Eye on Malaysia

The second night in Kuala Lumpur, all the travel writers were gathered at a hotel for a buffet dinner. Then, we were ushered into our vehicles for a police escort to the Eye on Malaysia unveiling. The locals had been there all day enjoying the festivities. The media was brought to a seating area for a concert and performance. The Prime Minister was ro make an entrance later. Every time someone mentioned the Prime Minister of Malaysia, I snickered inside as thoughts of Zoolander entered my mind.
Costumed girls made their procession through the crowds. I was waiting for someone to throw me some beads, but then I remembered I was in Malaysia, not New Orleans.
The concert and performances began, as did the rain. I was seated next to Jared and behind the Dublin ladies. We started chatting and then the Australian gang joined us. Behind me was the editor from the Seoul Times who was pleasant to converse with. All the Malaysian superstars were singing on stage, but everyone sat in their seats. The Dublin Ladies and I started dancing while we giggled at the Saudi writers who were so excited to be able to dance and listen to music. There were new crews from all over and I think I was one television in 10 different countries that night.

After the festivities, the Australians and Dublin Ladies invited me for some grog. Jared was ready to get back to the hotel, so the driver had to go with him. I piled into the Australian van where we went to Legends Bar for a beer. We all had a nice chat, with me explaining that "No, Jared is not my husband," and exchanged cards, promising to email. The Dublin Ladies shared a cab with me back to the hotel. Such nice people.

Petaling Street

Petaling Street in Kuala Lumpur is the place to get t-shirts and fake Burberry purses. The fake purses were nicer than the authentic Burberries. They were fabric, whereas the fake purses are plastic.
I researched before my trip and found references on the web about pickpockets on Petaling Street. I could see where tourists would be vulnerable in crowds, but no one bothered me.
You can buy just about anything on Petaling Street.

Malaysia

I was recognized by Tourism Malaysia at the opening night.

Somehow, someway, I was invited to visit Malaysia for my website, GiftedTravel.com. It took me about 22 hours in the air to get to Kuala Lumpure (KL to the locals). I only had one hour before the first function. I was paired up with Jared Barclay, a travel writer from Los Angeles. We walked into the press conference late and found out that there were 426 travel writers from all over the globe. I think I was one of two blondes out of the entire group. Somehow, I was seated at the VIP table next to the Minister of Tourism. Other writers at the table were from Ireland, UAE, France, and Bali.

After the dinner was over, Jared asked to stop and purchase film. Our driver brought us to the Petronas Towers. Of course, I had to have my picture taken for my personal scrapbook.
The next morning, we went to the mall and had some pulled tea. These girls sold muffins near the tea stand. It was a satisfying morning snack.
Our guide for the Kuala Lumpur portion of the visit was Hindu. He graciously took me to the temple and walked me around, explaining some traditions of his faith.