A short list based on 4 weeks in KL and 13 years in Houston – lots of differences but I was very surprised a the similarities
Reason | KL | Houston |
Love affair with cars | · Traffic jams are common enough to have “jams” as verb sentence · Everyone alone in the car | · Some of the worst intersections in the US · 290 is always a parking lot · I-10 is 12 lanes |
Multiple City Centers | · KLCC · PutraJaya/CyberJaya · Damanasara Heights | · Downtown · Galleria · Medical Center, etc |
Limited Public transportation | · Mix of light rail, buses and taxis · No parking near trains · What is HOV? · GOOD - light rail to airport | · Mix of bus and taxi · Light rail to nowhere downtown · Great parking spaces at Park-n-Ride · HOV lanes |
Oil and Gas is major industry | · Growing business for Malaysia and pays the bills | · Global capital of O&G |
No Zoning | · Collapsing buildings next to new skyscrapers · The King has eminent domain | · If you own it, you can build on it · Except in the Woodlands |
Hot and Spicy food | · Thailand | · Tex-Mex |
Flat landscape | · Some hills – Damansara Heights but elevated roads are highest point for cars in many parts of city | · Elevated roads and parking garages are highest points for a car to drive |
No one is starving to death | · Lots of ads for “fatty liver” and other dietary diseases | · Consistently voted one of the “fatter” cities in the US |
Religion is a major player | · Islam is a way of life | · Christian mega church world capital |
Party lifestyle if you want it | · Female Indonesian caddies performing extra service · Full “hostess” nightclubs | · Fabric free entertainment |
Need Air Con (ditioning) | · 33 C (95 F) and 100% humidity year round | · 33 C (95 F) and 100% humidity three months/year |
Street Food | · Hawker stalls – anything you want and some of the best KL has to offer | · Taco vans |
Teen music | · Bollywood music/dancing | · Rap Music |
Language Confusion | · Mix of English and Bahasa Malaysian | · Mix of English and Spanish |
Mall Culture | · Where everyone goes | · Where teens go |
Mix of races | · Strict racial categorization · Malay – 60% · Chinese -25% · Indian – 10% | · No majority culture – Anglo, Hispanic, African-American, Asian |
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