Travelfish correspondent Pat Fama

Pat is a freelance writer and journalist based Kuala Lumpur.
Website: http://we-write-stuff.com

Posts by Pat Fama:

• The strange case of the suburban Kuala Lumpur pub crawl

  First published: 27 Oct 2011
  

  When is a pub not a pub? This may seem like an odd question, but in Malaysia, what you call a drinking establishment can have a big impact on how it is treated by licensing authorities. Call somewhere a restoran dan pub (restaurant and pub), and you can be open to the world, with outside … read the full post

• The River of Life: bringing Kuala Lumpur’s waterways back from the dead

  First published: 25 Oct 2011
  

  It is somewhat hard to appreciate now, but when Kuala Lumpur started life, it was a frontier settlement, deep in the jungle. Of the original 87 miners who landed at the confluence of the Klang and Gombak rivers in 1857, more than two-thirds died within the first year, principally of malaria. But the fortunes that … read the full post

• Happy birthday to No Black Tie, a Kuala Lumpur musical institution

  First published: 19 Oct 2011
  

  Kuala Lumpur is such a young city in world terms that the whole idea of longevity has to be thought of differently. A 100-year-old building in London, Paris or Rome, would barely raise an eyebrow, while it would be considered ancient in KL. It might not sound like a big deal that a live music … read the full post

• The Hindu festival of Deepavali (Diwali) in Kuala Lumpur

  First published: 18 Oct 2011
  

  Well over a thousand years before Islam first came to what is now Malaysia, Hinduism was a well established belief system in the peninsula. Even more than Buddhism, that other great Indian religious export, Hinduism influenced all aspects of life, from marriage ceremonies to concepts of divine kingship. The founding of the Malacca Sultanate at … read the full post

• Langkawi Live: A new music festival with more than a hint of green

  First published: 13 Oct 2011
  

  The Malaysian government’s announcement last week of a 420 million ringgit plan to boost tourism in Langkawi sent a huge shiver down my spine. The last thing this beautiful island needs is more visitors; most of its best beaches are already either over-developed, or the private property of exclusive resorts. What Langkawi (and indeed Malaysia … read the full post

• Raising a beer to all things German in Kuala Lumpur (including Oktoberfest)

  First published: 11 Oct 2011
  

  For most Europeans, the idea of German cuisine is a contradiction in terms; going to Germany on a gastronomic holiday would be like heading to Switzerland in search of tropical beaches. So, it always surprises me seeing so many pubs or restaurants dedicated to German food, particularly in a city like Kuala Lumpur, which is … read the full post

• Art Expo Malaysia 2011: Kuala Lumpur’s top contemporary arts event

  First published: 06 Oct 2011
  

  Kuala Lumpur’s leading contemporary arts showcase — Art Expo Malaysia 2011 — is just round the corner, and it looks like being the biggest and best so far. A total of 65 galleries and organisations have signed up for the five-day event, which runs from October 28 to November 1. And the best thing about … read the full post

• Yut Kee Restaurant: A Kuala Lumpur icon under threat

  First published: 04 Oct 2011
  

  Yut Kee is a Kuala Lumpur culinary institution, although sadly not one many visitors will have heard of. It’s been serving up tasty food and drink for 83 years, making it one of the city’s very oldest eateries. In that time, this traditional Chinese coffee shop has survived a world war, several recessions, umpteen floods, the … read the full post

• October performing arts highlights in Kuala Lumpur

  First published: 30 Sep 2011
  

  Modern society seems to suffer increasingly from acute Attention Deficit Disorder. Pleasure has to be easy; gratification has be instant. So it is fitting that Kuala Lumpur, a city where ADD has reached near epidemic levels, should have an entire performance arts festival dedicated to people who cannot concentrate on the same thing for more … read the full post

• Three photography events in Kuala Lumpur

  First published: 27 Sep 2011
  

  The increasing affordability of good digital cameras, as well as simple desktop editing software, such as iPhoto, has democratised the whole business of taking photographs. Now virtually anyone can point, shoot and get a decent image. And even if you do not get it right first time, you can try again, and again, until you … read the full post