A friend and I decided a few months back to brave the city of city KL, even with all its safety notoriety, in the quest to take photos of hidden nooks and crannies often overlooked during rushed LRT trips or drive-bys. Also, the Visit Malaysia 2007 and 50 Years of Merdeka bug that bit us (her, more than me) further fueled this expedition. We were psyched, enough to get me out of bed by 8 a.m.!

Dressed fitting to local humidity and to attract the least amount of attention from prying eyes, our first stop was the area surrounding Masjid Jamek. Plunged into the heart of the city, it took us a while to get accustomed to being vigilant while getting to know the city a little better.

With the excessive gases exhaled from vehicles forming an invisible cloud, the resonance of automobiles ringing in our ears and sweat droplets shaping rapidly, the true feel of being urban took to effect. And it seemed that we became tourists in our home involuntarily, so much so that it was comforting to come by other tourists, who like us, grudgingly embraced the humidity.

Picture by Denise

Astonishingly, not only did we self-proclaim ourselves tourists, so did locals watching us take photos of queer things, everyday things commonly deemed unworthy of a snap. We smiled as fellow countrymen shook their heads in disapproval and sniggered out of ridicule at our endeavour.

By means of our new-found ‘tourist’ tag, we discovered a sort of enchantment that came from the hold of a camera. Not only were street vendors eager to have their pictures taken (while some others weren’t too pleased) and proceeded to smile at us or even become friendlier, we also found our courage extend in terms of aiming our lenses. We walked into temples expecting to be chased out but the warmth we received stunned us.

Having both grown up in the city, it was refreshing to rediscover KL. We took many a walk down memory lane, recalling how Central Market used to look like, how old buildings have been refurbished and passing by food stalls that sold old-style pancakes. It amazed us that some food stalls still continue with their traditional methods in food preparation and praised them (among ourselves) for not succumbing to technology’s bid to robotize everything.

Picture by Denise

Meeting with people of all walks of life going about fulfilling their daily routines was captivating, even though these were people that shared the same town as us. The stories behind each smile, frown, bargain, price display tag, booth, flower garland and joystick made us want to sit down have a chat with every passer-by.

It turned out that we ended up with more than we bargained for at the end of our day trip. Not only did we capture moments otherwise let to pass unless we took this time on our cameras, but also etched candid moments in our memory. We wound up feeling the heart of the city; each palpitation and gush of blood that ran though its veins that brought the city, our home, to life.

I gleefully discovered that others, like us, have become tourists in their own home, across the globe! In view with the London 2012 Olympics, the district of Newham in March organized a similar event, encouraging locals to get to know their residence a little better while shopkeepers offered discounts and deals in support. What a marvelous idea, all in the name of increasing the knowledge, enthusiasm and pride of the locals as they welcome visitors.

Picture by Denise

In this article, the writer based in Cape Town visited a township surrounding his city and learnt invaluable lessons while experiencing a different way of life. And over in Chicago, this site dedicates itself not only to visitors but locals too, guiding them through the city. Aside from saving traveling costs and sparing us from packing, the idea of being a local tourist expands all frames of minds to new horizons, beyond what we thought we knew enough of.

In this study, Kuala Lumpur topped the list as the most sought-after domestic travel destination among Malaysians. So the craze must have taken off here too! I do have a slight inkling, however, that the attraction is more toward shopping malls than the streets itself. But it’s a start, at the very least, and hopefully doesn’t stay that way.

Last 5 posts by Denise Chin

• A Whole New World - January 3rd, 2008
• The Ghost of Halloween Past - October 27th, 2007
• The Young and the Not So Restless - September 14th, 2007
• For the Love of Money - September 1st, 2007
• Malaysia Then and Now - August 31st, 2007