Best of Both Worlds...

I've been back in KL for almost a month now, and most of my friends, including my parents, had asked me 'So, which is better, London or KL?'

To tell you the truth, I'm torn between two worlds. First is KL.



KL is home, there's no denying that. Food paradise, with many types of food at affordable prices!! And most of the stuff is cheap as well. Well, not as cheap as what we wanted it to be, cos the average purchasing power of a Malaysian is, well, not high. Which is why we have Petaling Street!! Now that's something that London will never, ever, EVER, have.

For my HK friends, Petaling Street is what Mongkok is to HK. You get the gist of it.

Now we come to London.



London is THE multicultural city of the world, more so than New York and other countries that claim that they are the most multicultural in the world (including Malaysia). I mean, you can basically get all the AUTHENTIC types of food from all corners of the globe. However, it comes at a price, and a heavy one at that!! And no matter what they might say about London's transport system, it practically covers most of the parts within the M25, not like KL's pathetic RapidKL project that only covers a certain handful of the populated areas in KL. And the shopping is heaven-lah!!!



I can spend most of my day in the western side of Oxford Street (the eastern side basically sells crap) and the whole of Regent Street, and maybe covering Old Bond Street and New Bond Street if I could still stand. Anyways, you get the gist of it.

So, there are pros and cons of each country, and while I'm not gonna criticise on that; I'm just gonna mention which country has the upper hand in a bunch of categories...

1. Best Food - London
While this might come as a shock, I would prefer eating in London than in KL. It has practically every type of food cooked up in this world!! Basically, if you wanna eat Korean food, you go to a Korean restaurant where u'll be served by Korean waiters, has an authentic Korean atmosphere, and the chefs are all from Korea. On the other hand, in KL, most of the chefs are locals, and so can't capture the authentic taste of Korean food!! Same goes for all the other types of food. You even see Indonesians cooking your food in the food courts of Malaysian malls!!



2. Best shopping- London
It might be hella expensive, but nothing beats shopping in London during the winter and summer sales. Where can you get Gucci handbags at 50% off?? Or Zara shoes for less than 10 quid? London's definitely the place. Or if you STILL think that the sales in London are not really worth it, take a bus down to Bicester Village near Oxford where they have retail outlet stores there. And things are cheap!!! I got a lot of Ralph Lauren Polo T's for 10 quid each!! Unlike KL, the sales for these branded stuffs are only 10% max, so its not much of a saving for shopaholics. Boo to that.



3. Best living - KL
Cheap cheap cheap!! Much cheaper than London anyways. Tell the Londoners that you had a meal for Rm40 per person at a fancy Italian restaurant and they'll drool for it!! Living costs much much lower here, and we can afford to go out and have supper until 3am, unlike London where every shop closes at 12 at the latest. While clubbing is the London nightlife, yumcha sessions are definitely the in thing in KL

4. Best weather - KL
One season, 'nuff said. Though shopaholics and fashion-istas will be disappointed about the appalling range of clothes when it is not summer.

5. Best traffic - KL
Yes, you always complain about KL's traffic, but you might be just whining. About 54% of ppl living in London do not own a car, and you don't need to wonder why this is so. Cos its hell driving in London!! Traffic jams everywhere!! And when weekends come, there are more cars in Central London as congestion charging doesnt work in the weekends!! Goes to show why public transport in London is so well-covered.





Well, there you are. My 2 cents. While I can't pick over the 2, I can ponder over this; why can't some country be a cross of both these countries??

p.s. The thing I miss most about London are the walks by Tower Bridge at night. Simply beautiful....

p.s.s and I miss my Stella Artois.