A Day At Pertama Complex

Today I went out to the city and for once my destination is not Bukit Bintang inclusive of Low Yatt Plaza. I decided to go to Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman instead for one reason, thinking that the ATM exhibition is still on at Dataran Merdeka. So headed on Rapid KL LRT towards Bandaraya station. 

Dissapointed to see that the tents were empty which means the exhibition was over. Disembark at Bandaraya station and proceed to Sogo. Walk through Sogo heading to Pertama Complex for lunch. Entering Pertama, my son asked meto buy a wallet and he choose the blue Chelsea wallet. The price was RM 15.00 so I said to him to hold on because we want to go for lunch first. 

After lunch we walk around inside Pertama. Pertama is one of the oldest shopping complex in Kuala Lumpur after The Campbell Complex. Those days in the 70s and early 80s whenever I come to KL, I will never miss this two complex. My itenary will include Pertama Complex, Campbell, Hankyu Jaya (no more now) and Chow Kit. I use to walk from Puduraya to Chow Kit and back. 

Now Pertama Complex host handphone booths which can be its idendity. The complex is also where we can still find Malay traders which is something not found in other shopping complexes in Kuala Lumpur. Among the oldest tenants still running their business at the complex which I can remember is Selangor Photo and Raja Harun Redzuan photoshop. 

While my wife went for a massage at a blind masseur outlet, I roam around the complex and found that there is a nice confortable surau on the third floor. It is very rare to find well built surau in shopping complexes. Usually it is just a small room in shamble. The management will convert any small corners and non commercial partly hidden room as surau and at awkward places. I had the opportunity to perform the Asar prayer and the Maghrib prayer at the surau. 

It was raining heavily in KL and while waiting for the rain to subside, we walk around again and now I decided to buy the wallet for my son. At the first booth, it was RM 18.00 but I did not buy it. We went to the first place that we went upon arrival at Pertama but my son seems not interested. We move to the next booth and when I inquired the price was RM 10.00. Seems that the price for the same item is different eventhough at one location. 

I shop around for a camera bag that can also fit my netbook. There are three shops that I went in. The first I did not requested for the price. At Pertama Photo, the price tag was RM 399 but the shopkeeper is offering me for RM 200 which he said is the lowest he can give. I was thinking of taking the offer but knowing I don't have much cash in my wallet, I decided not to buy yet because I want to bring my netbook along to try and fit into the sleeve provided. Its not build for camera and laptop but can be improvised to fit both. 

After that I went into another photo shop on the ground floor located at the front of the complex. I saw the same bag and the salesman offered me RM100 for it. Its a RM100 difference. If I were to buy the bag from Pertama Photo, I would have lost a hundred ringgit. Now, the morale of my experience is, you must shop around first before deciding to buy. 

Talking about his team, Chelsea, I don't know why he picked the team. But the trend now is English Premier League Teams souvenir is selling well eventhough they are not official and genuine. These paraphernalia is being sold as if the EPL is taking place in our own backyard.