music, media & other random musings: Malaysia

Malaysia

July 02, 2009

Six Word Review

My friend Julienne is a big fan of the six word review. So here's mine for Kuala Lumpur: Absolutely no reason to go, ever.

Singapore may be somewhat vibeless, but it's at least a little more sparkly. KL is dirty, smelly, difficult to get around on foot (no cross walks) and as far as I can tell, nothing much at all to see or do. I walked and walked in all of the areas, and never did I see something, anything - a street, a shop, a person - that made me want to go there. I knew from everything I'd read and heard that there wasn't any greatness in either of these places, but somehow I felt the need to see for myself, as I'm in the neighborhood. And I have.

Although not a reason to come here, I do happen to like the hustle and bustle of Chinatown. They seem to take their food and businesses very seriously. Not a lot of patience or interest in their customers one way or the other. These stalls are set up in some specified places, like on Petaling Street or just randomly on a corner. I must admit, they aren't all that inviting looking and I am so far from being a germophobe. In fact, I probably lean closer to the 5 minute rule, as opposed to the 5 second rule. But when you walk through all these stalls, it looks so incredibly unsanitary, it's hard to imagine you'd get through the night in one piece if you ate anything at all. But sometimes, you just got to take the plunge.

I hadn't eaten all day, so I felt the need to make up for lost calories.. apparently. First had some Chinese. Plate of noodles and a plate of lotus root. They offer small, medium & large portions, which I like, good for tasting. I got the noodles, because everyone seemed to be eating them, and the lotus root because I love them. Noodles better than vegggie, but both good - could have done with spicier noodles. Not sure what exactly it is, but whenever I eat the Chinese food, I always crave the ice cream, so I went looking. But instead found a stall with Indian fare. I really had been wanting to try some and this looked like the right opportunity, good smells and seemingly a popular joint... I couldn't help myself. I ordered a melange, thinking I'd just 'taste'. One order of beef satay, a coconut rice and one fried chicken wing (seems to be part of the standard fare.) I really did just wanted to taste. But I ate almost all of it. I couldn't stop, it was so damn good. The sauce for the satay was incredible, as was the coconut rice, which is served in these cone-shaped paper with a tangy-spicy sauce on top. And now, needless to say, I'm completely ill. But it was worth it - awesome. And the cost - 8 ringgits - the equivalent of about $2.

For the last two weeks I've been on the move, never more than 2 nights in any one place. Starting in Istanbul, I've been to Cappadocia, Bodrum, Ephesus, back to Istanbul, through Dubai and Sri Lanka, with stops in Singapore, Melaka and KL. Maybe it's because nothing has really wowed me since I've gotten to Asia, but somehow I feel like I've been searching, not sure for what, but something, something to inspire, to grab onto, to paint me a new picture. And now I'm tired. Decided for the next week I don't want to look anymore - except at a gorgeous view and some words on my Kindle. Onto Thailand.

Posted at 08:51 AM in Malaysia, Travel | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

July 01, 2009

City Love

I'm a big believe in love at first sight, as it's struck me on more than one occasion. And maybe there's a connection to this - maybe not - but today I walked about Kuala Lumpur thinking, what is it about a city that immediately grabs me and excites me, while others.. not so much.

New York was love for me at about 8. I remember riding in the back of a station wagon, looking up at all of the buildings and thinking, I'm going to live here. (I also remember wondering how it was possible that all those pizza places, chinese restaurants and dry cleaners stayed in business - my town had one of each.) It was a lighting bolt, the city exhilarated me, even from that angle, riding in that kid-favorite seat that faced backwards. And when I first arrived in Paris, Buenos Aires and Istanbul, I felt it too - immediately. Istanbul is, of course, most recent, and I actually was struck just driving into town from the airport, which I thought odd even then, as that route is never great for any city. I can't remember how I felt about London. First time there was that junior semester abroad. I slightly recall not loving the city, but that it grew on me. Enough so that I went back and lived there for a bit after I graduated college. (But coincidentally, it was true love at first sight that was the impetus for my return....)

I just arrived in Kuala Lumpur this afternoon. After a series of hotel mishaps that aren't worth the effort to type, I didn't make it out of my hotel room until 4ish. So only got about 4 hours of wandering in. Kuala Lumpur - not love. Maybe like. Not sure yet. I will say this, I find it more "lived in," than Singapore. It is definitely grittier, maybe a little too much so. But China Town, where I'm staying - a bizarre thing onto itself - at least feels alive, and real. Unlike Singapore that felt "disney-fied." The people here... not all that warm and fuzzy. I wouldn't say people in Singapore were truly warm either, but certainly helpful and fairly friendly. Haven't felt that love here in Malaysia - either in small town Melaka or here in KL... Maybe it's me - and I just haven't embraced the Asian culture after spending so much time in Turkey. Admittedly, takes me a while sometimes to ease into change. I want to believe that is the case here, but I just don't think so....

