Rewinding KL: GREATER than EDENSOR

Kuala Lumpur, February 20th 2011

I woke up and saw my new books on my bed. I felt really grateful. Today's first destination: Calvary Church. Once again I took a subway to KLCC, and then followed the direction to Jalan Ampang. A kind Indian showed me the direction to Corus Hotel where the service was held.

My first impression wasn't like when I attended Hanoi International Fellowship in Vietnam. I can't exactly tell why. Maybe it's just because I felt more at home in Hanoi International Fellowship? Because it's more like my home church? But the whole worship service at Calvary Church wasn't bad either.

After service I walked back to KLCC and searched for lunch. I settled down on nasi lemak wrapped in banana leaf. It looked good and was good. In this picture it doesn't quite, I know. I took this using my cellphone camera. I left my SLR camera at the hotel, because I didn't want to go to church looking like a tourist. This nasi lemak and a glass of teh tarik only cost 5 ringgits.

Right across to where I was sitting, I looked at this vendor, and was surprised. "Irianian Dried Fruits & Nuts" I read. Wow! The Irian people are also in KL! What was in my mind was the "Irian" which is now  called "Papua" in Eastern Indonesia.

I finished my lunch, got up, and walked to this vendor to take a picture of it. Just when I was aiming my cellphone camera, I realized that it was "Iranian" not "Irianian". LOL

Iranian. Still, wow! I recall seeing women in dark black veils with only the eyes seen more than two three times since I first came to KL. Could they be Iranians? Wow! KL is absolutely a city in diversity. Malayans, Chinese, Indians, Iranians...

In KLCC I was highly tempted to buy a cap. I found several cute caps which I was very fond of. It's a model that I had always wished to have since I was still in high school. I have never really searched for it in Indonesia, but every time I see a hat shop or counter, I never find one that really suits my taste. So last night it was about books and now it's about caps. How can it be that everything I had been looking for turned out to be in KL? Wow, again!

But then the books I had bought the day before reminded me of the adventure journeyS I've planned for this whole year. "No", I said to myself. "You can always wear on that National Geographic Indonesia hat when traveling. But you can't buy a ticket or pay a room with a cap from KL."

Thus, I returned to "My Hotel @ Brickfield" to pick up my luggage. The front desk staff must have been wondering why my bag was so light yesterday that I could just pass it over the front desk but now it's heavy. He must have thought I had done a lot of shopping. Hahaha... yes, book shopping.

As usual, I reserved a seat at the window on the right side in Air Asia. My main and only purpose is always to capture the sunset sky. Sometimes I think I'm like gambling. I just pay an extra of 5 ringgits without being able to be sure of what I can get.

I sat on the plane, fastened my seat belt, and continued "Edensor" by Andrea Hirata. I admire Andrea Hirata's writing very much. Every word his puts adds a description of the situation. I had started reading "Edensor" since I was about to leave for Soekarno-Hatta Airport. And then in the taxi, while standing in line for check in, while waiting for boarding time, on the plane, on the way from LCCT to KL Sentral which took an hour, and then vice versa from KL Sentral to LCCT, and so on. A night in KL made me felt like being in Europe for a month. You'll understand what I mean if you've read "Edensor".

I came to the last page, slowed down a bit, as if enjoying my last spoon of ice cream, closed the book, and went to sleep. I dreamed that I went to a place called Edensor somewhere near London. It was rather chilly. I turned my body to the right. Something bright woke me up.

I gasped.

For one second I thought I was in Edensor.
The next second I grabbed my camera, and...

... it was really, really, awesome!

Until the plane started to descend, the sky kept amazing. I hummed the song "How Great Thou Art" over and over.

Then sings my soul my Savior GOD to Thee, how great Thou art.

Thou art is greater than Edensor.