I admit to being a Chinese food enthusiast; although I’m a vegetarian, most Chinese restaurants can accommodate me by substituting soy bean curd (tofu) for meat/chicken/seafood. One of my favorite dishes – I usually order it with all my meals - is hot and sour soup, a staple in Chinese cuisine. I have had this particular soup at Chinese restaurants not only in my home town of San Francisco but all around the world, in places as far away as Accra, Ghana and Quito, Ecuador. The common denominator is that the soup is relatively spicy and has a certain thickness or consistency.

Believe it or not, the worst hot and sour soup that I have ever had was at Kim Liam Kee, a rather, large establishment located on Petaling Street in the heart of Kuala Lumpur’s famous Chinatown. I ate at this establishment on Nov. 27 of this year - it was my first night in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s capital city and after a strenuous day of travel, I really wanted a proper vegetarian meal. My hotel was an easy 5-minute walk to Chinatown and my decision to patronize this particular restaurant was primarily because of their rather large and very prominent signage.

I ordered two dishes at Kim Lian Kee – a vegetarian claypot dish with rice and a small hot and sour soup to the accompaniment of a Royal Stout. While the claypot dish was satisfactory, the soup was very watery and had hardly any taste – it was so bad, I thought I would let the management know about it. Now I’m a person who is not afraid to voice his opinions to the restaurant management if the service or the food is bad.

Expressing my dissatisfaction vociferously with the manager over the bland tasting soup, I opened up ‘a rather large can of worms’. Later on, I asked the manager to reprimand the young waitress for her very flippant comment when I requested the bill. After hearing my complaint, he smiled and replied “I am sorry sir, none of these girls have any training; they are hired off the street.” After hearing that, it was very difficult for me to refrain from laughing out loud!

In retrospect, I really thought the whole incident was quite amusing as I relished playing the role of the incensed tourist-customer. Bottom line - I would never, ever go back to this restaurant and recommend that my fellow travelers do not patronize this establishment as well. For a detailed account of my rather dismal experience at Kim Lian Kee, I have filed a report on TripAdvisor

On my 2nd night (and final night in Kuala Lumpur), I went to Fatt Yan, a small vegetarian Chinese restaurant that received very favorable reviews in Happy Cow. The price was right at 18.50RM ($5.25USD) and my two entrees were very tasty – one of which was a vegetarian hot and sour soup. Take that Kim Lian Kee!

I was very fortunate to have chosen the ANCASA HOTEL for my brief 2-night stay in Kuala Lumpur. Situated only two short blocks from Chinatown, the hotel’s location is ideal - Puduraya, the interstate bus terminal is next door while the public mass transit system- the overhead monorail and underground trains - are within easy walking distance. As a bonus, Starbucks Café with free WIFI is conveniently located directly across the street. And at $51USD including breakfast, the price is right. While the hotel is short on facilities - no swimming pool and only a stripped down and small fitness center – all rooms come with cable TV, free wifi, a hot water utensil and a small refrigerator and the breakfast buffet was more than satisfactory with a variety of hot and cold dishes, rolls and pastries as well as fresh fruit. The hotel management seemed very keen on customer service.

The young manager, an Indian fellow who I believe is first generation Malaysian, was especially accommodating. Upon check in, he personally gave me a guided tour of the hotel and its facilities - gym and the massage treatment concession - and answered most of my questions about Kuala Lumpur. While he was showing me around, we chatted a bit about the terrorist attack in Mumbai, India as well as the political situation and demonstrations in Thailand. Although he did give me a bum steer as to where to find premium T-shirts as gifts, I cannot really fault him for that – he meant well.

Bottom Line – I would highly recommend the ANCASA Hotel for the first time visitor to Kuala Lumpur. While short in facilities, it is very affordable for a 3 star property and you cannot beat the location.

• Be aware of the laws and customs of the land

..Shortly after landing, I picked up some informational brochures at airport; on the back of the brochures in small print there is a warning - trafficking in illegal drugs carries the death penalty. Be forewarned and please remember to leave your recreational drugs at home. Also I learned from an informed source that a Fatwah will be issued for any citizen Muslims practicing Yoga. No kidding aside, I don’t think I will be opening up a yoga school there anytime soon.

• Bars, nightclubs and alcohol use in Kuala Lumpur

..Because MALAYSIA is an Islamic State, there are not that many dedicated liquor stores (most of them are owned by the Chinese) and many of the convenience stores do not carry wine and beer. Like Thailand 7-11’s minimarts are very common here. However in Chinese restaurants, beer, wine and liquor are readily available. Curiously enough, a small can of Guinness Stout can be had for as little as 2.80RM (80 cents). Compared to Bangkok, there are far fewer bars, nightclubs and discos - not far from my hotel on the outskirts of Chinatown district was the popular REGGAE BAR. Bob Marley lives!

