Happenings

Campus Talk

Frontiers is One!

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Applying Science into Our Daily Lives
How do we apply scientific formulas or theories into our daily lives? According to Associate Professor Dr Hon Wei Min, Dean of the Faculty of Applied Sciences at UCSI University,
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happenings

Kuala Lumpur International Dragon Boat Festival

By Edrea Sun Since its inception many hundred years ago, the dragon boat race had traditionally drawn huge crowds in the thousands comprising rowers, supporters, foreign tourists, curious onlookers and locals alike. This time around the festival has come early and was held at the Kepong Metropolitan Lake Garden, the first ever water activity held

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Leisure & Lifestyle

Nocturne:Five Stories of Music and Nightfall

By Khoo Kok Kian Nocturne is derived from the French word, Noctunal and from Latin, Nocturnus. People usually interpret it as a music piece which is inspired by night. A very famous classical music piece by Frederic Chopin was also named based on this word. Kazuo Ishiguro, a prominent author, who is also penned The

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Talk To Us

By Conrad Edmund Bateman Mitch Albom once said that, “The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.” In conjunction with a yearlong celebration of UCSI University’s Silver Jubilee, the


"Light UP Lives Charity"


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1st September, 2010

Of kuih raya, buffets and everything in between

News Article

Yes, Hari Raya is just round the corner and this is when the frenzy of doing Raya shopping overtakes Raya itself. I was in the heart of K.L. just to catch a glimpse of all the craziness that was a ritual with every major celebration in this country.

The roads leading to K.L. were crammed because it was Merdeka and the shopping complexes were not any better. Parking was jam-packed and the lines at the paying counters seem to go on forever. But I guess this is all too a familiar sight, what more with the mega sales conveniently overlapping with the shopping craze!

The cultural show in the midst of the paddy fields

The cultural show in the midst of the paddy fields

What intrigued me most is the ability of the shopping complexes to come up with special themes for the celebrations and also to entice customers to join the merriment with them. Some of them really outdid themselves with the elaborate settings of different schematic ideas.

The one that caught my interest was a kampong set in the middle of a paddy field right smack in the middle of the shopping complex. The surrounding area was set up with attap stalls selling a wide range of cookies, jewelry, dodol, mengkuang baskets and baju raya. You name it, they had it and in elaboration, I might add.

And if it that wasn’t enough, there was also a cultural show that had ten performers in the paddy field setting, in bright attire, singing and dancing to traditional songs. This certainly brought back many fond memories to those who came from these surroundings and also for those that have forgotten their roots.

Energetic performance

Energetic performance

Buffets are also synonymous with Ramadan so hotels and restaurants started promoting way before puasa even kicked off. After the whirlwind of the city, I opted to check out the Ramadan Buffets outside of K.L. Destination – the new Golden Palm Tree Sepang Gold Coast. This five-star eco-friendly sea hotel is located in the new golden triangle of Sepang.

This water villa resort stretches out nearly one kilometer into the sea facing the sheltered waters of the Straits of Malacca. The design combines Polynesian – Maldivian styles with a touch of tropical Malaysian finishing – which blends to a harmonious and typical local identity. So needless to say the view was spectacular!

The Golden Palm Tree in Sepang

The Golden Palm Tree in Sepang

The food was even more outstanding with a range of Malay and Malindo fare. The patrons, close to 200, were spoilt for choice. But what was more interesting was that there was a multiracial combination of clientele that joined in the breaking of fast with us making it a very interesting buka puasa indeed.

And while enjoying the spread, we were entertained live by a group of traditional musicians and their singer that sang more traditional tunes. One does wonder how the month of Ramadan manages to bring out the best in tradition especially music… but this auspicious month has brought back much more than aged music, it has brought a certain degree of serenity in these turbulent times, memories of baking kuih raya with mum, breaking fast in the kampong with family members and everything in between.

Posted by linalatif (Editor-in-chief) on 1st September, 2010

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