Not like before

Life today is not like before where one does not feel suspicious of the strangers around you.
In the old days, after attending Latin classes in the afternoons, I used to walk home from Jalan Ampang to Jalan Imbi and I never felt unsafe during the long walk. These days, you hear of cars or vans coming alongside, stopping and then pushing their victims into their vehicles.

Then there are the reported cases of taxi drivers abducting and raping their female passengers, sometimes killing them as well. Snatch theives on motor bikes have maimed and even caused the deaths of their victims. All these reports whether from the newspapers or well-intentioned warnings through emails have left me with a phobia.

I feel very insecure in Kuala Lumpur now, the city where I grew up. I use a taxi only when necessary and then my heartbeats go faster and I pray to arrive safely at my destination. Yesterday I went to Imbi Plaza. Before I went, I debated whether to take a taxi or to drive there. Jalan Bukit Bintang and the surrounding areas are usually full of cars and it is very difficult to find a parking space. My fear of taxis got the better of me and I decided to take a chance on driving there and finding somewhere to park.

Driving in Kuala Lumpur is by no means easy, with the cars driving past you at great speed from both sides and the motor cycles whizzing by or weaving in and out of the traffic. The noise some of them make when they rev their engines often makes me jump out of my skin, especially when they come close to my car. I've read of motor cyclists hitting and breaking the side windows just to grab the ladies' bags, so that was another fear I had to contend with while I was waiting at the traffic lights. I now have fear of and great dislike for motor cyclists, especially when their feats are invisible behind their helmets. To me, each one is a potential thug out to snatch and to harm.

After being "pushed" along by the bumper to bumper traffic, I finally found myself in the vicinity of Jalan Bukit Bintang and there was an open car park where the former cinema Pavilion once stood, at the junction of Bukit Bintang and Jalan Pudu. So I went in there and parked and then walked to look for Imbi Plaza.

Locating it was another challenge. Passers-by gave me directions that often sent me in opposite directions. Finally and after not a few fear-filled moments, especially when walking through back alleys I found Imbi Plaza. It was so run-down that I nearly made a U-turn to go back but I was told I could get something at a cheaper price there. This was certainly my first and last visit to this place.

Then I made my way back to the car park and asked for directions to get back home, as I wasn't sure if I could make a right turn at the traffic lights. I was told I could, so I did and landed in a mile-long traffic jam with impatient drivers trying to cut in from left and right. I'm a very stubborn person and I absolutely hate it when people try to cut in front of me simply because they are impatient and cannot queue up just like the rest of us. This even happens in Kota Kinabalu. I resolutely refused to let anyone barge in and finally I managed to get home, unscathed and without any untoward incidents.

In the evening my daughter and I decided that we would have our dinner in Chinatown, or Petaling Street. We went there before it got dark because of my phobias. We parked at one end of Petaling Street, in an open car park. There were still many cars there so I reckoned it would be quite "safe". We made our purchases of barbecued meat before settling down along the five foot pathway to have our Hokkien Mee. This stall was recommended by my brother sometime back. We had to wait a while but when it came, we fell to it with gusto. It tasted good. However the drinks we ordered, "Kat Chai Swin Mui" waas very sour and not up to the general standard. By the time we finished our dinner it was dark.

Petaling Street was beyond recoginition. It was very different during the day. By night, there was hardly any space for us to walk as the tiny stalls were arranged in three rows and passers-by had to squeeze in the narrow spaces in between. It didn't look like those who were out to get bargains would have a good time checking out the goods. It was so crammed. It was worse than the Ladies Night Market in Hong Kong. At least there was sufficient place for customers to browse and buy. Petaling Street at night is a nightmare.

We walked along the five foot way outside the shops and this, if not crowded with wares as well, allowed us to make faster progress down the street. When we reached the car park it was dark and there were a couple of spot lights shining. How safe it still was, was uppermost in my mind. We quickly got into our car and made our way home. I certainly would not recommend anyone, especially ladies unless they are in a large group to wander about at night in Chinatown.

