Upstairs Family Room

It is time to start thinking about what to do with the living space on the second floor of our house. Malaysian's call this room the "Family Room". The room gets really hot because of the many windows, especially the long windows in the front of the house. These windows slide open, but during the day that usually makes the room hotter because the sun shines right in. Keeping them closed is better because the windows have a light sunblocker material on them. So, even though we have put a York air conditioner and Panasonic ceiling fan in the room, we don't plan to sit in there much during the day.

The room and ceiling hasn't been painted yet and is currently a very pale green tint, we will most likely go with bright white by Nippon. Maybe an accent grey color on the large window wall (not too dark) only.

I have been looking for sofa sets for this room but really can't find anything. I am liking the ads that I am seeing in international magazines that are showing cushions or low-type couches with lots of pillows. Someplace to just lounge around. So I brought up one of the living room cushions and a couple pillows to see if a low cushion formation might work. It seems to work fine and looks good as this room leads to our Home Office. I have taken measurements and am going to go back to Ikea because I saw some long grey cushions that were about the size of twin beds (not that I want more grey, but will take it if it is all they have and then use some kind of bright big pillows to accentuate). I think we will need 4 of these big couch cushions (which are actually longer than the couch cushion I brought from the living room) placing two along the wall under the air conditioner and two under the long window.

I also brought out a large piece of brown laminate that I had to mark the floor path to see if a coffee table in the middle of the room would work or if it would block the traffic pattern into the home office. No, it doesn't but it should be bigger and still it wouldn't be useful really because it is too far from the cushions to set your glass on or use it. Often times in home magazines especially contemporary homes I see these big spaces with two sofas and a coffee table in between them and there is so much space, it seems useless to me. So maybe two very long 8 foot by 18 inch very low coffee tables running in front both sofa cushions might look nice, be something different and actually useable to set books on, your drink, laptop, etc. They could be made out of wood/laminate or maybe glass. From what I can tell, there would still be enough walking space in the center of the room to get to the office. OK it all depends on finding the cushions.

Below are some examples of Mah Jong Sofas by Roche-Bobois which are low cushion seating configurations. Although these have a nice back rest and mine will only have big pillows...

Pertubuhan Penganut Dewa Seremban

In keeping with our goal of trying to visit places in and around Seremban (although this place was not on our list). Today I went to the Chinese Temple just a few blocks from my house. Perched at the top of the hill in the Blossom section of Seremban (off Jalan Tok Ungku) Pertubuhan Penganut Dewa San Kau Tong was being decorated for the Chinese New Year.

The man in the office told me that they will be having celebrations every night between now and the New Year so I will try to get R to come with me at night when they will have dragon and tiger dances!

Property and Land Taxes in Malaysia

If you are wondering what the property and land taxes are related to a house here in Malaysia, they are low compared to the US and many other places.

There are two types of property ownership in Malaysia Leasehold and Freehold. Leasehold is when you lease the land for a period of time often 99 years and then it is renewable [or not] at the end of the lease. The other is Freehold where you own the property outright. We prefer Freehold and were lucky to find a freehold property we like and could afford. For more info on freehold/leasehold check here. By the way, most properties available in KL are leasehold. Foreigners can own either Freehold or Leasehold.

There are two main costs associated with property and land ownership in Malaysia. One is called the Assessment Tax which is a tax generated twice a year by the local Majlis Perbandaran where the property is located. Assessment tax is collected by the local authorities for the 'provision of services to the residents'. The amount and classification of properties varies from state to state and within the state. In most states the amount of the assessment tax a house owner pays is calculated on the annual value of the of the property and the annual value of the property is the total value of rents if the house is rented out in the open market. If this sounds confusing, I agree. If you want more info. you better do some googling.

The other payment is for the Quit Rent (rent is a deceiving word here) which is generated in our case by the Kerajaan Negeri Sembilan Darul Khusus. This is a once a year payment. From what I understand, Quit Rent is a form of land tax collected by the Malaysian State Governments. It is imposed on owners of all land. The amount of the quit rent varies from state to state and even within each state. For more info. check here.

The Mail (POS) is so unreliable, we have not received either bill which were supposed to arrive before or just at the beginning of the year. So yesterday I went to both offices and paid my current bills.

Our bungalow has a Quit Rent cost of 218 RM per year and a Assessment cost of 780 RM total per year. The total costs related to the state in regard to our home per year is 998 RM (about $327 US Dollars). This sure is better than to $4,700 US dollars I was paying in New York (worse the current owner now pays $8,800 US dollars on the same house as it was reassessed)!

Malaysian Paus (or Chinese Steamed Buns)

After my trip to the Egg Store near my house, I was walking towards my car when I noticed there was a shop with their gate partially open so I looked in. There was some kind of food preparation going on, so I asked the guy who came over what they were making. He took the cover off the carton above and showed me. I asked what they were and he told me the white ones are Red Bean and the green ones are Pandan Lotus. I asked him if he would sell me some of the pandan lotus and he said yes, even though this looked more like the bakery than a retail store. I asked him how to cook it and he said to "Steam them over water for 15 minutes".

So I took four Pandan Lotus home and attempted to steam them. I placed them at the bottom of my wok after taking off the white paper at the bottom of the Pandan Lotus. And I added about 1/4 inch of water at the bottom of the wok and turned the heat on then covered it for 15 minutes.

As anyone who has actually steamed these things before knows, my method would prove disastrous. Just wrong. The Pandan Lotus became these gooey mushy messes at the bottom of the wok. I still scraped them out and attempted to eat them, but they were raw-ish. So I got out the package I had in the freezer of Pau Mini Pandan Kaya to check how they should be prepared as I thought they looked to be the same item or similar (as these were frozen, the directions when I used them before was to microwave in plastic wrap which I had did). Well, the package just said to "Steam" them like the guy at the bakery.

So a little research online and I found these Paus can also be considered Chinese Steam Buns. And I found some videos and sites describing how to steam them. For example check here:

http://chowtimes.com/2008/06/14/red-bean-paste-steamed-bun-dao-sar-pau/. Looks like I need to get one of these steamers to heat the Paus. Also, I could use the steamer for vegetables too. By the way, the inside of the Pau I bought at the bakery are Lotus and the package above is Kaya which is coconut based. The inside of both taste really good. I should also look for this Lotus or Kaya Paste which I might be able to use for baking.

