(Special Post by Marta Velez) Europe vs KL

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Hey! I am an expat in Kuala Lumpur and I love it. I have been here for a couple of months now and this city is still capable of surprising every day.  There are so many things to do, to see, to enjoy.  I have to confess that when I came here I did not know much about Kuala Lumpur or Malaysia I had never been to Asia before!
This was a really spontaneous, exciting decision. Moving to a different continent, a country that you barely know to start a new life… Why not?

I decided to focus this opinion article on comparing the western European world where I came from to the metropolitan Asian capital to where I moved to and the similarities are incredible. Kuala Lumpur is urban, modern, developed and energetic: in here it is possible to find anything that you see in Europe (and even more like the amazing rooftops), from the stores to the food to the clubs or to facilities, honestly the list is infinite. And where does Kuala Lumpur wins? Let’s base this on a football match.

Kuala Lumpur 1 -0 Europe


Shopping Paradise. From Louis Vitton to fake rolex you can find anything! Big malls (I mean BIG), Small malls, street markets (personal favorite), international or local, it is amazing. In my eyes, Kuala Lumpur offers much more options and variety. My main problem now is if one day I want to get back I will need to buy plain tickets for my suitcases!!

Kuala Lumpur 1 – 1 Europe


Cleanliness. This is a negative point around here. The streets are dirty, it is common to throw trash to the floor and it is a struggle any time I try to find a trash bin. In Madrid, for example, you don’t see trash on the streets as they are being cleaned literally 24/7. 

Kuala Lumpur 2 – 1 Europe


Food! Let me start by saying that I really miss the kind of bread that we have in Europe but except for that the food here is amazing. Indian tastes better (and there is Naan), the chicken tastes better (don’t ask me why) and besides having all this combination of fantastic Asian food (Indonesia, thai, chinese among others) you can also find really good western restaurants so I don’t actually miss home in that sense. The fact that Malay cuisine is mainly a mix of different others gives it a special taste!

Kuala Lumpur 2 – 2 Europe


Four seasons. No, I am not talking about the hotel chain but about winter, spring, summer and autumn.  Yes, warm weather during the whole year can be fun but each one of the four seasons has something special about it. The yellow leafs in the autumn, the snow in the winter, the fresh breeze of spring.  I am still trying to recognize that I am going to spend Christmas in my bikini (much probably)!!

To be political correct let’s consider it a tie. Both Europe and Asia have a lot of good features and at this moment I have to say that my heart is half here, half there! 

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