“You are young, my son, and, as the years go by,time will change and even reverse many of your present copinions. Refrain therefore awhile from setting yourself up as a judge of the highest matters”. Plato,
Events of this trip start since about mid of March 2010 when chose to go far away traveling to Malaysia not as a tourist, whom the tourism folks show him what they like him to see, and be hostage their “pre-plotted” journey. . . . this is not my thought under any circumstance as I am not the capitalist graced of funds, nor unable to walk in streets nor convinced of the “perfect” picture of tourist sites!, tourism is in no way meant to be mine, perhaps no more than interest in going to beach in summer months, in lucky years!!. Booked a flight after some search emphasizing on trip price and time, finally, Kuwait Airlines via Kuwait going and retuning like that, was the best, nevertheless, I was not aware that waiting at airport needs to be managed in another independent plot as if it were another trip!! . . days converged, got prepared to travel and had contacted some friends there, and some amateur hosts under a nice project called (Couch Surfing, thanks to my best friend Hany), coincidently, at the same period an electrical and another electronics trade honest would be held there, I registered for their attendance, booked domestic flights to the exhibition and tried as much as possible to collect many of major and ‘nitty-gritty’ details ,may be some bit scrupulous!!, through publications online, as well as e-mailing CSers living in Malaysia, and heard tales of one friend who traveled there ,his voice tone has more warning of the risks usually referred by Middle Easterners for any passenger out of ” Middle East utopian paradise” as another ‘fun’ as they reckon themselves center of the universe !!!. . . I kept bold & adequate to smile in face of the speaker and turned such debate to a joke we shared together laughing noisy, in street! Zero hour is just a couple of hours!, I packed my bags and headed to the airport, I expected some problems, I was not granted any prior visa to Malaysia, and all the information managed to get is since I am Egyptian, I can enter Malaysia for 3 months without a prior visa, which can be bought for three times on the same statement, that is 9 months full . . . What a gorgeous point to be exploited and this is what I did, there were events in turn smoothly, until reached Kuwait, the journey started “to wait”, four hours filled with reading and listening to radio on my mobile phone, In addition to walk for exercise within corridors of the airport, which seemed illuminated by darkness!! What I do not know why the lighting system in airports is really dim and so outrageous; there is no weight to distinguish details without getting much closer!!. . . . . When they announced the flight I got to engage in a line queue traveling to Kuala Lumpur!! my back bag started burdening shoulders, alternating putting & pulling it & so on, until entered the plane, I looked for my seat as selected by the Internet service, and found a woman sitting to its side, I was to sit down when her husband requested me politely to exchange seats as he wanted to sit beside her, I responded immediately,…the seat was really narrow, it was clear to me that I could not sleep on this trip, but, I tried to find suitable chair ‘position’ and explore opportunities to sleep, but in vain, and realized that I am I will be awake for a period of not less than 36 hours. . . plane took off a few minutes before midnight, and up to Kuala Lumpur, about one o’clock in the afternoon!! , Because I could not sleep during the day, the chance for timely sleep was only on board, the dream – or necessity – has evaporated before take-off!!! looking around me then one young man who seemed having Arab features and seemed like young people who are serious – I reckon myself of them – in their view towards life, I found him welcoming speaking, due to his hardly understood dialect I realized he is from Iraq, then he said “The seat is tight . . No sleep tonight”, he is studying Masters Degree in northern Malaysia. . . . Crew started distributing food and then passengers snoring started , clearly that the food caused heavier heads, seized them to hardly comfortable “beds”, the cabin crew distributed small blankets, with medium sheet thickness, made of fire-resistant material for safety precautions, I tried to wind myself, I felt more comfortable and prepared for deep sleep, despite the absurdity of passengers and lack of space, the noise and the multitude of lights and opinions around me, but the blanket had a change to get a positive impact gave me two hours nap, (suggested: passengers in a long flight take a light cover to fall asleep some bit simpler).
