Culture Shock and Observations

I confess that somehow I am feeling rather tired and bored of shopping malls; they seem to not have the allure (for lack of a better word) that they used to have. Perhaps it is because I am used to the lack of malls in London (or the UK, really). Cannot stop reminding to myself how Pyramid (rather, the whole concept of Sunway Resort) is modelled after Sun City in South Africa, or that Times Square has a building which is rather similar (in fact, I dare say a carbon copy) of some building in Bishopsgate St, London.

That Bangsar Telawi is... dead. Perhaps it was because its the Christmas weekend? And that Mont Kiara had changed a lot, too. The German restaurant appears to have shut down, and so has the Gloria Jeans coffee (which I liked rather a lot). Avenue K is still as empty as ever. Time Square seems to have evolved into a copy of Sungai Wang, except that it is a lot more cleaner (newer is the better word) and more spacious (with still too many empty stores).

Tony Roma’s appears interesting, although the idea that I cannot sample their baby rack ribs which I last had a good few years ago in Los Angeles irks me.

That there are more (or at least, that is what I think) Indian and Malay La-la Chais and La-la Muis than ever before. Who said that the ethnic groups are segregated?

Laundry is a disappointment. I don't know why, but I was expecting something... themed. Not just a lot of chairs and tables scattered about with a clubbing atmosphere inside. No, I was thinking something with lots of whitewashed cloth, or quirky fabrics hanging all about. And thus was disappointed and lost the mood to club; instead quickly made way to Winter Warmer (or however you call it) for a refreshing ice blended tea.

Hyper levels of inflation. My plate of seafood egg noodles (wa tan hor) at a typical Chinese hawker stall came up to RM5. Unbelievable! Or wait, my plate of nasi biriyani with deer meat, which came up to a princely RM14. No, something is NOT right somewhere.

Malaysian drivers (and Malaysian road systems and signages) are just as bad as ever. Was forced to emergency brake today when a car going at no faster than 30km/h tried to switch into my lane where I was doing three times that speed, with probably less than 100 metres to spare. Not to mention the many assholes who haven't discovered the signal lights. Or to mention the people who suddenly shoot out of their parking lots, and shoot your dirty, furious stares should you dare honk at their imperial majesties.

And oh, the joys of actually realising after reading the signboards that oh no, it is too late, you are in the bloody wrong lane and there is no way of turning left because you picked to go right before the wording on the signboard because sufficiently big enough to read. And getting lost for a good amount of time thanks to that.

More culture shocks and rants to follow in the new year... Merry Christmas everyone! Feliz Navidad!