The Great Heritage Project: Let's Get To It!

Every time I travel to other parts of the country, I usually rant about the same thing (actually, even to downtown KL): How our old, pre-war buildings are not well taken care of. 

These buildings are historically and culturally important and should be preserved and appreciated. But usually, you'll see them rotting away OR refurbished to look gaudy and unappealing. 

Recently, we took the trunk road from Tanjung Malim to Ipoh and we got to see all the towns in between, each with their own identity, their own set of beautiful old buildings. Happy to see that some have been maintained well, but others left much to be desired. 

Pls refer to pictures attached.

I know that most of these buildings are privately owned and not protected by the relevant laws, but speaking as a lay person, would love to see this become the priority of local governments. There should be more engagement with the owners too, and a masterplan to get everyone's buy-in, even the rakyat. (Do let me know if this is all being done.)

But yes, I am happy and encouraged to see this initiative by DBKL and CGB Consultants in KL! (Refer to pics below). 

Let’s also widen the scope so budgets could be allocated for even non-heritage sites. 

Come on, let's get this done folks!

My 7 Favourite Skyscrapers

I'm not a fan of heights, but I AM a fan of super structures and skyscrapers. And in conjunction with The Rock's latest film, here's the list of my favourite skyscrapers (that I've been to):


The Empire State Building, New York
Spent a few hours in New York City back in 2000, and this was the first thing I did after getting off the Greyhound bus. Didn't have much time, so I just admired it from the ground and asked some random mat salleh to snap my pic (fanny pack and all, haha).

Taipei IOI, Taipei
It was a rainy afternoon when I arrived in Taipei that day in 2003, but I was in awe when I first saw the building from inside the cab. It was near the hotel where I stayed , so took the chance to get up close and personal as well. I remember a similar shopping mall to KLCC there but not much more.

Eiffel Tower, Paris
My first visit was in 2010, but it was more memorable when I brought along the fam a year later. We stayed near the Gare du Nord and took the City Sightseeing Bus. I remember the bus taking a turn somewhere, and voila! - the Eiffel Tower was in our sights. Waaaahhh, was pretty much how we reacted : )

The Shard, London
There was a (short) period of time in my life when I would open the window every morning, and I could see this 72-storey magnificent structure.

Eureka Skydeck, Melbourne
Went up the 300-m Eureka Skydeck back in 2012. A great way to see most of Melbourne, definitely.

The Petronas Twin Towers, Kuala Lumpur
Yes, of course. Even after all these years, you still can't get your eyes off it. Especially when it's all lit up at night. Sayangi Malaysiaku!

Burj Khalifa, Dubai
Ah, the tallest building in the world! And we went right up to the 124th floor this past January. It's really an awesome experience! You get a cool guided tour on the ground floor, and it actually takes only ONE MINUTE on the super-fast elevator to get to the top! And what a view from there! Totally worth the experience : )