• Globalization

..Scattered around city are KFC, McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Burger King and of course, Starbucks.

• Free wifi at Starbucks

..Shortly after arriving in KL, I learned that all Starbucks outlets in Malaysia offer free WIFI with no strings attached – now if only Starbucks in Thailand followed suit, I would be absolutely delighted! The people who worked at the Starbucks across the street from Ancasa hotel were very friendly and customer service oriented – more so than their US counterparts.

• The mass transit system

..Compared to Bangkok, I found the Mass transit system - overhead train, monorail and underground subway - in Malaysia’s capital city to be somewhat confusing with it’s many different routes and platforms. But then again, I was there only for a very short time – therein likes the problem.

• People

..In general, the people in KL seemed to be friendly although a little on the reserved side, maybe not as smiley as Thai people, but genuinely nicer than people in the USA. Because Malaysia was a former British colony, people’s facility with English was far superior to Thais. Like Thai people however, I found that Malaysians were terrible about giving directions - it could be that cultural differences and communication problems come into play. After all, English is still a 2nd language here!

I admit that it was nearly impossible in two short days to get a feeling for “the pulse” of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s modern cosmopolitan capital city of about 1.7 million people. My only other reference point admittedly was Bangkok, Thailand’s sprawling capital city whose orientation and culture is 180 degrees different than KL - afterall, Thailand is predominately a Buddhist country and Malaysia is an Islamic State, where approximately 60% of the population is Muslim. Buddhists comprise Malaysia’s 2nd largest religious group followed by Hindus and Christians.

Walking around Kuala Lumpur – at least in the area around my hotel - I observed that most of the Malay women, whose religion is Islam, dress very conservatively wearing the traditional Muslim garb - a wrap over their head and a color coordinated two piece outfit which covers their entire body. And many of the men wear the traditional Muslim skullcap. As a westerner, I say Viva la Difference! From what I could see, there was very little overt discrimination against Muslim women. They seemed to be well represented in the workplace - in hotels, shops, restaurants, banks, department stores, airport etc.

The architecture is an eclectic mix of East meets West - there are a number of rather ornate Mosques scattered around the city along with some exotic architectural structures whose design is influenced by Islamic iconography and motifs in addition to many gleaming new skyscrapers, modern high-rise condominiums and office buildings. In fact, Kuala Lumpur seems to have a proportionately higher percentage of skyscrapers than Bangkok, Thailand’s capital city. Rising far above the flat urban landscape of KL are the Petronas Towers, the highest twin towers in the world. These imposing skyscrapers, which can be seen from anywhere within this modern Asian metropolitan city, are named after Petronas Corporation, Malaysia’s large oil and gas conglomerate. Like Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur has its fair share of gaudy shopping centers. Kuala Lumpur? For a big city, it is not bad at all. I wouldn’t mind going back there!

What is the most practical gift that one can buy their friends & family when they are on vacation? If you answered T-Shirts, you have answered this proverbial question the same way I have. In fact, on my most recent trip to Thailand and Malaysia, this is exactly what I planned to do. Needless to say, it took awhile to find the right T-shirts - I wanted to buy something that was both tasteful in design and of fairly high quality. See T-Shirt story

Then I got to thinking, while I am it, wouldn’t it be nice to buy Alfie, my sister’s precocious toy poodle, a T-Shirt too? After all, I’ve seen small dogs in the United States outfitted with T-shirts during the hot summer months and sweaters in the cold of the winter. What initially started as somewhat as a lark in my mind, the idea of buying Alfie - who I affectionately refer to as my dog nephew - a T-shirt, became a serious quest.

So here I was in Bangkok, Thailand on the final day of my 30-day odyssey trying to fulfill my mission - finding a T-shirt for my dog nephew, Alfie. While working out early morning in the hotel’s fitness center, I asked one of the trainers “Where is the nearest store that I can but a T-shirt for my sister’s toy poodle?” According to him, there was a dedicated pet boutique just around the corner from the hotel, President Park, on Sukhumvit Soi 24. Sounded ideal, as I didn’t relish the idea of running all over town trying to find Alfie’s gift.

After finishing all my other errands, towards the end of the day I stumbled into Boo Blossom, the dedicated pet boutique. Shaking my head in disbelief, I couldn’t believe how close it was to my hotel. After consulting with the young sales clerk, she suggested that I buy a little Thai style outfit for Alfie. I was quickly sold on the idea and let her choose the proper outfit – one with an appropriate Thai motif. Total damage 350 baht (10USD). Mission accomplished as I quickly handed her money, giving her a small tip to boot.

The rest in history – judging by the way Alfie was seen dancing with joy in his new Thai outfit, it was a worthwhile investment, not to mention how this gift made my sister very happy as well. See pictures.

