Povi

Tuesday, 15 April 2014

A tale from KL

On the afternoon of the last day in Kuala Lumpur, I was flâneuring through the streets of Malaysian capital. It was my third day in the city and by that time I had already seen the main tourist attractions: KL Tower, Petronas Twins, Batu Caves, Central Market, Chinatown and Little India. Nevertheless I had some time to kill and the weather was nice. I was not in any kind of rush what so ever. Completely by accident I bumped into a girl from Jogja. After few minutes of exchanges of what I would call "happiness to be back in western style metropolis" she told me about a restaurant on a top floor of a skyscraper, where one can go for free and enjoy nice dinner and breath-taking skyline of KL. Unfortunately, she couldn't remember neither the name of restaurant nor the name of the skyscraper.

After a nice 45 minutes walk I was by Petronas Towers.Tthe idea about the free view from sky-restaurant was blossoming in my head. Hence, I walked into a titanic shopping mall that is located in the first 4 floors of the building, found free wi-fi and started my research. Few minutes later, I knew that the restaurant is actually a bar, which is located on the 32nd floor of Traders Hotel. I had passed the hotel previous night. It was **** or ***** hotel.

Once I looked to myself I realized that at the best I look like a raging sociopath and at the worst as a poor tourist - exactly who I was. I was wearing a T-shirt and shorts (which were nice, but nothing fancy) and completely worn down of Converse sneakers, also was holding a black camera bag (which was not even a big, national geographic type bag) in one hand and a white plastic bag with some spices that I had bought in Little India in the other hand. There was no chance that someone would let me walk into fancy hotel and take a lift to a fancy bar.

Me - rather poor, but smart ginger tourist was standing on the main floor of one of the biggest shopping malls in KL. I was surrounded by BVLGARI, HUGO BOSS, GUCCI, LOUIS VUITTON and other shops of this kind. Once I made my mind, I walked into EMPORIO ARMANI and before tight looking consultant said anything I started:

- Excuse me, few days ago my wife bough a present for our daughter. Unfortunately, the bag got ruined in the cab. It's very important for the girl that the present would be in the official bag of yours. I wonder maybe you can give on empty bag your, please?

- Of course sir.

And now I looked like a rich fancy hipster who has as a date in the bar.


The Free View from the Bar

Petronas Twins - some of the most beautiful architecture I've ever seen

Day

Night

KL Tower

Poor


(Very) rich

Next to Central Market

Ana's doing her magic


Sand Art in bottles

Qasm's mastering wood burning technique


Chinatown

Outskirts of another market

Little India

Entrance to Batu Caves

I miss the action but this is one result...

... and this is another result.

Another evil monkey

That's how you drink Coke from a can if you are a monkey

Saturday, 15 February 2014

Ashes / Pelenai

2014-02-14

     ENGLISH: Truly it was one of the most surreal days of my life. I woke up just before 8 am, because I needed to bring my motorbike to a service. There was something wrong with its carburetor (well if even there wasn't wrong yesterday, by now it looks like a vacuum cleaner). In the previous weeks I got used to sleep till 9 am or so. Thus, I was still kinda sleepy when I walked out of my room. Nevertheless all the sleepiness disappeared as soon I saw layer of ashes that was (and 10 hours later still covers) everything. And I mean everything: ground, motorbikes, leaves of threes, laundry that was left outside previous night - every single square centimeter is hided under grey volcanic ashes. My first sentence I made was obvious: "Guys, Murapi erupted!" That was a shout which woke up my housemates. Yet half an hour later we learned that it's not Merapi, which can be found only ±40 km away from our house, but its cousin Kulud that lives 200 km east from us.

     Once I got used to the idea of ashes, I did something that now I consider to be very stupid. I took my motorbike and drove to the service, which of course was closed. Today everything is closed. Partly because it's Friday, but mostly because BLOODY VOLCANO ERUPTED. Much later, in the evening I was looking for an open place, which would serve some food and have wi-fi. My search was fruitless.

     For the first time since a rainy season started in October, we were waiting for rain. Yet there was no rain. Few drops felt down from the sky in the morning, but an hour later the ashes were as dry as ... ashes. Around the noon I went for a walk around the village. You can see photos bellow. I'm not sure how visible is a change in the weather. When I started my walk, there was a glimpse of sun and blue sky (30-40 min after the short rain). In the next 40 min visibility worsen significantly. On my way back home I couldn't see more than one kilometer away.

     The day has a very particular ambiance of cataclysm. Everything is slower, more quiet, more peaceful. All creatures within the area know that they can't change anything. It's not so different from days with European snow storms, hurricanes, flooding.

    P.S. Thank you Omar. I think you scarf saved from lung cancer today ;)

LIETUVIŠKAI: Šiandiena - neabejotinai viena keisčiausių dienų mano gyvenime. Gyvenu pasaulyje, kuris atrodo tarsi viena didelė peleninė. Bet apie viską nuo pradžių. Iš vakaro žinojau, kad šiandien reiks atsikelti apie 8 val. nes reikia nuvaryt motociklą į servisą: rodos karbiuratorius per vieną iš liūčių prigaudė vandens (jeigu ir nebuvo ten vandens, tai dabar pilnas pelenų). Per pastarąja savaitę pripratau miegoti iki 9 ar 10. Todėl iš kambario išėjau besikrapštydamas akis. Miegai bemat išgaravo vos išsėjau į lauką. Absoliučiai viskas buvo padengta pelenais. Pirma mintis savaime suprantama - išsiveržė kaimynystėje įsikūręs Murapi. Kai nesusilaikęs prižadinau likusius namo gyventojus paaiškėjo, kad išsiveržė ne mūsų kainynas, tačiau už 200 km į pietus už mūsų įsikūręs Kulud.

Nesvyruodamas ryžtingai nusprendžiau kad visgi iki serviso reikia važiuot. Dabar galvoju, kad tai buvo kvailystė. Visų pirma dėl to kas ryte lynojo ir kelias buvo panašesnis į motokroso trasą. Taip pat, tuomet dar nesupratau, kad važiavimas betikslis: servisas buvo uždarytas. Taip pat, universitetai, kavinės, parduotuvės... beveik viskas šian uždaryta. Iš dalies dėl to, kad šiandien penktadienis, bet daugiausiai dėl to, kad iš namų lenda tik tie kurie būtinai privalo. Vakare gerokai praalkęs supratau, kad vėl privalau išlįsti. Deja, mano pastangos rasti kokią valgyklą buvo bevaisės. Teko tenkintis sausainiais ir šokoladukais iš parduotuvės.

Pirmą sykį nuo lietaus sezono pradžios laukiu lietaus. Ir kaip tyčiai šiandiena - viena iš nedaugelio dienų kai tikrai lietaus nebuvo. Šiek tiek pakrapnojo ryte, bet tik tiek kad gerai valandai nusodintų pelenus. Apie pietus, gerą pusvalandį po silpno lietaus išsėjau pasivaikščiot ir pafotografuot (nuotraukas apačioje). Per 40 - 50 min. kurias praleidau gaudydamas kadrus oro sąlygos gerokai pablogėjo. Pelenai vis dar krito iš dangaus. Taip pat, jie krito nuo medžių ir kilo nuo žemės. Galų gale matomumas buvo ne didesnis nei 1 kilometras.

Nors aš niekada nepatyriau pelenu penktadienio, tačiau šiandien atmosfera - pažįstama. Viskas šian vyksta ramiau, lėčiau... Visi gyvi padarai jaučia, kad ne jų jėgose ką nors pakeisti. Panašu į dienas Europoj, kai aplink siaučia pūgos, škvalai...