Topshop and Other Meanderings in KL

I dropped off my visa application at the Kazakhstan embassy on Tuesday morning and begged that the 5-working day rule be expedited. I'll find out tomorrow.

After running that errand, the rest of the day was ours for the taking, and we wandered past "embassy row", into and around a 100-degree Kuala Lumpur, and eventually into the shiny shopping center sitting at the base of the Petronas Towers, where I literally fell over myself into the Topshop. After apologizing to Ethan for what would soon become a rabid response, I ran around trying this and that on, enticed by all the punchy colors and patterns, all reminiscent of hazy summers, all eye candy I've deprived myself of for the past year in Cambodia. [Note: My time working in Cambodia has no doubt resulted in a heightened sensitivity to anything resembling decent clothing.]

I forced myself to walk away that time, but I'll go back before I leave KL. The rest of the day was spent browsing the selection at the giant Kinokuniya bookstore, where all the books were plastic-covered to prevent my perusing; walking the park outside, where security guards stopped us and others from sitting on the perfectly manicured grass; chatting during afternoon tea, and eating a dinner of curried eggplant and rice at a food stand at the entrance of Chinatown.

I have (not surpisingly) managed to stay on top of online work conversations, but not managed to really write anything.

To remedy that, we moved, via 2 hour bus ride, to the much quieter, portside town of Melaka, a lovely World Heritage site.