Only surface wandering today - quick walk through Bukit Butang, China Town, edge of Little India and the Golden Triangle area, Petronas Towers. Must say, they were pretty outstanding. More exploring tomorrow. We'll see if I catch the love bug.

Posted at 10:31 AM in Malaysia, Travel | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

June 30, 2009

Melaka

Been here about 24 hours... so haven't seen or done all that much. But enough that I'm going to be on my way tomorrow. I imagine, one could hang here ust like anywhere, for a while, if they were so inclined. But nothing about this place grabs me enough to do that. In fact, Malaysia hasn't "grabbed" me yet. But that doesn't mean it won't..

Had a great meal last night. Then today just wandered - Chinatown, the town centre (most tourist museums, etc.), Little India and then to the more "modern" section of town - where people actually work and live. Not a huge town. But as I've become so enamored and confident with my sense of direction, I now just walk without paying too much attention... and today, got myself completely twisted around. So glad a cab drove by. My legs were beat. And have I mentioned that it's really hot and sweaty here? More sweaty than hot actually. In truth, not unbearable... just not all that "enjoyable."

Random thoughts: They're not big fans of napkins in this country. Actually, they weren't in Singapore either, but even less so here. Which is even more interesting considering this kind of food actually demands it; The food was far superior in Singapore, from the little I've tasted here. (In all fairness though, from what I've read, the food wasn't supposed to be exceptional here in Melaka. There are other stops in Malaysia for better.): And lastly, it is amazing that Singapore is so close, but yet so far away in many ways. English being one of them. Everyone in Singapore speaks English. But I'd say only about 30-35% speak it as well here. The rest, enough to get by or not at all...

Tomorrow, back to the big city. Kuala Lumpur,

Posted at 12:04 PM in Malaysia, Travel | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Just Watched

With regards to film making - certainly more TV than HBO. Not the quality fare we've come to expect from HBO. It felt like a flat, "made for TV" biopic, and aside for the acting, just not all that impressive. As for its content - I read the book and watched the story play out in real time, so the story was hardly a surprise to me. While the book played out the entire campaign - and both sides, the movie focused only on the inner-workings of the Palin & McCain campaign. And naturally Republicans feel it is an unfair depiction of her. But yet Steve Schmidt, a key advisor to McCain's campaign, someone directly involved with the Palin pick, and a central character in the movie, has not only indicated the story is accurate, he's gone as far to say in an interview to the Washington Post, "I regret playing a part in a process that yielded someone on the ticket who was not prepared to be president." Not shockingly, I'm pretty sure it's true, at least mostly. Can i recommend this film? All in all, a mediocre film. If you are interested in the meteoric rise of Sarah Palin, like a biopic, and like watching Julienne Moore (who was quite good), check it out. If more interested in reliving the 2008 election, read the book.
Saw three episodes. Moments of laugh out loud hilarity, moments of Larry David cringe factor - funny, but hard to watch, and other moments bordering on not-funny, pathetic & just hard to watch - defined mostly by third episode. Will try for 4th and see what happens...
Subtle, this movie is not. It is, however, pretty mediocre
So silly... but that Ryan Gosling is so adorable. And because the rest of cast, too - Julianne Moore, Steve Carrell and Emma Stone - are so good, made it totally watchable on a lazy Sunday.. Good plane movie, for sure.
Excellent.
will most likely be a very expensive smash.
The reviews weren't inviting, but I tried nonetheless. I couldn't get through the pilot. I wanted to. I really did. How could I not with a cast that includes Dustin Hoffman, Nick Nolte, Dennis Farina amongst others and produced by David Milch and Michael Mann - on HBO. As I type the names of that talent, I feel guilt thinking I should give it another shot, check out another episode.. Maybe it gets better? Or maybe, sometimes the stars just don't align. Sometimes referred to as luck.
I understand the accolades, it's an incredibly well done, clever, adorable film. I thoroughly enjoyed it. But is it the best picture for the year? I could see how the academy may decide it is. It's right up their alley and is a stand out in its uniqueness.. But best for me? Not sure I could say that...
I got bored of the actual campaign season taking place.. It's now all but certain Romney's going to win, so nothing much in the way of a contest to watch. So got my political fix elsewhere, first with Ides of March, and then moved on to two classics with the Parallax View and the Candidate. What's remarkable is how both of these films have stood the test of time. Although little things like watching how quaint air travel was back in the early '70 - minimal airport security, Warren Beatty paying for his plane ticket while on the plane, Redford & crew walking straight into the pilot's cabin for a private meeting, the smoking & drinking, etc - both are intelligent, well crafted films, with stars that light up the screen. Parallax View is a thriller, with Beatty playing a reporter looking into an organization training political assassins. I was riveted. Far better than most thrillers today. In The Candidate Redford plays an unknown candidate, plucked from relative obscurity, to go on and win the California senate seat. Although in some ways the politics of that day - or at least how the film portrayed it - are less subtle, it is almost a mirror image to the rules of the today's game. "What do we do now," Redford's last line of the film says it all. Running a campaign is all together very different than running a country. Go ask Obama.
Far darker than I imagined it would be. Apparently wasn't paying attention to anyone's reviews. Really slow to start, began losing interest right before the big heist gone wrong. Then it got interesting.. and really dark. Didn't love it, but does have a haunting effect, feel it will stay with me for a bit.
Home sick.. watched the 3 available episodes back to back. I get it.. Cheedle is excellent. And the concept quite good - and most certainly relevant today. Stylistically, like the way it's done. Feels a bit uneven, but it's only first few episodes. Could certainly smooth out... will continue to watch. That pretty much tells the story...

