Maria's Delight

"Here are so different," in her usual cool looking face, Maria (Mah-ghi-ya) express her first impression on KL after she came back from her recent trip to India, Nepal, Cambodia, Thailand and Laos. No so different, though, when we trapped in the traffic jam not long afterwards.

But overall, Asia was indeed a different world compare to European country, or Germany. All highways in Malaysia, for instance, had a speed limit of 110km/hr. Some highway in Germany - - Depends on car model, plus your guts. IKEA home furnishing store targeted family here, but majority of the customers in Germany IKEA are college students. German pay high taxes, but amazingly, educations till tertiary levels are provided by government, almost free of charge. Things are easier when you are not multi-cultured? Who knows!


I think it's going to be my habit to show my new or foreign friends around FRIM, Couchsurfer or not! Sometime it's different if you have visitors who are totally new to our climate, hence tropical rain forest. Like someone who lives in rural area eager to step into the city, breathing different kind of air. What I am about to say in the next minutes always evolved around the guests, their reaction, their questions. Experience told me city dwellers are not surprised by daily traffic jam. If only they knew how, why, when, who and where.

Maria didn't take many photos during the whole 2 hours trek to the canopy, maybe she wanted to save some bytes. While some guests will just shot at what I highlight to them, Maria took some angle that I've never thought of: Children on the wooden bridge, with the forest as the backdrop. Next time, I will really try to look back for i might missed something!


Back in city, I show her around China Town, ever famous Petronas Twin Towers, and Central Market. I personal favorites are the fellow street guitarist, occasionally performing outside of Central Market building. I've been around the city for years now, but I suppose these two guys are from those few guys, too. Some of our local band like OAG, Innuendo, etc. are not bad at all, its pity that local support are not strong and what else, pirated maker are slowly killing everyone. Demand and supply, we are all guilty as charged?


And sure enough, I’ve recently attended Malay’s wedding, Chinese’s wedding, an Indian wedding in Pandamaran, Klang come just in time to complete my experience, or rather, photos. Apa, my friend Siva’s father knew I would loved to come. For the food, the photos, the cultural show, live!

We come rather early to catch some highlights of the wedding ceremony, including the bride’s brother putting a ring onto his future brother-in-law’s toe. It’s like saying: "We now accept you as our family member."


All the ceremony was supervised by a monk, including the never ending chanting and prayers. Usually the ceremony will be held in a local temple, but culture changed from time to time. Maria pointed out that some guests are not so concentrated on the ceremony itself, unlike the wedding back in Germany, where newly wed couples are very much the center of attention, all the time.

I know why. I am hungry, too!


Next, the bride will finally join the groom.

How long to go? I asked Siva. I don’t remember having anything for breakfast this morning, and she request me to be in her house by 9.30 a.m. I sincerely thought that this is a breakfast then wedding ceremony, sham on me, and poor Maria!

Halfway is definitely not a good answer. But that’s totally different story if you are surrounded with people dressed in traditional cloths, strong jasmine scent, with some kids running around the well-decorated hall, and a camera!


When the newly wed couples finally pray along side with their parents, I knew that time is almost up. I move closer for my final shots. This is about when I notice the electronic display bar above them, the only thing that I felt inappropriate for this occasion. But hell, it’s tells us something, right?


It must be a bit too spicy for Maria, nevertheless the food are still really good! Siva is lucky because she gets eat with us first; leaving her parents chatting with other close relatives and invited guests. It will be deem impolite, if the host eat before the guests.


The day comes to an end after Maria and I had yet another food feast at a hawker’s center, near my apartment. Outside my balcony I took a picture of a construction site with sunset, with some motionless tower cranes left hanging in the mid air. As Maria keeps building her own travel experience, I prayed the best for her!

I’ll see you in the Black Forest!