Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Things have certainly changed. Whereas before, I did not know how to appreciate the beauty of my homeland, could not comprehend why anyone would want to settle here for good; but now, after having travelled far and wide (or so I'd like to think), I look around my beloved country with different eyes and I see potential. Potential.


My issue with Malaysia - especially Kuala Lumpur - is that it's neither here nor there. I compare it to Prague and I see dilapidated historical buildings, most having been torn down to make way for skyscrapers. So I compare it to Hong Kong, and I see dull architecture of unimpressive short buildings.


And yet, Kuala Lumpur still has potential: the Moorish architecture of the Sultan Abdul Samad Building and the Kuala Lumpur Railway Station is reminiscent of a glorious era long gone past and the towering height of the Petronas Twin Towers is a testament of our architectural capabilities. Something needs to be done about that Klang River though: its muddy brown turbulent waters (or silt) just doesn't do anything for the aesthetics of the city.


Things don't just stop at Kuala Lumpur however - the whole country itself is bursting with potential. Its political scene is slightly unstable but the workings of democracy are obvious in the boldness and strength of the opposition party, the Pakatan Rakyat, which is trying to obtain a vote of no confidence in the current Prime Minister. It also champions equal rights for all races although I'd take this with a pinch of salt, to be honest.


I'd say the economy is still fairly good. Of course, we're also affected by the increase in the price of oil but then again, who isn't. I'd like to think that inflation is in check but I'm not really informed about it (prices are still about the same for all I care). Sure, there are issues of corruption, cronyism, and general organizational matters to attend to but all it needs really is a prod in the right direction. Don't you find this terribly exciting? Because I do.

Kuala Lumpur International Airport

Baggage reclaim. They've hired someone to make sure luggage doesn't hit the side of the conveyor belt when it is belched out from the depths of the airport. He even makes sure they're facing the right way up (possibly for easy identification). Two ironies:

1. So much for technology and machinery replacing human workforce.
2. Whilst waiting to disembark from the plane, workers could be seen outside the windows throwing luggage carelessly into transport carts.

The arrival hall is quiet for such a large hall. People hold cards with names. No point looking - no one's waiting, which is fine but it does reflect the sad part that I might not even be returning in the first place. And yet, the headscarves of Muslim women - a sign of religious piety or the suppression of human rights depending on which side you're on - is a welcoming sight.

With a bang

I walk down the aisle. On the plane. Squeeze past the Chinese nationals standing in the middle of the aisle playing cards. These guys are resilient. Set the twelve plagues upon China and it won't even change their habits.

I reach the exit. It's locked but the instructions are printed red on the door. It doesn't help my compulsions. I unlock the door, cabin pressure and air masks drop. The plane tips and swerves to one side due to physical forces I do not understand. Passengers scream in their panic, serves them right for not buckling up. I look around at the silly fools, 'We're all going to die anyway. So why not go with a bang?' I smile and jump out into the sea of golden ripples.

My hands become clammy and my legs wobbly. With great effort, I control my compulsion. I don't think I'd ever skydive. Bungee jumping's still my record. I could never bring myself to jump out of a plane. Speaking of which, I could never be a dad, I'm just too selfish.

I wonder if Jeen did it over the sea? Do chances of survival increase if you skydive over the sea? I must ask her over coffee. It's funny how out of all my exes (which don't really number that many), she's the one I'm still on talking terms with.

Stupid Chinese man. The seatbelt sign has been switched on ages ago. The plane is beginning its descent. And what does he decide to do? Stand up, open the overhead compartment and starts fiddling with whatever it is he's fiddling with. Then sits down without bothering to shut the compartment until other passengers shout at him. I mean, is it disregard for the rules, or taking flight safety for granted, or it is just plain ignorance (which is really a euphemism - it's the best I can do)? Or am I just being too judgemental?

Touch down and I'm ?home? But am I truly home?

When

1. Passengers start unbuckling their seat belts immediately after landing despite the safety announcement telling them otherwise
2. You have to tell the two men in front of you off for cutting the queue

That's when you know you've arrived in Asia.

***

Transiting in Hong Kong feels weird after having stopped here for some time to teach English before continuing with my travels for the past two summers. I do miss it quite a bit. But no worries there, I'll be back here again before the end of summer.