Dental work in Malaysia

Dental is usually not covered on your insurance plan here in Malaysia. And in our case it is not, so we have to pay out of pocket.

I just went through the experience of having a ceramic crown put on one of my upper back teeth recently. The experience was like this.... in October we were referred by an expat living in Seremban to go to a certain dentist in Seremban who is known here to be the ‘best’ and also most expensive (don’t want to cut costs here). The two dentist office (a father and son) were schooled overseas. The dentist we went to graduated from a California dental school and is currently a member of the American Dental Association and Calfornia State Licensed Dental Surgeon (many dentists here are trained outside of Malaysia but it is less common for them to continue to hold licenses overseas, I think). The office reception room looked like it was still in the 70s but the work rooms had new equipment and it was extremely clean. R and I went for our teeth cleaning which was 125 RM per person. The job was fine, no pain and, well, good enough. Better than the experiences I had in the middle east. The dentist also took an xray of my bad tooth which cost 85 RM.

We scheduled the tooth work for the beginning of January. So when I went back recently, the dentist took off the existing crown and made an imprint for the new tooth. He put on a temporary tooth which was white on the exposed part and some blue plastic material on the inside and told me the crown would be ready in one week. One day later the blue had fallen out and I was back there to get it replaced; I thought this blue material was very cheap and I felt like I couldn't bite on that side of my mouth for the whole replacement process. The day the crown was ready I went back and he attempted to put it in, but it didn't fit and I noted it was too dark in color as well. So another one had to be made. This took another week during which I had to wear another temporary crown. Anyway, I went back on Tuesday and he put the new crown in and it looks good and feels ok so far. He surprised me and said he was going to guarantee it for one year. The whole procedure cost 1,500 RM for a nice looking white molded ceramic crown.

The Cost of Eggs in Malaysia

I wanted to write a post on the cost of eggs here in Malaysia. So I photographed the egg carton which is the eggs I recently bought at Family Store for 3.80 RM. The eggs cartons here come with 10 not 12 eggs per pack. So I always find myself running short faster because the 10 carton looks almost like a dozen. Then there is the size of Malaysia eggs. In stores like Family Store and Jusco, they all look about the same and run from high 3 RM to nearly 5 RM for the 10. I never bother to look at the package too well and so I missed on the package above for the LH Egg brand that these are medium size eggs. And medium they are. Both R and I have commented in the past on how small the eggs are sometimes. No only for LH Brand but Malaysian Eggs in general.

So I went back to Family Store looking for Large eggs and couldn't find any carton that were marked "Large". Although this Happy Egg brand lists CLASS A on the package so I thought they might be bigger, and they are "lower cholesterol". This is up a step from LH's marketing of "No Harmful Residues"! But the price is higher at 4.20 RM.

First one more stop before I made this post to a storefront within walking distance of my house.... Yoong Sing Trading Shop selling fresh eggs. The guy there was very nice and told me these eggs come from Melacca.

He has them all Graded and the Grade A eggs cost 3.40 RM for 10. So I bought 10 of them.

He also talked me into testing 2 of these white eggs at .50 RM each as he said they are, "The best!" I asked why but he couldn't give me an answer. I asked him if they were chicken eggs and he nodded, but I'm not sure he understood me for sure. Their slightly elongated length makes me wonder if they are some other type of egg. And I wonder, are they costing more because they are white in color? In the states, the brown cost more as white are the common stock. Here, brown are the common eggs. I will have to try them for taste and report back.

Egg on Left from Yoong Sing Trading, Egg in Center Happy Egg, Egg on Right LH Egg

In terms of size though, Yoong Sing Trading' s Grade A Egg above is the largest in size of the three brands and is the lowest price. LH Egg is clearly the loser. I've learned all eggs are not the same around here and going to the specialty store is worth the extra time.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle and an attempt at Sustainable Living in Malaysia

I’m reading Barbara Kingsolver’s 2008 book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life (P.S.) right now about how she and her family left Arizona and moved to their farm in Virginia to try and grow their own foods and buy the remaining items only from local sources. The book reminds me that when we made an offer on this house our plan was to turn the narrow backyard space into a vegetable, herb and fruit garden so that we could grow some of our own foods and to live a somehow sustainable lifestyle in Malaysia for the two of us. While we waited for the sale of the house to go through I read all about Permaculture and read up on Tropical Gardening as best I could; I spent nights laying awake planning out the garden! And in the end, Gardening along with all the environmental green products we wanted to put in the house- wind power, solar energy, recycling, composting have all had to be re-thought/adapted for different reasons.

Well, immediately after moving in, we found out that the back right area of the house, exactly where the vegetable garden was going to go was right above where the sewage pipes flowed out of the house. So that idea was shot down. Yeah we thought maybe we could make planters above ground for the vegetables, but my experience is that vegetables never grow as well in above ground containers... maybe we will revisit this idea in the future because after scoping out the entire property during the landscaping process, we determined that there really is no good place for a vegetable garden on the property (due to our our neighbor’s tanks, sewage lines and our own spectic tank which is in the front corner of the property near the Bamboo plant). The sewage tank was another after-moving-in surprise we thought the house had sewage lines that ran to the main sewage pipes of Seremban town this is what the real estate agents confirmed when we asked. Maybe they didn't understand our question because here bungalows have septic tanks in the ground as there are no city sewage pipelines. The only viable spot for a vegetable garden on our property is in the center of the front yard!!!!

A shot of our backyard. V= where the Vegetables were to be planted near the back door to the Kitchen and all the way to the side of the property, H= where the Herbs were to be planted alongside the Wet Kitchen, F= where the Fruit Trees and plants were to be planted. The Tree to the right is was an existing young Mango Tree.

So we remain gardenless at this point in time. Well, it is OK for a couple reasons, firstly we totally underestimated how hot it can get in the yard and gardening would be an exhausting job. Secondly, there is an abundant supply of vegetables sold at Family Store and the Seremban Wet Market at a very low cost.

