the tourist

i cannot recall the last time i walked the streets of Buki Bintang, but the one occasion i remember with vivid clarity was that time CM and i were nearly locked-in in Pudu prison. all that's left now is the iconic gates of the former prison and barriers advertising the promise of a new an exciting commercial hub in place of the ghostly halls and cells of Pudu prison. the piece of land remains undeveloped, rife with speculation that nobody with a healthy dose of superstition would ever want to develop any properties there.

the missing prison is merely one facet of the changing face of Bukit Bintang. walking along Jalan Sultan Ismail towards the direction of Pavilion, i am amazed by the lights and life that populate the streets. Arabic vendors line the streets, tempting me to dub that particular stretch the "Silk Road" of Bukit Bintang. as one approaches the intersection of Jalan Sultan Ismail and Jalan Bukit Bintang, a large LED cube greets the pedestrian with images of an aged Eric Cantona / Saddam Hussein promoting some telco company. again, i am tempted to call this intersection the "Times Square" of Bukit Bintang.

all these attempts to compare parts of Bukit Bintang with other locations is ultimately meaningless. just a passing first impression of somebody who hardly comes to this part of town and is awestruck by how much it has changed over the past five years. my experience sums up the phrase "to meet again for the first time". i know the place, but it has mutated to a form nearly unrecognisable that it becomes somewhat comedic for me. i was a tourist, returning years later after the fact.

in all fairness, i had had thoughts of photo walking the streets of Kuala Lumpur in the past, but they never come to fruition no thanks to procrastination and a general lack of a sense of safety in the city. luck would have it that i found company and a reason to visit the area, but unfortunately a camera was not in hand. all i took was this one photograph of my company, another "tourist" who had never walked the streets of Bukit Bintang. to experience a city, is to walk the streets and savour the atmosphere. Kuala Lumpur is no different - it is alive, albeit in a form barely recognisable but still charming in its own way. i still hope to walk the streets of KL with camera in hand, although i'll probably need a bodyguard or two if i don't want to get mugged.