Modern KL

Has been a while since I came up to KL. And even then the past few times I've been taking the coach & public transport to get around. However, this trip up, I made an attempt to drive to this capital city of Malaysia. And I'm glad I did, as it is really a different experience.

No Jams
I guess I was lucky as with some time planning I managed to avoid any traffic jams. As most were heading the opposite directions, my journey up from Sungai Besi toll to Bukit Bintang area was a breeze. That is the first thumbs up!

Car Park Experience
As I had some time to spare, I thought I'll wait & check out the newest spanking shopping mall in the heart of the city, Pavillion. But before that, I have to get the car parked. As some of the shopping centre's car park entry gates were closed, I went over to park at a building beside it.

It says only RM3 per entry. That sounded reasonable - or should I say cheap. For I've experienced RM10 per entry (even after past 6) or some other car parks that can go up to above RM10 for a few hours shopping.

The only setback to the carpark is that it is very narrow & it takes a fair bit of cautious driving to park safely at the 6th level (the first few levels are reserved). But I guess for that rather cheap price, one can't complain much.

Modern Mall
And so after parking the car, and crossing the road, I arrived at this all new shopping buzz in Kuala Lumpur, the Pavillion KL. It looks grand from the outside & being new, it exudes its modern charms.

The eateries at the ground level were packed. There were many different restaurants all with the after work crowd. This was quite a stark contrast when I came here months back when it first opened, where at that time it was rather quiet and empty.

I toured round the shopping mall, and I must say it is pretty impressive. Big brand names and even higher-end local brands can be found - which is what I always support.

But as I'm here for business & not leisure, there is not much mood for shopping despite all the grandeur and the sales that is going on. However, I did pop by the Times bookstore which apparently is their showcase bookstore in Malaysia.

Need Internet
As I had some time to spare before the meeting, I was looking for a place where I could just sit back & do some online work. And I had to find a place that my computer can be continuously powered too.

Then I saw it, as just opposite the Times is the 'very faithful' Starbucks. I actually just went in, ordered and powered the computer without even knowing whether there is any free wireless internet. Ya, it's about trying my luck!

Anyway, I was prepared, worse come to worse, I'll just do some offline work. But, surprisingly, there were many wireless connections - provided by a few different outlets in the mall. And the bigger surprise, there is also the Wireless@KL wireless internet connection.

I've read before about KL having plans to go wireless, but I didn't know that it was rolled out so soon (KL-ites may say I'm in a stone age lol). Anyway, that is really a plus! And furthermore, the internet speed was superbly fast - and it's not just comparing to the recent slow internet connection.

Now, This Is KL
What a different viewpoint of KL this is - from fast & free internet connection, modern mall, and decent priced parking. Of course this may not be a full representation of the capital city of Malaysia, but nevertheless this trip has made me see the other part of KL - that makes it moves along with the times & on par with other major cities globally.

Now, this is what one can be proud of... and truly, this has made the other view on KL seem rather irrelevant(?) :)

*Surprisingly, there are 2 Starbucks cafe in the Pavillion - one on ground level, the other just opposite Times bookstore.