How much is the price?..

Assalamualaikum w.b.t,...*sigh* the pathetic blog of mine. Welcome back to ...eerr..my reader, ..my readers..if there is anyone out there reading this. Please don't say this blog a trash, although, I wanted to say that. It's not easy to find ideas to write especially when you're not trained as one. Today, I'm going to review a shopping complex which has been my favorite hang out for the past few years. It's cosy, less traffic and importantly it offers everything under one roof without having to walk a distance. It's not that massive a size and yet housed to Parkson, a cineplex, wonderful boutiques and restaurants that cater to all age and lifestyle. SUBANG PARADE. Yes, I love it! Although I'm an avid visitor to the mall, only these few years back that I realized SUBANG PARADE offers fantastic bargain for AidilFitri.

Located at the concourse level in front of Parkson Grand LG entrance, every year, Subang Parade will host a mini bazar during the whole of Ramadhan. It caters for all the preparation the Muslims need for their Aidil Fitri celebration; clothing, delicacies, cookies, home decoration, and there was a booth for zakat last year but I didn't see that this year. Maybe the booth has yet to begin its business. But surely it's a welcome for convenience of shoppers to pay their alms (zakat fitrah). It's an approach that has been practised widely by malls to encourage Muslims to pay their alms at their convenient. I am not sure though, what's the theme for this year celebration but a motorcycle, an old model of Honda can be seing parked at the main entrance to the bazar area. A constructed wooden hut functions as main stage for performance.

Apologize for the pictures, I was using my handphone camera yesterday so the image was not up to satisfaction. But anyways, I have to provide picture so, be it. It's like so full of colours when you walk pass the booths selling raya clothing. Among famous names that lined up at the bazar were Sireh Pinang, FiDAFisSS, Bhaju, Kassa, Adagaya Tailoring and some others like Shazztyle Boutique, Miss & Mrs by Bishara, Critria Apparels and Olumiz.

Here is a picture of baju kurung offered by Olumiz. I took the pix because I bought 3 pairs of baju kurung yesterday for my daughters. Olumiz offers great price and well, they were the cheapest there compared to others but the quality and design were of same. Embroidered sateen baju kurung for children, the bargain was RM250.00 for 3 pairs! I know, maybe you can get a cheaper price somewhere else, but this is Subang Parade, mind you. It's not Kenanga Mall.. And oh my, the cookies??? They were bountiful delicious cookies for bargain there. We have names like Airi Delight, Wana's Cookies, Qalbu delight, AZ Cookies.

. Prices were competitive, RM35 - RM40 per jar of novel cookies like choc chips almonds, oatmeal cookies, pineapple tarts, hazelnut chocolate finger and others. Traditional malay delicacies such as popia mini serunding were priced at RM15 per small jar, about 250g++.

Finish with clothing and cookie? Well, we head to home deco, hehehe. The bazar also slot a booth for home carpets.

(Sorry for the walking male figure in the image. He was suddenly in the picture, he was not there when I trip the button to snap the pix!). You can expect a good price, won't be commenting it here, go check for yourself maybe this weekend, give a visit tp the mall..?? Another rows of booths offering bargains for Aidil Fitri fashionable clothing can be found at the other end of concourse level. In front of Big Apple kiosk, you can find a bijou Souq. It caters from a high-end clothing line to those that can be afford for middle-class.

So, doing calculation for Raya budget? I suggest that you try to head to Subang Parade this weekend and see if you can get a good bargain. Always bargain with the traders before you made the decision to buy. My tips - always shows your "contemplating face" when they furnish you with the price, and do not showcase your desperate or really interested to buy their product. But do this with a polite manner and mistake that you should not do is, do not bargain when they are interested people around .....Wishing all of you lucks in search of your desired baju raya and other preparation. Always remember not to overspend and decide well of the choices available. Let's not forget those who are less fortunate and do them a favor will you this Ramadhan? After all, it's the month for giving and receiving. ....Till we meet again, I will review the flea market tomorrow with pictures. See ya!

The first of Ramadhan and it's story..

