25/3 – Retail therapy

I’m currently sitting at one of the many Starbucks places in KL with a shiny MacBook on my lap. I’ve been at SB many times before of course, and I was always jealous of the customers who would be there surfing the net using SBs free WiFi network, while sipping a Tazo Chai Latte. Chai Lattes are not on the menu though, apparently they are seasonal. I wonder what season goes best with a Chai Latte, and then I wonder what the heck the difference would be in a country located a couple of hundred klicks from the equator. I opt for a Mango Frappucino instead. It’s accompanied by a cinnamon roll I got from the neighbors, Cinnabon. I like it here. Starbucks, Cinnabon, and I’ve just visited KLs version of the HCC computer fair. It’s called Low Yat Plaza and it’s five floors of computer goods. The difference with the HCC Fair is twofold. One, it’s open all year. Two, it’s much cheaper. In a fight, Low Yat would win by default because the HCC would run home to momma before it got started. My loot consists of three memory cards, a USB hub, a Casio scientific calculator and a spiffy Logitech Mouse. All very el cheapo. Me happy camper. Wireless networks are ubiquitous of course, but I’m sure I’ve set some sort of record here: I can choose from no less than 18 WiFi networks here. Amazing.



First thing I did this morning was to visit Menara KL, or KL Tower. It’s the fourth largest radiotower in the world, and at 421m it’s quite impressive. Menara KL competes with the Petronas Towers for tourists who want a birds’ eye view of KL. The Petronas Towers are by far the more popular destination; they look far more impressive of course. However, there are only 1300 tickets available per day. There’s no such limit for KL Tower, and it has two added advantages over the Petronas Towers: the viewing platform is over 100m higher up and because you are not viewing from the Towers, you can see them in all their glory. It’s much nicer day than yesterday, and as I view KL from above at 9pm, the city is already warming up in the 28 degree heat. On the way back I get screwed by the cab driver, who charges me 12RM for what should be a 5RM trip. The porter at the hotel reminds me that I should tell cab drivers to use their meter.



Breakfast consisted of fried eggs and toast with a slice of French bread and Danish Blue. Then I left for Low Yat. I thought I got those memory cards cheap, but this morning I was browsing tweakers.net and it seems prices on flash memory have dropped across the board; even in Holland it’s quite cheap now. Still, I got it slightly cheaper than back home, it just wasn’t the major coup I thought it was.

After Low Yat I visited some more malls, and had lunch at the Crystal Jade something or other (some difficult Chinese name). Then it was time to head to the airport. A cab takes me to KL Sentral, and from there I take an express train to KL International Airport. Then it’s the bus to the LCC Terminal. This trip costs me about half the cash the taxi ride from the airport cost me, and it takes only a few minutes more. It’s also a lot more relaxing.

At the airport I meet up with Nyza and Nick, who just got back from Singapore to party. The plane is almost on time, and we arrive back in Miri at the Grand Palace around 10pm. I get some fried noodles takeaway and hang out in my room.