Everywhere you turned there was something new and different than wherever you just were. We saw so many people of different cultures, religions, with different dress, and who spoke different languages. This diversity at every corner almost made us fit in since we were different.
There were people laughing, whistling, and walking barefoot up and down the streets, and the place looked like a huge maze! At times it was overwhelming because of the chaos of it all, but mostly it was just fun and exhilarating!
At the end of Chinatown we found a hidden gem which we had heard so much about! It was a food stand where a man sold the best burgers in KL. They were called the 'Ramly Burger". We found him and were immediately impressed by the huge line and the demand for his product, and knew it must be worth the wait. So we placed our order and watched in amazement as he worked. He would make chicken, fish or beef burgers and would crack and egg onto the grill and wrap the cooked meat in the egg. Then he would toast the buns, add lettuce, onion and tomato and then add 3 special sauces. We had no idea what the sauces were but THEY WERE DELICIOUS. Two were red sauces, we think one of them being spicy and one being sweet, and then one white sauce similar to mayonnaise. The one thing you learn in Asian countries, don't ask what's in it.....just take a bite. So we did, and we LOVED IT!
Another fantastic part of my time in KL was our sight seeing day. Some of my favorite places included the Muslim Mosque and the Chinese Temple. I think these two were my favorite because we visited them back to back and they were such polar opposites of one another. The Muslim Mosque was a gorgeous Mosque that was all white and gold. When we entered we needed to take off our shoes and put on their traditional attire which they deemed acceptable to enter. For women this included a robe to cover up our bodies and a head scarf to cover our hair. Now, there were many people at the mosque who did not enjoy this 'costume change' but I found it so fascinating and exciting because it gave me a more inclusive feel of what it would be like if I wanted to visit places like this regularly or if I was part of this religion. I just felt like such a part of the Mosque being able to walk on the ground barefoot and feel the cool marble under my feet on such a hot day. I made sure I took a moment to take in the absolute breathtaking beauty of the gold and black columns against the white floors and ceilings. Not once did I care if this head scarf was going to mess up my hair or if my feet were getting dirty. It just felt so authentic, such a place of beauty and respect.
We then ventured off to the Chinese Temple called the Thean hou Temple. To be honest I was not very excited about this place because I have been to at least a handful of temples already in Asia and quite of few of them were Chinese, so I didn't see how this was could be very different. Boy, was I wrong! This place was absolutely HUGE and you could barely get it all in a picture. We were told about how it was used as a place of community for people in need of shelter and it reminded me of a movie I once saw about Mother Theresa. In that movie she talked about how places of worship should coincide with places of shelter and be available for people in need of a home, because after all, don't religion and grace not go hand in hand? It is something that has always stuck out in my mind, and hearing this similar history of this Chinese temple made me view it in such a loving manner. When we walked in we even saw a couple getting married there! It is still to this day being used to bring love and community to the people of KL and I got to witness it first hand.
There was also so much beauty incorporated in this temple. Between the rainbow colored dragons painted on the temple walls, the gold intricate shrine, to even the small lit candles burning, there was beauty and thought put into every crevice of the building. It gave me a feeling of awe, of joy, and mostly hope that got stronger the longer I walked around the place.
courtyard inside top level of Temple |
Kuala Lumpur had so many amazing and diverse aspects to it! It is a city full of surprises and exciting opportunities around every corner. Whether this means to chow down on a Ramly Burger (with mystery ingredients) or dress up in traditional attire and enter a Muslim Mosque, you will always gain a new experience here. I have too many to fill my photo album now!
I love the idea of religious buildings being a place of shelter for the needy....Love is an international language and each of us has the ability to communicate this, even if we don't connect in the spoken language xoxoxo
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