long weekend in KL

i have been keeping track of the things I have done for the past few days and have been shocked just how interesting KL is as a cosmopolitan city. It is a mix of east and west that allows on to one to enjoy very diverse mix of activities. i will recount the list of things i have done over the past three days, i hope this will give you an idea of why i think KL is so interesting

saturday
run though hartamas area
mandarin lesson with my chinese tutor
quick breakfast at a french bakery
salsa class with an indian dance instructor
shopping in an american bookstore where i was helped by a sri lankan sales clerk
massage with an indonesian masseuse.
take away indian from a restaurant filled with chinese families and a table of loud (drunk) japanese men.

sunday
breakfast at la bodega (spanish) where i had espresso, muesli, chicken tandoori and sangria
reflexology by a guy from china
shopping in low yat, the mecca of cheap computer hardware, software and dvds
lunch at a hawker place in bukit bingtan
walking in china town
coffee in starbucks while waiting for the thunderstorm to pass
bangsar night market for the sights, sounds and smells of a pasar malam.
dinner in hartamas square for tom yum (thai), sushi (japanese) and chicken satay (malay)

monday
slow breakfast in the french bakery
completely lost of the roads north of KL
a tour of the hindu temple at batu caves (great pictures of the monkeys)
lunch in a vegetarian indian resturant
stop for gas and a conversation in broken english/malay with a malay attendant
visit to a buddist temple, with a long sit listening to the rain and chinese music
dinner a devi’s corner (indian) for roti canai and chicken tandoori
coffee and chee-car-go cheese cake at the coffee bean

this is pretty much a standard long weekend here in KL, maybe a bit busier than normal, but KL is a city where you never need to be bored. there is always something happening and somewhere to go. it is also a city where you can go from place to place, stay relaxed, always have the chance to sit and eat or drink and just enjoy seeing other people happy and smiling.

life in the US simply does not have this much diversity. meeting people from cultures all over asia, as well as europe and the US is standard here. i have said hello, thank you, excuse me, good bye or some other simple social phrase in at least 5 languages this weekend. the pace of life is both slow and easy; and exciting and interesting. KL allows you to set your own pace and lets you choose almost type of food or activity to keep yourself busy.

i love this city. it is strange at times, but it’s a place that is easy to get used to living.