SINCE I CAME BACK FROM SINGAPORE it's been busy as usual but with a difference: NBC, who had asked me to show them around Pulau Tikus Market before I left, flew me down to KL to show them round what was at first the night eateries in Jalan Alor.
I went down a day early and checked into a budget hotel located smack bang in the middle of the place which was a bit of a come down from the Conrad Centennial the week before, I can tell you!
The Apple Hotel is REALLY budget, and although clean and the double bed quite comfortable, didn't have a lot of room as the ensuite was squeezed into one side. It sufficed, but do beware if you book two nights and pay in advance online like I did, you will not get a refund if you change your mind - like I did! So I stayed there which wasn't really a problem as they have free wifi.
However, my time there was not really much use because Amy Robach their link person who flew in from the US the night before was quite jetlagged, and as the weather was very wet too, it got changed to Chow Kit Market the next morning. Which was a shame because I wanted to show them what KL is really good at: HOKKIEN CHAR with tai lok meen. They do it well there: thick, wormy noodles with black, black sauce and lots of chee yiau char (having said that I still prefer it with the fine bee hoon - absolutely delish with some sambal or chilli padi).
Now I hadn't been to Chow Kit Road for years - probably decades - and the last time I went was with my dear old Dad who, to my great sorrow, passed away earlier this year. So when I went there earlier to reccy the place out, it was with sadness in my heart when I recollected that the game old man preferred to bus it all the way from his house in Bangsar to Chow Kit, then lug his purchases all the way home by bus again, because it was a couple of ringgit cheaper. Oh my papa ... how I miss him.
Anyway, it was quite interesting to see the place again, as it reminded me rather of the wet markets in Thailand - and smelt like them too, truth be told. It's ENORMOUS, and when the film crew arrived, we had quite a trek up and down the place to find things they wanted to feature. And of all things they featured the cows' heads!!
Their feature on Malaysia came out on Thursday 9th evening when there was a big party at KLCC but unfortunately I couldn't make it as I was down with flu, and am still croaking away even now. That'll teach me to talk so much. I have to tell you I looked TERRIBLE because I was already feeling unwell, and it showed!
