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| KL Tower and the surrounding cityscape bathed in a golden sunset, from Marini's on 57 |
While I sometimes bemoan the proliferation of cameras in seemingly every gadget we carry nowadays – making everyone think they're a photographer and fueling a generation of vapid narcissists – there is admittedly a handy side of virtually always having a camera with you. Beyond Instagramming your latest meal, you can capture those neat moments that would have likely otherwise gone by unrecorded. And, of course, if you live in the U.S., there's always the opportunity to film a cop shooting someone. (Kidding! Well, sort of.)
When I started this blog almost seven years ago, the idea was to chronicle my life in Kuala Lumpur. It was all very new to me back then, of course, and as even the most trivial things were fresh and unfamiliar, they somehow merited (in my mind, at least) dedicated blog entries.
Unsurprisingly, as time went by, the new and novel became the routine and common. A trip to Tesco was no longer a blog-worthy event, and over the years, my blog had longer periods of inactivity and eventually evolved into more of a compendium of my various travels and less of a series of snapshots of my day-to-day life here in Malaysia.
The other day, though, I was backing up a bunch of photos from my Nexus 4 smartphone, which I've had for about a year and a half now, I guess, and many of them brought back memories – some more worthwhile than others. Amid the special events, traveling, and nice dinners that got photographed, there were also some more pedestrian things, too – that daily dose of life in KL that my blog has been missing for a long time. So I thought I'd share some of them on here... they're from all over, and many are not really recent, so though the photos will be mostly chronological, I doubt most will really need a clear mention of the specific date. Nearly all these photos are from my phone, but a couple are from my compact camera, too, which also gets carried with me when I don't feel like heaving the Nikon and its parade of lenses around. And there are of course a fair few from the trips I've taken, as well, so some of those will pop up here, too! Needless to say, the little cameras found in smartphones, even the best ones, really shine only in good lighting conditions. Once the light levels fall off, the quality of the photos plummets, as you'll see here. But sometimes, as a spin around Facebook will show you, the images from even the lowliest of cameras really are quite amazing, proving the truth of the adage, "Cameras don't take pictures, photographers do."
So away we go... unless specifically noted otherwise, all the photos are from my phone, and the description will of course be found in the caption of each picture... enjoy!
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| This was taken in Nov. 2013 and actually marked my introduction to the wonderful world of Japanese whisky. I have no idea why the whisky appears so yellow in the glass, yet normal amber-colored in the bottle. |
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| Even when I'm driving, I'm still an editor... this error was on a HUGE billboard at a major intersection in Bangsar... it was there for a couple of weeks before it got noticed and a "c" was hastily pasted over that final "s" in "essense"! |
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| One fine night towards the end of 2013, my friend and I ate at Mandarin Oriental and got to enjoy the world's most storied dessert wine, Chateau d'Yquem from the Sauternes region of France... not a legendary vintage, but still a great treat |
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| The great view from one of the beach villas at the Four Seasons Langkawi, among Malaysia's finest resorts |
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| Tropical luxury at the Four Seasons in Langkawi... a favorite place of mine and always a nice, nearby escape from KL |
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| This was my first of two visits to the awesome Siam Kempinski in Bangkok... snapped this one morning from the terrace on the club floor lounge – not a cloud! |
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| Ah, the pain of fashion. This was at one of the photo shoots for the luxury lifestyle magazine I edit. The poor model had to lie on the cold bathroom floor for nearly an hour while everyone did their thing – hair, makeup, jewelry, photographers, lighting. I was up on a ladder to shoot this... and this was with my Nikon and a super wide-angle lens, by the way! (Dec. 2013) |
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| I love introducing different foods to my local friends here, and my chicken nachos have happily been a unanimous hit every time |
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| This was from my second trip to Nepal over the New Year holiday 2013/2014; it's particularly special now because this view from a rooftop cafe in Kathmandu Durbar Square looks sadly different today after the recent earthquake there |
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| Back to Langkawi! This is at the Westin Resort on the southeast coast of the island. I was there for the 12th Royal Langkawi International Regatta... this was my first time (January 2014) and I went again the following year |
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| A stunning sunset over the pool at the Westin Resort, with the Andaman Sea beyond |
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| This is at one of my very favorite restaurants, Awet Thai Cafe. Every year, they jack up their prices for three weeks in the run-up to Chinese New Year, conveniently coinciding with a "price hike" that happens to have an amazingly well-defined start and stop date :) |