Alhamdulillah, I get to write again after , ..4 days for resting away from my lappie. Had a few urgent works to settle on, then came in the rush for Ramadhan, preparing a long list of what I should do this year. Malaysia celebrate the first of Ramadhan this year on Saturday. Many of us took the opportunity of weekend back to their hometown to celebrate Ramadhan with loved ones. Others took the chance to bargain hunting for Syawal preparation at shopping complexes and hotspots of Bazar Ramadhan nationwide. So where did I go yesterday? As with any other people, morning was spent at home with my family. We greet Ramadhan's eve a day before at home after a visit to my father's grave in the afternoon , spent the nite "talking" to Him for His forgiveness and pray for a blessed Ramadhan. After zuhur, we went to Shah Alam City Centre (SACC) mall and Shah Alam PKNS.

Bazar PKNS

SACC Mall Entrance

Bargain hunters flocking the complexes for their Syawal preparation; baju raya, cookies, traditional delicacies and of course, for the Pasar Ramadhan that offers a wide variety of local dish for berbuka puasa. These two were a hotspots among Shah Alam dwellers for bargains. Every years there were rows of stalls and kiosks offering bargains for Syawal preparation. And yes, I will review here what bargain can we get from these places. Generally, for clothing, there we no increase in price. We can get a modest, plain and nice baju kurung for a sum as low as RM50/pair.

Nice RM150/pair baju kurung @ PKNS

RM250 - RM450/pair baju kurung @ SACC Mall Bazar Raya

Capal for men, fantastic price @ PKNS

Design were floral to plain batik prada, korean cotton, vietnam silk and plain viscose. A range of RM100 - RM200 for a pair baju kurung also available for collection of latest digital imrani, beaded original viscose, and english cotton. These prices were available from PKNS complex kiosks. Also available were baju melayu with range from RM65 - RM100 for a plain design and for those opt to be a bit glamour from the other or planning to put on something from a boutique like Jehan, Dang Anum, Omar Ali, Pucuk Emas, or Salikin Sidek, can step into SACC mall just beside the PKNS complex for a higher bargain.

SACC offers

Ladies & Men from SACC ground floor

 Kiosks were also available at ground floor for customers who wants a limited spend on shopping at boutiques. A lot of choices are available for middle class to upper class. Price range were from RM150 - RM800 for a pair of baju kurung. Nice jubah and other islamic clothing range are also available for a price range of RM80 - RM500 (kutta for men, kopiah, capal, sampin sangket and others).

Kutta for men & boys

Salikin Sidek

Clutch and brooch from Salikin Sidek

So, check your budget and trust me, it's worth to shop here if you have the money..hehehe As for cookies, there is a price hike. Last year, a jar of cookies cost around RM25-RM37 (depends of jar size), but this year, price kicks off at RM28-RM40 per jar. Designer cookies (chocolate chips, almonds, raisins & nuts) kicks off at RM35 per box instead of RM30 compared to last year.

Rimbun Serai @ LG SACC Mall - dates, nuts, raisins

This is due to price hike for raw materials according to the sellers when asked on the price increased. Also available were selections of serunding, nuts and kerepek.

Novel cookies, nuts, kerepek, traditional malay biscuits

The price is still affordable I must say since people are still buying although, it is quite expensive should you ask me. For berbuka, Bazar Pasar Ramadhan PKNS offers a variety of food. Not much different from previous years, with most of the stalls were a comebacks, foods were much of the same-nasi ayam, nasi briyani ayam, briyani kambing, murtabak Anggerik, ayam percik, nasi lemak, variety of local malay dish, kuih-muih and drinks.

Colorful thrist quenchers

The famous DOnut Doraemon! PKNS Bazar

The taste-it's not that finger licking enough but you cannot expect everything to be good isn't it? Nasi ayam costs RM4.50 without the soup, nasi briyani ayam costs about RM5.50 - RM8. The only offer that maintain previous years price were the drinks.

Overall, SHAH ALAM CITY CENTRE mall and PKNS complex offers a good wide range of Syawal's must haves. Price were a bit higher compared to last year but still affordable since lots of people are buying. So people, if you happen to be in the Shah Alam vicinity, please do visits the spots. You won't regret but remember to spend wisely and not to forget to share what we have with those unfortunate ones..