This Christmas, instead of the usual five to ten names, I prepared a fifty-name Christmas present receivers’ list!
Unlike previous Christmas’s, for which I bought presents of almost the same value for most people; this time, I sorted the names into levels – the higher the level, the more financial and effort priority would be given to the person’s present.
No, I am not being selective or biased towards my friends!
For 50 people, if I buy, you know, ‘cheap‘ items, it would be rather stingy of me to some friends who are much closer to me than the others; but if I buy equally ‘expensive’ items for all 50 people, I would be totally broke before new year!
Anyway, I started my Christmas shopping two weeks ago.
Before and during that period, I, with different groups of friends, visited different malls to get Christmas presents and also to see their Christmas decorations! Because like I said two entries ago – shopping malls are some of the few places where you can experience decent Christmas atmosphere!
Since some of the shopping malls were so nicely decorated, I’m going to spend this entry recording the Christmas decorations of a few notable malls!
Let’ see… I visited seven, so I’m going to describe each of them - starting from the one that ‘needs the most improvement‘, to the best of them all!
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Rank #7 – Sunway Pyramid
Basically, I couldn’t find much Christmas decorations in Sunway Pyramid, save an icy little Cartoon Network stage at the mid area with a sign saying “Welcome to the north pole“, which I find to be rather cute.
Actually, there were other nicer decorations as well! I can remember one that looks like a huge toy house, but as far as I know, it was actually set up by Memory Lane and they were selling souvenirs and stuff in it.
Since it was set up by Memory Lane, I don’t think we can consider it a Sunway decoration! Hah!
Their ice-skating rink was nicely decorated, with little Christmas trees mounted on the pillars!
Perhaps it was the fact that Sunway emphasized more on the outside that we found so relatively few decorations in the shopping mall.
Look, the street outside the Pyramid is brilliantly decorated!
Sunway Pyramid: Not too bad, but they sure have a lot of space to improve.
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Rank #6 – Berjaya Times Square
The main entrance of Times Square was dominated by a sole, gigantic Christmas tree with huge snowflakes hanging around the upper part of it!
This picture was taken from the second floor, quite a distance away. But if you stand beneath it, it really is huge!
The Christmas tree at Times Square reminds me of my own Christmas tree in my room, because they both have lots of red and white colour-striped candy sticks on them!
Also, Santa and his err… assistant, was in Times Square!
I’m taller than Santa! Lol!
Overall, decorations in Times Square was more of the ‘typical’ type, you know. The Christmas tree, Santa, and the usual bright and colourful stuff hanging around... Compared to the others, Times Square could really do with a bit of motivation in their Creative Department…
Maybe I was just unlucky, missed out some of their events… Or maybe I went there too early, and some of the decorations were not out yet… Hmm…
Berjaya Times Square: I didn’t get any candy or present from Santa! Maybe he thought we were too old…
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Rank #5 – Suria KLCC
Lol… KLCC… I don’t know what to say about it!
Like, the 30-metre tall Chirstmas tree in KLCC would be, err, EXTREMELY grand and impressive, if it wasn’t for the fact that it has been there for, I think, FOUR or FIVE consecutive years now – the same old tree every Christmas!
I can still remember watching the Suria KLCC commercial on TV when I was still in Ipoh, few years back, the Christmas tree looked so tall and grand, and I was thinking something like: “Wow… The shopping complex in the Petronas Twin Towers in KL! Of course they have such grand stuff!”
But now, it’s really starting to get boring…
Of course, I understand the cost consideration of simply throwing away such a huge piece of decoration, but still… They’ve got to think of something new soon! Most shopping malls change their Christmas ideas annually!
Suria KLCC: Take the tree down, give it to the old folks’ home, plant it outside the Twin Towers, sell it on eBay… oh I don’t know! Just change it ler~!
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Rank #4 – Mid Valley
The decorations at Mid Valley were, all in all, quite special!
They’ve got a huge set of flower-themed decorations at the centre court with a number of tall Christmas trees. At first glance, the centre court looked like a nice little garden during autumn, but with flowers blossoming everywhere!
