Random Posts:

• Today ~ 21 Nov 2009
• Coffee at Laurent
• Izakaya Chuji
• Meng Kee Chicken Rice
• Moleskine Wine Journal

the increasingly arrogant Malaysian Chinese having their lunch…

the beansprouts dish are prepared by this ‘uncle’ in the back kitchen area

Random Posts:

• Angus Burgers from McDonald’s
• Drumstick
• Sushi is overrated
• Osaka Day 1
• Mekong

Random Posts:

• Reminiscing home
• Pao Xiang Bak Kut Teh
• Meng Kee Chicken Rice
• Klang Gates Quartz Ridge
• Snowflake

Random Posts:

• Bootleg ramen
• Laurent
• Yarra Valley
• Petaling Street
• First iPhone post

The sticks weren’t meant to be picked from. The sticks were meant to drop from the container when you rattle the container at about 70-80 degrees. Maybe the method was lost in translation. Some photos of Sze Ya temple found on Flickr.

Like this shot…

and so I’m going to make sure I will this time…
Random Posts:

• Snowflake
• Home
• Pao Xiang Bak Kut Teh
• Klang Gates Quartz Ridge
• Meng Kee Chicken Rice

Turns out that…

The outskirts of the city of Kuala Lumpur is surrounded by many greyish outcrops that many may dismiss as mere limestone rocks. One such length of craggy rocks near Ampang is not built of limestone, but of quartz.

Built almost entirely of quartz – essentially glass crystal – there are many reasons why the Klang Gates Ridge deserves to be declared a World Heritage Site and a national monument.

A quartz vein – which is a naturally occurring thin thread of quartz running through granite or other materials – is usually only about several millimetres to several centimetres wide. A quartz dyke, such as the Klang Gates Ridge, is its bigger cousin. Indeed, the most spectacular part of the ridge is its mid-section, which stretches from Taman Melawati to the Zoo Negara in the Ampang area.

There are major quartz veins around Kuala Lumpur and Seremban because of the old Kuala Lumpur-Mersing fault zone. During the tectonic folding millions of years ago, massive buckling and faulting in the earth’s crust thrust hydrothermal quartz upwards, where they then crystallised. There is another quartz ridge in Kuala Lumpur along the Kajang-Cheras road, which runs about 8 km long. But the Klang Gates Ridge is unique simply because of its sheer size.

Another reason why it is unique is that it displays four types of quartz formation. However, much of it is opaque white or tainted with grey, and lined with minute needles of clear hexagonal quartz crystals in some places.

Despite its uniqueness, it gets very little conservation attention. Campers and hikers accidentally or intentionally destroy its flora and fauna or leave their rubbish behind while collectors chip off its quartz crystal as souvenirs. But the biggest threat is urban development.

Because of its closeness to Kuala Lumpur, and increasing demand for land to house the city’s growing population, the foothills at the ridge have always been under intense development pressure. Not only have clearings for agricultural settlements taken over much of its western slopes, but new residential and industrial areas are also earmarked. Much of this targeted area surrounds the National Zoo as well as the forests next to the Klang Gates Dam catchment area and the Ulu Gombak Forest Reserve.

The part of the Ridge surrounding the dam and forest reserve is rich with vegetation. Surveys indicate at least 265 plant species thrive here, with five of them endemic to the area. Hence, conservationists have reasons to fear for their future. Currently, only its inaccessibility is ensuring its survival.

Another reason why a bigger area should be gazetted as a wildlife reserve is the presence of a rare animal, the serow. A National Parks and Wildlife Department survey carried out in 1985 found the tracks of five serows, but it’s anyone’s guess how many exist today.

If development continues unchecked, or if there is no active and proper management of the Ridge, including the reforestation of devastated slopes, the quartz dyke may, in time, disappear. Conservationists and scientists have persistently called for an enlargement of the wildlife reserve, or for inclusion within the recently established Selangor Heritage Park.

Scientists and researchers say that the Ridge is valuable not only in terms of botanical or geological interest, but also in terms of what it can offer people. Because of its proximity to the city, it can be used for eco-tourism, education and recreation, but only if it is properly and sustainably managed to avoid further deterioration.

extracted from WWF

I was a little amazed, positively and negatively. Positively to discover there is this quartz ridge existing in KL. Negatively that I have been living in Malaysia, in the PJ/KL area for almost two decades and never knew about this ridge until today. I’ve never heard anyone mentioned about the ridge. Did or does the government even include this in the Geography textbooks? It is a must-know just like the Twin Towers being one of the tallest towers in the world.

At least someone by the name of Desmond knows…

There is only one word to describe the government in not making this fact know to the citizens and the ignorant citizens as well – disgrace.Random Posts:

• Mid-Autumn Festival
• Oil Spill – The true victims
• Nanjing Nanjing
• Touch me nots
• Hiroshima – 64 years on

Curry Laksa with sambal belacan and half a lime

Nasi Lemak

Lo mai gai (Glutinous rice with chicken)

Siew pau

The must combination at Esquire Kitchen
Hui guo rou

and hua juan (flower rolls)

gui ling gao

fruit stall

the traffic jams

a street busker, something new.

durian stalls

mangosteen

open-air food stalls

This is what feeding in South-east Asia is all about and if you can’t put up with this, then go elsewhere. We don’t need you here.

stir-fried four-angle beans with sambal belacan

teppan-tofu

Carlsberg

Star-fruit juice

the littering

at a Mamak stall

packs of nasi lemak

teh tarik

maggi mee goreng – my favourite mamak stall order

the boss, observing his goods.

cat on a bike

There are some try-hards who were born and grew up in South-East Asia and then went overseas for a few years, comment about how dirty it is to eat at the food stalls in their country of origin. They grew up feeding in those places and yet, try to act like royalty after they’ve been away overseas. Acting like they’re not used to such places. Try-hards. Yeah, go colour your hair blonde, you wanna-be.

bracing the height to get this shot

always about 2 feet away from the railing though. the closest i can get.

the food court

wonton mee – the cut green chilli is a must with it.

Hainanese chicken rice

the city by night

the icon – Petronas Twin Towers

In my opinion, it is a truly magnificent building when lit at night.

Pavillion

Assam Laksa

another kopi-O

curry meehoon

love the architecture of these traditional shophouses, though most have torn down.

Pink guava

curry laksa at Madam Kwan’s, which is totally over-rated and over-priced.

cendol at Madam Kwan’s

traditional bread loaf

at the fish spa, letting the fish feed on us…

durian

hokkien mee. hokkien beehoon taste better though. nothing beats the hokkien stir-fried style – dark. the cantonese style is whitish and bland looking.

self-explanatory

ikan bakar (grilled fish)
Random Posts:

• Yakiniku
• Lunch at Shoya
• Lunch is…
• Tokyo, Winter 2008 – Day 10
• What is Dorayaki?

Sometimes i miss home.

Random Posts:

• Kopi-O
• T2 Tea
• Old Town Mamak Kopitiam
• Tokyo, Winter 2008 – Day 1
• Mekong