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It's Summer Somewhere: Flash Mob and Shop at KL's Petronas Towers

January 29, 2008 at 9:45 AM | 0 Comments

With an average high temperature of about 90 degrees year-round, you'd be safe to say that it's always summer in Malaysia's capital, Kuala Lumpur. KL is modern and full of interesting sights to see and a whole lot of shopping, plus it's home to the tallest twin buildings in the world: the Petronas Towers.

And it's at the base of the Towers, home to one of KL's numerous shopping centers, that tourists might have been confused by a recent flash mobbing. Word of the sudden public meeting was spread by bloggers and at the appointed time, one of the mobbers tore up a newspaper in protest against a mainstream media mogul. Hundreds of people were suddenly there, and just as suddenly gone. (Reminds us of that hipster swarm in NYC.)

But if flash mobbing isn't your idea of a good time, then take a ride to the top of the Petronas Towers for a fantastic view over the city. If you get one of the free passes (1,700 per day), you can cross the Skyway that joins the two towers at the 41st floor. Of course that's only half way up--it's 88 floors tall--but you don't want to get greedy.

Related Stories:
· Malaysia's Foreign Tourist Arrivals Hit High [Forbes]
· Kuala Lumpur Gets a Metblog [Jaunted]
· Flash Mob in KL [Metroblogging]
· Flash Mobs coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: superciliousness]

Travel Tech: Let Big Brother Do the Driving

August 28, 2007 at 10:40 AM | 0 Comments


Since we suffer from an abnormal amount of wanderlust--and find guilty pleasure in old sci-fi shows--we always fantasize about the day when planning our travel consists of uttering the phrase "Beam me up, Scotty."

No, we're not announcing the invention of teleportation. (Damn!) But a group of New Zealand-based scientists explained to The Observer in London that global positioning and nanotechnology will continue to ease the movement of humans throughout the world. The use of computer chips and GPS could help eliminate the congestion of global transport, they say.

They've even developed a system that monitors crowd movement which in turn can be used to remotely direct planes and ships. Sure, it's kind of creepy to be virtually followed. But if letting Big Brother do the driving gets our flight out of JFK on time for a change, track away.

Related Stories
· The Summer of Delays [Jaunted]
· The Future Of Travel [Science Daily]

[Photo: apollopony]

Hipster Swarm Engulfs New York City Park

August 23, 2007 at 4:30 PM | 0 Comments


Ever wondered what 800 people gathering in a field looks like from above? Now you know. As you might have guessed from the watermark, some pranksters belonging to a group called Improv Everywhere recently drew a huge crowd of people who would apparently do whatever the Internet told them to do--even when that advice is as cryptic as, "Download this song, go to a park wearing red, green, yellow or blue, and start listening at 4PM."

The track instructed participants, some who had come from as far away as New Hampshire and California to meet at the World Financial Center, to point to the Statue of Liberty, take pictures of each other and high-five unsuspecting pedestrians. We were there but obeyed the track's instructions not to stop to take pictures. Rest assured, it was tons of fun.

Past Improv Everywhere missions have included a synchronized-swimming routine in the Washington Square Park fountain, giving out dirty "snowcones" in Aspen, Colorado and faking a U2 gig in Midtown.

Related Stories:
· Improv Everywhere [Official Site]

Don't Let Blockbusters Break You

April 18, 2006 at 4:10 AM | 0 Comments

The British Museum's Michelangelo Drawings show is a blockbuster, with crowds to the rafters. Working her way through the masses gave reporter Charlotte Higgins the chance to come up with some tips for handling similar exhibits that pack them in. We especially agree with this one:

In the case of a show with prebooked tickets, take the earliest or latest slot. We were the last in, and it must make a difference not having a constant flow of people behind you. But watch the time: we were herded out of the exhibition by ushers with all the grace of bartenders at closing time. If you're in first, go to the end and have a couple of rooms to yourself before working backwards.
Going to a museum an hour or two before closing is often a good tip in general, by the way.

Related Stories:
·   My blockbuster hell [Guardian]
·   Michelangelo [British Museum]