Full moon July 2015

This was the full moon on 1 July 2015 in London -

Clouds started passing in front of the moon -

This was the moon through the trees on the next night

KL taxis worst in the world

So what's new!!!!!!!!! Anyone who uses taxis in KL would know this!

Many of the vehicles are in appalling condition, old wrecks, dirty, smelly with poor air con. Sometimes the driver smokes between ride.

There are however some new taxis on the road. But sometimes those are scary for a different reason. Some of the drivers now use mobile phone aps. Although the phones are usually mounted on the dashboard, some drivers spend so much time looking at them that they forget to look at the road.

This report in The Star 2 July 015 "KL cabbies the worst, says UK taxi rating site ".

Brick Lane area, east London

After visiting the Singapore Inside Out exhibition in the old Truman brewery, I decided to check out Brick Lane. I have never been to this part of London before. It is located near Liverpool St Station and Shoreditch High Street station in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.

Brick Lane is the heart of the city's Bangladeshi-Sylheti community. It is also famous for the curry houses.

Brick Lane mosque -

 It is interesting to read on Wikipedia that the mosque was originally " established in 1743 as a Protestant chapel by London's French Huguenot community. In 1809 it became a Wesleyan chapel, bought by the London Society for Promoting Christianity Amongst the Jews but this phase of its history lasted only 10 years. From 1819, the building became a Methodist chapel. In the late 19th century, the building at 59 Brick Lane was adopted by yet another community. It became the Machzike Adass, the Spitalfields Great Synagogue. During this time, the area was home to many Jewish refugees from Russia and Central Europe. The population of Jews decreased over the years, with many moving to areas of North London. During the 1970s, the area of Spitalfields and Brick Lane was populated mainly by Bangladeshis who had come to Britain from the Sylhet region looking for better work. Many found work in factories and the textile trade. That growing community required a place of worship, and the building at 59 Brick Lane was bought and refurbished. In 1976, it reopened as a mosque, the London Jamme Masjid. Today, although it has been renamed, it still serves the Bangladeshi community as a mosque."

Some curry houses, all advertising the 'best' food !!! I went to Muhib for a set lunch -

Some street art -

Start of Brick Lane -

Near Brick Lane is the old Spitalfields market -

And further away is the "London gherkin", 30 St Mary Axe. It was opened in April 2004, is 180 m tall and has 41 storeys -

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Singapore Inside Out exhibition in London 2015

Singapore Inside Out
A creative showcase to celebrate Singapore's 50th anniversary celebrations through the creative scene. In 2015 it visits Beijing, London, New York and then Singapore.

In June 2015 it was held in the old Truman brewery in Brick Lane, east London. 

Brick Lane is famous for its Bangladeshi and Indian curry houses. It was my first visit to this part of London. There were plenty of signs to show the way.

Have to admit the displays were too 'arty' for me and there wasn't a great deal to see. This display caught my attention, a 'tree' of laboratory glassware with clamp stands producing 'music' by hitting the glassware.

Streaking wax on a glass window

This piece of edible art by chef Janice Wong was my favourite part. A painted ceiling drilled with 2000 holes and chocolate lollipops filled with pork and poprocks, laksa, and kaffir hang from the holes waiting for the visitors to eat. There were also chocolates filled with kaya and chilli. Even the walls of the room were streaked with chocolate. Yummy!

Then it was time for lunch. As there was no food at the exhibition I left to check out Brick Lane.

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UPDATE 2023 -

See my blog on Truman's House at 4 Princelet Street, Spitalfields. 

Birds flying at dusk - crows and swifts

On the evening of 4 May I saw a lot of birds flying around. They seemed to be mainly crows with a few kites as well. They were flying for about 15 minutes before they decided onto the roof of a neighbouring building. They stayed there for a few minutes before flying off, presumably to their roosts. It was 6.05pm when they left. This is in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Then 40 minutes later I heard a lot of swifts flying around, both in front and at the back of my condo. They make quite a lot of  noise when flying. It was impossible to get a clear photo of the swifts with my camera as they fly so fast, but this video is better.

It was surprising seeing these 2 sets of birds on one evening. I wonder if it was due to an abundance of insects that evening.

Silvered langur monkey in Kuala Lumpur

At dusk I heard the birds shrieking in the trees outside my kitchen window and to my huge surprise I saw a monkey sitting in the tree. It was eating and seemed unconcerned by the birds. Unfortunately it was getting dark and I wasn't able to take great photos.

I assumed it was a long tailed macaque but when I looked at my photos, I realised it is a silvered langur, Trachypithecus cristatus. It was on its own. I have no idea what it is doing so close to the city as normally these monkeys are found in coastal or rivers. There are plenty at Bukit Melawati at Kuala Selangor and those are a tourist attraction.

 

 

According to the IUCN Red List it is 'near threatened' and only occurs in Peninsula Malaysia along the western coastal strip.

 

 

 

 

Bad English again

Bad English again

Visit Malaysia visual which has made headlines all over the world.
It reads: "Don't be stressed, come and distress in Malaysia!" 

[taken from Citizen Nades,  The Sun 21.04.15 ]

A few weeks ago, MAS started using a slogan "We want to see more of you"........ sounds like they want passengers to get undressed!!!!!!!