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“Planes vanishing and crashing. A Muslim extremist country and terrorist hiding spot. Filthy and unsanitary public toilets.” These are three most negative things that Helen Lund Kjelin heard about Malaysia.
Kjelin was planning a trip to Malaysia and came across numerous stories and anecdotes about how terrible the country is.
“I have heard many stories about Malaysia, mostly from tourists and mostly bad. They cautioned all travellers who are thinking about visiting Malaysia to think really hard. The mass media portrayal of the country is just as undesirable,” she told Theantdaily.
Her fellow traveller, Zandra Kulikovsky Hansen, concurred, saying, “They claim that a multitude of tourists have not been spared as even more fall victims to muggings and bag snatchers, human trafficking, kidnapping, African scams, rape and murder. The list just goes on.”
The negative claims did not deter these two 23-year-old Danish ladies, who, after considering everything, decided to go ahead with their plans to visit Malaysia.
“We both love challenges and so after hearing “some” nice things about the country, we thought, what the heck, why not? And thank God we did. Turned out, we uncovered surprises round each and every corner,” said Kjelin.
The first surprise Malaysia had to offer for Kjelin and Hansen, was something totally unexpected – Kuala Lumpur’s street cats.
In Kuala Lumpur, cats rule the dark alleys. Many of them have short tails and very few are neutered, and consequently, they sway their junk proudly with their short stumpy bent tails standing upright.
“We have never seen so many Oriental cats all at once. They are just about everywhere we go. They are an exquisite breed of felines. You would pay a lot of money for them anywhere else. It’s sad that for such an advanced country, animal welfare is more or less non-existent,” said Kjelin.
“At first, I thought that people have been torturing the poor animals and that had something to do with the condition of their tails,” Hansen added referring to the cat’s unique unformed tails.
According to them, Malaysia is like a virtual incarnation of religious and ethnic diversity, a veritable melting pot of racial and devotional groups that are able to live in harmony. It is far beyond anything they have seen.
“To see mosques sitting side by side with the lavish Hindu and Chinese temples, as well as churches and cathedrals, and other places of worship, all in one place, is just incredible,” Kjelin said.
They also expressed their delight that Kuala Lumpur turned out to be a cosmopolitan city with a diverse population of Malays, Chinese, Indians, Arabs, and an ample smattering of expats from around the globe.
“I have to say that I am in awe with Malaysia. Here is an “Islamic” country with a nightlife that can put any city in Europe to shame. It’s a place where the people party well into the wee hours of the morning and you can have a great time for just a few ringgit,” said Hansen.
Both ladies were also enthusiastic about the multitude of culinary delights Malaysia has to offer its visitors.
“The food is extraordinary. It is hot and spicy, pretty much Thai-like. In nearly all of the noodle and rice dishes that we tried, seafood played a role in them,” said Kjelin.
“You have not lived until you have experienced the delights of Kuala Lumpur’s street dining establishments offering food from around the world,” said Hansen.
“Yesterday, we found ourselves inching our way through a sea of party-goers at 2.30am. On the sidewalks at this ungodly hour, we also found tourists reclining on chemisettes, availing themselves of a foot massage, which a local told us that it only costs RM30,” said Kjelin.
“Everywhere, tourists share the space with locals, regardless of whether in the restaurants or in the bars, the Internet cafes or the 24-hour convenience stores, or even the late-night stalls. It was bizarre,” she added.
And yes, they also had a taste of Malaysia’s king of fruits.
“This is where we had our very first encounter with the stinky king of fruits, the infamous durian. Arrgh, it tastes exactly like how it smells,” said Kjelin.
While the durian was certainly a turn off, the two ladies were pleased with what they found in Malaysia.
“All in all, we had a marvellous time here in the capital city of Malaysia, a fascinating amalgam that offers a vast array of experiences. It is a city so distinct.
“It is the ideal city for a first time Asia-traveller to explore Asia safely, plus, the people are warm and hospitable, but most importantly, you get all of Asia here – all in this one country.” — Ace Emerson |
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Post time 25-2-2015 02:48 PM
变色卡
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by the time kita org habis makan tak tau la brapa jumpa penjual2 warga asing tu yg dtg meja we all. kawan aku pun dah naik malas kira. 
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