Kuala Lumpur
Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2006
We planned a mellow day, visiting Lake Garden Park (the Central Park of KL). Barely anyone was there, perhaps because it was midday on a weekday. The park is nicely landscaped and well-maintained, but it has a definite element of bizarro. Speakers, regularly affixed to poles throughout the park, played Malaysian talk radio mixed with pop music, giving a sort of deserted-carnival feel to the place. We found an elaborate and varied children's playground and rode swings and seesaws, expecting the lady from last night to run out the bushes and blow her whistle at us. It began to rain, and we found a food stand, eating curry puffs and coconut pudding in a banana leaf box, as we waited for the shower to pass.
Monday, Oct. 18, 2006
We went to the Petronas Towers today, that icon of this city whose only previous impression on me has been from the movies Zoolander and Catherine Zeta Jones' butt in Entrapment. (I know, there's no accounting for taste.) The Islamic shape (sixteen sided or so?) of the buildings, formed by overlapping circles and squares (I think?) is repeated all over the city, in the sidewalks, tiling, and buildings.
The trip up to the skybridge linking the two towers is actually free. Before ascending, you watch a video about the towers' construction, which is actually really, really interesting. Then a guide escorts your group up the elevator ride, providing additional narration that is timed to perfectly conclude at the opening of the doors. I was quite impressed.
Tangent: I haven't eaten at McDonald's, or any other U.S. chain restaurant yet, but I probably will soon. I'm amused how all the McDonald's here prominently post their "Ringgit McSaver Menu" (basically, the Malaysian equivalent of the Dollar Menu), featuring a grid of glossy photos captioned with "Hamburger," "Veggie Burger," and "Carbonated Beverage" (it's a Coke, splashing extravagantly into its brightly branded cup), among other selections. I'm also not sure how bothered I should be that "Veggie Burger" has an asterisk leading to a statement below: "Not a vegetarian product."
In the evening, we walked through and had dinner at the Petaling Street Market in Chinatown. I overheard a Caucasian girl ask a handbag booth vendor "Do you have Louis Vuitton bags? Like, huge ones"Oh mans.
We headed back to the Petronas towers after dinner. We laid down on the cool sidewalk in front of the towers, taking in their beauty and indulging in some crappy photography, but there's simply no way to squish the structures into an eloquent photo, especially with my (lack of) photo skills. The area seemed oddly deserted, save for the occasional office worker emerging after a late night. Upon walking around to the back of the buildings, where there are fountains and a park, we realized that the Kuala Lumpur Nuzzling Couples Club was occupying every bench, ledge, and scrap of lawn available.
I tried walking across some stepping stones through the fountain pool, which were clearly meant for walking, and got a whistle blown at me by a guard. I guess no walking on water after dark? Then I sat down on a swing in the playground, and got whistled at. I satisfied myself with sitting on a bench, watching the lighted fountain, until 9:50PM, when it promptly shut off, lights snapping off crisply and water jets going limp. Then minutes later, a rapidfire bursh of whistling, apparently signaling the close of the park, drove the crowd down into the metro station, to be whisked home.
Sunday, Oct. 17, 2006
First thing in the morning, we boarded a ferry back to the mainland, and then caught a bus to Kuala Lumpur. Overall, Malaysia has a fairly nice road system - in good condition, wide, paved, well-marked - but they seemed to have neglected to level out the road before paving, so there are all these small ripples and rolling hills in the otherwise flat asphalt. Watching the front of the bus from my seat, I watched the dashboard of the bus bob up and down, up and down... no wonder I still felt like I was on a boat.
Arrived in Kuala Lumpur in the evening. We walked to Merdeka (Freedom) Square, a meticulously maintained lawn flanked by interesting, historical buildings on all sides, blending Moorish and British architecture. In Kuala Lumpur, much of the city is lit at night, with soft white string lights hanging down from trees, outlining buildings, illuminating fountains, parks, and night markets.
We walked by Masjid (mosque) Jamek; the evning prayer call emanating from the mosque fell like a sheer scarf, drawn over and subtly blanketing the surrounding city bustle. In Sawit, I'd heard the prayer calls every day, but in a small village it felt different, more like a relatable element of daily life there. Here in Kuala Lumpur, it feels more like an exotic soundtrack to an exotic place, with highrise buildings, people in business suits, andthe monorail gliding by silently overhead.
Lastly, we went to Masjid Negara, the National Mosque, an angled blue dome with a 70m high tower. The grounds around the mosque are a serene, contemplative setting of fountains, benches, and trellises. Light on the white walls of the mosque reflected into the hazy sky, creating a soft blue glow around the mosque.
