Photowalk 20 June '10

As if one photo outing at Chow Kit yesterday wasn't enough, Robin and I decided to shoot together at Dang Wangi today.

It's located very near KL tower.

But before we could shoot, we had to ensure our stomachs were full. I had some RM 1 home made nasi lemak, which was very good.

I then was treated to my very first 'abandoned house' shooting session in KL.

Its indeed a feast to the senses to see mother nature repopulating these abandoned buildings. All the timber components of the building (floor boards, roof trusses, beams, columns have decayed over the years, and whats left is an empty shell.

Despite being abandoned, these house still remain home to some of society's rejects. Perhaps they brought in this toy to make themselves remember the good times when they were still children.

The entire structure will collapse sometime in the future, but while it still can, this house will still attempt to withstand the natural elements.

We then paid a visit to Kampung Baru, the only remaining Malay village in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. It has seen the wrath of many developers trying to evict the villagers because it is seen as one of the last pieces of prime real estate remaining in the city.

The other local residents also tried to be as welcoming as possible.

It's as if time stopped for the local residents, where 12 year olds are thought to ride a motorcycle around the neighborhood (not on the official highways, of course), and the locals would happily smile or wave to strangers like us.

I'm even more utterly convinced that the 'No Parking' culture has fully pervaded KL, right down to the grassroots. Are we that inconsiderate to park while directly blocking other people's houses?

We even made it to the top of the apartments at Kampung Baru, where there's a nice view of the whole village and the golden triangle.

Yes, the rusting iron balustrades may give an impression that its not very steady, but its perfectly safe to stand there.

As I've mentioned before in my previous pose, Kuala Lumpur can be a city of dichotomies. Humble timber dwellings with corrugated iron roofs coexists with the gleaming steel structures of KLCC.

I'm glad that places like Kampung Baru still exist. They remind us of our countries humble beginnings, and the true meaning of a 'One Malaysia' culture where no one cares whether you have a bigger house, a new car, a bigger garden, or a bigger LCD Tv.

Are we so lost in our so called 'development' towards vision 2020 that we've neglected something more essential along the way?

Cheers.