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| As a boy, I was wildly infatuated with airplanes, few more so than the supersonic Concorde, which I frequently got in trouble for drawing during math class. Getting to see one of the now-retired planes on display at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris was a big thrill for me |
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| And this was my first glimpse of Paris upon emerging from the underground metro train there, disoriented, cold, and adrift in a sea of cluelessness. I eventually found my hotel. |
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| I honestly don't even remember what this gorgeous little display of food was, but it was the lead plate at my first Michelin-star dining experience at Sur Mesure par Thierry Marx |
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| I'm no fan of selfies (for me, at least), but this was almost obligatory to show I was there... Jan. 29, 2014 |
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| I snapped this at a supermarket near my apartment in Barcelona mostly just to later gawk at the cheap prices for Catalonian table wine |
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| The perils of handing your camera (in this case, a phone) to someone else to shoot with; I had to do plenty of editing and even then still convert this to grayscale to make it even remotely passable. This is me at the awards ceremony in KLCC where one of our magazines was named the country's best tourism publication by Tourism Malaysia for 2012/2013 |
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| Back at the Siam Kempinski in Bangkok, at their fine dining venue, Sru Bua. I could not resist getting this bottle, the legendary Chateau Montelena from Napa Valley. This is the winery that beat France's best at the 1976 Judgment of Paris and changed the wine industry forever – and yes, though this wasn't the same vintage, obviously, it was still an outstanding, incredible Chardonnay |
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| Well, there was no damn way THIS photo wasn't going in here: Look at this nonsense. This is an actual SIDEWALK in Bangsar, not far from where I work. There's no big event, nothing special going on, this is just how Malaysians park. It's not bad enough they park any old way they want on the streets; they actually park on the sidewalks, too. *facepalm* |
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| At the airport in Queenstown, Zealand... a great trip, to be sure |
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| Driving in New Zealand... somewhere between Queenstown and Christchurch. April 2014 |
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| Now THIS gorgeous thing isn't commonly available in the States, but here, any German restaurant worth its lederhosen serves a big, crispy pork knuckle... and they are absolutely delicious! |
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| This is as good an example of Malaysian English as any. It's not awful, and it's perfectly understandable. It's just... off. Seldom does a year go by that my condo doesn't have some drama with its water tanks, so this was the 2014 edition. |
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| I was invited to attend the Malaysian launch of a new line of yachts down at Simpson Marine in fabulous Port Dickson. Just kidding. Everyone in Malaysia knows Port Dickson isn't really even a little bit fabulous. |
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| Champagne, a spread of canapés, and a pretty fun little group on board once we all got comfortable... was a fun time |
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| We spent about an hour or so out at sea, but eventually, the menacing clouds hastened our return to port |
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| Looking out towards Ampang from around the KLCC area |
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| This was pretty cool... my pals at Etihad Airways' PR firm delivered these red, white, and blue Jelly Belly candies to my office for the Fourth of July in 2014, a very kind gesture for any American living abroad! |
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| In the world of sparkling and still wines, Dom Pérignon and Chateau Margaux are two powerhouse names... so this was a pretty memorable evening! |
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| Tuscan wine and a great platter of starters at one of my favorite Italian eateries, Vineria in Bangsar |
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| I snapped this from high atop First Avenue, a 25-story building near my neighborhood. The top of the building is a spacious, grass-covered helipad that doubles as an open space – one of the most amazing venues in the city. The massive building in the foreground is just half of 1 Utama, the world's fourth-largest shopping mall, and the little black arrow in the background indicates where my nearby Damansara Perdana condo is! |
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| At a house party in Damansara Heights with friends Patrice and Cheng Yi... good food and good company. And of course, a liberal flow of good wine and whisky, too. |
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| I think there were more people there than this, but we managed to get this group assembled for a quick photo |
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| This is at my favorite hotel in Malacca, the Mediterranean-styled Casa del Rio |
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| I was invited to a swanky jewelry preview down in Singapore, and this photo is from Orchard ION Sky on level 56 |
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| A ridiculously creative cappuccino at one of my favorite Bangsar eateries, Yeast Bistronomy. In actual fact, drinking a beverage that looks like a face was a bit disconcerting in a way |
