That is, in Malay, "Welcome to Malaysia!"
No, I am not on a tour. In fact, I just moved here.
Yup, you read that right. From the busy city of Metro Manila in Philippines, I am now living here in Malaysia.
God has blessed me with this wonderful opportunity to be here, because of a new job. So I am writing this blog post (after my frustrated 30-day challenge posts, which only lasted me a week), in order to share some of my experiences of my (as of this day) three-week stay here in Kuala Lumpur.
Arrival
Since I took a Saturday night flight from MNL, I arrived in KUL early Sunday morning. That is 3.5 hours of travel (in fairness to Cebu Pacific, the flight was on time, unlike the usual delays in their domestic flights). Of course I thought that I would be landing at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) which is an architectural sight to see. But since I took Cebu Pacific, we landed at the LCCT (Low-cost Carrier Terminal).
I think I expected too much. Their LCCT? Well, let's just say that our NAIA Terminal 1 looks better. And if you'll be taking Air Asia (which flies from Clark, Pampanga to here in KUL), you'll also be landing at the LCCT. But if you'll take Malaysia Airlines, then you will go down at KLIA.
Transportation
From the LCCT, you can ride a bus that goes to KL Sentral (the "central" station of almost everything, from trains, buses, even flight check-in when you're taking Malaysia Airlines) that is just around RM8.
The roads and vehicles? Right hand drive. The wheel is on the right side of the vehicle, so the roads, and everything, are on the left.
The roads
In Metro Manila, you can only see "major" highways in C5, South Super Highway and Skyway. Here in KL, these kinds of roads are what connects most of the city's towns. So you'll be seeing SCTEX-like roads almost everywhere.
The cabs/taxis
Taxis, or in Malay, Teksi, has a flagdown of RM3, and increments 10 sens. A note though, some of them, like Pinoy cab drivers:
-choose/turn down passengers
-trick passengers (yeah, experienced this once, because he could tell I was new here, he did not use the meter and didn't even have change so I had to give him RM20 for a destination that would only cost RM10)
-and/or just be a total asshole (me and my friend, Donn, experienced one cab driver who did not even drop us to where we want to, and was hurrying us..he even sped the car as soon as we got out).
If like me, you don't have a choice but to take a cab most of the time, at least be vigilant and know that they are using the taximeter.
The trains
A better mode of transportation, these are waaaay better than what we have in Manila.
LRT Kelana Jaya line (Laluan Kelana Jaya)
-the pink line, travels from Kelana Jaya to Gombak. If you want to go to the Petronas Towers, take this train and go down at KLCC station. This station is underneath the famed twin towers. Usual interchange stations are Masjid Jamek (to Ampang line) and KL Sentral. Usually crowded since it is the longest and I think has the bigger "market".
LRT Ampang line (Laluan Ampang)
-the yellow line, travels from Sentul Timur, has a joint station Chan Sow Lin, and from here, the tracks separate, one goes to Sri Petaling, and the other goes to Ampang. Usual interchange stations are Masjid Jamek (to Kelana Jaya line), and Hang Tuah and Titiwangsa (to KL Monorail). For Pinoys, Plaza Rakyat (or Masjid Jamek) station is a landmark since this is near Kota Raya, a sort of like 168 mall in Divisoria, where most Pinoy stores are. Chinatown (Jalan Petaling) is also near Plaza Rakyat station.
KL Monorail (KL Monorel)
-yes, a train that looks more like a bus, that runs on one rail (hence the name, monorail). Usually crowded since per train, it only has two cabins. A bit expensive by 20sens. Interchange stations are Hang Tuah and Titiwangsa (to Ampang line) and KL Sentral (but is not directly connected to the mall-like train station).
Why is it better here than in Manila? Because even though there's a crowd when riding the trains, most of the time, people fall in line at the sides of the door and leave a space open in the center so that the people coming in and coming out are not blocking each other's way. Unlike in our prestigious MRT3.
Also, we have this electronic and reloadable (much like our stored value) card, Touch 'n Go. You can just load it in any LRT station and you can just tap the card the entry gate. It saves time spent on falling in line just to buy a ticket.