We planned a mellow day, visiting Lake Garden Park (the Central Park of KL). Barely anyone was there, perhaps because it was midday on a weekday. The park is nicely landscaped and well-maintained, but it has a definite element of bizarro. Speakers, regularly affixed to poles throughout the park, played Malaysian talk radio mixed with pop music, giving a sort of deserted-carnival feel to the place. We found an elaborate and varied children's playground and rode swings and seesaws, expecting the lady from last night to run out the bushes and blow her whistle at us. It began to rain, and we found a food stand, eating curry puffs and coconut pudding in a banana leaf box, as we waited for the shower to pass.
Monday, Oct. 18, 2006
We went to the Petronas Towers today, that icon of this city whose only previous impression on me has been from the movies Zoolander and Catherine Zeta Jones' butt in Entrapment. (I know, there's no accounting for taste.) The Islamic shape (sixteen sided or so?) of the buildings, formed by overlapping circles and squares (I think?) is repeated all over the city, in the sidewalks, tiling, and buildings.
The trip up to the skybridge linking the two towers is actually free. Before ascending, you watch a video about the towers' construction, which is actually really, really interesting. Then a guide escorts your group up the elevator ride, providing additional narration that is timed to perfectly conclude at the opening of the doors. I was quite impressed.
Tangent: I haven't eaten at McDonald's, or any other U.S. chain restaurant yet, but I probably will soon. I'm amused how all the McDonald's here prominently post their "Ringgit McSaver Menu" (basically, the Malaysian equivalent of the Dollar Menu), featuring a grid of glossy photos captioned with "Hamburger," "Veggie Burger," and "Carbonated Beverage" (it's a Coke, splashing extravagantly into its brightly branded cup), among other selections. I'm also not sure how bothered I should be that "Veggie Burger" has an asterisk leading to a statement below: "Not a vegetarian product."
In the evening, we walked through and had dinner at the Petaling Street Market in Chinatown. I overheard a Caucasian girl ask a handbag booth vendor "Do you have Louis Vuitton bags? Like, huge ones"Oh mans.
We headed back to the Petronas towers after dinner. We laid down on the cool sidewalk in front of the towers, taking in their beauty and indulging in some crappy photography, but there's simply no way to squish the structures into an eloquent photo, especially with my (lack of) photo skills. The area seemed oddly deserted, save for the occasional office worker emerging after a late night. Upon walking around to the back of the buildings, where there are fountains and a park, we realized that the Kuala Lumpur Nuzzling Couples Club was occupying every bench, ledge, and scrap of lawn available.
I tried walking across some stepping stones through the fountain pool, which were clearly meant for walking, and got a whistle blown at me by a guard. I guess no walking on water after dark? Then I sat down on a swing in the playground, and got whistled at. I satisfied myself with sitting on a bench, watching the lighted fountain, until 9:50PM, when it promptly shut off, lights snapping off crisply and water jets going limp. Then minutes later, a rapidfire bursh of whistling, apparently signaling the close of the park, drove the crowd down into the metro station, to be whisked home.
Sunday, Oct. 17, 2006
First thing in the morning, we boarded a ferry back to the mainland, and then caught a bus to Kuala Lumpur. Overall, Malaysia has a fairly nice road system - in good condition, wide, paved, well-marked - but they seemed to have neglected to level out the road before paving, so there are all these small ripples and rolling hills in the otherwise flat asphalt. Watching the front of the bus from my seat, I watched the dashboard of the bus bob up and down, up and down... no wonder I still felt like I was on a boat.
Arrived in Kuala Lumpur in the evening. We walked to Merdeka (Freedom) Square, a meticulously maintained lawn flanked by interesting, historical buildings on all sides, blending Moorish and British architecture. In Kuala Lumpur, much of the city is lit at night, with soft white string lights hanging down from trees, outlining buildings, illuminating fountains, parks, and night markets.
We walked by Masjid (mosque) Jamek; the evning prayer call emanating from the mosque fell like a sheer scarf, drawn over and subtly blanketing the surrounding city bustle. In Sawit, I'd heard the prayer calls every day, but in a small village it felt different, more like a relatable element of daily life there. Here in Kuala Lumpur, it feels more like an exotic soundtrack to an exotic place, with highrise buildings, people in business suits, andthe monorail gliding by silently overhead.
Lastly, we went to Masjid Negara, the National Mosque, an angled blue dome with a 70m high tower. The grounds around the mosque are a serene, contemplative setting of fountains, benches, and trellises. Light on the white walls of the mosque reflected into the hazy sky, creating a soft blue glow around the mosque.
posted by Stefanie at 3:35 AM
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