Return of The Red Lanterns

Today is the eve of lunar new year. Since weeks ago there are many red lanterns put up in residentials & shops. Some are added with decorative blinking lights making the night more charming. Children & adults are all looking forward to celebrate the Chinese New Year and traffic in the city already started getting congested. Tonight, the Chinese families will have reunion dinner with all members. Nowadays many families are growing bigger after several generations rooting in this country & the dining hall at home could be too small for reunion dinner. Therefore, restaurants in town are fully booked for the dinner.

Waning Crescent Before New Year

This is the final month of lunar calender. Waning crescent appeared in the morning meaning the month is going to end soon. It is only two more days from now to celebrate Chinese New Year. I begin to hear many people already started their holiday and going back hometown for reunion. Traffic around Ipoh seen to be slightly heavier and probably getting congested in the coming few days.

First Garden Lively Night

Unlike other rapid growing areas in eastern Ipoh, the west side which include Jelapang, Silibin, Buntong, Falim & Menglembu is moving at slower pace. Although housing projects are running here but commercial development does not catch up accordingly. First Garden, which is one of the largest housing estates at Ipoh west, also seen to be left behind as compare to Ipoh Garden & Bercham. However, with the population continue growing at its surrounding areas, new commercial project seems to be popular & attracted some chained stores moving in to fulfill the demand. Since the opening of GP food center, it's neighbouring shops are getting attractive and the night become lively nowadays. Apart from restaurant, cafe, cyber center, there are also boutiques & education center operating here.

Pattern of Bubbles

In a gathering at Hokaido Cafe, Menglembu, a cup of coffee is served. This is nothing much than an ordinary coffee but the appearance on top catches my eyes. I am not sure it is purposely or just coincidently made, the bigger bubbles are concentrated at circumference of the cup. Or it could be just a normal phenomena on a stirred coffee that I never pay attention to it in the past.

Another Commercial Building Taking Shape

There are constructions of larger scale commercial building around Ipoh lately. Although these are not super skyscrapers or grand buildings, but are relatively large structures compare to normal buildings in the city. Right in front of the famous Chinese restaurant, Pusing Public Seafood Restaurant (布先民众海鲜酒家) at Verasamy Road, construction of a commercial building is underway. It is built on a vacant land that used to be a car park mainly serving customer of the seafood restaurant. The building consists of 3-storey shoplots & an 8-storey office block. It seems Kampung Jawa is commonly locating buildings at 8-9 storey, such as Ipoh City Hotel, Grand View Hotel & two commercial plazas by Teh Teng Seng Group along Cockman Street.

Sunset Seen From 1st Curve

It's a cloudy evening and normally a right condition to see nice colorful refraction of sunlight from the clouds. While stopping in front a shop at 1st Curve, I am a little bit slow to capture the best moment. I only able to get this photo with color started fading away. Well, when uploading this post, I find difficulty to exactly categorize this area. Should it be part of Menglembu, Buntong or Falim? Or suppose this is considered a session on its own, call it Desa Rishah, 1st Curve or Kledang?

The Syuen Hotel

When Syuen Hotel opened in 1993, it was the most luxury hotel in town. Although the shape & appearance of the building looked a little funny (some described it as a huge cage), its main entrance is built grand like a palace and Ipohites were amazed with this only 5-star rated hotel in Ipoh during that time. Over the years, I heard feedback of visitors from outstation or overseas, the hotel maintenance was not really up to par, indeed it is still one of the best choices of accommodation in the city. Added with the advantage of location at walking distance to Ipoh Parade Shopping Mall, famous restaurants at Greentown & city center, Syuen Hotel would be still a recommended hotel for staying in Ipoh.
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Syuen Hotel
88, Jalan Sultan Abdul Jalil, 30300 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia.
Tel: +605-253 8889 (24 hours)
Fax: +605-253 3335
Email: admin@syuenhotel.com.my
URL: http://www.syuenhotel.com.my/
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Chased Away The Sunny Days

It was warm and no rain in the past few days. Everyone was thinking the hot days would come, but it seems the weather is really hard to predict nowadays. A storm in the afternoon swept through the valley and downpour at many areas around Ipoh. Objects at distance are disappearing in the rain.

Deteriorating Heritage

Most of the buildings in Old Town are reaching a century old. The civilian shop houses are not as lucky as the civil grand structures such as Town Hall & Railway Station that are duly maintained. Deteriorating heritage buildings are everywhere in Old Town while many had been torn down & replaced by new one. Most of the remaining are also not in good shape. When standing close to one, I find it was indeed finely made, finer than many modern structures in town. By looking at the present trend, I am not confident that the same scene in this photo will be available few years down the road.

Sunrise After A Rainy Night

Sunny-day rainy-night is an appropriate description to describe the recent weather condition in Ipoh. When approaching Chinese New Year, which typically a warm & dry season in Malaysia, I believe the weather will gradually change in the coming weeks. Anyway, climate change in recent years may tumble our prediction. After a sunny day yesterday, some areas in Ipoh were raining at night, including Klebang. This morning appeared to be cool & partly cloudy. On my way to work, I witness this moment of first shine on the valley when the sun rises over the shield of Titiwangsa Mountains.

Drawing Customer Attention

Spinning colorful fan is now quite commonly seen around Ipoh as a simple and low cost way to draw people's attention on a particular shop or outlet, apart from banner and signboard. It is also a decorative item in some kindergartens & schools. Probably some better ideas shall be derived from this simple fan that make use of natural power to generate auxiliary energy supply.

Artistic Lamp Post

The night in Ipoh become more charming with these artistic lamp post along Gopeng Road. It was installed several months ago from the Sultan Idris Shah Roundabout till the flyover at Tiger Lane. The "Y" shaped post is decorated with flowery pattern & a lighted Perak Coat of Arms. The array of these beautiful posts on the street is a best welcoming scene to all visitors entering Ipoh city from south. And when I drove along Tiger Lane recently, the entire road is also installed with these artistic lamp posts.

Cowboy Door at Nostalgic Restaurant

This is an old restaurant that I know a cowboy door is still existing, Sin Seng Hin at Clare Street. The entire shop seems to be maintaining it's original design and the interior would make you feel like living in 1950's-60's. Although I have not visited the restaurant, so I do not have any idea about the food, but I love its nostalgic appearance.

Saturday Night Shower

Normally weather would become warm & humid when approaching Chinese New Year. It is now about two weeks from the great day but we still do not feel the "heat", or in particular, it is sunny during day time but usually rain in the evening & night. In this Saturday night, I am caught in a shower. There are a lot of people at Ipoh Padang scattered to avoid from rain when it came in sudden. I am one of them that quickly jump into car and watch the downpour wetting the floor. Anyway, the rain stopped in less than an hour but making this Saturday night a cooler night.