Food
Since Malaysia is a cultural mix of Malay, Indian and Chinese, expect all these kinds of food to be found almost anywhere.
Average cost per meal (bought in cheaper areas/restaurants) would be around RM5. That would include at least one meat dish, and rice, or if you're eating Chinese food, that's one order of noodles. If you're eating in a restaurant inside a mall, average meals would be around RM10.
Wherever you are, if you'll ask for (tap) water, it's not free. And if you won't have ice put in, they'll serve the water, warm.
Since Indian food is rampant, expect to see a lot of curried dishes. A tip: redness is the measurement of spicy-ness. If you see that the food is a dark shade of red, you might want to reconsider, unless you really are used to eating spicy foods. Oh yeah, hot is different from spicy. I just forgot the difference.
Also, Chinese serve their dishes, besides chopsticks, with the soup spoon, even though you ordered noodles. Well, it's a bit of common sense right? Since not all foods can be picked up with chopsticks. I was just wondering why in the Philippines it isn't such.
Accommodation
For working professionals like me, the usual is room rentals, most of the time in a condominium or apartment, or sometimes in a link house. For small unfurnished rooms, a month's rental would range from RM250-RM400. For medium to master's bedroom with furnishings, a month's rent would range from RM450-RM900. It could include the utilities payment, or it may not, but the utilities are shared will all the people in the house/unit. Usual initial payment is either 2 or 2.5 months rent as deposit, plus first month rent. It is good if you'll look for a unit near your workplace, and is accessible to where you can buy food and other necessities.
Need help in finding a room? Visit http://www.mudah.my and http://www.ibilik.my.
Filipinos
If you're beginning to be homesick or you are missing Filipino food, head to Kota Raya. As mentioned, it is a mall between Masjid Jamek and Plaza Rakyat LRT Stations. This part of the city is quite crowded though.
A few meters away from Masjid Jamek (Kelana Jaya line) LRT Station, you'll see St. John's Cathedral. This is the church where most Filipinos go to mass every Sunday, especially in the morning. You'll also find outside the church gates, a few food stalls selling Filipino food. Also, a few feet away there are Pinay manicurists/pedicurists. (Haven't tried them though, maybe one of these Sundays.) And one more thing, the parish church has a small building for Archdiocesan Single Adults and Youth Office, and one room there is called Tahanang Pilipino.
Places to hangout (well, from where I have been)
Bukit Bintang
A mixture of Eastwood (Libis), Session Road (Baguio), Greenbelt 5 (Makati) and Chinatown (Binondo).
How to get here: take the KL Monorail and go down at Bukit Bintang station.
Suria KLCC
This is much like Glorietta and Greenbelt, which is a mall beneath the Petronas Towers.
Get here by taking Kelana Jaya line LRT and go down at KLCC station.
Other things that I could share
-Thou shall not go to a tourist destination (most especially in Genting Highlands) on a public holiday. We tried once, and as expected, our tour was somehow a "fail".
-There have been reported incidences of misfortunes (including snatchers and acid splashers, riding a motorcycle) happening on the streets. Just be cautious on the surroundings. Petty crimes, like in the Philippines, are reportedly quite just as "usual".
-At least try to learn their language (Malay), even just the basic ones that you may use when buying food or something else. Some Malays do not know how to speak English. Indians and Chinese, even if they do speak in English, may sometimes be a bit hard to understand due to their certain accent. Don't get intimidated if they speak Tamil and Mandarin/Cantonese (respectively) around you. Just grab a Filipino friend then talk in Tagalog.
-Public restrooms are not as clean as what you expect. Also, females, be ready to squat. Most of their toilets are those that are on the floor.
-Planning to hop on to Singapore? It is just a 3.5 hours bus trip, for only RM40 one way.
-IT jobs are in-demand here. Interested? Leave a comment.
-Old Town White Coffee is a must-try, plus their Kaya toast. This coffeehouse beats Starbucks.
So, these are what I could share for now. I may add in a bit of details maybe as I go along. Watch out for my next blog posts. :)