***

It's weird. This feeling inside. I've lost all sense of belonging. Like I don't belong anywhere. I thought I'd be able to call Hong Kong my home after having spent more than twelve weeks here. But no.

Home in Kuala Lumpur isn't going to feel like home after what's just recently happened. It's a strange feeling this. Not very pleasant at all. But a bearable sort of unpleasantness. I've always thought being vagrant would be quite nice. Perhaps I was wrong?

Of journeys and sojourns

And now that I'm back, I realize I can finally breathe easily again. I have a feeling I'll be getting my first peaceful night's sleep tonight since a month ago. Despite the wet and cold welcome, it's good to be back again. And now, I can finally breathe easily again.

~

I've flown a total of 18 hours: Kuala Lumpur to Bangkok to Frankfurt to London. If that wasn't hell, I don't know what is. Never ever fly Lufthansa. With little space, uncomfortable seats, no personal screen and bad entertainment, its aircrafts are the worst. So, unless I'm flying First or Business Class, there's absolutely no way I'm braving the journey to Malaysia. And since that's financially impossible, I guess I won't be seeing the Muddy Estuary anytime soon.

~

I finally bought the Swatch watch I've been eyeing for more than three years. It's automatic - isn't battery-operated. Aside from its transparent display of sophistication with its miniscule gears rotating and a small spoked-wheel acting as a pendulum, I simply love its representation of time: its never-ending ticking. Even when you pull out the stopper to adjust the time, it doesn't stop. Does time really stop for us to adjust our watches? I wonder if it occured to anyone 'I've wasted 18 hours of my life doing absolutely nothing when I could be out there making a difference.'

~

Night flights are so enchanting. The inky blackness of night blots out all other details of disinterest, leaving behind an etch of the city outlined by dazzling lights. The layout of the city becomes more vivid with this contrast of light and darkness. And if you're flying just long enough, the golden chariot of the sun rides the sweet bosom of the sky, unbridled by clouds - strong and mighty in all its splendour.

~

It's surprising how many interesting people you meet on your journeys. On the flight, I was sitting next to a tall pretty German girl a year younger than I who had just spent four weeks teaching English in Myanmar. I couldn't believe the coincidence as we shared similar experiences with each other - e.g. the hillarious banana dance - and give each other suggestions and advice. She's given me the necessary contacts should I want to teach English in Myanmar next year. That definitely kept the insanity at bay.

Also met an old Hong Kong lady who was asking for directions - she must've thought I was from Hong Kong with my dyed hair and pierced ear. Thank God for six weeks in Hong Kong. Although I couldn't follow her fast speech (I had to ask her to repeat herself three times), I got the gist of it and gave her directions. Surprise, surprise! She was also heading to Cambridge.

~

Aside from the usual going out and in, there's nothing interesting to report of my sojourn in Malaysia other than my birthday gifts from my parents. I usually tell people not to buy gifts for me because no one ever gets my taste. And so, instead of seeming ungrateful by not using or wearing the gifts I get, I just tell them not to bother.

This year however, mum bought me a white gold chain on which a key was strung. Apparently, it's a Chinese tradition for parents to give their child a key on their 21st birthday. And being in admiration of Chinese tradition and culture, it was the perfect gift (not to mention it being white gold because yellow gold looks chav-y).

But of course this doesn't mean I'm ditching dad's gift - a Tag Heuer watch. I mean, dad's quite a Scrooge when it comes to money and receiving a watch worth thousands came as quite a shock. It's a beautiful one too - worn by Kimi Raikonen. It feels really weird to wear something on your wrist which costs a hundred times more than the total of what I'm wearing. But in the end, you know what the Chinese say about giving clocks (or watches) to other people.

this is yeoth reporting live from kl...

rite...so today...i had some business to settle in town...right in the middle of city centre...kuala lumpur...the big apple of malaysia...

n i was thinking to myself...'omg...i have to go to town...in this haze!...made worst by pedestrians inhaling precious oxygen n exhaling unwanted carbon dioxide...s well s congested traffic belching up poisonous exhaust fumes...n what with the dust n all some more'...omg...yep i had to brave such dangers s i ventured into the concrete jungle of kl...

