Pasar Seni

Upstairs at Central Market

Thursday was the last go-for-it shopping day. We were armed with lists, wads of ringgits (remember, you get roughly 3 ringgits to the dollar), all 3 water bottles...and some extra patience. I think the biggest stress was worrying about not getting something for everyone we really wanted to. We were heading for one place only and that was back to the Pasar Seni or Central Market, the place chock full of batik, wooden crafts, Malaysian shadow puppets, clothes, pottery...and of course, that yummy food court for refuelling. The kids got distracted as soon as we got in, heading for some rather cool fridge magnets. Of course, I am a fine one to talk. I got distracted just as distracted, except by a Malaysian pottery shop where I bought a set of two pottery cups or glasses that would do nicely. We wandered around, collecting sarongs, tablecloths, gifts for our house caretakers and other bits and pieces. The next thing we knew it was 1pm, the time we had asked our driver to pick us up, so Ali had to quickly text him to let him know we were running late. At 1:30, we then did a split. Ali had had a last minute invite to his uncle's house. I decided to pass and keep on shopping, given there were a few things I had still to get and I wanted to zoom over to the KLCC shopping-centre-on-steroids. So off the rest of the family went, and I was free free free in KL. I headed onto the LRT, grabbing a ticket for KLCC and zoomed my way there. LRT tickets go according to destination, so to give you an idea, to go another 6 stops was RM1.60 – nothing at all. Once at the KLCC, I headed straight up to the 5^th floor to the famous Kinokuniya bookstore. Why? Because I had to use up my RM50 vouchers, didn’t I? (Once a Scot, always a Scot.)Alas, I could not for the life of me find a book for myself, so instead got some funky art cards, another book for Hannah and some UK car magazines for Ali for the plane. Good or what? As a side story here, I tried to get a new cover for my iphone. Too funny. I might as well have asked for a fuzzy cover for a 1950s rotary phone. An iphone 3? Short of bursting out laughing, the shop assistant politely told me that there is nothing for iphone 3s, only iphone 4s. Ah yes. Welcome to Asia.



photo I forgot to add earlier of Ali and Allie at the Twin Towers

Timing worked out perfectly because as soon as Ali texted me asking where I was, I was back on the LRT heading to Taman Jaya station, the station closest to where we lived. Ali said he could be there in 15 minutes. So he was, and we all headed home.  Jatmi had very kindly made us some spaghetti sauce for dinner. (Note to self: don't forget that letter to Santa re getting a Jatmi and an Alam.) She had also even gotten a massive stick – 5 feet tall, about 3 inches in diameter – of fresh sugar cane from her friend who grew the stuff. Ali had mentioned trying to get sugar cane for the kids to try...and there it was. She proceeded to cut it up for them, into French-fry-size sticks. Such a neat novelty...the kids spent half the evening sucking away! We all had a quick dip in the pool, ate Jatmi’s pasta outside, and starting doing a bit of packing while the kids wrote in their journals yet again. Little did they realize, Ali and I were trying to arrange one last surprise for their last day in Malaysia.