After about six hours, they place breakfast!! I was not hungry but “lacking” sleep, took a small timidly, and then the plane landed at approximately one o’clock in the afternoon as scheduled, I felt a coup balance of time in my head, my watch shows around 7 AM, but, they announced that it is 1 PM, I had to turn to the airport and walk in company of the young, respectful Iraqi man where he met one Iraqi colleague who was aboard the same plane and introduced me to him, he was too ancient to be a Ph. D Student!! a man in such session is still studying in this Age!! But what their eyes did not say that they are here in Malaysia escaping from Iraq and its problems; it hurt me deeply to see who does have nothing to do with pay back the mistakes of others! Stamping my passport, given ninety days, as I got informed, I found the Iraqis waiting for me after the passports gate, thanked their politeness, bringing together their luggage and went to the city center, one of them insisted to pay the fare for me, in the usual Arab generosity even, took our bus out of airport, where dense plants, herbs and gardens ,right and left, surprised my eyes, clean roads in such a way as if wiped every day, I got learnt that the rain falls down at a high rate in Malaysia, may reach 6 times a day in rainy seasons, and one or two times in seasons of “Drought!”. Reached the city center, we took a taxi to the “Arabs” Street that is named Bukit Bintang, I insisted to pay the fare, said goodbye to each other, then went to hotel which I have booked via the Internet, I found the room acceptable, rested a bit and started to take a walk and learn the city, after confirming the hotel address not to get lost!! , I started walking in the streets nearby, exploring the new place, really radically different as the first time, for example, I see cars with the steering wheel on the right side like Britain, and the first time I see the intensity of Chinese culture in this way, shops, restaurants, signs on streets, written in Chinese . . . , came across this passage the first in KL streets, a distinct sense of smell is there, It cannot be described, but rather, it stuck to everything, my clothes, my nose, my hands and even my shoes!! , Smells like Chinese food plus a mixture of urea & moisture surrounding it , continued to walk seeking purchasing Malaysian SIM card for mobile phone, I questioned pedestrians who showed the way to one of the commercial centers specialized in telecommunications, I couldn’t not find there so chose to continue my walk, in the midst of walking, a suspicious man came across offering me prostitutes!!”Lady, sir?. . . . . . Indonesian, Filipino,. . . etc”, he said. . . . I got disgusted much of it and left him to continue my way, I felt such dirt in hearts that turns human beings into a commodity in this way-like slave market. . . . . . For myself, I do still see the prostitute as a victim, not a criminal, a victim of the class strife, did not find it headed, leading to sell herself and her body, exposing to serious risks in order to get her living!, Later on, I got that this is not completely right in Malaysia as some of them are university educated and have jobs and do this “part time job” in order to increase income and get more welfare, as the price per night or some part is around two thousand Ringgits , about six hundred U. S. dollars, and specifically in this street, which stands for Arabs, . . . should not generalize!!.
Continued to walk, with repeatedly pimps presentation, as well as some prostitutes, it was like that a visitor to this street, gets to have sex in this way, stripped out of any psychological feelings as like and admiration, only driven by excessive animality, without considering sex psychological consequences of human affection. . . . . Really hard hearts!
Also got know that in Chinatown pricing is different, it is just fifty Ringgit, or about fifteen U. S. dollars ,. . . . . China is still aligning with the working class!!
This is all born of poverty, which if it were a man . . . I would have killed him.
Had this sense of revulsion, a sense of opposition induced by mental and intellectual sophistication for such situations that looks like it is inspired by slave era!!.
