I arrived in Malaysia on 20 September, continuing a journey that had taken me to Egypt and would soon lead me to Singapore. This wasn’t really a leisure trip, but between the responsibilities and the next flight, Kuala Lumpur gave me some personal memories worth holding on to.
Heavy rain accompanied the drive from the airport to my hotel. It was a rainy welcome to another unfamiliar city, and although I had only a few days there, I hoped to make some time to explore. On the first night, my teammate and I went dinner hunting near our hotel and stumbled upon a little restaurant called Sideways Noodles. The name probably gives away what we ordered! I fell in love with their noodles, and judging by the steady stream of takeaway orders leaving the place, I wasn’t alone. It was a small noodle joint serving the kind of comforting food that makes you want to return. Some flavours are difficult to describe; you simply have to taste them.
My first full day was packed with meeting people, so dinner was a quick stop at the 7-Eleven right next to my hotel. I was far more excited about finding it than a convenience store probably deserved and picked up some light snacks for the evening. Not the healthiest dinner, I know, but travel enthusiasm sometimes gets the better of meal planning! On 22 September, I headed towards 7-Eleven again. A careless moment while crossing the road brought me much too close to a passing scooter. Thankfully, I was safe, though a little shaken. I stepped into the mall to cool off and found a few souvenir shops I made a mental note to revisit. Eventually, I reached 7-Eleven and picked up a cold Nescafé Persia Tiramisu Latte and some snacks. Everything went into my paper shopping bag, and then, rather spontaneously, I decided to walk towards the Petronas Twin Towers.
My shopping bag had other plans. Seventeen minutes into the walk, the coffee made an unexpected exit through the bottom of the bag. My sightseeing attempt came to an abrupt end, and I turned back towards the hotel. There I was, hoping to see one of Kuala Lumpur’s most recognisable landmarks, only to have my evening redirected by a paper bag!
That detour did have a sweet reward: I discovered Two Sizes, the viral tiramisu food truck. There were several flavours to choose from, but I went for the classic. It became one of those lovely, unplanned discoveries that make wandering through a city worthwhile. The towers would have to wait, but at least there was tiramisu.
On 23 September, I tried again. This time, it was just me and my GPS. The walk from my hotel to the Petronas Twin Towers took about thirty minutes, with another thirty minutes for the return journey. An hour of walking might sound like a small thing, but finding my way through an unfamiliar city on my own gave me an enormous sense of accomplishment. And the view made every step worthwhile.
I saw the towers in daylight and stayed to watch them light up after sunset. Seeing both was such a rewarding experience, especially after the previous day’s interrupted attempt. I had made it there on my own, and I felt proud of myself.
My mum was the reason I had taken that walk and gone to see the towers, which made the moment even more special. I video-called my family so they could see them all lit up too. Being able to share the view with them brought a little piece of home into that evening. On 24 September, I left Malaysia for Singapore. My stay had been brief, but it had given me plenty to remember: a favourite noodle discovery, an unexpected tiramisu stop, and a paper bag with questionable timing.
Most of all, I carried away the memory of standing before the illuminated Twin Towers, sharing the sight with my family and feeling the quiet satisfaction of having found my own way there.
