Buskers @ KL (2)

Second night of checking street buskers in the Bt Bintang area (KL). These musicians were just outside Plaza Sungei Wang, that building in the background is Lot 10. They were mainly playing pop, ballads & radio-friendly hits. Sizeable crowd gathered to watch. Just glad it wasn't a weekend night.

Buskers @ KL

Was in KL. Always made it a point to check the night-ivities especially the music related ones. The good thing about a weekday appearance is that, there were significantly less people walking around. These group of street musicians were mainly playing rock songs, the Malay numbers which were a hit in the 1980s. Judging by the responses of those watching, they enjoyed the nostalgia. The guitarist snapped a string along the way & that's when I left.

CK @ KL

Was in KL (Malaysia), dropped by CK Music which was merely a couple of blocks away from my hotel. I wish they would update their website because the listings did not match the in-store inventory. Enough said.

Busker @ KL

Was at KL a couple of weeks ago, this brother was busking in front of the chicken rice shop where we had our lunch. A simple Squier Tele into a pedal board & a battery powered amp. The thing about KL street musicians, they are super friendly & would engage you in a conversation readily. Despite the scorching afternoon sun, he played & sang his heart out so we pooled some money & made a deserving contribution. To all the street musicians in KL - respect!

The (short) trip

Wedding anniversary, short trip to KL. We've not been here for more than 5 years; way before they did the MRT construction at Bt Bintang. Now that it's done, there's less traffic congestion there & more pedestrian space. Anyway, I managed to drop by KL's Balai Seni (National Art Gallery) & came across this exhibit. The artist turned domestic artists' names into recognizable interpretations with familiar graphics & fonts. You should know where the above example drew its inspiration from. 

Managed to drop by Swee Lee's LOT 10 branch. No customers in store, maybe because it's a Monday. Come to think of it, there were scant shoppers on all other floors. It's not a good idea to locate a guitar store up on the third level with very low human traffic. Did not manage to drop by Bentley Music despite it being just across the road. We walked too much & was looking for a place to chill out. 

Petaling Street is fast losing its appeal. The place is suffering because authorities are keeping watch on the pirated wares sold there. The current inventory just looks rotten. There was no appeal to even browse the items. It was a quick round before grabbing a ride back to the hotel & prepped ourselves up for dinner.

No fancy dinner this time, we opted for a food truck night (@ Persiaran Hampshire, off Ampang Rd, across the road from Suria KLCC). So many choices at one place, that's the idea.

Capping off the night with an outdoor chill out- lights, wind & lots of looking up. 

Burger @ KL

Between KL's Pudu bus terminal & Petaling St is a cross junction. This gentleman here peddles his Ramly burger just next to the traffic light proximate to KK 24hrs minimart. If you've been to countless pasar malam in Singapore, you'd agree that there is this mystic appeal when it comes to Ramly burger; its seasonal availability means you would probably have a go at it while it lasts. 

I refer to him as Abang Botak (Bald Brother, literally) & his burger is compulsory consumption when I am in KL, regardless of my hotel residence. Abang Botak would begin proceedings after his sunset prayers, if you come earlier, you'd only see an abandoned washing point. The burgers on offer are variations of a familiar theme; egg is optional, there is also a double patty combo which is my personal favourite. 

Abang Botak is KL. The city wouldn't be complete without him, he's an enterprising figure amidst the city's hustle & bustle, an apt manifestation of a rapidly developing economy. I have utmost respect for individuals who chose to get by being their own bosses instead of participating in the conformist economy. As I stood by to watch him, I know he gets more work satisfaction than I do.

I need a new job, really. Going to work everyday & enjoying what you do makes a huge difference in wanting to continue life's cyclical rudimentary- earning a living. The moment I step into the office every day, I'd be looking forward to heading home, so where's the pride in doing the job, then?

Ibanez @ Bentley (KL)

The (discontinued) Ibanez RG1670 is available at Bentley (KL)- would have considered purchasing it if it's not black...

The mahogany body RG470 is also available, hope it makes its way (to the stores) here too...

KL weekend

It was a quick trip to KL last weekend, did some shopping & headed home. Saw this cat upon arrival. Cute.

No, we didn't go in search of some exotic cuisines, it was convenient dining for both days. Subway was still the healthier consensus, more importantly, the food was tasty but some of us find the non-fried meat a little bland. Carl's Jr is a blatant reminder to all fast food joints how their servings shrunk in the name of profiteering. If you miss the the huge burgers once served by Burger King & had long despised the blatant offerings of McDonald's, head to CJ, please.

The sight of this set my pulse racing (ok, maybe not much)- do they have the Ibanez-Uniqlo RG in store? (Click here if you don't have a clue what I'm talking about: DUH). Of course NOT.

Because Bentley is just round the corner, it was an inevitable stop. By the time you read this, their mid-year sale is over. Took a quick look around & left.

Bentley has an in-house tech handling non-sales, technical issues only. Maybe stores here should consider this as well...

In the evening, I simply enjoyed sipping my drinks while looking out of the window; it's an urban setting, quite removed from the usual beach front, holiday moments. That Red Coq there is a local alternative to Red Bull. It's an apt representation of the kampung heritage of the motherland but a potential catalyst for heated misunderstandings, imagine this daughter-mother dialogue:

Mother: Girl, where are you going?

Daughter: I'm gonna go get a Red Coq, be back in a jiffy...

Mother: ... (fainted)

 Or this student-teacher incident which is best avoided:

John: Miss Lina, you look weary...

Teacher: Yes, John, I overworked myself during the weekend.

John: Let me share my Red Coq with you then, it'll help rejuvenate yourself

Teacher: (Stood up & slapped John. He was hospitalized thereafter. Miss Lina never got married)

Bentley @ KL

If you visit Bentley Music in Kuala Lumpur now, please be informed that they are no longer operating on the ground floor. Everything's moved upstairs, there's an elevator serving the levels but floor space is now more compact.

No...

Was in KL (Malaysia), dropping by Bentley Music was inevitable...

I would normally not visit this music store (no disrespect to Bentley Music whatsoever, the sales people there are some of the most courteous I've come across- salute!!) because I get good deals back home and the hassle of bringing home an instrument which would entail too may probes at the customs; I'm not that patient dealing with uniformed personnel (Yes, you people are doing your job but sometimes you are too judgmental & dismissive...). An avid follower of this blog, brother Ijau D. Koceng, tipped me off to the availability of this guitar. The list price was RM2,190. After a few minutes of noodling & proving familiarity with an Ibanez guitar as well as a Marshall amp, I asked for some discount considerations. The salesperson calculated his provisions accordingly & offered me the best he could endeavour: RM2,050. Elementary math would tell us it's not even a 10% discount... dum dee dum dee dum... *sigh*

The RGR465M is the current RG350M in another manifestation. In terms of feel, they are definitely on par but there are more likable tones from the former as the default pickups are DiMarzios- the Air Norton sounds above average in there but the Deactivator is simply menacing so all you distortion mongers be informed. 

I didn't buy it. Yes, I was hopeful the RGR565 would somehow be reincarnated & now that its closest manifestation, the RGR465 is here to appease me (maybe), I should just shut up & buy one. But I didn't. It could have been better priced. Definitely.

Typing this entry while watching the 2010 Singapore National Day parade (not really watching actually, just hearing what's going on): Happy 45th independence to all Singaporeans...