I went back to hotel after getting the SIM, watching a World Cup football match in the room, and after nightfall I went down again to eat and surf the Internet. . . . a nearby cafe where I met a young man who has Arab features, he started to speak Arabic, he was Libyan, we talked together, told me he is in KL for five months, studying English, not much pleased, I spoke to him about Malaysia and his opinion about life there, he said: “I got cheated that it is an ‘Islamic’ state, and when I came here I lost my funds, morals, my time, & my religion!” (I did not discuss with him the concept of human free will and the fact that the state has no function of “guarding ethics/morals”), and continued his talk in the same fashion, the norm of Middle Easterners in the focus on morality and ethics as if they were in the highest Heaven, Back to sleep as I was very much tired, I woke up but the room is still dark I questioned myself, “Is it still a long night or day has gone ?” It was one o’clock in the afternoon, I went to the exhibition, I was pleased to have a nice sleep, celebrating the newborn – I mean the day, but the vital point that got rest quite a bit , there, I saw a number of products mostly made in China, South Korea or Europe, I questioned exhibitors about products manufactured in Malaysia, barely nothing of technologically advanced equipment are manufactured here in Malaysia, then I remembered the words of one CS who told that Malaysia hasn’t much innovation or creativity to share!! The words then get its meaning!Out of the show far away, started walking in streets of the city, watching the impressive twin towers, Petronas, two architectural masterpieces are particularly evident in the accuracy of the engineer who designed, precision quality that dealt with the implementation of the engineer imagination, I don’t reckon that it was imagined in the engineer mind prettier than the view when inaugurating the towers, how proud I feel in my work when I look to something designed sees reality, and deal with what I cared as a whole . . and better. As a jaunting traveler, like people & like to explore their lives, my way turned to get out of the city center where the tourist “print” is dominant that is not convenient for me at all, I went to the train station, using a map drawn in my mind from browsing the Internet, hardly differentiates between the eastern and western sides of the city, without the slightest knowledge of the distance, but how gorgeous going forward always, especially if you are enjoying the really different nature from what it used to be, I felt that I am Earth son, a creature of the minerals and elements, attributed to Earth and to Earth it is!!. Took a train, like subway in beloved Cairo, I found myself in an area called Petaling Jaya, I stood up from the train station tagged in proximity to high voltage transmission lines!! , which made me astonished to see within the city, I concluded that we were just outside the city, or in another city recently emerged due to the urbanization expansion of the capital ,such as London and the city of Westminster, where London suburbs expanded reaching it and merging with!! Several examples like this in “third” world . . . I walked on without guide, by going rides on a bridge after another, looking right and left, taking many pictures around the silent neighborhood, which reminded me about suburb of Maadi in Cairo, I found a supermarket there, it was really nice to drink pineapple juice, you feel you eat real pineapples out of the uncomplicated sweet drink. . . . . afterwards started looking for something new in the area, an internet café, church, mosque , temple, anything worth filming, got surprised to see the national electricity company building there, appeared modest, it seems that the electricity sector does not bring much profit, despite the mad rise in kilowatt-hour price, I started to feel the need to eat, did not pick up anything since yesterday night, a search for a restaurant to taste the Malaysian food had begun, got at the time that restaurants are as people here. . . races, by chance, I saw a restaurant which appeared to be Indian, entered the restaurant, where no one speaks English, Thus, I had to point to rice and some chicken, I know these dishes from my experience with Indians in Saudi Arabia, but it was not as I thought, was weird taste, I questioned for some water to drink, the man brought me very hot water, I thought he understood that I want to shower!! Clarified to him that it is very hot, using English, Arabic and broken Hindi, the man did not know at all!! And It was only rewarded with another hotter cup, I showed my relative satisfaction, telling to myself, “better than nothing now!” finally, resumed my way, it was clear that dealing with people is not simple, language is a major barrier and then I questioned myself, “Does a man have to know all the languages of world, not advanced knowledge, but just basics?” I answered myself that “There is no enough time in one’s live to do!, but, trial should be there” I returned to the train, about an hour walking again, I did not care of, it was just to forget the worries out of weird food I got!!. I passed near the station by a Chinese restaurant, clear from the writing described it, I can’t help “escaping” myself out of the intensity of odor that smells. . . . catching my mind, later when a friend telephoned me from Saudi Arabia saying, “Do not eat in Chinese restaurants as not (Halal= Muslims legal food)”, shouted to him with a sigh, “if it were (Halal) I would never eat there!!”. . . I went back to hotel at the end, to rest and take shower, then walk to the Internet cafe at night, I went out and found the same Libyan young man again, I spoke with him on his study, talking about so many things well, passing the second night was silent and waiting for a long next day as going to Penang. Stepped to the plane, it did not seem weird other than red colour everywhere, which filled the whole plane so I thought it was a bedroom and not a plane, appeared gorgeous, the grade of red colour, not provocative nor that dramatic as well, but feels something of the populist, just like the beret worn by Che Guevara, referring to the power of the people . . . arrived in Penang, seemed more gorgeous than Kuala Lumpur, silent, tidy & rainy, I went to the exhibition, I wandered in, and found it more organized though being a regional rather than in the capital, I attended one of the seminars on the subject that I was doing my Master research on it, which would never come to end!!, When I finished my tour in the exhibition, chose to exercise walking in a fantastic enthusiasm, careful this time of the terrible rain, which did not start until about three hours of walking had passed, I had to jump into a taxi and head to the airport waiting to return to KL, I can’t forget such a walk, walking in Penang is more than fun, silent, clean, gorgeous scenery, and people as well, I entered the Internet cafe there to rest for a while surfing internet, I found a ‘bunch’ of children playing PC games , mostly with Chinese features, I felt impressed that children have more energy to challenge in games seem violent, and need a sort of tactic there. . . . . amusing boy, no more than seven or eight years ancient, sitting next to me, when standing to go out of the raw, he questioned permission, forcing me to go my chair to let him go, and when he returned, I found him ‘sneaking’ below my chair and suddenly appeared on his chair next, it made me laugh really from my heart, pleased for the children, by whom really life becomes meaningful fun.
