KUALA LUMPUR ON A SHOESTRING

Is it possible to spend a day sightseeing in downtown Kuala Lumpur on only RM10, inclusive of lunch? I set myself this challenge and chose the second day of Hari Raya to find out. With most KL folks either back in their hometown celebrating the festive occasion, or away on vacation, I could avoid all the traffic congestion and pollution.

Unfortunately the day started out with an overcast sky. Not great for photography, but being an eternal optimist, I silently prayed for blue skies and bright sunshine later in the afternoon. Alas, it was not to be, as you can see from the photos.

Here's my inner city tour in pictures.

Got off the bus here at Jalan Munshi Abdullah (Campbell Road). An improvement in the bus shelters. From here I explored the Masjid India back lanes on foot. Only four days ago when I was passing through, the entire area was packed with last minute Raya shoppers.

Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman or Batu Road where Globe Silk Store still stands. All quiet and deserted. A people-friendly street with broad sidewalks and benches.

I love bridges for many reasons. Here's the first one at Maju Junction where Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman (Batu Road) meets Jalan Sultan Ismail (Treacher Road).

Turn left on the bridge and you are connected to Jalan Raja Laut (Broadrick Road) further up.

Turn right and you go towards Jalan Ampang. I decided to take this direction.

It was a long walk to the monorail station at the end of the bridge. A scary thought flashed through my mind. What if I encountered a couple of guys here out to cause trouble? 

I got off the bridge and walked towards Jalan Ampang. Many of the city streets have covered walkways like this one. Several massive construction projects along the way. A building boom? 

Took the shuttle bus near Concorde Hotel. It goes to Bukit Bintang. These shuttle buses are a blessing to city commuters. Check the maps below and try out Go-KL. It's FREE!

These escalators are great for tired feet. But how would those in wheelchairs get up these steps?

Clean and bright, as all bridges should be. This leads to Pavilion, Malaysia's award-winning mall.

Walking towards the 'back' entrance of Pavilion along Jalan Raja Chulan (Jalan Weld)

The streets may be deserted but the malls and food courts were swarming with thousands of shoppers, especially families enjoying the holiday with their children in tow. Here's where I had my lunch, a very expensive one, to my dismay. The details later.

Overcast sky. From Pavilion, I took the shuttle bus down to Kota Raya (Chinatown area). This place has been transformed with new buildings and bridges. But the chaos remains. This is the terminal for several stage buses.

UTC probably stands for Urban Transformation Centre (Pusat Transformasi Bandar) I was stopped from taking photographs as I stood outside the building. Wonder why? Of course, I didn't bother to enter.

This bridge across Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock (Foch Avenue) gets my vote for the filthiest overhead bridge in the city, no thanks to the foreign blue collar workers who have made this downtown area their shopping haven. For more pictures, go to 'Foreign invasion of downtown KL'.

The bridge reeks of urine and is littered with used bottles, cans and old newspapers. On normal days, beggars line the sides. This man probably spent the night here sleeping on pieces of cardboard. 

Beggars and vagabonds are a familiar sight in Kota Raya (Chinatown) and Pasar Seni (Central Market) areas. Take care of your valuables, and be on the alert for pickpockets.

Chinatown is fast losing its cultural identity. The stalls here are almost entirely run by Bangladeshis, Nepalese and Myanmarese. Jalan Tun HS Lee used to be known as High Street during the colonial days.

The Klang bus terminal of the old days is gone. The new terminal is nearing completion. Work is in progress on the MRT station nearby. Long line of mostly foreign workers waiting to board the bus.

No, I'm not planning to take the train - just to show you more bridges and take more photos of the area along the Klang River. By the way, this is the only station where you can apply for your senior citizen (warga emas) travel card. You get to enjoy 50% off fares on RapidKL buses, monorail and trains on the Ampang and Kelana Jaya lines. Not sure if it's applicable for KTM.

The link bridge at Pasar Seni LRT station. At the far end, you can either turn right or left.

Turn left, and you can walk all the way across the river to the old railway station along Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin. Anyone knows the old name of this street?

Turn right and you go towards Dayabumi, Malaysia's first skyscraper (35 storeys) built in 1984, and Dataran Merdeka, the city's Independence Square. There's a covered walkway on the right, but it is yet to be open to the public.

The bustling Pasar Seni area, teeming with people and traffic seven days a week. 

From Pasar Seni LRT station, I boarded the shuttle bus again back to the same bus-stop I had got off earlier along Jalan Raja Chulan. And it's up the bridge again. You can see a part of it in the photo above. 

This time I took the left turn to KL Convention Centre. Going straight would take me back again to Pavilion. I decided to skip Bukit Bintang as the sky looked threatening.

