledon 2006 - Federer vs. Bjorkman

Bjorkman really shouldn't have bothered, but a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do. Bjorkman had a good run, but it's just his tough luck that his opponent today is Federer. Federer played a flawless game, and all of Bjorkman experience as a doubles specialist didn't help him any.

Federer dispatched Bjorkman 6-2 6-0 6-2 in just one hour and 17 minutes.

Badminton Night at Kepong

I didn't bring any badminton racquet or rubber shoes with me, but I've got this itch that I just have to scratch. It's been months since I last played any competition-grade badminton. Now, this is Malaysia and these people have been playing badminton every Friday afternoon, so my colleagues are really good. I hitched a ride with one of the guys, and was surprised to see this huge badminton hall with scores of courts. The place is a bit old and the floor is made of timber. My real complaint is that it's too hot. Obviously, they're not supposed to open the windows or use fans or airconditioning, but the heat inside is just unbearable and suffocating. At the end of three doubles games in 2 hours, the only thing on me that is not wet is my pair of socks - just a bit moist.

I was playing so hard, I had to check from time to time if my office shoes are still ok. And I was so dehydrated I drank off 1.5 liters of cold mineral water after the games.

Wimbledon 2006 - Nadal vs. Nieminen

Of course, I'm rooting for Nieminen - I work for a Finnish company - yes, the one on his shirt sleeves. (Jarkko Nieminen is the first Finn to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals.) I have to say I'm very impressed with Nadal. To be so young and so good. Watching him play and seeing him make those obvious mistakes, you can just image what he'll do to men's tennis when he manages to control his power and properly harness his strength.

As to be expected, Nadal won the match 6-3 6-4 6-4.

Wimbledon 2006 Ladies' Singles Semi-Finals

Henin-Hardenne (3) vs Clijsters (2)

It's the all-Belgian show with the second-seed Clijsters vs. the third-seed Henin-Harden. For this, I'm rooting for Henin-Hardenne because I want to see a Mauresmo-Henin-Hardenne rematch, which was aborted during this year's Australian Open.

The girls are evenly-matched, although Justine looks a bit weak and short-of-breath. For some reason, she's not using her killer backhands that much. Instead, she opts to give them some slice, which tends to slow down the ball. In any case, the won the first set, and the second one went down to a tiebreaker. Nail-bitingly tense, if you ask me (and Justine's husband).

Justine won 6-4 7-6 (7-4).


Mauresmo (1) vs. Sharapova (4)

As I've mentioned, I'm favouring Mauresmo in this match because she and Justine have some unfinished business.

This is a very exciting match to watch because both girls have the muscle power to deliver some serious shots. Sharapova, however, has the added advantage of using her grunts and shrieks to unnerve her opponents and drive up her own confidence level. She started the game a bit shaky, which gave away the first set to Mauresmo. She got her back her groove in the second set, and made some spectacular shots. In a game with Sharapova, fear is your worst enemy. At the end of the second set, Mauresmo is running scared. Sharapova's serves were so powerful, Mauresmo is reduced to blocking them, instead of returning the service full-on. Sharapova fumbled a bit, but managed to nail set point #4.

Confidence is good, but too much of it is not. Sharapova got too aggressive and made too many unforced errors during the third set. All Mauresmo had to do is stay steady, and let Sharapova do all the work. Mauresmo won 6-3 3-6 6-2.

World Cup 2006 Semi-Finals France vs. Portugal

No dramas in this match. Thirty-three minutes into the game, Henry Thiery was taken down near Portugal's goal area, and was awarded a free kick. Zidane was the one who took it, and obviously it went it. Zidane was so cool about it, as if it's all to be expected. The Portuguese went on the offensive, but the French defense was too good.

Cristiano Ronaldo is the man to watch. Every time he gets possession of the ball, he just runs like hell with it. He needs to link up more with his colleagues though, as his attempts don't usually materialize. It's great for morale though.

At the end of full time, it's 1-0 in favour of France.

Wimbledon 2006 - Baghdatis vs. Hewitt

The darling of Melbourne Cup vs. Australia's favourite player. It's a wonder Baghdatis only became known during Melbourne Cup 2006; he's such a well-rounded player. He plays wild tennis - passing shots, unexpected drop shots (with backspin), killer aces, which tend to confuse his opponents. Hewitt's no slouch either, but he's losing his touch a bit. Oftentimes his balls can't cross the net. Hewitt's so rattled, he's playing quite a subdued game.

Baghdatis won 6-5 5-7 7-6 (7-5) 6-2.

World Cup 2006 Semi-Finals Germany vs. Italy

Not very many goals or attempts being made, but still exciting to watch as this is history in the making. Excellent footwork from the Germans, but they can't seem to reach the net. The ball kept changing hands (feet, I mean). After 90 minutes of play, it's still nil-nil. A penalty shootout is almost inevitable.