Returned back to KL in a rainy evening, it was really new for me to see rain drops forming inclined lines on windows, with changing angle as the resultant force direction changes with plane speed & tilt, later on, rain drops looked like just needles, the plane rise above the clouds, obtaining a relatively stable flying!! unfortunately, it didn’t last long until the worst air bump ever I felt occurred ,I just felt my heart down to my feet, screaming women filled the scene !!! a honestly terrible moment!.
At night, I was invited to dinner by one Malaysian lady CS , I was shy not to accept the invitation though being more worried of the Malaysian food experience, before going, I bought her a small bit of chocolates as a courtesy in response to invitation, arriving her home after getting lost for a while in dark streets although it is near to the down town!!, there were two Germans, a girl and her boyfriend, in addition to a young Englishman, the German guy lead the conversation, was with nice blond hair, and styled in a shape like a cockscomb similar to ancient Roman soldiers, he spoke about their journey lasting about 4 months and half, I smiled to him and questioned “Do not have a job?” he hesitated to answer and addressed his girlfriend to do, they said, after consultation by their eyes, they were “in a break from work”, working for two years and now need to rest, I smiled and told them I reckon myself as well in need for a rest after six years of working as expat, questioned later about the countries they have visited, they said that they have started by visiting Israel, and then Egypt, then went to the east to Cambodia, Thailand, and finally in Malaysia two days before, then the guy questioned me from which region in Malaysia am I ? I told him, wondering, I’m not Malaysian, I am Egyptian, such word was as a bucket of cold water , he stared at his girlfriend, and took to end the speech, momentarily, I got to dinner after Lady CS call, there were pure Malaysian food, I was eating without enjoying nor satiation, and made me suffering yearning for my country, my family, my mother & her food…. . later on, the young Englishman entered the kitchen and started talking about life, traffic, governmental hustles and many subjects, very clear to me that the young man practiced the very ancient European way of flattery to talk , reminding me with the senseless guy in “Hard Times” by Charles Dickens, and meanwhile, saying to myself ” bud, play far away, so many drums rang on my head ” I got it fun to give him more chances for more acting and pretending politeness, nearly finished eating ,we all started to watch the soccer match between Spain and Switzerland, the Malaysian Lady and her two children were there, I noticed that her son was smoking in the presence of his mother, and our presence, where such behaviour is considered “Shameful” in the Egypt etiquette, I realized that there is a difference in habits & traditions!! , the match finished, I hand-shacked everyone leaving back to hotel, it was too late, there were no taxis, no transport, there was no solution other than walking, and shamefully that I do not know where am I geographically!! But, I realized that I am close to city center as a matter of common sense since the travel time was not too long from where I live, started walking to the main road where several useful signs were there, walking at night was more than a pleasure, in a charming weather with romantic zephyr, and roads, buildings, adorned with cool lighting, I did not care for more walking that day which I reckon I walked for about 25 Km, I returned to hotel to sleep a very long night.
I woke up after noon the next day, I chose to visit the Islamic Museum in downtown KL, They made a three-dimensional replica for each well-known mosque in the world, with major attributes of each era & region architecture, additionally, vast variety of arms in Malaysia’s heritage, currency, and murals, houses (apparently from a survey there, arms are widespread, may show some part of violence and counter violence in the Malay history!!) . . . after a long round in the museum, I went back to the hotel to rest sleeping for nearly an hour!.
