This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on April 28, 2017

Your quick guide to rest and relaxation. 

4 ways to enjoy the long weekend

A city staycation

Shangri-La Hotel Kuala Lumpur rewards you with a value-for-money staycation under its Stay 3, Pay 2! promotion. Guests who book a stay of at least three nights in any room type directly through Shangri-la.com or via telephone with Shangri-La Hotel Kuala Lumpur will be rewarded with a free night’s stay on the third night. Check into a luxurious room surrounded by the serene view of beautiful gardens and forget that you are in fact staying in the heart of the city.The hotel is located at 11 Jalan Sultan Ismail, Kuala Lumpur. Log on to www.shangri-la.com or call (03) 2032 2388 for reservations and more.

A big family meal

Gather family and friends for a steamboat session at Celestial Court’s steamboat night from today till Sunday. Enjoy the get-together over an array of fresh seafood, meat and vegetables that can be cooked in the restaurant’s signature stocks such as volcano flame slipper lobster soup, fresh ginseng herbal soup and jade porridge. Available from 6.30pm to 10.00 pm, the steamboat dinner is priced at RM82 nett/per person for the mushroom set, RM108 nett/per person for the meat and sausage set and RM128 nett/per person for the seafood set. Celestial Court is in Sheraton Imperial at Jalan Sultan Ismail, Kuala Lumpur. Visit www.celestialcourtrestaurant.com for reservations and more.

A funny show

Crackhouse Comedy Club KL turns three and the masters of laughs are celebrating by hosting the Crackhouse Carnival. The shows that will go on for five nights, will see up to 10 top international and local stand-up comics take the stage in 10 shows. There will be two shows each night — one from 8.30pm to 10pm and the other from 10.30pm to midnight. The audience will be entertained by Vivek Mahbubani from Hong Kong tonight, Fakkah Fuzz from Singapore and Ben Darsow from Australia tomorrow, and Nik Coppin from the UK as well as the The All Star Gala Show on Sunday. Tickets, priced at RM40 for today and tomorrow, and RM60 for Sunday, can be purchased via crackhousecarnival2017.peatix.com. Visit www.facebook.com/crackhousecomedy for more information. 

A relaxing read

1 new footwear to splurge on

Yeezy fans can rejoice in the arrival of the latest pair of sneakers to join the family of Kanye West and adidas collaboration, the Yeezy Boost 350 V2. It features a cream white Primeknit upper, distinct centre stitching and a heel tab, showcasing the signature Yeezy Boost design. The midsole utilises adidas’ innovative BOOST™ technology to create a durable, shock-resistant, responsive sole. Retailing at RM990, the Yeezy Boost 350 V2 is being released globally tomorrow and those interested can raffle online for a chance to purchase a pair at https://yeezy.3stripes.co/.

2 art exhibitions to visit

Mimpi Jadi Lanskap

Tatsu presents Mimpi Jadi Lanskap, a group exhibition comprising artworks of local art graduates, revolving around the subject of dreaming as a vessel for the boundless human imagination. Rather than allowing these involuntary images, sensations and emotions getting lost forever when one wakes up, the artists translates this intangible phenomena into a physical, visual presentation. View the artworks between 10am and 7pm at the gallery located at 17, Jalan Pawang, Kuala Lumpur. Visit taksu.com/kuala-lumpur or call (03) 4251 4396 for more information.

Encore

Encore is an eclectic collective portfolio of works from a series of film photography exhibitions over the last five years, encompassing a series of genres such as abstract, still life, documentary and street. For each show, photographers work for several months before mounting a joint exhibition and then moving on to their next project. The works showcased in Encore will juggle more than one theme and a multidisciplinary approach. View the exhibition this weekend from 2pm to 6pm at The Print Room, 49 Lorong 16/9E Petaling Jaya. Admission is free. Visit www.facebook.com/theprintroomkl for more details.

2 events to plan in advance for

The Color Run

Spend a few minutes of your Labour Day public holiday to register for The Color Run that will take place for the second time in Kuala Lumpur at Padang Merbok. Happening on Aug 13, the 2017 Tropicolor edition will see some 13,000 participants dash through a series of brilliantly coloured zones based on a tropical theme, characterised by tropical arches, palm trees, island-style music, and even a “beach”. Tickets are priced at RM45 (kids), RM81 (early bird), RM120 (deluxe) and RM225 (family promotion). Visit www.thecolorrun.my to register and for further details about the run.

Kids’ programmes at KLPac

If you’re looking for interesting programmes for children, the comprehensive list of Semester 2 Programmes and School Holiday Programmes by The Actors Studio Academy at the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPac) might just pique your interest. The drama classes, for instance, are suitable for those as young as three years old up to 18-year-old teenagers. Other programmes offered include Speech and Drama Holiday Bootcamp, Intensive Creative Arts Programme, Hip Hop Dance Workshop for Beginners and Speak Up! For Teens with Poetry Café KL. Visit www.klpac.org/tas-academy-klpac for the complete list of classes, their timings, fees and details on how to register. The programmes begin in early May so register early so that you do not miss out. The classes will take place at KLPac situated in Sentul Park, Jalan Strachan off Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah Kuala Lumpur. Visit KLPac’s website or call (03) 4047 9063 for more.

2 ways to get your arts on

Semalam Di Malaya

Be serenaded by Ushera at her Semalam Di Malaya performance alongside her pianist of five years, Ganesh Bala, at Alexis Bistro Ampang. Inspired by the formative years of Malaysia’s contemporary music industry this show will reflect Ushera’s pride in her Malaysian heritage.  Referring to it as the revival project, the album — which is the first installation of a series of albums within the Semalam Di Malaya collection — pays homage to the contemporary Malaysian music scene of pre-independent 1940s and 1950s Malaya. Ushera @ Semalam Di Malaya will begin at 10pm today and tomorrow night. Alexis Bistro Ampang is situated at Great Eastern Mall at 303 Jalan Ampang,  Kuala Lumpur. There is a music charge of RM10. Visit www.alexis.com.my or call (03) 4260 2288 for information on dinner reservation, dress code and more.

The Power of Desire

Photographer SC Shekar will be sharing tales from the world’s only cave tin-mining community in Kaki Bukit, Perlis. Titled “The Power of Desire”, the talk is part of the MHHC Heritage Talk KL Series and will be told through recorded interviews, research, old documents and photographs that he has pieced together over the last eight years he spent making trips there and documenting the stories of this community. Make your way to Badan Warisan Malaysia (The Heritage of Malaysia Trust) at No 2 Jalan Stonor, Kuala Lumpur for the talk at 5pm tomorrow. Admission is free. Visit www.facebook.com/MHHClub for more information.