The picture, above, is of a view (and angle) of the city of Kuala Lumpur I had not seen before…. The skyline represents the growth of the city over the past 34 years since my first visit. There was a time, in the late 1990s, when the KL tower and the Petronas Twin Towers were the tallest structures in the city. The towers would become “a symbol of modernisation” in Malaysia, and part of the (mixed) legacy of the former Prime Minister, Tun Mahathir Mohamad. A celebration in wall art (below) is a reminder of Mahathir’s legacy, which included the Proton car as seen in the street artwork.
Anyway, I am at the muddy confluence of the Klang and the Gombak, bringing together the various strands of the current passage. It has not be the success I anticipated. Several things came apart, some things simply did not come together; it started to unravel within a couple of hours of my departure from Cape Town in January…. The absolute highlight of the trip was the visit to Tokosue bookshop, and sitting down with owner Sue Emoquin, and the artist, writer, and thespian Cahaya Jais, and the massively talented musician Aisya Sufia.
As for the rest. I did learn a delightful (and rather apposite) phrase during this visit: “Saya letih dengan janji manis“. (“I am tired of sweet promises”). I move on.
I have one short trip over the coming days and a couple of important interviews/discussions – in the Portuguese Settlement of Melacca, for one. After that I will continue pulling together everything I have learned, (transcribing interviews, reviewing notes) and return to Cape Town. Once I am back home, I will spend the ensuring three or four months, putting the book together.
I also have to secure a publisher with international distribution rights and reach. The two publishers that showed an interest mysteriously fell silent. You would think they would, at least, acknowledge receiving my correspondence…. Saya letih dengan janji manis.