The Digital Awakening » 1 Utama

An European Christmas At 1 Utama 2010

Peter Tan — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 15:27:12 +0000

1 Utama Shopping Centre really outdid itself for the Christmas celebration this year. The LG Oval was turned into a small Europen village replete with life-size houses and shops offering goodies, gifts and deco for the festive season. There was an abundance of potted Poinsettias. Christmas trees gaily decorated with big shiny baubles, ribbons, gift boxes and sparkly fairy lights. There was an air of anticipation and happiness with shoppers busy posing and clicking away on their cameras while others were busy looking for bargains at the shops. The gaiety really got me into the Christmas mood as well.

An European village Christmas atmosphere at 1 Utama Shopping Centre.

Shops chockfull of Christmas gifts and deco at LG Oval 1 Utama Shopping Centre.

Shops with delicious Christmas goodies at LG Oval 1 Utama Shopping Centre.

Hari Raya At 1 Utama 2010

Peter Tan — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 10:07:59 +0000

Scarecrow in padi field at 1 Utama in conjunction with Ramadan and Aidil Fitri.

When it comes to décor for the major festivals in Malaysia, shopping malls usually go all out to deck their premises to the fullest to attract shoppers. It has become a tradition for most of the major malls to recreate a rustic atmosphere reminiscent of days gone by.

Padi field showcasing 4 stages of rice cultivation.

Wuan and I always look forward to the festive seasons at 1 Utama Shopping Centre with its no-expense spared décor. When we went there last weekend, we were not disappointed. The Oval was teeming with shoppers snapping away at the Ramadan and Aidil Fitri decorations.

Bubu – traditional fish trap made from bamboo.

The area was transformed into a rustic scene resplendent with thatched roofed kampung huts offering a variety of traditional cookies and handicrafts. The centrepiece showcased the four stages of rice cultivation replete with live padi plants flourishing in a muddy field.

The Secret Garden of 1 Utama After The Rain

Peter Tan — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 11:47:21 +0000

Lily magnolia bud at the Secret Garden of 1 Utama

Last weekend, we got into the Secret Garden of 1 Utama just after it stopped raining. The plants and everything else were dripping wet. As we squeezed through narrow pathways, any light brush against the leaves would send a cascade of water droplets onto us. It was not that good an idea to be poking around the garden after all.

It has been seven months since we were there last. Nothing much has changed. Not many plants were in full bloom. Nevertheless, we were pleased to discover that one of the lily magnolia trees was flowering. A number of buds were about to unfurl their petals, too. The water droplets hugging on to the satiny deep red buds and the leaves made such an interesting subject for our cameras.

That must have been our briefest visit to the Secret Garden. We only spent about 40 minutes wandering among the greenery. I guess we will not be going there again any time soon, not at least until the weather turns hot and dry. That is the time when the flowers will start to bloom again.

Door Knob Turner For My Weak Grip

Peter Tan — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 06:58:51 +0000

Turning a round door knob can be an impossible task for people with weak hand grip. That was how I got trapped twice in the same accessible toilet at the Penang International Airport a few years ago. Since then, I have a phobia of using toilets with such knobs affixed to the door.

Most of the doors in the house have round knobs, too. I should replace all the knobs with levers but never got around to doing it. That was why the bedroom doors were seldom closed. I was afraid I could not turn the knob to open them.

Door knob extender for people with weak hand grip.

The other solution, short of replacing the knob, is to install adaptive devices called the door knob extender or door knob turner to the knob. These devices make it convenient for people with weak grips to turn the knob by way of a lever. They are difficult to find in Malaysia. A lot of online stores carry such items but they are rather expensive.

A few weeks ago, while I was browsing at the newly-opened Daiso at 1 Utama, I found a door knob extender for RM5 only. All items at Daiso are priced at RM5. What I like about this extender is that it is easy to attach and remove. All that is need to slot it into a knob and turn. My only gripe is that the lever is rather flimsy as it is hollow.

Door knob turner for people with weak hand grip.

When I went to Daiso again, they had run out of that particular device but had another that was smaller. I bought one to see if I could actually use it because it looked a tad too small for a comfortable grip. After attaching it to the door, I found that it has a more solid feel to it and provided a better grip despite its size. This one is going into my wheelchair bag for those accessible public toilets that still use the round door knobs.

Meeting Eleanor

Peter Tan — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 10:28:42 +0000

Peter Tan, Wuan, Christine Lee, Dr. Kenji Kuno and Eleanor Lisney.

Eleanor and I met online through our respective blogs. She is a disability consultant based in Coventry, United Kingdom. We have been talking about meeting up for the longest time. The planning to come back here took a while. The infrastructure in Malaysia simply cannot provide her the mobility and independence like those in the UK.

Anyway, we got together last Saturday with Wuan, Christine and Kenji at One World Hotel where we spent a good four hours sharing information and experiences regarding disability issues. We were enlightened on the support and services provided for disabled people in the UK. Thanks Eleanor, for your time and the lovely afternoon tea at the hotel lounge. Here is wishing you a safe journey back.