From Zafigo

Each time I held a conversation with friends who lived in either bustling Bangsar or distinguished Damansara, one sentence dripping with jokey sarcasm (if there is such a thing) would inevitably emerge: “But you live in Ulu Tembeling!” After a few such episodes, I took it onto myself to research this exotic- sounding location.

Traveling with a child is often a daunting task. It’s more than just looking for the right activities that your kids can partake in, or whether the restaurants serve up nutritious yet delicious – meals made specifically with mini-you in mind.

Depending on where you’re coming from, Kuala Lumpur (always called KL by the locals) is either orderly or chaotic. Those coming from neighbouring countries marvel at our ‘orderliness’; the fact that we actually stop at traffic lights, don’t normally run down pedestrians on zebra crossings and do not have hawkers clogging our pavements.

Please don't refer to Brickfields as “Little India” as we who were born and raised in Brickfields find this touristy description simplistic and garish. True, when you enter Brickfields there is an overwhelming presence of shops selling all things Indian. Yes, you can get a good bargain if you are shopping for sarees, Punjabi suits…

Landing in KLIA2, I’m greeted by the welcome sight of the lavatories with payphones next to them. Cleanliness of the toilets was average and the cubicles were spacious enough to accommodate someone with larger hand carry luggage.

Having grown up as a Penang-lang, I have always thought of Kuala Lumpur, or more affectionately known as KL among us Malaysians, as the big city. I can still remember my first memory of having set foot in the city, way back when I was a little girl of 10 years old

At first, I was skeptical about Couchsurfing. That was until I needed to plan my trip to Brazil as a FIFA World Cup volunteer. I had to plan my trip wisely as FIFA provided neither accommodation nor flight tickets.

I came to live in Bangsar by chance. While looking for a house to buy, and doggedly insisting on other areas of KL, the real estate agent persuaded me to look at a house that she said I could move in ‘right away’.

When I was packing for a meeting in Islamabad, Pakistan some years ago, I faced a dilemma. What on earth is appropriate to wear in that country? From what I’ve heard it’s a conservative country, so what should I wear for this meeting?