Boo Blossom Pet Boutique - Sukhumvit Soi 24, Bangkok, Thailand
e-mail: blossom_boo@yahoo.com

When I told the manager of Ancasa Hotel in Kuala Lumpur that I wanted to buy as gifts some high quality T-shirts with a simple but tasteful design, he suggested that I go to the nearby Petronas Towers. Rising far above the flat city landscape, these towers are the highest twin skyscrapers in the world and are Kuala Lumpur’s claim to fame. Although these towers can be seen from anywhere in this large cosmopolitan city of over 1.6 million, like most imposing landmarks they look closer than they actually are. Getting off at the closest underground railway stop, I had to walk over 1/2 mile before reaching the towers. There is a huge shopping complex, which occupies the lower floors containing many fancy, upscale and expensive boutique stores. In a way, the shopping complex reminds me of the Emporium in Bangkok, but considerably more grandiose. Insofar as finding the T-shirts that I was looking for, it happened to be a bum steer and an exercise in futility.

After finally reaching the towers in a roundabout way (I admittedly got a little lost), I made a beeline for the information counter, where I asked the young ladies for the best shops to buy high quality T-shirts. They gave me some leads – I spent the next hour going to at least 4-5 shops, only to discover that none of them had what I was looking for – they all carried the same cheesy T-shirts albeit of mediocre quality that most teenagers buy for the outrageous price of 72RM ($28USD).

Upon recommendation of somebody who worked in one of the department stores, the last store I visited was Banana Republic. This turned out to be the biggest joke of all. The young, affable sales clerk showed me a very flimsy T-Shirt with a design that reminded me of something that one would find in New York City. Out of curiosity, I asked her what was the price - she replied “150RM” ($42USD). I laughed as I told the sales clerk point blank, someone would have to “insane” to buy one of these T-shirts for $42. She smiled and said she bought one for her boyfriend, to which I replied suuureee! Then she went on to tell me that the T-shirts are made in the USA - no wonder they have western designs that you would expect to find New York City - and the reason why customers are willing to pay so much monies for these T-shirts is because they have the Banana Republic label. I laughed and repeated my assertion that any Western tourist who bought a Banana Republic T-shirt in Kuala Lumpur had to have a couple of screws loose.

Leaving the store, I thanked the sales clerk for her time and for putting up with my blatant sarcasm. I concluded that all these fancy boutique stores at the Twin Towers were really geared for the domestic market, not for the tourist crowd. It seems that there is quite a market for status conscious locals who are willing to throw their monies away.

Returning to my hotel by the underground train sometime in the early evening hours, my attempt to buy some T-shirts for gifts in Kuala Lumpur turned out to be an exercise in futility. In retrospect, I realized that I would have been lot better off staying at my hotel and taking a nap. Every dog has his day!

There is HAPEE ENDING to all of this - During my brief stay in the old colonial town of Melaka, about 2 hours south of Kuala Lumpur, I found what I was looking for - cost per T-Shirt ranged between 35RM-50RM ($10-14USD). Mission accomplished!

Farangs, like myself, rarely hire a motorbike taxi to take us anyplace in Bangkok as it is considered very dangerous – these daredevils on wheels are known to be somewhat reckless as they weave in and out of traffic. Furthermore most of the drivers do not provide their passengers with a crash helmet. It is not unusual to see these guys driving their vehicle on the sidewalk (sometime with passengers), as they hurry to stay ahead of the traffic on clogged Bangkok thoroughfares. On more than one occasion, I have been walking on the sidewalk along the Sukhumvit, a main road in uptown Bangkok, only to have to dodge a motorcycle taxi coming directly at me. WTF? I know of many bargirls who wear permanent souvenir(s) on their bodies - usually on an arm or leg – as a result of being involved in a motorbike accident.

Regular taxis are a safer option, albeit slower option. The meter rate for a taxi starts at 35 baht (about 1.00USD) – very cheap - and increases by 1 baht per for every 3-5 minutes, while motorbike taxis are even cheaper yet, costing a mere 20 baht for a short trip but oh so dangerous. 97% of the time, I will take a taxi all things being equal. However every now and then, when I’m in an extreme hurry and traffic is really choked up, I will take gamble and roll the dice by hiring a motorbike taxi.

On my last night in Bangkok, I took such a chance - I had a farewell dinner date at 7:30PM with Khun Moongmink at a small vegetarian restaurant on Soi 26 near the Sukhumvit and it was very important that I not be late. Standing outside the President Park Hotel (Sukhumvit Soi 22/24) at 7:10PM, I surveyed the traffic conditions - even though I was only 1.5 miles away from my destination, I realized I would never make it on time by taxi. The choice was to incur the wrath of Moongmink for being late or risk life and limb by taking a motorbike taxi. Choosing the lesser of two evils, I had the bellman at President Park hook me up with the best motorbike taxi that he could find and I told him to inform the driver that I would give him a big tip if he got me to my destination, safe and sound.