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| My Indonesian friend Dendy, who I've known since 2006, was in town doing the styling for one of my magazine's photo shoots and I took him to my favorite Thai restaurant... the one with the Chinese New Year price hike.. fortunately, we were there outside of that timeframe! |
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| Ahhh, a thin slice of paradise... poolside at Amanpulo on a private island in the Palawan province of the Philippines, under blue skies and fluffy clouds. |
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| And with a lovely welcome like this in the villa, what's not to like?? |
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| Now this admittedly isn't a great photo, but take a look at that TV. Here I was on a tiny island in the Philippine archipelago, and my college football team's game was being broadcast from the other side of the planet... not even a playoff game, I don't think. It was surreal. And yeah, Auburn won, so even better! |
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| Nice, right? On a sunny day, even my weak little phone camera can produce impressive colors and sharpness |
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| I can't recall if this was a selfie or if I handed my phone to someone... I was at the Amanpulo lounge in Manila, after a few days of sun and sea, and was about to head into the city to do a little exploring |
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| I'm generally not a fan of Aussie Shiraz, but Penfolds Grange isn't just some run-of-the-mill Aussie Shiraz. This is truly one of the world's great wines, and the 2008 is among its most celebrated vintages – an uncommon and expensive bottle of wine, to say the very least. I was invited to a Penfolds winemaker's dinner at the Mandarin Oriental and got to drink both the 2008 and 2006, both rated from 97-100 points by the experts. Amazing! |
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| One fine day when I went to lunch in Bangsar, a wild storm blew through and broke a huge section out of a massive tree, literally blocking the entire street |
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| A very kind invitation to an exclusive surprise event at the Ritz-Carlton gave me not only the chance to enjoy these huge Maine lobsters flown in from the States, but also the fun of teaching a dozen Malaysians how to crack them open! |
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| Another house party... more food, more fun! |
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| In the course of my job, I get invited to plenty of whisky and wine events, but this one was special, as it was hosted by the chairman of Glenfarclas distillery himself, and I got to sample a whole range of their whiskies, including this treat, nearly as old as me! They also unveiled the Glenfarclas 60 year old at this event, but at some US$16,700 per bottle, it goes without saying we didn't get to open one of those! |
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| November 2014, this was as I was getting settled in on my Etihad flight to Abu Dhabi, then on to New York... was going home for the Thanksgiving holiday |
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| This magnificent creature (no, not me!) is a hyacinth macaw, the world's largest parrot (and one of staggering value, too). This guy was exceptionally friendly and I spent about half an hour with him while Shiloh, my considerably smaller and greener parrot, was being groomed at the bird store in my Englewood, Colorado neighborhood |
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| Despite the sign, this is actually at a newly opened Quizno's sub shop in Damansara Perdana. I was so excited to see this (Quizno's is a Denver-based company), and was pointing and telling the guys behind the counter, "That's my home city, that's where I'm from." They were completely unimpressed. Indeed, they could have hardly been any more nonplussed by my proclamation.... ah well |
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| On the OCBC Skyway at the Gardens by the Bay in Singapore, with the triple towers of the Marina Bay Sands, the world's second-most expensive building ever constructed, estimated at some US$6 billion |
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| Another trip to Langkawi, this time for the 13th annual Langkawi regatta. Snapped this picture at the evening cocktail event on the beach by the Westin Resort |
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| Apart from nice beaches and luxury resorts, Langkawi has a lot of appeal as a duty-free island, indeed one of the world's cheapest markets for booze (usually considerably cheaper than airports). Note the RM10 bottle of Creme de Cacao on the right. That's less than US$3. At restaurants in Langkawi, it's not uncommon for cans of beer to be cheaper than soda |
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| About two weeks after the regatta, I went back to Langkawi again for a mangrove planting project. This odd-looking little guy, snapped hanging out on a playground at Berjaya Langkawi Resort with some of his pals is a dusky leaf monkey, the more docile counterpoint to the more common and far naughtier long-tailed macaques seen there |
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| And here's part of our group on the mudflats of Kuala Teriang in Langkawi. The area was wiped clean by the 2004 tsunami, so we planted hundreds of mangrove saplings in a bid to rebuild the coastal defenses of this part of the island |
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| Following two nights at Berjaya Langkawi Resort, working with the mangrove project, I took another two nights (it was a long weekend) and stayed at the Four Seasons once again for some pure R&R... always a great place to visit |
