KL : Chinatown

Terminamos el paseo por la zona antigua de KL en Chinatown, donde venden ramos de peluches (Rilakkuma!! my favourite Japanese character) para las niñas y de rosas, para las amantes.

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KL old sights: Merdeka Square, Central Market

Aunque no sean lo mío los mercadillos, me gustan mucho las callejuelas. Las zonas antiguas de cualquier ciudad moderna, donde todavía se respira el espíritu que la vio nacer. Si en Malaga tenemos un centro de 1900, en KL tienen las casas coloniales y los contrastes de aquella época, que para bien o para mal, sigue muy vigentes hoy en día.

Sin poder entrar a la primera Mezquita (dada la longitud de mi falda, que no alcanzaba los tobillos) dimos un buen paseo en torno a las vistas más tradicionales de KL. Merdeka Square, podía estar en obras, pero no por ello perdía el encanto. De allí, caminamos hasta el Central Market, un antiguo mercado acuático que tras una inundación se aloja en el interior de un edificio.

Lo que más me llamó la atención, fueron las cometas con mucha diferencia. Resulta que en el Sudeste Asiático, las cometas son muy tradicionales y diferentes diseños corresponden a cada país, convirtiéndose en un símbolo de unidad entre diferentes países a la vez que una reafirmación de las características propias de cada isla, de cada cultura.

Creo que nunca había estado en un entorno TAN diverso como KL. Supongo que mi fascinación por la convivencia pacífica en la que conviven, diferentes etnias y religiones, hace que tenga ya tantas ganas de volver (^_^) a este país tan maravilloso.

Mientras llega la oportunidad, os dejo con unos snapshots de la zona antigua y el Mercado Central, que solía flotar sobre el agua (como en los mercados tradicionales de Bangkoko y Hong Kong) pero tras un incendio, pasó a ser edificio.

Merdaka Square es un lugar extrañamente encantador. Al menos cuando llegamos allí, no había por donde entrar, pero los edificios hablaban de una historia de contrastes entre los árabes residentes y las colonias Británicas.

Ladrillos, minaretes.



Señoras cubiertas.

Mientras tanto, hay quien se maravilla de un escudo que tenga esos maravillosos tigres que son autóctonos de estas islas y quizás algún día, llegue a ver en directo.

El tráfico es caótico. Cuesta horas moverse por la ciudad, pero aún así, no pierde el encanto.



Malaysia.



Pasamos una tarde muy entretenida, recorriendo callejuelas y tratando de arreglar el mundo, entre mi compañero de trabajo y yo.



Quizás no sea la mejor imagen, pero de alguna manera captura los contrastes de Kuala Lumpur. Donde los rascacielos se levantan junto a mezquitas, las mujeres llevan hijab con pestañas postizas y los extranjeros serpentean, con Vuittones falsos y brochetas en las manos.



Mientras tanto la mayoría... Espera pacientemente, a que el día a día, avance, lentamente (atención a la cola del bus...)



Tras unas vueltas por las Mezquitas de la ciudad, nos dejamos caer por el Mercado Central.



Tan multi-kulti como KL. Bolsos muy árabes.



Cerámicas muy indias.

Cometas, muy autóctonas. 

Sabíais que las cometas son algo muy característico del Sudeste Asiático? Tanto es así que Axiata (un gigante de las telecomunicaciones, presente en muchos países de la zona) utiliza las cometas como metáfora del pluralismo cultural de los OpCos de los que se compone.

Éste, es el model Malaysia.



Saris y hijabs. Todo en la misma tienda.





Una vuelta por las mil y una noches...



...y acabamos de compras con lo mejor de China, Korea & Japón. Al final, no hace falta viajar tanto cuando tienes todos los souvenir de la zona en KL :P

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KLCC - Petronas Twin Towers

PETRONAS, short for Petroliam Nasional Berhad, is a Malaysian oil and gas company founded in 1974. These chicks are built on the finest oil, you see...

Wholly owned by the Government of Malaysia, the corporation is vested with the entire oil and gas resources in Malaysia. Ranked among Fortune Global 500's largest corporations in the world, 75th largest, 12th most profitable in the world and THE MOST profitable in Asia.

The signature of their success are the Petronas Twin Towers. Tallest buildings in the world from 1998 to 2004, landmark of Kuala Lumpur, along with the nearby Kuala Lumpur Tower (which reminds of the Shanghai Pearl Tower, if you ask me). 

Thing is that they were within walking distance from Royal Park, so why not getting there after work?

On the top of each tower is a pinnacle standing 73.5 metres (241 ft) tall. Each took 19 weeks to construct, one in Japan and the other in Korea. Each pinnacle is composed of 50 unique parts making up the main components: the spire, mast ball and ring ball. Together these parts weigh 176 tons. They may seem to be an aesthetic feature of the towers to enhance their presence and height, they also play function to aircraft warning lights and are an essential element to the overall Islamic minaret design that the towers embody.

The floor plan of the Towers evolves into a Rub el Hizb symbol. Very Arabic yet futuristic sight, perfect crystallisation of what KL represents, in itself.

