*Malaysia Special* - Kuala Lumpur

Moving on from Malacca, we head north to Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. One of the highlights of my trip to Kuala Lumpur was the chance to interview the Tourism Minister of Malaysia - Dato’ Sri Dr. Ng Yen Yen.  Despite her high-ranking position, I found her to be very warm and chatty, almost like a mother to me as she warmed my frozen hands after being stuck in the freezer of a conference room.

From left: My Producer at Travelogue, Tourism Minister of Malaysia – Dato’ Sri Dr. Ng Yen Yen and Myself.  Girl power!

Do you notice how white our faces are in this picture? That’s from all the flash-lights coming from cameras – left, right, centre!  I now know how big-time superstars feel when they’re at a red-carpet event.

Speaking of superstars, I chanced upon Chef Wan - a local Malaysian Celebrity Chef at the very event.

After interviewing the Tourism Minister, we were invited to the Islamic Fashion Festival. This marked my first time attending a fashion show. The tagline for this Fashion Festival was ‘Discover the Beauty of Modesty’.  Unlike fashion shows that we’re exposed to, this is more conservative, yet flamboyant (as most fashion shows are, if not, what's there to see?)... Which kind of made me retrace the tagline of the event, emphasising Modesty. ANYWAY, Malaysia being an Islamic country, I felt this was rather appropriate an event for us to attend and cover.

The photo above was taken with my phone, so I apologise it’s not very clear. But this is to show you the fashion runway and models parading.

This is a much better picture taken by our cameraman/photographer. Glamorous!

Another model parading a design.

Next… *drum roll*… The iconic Petronas Twin Towers! For those of you who want a good shot like this (taken just with my phone), head to Skybar at Traders Hotel. Imagine what a proper camera could capture. The view here is unbeatable.

I just wanted to show you how heroic our Director and Cameraman are… They’d do anything for a good shot! That’s them filming in the middle of a busy road in Kuala Lumpur.

A picture of the entire crew who filmed in Malaysia with me.

Clockwise from top-left: the Director, Cameraman, Cameraman/Photographer, Producer and myself. Taken on the never-ending steps leading to a Hindu temple in Batu Caves, about 40minutes from KL city.  Well, merely 272 steps… I exaggerate.

There… 272 steps for you! Easy-peasy... :)

Okay, I hope this isn’t too gruesome for you, but every year around January, Batu Caves attract over a million people during the yearly Thaipusam festival dedicated to the Hindu God Murugan. This is the festival where many Hindu devotees go to the extent of torturing their bodies by piercing their cheeks, skin and tongue (like the picture above) with skewers and hooks to appease Lord Murugan.  I have yet to witness this, having lived in Malaysia for years. I’m making it a point to see it next time!  I hope I won’t faint.

Alright now, on a lighter note…

I love this picture - Just look at the monkey’s expression! These monkeys hanging-out at the steps in Batu Caves are such curious and playful creatures… They were entertaining to watch!  

But some monkeys such as this one (an alpha male) can be very vicious, especially when they are hungry, so please be careful. Don’t openly carry food as they will snatch it away from you, possibly attack you too if you resist giving them the food in hand.

Next, if you haven't any plans on meeting anyone after, you've got to try THIS!

The notorious Durian, also known as the 'King of Fruits'!

Distinctive for its unique odour and thorn-covered husk. This thorny fruit can grow as large as 12-inches long and 6-inches in diameter, and it typically weighs 1-3 kilograms.

The edible flesh emits a distinctive odour – strong and penetrating even when the husk is intact. Some people regard the Durian as fragrant; Others find the smell offensive, and overpowering. To me, I belong to the former and think it is D-I-V-I-N-E !

Just thought I'd give you the heads up.  If you're cool with all that, you can find many Durian Buffets in SS2 Petaling Jaya and Cheras, which can be as cheap as RM10 (USD3) - All you can eat! But really, don't go overboard or you may suffer a nose-bleed or feel feverish after, as the Durian is known for its warming properties.

BUT, there is an awesome traditional method to counteract this… All we have to do is pour water into an empty durian husk and drink the water from it – it is known to cool the body down from all the ‘heat’ from the Durian.

Some Durian-stall owners even provide Mangosteens and Coconuts to customers, as it is said to have the ability to cool down the body as well.

As for those of you who are worried about the smell... Good news for you! You can, again, pour water into an empty Durian husk and use the water to wash your hands and mouth. Trust me, the smell will be faint after.

You can view this short video I made on Kuala Lumpur - which made it to Jauntaroo's Top 50 in the running for the 'Best Job Around the World' as Chief World Explorer:

(In case the video doesn't appear above, here's the link.)

Now, you can enjoy your Durian in peace :)

Would you like to guess what this guy is up to?

He’s making ‘Teh Tarik’, literally ‘Pulled tea’ / 拉茶 – This is an Indian method of making milk tea, and a drink which I always have when I’m back in Malaysia! This mixture of Black tea and condensed milk is poured repeatedly from one container to another like what this guy is doing. The greater the distance between the two containers, the better in terms of cooling the tea down to a consumable temperature and it is said to taste better after ‘airing’ it too - the same concept as decanting wine. Of course it is also entertaining and exciting to watch!  Don’t hope of seeing them miss their aim or having milk tea splattered all over themselves… These guys are completely skilled with years of practice!

‘Teh Tarik’ can be found mainly in hassle-free Indian-muslim stalls, known as ‘Mamak stalls’, and in coffee shops which locals call ‘kopi tiam’. These are places where you can find locals of different races come together to socialise, gossip, watch football matches… And that is even more important than the drink itself!

Next time you want a local experience when you’re in Malaysia, simply visit a ‘mamak stall’, or ‘kopi tiam’ which you can find almost anywhere. You could also check out the vibrant Jalan Alor - a famous food street in KL that comes to life at night! It is also close to Bukit Bintang where you could do a pub crawl after eating ;)

You can watch my Travelogue on Malacca and Kuala Lumpur here:

(Just in case the video doesn't appear, you can view it over here.)