I am enjoying Animal, Vegetable, Miracle and there is still a lot to be taken from the book. For example, I’m not really sure where most of the vegetables come from around here. I bet that most of the vegetables in the Wet Market are locally grown and many of the growers even set up inside or outside the wet market. But, I’m not as sure about Family Store and Jusco. I’ve seen USA labeled plums in Family Store and seen US Potatoes in Jusco; I’ve actually bought ‘Red Delicious’ Apples from Jusco which were shipped from Washington State in the US. How do I know, because I tasted the apples and they tasted horrible, like sawdust and I checked where they came from. I’ve tried other red apples here in Seremban only to find that the imported ones are not good (at least the ones coming all the way from the US). I think the apples I eat which are large light redish/yellow in color come from China. But, I should check. I really should be more aware of where these things are coming from. Even before picking up Kingsolver’s book R and I have been trying over the past year to wean ourselves off of the bottled/packaged Western food products that we buy. They cost as much as they do in the US or more making these products account for a good portion of our monthly food cost. The products I am talking about are things like- Heinz Ketchup instead of local ketchup (let’s face it Heinz does taste better, but we can get a bottle of Malaysian ketchup for under 2 RM where Heinz costs over 9 RM for a very small bottle.). The same goes for Western cosmetic products. Some things we still use because there isn’t an adequate substitute, but where we can buy a local product or from Asia we do try.

It seems that Animal, Vegetable, Miracle has its own website here for more information on the book.

Malaysian Patio Furniture

It is an underestimate to say I am dying (me not R) for some Patio Furniture for the house. Even our cat T would love at least something to lounge on out on the patio. But you can see by the photo that the patio remains furniture-less. Since we made an offer on the house I have been looking for the perfect patio set. But there are a couple issues here... Firstly, the patio furniture in Malaysia is expensive... and I’m not sure why when everyone has patios to fill. Secondly, my idea initially was to do some very cushiony comfortable sofa and chairs to lounge in; but the overhang on the roof doesn't go out that far so in bad weather, the rain comes crashing into the space at times all the way over to the sliding glass doors. Therefore, buying cushion furniture that is not at least trying to be outdoor fabric (mold resistant and in a neutral color where dirt wont show up easily) I write 'trying' because brands made here or china might imply they are water resistant, but that doesn't mean they will weather Malaysian storms over time. Some of the options are the plastic type rattan patio furniture like what is offered at Houz Depot which are expensive and I don’t really care for the sets. Houz Depot is like the Home Depot of Malaysia. The company boasts that they are the largest home improvement wholesale hyperstore in Malaysia with 120,000 square feet of shopping space. But, it is no Home Depot (we did get our Rubine Microwave from Houz Depot at a great price, so they do have some things). See a few images of Houz Depot’s Patio Furniture below or check their website here (the prices I pulled from their ad catalog I picked up at the store awhile ago):

HOUZ DEPOT POSHZ Rattan Outdoor Furniture Set GCV802V-4A Regular Price 5,528 RM Sale Price: 3,888 RM

HOUZ DEPOT POSHZ PVC Rattan Outdoor Lying Bed MJ-08SL018 Regular Price 3,868 RM Sale Price: 2,699 RM

HOUZ DEPOT POSHZ PVC Rattan Outdoor Furniture c/w Cushions MJ-08S006 Regular Price 8,498 RM Sale Price: 5,988 RM

But even the cushions on these outside sets we can't be sure are mold resistant.... so I am forced to reconsider the cushion issue unless I can find cushions that I think will at least last a couple years. I have been looking at books of houses especially in Central and South America and see that they use some Rattan and it looks pretty cool. So I think to myself, maybe we can do something special in Rattan that is made locally and has a Malaysian feel that you can't find elsewhere. But the problem with this idea is that most Malaysian Rattan is pretty traditional (in a bad way) and often the furniture does use cushions which are not mold resistant. There is a Rattan place near our house where the guy makes the furniture right on site and there is a chair called a Coil Chair that I thought looked neat and I can't find online outside of Malaysia. This is not a Papasan chair (one of those big round rattan chairs with a cushion that they sell at Pier 1 in the US). This chair doesn't use a cushion.

A photo of the Coil chair, but this isn't a great photo as it makes the chair look like a satellite, from the side the chair is quite stylish

But they seem a bit small, so I asked the guy if he can make 2 bigger coil chairs and he said yes, but he wants a huge price to make them! The smaller Coil Chair I tested is very comfortable without a cushion actually, so here we wouldn't have to deal with the cushion issue. I even like the guy's swing chair and thought maybe we could rig one or two on the side of the patio between our house and the neighbors which would give us more privacy as the swings would do some blocking, but rattan swing chairs are very trendy right now around the world and might be out of fashion before we take our first swing.

The Rattan man told me his price is high because there is a lack of Rattan material right now to make new products. I'm all for re-using and buying a used set if we can find some cool vintage (or older rattan) but I haven’t seen anything just right yet.

If I could get my hands on some of this type of furniture in the photo above which looks similar to the Danish Mid Century Retro furniture, I think these have been made in Malaysia, it would be great. But the price is bound to be high and the furniture will need cushions.

For now, I keep looking...

Birds of Paradise in Orange

Well surprise surprise... we do have orange Birds of Paradise in our front landscaping after all! I posted before that the landscapers put in red and yellow Birds of Paradise which are kind of small in size. Well, this larger orange Bird just bloomed and there is another on the other side of the landscape coming up. I love the orange and the size of these... but they are mixed with the red and yellow flowers. I tend to like repetition in landscaping, not a mish-mash. But, oh well. I guess it makes for some different flowers and after watching over time to see what we have I guess we can always change it.

Malaysian Curry Powder and Tumeric Powder

I don’t usually by Chicken with bones, but I wanted to try Malaysian Curry Chicken which uses this type of chicken, so I bought ½ a chicken (cost 7.84 RM or about $2.55 US Dollars). Yes, the chicken doesn’t look that great does it? Well, much of the chicken even the boneless chicken isn’t the most fantastic stuff. But, well, TIM (This is Malaysia), the cost is low and it tastes ok. The recipe I used for the Malaysian Curry Chicken on www.malaysianfood.net is here. It called for Baba’s Meat Curry Powder (http://www.babas.com.my/index.htm) which is what I had on hand. I bought this packet from a stall in the Seremban Wet Market awhile ago, the woman said it was the most popular Malaysian Curry. The curry powder (forgot to take a photo of it) was almost an orange-ish color more orange than yellow curry and I read online that Malaysian Curry has more Turmeric in it so it makes since because Turmeric is more of this color.