At night, met the Libyan guy again he introduced one guy from Djibouti, we started to talk together, I have noticed in front of the hotel where they live in it, there was ‘suspicious’ moves for a number of girls and young people did not seem to be hotel residents, I questioned the two guys there and they answered as this hotel is working in prostitution facilitation!! The scene was just enough other than any talk or any paper!. Conversation between me and these young people continued, expressing my opinion, they refused my opinion basically, asking “Do you practice religious chastity?” I answered “I’m not religious, but I am not an animal,” chastity is an act of resisting the emerging desire, which, merely, didn’t go there any bit. We talked a lot about the economy, identity, future and politics in Malaysia …. . and how the difficulties reveal the real men ‘metal’, I heard several words during this hang gave me a excellent dictionary for some things such as “The desert is not growing grass and pasture, but morality & ethics” and “prison is men grave” and “absolute freedom…. corrupts absolutely” . . . I went to sleep just before dawn, morning, it was time to go to a Chinese-Malaysian CS friend in the countryside of KL, and I was keen to this experiment, rural areas are fantastic, I noticed at the entrance to her house Buddhist statues dominated by red & yellow colours, while to right of this scene, one can see the “last supper” paint for the Christ and his followers, curiously, I questioned her about this ‘mix’, she answered that her grandfather, had ten sons, nine of them are Buddhists, while her father and his family are Christians, I said – the natural reaction of a person who lived in the Middle East, where the prevailing tradition does not allow diversity of religions in one family- “Is this easily acceptable in your family?”,I questioned “Yes, there is no problem we are all connected with each other!”,she answered, and I had to listen to her admiring what I hear!!, She and her family were very welcoming, it was clear that the house shares a part of religiosity, they are in rural area, and rural areas in nature are linked to religion very much , I do not know other reason of this ‘phenomenon’ as simple as that farmer sees every plant growth is a direct act of ‘God’, every go and do too ! Though natural law is governing …. . She suddenly saw a book with me; it was “Motorcycle Diaries across Latin America” by Argentinean revolutionary Che Guevara whom she could not recognize!!. . . . . . Hiking up the mountain, which I have never seen like it in my life, it was covered completely with dense plantation, trees & herbs, so after walking for nearly three hours, I started to feel very tired, The mountain is high & sharp sloped , “You cannot just stop because mosquitoes and ants may ‘eat’ you , one must go further” , she said, we got to a hut above the hill , I was struggling too much to keep breathing, and sweating too much as if I was going to dissolve!!, then she said “the first time I went to the mountain was tiring , but getting used to, “. . . there we met a Chinese-Malaysian businessman, he was the owner of this hut, which we have invaded without any permission!, he spoke very well, apparently well educated, he said that he had been to nearly all the Arab countries, then he added that financial and administrative corruption in Malaysia would yield a catastrophic situation referring to the ethical discrimination when dealing with the ethnic Chinese as a second-class citizen, my friend was really worried to involve in the conversation. . . . . . . He spoke about fruits and products deployed in this country, and how other countries started to develop significantly exceeding Malaysia because of political corruption started to fester it, I do not know what that happened to me to question the man “Do you know Che Guevara ? “he answered with confidence that he don’t know!!! He was not the first person as a Chinese-Malaysian to say this, I know that the culture in this country, specifically directed …. . but, don’t know to where?!.
Going down also tiring as you need to restrain yourself from going in the direction of gravity, then you have to do additional effort, finally, I went back to KL for the other Chinese-Malaysian CSer, the same group of people who are enthusiastic to travel & host foreigners, her home was in Petaling Jaya, where I went before during my second day in Malaysia, there was her sister, her mother & a small dog barks sharply, the house is based on the European system named “Duplex” i. e. the bedrooms are in the first floor, while hall, kitchen and bathroom are located in the ground floor, I was thinking that this dog is a small cat!! as dogs in Middle East are too fearful to accept playing their heads!.
The lovely Chinese-Malaysian friend, who treated me treat more than brilliant, smiling not leaving her, we sat to talk a small bit and it was clear that she had a different mentality from whom I met during this period, she was bold and able to talk well about the community, people, politics as well, matching our views on various matters, shortly her friend came and invited me to accompany them in a nightclub there, it was a excellent opportunity to explore night life in KL-other than ‘dirty’ BB- in the presence of a company seemed different , additionally, a Nigerian cheerful guy studying in Malaysia with a smile similar to Akon the well-known singer, joined us we, went altogether and started to dance and joy until late at night, …. . Passed night to wake up nearly noon, then went to KL Tower in the down town, watching the city, it was new to see a city covered in green from top! . . . Finished and headed back home again.