This part of the bridge leading to KLCC is fully air-conditioned and well-lit. You can go to all these places listed on the signboard (starting from Wisma UOA on the signboard below).

Finally, it's out to KLCC Park and the Dewan Philharmonic. Lots of people posing for photos. Problem for them - how to capture all 88 storeys of the Petronas Twin Towers with their tiny digital cameras or mobile phones?.

Avenue K, opposite KLCC, is getting more than just a face-lift. Hopefully with big names like Starbucks, H&M and Popular coming in as tenants, Avenue K will see a reversal of fortune.

From KLCC, I walked to Ampang Park LRT station, passing Wisma MCA on the way. Some positive changes at the station, including a new and improved bus-stop, a covered walkway and a small park nearby. Opposite is Ampang Park. Built in 1973, it is the oldest shopping complex in the country.

At RM15 million, this is probably the most expensive link bridge in the city built by City Hall and the Intermark. It was opened in late March 2013.

The bridge boasts up and down escalators and is equipped with bright lights as well as six CCTVs. Guards are on sentry duty from 7am to 10pm daily. Pedestrians feel safe using this bridge.

As I was walking back to the bus-stop to catch the bus home, this tour bus passed by. For a RM45 ticket, you can get a tour of the city attractions, valid for 24 hours. An option for tourists who prefer to sit in comfort and be driven around the city.

I reached home after an entire afternoon exploring the sights and sounds of Kuala Lumpur. How much did it cost me? Did I meet the challenge of spending not more than RM10? Well, yes and no. Let me explain.

I made a huge mistake when I stopped for lunch at Food Republic, Pavilion. As I had a tight budget, I chose to eat simple - a plate of rice with some long beans and a small fish (see photo below). I estimated it would cost no more than RM8. When the cashier told me my plate of food cost RM17.50, I could only stare at her in disbelief. The breakdown: RM12 for the fish, RM3.50 for the beans and RM2.00 for the rice. What a rip-off!

Would you pay RM17.50 for this? I did, but never again. Never again will I patronize this particular food outlet. Play it safe. Order food that has the price listed. I have posted this photo on my FB page.

If I consider the fare alone, I had spent well below my limit of RM10. So how much was my total bus fare? Brace yourself as you won't believe this - a paltry RM2.50. If I had not been so forgetful and had brought along my warga emas card, it would have cost me only RM1.40! And if I had eaten a RM7.90 bowl of laksa for lunch, or better still, had my lunch in Pasar Seni or Chinatown, I would have spent less than RM10 in all. Lessons learned.

Here some tips for those who would like to do a similar walkabout in the city.

• Bring a hat and an umbrella. Blue skies can change to thunderstorms within minutes. 
• Wear comfortable walking shoes or sandals.
• Make sure you have a large bottle of water. The weight will offload as you drink along the way. Stay hydrated.
• Carry minimal stuff, only essentials and pack everything either in a backpack or a sling bag (across the shoulder). This keeps your hands free to take photos, and your belongings more secure. Just remember to swing your bag to the front when in crowded places.
• Take your toilet breaks at the shopping malls and LRT stations along the way. Shun other public toilets like the plague.
• Be on the alert for pickpockets, especially in downtown Kota Raya-Chinatown area.

So there you have it. It is possible to do a tour of the city on a shoestring. There are covered walkways, pedestrian crossings and link bridges that makes it safe and convenient to walk along the city streets. It also helps that shuttle buses provide free transport within the main city areas.

All in all, my little trip covered KLCC, Ampang Park, Pavilion, Chinatown, Kota Raya, Pasar Seni and Masjid India. If I had wanted, I could have included Bukit Bintang (Sungei Wang, Lot 10) and Dataran Merdeka at no extra cost.

If you have any queries about my city walkabout, do send me an email at seniorsaloud@gmail.com

SELAMAT HARI RAYA

WALKING YOUR WAY TO GOOD HEALTH

The correct way to do brisk walking. 

When I sold my Chrysler Alpine in 1998, I did not know at the time that it would be the last car I owned. I have not driven since, and have been depending largely on public transport and my own very reliable two feet to take me to my destinations. Together with rides from my friends, I can say it's definitely possible to survive in Kuala Lumpur without a car. I know many of my friends will disagree with me.

It's not that difficult to chalk up 10,000
steps a day on the pedometer.

Not having wheels means I walk a lot. Almost every day I walk to the nearest bus-stop to catch the bus to KLCC. From there I either take the LRT, RapidKL bus or Go-KL shuttle bus to my destinations, which can be anywhere in the Klang Valley.