The area around the Petronas is called KLCC, Kuala Lumpur City Centre. It is a Ginza wannabe that reminds a lot of Hong Kong. With less people and fancier feeling than HK, it is still packed and random. There are skyscrapers literally built on top of each other. You can tell. There was a BOOM and then money, well, stopped flowing in.

The view from my room - 18th floor of the Royal Park Hotel - was quite charming, to say the least. Overlooking the Times Square wannabe managed to show where I was and were I wanted to be - at the glowing Pearl, in front of me.



In the streets, tropical clashes with asphalt creating a modern jungle, framed on the monorail, a parade of cars and luxury malls.





Buildings and screens, clashing on top of each other.



Greenery in between.



Kids parks.



Public pool. Can you spot mummy on bright hijab? As muslim you go covered, even to the beach.

During the walk, we came across several public parks, pools and playgrounds. Showing the human side of the big city. Portraying the multiculturalism that characterises Malaysia. Where one third of the population is Chinese, the other third Malay and the remainder mostly Indian along with other ethnicities. The Country religion is officially Islam but well, anyone can freely chose what they would like to follow.

It's amazing vibe on the streets. The lady working at our office's reception wore a hijab with full-on Japanese Gyaru make-up (talking contacts, fake eyelashes and heavy duty everything else). Others go around in burka or turban. Everyone respects each other. Friday after lunch, everyone will be praying.  They'll come late to the meeting. It is normal. Prayer time is sacred. From this Monday on, don't expect much, as Ramadan just kicked off. Time in this country is well, somewhat elastic. Be prepared to wait.

Malaysia has had one of the best economic records in Asia, with GDP growing an average 6.5 per cent annually from 1957 to 2005. In 2011, the GDP was about $450B, 3rd largest economy in ASEAN and the 29th in the world. International trade, facilitated by the shipping route in adjacent Strait of Malacca, and manufacturing are the key sectors, besides exporting of natural and agricultural resources, such as petroleum.

Remember the Malaysia Truly Asia campaign? 

It was the result of Government push to increase tourism to Malaysia. Which has now become the 3rd largest source of foreign exchange. Malaysia has been listed as one of the best place to retire in the world with the country stand at the third position on the Global Retirement Index (yep, there is such thing). This as one of the result of the Malaysia My Second Home programme (that I saw advertised at the airport, thinking it was a cheesy name for a desperate Real State Agent) to allow foreigners to live in the country on a long-stay visa for up to 10 years.

Even in KLCC, the core City Centre of KL, one can catch a glipmse of the everyday life. The locals with their kids, the teens with their new loves and those Business Men getting drunk as stress relief.



My colleague promised to bring me up high. I didn't quite understand what he meant... Till we were there, at Marini's on 57th almost as high as the Petronas.



Boy, THAT was a nice evening.



Reminded me SO MUCH of those fancy clubs that gorgeous Natsuki used to take me to. Packed with cool drinks and drunk myNameIsBillAndIworkInFinance expats.



We managed to get a spot by the window. So we stayed for dinner. The menu was mainly finger-food but hey, they got a green salad, fine for me... Who cares about food when you have that view?


Shocking view. Man. I sat on the cab, on the way from the airport to Royal Park. 1 thing on my mind.

I MISS TOKYO, BRING ME BACK TO JAPAN.

I MISS IT ALL. SO MUCH. IT BREAKS MY HEART.

Someone told me, that I seem to belong to Asia. At this point - 3 months after coming back, when I clearly see that this is not a drill, but happened for real - is when I collapse. Trips like this, bring me back to life. Working with Asians on daily basis, helps me get by.

I cannot handle being away from it too much. It's a parallel world that's addictive for a socio-cultural voiyeur like me. It's just so amazingly fun to observe. To be amazed every day. To learn new words, to speak on strange language. The big city, the bright lights, the skyscrapers, the red flickering lights at night, the salaryman, the endless glasses of red wine at dusk, the fancy spots, the perfect ladies, the gaijin Businessmen trying hard to catch one.

However, events like last weekend... Make me reflect. Look at the bigger picture. My friend got married and my mum had her Birthday.  For once, I was home when I should. Which had not been the case during the past years in Asia.

There is no good choice, whichever I pick... I lose. Doomed to switch back and forth between one and other, I have decided to stop thinking and take things, as they come. Now I'm here and will enjoy the home side of life. Tomorrow, I might be gone again, into a new adventure on the other side. 

The more you move, the less you belong. The harder it is to find, that sweet peaceful spot where you feel at ease, that you can call home. Ask me. I will keep pointing at the White Palace. 

Since our arrival to Spain, everything has been chaotic, regarding the house, the parental invasion, the many things breaking, the sudden notifications of overseas tax & legal issues... We have not landed yet. I keep wondering, whether I'll ever do so. I might as well keep floating, till the next exciting journey. Time will tell. For the time being, I'm just glad with this view - it was not Enrique's camera but didn't look so bad, right?

帰りたいな。

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