It never fails to stir a feeling of excitement and nostalgia when the plane banks in to touchdown in KLIA, Sepang. I left Kuala Lumpur more than forty years ago to settle in the Land below the Wind, the further-most Malaysian state, Sabah, located on Borneo Island across the South China Sea.
The KL of today is very different from the KL I used to know. There were no such gargantuan traffic jams and of course there were no flyovers. The roads were safe to walk. I sometimes walked home from school if I didn't have enough bus fare. My school, the Methodist Girls' School is located next to the National mosque (there was no mosque when I was at school) and home was in one of the roads off Imbi Road.The Petronas Twin Towers, the KL Tower, the Light Rail Transit, the KLIA, all these didn't exist. Even Parliament House was not there and the Lake Gardens were tranquil, silent and inviting. We used to go for nature walks with our science teacher, Mrs Symes and she introduced us to the different species of trees in the Lake Gardens, which was only a stone's throw from our school. Now Lake Gradens is criss-crossed with roads and buildings, leaving very little of the original green paradise. It was also a lovers' paradise where lovebirds used to park at night without fear of being robbed or raped by predators.
KL is now a huge metropolis with roads that I am no longer familiar with and I tend to get lost if I'm driving. Driving in KL is a nightmare, especially if you are not familiar with the roads because the moment you slow down to take your bearings, you are honked at, from left and right as the vehicles weave around you. Road signages are not of much help as some of them leave you wondering whether it is the road before the sign or the one after, that you are supposed to take.
Once we were driving to Malacca and we followed the road signs, confident that we would reach our destination within the average time of 2 hours. Unfortunately, the signs soon disappeared and we didn't know which direction we were supposed to go. We went round and round and eventually we found our way to the North-South highway which would take us to Malacca. It took us almost 4 hours to reach Malacca!!!
Despite the cars, despite the fears engendered by well-meaning friends who send emails detailing the horrors of snatch thefts, crimes, etc, the feeling of insecurity when walking along the streets of KL, it feels good to be home.
A visit is never complete without a walk down Petaling Street, the Chinatown of KL where all kinds of ware are on offer, albeit the stalls are mostly manned by foreigners. This is the feature that detracts, that takes away the identity of Petaling Street. I used to like to wander slowly down the street taking my time looking at the knick knacks, the food and fruit stalls, etc etc but now that these are manned by foreigners who often are rude and crude, I no longer feel at ease and the essence of Petaling Street, which once was there has now disappeared. Now I just make a beeline for the shop to make my purchase and then I leave, no more lingering.
Central Market, which once was a wet market, has improved in its stalls and ambience. The handicraft stalls, the stalls that sell snacks from out of state, and the small boutiques are an attractive alternative to Petaling Street. Here one can browse in air-conditioned comfort and locals man the kiosks and stalls. Souvenirs abound for visitors wanting to take a piece of Malaysia home with them.
The food stalls that are ubiquitious still draw a large clientele. The Madras Lane, a small lane parallel to Petaling Street still houses some delicious food stalls. I used to frequent these stalls for lunch after school. The ice-kacang ( a concoction of shaved ice, red beans, black jelly, cream corn, gula melaka (palm sugar ), cendol, atap seed and red syrup ) is still as good and so are the curry laksa and yong tau foo ( vegetables and taufoo stuffed with fish paste). They are quickly sold out and during the lunch hour, seats are hard to come by. You will be sweating even as you are eating but the heated atmosphere does not deter the patrons.
The small wet market in the narrow lane leading to Madras Lane is still there, with locals selling meat, vegetables and live chicken. There is also a stall that sells roasted pork. The roasted pork shank and trotters are very good for certain dishes.
Another push cart sells roast duck. Four-eyed guy as he is known, sells very good roast duck and they are always sold out very early in the afternoon.
The hawker food in Petaling Street is good. I love the pohpiah (fresh spring rolls containing shredded turnip, beansprouts, cucumber & lettuce ), the local black coffee, the muar chi ( glutinous paste smothered with pounded peanuts ) that melts in your mouth, the kai yah ( coconut/egg jam ) which is very aromatic and smooth, the kuay teow soup ( white flat noodles with fish balls ) and many more. The hokkien mee which is available only in the evening is delicious. Special porridge is available in the morning with the crispy crullers ( old man's bones or yau char kuih), the wan tan mee, etc etc.... the mere mention of these food makes me salivate already. Even though I'm now in KL, I will not have the time to savour my favorite food as I'm here to attend a seminar, yet another one, in pursuit of knowledge.
Yes, the desire to learn is insatiable. There is always another time for food, when I will happily traipse around with my younger sister to savor the innumerable food that is readily available. Mind you, it has to be good otherwise it leaves me feeling very dissatisfied. I've left bowls of hardly-eaten food because I found it unpalatable and gone on to other stalls.
Kuala Lumpur....I love you, for all your color, your offerings, your noisy, unbearable traffic jams, and the ever-changing skyline. You never cease to excite and it is always good to come home.
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