Hello everyone! Welcome back to Scribbler’s Blogs. Last time I told you all about De Nang, Vietnam. Today, I am going to tell you about Kuala Lumpur City in Malaysia. Before I begin, let me give you some of the general information about Malaysia. The capital of Malaysia is the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur. The main languages spoken there are Malay and English. Malaysia is most famous for the Petronas Twin Towers, which are the tallest twin towers in the world. Nasi Lemak is their most popular dish. Malaysia is mostly filled with skyscrapers, but there are many hidden spots, where nature is at its best (Langkawi beach for example). Before I reached Kuala Lumpur, I did a lot of research on the plane like I always do. I was extremely sorry at that point of time when I realized that it was mostly filled with towers reaching for the sky. I am the kind of person who enjoys crumbling monuments, beautiful beaches, and wonderful views. But something made me change my mind. A thing that made me feel that Kuala Lumpur is a place that is worth sharing with you all. So, I will tell you all about it. Let me start with the main places you can visit. Kuala Lumpur City Centre KLCC, also known as the city inside a city, is the heart of Kuala Lumpur. Towering skyscrapers, huge malls, giant man-made structures this place is a testimony of how far humanity can reach. The most famous buildings here are, of course, the Petronas Twin Towers. The tallest twin towers on Earth. Awe-inspiring indeed. The towers were built by the revolutionary oil company Petronas, as their international headquarters. They are 1483 feet (above street level) tall, and have 88 stories, a pinnacle, and spire of 242 feet. There is also a double-decker sky bridge that connects the two towers. It is located on the 41st and 42nd floor. The towers were constructed mainly with reinforced concrete, glass and steel, with many Islamic motifs. There is an observation floor, with plenty of models of KLCC, and telescopes with which you can see a lot of the city, and a floor with a gift shop, café, and screens with plenty of information. At the ticket counter, there are online games, information, and quizzes for visitors. I really enjoyed using the telescopes, seeing all the models, and seeing the collection of photos from the history of the towers. What I liked the most was that with two identical towers, covered in glass, in the pouring rain, the spectacle almost looked like an illusion! There is also a mall in KLCC, called Suria through which you can enter the twin towers. It was a really big mall, with plenty of international brands, and restaurants of many cuisines. (I got Indian food there. It was a delight after many days of food from Thailand and Vietnam.) There is also a Science Centre at the top of the mall called Petrosains, which my science-loving brother and I enjoyed. The best part of the Science Centre was the recreation of an oil mining station, in the middle of the ocean. The KLCC park is also really nice. Putrajaya The area where all of the important buildings of the government is located. The buildings and the palace are really beautiful. (I could only see it from afar, as we were in a hurry for our flight.) IOI Resort City Located in Putrajaya, this city has many hotels, resorts, a golf club, and the biggest mall in Malaysia. You could get possibly anything you want there. My brother got a cool new Lego set (we could not find it India), and I got a really bendy and twisty Jibitz for my collection. The mall was very crowded on that particularly hot day. Apparently, people flock to the air-conditioned mall when the heat is unbearable! Now perhaps you will be thinking that Kuala Lumpur is just a city filled with towers and malls. I thought so too. Until… The Kopidulu Experience This was like a traditional, Malaysian tea party hosted by the resort we stayed in. There was traditional Malaysian coffee and snacks, which was really tasty! Forgive me, for I do not remember the names of the dishes they served. Anyway, after the food, we got to try traditional Malaysian games like Congkak and their form of checkers. There were also many beautiful Malaysian clothes and accessories donned by the ladies, who taught us the games. Along with all this, we got to learn about the Wau Bulan, which is a traditional kite shaped like a half-moon. It was really nice to see the fine blend of cultures of various parts of the country. After the Kopidulu experience, I realized that Malaysia was not filled with just modern buildings, but also had many amazing traditions, crafts, and delicacies, all hidden by the mighty skyscrapers of the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur. Because we were only there for 2 days, I could not explore more of the hidden Malaysia. I hope that one day I can go again, to see all that I missed, and I hope you would join too. This is Scribbler signing off. See you next in the Land of the Thai people.
Young Bloggers
“We’re Not Alike” by Tate McRae, Reviewed by Priscilla Chow, 10
“We’re Not Alike” is a song I first heard at a mall. I like it because of Tate’s angelic voice and the upbeat tune. The song also reminded me of a recent breakup between my girl friends. I could, in my mind, almost hear their voices ringing in the back of the song. The two were always saying how they were backstabbed. I could imagine them saying, “Said she was a girl’s girl that’s a lie/ said she had my back, but she had the knife.” Tate McRae is a Canadian singer, born on July 1st, 2003. Besides having a talent for singing, Tate is also an incredible dancer. She started dancing when she was six years old. She once was able to meet Justin Bieber at the age of twelve,after becoming one of his dancers. “We’re Not Alike” is in the album Think Later by Tate McRae, released in December of 2023. The album was Tate’s second studio album. “Greedy,” one of the songs in Think Later, made it to the top three most popular songs, which gave Tate a big boost in her career as a singer. Tate McRae is seen continuing to dance and sing away her worries. I truly adore her beautiful voice and wish her the best in accomplishing her dreams and becoming more and more popular. I recommend this song to anyone who loves pop music. This song in particular doesn’t have any curse words, so it is friendly to all ages on many occasions. Like most of Tate McRae’s songs, the song “We’re Not Alike” has a lot of energy and hype, so it can be one of the best songs played at parties.
Anne of Green Gables Series, Reviewed by Elaine Elizabeth Jinto, 13
Change is always scary and sad. Once you get used to a particular change, there will be a new one. I dislike change and would like life to go on as it is now forever. But reading the Anne series by L.M. Montgomery has changed my mind a little. Maybe change is not always bad? I will leave that for you to find out. The series follow spirited, imaginative, hot-tempered, headstrong, red-haired (please do not judge her based on this) Anne, from the day she arrives at Green Gables to her life as a mother of six children. Anne Shirley, an orphan, is brought to Green Gables by the Cuthberts, but she realizes that they do not want her. They want a boy to help them in the fields, and a girl would be of no use. Anne is bitterly disappointed for she had been so happy to come to the lovely, cozy farmhouse and excited about the prospect of a nice, loving home. As a reader, I had gotten acquainted with Anne in the past chapter, and I felt so sorry for her at this point. Fortunately, after a surprising turn of events, Anne stays on at Green Gables to be brought up by the crisp, stern, and practical Marilla and the kind and shy Matthew. The first two books portray her childhood, the third one is of her in college, and the last ones are of her as a young mother and wife. Her scrapes, adventures, stories, “kindred spirits,” and “bosom friends” all make these books friendly. One of the many reasons I like the books is that Anne seems to be as weary of change as me, and the way she gets over them make me feel better about what lies ahead of me too. I feel like anyone of my age should actually try the books. It is certainly worth it! Another reason I like it is because I see myself in those pages, and I am sure you would too. My favorite book of the series is the first one because as Anne often says herself “there is a scope for imagination.” I feel I too can share Anne’s whims, fantasies, and flights of imagination in the first book. In the other books I felt that this was not possible. Another reason I did not like the later books is because that it seemed pretty tame compared to the first book. On the whole, however, the books are awesome, and I recommend them wholeheartedly for absolutely everyone!! Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery. Puffin Books, 2014. Buy the book here and help support Stone Soup in the process!