I have a great example of Turmeric that I picked up at Family Store. Reading the label on the package of Santhas it said “Crow Brand Curry Powder” so I thought I was buying a big package of Curry packaged in Seremban! But No, when I came home and searched the words “Serbuk Kunyit” I found out it means Turmeric Powder. So now I have a lifetime supply of Turmeric except that the bag expires in 2011!

Anyway, the Malaysian Curry Chicken first attempt wasn’t good. The recipe called for one cup of oil (lots of oil is used here in Malaysia for wok cooking, etc. so that wasn’t a surprise, and I use ½ cup oil for my fantastic Jamaican Curry recipe). Well, if you look at the Malaysian Curry Chicken recipe I used at the end it says “Turn off heat, skim off excess oil on the surface” and it wasn’t joking, there was tons of oil on the surface, and who really has time to get it off? What a gross mess. Next time, I’ll try this recipe with less oil. I think I should give Baba’s Curry another try at least and try to master this popular Malaysia dish albeit my own version. This post has given me an idea, I should really try and get a better handle on different kinds of CURRY... I should do some research and make a post on it.

House Numbers and Planters

I always see things on CONTEMPORIST. Yesterday their feature Broadway Residences by Stephen Vitalich Architects in Venice, California showed a house with the kind of house numbers I want to put on our house and some dark planters on the Venice House’s roof Garden that would be great for the landscaping... now if I could only find them in Malaysia...

New Year's Eve in Seremban

I stopped by the local Nursery near my house and found these great plants with fruit on them. The person working there said that these are popular for Chinese New Year because the fruits turn orange and it is considered good luck. They just received their shipment in and he said they sell out fast. He said you don't eat the fruit. I was thinking about getting two of these and putting them in front of the two columns under the car park. But decided against them for now because the fruit will go away and we will be left with green only and they were 88 RM each!!! I might change my mind though as they do look so nice.

I have been thinking about planters for the house and how many I will need. I really want black or dark grey but there aren't any in Seremban that have enough sizes. So I will have to go to Selangor where it appears there are many many nurseries selling pots and beautiful plants. Or we should go with the brownish-beige color planters (the bottom pots in the photo above) because there are many sizes in Seremban and they are reasonably priced.

I found a great blog yesterday that features various nurseries in Malaysia (mainly Selangor). The site is called My Green Finder. There is tons of info on nurseries and plants on there.

Sea Coconuts

Whenever I am at the grocery store and see something and I don't know what it is, I try and ask a person... sometimes I don't get any help but most of the time the person will try to explain what the item is and how it is cooked. The other day I was at Family Store and saw a package of "Sea Coconut" in the cooler section between the vegetables and fruits for 5.50 RM for the package. So I asked the Chinese woman next to me how to cook them or eat them. She told me I had to boil them in a pot of water and that they were sweet. So I took the Sea Coconuts with me to give them a try hoping I would find a recipe online.

Later the woman who told me about the sea coconuts found me in the store and handed me this package of Lo Han Kuo and told me to dump the package in the pot with the sea coconuts while I cooked them. So I bought the Lo Han Kuo too.

At home I found a few recipes for Sea Coconuts online all with the same basic recipe... put the items in the pot and boil for 45 minutes (example here). Since I didnt have any dates I added a few raisins hoping that would work.

When it was cooked I realized that R and I had already tried this dessert before when we were at our favorite Chinese restaurant Restoran Oversea in Kuala Lumpur. After our meal one time, the owner brought over this special dish as a gift to us... when we asked what it was he wasn't able to give us the English name. Well, we didn't really like it at Oversea and even though mine tasted nearly the same, we didn't care for it at home either. Far more interesting than the taste of the dessert is the history of Sea Coconuts or Coco de Mer here and the little known Lo Han Kuo sugar substitute (Siraitia grosvenorii) which really is sweet and a nice taste (more info here).

Broccoli in Malaysia

Head of Broccoli from Family Store at 1.86 RM (about 60 cents in US dollars).

Christmas in Malaysia

It’s hard to find a turkey to cook around here and a Christmas ham didn’t appeal, so R and I decided to go out for Christmas. So we looked at our Seremban list and decided Seremban Seafood Village for Crab was just what we were craving.

We went for lunch pretty early so it wasn’t busy. We ordered 1 KG of the Crab, rice and vegetable and some beer. I must say the Crab was excellent, not too salty at all and the sauce.... I’ve never tasted a sauce like that it was tangy but also sweet too, really good. I usually like Alaskan King Crabs better than this kind of crab, but here they were fantastic. I am so glad that this place is in Seremban. Maybe we can make eating crab a new Christmas tradition...

The total bill including one large bottle of Tiger was 74 Rm.

Seremban Seafood Village 3720-3724, Jln Tuanku Munawir, Seremban phone: 06 7641260 / 012 6287661 Seremban Seafood Village is right at the end of Jalan Tuanku Munawir, in between Jalan Lobak and Jalan Veloo.

Strangely the place was predominately Red and Green so it felt vaguely Christmasy.

The crabs are kept in these containers at the back of the restaurant.

Tangerines in Malaysia

The Family Store in Seremban had this big box of small size Tangerines (I think that is what they are?). I've seen boxes like this around Chinese New Year. Inside the box each piece of fruit is wrapped in orange plastic and the fruits are given out in local stores to customers and other places. The box cost 10.90 RM about $3.50 US Dollars.

Home Office Bathroom

Now that the mirror in the mainfloor bathroom is up, I have to start looking for a mirror for the Home Office Bathroom. At first, I wanted a large plain mirror to cover the area, but I am having a hard time finding a company to get it from. I saw a mirror at Ikea in natural wood frame that might work. For now, I keep looking.

This is the light fixture that is above the bathroom vanity. It is pretty ugly and doesn't match the other fixture near the jacuzzi. I should look for another one that would look better, or figure out how to change the yellow color of the glass to beige. I dont really want to have to install another fixture because it means more holes in the wall, and we just don't know where the pipes run in the walls.

Green Peppers in Malaysia

Green Peppers from Family Store. Cost 3.20 RM (just over one US Dollar).