Fifty seconds into extra time, Gelandino gets within meters of the goal area. He kicks it in and hits the post. Second minute, another Italian brush with the crossbar. The Italians are really getting aggressive in their game. At the 16th minute, Podonski was unmarked, right in front of the goal area, but his header missed its target.

With 10 minutes to go in the second half time, Podonski makes a spectacular shot, but the Italian goalkeeper managed to slap it out. Two minutes to go, Grosso kicks in a curve ball that slips through Lehman, and the Italians go loco. With no time to lose, the German horde sweeps forward. The Italians managed to breach the offense, and with 1 minute to go, Del Pierro goes deep into enemy territory unchecked. One small kick over Lehmann, and it guaranteed Italy's spot in the finals (2-0).

Too bad for the Germans.

Wimbledon 2006 - Mrs. Bremond vs. Mrs. Henin-Hardenne

Henin-Hardenne is the more experienced one, but they look evenly-matched. Maybe because French qualifier Bremond looks a little bit like Hingis.

Henin-Hardenne never played Bremond before, so I guess the first set was spent studying her opponent. She struggled a bit at first, but she got her groove back on the 2nd set and bundled out Bremond 6-4 6-4.

MPO Chamber Concert at Dewan Filharmonik Petronas

I've never been inside the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas before, so I decided to catch this 6pm MPO concert to see what it looks like. And at RM10 for all seats, I'm not too picky about the programme.

This is one of those times where doing things alone is better for more flexibility. I left the Kepong office around 4:45pm. I got to KLCC around 5:30pm. A brisk walk to the box office to buy the ticket. 5:35pm - A quick run to the food court to buy and consume a burger. 5:45pm - Rush back and settle down inside the concert hall. Just imagine if I have to do all this with a friend.

I'm quite impressed with the concert hall. It's relatively small (compared to the one at Sydney Opera House), but it's all nicely designed. The ceiling reminded me of the one in the Great Hall of the People with the star in the center and the ring of lights. Interestingly, the guy beside me is from Auckland. He plays the church organ, and he teaches English and music. Thanks to him, I got to know that the wind instruments on stage tonight are the flute, oboe, bassoon, horn, and clarinet, plus the piano and gong (these I know). Programme as follows:

• Ravel - Le Tombeau de Couperin (chamber version)
• Thomas - Merlin
• Druckman - Reflections on the Nature of Water
• Ravel - Mother Goose Suite (chamber version)

Second and third pieces make use solely of a marimba. The guy who came out to play actually used four mallets - two on each hand. Just imagine how hard that is - striking four different keys at the same time, and controlling the mallets individually such that they play different notes.

There was no intermission as the whole MPO chamber concert lasted for only one and a half hours. Funny that my new friend and I spent more time chatting at the nearby cafe after the concert. Would've gone on till late night if not for the fact that I have to rest early to catch the 3am World Cup semi-finals.

A Little Night of Tennis - Wimbledon Day 7

Maria Sharapova vs. Flavia Pennetta

It's all a mental game. When it boils down to the deuces, do you have the will power and the mental attitude to close it? When you're down 3-5, with your opponent serving for the match, do you have it in you to go on and break her? Pennetta definitely has the skill and the will to win, and the crowd loves her for it, cheering her all the way. She chases down all the balls, and generally makes Sharapova works hard for the points. Good control of the ball. You can see (and hear) Sharapova having a hard time dealing with the tenacious Pennetta. Down to the last point, it's still a deuce, which Sharapova eventually won 7-6 3-6 6-3.


Li Na vs. Nicole Vaidisova

China's no. 1 vs. Czech's no. 1. Not really exciting to watch. It's all about the service. Either you can return it or not. No long rallies in this match.

Li Na is supposedly good, but from the 3rd set on, you can see she's really struggling. And the background noises are just crazy: the car alarms, the beepers, planes taking off or landing, the cheering from other courts, the police sirens, etc. The girls have 9 aces each; 27 unforced errors for Li Na and 29 for Vaidisova.

The 27th-seed Li Na manage to win over 10th-seed Vaidisova (who looks very similar to Sharapova from afar) 4-6 6-1 6-3. In an earlier match, Li Na also won over 5th-seed Kuznetsova. That girl's on a roll.


Daniela Hantuchova vs. Justine Henin-Hardenne

It's too bad what's happening to Hantuchova. She has the potential to be great, but she keeps missing her opportunities. Even before Sharapova, I've already heard of Hantuchova. Definitely one of the good reasons to watch women's tennis.

Matched against Hardenne, you'd think her height advantage would help her, but it didn't. Hardene's just too powerful for the graceful Slovak. You can be as graceful and cute as you can be, but those things don't count on the court. Hardene won the match 6-3 6-1 in just 65 minutes.