but then again i thought...kl's api reached the hazardous level yesterday...300+ if i'm not mistaken...so anyone out on the streets...what more the streets of kl...r definitely out of their minds!...or suicidal!...unless like me...they have some well-justified reason...so i thought...'hmm...well maybe there won't b any pedestrians in kl taking up all my oxygen'...n with that thought in my head...i bravely don my haze mask...n made my way to town...

my house - pusat bandar damansara - bangsar station - pasar seni station - central market - petaling street - plaza rakyat - maybank tower - pudu station...n back...that's the route i took...so it's a no brainer that i had some business to settle at pudu...but what business that is...is for u to think about, brainy... :)

but that's not the main point here...what i wanna blog about is that...everything in kl is pretty much normal...seriously!...i was surprised...i mean...we had n api that was in the hazardous level...n here were pedestrians...lots of them too...walking up n down the streets of kl...without masks on...s if the air didn't contain any carcinogenic particles...which who has supposedly claimed...omg...don't these people know that they're having a death wish!...

i personally believe they should go n smoke themselves to death with ciggs...i mean...at least they'll feel calmer too at the same time...coz that's what nicotine does...but now i think i have a small glimpse of the smoking realm...n i still can't understand smokers...i mean...for one thing...there r much more better ways to kill oneself...ways that r more dramatic n artistic...but worst of all is the fact that they're killing those around them too!...people they know...n probably love...s well s innocent people whom they don't know...i mean...how selfish can u get?...

gosh...seriously...i'm sorry if u're a smoker n u're reading this...but i don't like lying to people...i prefer to b honest with them...coz i'd like them to b honest with me...n maybe tell me things that i might have missed out on smoking...coz s u can c...my argument's pretty much one sided...

but anywayz...on a much lighter note...i think the haze is clearing up...yay!...coz the sun peeked in this afternoon on my way to town...for the first time...the sun!...heh...hmm...if it gets better...maybe i might not need to cancel my excursion to malacca...hurray!...

haze phase...

ok so what else is new?...i mean...it's frontpage news...n it's been blaring on the radio n tv all day long...but because it affects me...since i'm a malaysian citizen living in the klang valley...here's my two cents worth of...no not thoughts...but bitchings n rantings...

i mean...have u looked out your window today?...i can barely see the trees surrounding my house...n what happened to the sparkling blue skies, puffy white clouds n bright yellow sun that malaysia is so proud of?...i'm judging visibilitie's down to what?...100 m?...my goodness...the haze is bad...wait...check that...it's not bad...it's terrible!...

seriously...i mean...what do u do when the air pollutant index (api) reaches 300 plus in the klang valley?...y...stay at home of course...indoors...away from the haze...but what happens when the haze diffuses into your very house?...argh!...where do i run to?...i can't escape...i'm trapped...help!

the worst thing is...it seems that this haze is worst than the 1997 episode...i mean...it's gotta b...considering the fact that some parts of malaysia have declared emergency...damn...n i used to think that n emergency would b nice...no school n all the crap that comes with it...but now i think it practically sucks...i mean...i might have to call off my trip to malacca...s well s the trip to beijing...n grad might b called off this sat...damnit...everything's disrupted...

n to top it all...world health organization (who) seems to have declared this haze to b carcinogenic...damnit...s if it couldn't get any worse...when it rains it pours...i mean...great...now i'm being surrounded by microscopic particulates that could cause cancer...omg...this explains the mask i'm wearing now...while typing this...

hmm...n i'll have to close all the windows in my room...which means having to cut of all air curculation...if i'm found dead tomorrow...it's probably coz of suffocation...

malaysian tour review

dear emilyn...

this is already going to b quite a long post...check that...a very long post...so i'll cut it short...sorry for the delay though...

kelantan
1 june
arrived at kota bharu...azam n i...went around town with naim...chilled at kb mall in the afternoon...bummed at billion at night...bought loads of dvds...had a mini horror fest that night...watched shutter (damn scary) n the others (friggin good movie)...

2 june
went to lata tembakah...(which is really at besut, terengganu actually)...together with another two of naim's friends...first time bathing at a natural waterfall...water was friggin cold...flowing damn fast...clean n clear too...was very cool!...had tonnes of fun!...most enjoyable!...

