I woke up feeling much better from a respiratory status point of view but emotionally, I felt like there was a dark cloud over my head the whole day. It is the last day of my Malaysian journey and I don’t want to leave. I’ve been constantly reminiscing over the last couple of days about the KK days but at least there were exciting things in KL to keep me busy. Today was a pretty slow-paced day. We decided to skip the hotel breakfast for some authentic roti canai with pulled tea one last time on this trip. It was super flaky and a super cheap meal. $9 CAD for 5 roti with curry sauces and 2 drinks! I enjoyed some local Chinese TV, which I’m all too familiar with growing up, bringing back nostalgic memories, while packing. We then did some last minute clothing, souvenir and snacks shopping and enjoyed some more delicious food at Lot 10. I opted for the curry laska, whereas Aaron choose to have the Penang style fried noodles. Of course we also had some tasty pastries to end off our meal. Time flies as it was time to head to the airport for our long journey home. It was definitely a long journey totalling greater than 24 hours as we fly from airport to airport. We booked ourselves a minute suite at the Philadelphia airport for a nice 3 hour nap and a chance to refresh ourselves, since we has a long layover before our final transfer home. It was also here where I completed all stages of grief regarding having to go home from vacation and have finally reached the acceptance stage.
As with my other travel blogs, I end with my reflections for this trip.
Culture
I can definitely distinguish the small city vs big city feel of KK vs KL during this trip. They both had their perks. The warmth, generosity and friendliness of Aaron’s family in KK will never been forgotten, whereas the liveliness and supersized malls in KL makes me want to come back for more.
Weather
It actually was not as hot as I imagined it to be, which was a nice surprise. What did surprise me was the sudden downpours, which made me wonder why I didn’t have an umbrella with me at all times given I am from the rainy capital of Canada (Vancouver).
Language
I actually didn’t need to speak too much other than in English during this trip as I largely relied on Aaron and his family and friends and since most people did understand English. As such, I unfortunately didn’t pick up too much Malay or even use Chinese that much for that matter. I do have the advantage (or disadvantage) of looking local so people always chose to speak with me in Malay first until I give them a puzzled look and say, “Sorry? I don’t understand”.
Top food picks
1. Beef noodles at Lot 10
2. Shaved ice at Lot 10
3. Satay at food stalls in KK
4. Curry laska at Aaron’s uncle’s restaurant
5. Roti canai with fish head curry in KK
Top sights
1. Partying Kadazan style
2. Turquoise waters of the islands off KK
3. Sunset at the Nexus Resort
4. Twin towers in KL at night
5. Streets of KL at night
Firsts
1. First long trip with Aaron
2. First time with professional makeup and hair 3 times in one week
3. First time jet skiing
4. First time knowing how it feels to grow up in a huge family
5. First time using Malay
6. First time partying Kadazan style
7. First time at a 500+ guest wedding
8. First time using wet washrooms
Bowsing Nom Noms | Ottawa-Based Food and Travel Blog 