I started the morning with a sausage egg McMuffin for breakfast. In fact the three of us did. On the way to McD’s, Jeannie and I picked up my M.I.L. (no, it is not one of those Russian military helicopters. It was Jeannie’s mother, my Mother-In-Law).
The sausage egg McMuffin comes with a coffee or tea. It’s a good value breakfast. Not too much of a meal to start the day with.
It looks like a burger and is a burger. Just like the burger, it is shrinking in size… physically, keeping it to an affordable price (that’s what we are supposed to thinkš).
It tastes quite good. This time round, we chose not to add hash browns to our order. I went for a coffee, black; Jeannie had a teh-O kosong and Mum Ong had a tea.
Did a couple of errands after breakfast and stopped by Good Ground Bakery for a quick mugga (coffee) and a cuppa (tea). Just thought that if a “cuppa” refers to a cup of tea; than a “mugga” should refer to a mug of coffee. We got the bright and chirpy greeting from Monique, as she always does with all their customers; when we walked in through the door.
Joanne whipped up a tea for Jeannie. As for me, I asked her to make me what she thought would be an awesome drink for that time, at that moment; with one condition that it had to be cold.
A few minutes later, our drinks arrived, Jeannie’s first. Then, my drink came not long after. It was a coffee, chocolate, orange; or a mocha with a tinge of orange. Jeannie enjoyed her “earl grey” – very English, I think.
My orange mocha, if I may call it that; had a perfect blend of all the three “ingredients” in the drink. The blend was sort of melodious that I could get the distinct presence of the coffee, chocolate and orange; yet in harmony, each not over-powering the other. As I sipped my drink over the hour that we were at GGB, the orange mocha remained together as one, until the last drop. Compliments to the barista, Joanne.
Jeannie tuned in to one of BFM Radio’s podcasts earlier on this morning, where Dato’ Sri Bernard Chandran, the renowned Malaysian fashion designer, talked about his years of experience. He highlighted that his fashion creations are on display at Farenheit88, a shopping centre in the heart of Kuala Lumpur’s (1) shopping district (an equivalent to Chicago’s Magnificent Mile and Singapore’s Orchard Road). Jeannie decided on going to this exhibition which translated into I had to go too.
Traffic was heavy all the way, but bearable. We had to use Google Maps to get to the shopping centre as we neared the area. I remembered from a previous experience a long time ago; that getting to the entrance of the carpark needed maneuvering several inner lanes (roads) to reach it.
The exhibition was titled “Unmatched”, showcasing Bernard’s 30 years work. Located on the third floor of the shopping complex, the place looked like an art gallery as there were paintings of various sizes, decorating the walls.
Right at the entrance were his first designs. The year of each of his creations was stated under each and everyone of the outfits. His contemporary work is based on the traditional Malay women’s “sarong kebaya” They were beautiful.
I was attracted to the paintings (all of which were abstract art) on the walls. I found myself staring at many of them for a long time, trying to figure out what message the artists were trying to impress on their viewers. I love colours and found myself interpreting the strengths of the colours, the strokes of the brush, which colour was painted (splashed?) on first, the mood of the painter and so on.
Bernard’s designs were cordoned off with black steel cable about two feet high. Picture this, the gallery hall was dark black all around, with lights strategically emphasizing the works and also the art on the walls. Unless you are Tom Cruise of Mission Impossible or have a keen eye, you probably will walk into these “barricades”. The lady that greeted us at the entrance on our way in, informed us of these barriers. Initially, when we walked into the hall, we looked out for these cables as there were no warning signs.
I am not much of a fashion buff and made my way round the exhibition in no time at all. I lost Jeannie somewhere at the beginning of the displays. When I saw the exit (which was also the entrance), I headed in that direction and walked right into one of those entrapments. What a way to find out that there were steel cables there. Those cables were sure painful. I grazed my right shin and caused a bruise on the left one.
The exhibition gallery was large, with the exhibitions spaced out. I was on the left side of the room, saw the exit, and made my way towards it. Somewhere along that path, the steel cables laid, waiting to spring to action and catch the offender. The bruise wasn’t that big a deal. Jeannie had a band-aid with her. I put it on the wound / bruise to prevent further stinging (that was the pain I felt.
As for Bernard Chandran’s work, congratulations goes to him. His 30 years of hard work is definitely his success story. He is an inspiration for others to follow. Bernard Chandran has a store in Farenheit88, if you would like to acquire one or more of his pieces.
Getting onto Jalan Bukit Bintang on our way out, was needing patience. It was so crowded with vehicles. The sidewalks on both sides of the street had its fair share of crowds of people.
We planned for an early dinner. What shall we eat? I already had char kway teow and kopi-O ice on my mind and Jeannie was thinking of Bangkok-style fried rice. Next change.
NOTES:
1. Kuala Lumpur is the capital of Malaysia. A bustling tourist attraction, with so much to offer; definitely worth a visit.
