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in Berlin, Berlin Shopping, Berlin What to Do, Expat Life

VIDEO: The Making of KPM Berlin Porcelain

Germany is known for many things. It is, after all, the home of high-quality products and big industries. People visiting the country or even living here as expats/diplomats often find themselves shopping and bringing home locally-made items that could last them for generations. Functional souvenirs, if you will. I was never one for keychains or magnets as they usually become clutter and accumulate dust. Beautiful, functional, and timeless pieces are a much better choice for some serious return of investment (ROI). For this, I often recommend pieces from Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur Berlin (KPM Berlin).

It’s true that porcelain costs way more than your average ‘I Love Berlin’ shirt. However, it’s a true work of art that you can actually use and can last lifetimes.

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in Expat Life, Manila

Authentic Filipino Crafts, Souvenirs, and Fashion at The Manila Collectible Co.

The Manila Collectible Co., TMCC, Philippines, Filipino, Souvenirs, Art, Craft, Clothes, Tribal, T’nalak, Abel Iloco, Traditional Filipino Clothes, Manila, Ifugao, Filipino Tribes, Collectibles

My husband and I are crazy about “Filipinizing” our home. While at post, diplomats are expected to entertain – to have guests of different nationalities (other diplomats, businessmen, etc.) over for socialising – which usually means talking shop over food and drinks. 😉 Those opportunities are a great way to showcase our culture and what we have back home.

The Manila Collectible Co., TMCC, Philippines, Filipino, Souvenirs, Art, Craft, Clothes, Tribal, T’nalak, Abel Iloco, Traditional Filipino Clothes, Manila, Ifugao, Filipino Tribes, Collectibles

So during my last trip to Manila, I bought some traditional Filipino accessories and clothes that I can wear to different events. It is often hard to convince people at diplomatic events that I’m actually Filipino because of how I look. My husband’s looks don’t really help either as people often think he’s Chinese/Japanese/Korean.

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in Expat Life, KL What to Do

Creative juice: Batik painting lessons

As mentioned in the previous post, it’s basically hard to get bored in KL. I guess that’s why a lot of expats choose to move to this city or other neighbouring ASEAN capitals due to vast amount of things you can do, places you can explore, and new things you can try out. A couple of weeks back, I went with a couple of ladies that I met at the International Women’s Association here in KL to a Batik Painting lesson.

I’ve always loved painting and doing something creative with my hands so when they told me about this activity, I knew I just had to go. So at around 9:30 in the morning, I found myself walking to Kompleks Kraft (KLCC) which was a mere 10 minute walk from our condo. Yay!

It’s quite easy to spot along Jalan Conlay as it’s right next to the pretty Royale Chulan Hotel.

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in Expat Life, KL What to Do, KL Where to Go

KL Adventures: History in the heart of the City

Ah, so touristy of us! But you see, here’s my travel philosophy: Do the touristy stuff first, then do what locals do. Don’t you dare leave the country without doing both or else, the experience would be somehow half-baked. You see, I believe that touristy places are ‘touristy’ for a reason. (Read: When I say touristy, I don’t mean tourist traps!) They’re popular because they’re worth a visit. I’m a sucker for museums, national parks, and monuments as they are great places to learn more about the country’s history and people.

So – for my husband and I’s first free weekend here in KL, we went to Merdeka Square, the KL City Gallery, and the Central Market. Along the way, we were able to pass by beautiful vintage architecture as well as Masjid Jamek (This was around 3 weekends ago so I’m kinda late in posting this! So sorry about that – been rather busy). I haven’t been to Malaysia before and though my husband has been here a couple of times, he has never set foot in most of Malaysia’s historically important places. IMHO, going to KL just for shopping and not really appreciating the place is a complete waste of time and funds. The city is so rich with culture and diversity – it’s a must to get out there to learn and experience everything first hand!

Well, the husband does admit that his travels prior to meeting me were complete brouhahas and now, getting to visit new (and even old places) are more fun cos he now has better company. We’re cheesy like that. 😉

Where was I? Ah, our little field trip right smack in the middle of the city. We left the house at around 11 in the morning. The sun rises and sets pretty late here in KL this time of year so it wasn’t that hot yet but I still opted to bring a water bottle and stash it in my bag as we will be gone the whole day and I knew there will be lots of walking involved so I dressed for comfort.

We live within the City Centre otherwise known as KLCC and it’s pretty easy to get to our destination via the LRT (Kelana Jaya Line). For tourists, this is also the best way to get around the capital as traffic here can be pretty heavy. The best station to get off from is Masjid Jamek which is only 3 stations away from KLCC and 2 from KL Sentral (where a lot of the hotels are). The train ride costs RM1.60 (Php21.91, US0.50, EUR0.37) per person, one way. It’s a bit of a walk from the station to Merdeka Square which is our major destination but it’s the farthest thing from boring.

One of the fist things you will see after getting off the station is Masjid Jamek (Jamek Mosque) which is also known as the Friday Mosque. Yes, the train station is named after it so it’s easy enough to remember! 🙂

Masjid Jamek. One of capital’s oldest Mosques.

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