Places to Visit and Eat in Seremban and Negeri Sembilan

Before our guests arrived in October I searched what are considered the best places in Seremban to visit while they were here, well, we didn’t get to many of the sites so my new year’s resolution is going to be for R and I to try and visit at least one of the places or restaurants we haven’t been to on this list each week. The places we have already been are BOLDED. For the other UNBOLDED listings, I have cut and pasted various reviews of the sites/restaurants from other blogs, websites, etc. (they are not my reviews or suggestions but come from others and are to be used as a working list for me of what to see in Seremban and Negeri Sembilan). When we do visit a place, I’ll try to post a bit about it on The Malaysia Project. I didn’t plan to post this list, so I’ve lost some of the original links, but at the bottom of this post, I’ve listed a couple places I remember that were helpful in collating this information. The information in the UNBOLDED listings is not verified yet, so if you plan to visit, I suggest you contact the location before going. Hope this information is helpful!

Seremban Sights:

Teratak Perpatih The State Museum

The State Museum is stunning showcase of Minangkabau architecture. Inside the wooden building are artifacts, old photographs and ceramics. A highlight of the exhibits is a human skeleton dating back to the 14th Century. In the grounds of the building are replicas of megaliths named the Rudder, Sword and Spoon. These megalith stones are commonly found further south in Kempas and are believed to have supernatural powers. Location: Teratak Perpatih is housed in the Cultural Complex at Jalan Sungei Ujung. Just off E2 exit 218 on the main road towards Seremban Town and next to the Specialist Hospital.

Pasar Besar Seremban - Seremban Wet Market

A big market selling fresh vegetables, fresh meats, fresh fish and some fruits (upstairs) by local vendors. The upstairs has food stalls. Fun to visit even if you aren’t buying anything. Location: Seremban town. Jalan Pasar 70200 Seremban. Open morning and night.

Arulmigu Maha Sapthakannika Devi Kovil (this may also be referred to as the Virgin’s Temple?)

This temple is situated on Victoria Hill in Seremban, built over 100 years ago and is one of the few Kaniamman temples in Malaysia. The scenic view of this temple is breathtaking, which is surrounded by flora and fauna. Although the temple does not have an easy access route, it is definitely worth the journey. The seven kanni devi’s are Biramme, Mageswary, Gaumaree, Varaagi, Vyshnavi, Magenthari and Chamundee. Before the temple was built, Victoria hill was a primary source of silica stones and was mined by a Chinese contractor. The contractor primarily used explosives to mine the hill. On one occasion, he repeatedly tried to blast explosives but it failed. Immediately he saw a snake slithering past him. The stunned contractor took a gun and shot the snake. Soon after, the contractor and his workers fell ill. After consulting a spiritual medium, the contractor was informed that he had done injustice by mining on the hill. The sacred hill was the dwelling of Nagamma, who frequented the hill in the form of young snakes and maiden ladies. To repent this injustice, the contractor was instructed by the medium to carry out prayers for Nagamma at Victoria hill. During the prayer, a man got into a trance and started moving like a snake. He slithered across the ground to a particular location. He then advised the contractor to build a temple for Nagamma at that location. Under that mystical command, the Nagamma temple was built. The most important date in this temple is May 1st, when a special pooja is conducted annually. Devotees of Nagamma, fast for three days and carry pots filled with milk from the foothill to the hill top. When the devotees arrive at the temple, the milk is poured onto the seven Kanni Devi’s. Nagamma gives her blessing during this festive occasion, and this has been witnessed by several devotees. Once during this annual festival, the priest of this temple witnessed a beautiful cobra resting beneath a tree near the temple. Astonishingly, the cobra was in seven different colours. As he was stunned by this miraculous incident, the priest called other devotees to witness this mystical event. After receiving the blessings of Nagamma, the priest returned to the temple. He was shocked to see that the seven shades of the cobra was the exact colour of each sari on the seven Kanni Devi’s. Location: Take Seremban exit. Take overpass to Pusat Kualiti Alam until tunnel. After tunnel, u-turn. Take exit to seremban 2, and short distance away, turn left into mud road. Tel: 0196209259 Or other instructions to find this elusive place...take Seremban exit, traffic light turn right into Seremban 2. Traffic light turn right and go another 2km. Temple entrance on left via construction site.

Rumah Minagkabau

This century old Minangkabau house used to be the home to the Datuk Kelana of Sungai Ujong, Tengku Saiyed Ismail Tengku Sayed Abdul Rahman and his wife Kundur Wan Jaebah, in the late 19th century. A unique feature of this house is it was built without a single nail which enabled it to be dismantled and re-assembled again and again. In fact, the house was once dismantled and sent to London where it was later meticulously re-assembled for an exhibition in 1924. A couple of years after the exhibition, it was brought back and reassembled at the official residence of the Mentri Besar before it was moved to the Taman Seni Budaya where it is currently being exhibited. Location: Taman Seni Budaya, Seremban.

Masjid Jamek Mosque Seremban

Built in 1924, this mosque features a two-tiered main roof with upturned roof ridges. Its minaret is pagoda-shaped with the year "1924" inscribed on it. There are five levels symbolising the Five Principles of Islam. The red-tiled roof of the prayer hall is complemented by the same color on its outer walls. Ogee-shaped verandah archways and pillars are white, symbolising purity. The mosque can accommodate up to 1,000 worshippers. Location: Jalan Tun Dr Ismail, Seremban.

Church of the Visitation

This Catholic church sports Gothic architecture and was founded in 1848 by French missionaries who had come to Seremban from Malacca. The present structure was built in 1899 by Antonin Catesson and was expansed in 1935. The church has had a colourful history, having survived bombings during the Japanese occupation. Its lancet entrances are topped with stained glass rosettes and the four corners of the main structure end in pinnacles. There are four other pinnacles at the side tower which is capped by a wind wane. Location: Right in Seremban Town on Jalan Yam Tuan, Seremban.

Then Sze Koon Temple

Commonly referred to as Centipede Temple, it is perched atop a hillock at Ulu Temiang, just outside Seremban. A bell with the inscriptions "1863" which was presented by a devotee attests to its age. Spread over three levels, the temple grounds contain statues of the Goddess of Mercy and other Taoist deities. According to legend, white centipedes were frequently spotted at the hillock before the establishment of the temple. Location: Travel out of town along Jalan Temiang until you see the temples Chinese signboard then turn right.

