REVISITING KUALA LUMPUR

A 4-day Memory Lane trip to KL

15-18 August, 2015

Flight route BKK-KUL

Returning to a place you lived in before can be a heart-breaking experience. It may also bring back memories or you may even encounter people you were familiar with. It has indeed a double-sided effect.

I am just back from KL, a city I lived and worked for ten years. One cannot stay that long in a place without keeping a long-lasting affinity with it. I had already gone back a few times since I left. But for some reason this time became more special bringing a mixed feeling of joy and some disappointment too.

Nevertheless, I left KL with a strong feeling of fulfillment after meeting so many friends and people I know. It also gave me the opportunity to visit places I had not been to before even though I lived there for so long ! The places I went specifically are :

• The Islamic Arts Museum
• Majdid Jamek (Jamek Mosque)
• Majdid Negara (National Mosque of Malaysia)
• The International School of Kuala Lumpur (ISKL)
• And finally, I explored on foot the city heritage trail with my cameras.

Most of these places will get a section of their own after this intoductory statement.

The best way to talk about a place is undoubtedly to go back there and write down your impressions straight away.

International satellite

Arriving in Malaysia is easy and stressless. The Immigration do not require filling a form anymore. Just show your passport by choosing the right lane. The International Airport of Kuala Lumpur (KLIA) has added a new terminal for low-cost airlines (KLIA 2). But it clearly remains one of the most pleasant and beautiful airports, not only in the region but also worldwide. Its modern design mixed with a touch of the country green environment is truly unique. It is spotlessly clean, efficient and amazingly quiet and peaceful. If you are a seasoned traveler used to other regional hubs like Bangkok, Singapore or Hong Kong, KLIA remains a world of its own. 

KL public transportation has increased substantially too. Now, you can commute on all its extensive network with the same ticket at a very reasonable price. KLCC Park is still a wonderful place to go. The Petronas Twin Towers may not be the highest buildings in the world anymore but their style remains uncommon and futuristic. Suria KLCC, which is the shopping-mall below, is

Suria KLCC at night

still a happening place to see. Bukit Bintang's new mall called Pavilion is the other shopping landmark in town these days. In the same area, nearby Jalan Alor remains the all night's star on the hill. (In Malay, Bukit Bintang means 'Star Hill'). This mostly Chinese street of all foods becomes alive after sunset until the wee hours. This is where I had dinner for almost every evening while living in KL. Soon after I first arrived in the city as a (still) young teacher, our highschool principal, who now lives in Chiang Mai, took the group of his highschool new recruits to Jalan Alor to test how these guys would react at eating Asian street-food ! This is when I discovered the true taste of chicken-wings, the best ever !... The food in KL, and particularly at Jalan Alor, is a legend ! So, I went back to my favorite stall. The old Chinese lady that used to cook for me was still there and she recognized me straight away ! I ordered my usual char kway teow ('stir-fried ricecake strips'), a noodle dish with a glass of freshly squeezed lemonade. Of course next evening, I went back to Jalan Alor to get chicken wings and also an oyster omelet with a glass of fresh fruit juice.

At Jalan Alor

Bukit Bintang was the place I lived for nine years. (I stayed at Ampang Hill the first year). But this was my main disappointment due to the road construction going on there. On the other hand, I also felt it had been downgraded. There were no more music bands in the evening. The hearty feeling of walking along Bukit Bintang Walk had gone : modern glass stalls have reduced the size of the sidewalk and the crowd looked so different too. Hopefully, when the planned construction is over, it will regain its past glamor.

The cityscape changes fast these days. In Europe, there has been a strong lasting movement to embellish the look of city centers. Chance is it might also be the case in KL. Chinatown has lost a bit of its past charm. Friends told me it is now run by migrant workers. Yet, it is still a pleasant experience to visit Central Market or admire some of the historical townhouses in the old heritage section of town near Merdeka Square (Independence Square). It seems there is a general trend to keep on preserving this area. Several buildings have already been revamped. Hopefully, this will continue. It would certainly be a good idea to consider classifying this part of town as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. At this point of time, I am not sure local people realize how valuable this is.

Whatever the touch of disappoinment may have been, it does not eradicate the happy feeling of being back to Kuala Lumpur, 'the Garden City of Lights'.

Christian Sorand

KL panorama from KLCC Park