I look at walking as good exercise. I walk to my neighbourhood supermarket to get my groceries, to the bank to do my financial transactions and to the post office to pay my bills. Sure, I can do most of these chores online, but that would reduce my daily dose of walking. If I do my errands early around 9 am or 10 am, I get the warm morning sunlight on my skin. That's free vitamin D.

Walking for hours in a shopping mall does not count as exercise as it is not continuous. To derive any health benefits from walking, it has to be brisk walking for at least 30 minutes and done on a regular basis.

I can't think of a better exercise for seniors than brisk walking. It is not as taxing on our knees as jogging or aerobics at the gym. It is free, apart from a small investment in a good pair of walking shoes. You can do it practically anywhere, alone or with friends or neighbours in your housing area. Back in the 1980s when I was a gym enthusiast, I did power walking either with light weight dumb-bells or ankle weights to strengthen my arm and leg muscles. But I wouldn't recommend this to anyone above 50.

Nordic Walking session led by Mrs Jagjeet Singh

There's also Nordic Walking, that is walking with a pair of sticks or poles to give the body a total workout. My good friend, Mrs Jagjeet Singh is the only certified instructor for Nordic walking in Malaysia. If you are interested to learn more, you can email her at mrsjagjeetmrsj@gmail.com

Getting ready to brisk walk for charity

To add variety to your walking regime, participate in walking events that are open to the public. It is a pity the Malay Mail has stopped organizing the popular Big Walk. The inaugural Big Walk was held in 1960. I believe the last one in 2007 attracted more than 10,000 participants. It was one of my favourite sports events. These days there are so many charity walks that you can sign up for, and help a good cause as well. I took part in the Love PJ Run on 6 July. I chose to walk not run, and finished the 3 km route in a decent 20 minutes. My next one is the annual Terry Fox Run which raises funds for cancer research.

Walking the dog gets you walking too

Here's what Mayo Clinic has to say about the health benefits of walking:

Physical activity doesn't need to be complicated. Something as simple as a daily brisk walk can help you live a healthier life.

For example, regular brisk walking can help you:

• Maintain a healthy weight
• Prevent or manage various conditions, including heart disease, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes
• Strengthen your bones
• Lift your mood
• Improve your balance and coordination
• The faster, farther and more frequently you walk, the greater the benefits.

If you can't do brisk walking, even a leisurely stroll after an evening meal can do wonders for your health. Work those leg muscles. Remember if you don't use them, you lose them. When that happens, you lose your mobility and independence. If your housing area is not conducive for walks or strolls, go to the nearest park. The popular ones are Bukit Kiara and Taman Jaya. In Kuala Lumpur you have Taman Titiwangsa and KLCC Park. There are many more, I am sure.

For the elderly, a leisurely stroll in the park can be invigorating

Even a few slow steps daily with a walking
aid can improve blood circulation and
strengthen leg muscles

Happy Walking!

TRAINING COMMUNITY LEADERS TO RUN NGOs EFFICIENTLY

I attended the launch of Do Good Academy yesterday. It was a double celebration as 1 August also marks the first anniversary of Do Good Volunteer (DGV), a social initiative started by the Star, in collaboration with Leaderonomics, a training subsidiary of the Star.

The object is to provide a meeting point for organisations looking for volunteers to help them with their projects, and for volunteers looking to lend a helping hand to these organizations. DGV acts as the matchmaker, so to speak.

The video below explains what DGV is all about.



I think it's a noble initiative, and about time too. It is a perennial challenge for NGOs and charity organizations to find funds and volunteers. Kudos to the young and dynamic team under DGV Development Director, Amanda Chua, for getting DGV off the ground and running for a year. The success stories on their website are testimony that their efforts have paid off.

Screen grab from Do Good Volunteer website

Now with the launch of Do Good Academy (DGA), NGOs are getting a further boost in terms of training skills to manage their organizations more efficiently and sustainably.

The academy has enlisted the help of top-notch trainers who are experts in their respective fields to conduct free training courses for NGOs, NPOs and other social enterprises. Some of the 21 courses offered are listed below:

• Fundraising Essentials
• Finance Management
• Effective Strategic Thinking
• Project Management
• Computer and Internet Literacy
• Social Media Marketing for NGOs
• Proposal and Grant Writing
• Public and Media Relations

These courses provide community leaders with the essential skills for the successful management of their organizations. All too often we have heard of NGOs running into trouble because of a lack of funds, insufficient manpower and poor management skills. The setting up of Do Good Academy is definitely a step in the right direction in the Star's CSR program, and a blessing to all NGOs in the country.

This video below was shown during the launch. I highly recommend it for viewing by all NGOs and community leaders to get new insights on how funds should be allocated to ensure the sustainability of the organization.

If your NGO is keen to know more about Do Good Academy and the training courses, send them an email. Just click here.