Looking at my watch as I hopped on to the motorbike seat, it was exactly 7:17PM when we departed. Sure enough, the driver took some short cuts, weaved in and out traffic and got me to my destination at 7:25PM in one piece. As I hopped off the bike, I waiied the driver and thanked him in Thai, handing him 40 baht and motioning with my hands for him to keep the change. As I ambled into the restaurant, I made a prayer to the Great Buddha in the Sky for my safe deliverance.

At the President Park Hotel in Bangkok (Sukhumvit Soi 22/24), a very unique show happens every day. It is quite entertaining – nowhere else in Bangkok have I seen this type of show. As a hotel guest attempts to cross the street in the pedestrian crosswalk, one of the doorman jumps out of nowhere and carefully escorts the guest to the other side, holding out his red stop sign for all drivers of the various motorized vehicles to see. I know that this busy curve that connects Soi 24 with Soi 22 can be a very precarious crossing - at any time of the day, many cars (especially taxis) and many of Bangkok’s infamous motorcycle taxis can be observed whipping around this legendary curve.

As a veteran of navigating this famous crosswalk, I always remember to look over my right or left shoulder to make sure it is safe to cross. When I reach the center divider or the middle of the crosswalk, I have gotten in the habit of looking over my other shoulder to make sure the coast is clear before completing my passage. Of course, with President’s Parks Stop Sign men working 24/7, it makes the crossing that much easier. Sometimes, I like to just stand there and watch the show!

I returned to The NEST at the end of my stay to get a better feel for the place. The club has been hyped up in several publications including Conde Nast Magazine as the new “in place” in Bangkok. The club is especially popular with young, professional Bangkokians who are status conscious and want to be part of the scene. Taking a look at the drink menu, the club has sunk to the lowest common denominator by naming drinks with such sexually suggestive names like Blowjob etc. Now, I am not a prude or anything but you would think that a high-class club would refrain from this type of gutter vulgarity

Despite my disdain for the names of their drinks, I went ahead and ordered a Blowjob anyhow - which I affectionately renamed Blowjob by the Sea - since it was my last night in Thailand and I wanted go out with a bang. It was supposed to be a mixed concoction consisting of Baileys Irish Cream, Kahlua topped with whipped cream. When the waitress served me my drink - a tiny glass that consisted mostly of whipped cream with no more than 3 tablespoons of the liqueur sitting at the bottom - I voiced my displeasure. I was really expecting a more substantial drink in a larger glass (with considerably more alcohol) – it was like paying for a blowjob without getting blown. My date ordered some sort of fruit juice cocktail sans alcohol. Total damage 21.00USD. I sarcastically remarked to my ladyfriend that this was robbery but in a way I expected as much. Jokingly I said, “I should have ordered boom-boom in the jungle instead.”

While taking some pictures of the Bangkok Skyline, I chatted with four young upwardly mobile Thai ladies from Bangkok who were sitting together on one large love seat - one of the young ladies asked me if I wanted to take a picture of them but my date came over and voiced her displeasure, so I decided to forego the photo. The young ladies seemed to be enjoying themselves - it seems that Thais really don’t mind being ripped off as long as they go to a place which is considered high class. Would I return? Most likely no - maybe if they had an African or Reggae DJ night but hip-hop and the musical fare that the DJ was spinning is really not my cup of tea.

In summary, I was somewhat disappointed with THE NEST. While the club has some outstanding views of the Bangkok skyline and a cozy ambiance, the service is mediocre, the drinks are overpriced (which is standard for trendy clubs in Bangkok) and the entertainment fare is not up to my eclectic standards. My overall rating 5.5 out of 10!

Timing is everything – On December 03, 2008, BANGKOK DANGEROUS was the featured story on the front cover of the New Straits Times, one of Malaysia’s most popular English dailies. This of course referred to the ongoing political unrest in Bangkok and the continued occupation of the two international airports by PAD, a group of concerned citizens – mostly from the educated middle and upper middle classes - who have been trying eradicate the cronyism and corruption that has plagued the Thai government over the last 10 years. Exiled former Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra and his family have been PAD’s primary target.

As always, in the newspaper business, sensationalism sells papers. Wouldn’t you know it, come December 4, the political conflict in Bangkok dissipated after the courts declared the current regime as being illegal and the two opposing factions – the yellow shirted PAD and red shirted pro-government supporters - put aside their differences and a truce was put into the place. It was then that PAD ended their occupation of the airports - both airports reopened and the many stranded tourists were able to leave. It was business as usual. A day after the sensationalist headlines, Bangkok was no longer dangerous! Timing is everything…