Kuala lumpur

My apologies to all of you who have been trying to contact me via internet. Anyway, not much has happened of note. I have been eating mainly "Western" food and gradually edging in to more Asian delicacies. Needless to say, Tony Roma's doesn't really lend itself to the exotic Malaysian flair. I did feel at home though when I had a "Texan" burger at Chili's (a cheeseburger with "jalapeno sauce" and "tortilla strips"...not recommended.) Last night I had some pretty fantastic Thai food. I ambled to the bathroom soon afterward.

So far, I have been in a pretty commercialized part of K.L. I asked some of Villie's friends if there were any locations or sights that represented Malaysian "culture" (whatever that means), and they told me that really it was their food. A certain dish I have yet to try is their "national treasure" called Nasi Lamak. I don't know what's in it yet...I probably never will.

It is hot, but really not any hotter than Texas. It's the humidity that kills you. Even though I am in a commercialized section of K.L. (I have been in many "megamalls," i.e. seven-floor consumerist monstrosities--paeans to the inevitable spread of capitalism), I have noticed alongside centers of affluence, abject poverty. Flanking a road to the center of the city for example, sit rows of abandoned and degenerate housing complexes. Across from four and five-star hotels are colorful tenement buildings, a small park for the children to play in next to an intersection. A dirty river cuts through the scene. Nestled amidst sprawling shopping centers and five-story car parks are dilapidated homes, the stubborn hold-outs of a rampant revitalization campaign.

Just as with many, if not most, of the post-industrial cities of the U.S., Kuala Lumpur is a classic case of "urban revitalization." Here's how it works in a nutshell: the city or federal government buys decaying city infrastructure from the urban poor, then offers the land at a discounted price to urban developers. The urban developers usually raze the infrastructure (i.e. poor housing) in order to erect new, commercial enterprises: shops, services, etc. for the more wealthy city-goers. The poor are displaced, and usually, depending on government policy, are provided money and housing in return for relinquishing their property.

What usually happens? The poor are displaced, not offered comparable housing or payment, pushed to the outside of the city, and the inner city is reconstructed to fit the consumerist dictates of a post-industrial society. K.L. has an added interest in doing this since the inner city is a prime tourist location (the Petronas Towers, etc.)

Interestingly, the rich/poor dichotomy is reflected even in the "megamalls," albeit on a smaller scale. One can easily cross from a Chanel retailer to "Jusco," a poor department store. The lower one goes in Jusco, it appears, the poorer the clientele.

That being said, K.L. is, not surprisingly, rather diverse. Chinese Malaysians walk alongside, Indian Malaysians, walk alongside Malaysian Malaysians, etc., etc. English is spoken predominantly here, or what can be construed as English. I have found myself tempted, many a time, to gesticulate wildly and enunciate as I order something like "creme brulee" (which came back to me as a blueberry crumble.)

My knowledge of Malay is poor. I was corrected on how to say "hello" at a gas station. But there is no such thing as "hello" in Malay. Really there are "good morning," "good afternoon," "good evening" and "good night." I said "good afternoon" and this woman deemed it to be "evening." Difference of opinion I'd argue. On the whole, people are very nice or rather rude. Some will be accommodating, others will act as though you are requesting a Herculean effort for them to turn around and get you a bottle of water. Very well. Small talk is kept to a minimum, and so it is sometimes difficult NOT to be the obnoxious American. I have found that even if they can't understand what you're saying, as long as you smile you have a good chance of getting what you need.

On the whole, I really like it here, and it is rather beautiful, even the poorer bits (but then, as an anthropologist, of course I would find those equally if not more beautiful). I will post more as I push out of the general radius and explore both the overlaying and underlying composition of Malaysia. Check back soon.

Trey