Sri Balathandayuthapani Temple

Founded in 1895 by Nachappan Chettiar, the Hindu temple is devoted to Lord Thandayuthapani, the infant deity of Hinduism. Featuring granite flooring, its tower gate was sculpted by artisans from Tamil Nadu. Wall niches also house sculptures of deities and figures from Hindu mythology. Inside the temple is the Thangaratham Mandapam Golden Chariot that is used on festive occasions. Location: Jalan Yam Tuan, Seremban, near Parkson Parade Mall. The easiest parking is at the A&W Drive-in Restaurant across the road.

Wisma Negeri

Wisma Negeri is Negeri Sembilan´s state secretariat building. Built in 1987, it houses the machineries of the State government, including the Menteri Besar´s office. Its architecture showcases buffalo-horned roof inspired by a famous legend. The story goes that a group of settlers in Sumatra were about to be attacked by the Javanese. To avoid bloodshed and to decide on the subsequent control of the land, a contest was held between two animals representing each faction. While the Javanese chose a tiger, the Sumatran settlers chose a buffalo. Surprisingly, the buffalo gored the tiger to death. To honor the buffalo, the Sumatrans shaped the roofs of their houses and hats to look like horns. Location: Jalan Datuk Hamzah, Seremban.

Seremban Shopping:

Kompleks Kraf Negeri Sembilan - Seremban Craft Complex

Housed in an eye-catching colonial building with pillars, this is the perfect spot for handicrafts. Take your pick from pandanus-leaf woven products (such as mats, food covers, hats), bamboo crafts, shawls, ceramics pieces like pots, vases and more. The building itself is special as its architectural style depicts Corinthian elements, with dentils on the underside of its tympanum. Location: A branch of Kraftangan Malaysia it is at Jalan Abdul Kadir, Seremban. Open daily from 9am to 6pm.

Chinese Herb Stores

Scattered throughout Seremban. A famous herb store is on the corner in Seremban town (same road as the main CIMB, not far from it) and has burgundy signage. Will try to get the name of the place. I think they also have a second store in the S2 Jusco Mall. This store is expensive, many smaller stores selling more obscure stuff sprinkled through the streets of Seremban and near the Chinese section Temiang.

Seremban 2 Jusco Shopping Mall

Location: S2, Follow signs to S2 and see it on the left after going over the hill.

Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 Shopping Malls

Location: Both in Seremban Town, driving on the main road to Seremban Terminal 1 will come up on your left (look for the buses coming in and out and lots of taxis). Terminal 2 is harder to get you, nearby Terminal 1 there is a road that goes up a steep winding road that takes you up to Terminal 2 which is perched up on a hill.

Parkson Parade Mall

A rather lame mall, Starbucks recently closed here and the McDonalds has the worst service of any McDonalds I think I have ever been in throughout the world, waited over 10 minutes on different occasions for the food. I swear I’ll never go back. But this mall is worth mentioning because the Parskon store has a good houseware section for Seremban and also for the Rejects store located on the third floor of the mall. Rejects sells western brand ‘rejects’ and here you can get towels with slight defects that are being made for the American market at low prices. The quality is better than what you can find at say Jusco. They also have good rugs. Location: Seremban Town across from the Seremban Train Station and near the A&W.

Tesco Seremban 2

A brand new Tesco Extra opened in November 2010 replacing the other Tesco. Location: Right off of E2 Exit 218 follow signs to Seremban 2 and you will see signs for Tesco to turn left. You can almost see the Tesco from E2.

Night Markets

There are a few night markets in town on different nights ask around for locations and nights.

A Drive Away from Seremban:

Sri Menanti Royal Museum

Sri Menanti is the royal state capital located 40 km east of Seremban. The charming town of Sri Menanti houses the Sri Menanti Royal Museum which was built at the turn of the century with only wood – no nails or screws. Incorporating 99 pillars soaring at 65 feet each, the museum is an architectural marvel. Inside, the regalia of the Negeri Sembilan Royal family are stored along with costumes, weapons, bed chambers and documents on the Royal lineage. The current building was constructed between 1902 and 1908 for Tuanku Muhammad Shah, the 7th State Ruler or Yang Di-Pertuan Besar of Negri Sembilan. The Istana served as the official residence of the royal family until 1931, before it was converted to a Royal Museum in 1992. The nearby area is also charming with a small mosque, a Muslim cemetery and the impressive modern blue roof palace, all surrounded by mountains. Location: Drive along the road that leads to Sri Menanti through the forest, past villages of some traditional Negeri Sembilan homes and the Sri Menanti Golf and Country Resort. The palace is located next to the Sri Menanti Resort. Hours Weekdays: Daily: 9.30am - 6pm; Fridays: noon - 2.50pm Weekends & Public Holidays: 9.30am - 6pm Thursdays (From 1pm onwards): Closed.

House of Pendita Za'ba.

This is a Malay house that chronicles the times of Tan Sri Zainal Abidin bin Ahmad, an icon in Malay literature. Za'ba was a man of great intellect and has contributed tremendously in the economic, social and political areas of Malaysian development in his lifetime. Location: Kampung Bukit Kerdas, Batu Kikir, 72120 Jempol, Negeri Sembilan phone: 06-4985193.

Sim Hong Temple

Situated in Jalan Bahau, the temple is an excellent example of traditional Chinese Temple architecture circa 1900. Its dragons of porcelain and beautiful wood carvings on the interiors were imported from China, as was the practice during the time. Location: Jalan Bahau, 72100 Bahau, Negeri Sembilan phone: 06-4811006.

Adat Museum (Rembau Museum of Customs and Traditions)

Learn all about the Minangkabaus who founded the state in this museum in Rembau. The Adat Museum has a collection of cultural artifacts from heirlooms to headgear and charts to musical instruments pertaining to Minangkabau culture. The museum is housed in a two storey museum building, which was previously occupied by the Undang (Chieftain) of Rembau. Today, the museum houses a significant collection of the regalia of the Kings and Undangs, old agreements of the states, genealogical records of the local dignitaries as well as clothes, souvenirs, illustrations and photos. Location: Located at Jalan Kampung Rendah. The museum is open Monday through Saturday from 9am to 12pm and 2pm to 4pm.

Jeram Toi

Recreational Park is a 40 minute drive away from Seremban. Jeram Toi is a small waterfall which is visited by more locals rather than tourists. It seems to have been overshadowed by the famed Ulu Bendul waterfalls located on the way to Kuala Pilah. This waterfall has 7 flights of falls and was founded by the British during the colonial times. For Picnics, Swimming, Trekking, Camping. Location: On the way to Kuala Klawang. Accessible via the main road to Kuala Klawang. 71600 Kuala Klawang, Negeri Sembilan phone: 06-7659911.

