Sheldon Family Adventure: South South East Asia

Kaula Lumpur, Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur was our next stop after Thailand. Eventhough Malayasia is connected to and considered part of South East Asia it didn't look or feel like the Asian countries to it's north. China was Chinese, Vietnam was very Vietnamese, Cambodia was Cambodian and Malaysia well... it was Muslim/Islam, Indian/Hindi and Chinese/Buhdist. 1 Malaysia, three distinct cultures.

Every where around the city we saw posters, billboards, bumperstickers, t-shirts, magazine covers, coffee mugs, key chains, etc, with a thick number 1 colored like the Malaysia flag and the word Malaysia after so it reads 1Malaysia.

On our first day we explored Merdeka Square where we found a government building that made us feel like we should be in Arabia not SE Asia with beautiful Moorish/Mogul design. Across the street is the Royal Sangalor Club that looks like it was brought directly from Amsterdam. This building remains from the Dutch occupation of Malaysia. It was and still is today an exclusive club for gentlemen to sip scotch, talk politics and play an occasional game of cricket. So if you look to your left you might think you are in Arabia and if you look right, Amsterdam yet all the while you are in Kuala Lumpur. 1 Malaysia.

The Royal Sangalor Club

A few blocks from Merdeka Square is Chinatown. Chinatown doesn't need any explaination since it looks and feels just like any other Chinatown around the globe. Food stalls, imitation bags, watches and sunglasses for sale, Chinese medicine stores, tailors and right in the middle of all this Chinese culture we found a large and brightly decorated Hindu temple. 1Malaysia.

Hindu Temple right in the middle of Chinatown.

The "newer" part of town, the part where a ferocious appitite for development is satciated by tearing down "old" and building new, bright, fancy, tall buildings such as the iconic Petronas Twin Towers. This part of KL looks and feels like any other major city with international corporate highrises, megamalls, high-end retailers, and restaurants. The biggest difference here from say New York City is the women. Muslim ladies covered from head to toe alongside Indian ladies dressed in saris with red dots on their foreheads alongside western women in suits going to and from their daily activities. The men dress like typical men but it's their face and skin color that distinguish on culture from another.