My last trip to KL really wasn't that long ago in December but it was a day trip so I was in a rush to get a quick look around the city area, especially my client's properties. I had more time to explore this time and the experience was different.
I returned home a charmed tourist and KL exceeded my expectations for sure. It is an up and coming city yet it possesses the old school elements that Singapore has since lost a long time ago. Ironically, I miss pasaar malam stores that offer amazingly cheap buys, the uneven pavements that are full of holey traps and good ol' shopping malls that aren't overtly designed with glass, and only glass.
Singapore has not kept anything old in its original form. Even places like Chinatown and supposedly “preserved” heritage places have undergone some forms of renovations or another that have inevitably eroded the original essence of what it used to be. Even the pasaar malams today are "classier" and sell things that are more expensive and can easily be purchased in any heartland malls.
The reason Singapore struggles with letting go of the past completely is obviously due to the lack of space. So I think KL is in a "good position" now because the current phase of development is a balance of the old and new. I hope the change will not cause it to be all cold and grey, like most cosmopolitan cities of today are.
Security was still a worry though and I made a point to cling on tightly to my handbag wherever I went. I heard horror stories about how people got robbed even when they were in their cars only for a couple of seconds waiting for the traffic lights to turn green. So valuables must be placed in positions where snatch and grab will not be made possible. ER also mentioned that she can't travel alone because loading and unloading in the carpark now takes at least 5 minutes with the baby and it makes her an easy target to be mugged. Times like these, I do appreciate Singapore a whole lot more. It is possibly the only country in the world where we can use our laptops to reserve seats and still them find intact upon return.
This is Pavilion shopping centre where I met up with ER for lunch on my second day. It is huge and houses many brands under one roof, including luxury names that are not found in Singapore. The natural lighting and spaciousness definitely help to ensure shoppers are in their best of moods.
Photos of The Saujana Hotel in Subang. The service is great and the environment is very pleasant. Honestly, it isn't a spectacular resort that I can't find anywhere else in a tropical country, the novelty lies in how I am not a golfer so the chances of me staying in a resort with two championship golf courses right at the doorstep is practically zero. The prices are reasonable too so I strongly recommend it to avid golfers for their next visit to KL. Oh and it was awesome that MAS complex was only a max 15 minutes drive away.
On the way to KLIA, I had the time to sit back, relax and appreciate the vast landscape of Malaysia. I love billboards and think it is a pity that we don't have them here. Advertisements will be brought up to a new level of experience.
Do wish I have the ability to cramp more photos in this entry but blogspot is defiant. I'll see what i can do in later entries.