Lata Kijang Waterfalls

Lata Kijang is nestled within the Kenaboi Forest Reserve in Jelebu and is one of the highest single drop waterfalls in Malaysia. To reach Lata Kijang, visitors will not have it easy - they need to traverse a rugged terrain with Orang Asli (aboriginal) settlements, a plethora of wild plants, and finally, visitors will be rewarded with the breathtaking scenery of the waterfall. Adrenaline junkies can also find their thrills atop Gunung Antu Besar, the highest peak in Negeri Sembilan that is situated within this forest reserve. The forest reserve also comes equipped with arrangements for overnight trips, camping or homestays. Location: No. 33, Kg Chennah, Titi Jelebu, 71650 Jelebu, Negeri Sembilan phone: 06-7635388.

Ulu Bendul

Recreational Park located around 16km from Seremban at the foot of Bukit Angsi. The park is one of the six recreational parks in Negeri Sembilan developed for ecotourism purposes. The base of the area is rather developed (cabins, watch towers, hanging bridge, ponds, bathing pool, etc.) but nature remains the definite attraction. The walk along the river is easy while the climb up Bukit Angsi at 825m (4 hour hike up) should prove slightly more challenging. Location: on the Kuala Pilah Sri Menanti route, Take a bus to Kuala Pilah and get off 20km before the town (R1.2, 30mn). The last bus back should leave Kuala Pilah at 18:30. Admission: free.

Gading Rapids (Jeram Gading)

Situated 23km from Kuala Klawang, Jeram Gading is in the Kenaboi district. Driving here, you will pass roads lined with shrubs, most of them fruit trees and orchards belonging to villagers. It is believed that the name originated from the existence of the many elephants in the area – ‘gading’ meaning tusk. The main attraction of Jeram Gading is the waterfall, cascading sheets of water flowing through trees and boulders sending before disappearing into calmer waters. Although the area is not suitable for kayaking, it is an ideal spot for family picnics. Location: For more information, contact the Negeri Sembilan Tourist Information Centre phone: 606 672 2726.

Rembau Crystal The Negeri Sembilan Institute has set up a special site in Rembau District, the largest crystal village complex in Malaysia. The Rembau Crystal Village is also a training complex, manufacturer and exhibition site. The structure of the Rembau Crystal gallery is also a unique insight into the Malay Minangkabau architectural heritage. The crystal village is also a venue for local youths to learn the craft of crystal making, as well as the opportunity to sell their handicrafts. Location: Rembau Crystal Sdn. Bhd. Lot 1432, Kompleks Perkampungan Kristal, Jalan Kampung Mulia, 71300 Rembau, Negeri Sembilan. phone: 06-6853100 / 6855100. From Seremban, drivers can use the road from Rahang to Senawang, and proceeding to Rembau. The distance is estimated at 27 km. Rembau Crystal operates from 9 am to 5 pm (Monday - Friday) and 9 am to 4 pm (Saturday - Sunday).

Seremban Food:

Kedai Makanan dan Minuman Kawan

Famous for Pak Cham Kai (steamed chicken) and Chicken Porridge and Chee Cap (pig's offal) Porridge / Pork Porridge. Location: From Temiang's KFC go straight and turn right at the first junction. Then at a second junction, turn right again. You should see a Chinese temple on your right and this restaurant is located on your left just 10 meters away from the Chinese temple. It is a corner lot shop. Opens at 6.30pm on weekdays and 6.00pm on weekends and is packed right away.

Restoran Chai Hong

Known for their Chicken and Rice dish. Location: G 50 Jln Kapitan Tam Yeong 70000 Seremban, phone: 606-7624357.

Yee Kee Seremban Beef Noodles

Famous shop selling their signature dish Seremban Beef Noodles. Yee Kee is the originator of this dish that started way back before the Japanese occupation. This is the same company selling beef noodles on the second floor of the Seremban Wet Market, but here it is a sit down restaurant in one of the old pre-war shop houses in Seremban. Location: Across the street from the main Public Bank Branch in Seremban town. The restaurant is open 8am till 8pm everyday except Monday.

Top Curry House

Considered the best Southern Indian restaurant in Seremban known for its Banana Leaf Rice.Location: No 152, Jalan Dato Bandar Tunggal, 70000, Seremban, phone: 06-76722294. Same road with Hotel Milo, turn right after you pass by Seng Heng Electrical shop. Open everyday serving both lunch and dinner best selection early as things sell out.

Curry Leave Restaurant

Indian cuisine restaurant selling the banana leaf rice. After one visit to Top Curry and Curry Leave each, I would say Top Curry is better. Location: on Jalan Rasah near the shell gas station.

Restaurant May Sik

This restaurant serves fresh seafood and local Chinese cuisine. There are some aquariums with live fish and crabs. For those who love buffalo wings, a different version are served here - the ‘Guiness’ wings. Wings are marinated in ‘Guiness’. Location: Rasah Jaya, Seremban.

Thai Restaurant (Tom Yam Sign)

Known for Tom Yam and steamed fish, the orange juice drinks are nice too. Location: Rasah Jaya near Rasah Jaya Food Court.

Thai Restaurant Seremban

Location: near the Blossom Food Court on Jalan Tok Ungku.

Restoran S & K Anjung Corner

For Malay fare having been in business for over 40 years, it is one of the most famous caterers in Seremban. This outlet serves up a wide array of Minangkabau dishes, sufficient to fulfil your cravings for good old Negeri Sembilan food. Expect to find the delectable Masak Lemak Cili Api, Gulai Kuning, Sambal Tempoyak and many more. Location: No. 14, Jalan Dr. Krishnan, 70000 Seremban.

Restoran Yin Huat

Affordable and delicious Chinese fare. For starters, the fried oysters with eggs come with much bigger oysters than those found in other eating establishments. The yam basket is also deliciously filled with diced chicken and mushrooms, while the tofu egg is a favorite among patrons due to the meat and fried prawns sauce topping. Location: No 23, Jalan Bidara 16, Taman Bidara, 70100 Seremban, Negeri Sembilan phone: 06-7678955.

