Kuala Lumpur is a leasurely South-East Asian capital where the shadowy side of life blends in well with a neat administrative system that channels it; an easygoing city in which the infamous Victorian double standard still blossoms. Dignified and mannerly at the surface it is uninhibited and given to wild extremes beneath it without troubling itself with much self-analysis.
Unfortunately in recent years the champions of Neo-Islamic Puritanism have been tightening their grip over life in Malaysia. This is noticeable in the increased number of women wearing headscarves out to flaunt their relegious piety. In the park adjacent to the Petronas Towers (the world's tallest building) at dask police desperce the train of couples cuddling on the bank of a lovely pond.
But still KL is the city of the free. Behind the facade of propriety, Kuala Lumpurians are not at all uptight. It seems that what Americans (whose flag became a model for the banner of the teenage nation) like to boast of and aspire to, Malaysians have made a habit of without calling any attention to it. Racial and relegious prejudice is unheard of here among the main three races - the Chinese, Malays, and Indians; it is simply vented through humorous ridicule.
The musical tastes of Malaysians vary among the races and classes. Among the Malays with the "rebels" the favorite music genre is Rock, while the "conformists" usually listen to a pop with a distinct arabesque flavor. Naturally the Chinese as anywhere else stick with the techno music, and the Indian population melts to the Bollywood hits, which are also a great favorite of all province dwellers. The upper class down in Bangsar pretty much emulates American and Australian trends.
Malaysia is torn between the pragmatic and hysterical West, the uptight and unimaginative Middle East, the subliminal and infantile Indonesia in the desperate quest for a cultural identity. I hope this young country finds the strength and courage to create its own unique style rather than conform to these overbearing influences.
Integral type of the city is ENFj, The Mentor.
