shall we go for the direct and mundane today?
picture this. i am riding a tram, in the middle of the city. It has been raining all morning, the ground is wet, the umbrella has been mobilized into action, and I'm somewhat miffed because the rain has hampered my visit to the market in Camberwell, which was, unfortunately, open air.
But no matter. I sit in the tram and stare out at the shops and restaurants and people walking about. I'm smack in the middle of the city, on Elizabeth Street, and as i stare out the window, i'm suddenly temporarily awed by the things i see and for a moment i think i love this city. I love it for the little lanes chock full of cafes and music stores with all the cds i could never find back home, and for its coffee culture and fashionable inhabitants, for being on the gig circuit, for having-
but wait a second, i interrupt my train of reasons why i love melbourne. for one thing, these same reasons could probably be applied to any other significant western city. therefore, i reason, i do not love melbourne for itself, i just assume i do because it happens to be the first city where i am able to experience these things. and, not to be nit-picky or anything, i haven't even been to a concert here yet.
ah. ye tak ye. well, aside from the concert thing(must find concert-partner), i love-well, maybe not love. not yet. i'm fond of melbourne for that very reason. that it's the first city that i can actually explore, if i take the initiative. that it's within walking distance of our apartment, that i feel familiar with a portion of Swanston street more than any street in downtown KL. i've never actually explored KL. never been to a gig there. never checked out the flea markets. never searched out the best kopitiam or nasi kandar stall(though i do believe the one at sungei wang's foodcourt kicks ass). I don't think i've actually been to Tugu Negara. i should.
what i'm saying is, it's funny that the first city i happen to be able to properly try and embrace turned out to be a foreign one. oh, don't get me wrong. i'm not saying melbourne is better and more interesting than KL. i'm sure KL is awesome once you get to experience it and see all the nooks and crannies. it's just that i haven't, and here i am a few thousand kilometers away exploring(oklah, not even exploring, just grazing the surfaces) of a different city.
p/s: i had ice cream yesterday with Anna and Mai, who are going to Tasmania today! lucky girls. hope you guys have fun.
exaggeration and tall tales galore
Friday, June 27, 2008
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11 comments:
experience in d new city, usually will be great. (i use usually bcoz there's an exception for me heheh)
aku tersengih lak ble bace part yg ko dgr lagu yg maybe cd die xde kt malaysia, sbb kat indon ni, aku da rs nk muntah asik dgr lagu indon, skali balik malaysia, radio asik psg lagu indon je. x yah cari cd haha.
send my regards to mai and anna. ;)
yaish. coldplay concert soldout. kebodohan.
good thing that you have explored melbourne.any city that resides beside a port is an awesome place.
anyhow, i have this habit, to criticize and compare my city with kl. montreal i s faaar cry better than kl, but somehow i just need to find a reason to say," why-la takde ____________ macam kat kl?"
see, KL has THAT effect. bangga aku dgn semangat patriotik aku. traffic jams, indon workers, filthy public toiltes et al, be damned. i hail KL and my country regardless.
Ah! I love that sense of excitement in exploring cities! We should go on trips together since not a lot of people I know here like to do so! And I don't like going alone.
Not that there's anything wrong with going on expeditions alone, its just that you want someone to share your excitement, or your oohs and aahs, your awe and amazement. It just makes the whole experience more definitive, like you're supposed to feel that way, and you're not randomly, senselessly, aimlessly even, trotting around looking at buildings and random statues.
Makes sense? Nope, not even to me. hehe. No matter.
I should explore KL more as well! Everytime I think of KL i imagine traffic jams, filthy, price-on-admission restrooms and stores overblown with flamboyant dangdut/hindustan songs.
Then again maybe that's just a slice of the real KL.That's along Jalan TAR kan? So yeah. Explore your country more. Over the time I've spent in this other country, I can't help but notice how little I know about my own.
juwa: tempat ko ada potential ape juwa :D ey, best gile ko boleh dengar lagu indon banyak2. indonesian music scene cam mantap je.
nani: alaaaaaaa...ye ke? but it's coldplay. if kat sini the kooks punye tickets boleh soldout within 10 minutes apetah lagi coldplay.
hahaha, to be honest, i haven't seen much of melbourne yang berkaitan dengan laut(except fot st kilda), but we'll get to that level soon enough.
hail nani and her semangat patriotik!
aijud: betul2!it's more fun to have someone in tow who can feel the same sense of 'wah seronoknnye' when we come across the quaint hidden cafe or discover the record store selling vinyl.
yours truly would be psyched to be a voluntary travel buddy(pick me!pick me!) at your disposal.
Jalan TAR! kedai kain. kedai nasi beriyani. mydin. or is that jalan masjid india?
http://ilhamfishie.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2007-09-03T02%3A31%3A00%2B08%3A00&max-results=20
I read her blog. Too me the content is quite OK, as both of us are having the same situation about cancer moms. YOu said you like reading blogs right? there you go...
well, KL is not that bad. heh.
few weeks ago, i went for job hunting in KL. all by myself. dah la naive about direction. i was using public and wearing a baju kurung. picture that. haha.
but it was all fun. observing people. walking in the rain. in the midst of hustle bustle city. feel so small berjalan dikelilingi sky scrapers. masuk kedai tu, masuk kedai ni. had lunch kat stalls tepi jalan. it was quite an experience. am looking forward nak jalan around petaling street. heh.
oh yeah, art events are mushrooming in KL. gigs and theaters and galleries.
selamat meng"explore" melbourne!
ps: you're a fan of Kings of Leon eh? i came across their youtube the other day. am loving Fans and Knocked up. tu je pon i sempat dgr. heh. what else yang best?
i read this posts days before and only to comment today. and i forgot what i wanted to say and just too lazy to read again. gomen! but right now im just toooooo tired and buzy attending my guest (well, not really) but i hope youre safe and sound in kl. and have your long dreamt kfc.
too bad im a little embarassed about being oblivious about my own country. if its about the minyk thing. haha. but i am not proud but i cant help being oblivious.
bring me masak lemak ikan patin from malaysia. haha. just kidding.
syefik: checking it out a.s.a.p :)
fifa: haha, in a baju kurung? respect. how did the job hunt go?
petaling street!art galleries! gigs! let's go see all :)
Kings of Leon,whoo! my latest obsession. i have 2 of their albums, Because of the Times and Aha Shake Heartbreak, and i would actually recommend both albums as a whole(seriously! i think they're that good, imo), but notable mentions include King of The Rodeo, Charmer, Razz, Arizona, My Party, Milk, Four Kicks, Taper Jean Girl, The Bucket. check them out, if you've got the time :)
anna:hahaha, make your guest cook for masak lemak ikan patin for you ;D cube carilah ikan patin kat mane2,haha
i think it's kind of comel the way you didn't know about the minyak, heh. macam innocent semacam plak.
kfc, here i come!
i found your blog while googling "bangau oh bangau" (don't ask, seriously hahaha) and i just wanted to say that i can relate to alot of things you say. :) and i think your taste in music is awesome (Y)
bangau oh bangau? hahahaha, i won't ask, but the wheels of my highly imaginative mind are spinning fast ;D
your comment made my day!thanks, many times over. knowing someone can relate to what i write is already one thing, but getting a compliment on my music taste? i'm chuffed :D
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