Seremban Village Seafood

Seremban Seafood Village’s signature dish the baked crabs Siew Hai. People come from all over the country for this. Though quite pricey (RM45.00 or more for 1 kg of crabs), Seremban siew hai is undoubtedly very delicious! It is baked with sweet, salty sauce that sticks like syrup on the crabs' shell. However, the natural sweetness is not overpowered by it. Depending on the season, crabs served may be big/small, fat/thin. The crabs are served with a homemade chili dipping sauce. Location: 3720-3724, Jln Tuanku Munawir, Seremban phone: 06 7641260 / 012 6287661 Seremban Seafood Village is right at the end of Jalan Tuanku Munawir, in between Jalan Lobak and Jalan Veloo.

Restoran Min Kok

Known for their Dim Sum. Location: Near the end of Terminal 2 by the free parking, Restoran Min Kok Sdn. Bhd. Min Kok Dim Sum Sdn. Bhd. No 7645, Lot 5990, Jalan Labu Lama, (Terminal 2), 70200 Seremban, phone: 06-7618458, 06-7619717. Watch out Sundays are packed. Opening hours 7 days a week: Dim Sum 7.30 am - 2.30 pm Restaurant12.00 pm - 2.30 pm 5.30 pm - 10.30 pm.

Restoran Yi Poh

The restaurant is famous in Seremban for its lou shi fun. It is crowded at breakfast and lunch, particularly during weekends and public holidays. The shop takes up 2 shop lots and is rather airy but no air conditioning. The restaurant is noted for its lou shi fun, a kind of Chinese noodles... It also serves keow teow and bee hoon... The dish comes with minced pork and some barbeque pork... There are also various kinds of fish balls, pork balls, chicken balls, shui kow and more. Location: 26 Jalan Seng Meng Lee, Seremban, the restaurant is located in the Temiang area in the southern part of Seremban town... Turn in at the KFC restaurant along the Seremban-Kajang road and follow the road to the end where you will see the red signboard of the restaurant.

HAKKA MEE

Hakka Mee (a bowl of noodles with minced meat) is not easy to cook. The taste is original and not easy to mimic. There are two particularly good stalls run by brothers in Seremban. Locations: The first outlet located on the 2nd floor of the food court in Pasar Besar Seremban (Seremban Wet Market). The 2nd outlet is just opposite Seremban's Yellow Bus Stand.

Restoran Wing Heong

Chinese Restaurant. Location: 2018, Taman Bukit Blossom, Jalan Tok Ungku, Seremban, phone: 06-6325852.

Restoran Asia

Many people rate the Laksa the best in Seremban. The specialty is its laksa you can have the laksa with curry chicken, cockles or barbeque meat. Its curry gravy is thick with not too much satan... Besides laksa, it serves noodle in clear soup as well, which is equally good. Location: The shop is located along Taman Loop Road... If you enter Seremban from E2 Expressway (exit 219 Port Dickson Interchange) turn right at the traffic light after the toll plaza.... and left immediately after the traffic light... Go straight for about 2km... just past the POS Station (left side of road) on the right side of the road you will see the restaurant just before you come to the end of Taman Loop (where you are forced to turn right or left).

Restoran Laska Seremban

This air-conditioned restaurant serves Curry Laksa. The ingredients of the standard dish (RM12 per bowl) are clams, fishball, chicken slices, cockles, tau pock (fried hollow beancurd) and prawns. A unique sprinkle of grounded roasted nuts completes it. Specialized dishes include clam laksa, prawn laksa, clam and prawn laksa, seafood laksa, sotong sambal laksa and prawn sambal laksa. Location: The restaurant is at No 97, Jalan Toman 5, Kemayan Square, Seremban. After exiting the North-South Expressway (E2) at the Seremban toll plaza, turn left to "Pusat Bandar". Keep to the right lane. After 200 meters, turn right to Kemayan Square as indicated by a signboard.

Haji Shariff’s Cendol

For the best cendol in Seremban, check out this corner restaurant on Jalan Yam Tuan. Varieties include cendol with jagung manis, kacang merah, kacang tanah, tapai, cincau, pulut, jagung or ABC. Served in aluminum bowls, they are excellent thirst-quenchers. Both pasembor and mee rebus are also available. Location: No 44, Jalan Yam Tuan, Seremban.

Seremban Siew Pau

Seremban Siew Pau (baked dumplings) is famous throughout the country. A baked version of the steamed bun, it has a crispy exterior but fluffy fillings and is golden brown. Of course, there are countless imitations of the original fare but none has excelled in terms of taste. Locations: You can get them at Empayar Seremban Siew Pow, LG 1-57, Tingkat Bawah, Tanah Pasar Besar Negeri Sembilan, Jalan Besar TBK 4 Taman Bukit Kepayang, Asian Confectionary, No 368, Jalan Seng Meng Lee and at Kee Mei Siew Pau, 1849, Jalan Tok Ungku. Personally the best I’ve had are closest to my house the Kee Mei Siew Pau on Jalan Tok Ungku it is this company’s ‘head office’ and it is where the goods are baked so you get them freshest right there. They also have cakes, rolls, egg tarts/green tea tarts and other bakery goods. They make a Curry Siew Pau which I haven’t seen anywhere else and it is fantastic!

Kensington

For Western Fare. A favorite of local Expats when they crave a good and reasonably priced steak. Locations: There are two Oakland area (near Tesco in S2) strip mall by the Getha Shop or a newer restaurant at Terminal 2/or Era Square(?).

I will leave the areas of Port Dickson and Nilai for separate posts.

Some of the content above came from a helpful article written by Elizabeth Leong for the New Straits Times (July, 2010) viewable here. Also William Choo from Seremban’s blog Spot lights(zzz) on me! was very helpful for the restaurant section.

Mowing Cow Grass

It was time to mow the grass again. During most of the year, the Malaysia Cow Grass supposedly only needs to be mowed once a month. But we are in the rainy season now, and it needed to be mowed after 3 weeks. I've seen that the majority of the time weedwackers are used to cut cow grass instead of push mowers. I'm not sure if it works better, or that many of the gardeners just use the weedwackers because they are easier. We have also seen that the upkeep of goverment land (like along the road sides) is done with numerous workers using weedwackers. So our garderner V uses a weedwacker and he cuts the grass for 30 RM which is about $10 US dollars.