3 june
went to pengkalan kubor...tax-free area...lots of shops selling a myriad of things at cheap prices...clothes n accessories n stuffs...didn't buy anything though...was saving money for the rest of my malaysian tour...left kb that night...all three of us...for alor star...

kedah
4 june
arrived at alor star...headed straight for adlan's kampung in baling...attended his cousin's wedding ceremony...my first traditional malay wedding...helped out with distributing the food...gotong-royong style...a very interesting insight into their way of life...second time i ate with my hands on this trip...

that night went to ulu legong hot spring...water was seriously friggin hot...hmm...about 40 to 50 degrees celsius...but only a matter of getting used to...even so...the whole place was steaming...if not for the crowd of people even at one in the morning...it would've been spooky...didn't know malaysia had such a place...

5 june
went bathing at lata bayu...heh...second time bathing in a natural waterfall...n on this very same trip too...we headed right to the very top...where there were no people n the water was cold, fast n clear...smashing really!...had a truly enjoyable time with the guys...after that...headed back to alor star...

that night...went bowling at city plaza...which i totally suck at...majorly...compared to naim n adlan...who were obviously the pros...s well s azam too...who was so obviously hiding his real talent...heh...but was fun though...

6 june
took it easy already...friggin tired after all that travelling...so we hung out at star parade...same old...heh...bought dvds n some cds...seems that piracy runs rampant at the northern n eastern states...so basically went shopping...managed to lay my hands on butterfly effect...damn friggin good movie!...seriously!...

7 june
went to the alor star tower...not that tall...but quite impressive...obviously couldn't hold a candle to the kl tower...but it's still n achievement for such a state up north...far from the capitol...

8 june
went to star parade again...this time just to surf at their cc...heh...had lived without the internet for a week...just couldn't stand it anymore...yeesh...starting to wonder about my reliance n dependency on the internet...heh...

anywayz...after that...went shopping for more cds n dvds again...heh...well since it was provided with the utmost abundance there...so y not?...

that night...took the bus back to kl...three of us...naim, azam n i...

kuala lumpur
9 june
arrived in kl at pudu...mum brought us home first...prayers, breakfast n a short rest...before we went to times square area...met up with yuyul n her lil bro n hafyz...went walking around low yat first...

later...went to sungei wang...shopping again...n lunch...hafyz n yuyul n her lil bro n naim went bowling...while azam n i hunted down for my mp3 player at low yat...bought creative's muvo slimit at 480...which seriously rocks!...the cheapest price i could get after hunting all over low yat...the highest price i could find was about 600...yeesh...what a rip off i u ask me...thanx to chewman for his info n azam for patiently hunting with me...heh

after that...went to times square...walked around...had a look at the indoor amusement park...before watching imax's back to the crustaceaous...seriously friggin cool!...the 3d graphics seriously made it look damn real...was wondering how shutter would've been on imax...scary!...heh...

headed home after that...received news that mara was to have their btn on 13 this month too...so decided to cancel much of our plans...which included headin down to malacca...naim n azam wanted to head home n prepare for their btn the next day...

10 june
since their bus was scheduled at night...went around central market in the afternoon...wanted to buy some stuffs...but funds were short...so decided to postpone that...the pendant n dreamcatcher looked so tempting...hmm...maybe next time...heh...

headed to klcc next...to enquire bout part timing there...at petrosains or maxis...but seriously speaking...it's too far from where i live...prefer working at times in bsc...anywayz...will keep petrosains open...had lunch before heading back home...

sent naim to putra bus station to catch his bus back to kb at night...n dropped azam there too to catch the ktm to his aunt's place...in kepong...since he couldn't get a bux ticket home...

frankly speaking...there's nothing much u can do in kl...unless u have the money...haih...come to think of it...it's pretty boring to b a townie...heh...no adventure at all!...

that's it...although had two days of rest already...just bumming around the house...no time to learn how to upload photos onto blogger...so i'll do it later...won't b hearing from me for a week at least coz i have btn to attent...mon to fri...so i'll chat with u later k?...till then...take care n god bless

k

holiday plan

dear emilyn...