Nevertheless, Kuala Lumpur is still where I grew up and although it has changed beyond recognition in many places, I still love it and I love to come to KL as it is fondly known for it is such a vibrant place and there are lots of good food, especially hawker fare or stall food which is not available in Kota Kinabalu. Food is what I come back for. It's the stall food that beckons, not the restaurants, for therein lie the authentic local food. I'm already looking forward to my next trip here.

Spa in Hokkaido

Soaking in a spa whether at the end of a day or early morning is a way of life in Japan, so the tour guide said.

The group of us were eagerly anticipating a relaxing time in the spa at the end of the day, having arrived in Hakodate, Hokkaido that evening from Narita airport where we had first landed after a long flight from Kuala Lumpur.

However the guide's next words resulted in a collective gasp from the women and snickers from some of the guys.

He said that everyone goes into the spa in our birthday suits. Then he clarified that the women have their own spa on a different floor in the hotel, away from the men's which was located on another floor. We will find kimonos and outer jackets in our rooms and we have to change into these before proceeding to the spa. He went to great pains to instruct us how to put on the kimono, the left side having to overlap the right and how to tie the waist band. We have to take our bath towels and a small face towel with us and when we enter the spa, there is an area where we will have to deposit our towels and undress.

Then, in our birthday suits we will go to the area where we have to wash before entering the pool. He advised us not to soak beyond twenty minutes as the temperature of the water can be very hot and there is the possibility that we would feel faint. Then he told us to behave as if we are used to being naked before others and we should not be shy or draw attention to ourselves by keeping our heads down or try to cover up with our hands. He said that the Japanese are very open-minded and there is nothing to be abashed about. No one will stare or look at us if we dont stare or look at anyone. No one is allowed to take any pictures of the spa.

After checking in, I was uncertain about having a soak in the spa. I was feeling rather uneasy as I have never undressed before strangers, let alone walk naked from the "undressing" area to the place to shower before entering the spa. Then I thought..... what the heck! There's always a first time and besides, everyone will be of the same sex. This is what Japan is renowned for, soaking in spas and every hotel had a spa. It would be silly not to experience it. So I donned the kimono and outer jacket, and armed with the two towels, I marched resolutely to the lift. There I saw one of my tour group members. This lady was around my age so we went down to the spa floor together. On the way down she told me, " I've never been to a spa. Must be naked, so what? After all we are already so old, what's there to be shy? We are all women, all alike....we have to make use of this opportunity......silly not to go.......etc etc"

I concurred with her and then in mutual silence we made our way to the spa. I was feeling very nervous but my companion had given me some measure of confidence. We were greeted by polite Japanese girls whose soft voices reeled off sounds which we could not understand. So we just smiled and nodded. We saw the shelves and baskets where we had to place our towels and kimonos and jackets. Then, carefully averting our eyes from each other's body, we made our way to the shower cubicles.

There were stools in each cubicle which was separated by a very low tiled wall and there was a range of shampoos and body soaps, etc plus brushes and a shower. So we sat down and completed our ablutions. Then we made our way to the pools. We stepped into the pool closest to us and sat down quickly so that the water came up to our chins and effectively hid our bodies from sight. The steam from the pool and the warm temperature lulled us into companionable silence. It felt good, the warm water moving against my body. The tightness eased from my shoulders and I felt very relaxed, almost a floating sensation.

The guide was right. No one looked at us, no one paid any attention to us. There were other women in the spa and some had their children with them. Of course they were little girls and they were very natural, having a soak with their mothers. There were four to five pools in this spa and each pool was quite big. There were only the two of us in our pool and after fifteen minutes I could feel my head getting heavy and I decided to call it a night.

I felt very drowsy and after a quick wash at the shower, I put on the kimono and outer jacket and returned to my room. That night I slept very soundly, feeling nice, warm and very relaxed. It was not a bad experience after all. In fact it felt good to be naked, free of the cumbrance of clothing. The feeling was exhilirating.