Just Read

Tom Kelley: The Art of Innovation: Lessons in Creativity from IDEO, America's Leading Design Firm
Published 11 years ago, but the concepts & process are still relevant.
Rob Lowe: Stories I Only Tell My Friends: An Autobiography
In bed sick & was looking for a no-brainer of a read.. I got my wish. My sister and sister in law both said they enjoyed it, so I figured why not. It was hardly a work of literary genius, but somewhat enjoyable for the first half. Brought me back to the 70's and 80's...After that, was just hoping I felt better and up for a weightier title..
Jeffrey Eugenides: The Marriage Plot: A Novel
In general, it's an intertwined narrative of three characters trying to find their way in their years after college. The characters are wonderful, fully realized. And the story good too. Definitely enjoyed, and would recommend, but as a rating, I'd say great, not excellent...
Kevin Wilson: The Family Fang: A Novel
We all have unique and sometimes fucked up families - but the parents of this family might take the entire cake. Great book all around. Well written, funny, poignant - totally entertaining.. would make an incredible Wes Anderson movie..
Craig Marks and Rob Tannenbaum: I Want My MTV: The Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution
If you didn't live the business, this book would be of zero interest. I lived through half of the years focused on - and still it only kept me mildly attentive. I read all the way through though - skimmed through bands I couldn't care less about (then and now), while, other sections definitely did amuse - brought me back to a very fun, exciting time in my life. And the last days of the music industry as we knew it.
Walter Isaacson: Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs was certainly not a warm & fuzzy guy you'd have wanted to hang out with, but I thoroughly enjoyed the time spent reading the book. His 'genius' is truly remarkable and awe inspiring - his insights, his passion, his focus, the company he built and the products he developed - and though he really wasn't a very nice guy, his brilliance and drive made him impossible to ignore and more than deserving of the lavish praise he received.
Marty Neumeier: The Designful Company: How to build a culture of nonstop innovation
Neumeier's core belief: "Design drives innovation; innovation powers brand; brand builds loyalty; and loyalty sustains profits. If you want long-term profits, start with design." The concept of creating a corporate culture of innovation by incorporating design is a fascinating one - to me, and a topic many have been discussing for years. But is concisely and well articulated here.
Debbie Millman: Brand Thinking and Other Noble Pursuits
Interesting that Brand is hard to define and articulate well - even for industry leaders. As Debbie Millman's focus and expertise is on Design, much of the conversation about Brand came back to the articulation of brand through design. But design is a big concept - one that I wish had been defined and described simultaneously by those that defined brand.
Katherine Rosman: If You Knew Suzy: A Mother, a Daughter, a Reporter's Notebook
I'm not sure what possessed me to read this book being that my mother died only 10 months ago from cancer - clearly a glutton for pain. The author, a WSJ reporter, deals with the pain of her mothers death by "investigating" her mother's life, by interviewing the people she touched. It's about mothers and daughters, sisters, death and dying.. it's a well-written, honest, emotional weeper.
W. Bruce Cameron: A Dog's Purpose
I didn't think I'd like it, but I was sucked in - being the sucker for dogs that I am. Fantastic job of writing from a dog's perspective. (What we imagine they must be thinking, more like it..) A little hokey and corny at the end, but still an enjoyable read. I'm missing my little mutt, so gave me a little doggie comfort..
Rebecca Skloot: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Really interesting, very well written
Jennifer Egan: A Visit from the Goon Squad
Some great characters (Bennie Salazar), others not that interesting. I liked it, can't say I loved it. A bit of a roller coaster of interest throughout.