KL Thoughts

KL Thoughts

Returned to KL today to find the whole city enveloped in haze. After spending almost three consecutive weeks in the pleasant climate of Bangkok, I have forgotten how humid and suffocating the weather is back here. Coupled with the smoggy environment, it is quite intolerable. Among all the cities that I frequent in South East Asia, I think KL has the most unpleasant weather.

Even though Jakarta is a lot more polluted, the climate is actually quite pleasant. Although blue skies are a rarity, there's none of that stifling heat that KLites have to live with. Every city has a smell of its own: in KL, the trains smell different from those in Bangkok and Singapore--here for some reason, one can always detect a peculiar odour of sweat mingled with leftover food.

But KL is not all negative. I love the mamak stalls and the colourful multiracial crowd; I enjoy listening to people speaking good "proper" Malay and I never cease to marvel at the prosperity of its people. KL is so green compared to Jakarta and Bangkok, and there's also so much unused space. Surprisingly food is also relatively cheap compared to Jakarta.

KL is not too bad. I spent almost ten years working and studying here. At one time, I thought I'd never consider living anywhere else. But these days, I'm not so sure...