1) bad drivers – But it’s great because you can drive on the wrong side of the road just because everyone else is doing so.
2) terrible signposting in KL – All roads very strangely lead to Pusat Bandaraya. It doesn’t matter if you take the left or the right turn. You’ll still end up at Pusat Bandaraya even if you don’t want to go there. The Frou very sagely says that it is because Malaysians give options.
3) funny pruned trees lining odd parts of the highway and within KL – If you drive to KL from S’pore, you’ll spot these funny trees in the shape of cones, oblongs etc. Topiary is the art of creating sculptures using clipped trees, shrubs and sub-shrubs. Apparently Malaysians are big on topiary.
Funny trees
What I want my garden to look like
4) Nice buses that try to run you down – The Nice buses ain’t so nice after all on the highway. The glaring headlights and the accompanying neon brake lights can be very intimidating at 140km/h.
5) touts that ask you if you want foot reflexology –There are many foot reflexology parlours around Bukit Bintang and the masseurs will stand outside the parlours holding pictures of feet and various ailments. They will surround you and ask, “Xiao jie, ni yao an mor mah?” (Meeesss, do you want massage?) Dodgy.
The Frou is Malaysian and she displays her M’sian prowess when she drives in KL. She may be small but she is one nifty lane-changer. When we were in KL, The Frou managed to piss four M’sian drivers off single-handedly. She also used a wide variety of swear words in different languages to express her need to cut into other drivers’ lane. And still got us from Point A to B in one piece. My friend is a chao ah lian! I like!
On the highway, we saw a fake man togged out in roadwork clothes. The purpose of this fake man is similar to that of a scarecrow. The fake man will be placed at the start of the lane diversion where the roadwork is being carried out. So if the errant driver insists on ignoring the cones, he / she will drive into the fake man. There are also these little roadwork mascots with mechanical waving arms to warn drivers of the diversion ahead. The mascot looks very much like Mario and he has a friendly face. I love it! It’s such forward thinking!
Malaysia…Truly Asia.
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