planning to travel around malaysia...so here's the tentative plan for my hols (at least for the first week...the rest'll b decided shortly after):

kuala lumpur
28 may - leave kl
leavin with cherap

kuala terengganu
29 may - reach kt
29-31 may - kt
1 june - leave kt
goin with cherap...stayin with him...hanging out with him, azam n mushu (shue)...lol...leavin with azam

kota bharu
1 june - reach kb
1-2 june - kb
3 june - leave kb
goin with azam...stayin with naim...chillin with the both of them...leavin alone

alor setar
3 june - reach alor
3-6 june - alor
7 june - leave alor
goin alone...stayin with adlan...leavin alone

m still planning whether to drop by penang or perak along the way home...but prob is i dun have anyone to stay with...or take me out...so tht'll b on the spur of the moment i guess...

planning to conquer mt kinabalu...somewhere in the middle of june...after my btn...so i'll update u s i go along lar...lol...take care n God bless

k

dvds, anyone?

just returned from my dance studio in petaling street...i wanted to refresh my memory on the steps of a few dances but i was a tad little too late and the class was already over...well, there's always next week...but once again, i'm digressing from the topic...

being situated in one of the shop houses along the middle of petaling street...going to the studio meant having to go through the infamous street itself...and i'm quite confident that no living person (be it a malaysian citizen or foreign tourist) staying in kl can say that they've never visited petaling street at all...so we pretty much have a good idea of its environment and atmosphere...a long road separated into two lanes by makeshift stalls lining both sides of each lane...sellers trying to promote their wares (be it fake jewellery, imitation brands or more popularly, pirated cds, vcds and dvds)...a throng of buyers looking for a good bargain...crowded...noisy...hot...humid...sweaty...u get the picture :D ...

anyway...being a kl-ian myself...i've been to petaling street many times to errr...how should i put it?...to support our country's economy and industry...errr especially the pirated industry :P ...and i've come to notice that the people selling pirated vcds and dvds never change...they're always the same people...youths around my age...give and take 2 or 3 years...sporting errr very creative hairstyles with daring colours...and wearing designer clothes with errr a very creative sense of fashion too (you wouldn't believe the sheer size and number of piercings on these people ;) )...and in addition to all this...they also equip themselves with the latest mobile phone model!

so me being me, i was doing some thinking (again)...and i realized that these people (who are about my age) really do get paid quite well...proof:

1. their hairstyles couldn't possibly be created by themselves or indian barbers...n i don't think that indian barbers do dye jobs either!
2. i've had a look at their clothes and i'm quite positive that they're not imitations...and some of their jewellery (earrings etc.) don't look fake-ish either
3. i'm not so sure about their mobile phones...but since no. 1 and 2 are correct...then we can deduce that no. 3 should also be correct...thus, their mobiles are also genuine!

i believe that without giving in to their buyer's unrelenting bargaining...these sellers can get a profit of more than 100%!...wow!...but it's not really the amount that matters...what really matters is the fact that these youngsters who are the same age as i am are already earning a living (although illegally)...while i'm busting my ass off studying as hard as i can to get a recognised degree which will get me a proper job (which might not pay that well, if i might add) that will earn me a legal salary (which i will have to spend on income tax)...is it just me or does something seem wrong here?

true...you might say that their job is more risky...but don't people always say that there will always be risks in business...and it's only the successful ones who are brave enough to face those risks?...and besides...i'm quite sure that they're not that dumb as to get caught by the authorities...they definitely have their own methods of safeguarding their errr businesses...anyway...they have their informers on standby...and they only display the movie covers now...while the goods are hidden somewhere close by...you could say that these people are professional entrepreneurs in their field!

or you could say that...their pay isn't that well off compared to the pay of a person with a legitimate degree...well...that i might have to agree...but don't you get the point?...it's not about the amount...it's the fact that they're already earning a living all by themselves while i'm still depending on my parents...they can already support themselves while i'm still subjected to the whims and fancies of my parents...and what if i'm not in it for the money?...what if all i want is just to live a simple life with just the basics (food, clothing and shelter)...get it over and done with...and die?...

and besides...it's a good job prospect if you think about it...plenty of outdoors...fresh air...chance to meet lots of interesting people from all around...compared to staying cooped up in some stuffy office and getting fat in the process.

oh well...like i said...i'm subjected to my parent's wishes...but it's an interesting thought though isn't it?...well...at least i know what i can do if i don't get my degree heheh :P !