Lost in KL?

Lost in Bukit Bintang?

It has been a long since I came to this side of town. More than 30 years ago, this place was 'happening' like the lingo in those days. A place brightly lit with neon lights, the epitome of capitalism, the enticement of the giant evil as it ushers in its sheep to the slaughter. Innovative advertising and enchanting window dressing were baits to detach the salaryman from his hard-earned in a jiffy. That is capitalism 101. There were a few choices back then, and Bukit Bintang was it. The place to be for the hip and trendy.

Now, I feel lost. Walking on the footpath, I feel like a foreigner in my own 'Tanah Tumpah Darah Ku'. Everyone passing me looks foreign, speaking in incomprehensible tongues. Even the servers at the stall that line the footpath do not look local.

Like a deer caught in the headlights, I felt like the proverbial deer that entered the village (Rusa masuk desa). I was too afraid of how things had morphed so fast since the last time I brought my kids here.

Oh, deer! An Englishman in New York?

Come to think of it, this is how my 84-year-old mother would be feeling right now. Born at a time when Malaya was under the tooth-and-nail of the Japanese Army, she must have a green, lush, malaria-laden tropical country transform into an oasis of modernity with skyscraping structures lining its skyline. With modernity came automation, artificial intelligence and self-working services that needed users' input. Computers and remotes are complicated for the non-IT-savvy individuals who missed the boat to educate themselves to be computer-literate. To top it all, the mind is willing, but the body and brain functions are weak, frustrating any attempts at wanting to partake in events of the changed world. 

With declining cognitive function, I fear the day when she would feel like a drowning person struggling to hold on to straws, trying to make sense of the murmurs that surround her telling her to do something...

What is it for the rest of us who want to be included in the wave of changes? It constantly reminds us that we should stay abreast of things. We do not want to be like India, thrown under the bus while Britain rode the bus of the Industrial Revolutions' first and second waves at the expense of India's raw materials and market. India is now doing a catch-up. Why bother with the bus now that we have hoverboards (hint: Back to the Future)!

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Where, what to eat?

No, they are not distributing free food.

It is the long queue outside a high-end 

South Indian restaurant in Kuala Lumpur.

The food is good but expensive and packed,

but that did not deter foodies near and far

from gathering in droves to satisfy their 

gastronomic desires.

Some Singaporean study determined that hardly anybody cook in Singapore anymore. Almost everyone has their meals at the many food outlets around the island. For the other privileged consumers, delivery services are willing to bring gourmet to the doorstep at a small fee.

Economic downturn or not, ever since the lockdown was lifted, people swarmed in droves to patronise the food outlets like there was no tomorrow. They have no qualms about waiting for hours, salivating, and standing in rows around the corner.

It does not matter if the quality of food is suspect. It is impossible for all foods ordered online to be monitored for hygiene as they mostly escape authority scrutiny. It is not possible to quantitate food that will be supplied beforehand. Estimates are estimates. If the food provided is too much, what does one do? Since it is politically incorrect to dispose of unwanted food, they may consume more than they require to survive.

There is no price control. It is the market forces that would determine the suitable price.

With their busy schedules, wearing multiple hats, and performing many roles, the present generation finds it impossible to incorporate cooking as one of their list of duties. Gendered assignment duties do not come into the equation.

If cooking is difficult, try choosing a food outlet to meet your constantly fickled appetite and craving for variety. And not to forget the partner who will accompany you for lunch, dinner or whatever. Worried about losing culinary art? Who cares? That stuff, one can pick it up right off Youtube!

Eating out is convenient, affordable, less time-consuming and offers many choices in food selection. 

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Ancient Photos Reveal How KL Used To Look Like 50 Years Ago!

http://says.com/my/lifestyle/old-photos-of-kl

Published by Nandini Balakrishnan — 26 Oct 2016, 05:23 PM

Kuala Lumpur, before the emergence of fancy skyscrapers and high-traffic streets!

• #lifestyle
 
• #rsmurthi
 
• #oldphotos
 
• #kualalumpur

• Cover image via R.S Murthi

Have you ever wondered how Kuala Lumpur used to look like about half a century ago?

These ancient photos compiled by one R.S Murthi will take you back in time to the glorious past of Kuala Lumpur:

• • • Image via Flickr/ Peter Nguyen
  • A couple of weeks ago, we featured a set of old photos of Penang and old buses in Penang, found from one R.S Murthi's site.
    
    Knowing that we Malaysians love stepping back in time to talk about the "good old days", we decided to feature these photos of Kuala Lumpur dating back to the early and mid 20th century.
    
    Murthi found the photos from various sources online and mentioned that most of the images are scans of old postcards with photos licensed from European and Asian amatuer and professional photographers. Most of the images have been "cleaned up" and posterised by Murthi.
    
    The photos have been credited to the site that we found them from, R.S Murthi, as the names of the photographers could not be found. It would be great if you could drop us a comment should you happen to know the names of any of the photographers.

     says.com

• 1. Gombak Bridge and Town Hall c. 1908

  • • Image via R.S. Murthi

• 2. Selangor Club c. 1930

  • • Image via R. S. Murthi

• 3. Jalan Kinabalu, c. 1963

  • • Image via R.S Murthi

• 4. Kuala Lumpur Railway Station c. 1965

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• 5. Dataran Medan Pasar, Petaling Street c. 1970

  • • Image via R.S Murthi

• 6. Sungai Besi Airport c. 1960

  • • Image via R.S Murthi

• 7. Bukit Aman, PDRM Headquarters c. 1960

  • • Image via R.S Murthi

• 8. Sultan Abdul Samad Building c. 1920

  • • Image via R.S Murthi

• 9. University Malaya (UM) c. 1963

  • • Image via R.S Murthi

• 10. Ampang Railway Station c. 1920

  • • Image via R.S Murthi

• 11. Batu Road c. 1968

  • • Image via R.S Murthi

• 12. Central Market c. 1920

  • • Image via R.S Murthi

• 13. An aerial view of Kuala Lumpur city center c. 1920

  • • Image via R.S Murthi

• 14. Madras Cinema c. 1950

  • • Image via R.S Murthi

• 15. Merdeka Stadium c. 1960

  • • Image via R.S Murthi

• 16. Mountbatten Road (Jalan Tun Perak) c. 1957

  • • Image via R.S Murthi
  • • Image via R.S Murthi
      Mountbatten Road, circa 1964.
  • • Image via R.S Murthi
      Mountbatten Road, circa 1964.

• 17. High Street (Jalan Tun HS Lee), Kuala Lumpur c. 1888

  • • Image via R.S Murthi
  • • Image via R.S Murthi
      Jalan Tun H. S Lee, circa 1975.

• 18. Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka c. 1960

  • • Image via R.S Murthi
  • • Image via R.S Murthi
      Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, circa 1970

• 19. An ice water vendor in Kuala Lumpur, c. 1900

  • • Image via R.S Murthi

• 20. Rojak seller at Merdeka Square c. 1900

  • • Image via R.S Murthi

• 21. Masjid Jamek area c. 1950

  • • Image via R.S Murthi
  • • Image via R.S Murthi
      Masjid Jamek, circa 1960.

• 22. Market Street (Lebuh Pasar Besar) c. 1960

  • • Image via R.S Murthi

• 23. Market Square c. 1960

  • • Image via R.S Murthi

• 24. Federal Hotel, Jalan Bukit Bintang c. 1960

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