Inside the ‘garden’, there was a stage on which people took pictures and kids played.
It was very amusing at that time when the people kept asking strangers around them to take pictures for them. I can remember this particular couple of ladies who asked us to operate their camera for them; and even after we left, went on another floor, visited some shops, and when we looked down from above, they were still there – at different positions, still taking pictures!
They must be very photogenic!
Later that night, there was a performance on the stage. It was some kind of Disney performance and dance – from what I made out of the music… Haha all my photos of the performance are blurred, so I don’t think I’ll post them.
Mid Valley: Not bad, really; lots of money spent on flowers, but somehow it just doesn’t seem too ‘Christmas’, to me.
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Rank #3 – 1 Utama
1 Utama has the cutest ever Christmas decorations in town!
An enormous 38-feet toy soldier stood proudly, overlooking the tiny little shoppers like us, along with a dozen other smaller soldiers beside it!
The best part of it, they could actually move! The hands holding the drumstick really moved up and down and the head of the giant toy soldier was slowly moving side-to-side! It was very amusing to see the way it swayed its head while hitting the drum!
Check out how big its head was!
I think the hat itself is almost (or bigger than!) the size of my entire body!
Too bad there wasn’t any performance or anything going on when I was there. My friend later told me that there will be performances on the stage, around the little toy soldiers!
Anyway, I found a funny thing there, someone labeled the wrong price tag on this Christmas tree bell… It costs a hundred Ringgit!
Scary, isn’t it?
1 Utama: Very special and charming, any kid would be crying to leave the area.
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Rank #2 – The Curve
It was snowing at The Curve!
When I was there, a ’snowing event’ was on, there were people spraying artificial snow (which was actually foam) at The Street from the walkway above – for, I think, around 15 minutes!
The feeling was very special when you actually see ’snow’ flying around, children around you were playing with and trying to grab it, feeling the cool night breeze brush on your face, standing on a street with rows of brightly lit Christmas trees on both sides, and finally with a small live band beside you singing: “Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!”
Wow!
It sure was nice.
Next, stepping in The Curve, I found a nice, warm decorative cottage in the middle – with a piano, fireplace, and a couple of cosy couches inside… Oh, how I wish I could just get in, sit down, and sleep!
But too bad it wasn’t open for public…
All around the cottage were gigantic snowflakes hanging in the air and snow-covered ground with cute snowmen and reindeers!
And beside the house stood a towering Christmas tree, I think like two-storeys tall!
The entire concourse was made into something like a winter wonderland! Actually there was even a small ‘ice-skating rink’ to the left of the house – for kids. It wasn’t really ice, just roller skates, but the kids were enjoying it, and the sight of it all was really nice!
The back of the house is just as nice as the front!
The Curve: Magnificently done, I particularly liked the snowing part!
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Rank #1 – Pavilion KL
I know I’ve already mentioned about Pavilion two entries ago, but anyhow, I just can’t leave it out of the list!
Hands down, Pavilion is definitely the most ‘uniquely Christmas’ mall of all the those listed in this entry to me! They’ve got a three-storey-high, brilliantly glowing, silver ‘Christmas tree’ – with lots of bright chandeliers hanging all over it!
The majestic structure stood gracefully in the middle of the concourse area, with the perfectly symmetrical escalators on pointing up on either sides of it… Wow, you just can’t help but stand there and admire its magnificence!
Not only that, other small things like the dimly-lit withered trees along the path and the glittering lights hanging from the ceiling simply fit perfectly together with the overall grandeur!
What’s more, the ‘tree’ is occupy-able! See the brightly lit ‘layers‘ on the tree? They are actually pathways for a whole choir to stand on!
Haha, you must really admire how stable the whole thing is! I can imagine the choir members at the highest level must be totally sweating and mumbling to himself: “don’t looking down, don’t look down…”. Lol!
With microphones on every level of the ‘tree’, the sound volume of the choir was really good, and the selection of songs was even better. I wonder how frequent they’ll be performing there…? Daily? weekly? Or were we just lucky – on that day only?