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| Ahh, yee sang. This is a celebratory ritual unique to Chinese Malaysians during Chinese New Year. Sliced sashimi is presented with colorful dried noodles and veggies, a flavorful sauce is poured over it, then everyone digs in with chopsticks, tossing the yee sang riotously. The higher and messier, the more good luck you'll have in the coming year. Snapped this at a CNY celebration at Marini's on 57 in February 2015 |
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| KL's famous "eat street," Jalan Alor. Wildly popular with tourists and locals alike, this street in the heart of the city is the place to go for a cross-section of Malaysia's best street food, with most of the emphasis being on Malaysian Chinese cuisine |
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| This gorgeous presentation is an incredible roasted lobster and king crab salad at the Shangri-La's fine French dining outlet Lafite, truly one of KL's oldest and best French restaurants |
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| Getting a trim! I've been going to the same stylist at the well-known Ish Salon in Bangsar for a couple of years |
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| Another popular street food scene, this one near the Ampang Park LRT station by KLCC; sweet corn, freshly steamed, served with butter, sugar, and salt |
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| Another trip to Langkawi, this one in mid-April 2015; my third trip to the island in three months' time. This shot was taken at the stunning new Els Golf Course up on Datai Bay in the northwestern part of the island. I don't actually golf, but was in attendance for a charity fundraising event held there |
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| Once again taking advantage of the duty-free happiness Langkawi offers... even the excellent Calphalon pan was a mere US$13, less than half of what it would cost elsewhere in Malaysia |
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| It wouldn't be proper to have a blog entry like this without a dim sum photo; I visit my favorite place in Damansara Jaya at least twice a month, usually, and their succulent fresh-steamed siew mai is consistently fantastic. Snapped this shot with my little Sony compact camera on a recent outing there |
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| Satay is a popular food here, and this is typically how it's served – with cucumbers, red onions, and cubes of sticky rice... and of course plenty of spicy peanut sauce! |
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| I'm not an alcoholic, I just love a good deal! This was at Tokyo's Narita airport en route to the States at the tail end of April. This 17-year-old Taketsuru goes for US$140 in Denver, and even more here in KL. This bottle? A scant ¥3500, which is only about US$29. I need hardly mention that I grabbed a bottle to purchase immediately after snapping this pic :) |
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| This was pretty fun. As the second meal service on the Japan Airlines flight from Tokyo to Chicago, we got our "assemble it yourself" burger from Japan's wildly popular fast food chain MOS (second only to McDonald's there), hence the "AirMOS" moniker. It was really quite delicious! |
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| Ahhh, Mexican food and yummy margaritas, always a highlight of any trip back to Colorado! |
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| And here's Shiloh, posing on a plate in my mother's cupboard, likely while I was making breakfast one morning |
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| Along with Japanese whiskies, the crazy flavors of KitKats in Japan is another fun thing to seek out. Sadly, I didn't find any of the really unusual ones, but this strawberry one was one of four flavors I purchased |
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| I love this photo... so sharp and clean. I found a nice sushi restaurant called Ginzo near my hotel in Tokyo, where I stayed for a couple of nights on the return trip back from the U.S. |
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| Sushi! This was my dinner... 10 different types of sushi and a tuna maki roll |
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| Breakfast at Aman Tokyo, Japanese style. I had a more international-style breakfast the next morning, but wanted at least one very Japanese brekkie to start a day |
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| And yep, I went right back to Ginzo the next day for more sushi... this was all part of their set lunch, which came with the chawan mushi and miso soup. Excellent! |
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| The impressive sky lobby of Aman Tokyo, on the 33rd floor of the Otemachi Tower |
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| The following morning at Aman Tokyo, a more classically European breakfast, I suppose, with Norwegian salmon, a selection of Italian meats, and an excellent French croissant |
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| And a lovely eggs Benedict with frankly a bit too much wilted spinach, but still a nice photo |
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| I snapped this because I was comparing prices for micro SD cards and couldn't remember all these numbers, but it also highlights a very new development in Malaysia: the rollout of GST (goods and services tax), which has caused a whole lot of frustration and hand-wringing |
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| A nice view of the Petronas Twin Towers taken from Nobu restaurant, on the 56th floor of the adjacent Petronas Tower 3; I was there for the official grand opening on May 20, 2015 |
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| And here's Chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa himself, along with Nobu partner Robert De Niro (who has also apparently dabbled in a wee bit of acting here and there) and his wife Grace Hightower (snapped this with my Nikon, not my phone, as the lighting was quite dim) |
