Muddy City!

My older son Ming, my hub and I arrived in Kuala Lumpur ("lumpur" means muddy) late on 10th Dec and met our my daughter at the airport as she arrived at the same from Shanghai. Can't tell you how happy we were! Wey arrived the next day, and the family was complete. Mandarin Oriental Hotel is 20 steps away from KLCC and we spent our first afternoon in the fantastic mall which was packed with Christmas shoppers. Thank you, RS, and thank God for all his favors.

The first night in KL, we hit Jalan Alor (we had wanted dinner at Fatty Crabs but the restaurant is in PJ, too fat away from the city center) and the atmosphere was just crazy, with cars passing within 1 foot of us as we sat on plastic chairs by the roadside. Used tissues were scattered everywwhere and especially under the tables, making me uneasy as I ate my fried cockles and Hokkien mee. The street was packed woth locals and tourists, all in a happy and fun mood. A couple of buskers stood in front of us singing my kids' songs (i.e. songs I don't sing to),  a white guy stood in the middle of the street taking photos with his new locals friends, somebody let out a burst of confetti into the air and cried
"Selamat Hari Raya!" making the diners laughed and clapped. Yi clasped her hands tightly and said "I love KL, it's as crazy as Shanghai!".

Yes, KL has its charm. It's chaotic, dirty, exciting--everything that Singapore is not. It's just funny how the two cities are so unlike. Singapore is like that aunty who comes to stay
and her hair is always coiffed and she drinks tea with her pinky pointing out while KL is like the aunty who laughs with her head thrown back (and sometimes falls off her chair) and maybe even toots a little when she laughs. Which aunty am I? Guess.

RS, true to the company's spirit of excellence and style, has put together a wonderful program. Yesterday, we were taken on a walking tour of KL. The weather cloudy, warm but not hot, and our guide Mr Lee Choo Sim was a walking Wikipedia who not only knew all about KL's history and architecture, but also food; where to eat and how to cook a good nyonya stew. We (except Wey, who as usual was uninteractive because he wanted to get back to his video game which Hub had confiscated) all enjoyed the tour and are so happy to have had the chance to see and learn all the interesting historic facts about KL.

OH dear, I wanted to upload photos but it's now 10:12 am and RS' car will arrive at 11 to pick us up for today's event at their factory and visitors' center. If you have time, do drop by. I think they wouldn't mind extra people there. Now I have to decide. Should I wear my jeans or that new shift dress. I wish there's a hair salon nearby.