World Cup 2006 England vs. Portugal

The game played out like a tragedy. I've always wanted to see England in a World Cup final, but it is not to be. Captain Beckham left the game just after half-time because of ankle injury. It was all downhill from there. Later on, Wayne Rooney got into a serious scuffle with Portugal's Carvalho and Armando Petit. Portugal's players rushed to the referee to force him to take action. Special mention goes to Rooney's Manchester United teammate Cristiano Ronaldo. The referee sent off Rooney, together with England's World Cup hopes. The rest of the boys did their best with some wonderful attempts, but Portugal's defence work is quite tight. End of normal time and extra time, it's still 0-0. It's just unfortunate that super-goalkeeper Ricardo was able to save three penalties from Lampard, Gerrard and Carragher. And so Portugal goes to the semis with a 3-1 win on penalties over England.

Breakfast in Bangsar

Woke up to the call of my friend (MS) asking if I want to have breakfast together. MS bought a new Toyota Vios recently, and drove it to the hotel to pick me up. MS is driving really slow - not sure if it's because of the new car, or new to right-hand driving. We did get to Bangsar safe and sound though.

After a quick breakfast together with the mom, we walked around and bought some fruits and dimsum from the nearby stalls. Then off, to Mid Valley Megamall. They wanted a full-body massage, but I opted to exercise my legs instead and go window-shopping. Met up again later for lunch, then back to the hotel for some rest.

Late afternoon, I took the train to Pasar Seni to visit some old haunts. First stop is the Art Deco Central Market. Lots of local hanging around the place as usual. The inside of Central Market is dark and dingy, but this is probably the best (most convenient) place for a tourist to buy souvenirs, crafts, local foods, and other trinkets. Behind Central Market is Majid Jamek, located right where the rivers Sungei Klang and Sungei Gombak meet. The mosque was built in 1907, and served as the main mosque of Kuala Lumpur until 1965 when the National Mosque was built. Masjid Jamek still stands as the oldest mosque in KL. It's quite late already so I didn't go in the mosque anymore. Normally, tourists are allowed to enter as long as you wear the proper attire (no shorts, no shoes), and it's not prayer time.

Following the path of the elevated train, make a right and you'll end up at the Dataran Merdeka (Freedom Square). On your right is a weird-looking water fountain. On your left is the Panggung Bandaraya (a.k.a the Old City Hall). Right beside it is the Old High Court, which houses the Sessions and Magistrates Court. Once you cross the Gombak River, you'll see the majestic Sultan Abdul Samad Building with the clock tower topped with a copper dome. Across it is the Dataran Merdeka (Freedom Square) with the world's tallest flagpole at 100 meters.

Facing the Freedom Square, the green Padang (The Field) is just in front of you. Situated at the right of the Padang is the Cathedral of St. Mary the Virgin. Going counter-clockwise, you'll see the Royal Selangor Club. The social and cricket club was founded in 1884 to accommodate the growing community of KL expats. The mock-Tudor building has been built and rebuilt over the years, and the one we see now is completed in 1979. To the left of the Padang is the National History Museum, which used to be the Chartered Bank of India, Australia, and China. Somewhere in one side of the Padang, you can also find the Merdeka Square Fountain.

Going back to the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, the building next to it is the Court of Appeals (formerly the Old Post Office). Next to it (across the street) is the Textile Museum (formerly the Office of the Federated Malay States Railway). This whole row of Moorish buildings were decked out in Christmas light when I was there. It was supposed to be the launching night of the KL Festival 2006, but interestingly there was nobody around. Either the venue has changed or I got here late.

Further down the street is the Masjid Negara (National Mosque) with its 18-pointed star blue-green roof and 73-metre high minaret. Fully-illuminated at night, you won't miss it. As it is quite late already, I can only take pictures from the outside. Further down the road is the KTM Headquarters. This Moorish building looks very impressive in the morning, but at night, it's even better with multi-coloured light shining out of its windows. Definitely worth a visit.

Across it is the Old Railway Station. It was completed in 1911 in the Mughal style of India and served as major railway hub until KL Sentral came along (less than a kilometer away). Nowadays, only the KTM trains pass by this station. The whole place looks a bit worn down and deserted, if you ask me. So unsecured was the place that I was able to jump a low barricade and climb up one of the watch towers. It was a dark, dank spiral stairway with railings too dirty and rusty for me to touch. I didn't even want to think how dirty I'll get if I slip and fall. The top of the watchtower is definitely the place for photographers and snipers, though. I managed to only get one good shot of the side of the railway station when I noticed a security guard coming my way. He must've seen my AF assist light from my S2 IS, which is not of the IR type, and came to investigate. I immediately dunk and slunk down the stairs, all the while thinking of a good excuse why I would be on top of a deserted watchtower in the middle of the night. What would Bond say? Um, where is the nearest washroom? Good thing the security guard didn't come around. I waited a few more seconds to make sure the coast is clear, then made my escape to the train station, and back to the hotel.