Anyway, next they even have performances by costume-dancers!
All in all, Pavilion ownz Christmas this year!
Pavilion KL: My favourite so far! The role model for shopping malls’ Christmas decorations and events!
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So there you have it! The top seven nicest, grandest, ‘Christmas-est’ malls around!
OK… OK… I know there might be other nicer, grander, and ‘Christmas-er‘ malls elsewhere, but these are the ones that I’ve been to this Christmas, so the others don’t count in my blog!
Anyway, I’m going back to Ipoh for Christmas next week, I dunno when can I update again, so… Merry Christmas!
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Hi James, I hope you don’t mind me linking to this particular blog entry. Thanks
Kudos on the great review tho!
By all means, Adeline, go ahead.
very good design and I hope agraet fetuer for you
BIWX
An Xmas list with priority levels? Marry me…
Actually, the set up of the toy houses were not done by memory lane. It was done by Sunway Pyramid management but was rented out to Memory Lane, Dutch Lady and another tenant. Get your facts right before writing about it.
Hi Ann,
Thank you for the information!
Ann, If I were writing about the place as an adv or official review, I would definitely have gone to some lengths to verify the accuracy of every single word that I have written, as you have very kindly suggested.
In this case, however, I don’t see that necessity in blogging my opinion about some place that I have visited – and so what I’ve seen and perceived – as a customer, Ann. Therefore, i wrote, QUOTE: [...like a huge toy house, but as far as I know, it was actually set up by Memory Lane and they were selling...] – This is not an article of information, but one of opinion, as most blog entries are. I think I’ve made it clear.
I appreciate your willingness to share the information on this, I really do, it’s great to have you here. But I’m just referring to your last sentence by which I feel accused of being an irresponsible writer, Ann. I’m sure you did not mean it. =)
You seem to be very informative on this! It’s great for you to have left information! Thanks!
I’m in despair here! I need to get some nice photos of christmas decorations for my article, however, my colleague ran through several malls but fail to find any. any idea when they start their decorations? My work is due this week but apparently i guess there’s not much “mood” this year.
have you gone to any malls with decorations lately? THANKS!!
Dear Huei, yup i’ve been to a few malls recently and some are indeed only beginning to put up decorations!
As of last week, Sunway Pyramid is the only place that I came across as having fully deployed X’mas decorations. I was in Times Square, MidValley and KLCC earlier this month but there weren’t any, yet. I’m sorry I’m unable to tell you for sure where to find but I’m quite certain the decorations will be up by next week. =)
If your work is due end of this week then maybe you can have some luck if you go around the city this coming Saturday, it’ll be past thanksgiving day and the holiday season will officially begin. I hope this helps! =) Good luck!
Hi James,
Thanks for your information!! I’ll have to go hunting for Christmas decorations within this week! Heheh
IKANO is not in the list?
Hearsay.. Pavilion spent RM1.2m on that piece in 2007.. and the entire marketing team was replaced.. and for 2008, they recycled that piece and spending only a tiny fraction for the golden baubles hanging from the ceiling..
SO much for being the best decorated (2007) to the worst decorated (2008).. many neighbourhood malls surpassed Pavilion this year.. Pavilion has the worst and most dissapointing decorations.
hi james.. im nad. i hope you dont mind ive link your blog entry to my page.. btw, GREAT review!
Sure, Nad, go ahead
Wow. The one at the Curve! Sobz. Wish I could be there.
hi i’m from the trinidad its wonderful to see how different they decorate in asia
Hey people, it’s Thanksgiving Day! I’m enjoying my extra day off, and I am planning to doing something fun that will probably involve a moto trip and seeing something new in Rosemead I haven’t seen yet.
You write new post at Thanksgiving?
Hey James,
I came across your blog just have a peek on the decorations in Kl especially. Great effort and it’s very nice to have people like you around to popularize Malaysia. Thumbs Up!!
p/s-that Cristmas gift list thingy is quite hillarious BUT RATIONAL!! haha
TC, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!