A Swede family in KL, the Cedhagen...

In life nothing stays the same, you may plan but what would actually happen none of us could tell and folk that is what made living so very wonderful. I love excitement for it adds color to my life and the life of my loved one. It is sort of the story of my life and I am enjoying it. The journey of life is like that and like the dialog in the 94 movie 'Forest Gump'. "Life is like a box of chocolate, you never know what you going to get next". That is what made living so interesting for it is the unknown that made it sort of a mystery. This posting is about what happen last week that add color to our lives.

The story is like this. Out of the blue I received an email from a stranger Tomas Cedhagen saying that he and his family would be arriving in KL on March 20, 2009; Zaharan his long time buddy of 33 years had introduce me to him, saying that he was hoping of meeting me here in KL. I replied that I would love to meet him and the family. And on Sunday March 22, while I was enjoying myself at the Pekan Sari [Sunday Market] at Temerloh and lost in the midst of the disorganized market I received a call on my cell phone and it was from Tomas, saying that he had arrived in KL and already having a great time visiting places of interest in and around KL. They would be going to Taman Negara [the National Park] in Jerantut the next day. After that would leave for the east coast. With that I wish that they would enjoy their stay here and that trip to the east coast. Back home that evening I email him telling him that he did make a good choice to visit the east coast and that to call me when he is back in KL.

Some time in the early morning of Monday April 6 I received a call on my cell phone and it was from Tomas. He says that they are now back in KL and now staying at a hotel in Bukit Bintang. I told him that my spouse and I would meet them and since I have not met him and his family before, told him that we would meet at the 'Loaf' at the Pavilion shopping complex not that far from the hotel he was staying, at 3:00PM that afternoon. That folks is how the drama of the week begins.

I choose the 'Loaf' cafe since it is easily spotted from outside as well as from inside, moreover it is a local franchise that is well known now. A one of its kind at the Pavilion. So at just past 3:00PM on that lovely Monday afternoon I met them sitting at the foyer of the cafe. We introduce ourselves and then sat to have some refreshment at a table inside. When we got our coffee and other drinks as well as some pastry we sat to chat and it was really nice to see their two young kids so active and lively. Lena first words were that it good to get some taste of home again referring to the pastry of the cakes, the buns and the cookies that we had ordered. It was her first visit to Malaysia and I am glad that she love been in this country of contrast, the developed and the undeveloped parts of the country. So here we are Stranger No More enjoying an afternoon over coffee and pastry in the luxurious cafe at the Pavilion. This joint do made great coffee and pastry, a one of a kind bakery. Because there are so many varieties of pastry it was just difficult to pick the one you like since all look tempting and delicious. Despite that the two kids had to fight over a cookie, the last piece on the display plate. Both wanted the same one and soon they fought for that only piece. So like all moms do, mom had to step in to stop the fight over that piece of cookies by dividing it into two. Kids are kids, indeed it was fun to watch the growing up process of one of our species. We chat over that great coffee and they told us that they truly had a great time in Kelantan where Zawi took care of them and in Terengganu where they live for a week on that enchanting Perhentian Island on the China Sea. And of course while there they met Zaharan, Tomas buddy of 33 years.

The next day I pick them up at the hotel at just past 9:00AM and took them to see Putrajaya by way of the new highway from the Kampong Pandan roundabout and it was indeed a beautiful ride on a cool Tuesday morning. The scenes on both side of the new highway were spectacular that of an urban jungle setting of various kind of dwelling intermingles by greens here and there. This is the first time I had ever driven on this highway and I did enjoy driving and watching those picturesque scenes passes by. In just about half an hour we arrived in Putrajaya, the new capital city of Malaysia. After sightseeing for two hours there we drove back to KL and this is where the fun/excitements begin.

Actually I could not get onto the same road back and went on to a trip to nowhere trying my way to get us back to the city. The road signage was not that good and that made it difficult to find the road that we took on the way here. I drove on and just follow the sign and still did not reach the city proper in good time. It was just a crazy drive on the highway although the places that we pass look familiar to me. At this age my memory of places are not that sharp as before, moreover my spouse Asmah was not in the car to act as navigator as she usually does. So it really takes time to recall. I drove on and eventually found ourselves near the Ikea of Kuala Lumpur. Since I am used to the road here I was happy that at last we are somewhere in the city. But unfortunately I missed the Pencala Link, a new bypass which is a new road back to the city and had to drive on and eventually we emerged at Batu Cave. That mean we have been driving around the city from south to the north and south again. By that my guests the Swede got a good look at the city of Kuala Lumpur from all angles. In a way getting lost was sort of a good thing but then we loose time getting back to the city. Indeed it was a trip to nowhere for the Cedhagen. Personally I hope that they enjoy the trip to Putrajaya and back. I then left them to be on their own visiting the Museum Negara and the other parts of the city.

At 4:00PM we met again at the KLCC for another round of shopping. This time with my spouse who too love shopping. We end the day enjoying a sumptuous dinner at a Japanese Restaurant in the Pavilion. The image here shows how the Cedhagen kids were enjoying the Sushi. The next two days they were on their own, sort of a free and easy tour. They left for home on the evening of April 9, 2009. Before they left they SMS me saying that they did enjoy their visit to Malaysia and would come again in the future.


And this folks is a caricature of Ingrid, the gorgeous girl of the family. The handsome boy Carl is seen here with his new toy, a gift of the latest digital camera which his parent got at the Pavilion the night before. The caricature was done at a shopping stall in Putrajaya. The boy did not want a caricature of himself. So now only Ingrid has a piece of an original for herself. To me caricature is a work of art and is priceless.

Zawi takes on their visit to Kelantan is here and Zaharan's here.

So folks, that is an interesting episode of my life eh!!. Enjoy! and do have a nice day as well.