Kampung Kuala Lumpur
''Balik kampung'' is an all too familiar phrase that we hear all around Malaysia spoken almost every weekend or festive holiday. When we say 'kampung' or hometown, what people would often visualize in mind is the serene atmosphere of paddy fields, the breath of fresh air and mildew in the morning, the cackling of roosters and chickens, the comfort of being in your grandparents' arms and in most cases, far away from the bustling roads and city havoc. Well, that's not the case for me.
Being in a Malay-working class family, my grandparents of both sides has migrated far from their own hometowns and settled in the busy city life of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor to make a living for their own growing families. I had never experienced the what people would define as the 'kampung life' and what it would have been like drenching in the fresh river water, being chased by chickens and being stuck in a 24-hour long unmoving traffic just to get home. Although I've never had that kind of experience growing up, having a kampung in the streets of Kuala Lumpur and Shah Alam are truly blessings in disguises.
Kuala Lumpur or the capital city of Malaysia, is known to be the most popular tourist site in our country and is undoubtedly an essential place for tourists to visit. It is recognized for its numerous and iconic landmarks such as the Petronas Twin Towers which is currently the world's tallest twin buildings and Batu Caves which is promptly over a 400 million years old! There are truly many breathtaking sights in the city and it's not just the view of rooftops and lights, but also the green sceneries from the KL Forest Eco Park and FRIM, Kepong where nature lovers can indulge themselves in. The city provides more than enough facilities and has many gorgeous historical buildings and sites such as the Dataran Merdeka, the National Mosque and more. Tell me, if you've never taken a picture with the Twin Towers, are you truly a Malaysian?
But for a family-orientated person like myself, the best thing about living in the city is the fact how easily accessible my relatives are and how they live so near to me. My grandparents live only 9 minutes away from us and after going there for so many times in the past 18 years, I've come to memorize all routes, every nook and cranny of the house. It became my second home. We are able to host family gatherings numerous times a month and ultimately, my cousins became my best friends. Not many people have that, so I'm truly and eternally grateful for all that I have. My kampung might not be what most people ideal it as, but home is where the heart is and my heart belongs to the people around me, and that is my family.
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