Evening I was invited by my friend to a jazz party, was a concert by Australian band made up of a woman pianist, harmonica player, rhythm drum player & cello player, we entered the hall, the rhythm was slow & silent somehow, but, really touched my heart, at the top most of excitement and romance, nearly kind that my tears were to disrupt, due to my heart tears, not pity for a song, but pity for myself that I never did feel all this passion towards a partner in the world I live in, a world overshadowed by the fake materialistic values, and hypocritical empty claims of virtue, killing the spirit of a human , naturally came to the universe…. romantic moments in my heart out of reasoning, but singing was superseding such meanings of reasoning, representing a sacrifice for the like, the like that may not exist but only on paper or abstract in the mind of a person, but I still imagine myself loving . . . without a loved partner!.
The singer man is a real artist, with real feelings, professional harmonica player, sweet voice and powerful at the same time, his words there came on the lost wounds , addressed to a man cried in his life, but too late, having missed things, and events, and remained alone . . . to weep!! . . The songs were filled with sadness, or what is called ‘Blues’, it is realistic up to some extent, but in a manner not excessive in grief nor a nihilist, but rather describing the case as it is, reflecting artist views and finding through the song itself, I believe this is the real art. He sang for homeless people and how they are walking in streets haphazardly, attach their backs to city walls, and keep walking without direction. . . . How gorgeous this creative artist!!.
During a break, I talked to my friend about the concept of overall happiness. May I bring many moments of fun and joy, but the concept of overall happiness needs to be checked again and again, I do not feel the sense of overall happiness, even-though I have achieved much of what I wished in my life, but never, out of something called ‘abstract’ overall happiness. . . . . The event continued on the same pace, then I passed the night with a very rare cool sleep, in spite of that both of us had discussed on the way home about ideologies, religions, interpretations, such issues are consuming the mood!, declaring that I am an aggressor to the extreme causality approach, being proud of this without caring if it is called ‘Atheism’!!. . . Reaching home, she gave me a cup of cold water, in a wonderful gesture, it was a wonderful night, and memorably, I would leave Malaysia satisfied! The last day for me in Malaysia came, I woke up slightly before noon not intending to go out as a long travel awaits me, as usual ,I didn’t leave my book “Motorcycle Diaries across Latin America” by “Che” Guevara , extending my back on a sofa and started reading with a real imagination of what he wrote, feeling myself cascading from the spirit of struggle they lived, Guevara and his friend Alberto, the two doctors who have lived the meaning of human, promoting the spirit of sacrifice for others, the oppressed, to get their rights not to get out charity or handouts from rich, but to have a right in right ownership of themselves, and their future, as human beings, equal in rights and duties…. . A part of the day, my friend talked to me about various things, still marked with “patience” to listen to what I’m saying though others may get not used to…this flexibility shown, it is not simple to find out these days . . . I gave her some Egyptian bank-notes while she showed me a fantastic collection of coins belonging to her grandfather, moreover, showed me some fiber plates she had crafted into nice engraved paints appeared fantastic with simplicity, it is clear that the artistic sense, integrated in the person, adoring the concept of beauty, founded philosophically, improves the surrounding environment while those who lead a dry materialistic life have pale view towards sensing or appreciating beauty.
The day passed quietly, my friend drove me to KL central station, where boarded the train, “quick train this time” to the airport, by the time I said goodbye, I felt a fantastic achievement as I managed to plot & implement the trip, learned from the days I have lived there that travel is necessary & essential for man, to realize that he & his culture are not a sole in the universe, and most vital of all for me is dealing, meeting and living with people whom won’t forget for my life long, and the moments of truth & beauty , which were absent from my life as a reality . . . re-exploring a new man, perspective, dreaming again on reality with widen horizons & higher goals . . . . Realizing that I’m neither as terrible as conceived by self-denial thought, nor that most successful than who are ‘less’ than me. . . . . . . . I am, as I am, a simple man, never carried a gun.
End.
Recent Comments