I woke up at 9 am and struck up a conversation with a fellow dorm mate named Gopal. Today, we planned to explore Kuala Lumpur together. Gopal, a 38-year-old who could easily pass for 23, exudes youthful energy in both appearance and demeanor. Hailing from Montreal, Canada, he’s a professional drummer who sought refuge in Malaysia to escape the harsh Canadian winter. Having recently visited Manila, the Philippines, he shared some chilling stories about the poverty he encountered. His travels are driven by the quest to find a suitable place to reside, one that offers respite from the Canadian winters. Revisiting this in 2024, it’s delightful to recount how you come across a lifelong friend. We consistently stay in touch, and in 2019, Gopal even paid me a visit in Holland with a friend.
Today, I joined Gopal on the hop-on-hop-off bus, initially having different plans. However, he persuaded me to tag along. We leisurely enjoyed lunch in Chinatown before locating the bus stop.
The Petronas Towers
An hour later, following a bus tour of Kuala Lumpur, we alighted at the Petronas Towers. The towering height of the structures was truly captivating. After capturing some images of the surroundings, we ventured into a shopping mall adjacent to the twin towers. My agenda included purchasing new batteries for my camera and securing a pair of long pants.
Gopal has this unique quirk. Whenever he sees a cute or pretty girl, he subtly takes photographs of her. Additionally, when he notices one, he puts on this high-pitched, silly voice and elongates the word: ‘ohhhhmygoddd.’ If the girl is incredibly cute, he even repeats it three times. We shared laughter and were amazed by the diversity of people in the mall. At one point, we observed three girls wearing a niqab, standing next to a pretty attractive Japanese girl, who was almost scantily clad. Honestly, I expected Kuala Lumpur to be more Islamic, but it turned out to be quite tolerant and modern. After our shopping excursion, we returned to our hostel to rest.
Gopal extended an invitation for me to join him in meeting a friend at the Sky Bar of the Traders Hotel tonight. He wasn’t personally acquainted with the girl, but she was a friend of Gopal’s colleague. Ann and Gopal had only communicated and arranged to meet through Facebook. The plan was to meet at Starbucks across the mall from the Petronas Towers.
A view from the Trader’s Hotel SkyBar
Around 9 pm, we rendezvoused with Ann and Josh at Starbucks. Both hailing from the Philippines, they currently work and reside in Kuala Lumpur. Ann is engaged in IT within a bank company, while Josh is employed at a software company and is in the process of applying for a position at Ann’s workplace. The evening unfolded with enjoyable conversations and Gopal sharing captivating stories. Ann mentioned her upcoming journey to Europe in October, with plans to commence in Italy and subsequently visit the Netherlands for approximately 10 days. I expressed my eagerness to show her around Amsterdam. Despite the enjoyable company, the service at Skybar proved subpar, with a 20-minute wait for our initial drinks. The ambiance featured loud and lively music, but the breathtaking view compensated for the shortcomings.
When we requested the bill, an extended delay ensued. After 15 minutes, the staff returned, but with the wrong credit card. Gopal intended to settle the tab with a credit card, and Skybar inadvertently retained it for the evening. Upon realizing the mistake, Gopal informed them of the error, prompting another 15-minute wait for the correct waiter. To our surprise, the waiter once again presented the wrong credit card. Frustrated, Gopal decided to escalate the matter by approaching the bar and requesting to speak with the manager. Using his charismatic skills, Gopal engaged in a discussion with the manager. Eventually, Gopal’s persuasive efforts resulted in the staff offering a 25 percent discount as compensation for the inconvenience.
Bukit Bintang
Ann and Josh then guided us to Bukit Bintang for a meal. After a ten-minute drive, we reached Jalan Alor, the primary thoroughfare of the nightlife district. Navigating through the congested street, Ann had to drive cautiously due to heavy traffic. During the drive, we lightened the mood with jokes about ladyboys. Ann and Josh also cautioned us about the presence of sex workers in the area at night, a rather surreal scene with numerous girls lined up.
At this point, Gopal decided to capture a photo of some girls. He rolled down his window and took a shot, inadvertently leaving the flash on. I teasingly remarked, “That wasn’t a very subtle picture, Gopal. Shouldn’t you have turned off the flash?” At that exact moment, an irate pimp approached the window, shouting, “Delete, delete, delete now, delete!” Sensing potential trouble, Gopal complied immediately, not wanting to provoke any further and risk potential damage to Ann’s car.
That encounter was an awkward and intimidating experience for me, although, in the end, nothing significant happened. After parking the car, we decided to dine in Chinatown. Unfortunately, my dish (rice with chicken) didn’t live up to expectations, so I only ate half of it. Suddenly, a woman approached our table, begging for money. I declined to give her money, and Gopal, in a generous gesture, told her, “Here, you can have all of our food; it’s free.” However, the woman declined the offer and walked away. “Beggars can’t be choosers,” Gopal remarked, a sentiment I found myself agreeing with.
Later, Ann and Josh kindly drove us back to our hostel, and we bid our goodbyes. It was approximately 1:30 am, and I promptly headed to bed, knowing that I had to rise at 7 am. A pick-up was scheduled in front of the hostel at 8 am, so an early start awaited me.
