Kuala Lumpur

We were caught at the orchid garden by the afternoon thunderstorm.  In a lull we made it to a taxi stand and jumped into a cab.  A good thing.  As we drove through town the rain increased in volume and the thunder began to speak in no uncertain terms.

I thought in Canada we knew rain.  Apparently we know only drizzle and showers.  The thunder and lightning here were prodigious.  Seldom did the rolling out of one thunderous blast finish before the sizzling crack of the next ripped through the air accompanied by a brilliant flash.  Sometimes the lighting struck in a chain of one-two punches, tearing the air again and again in rapid succession, the ripping sounds overlapping repeatedly before the sonorous bass of the rolling thunder played the coda.  It was a continual and ongoing slam of thunder and in those rare moments the rumbling of the thunder died out, we heard the waterfall splash of torrents of rain hammering the pavement – even from our fourth floor hotel room.  

And as a side note:  I spoke Bahasa Malaysia to the driver of the cab, joking that ini huujam bai untuk taksi – this rain is good for taxis, and he said – in English – you have been travelling in Indonesia.  He explained that I spoke with an Indonesian accent!  Ingrid laughed, saying an English accent she’d understand, maybe some kind of northern bush drawl, but Indonesian?

We read that Malaysia will attain “developed nation” status – if all goes according to the economic plan – by 2020.  As we move around the country we are having difficulty determining what that means. 

The highway between Penang and Kuala Lumpur – which runs a significant way across the country – is of very high standard: six lanes the entire distance providing more capacity than was required the day we drove it.  Other aspects of infrastructure are very evident: rapid transit in KL is extensive and sophisticated and includes an elevated monorail as well as subways, railways and a fleet of air-conditioned surface buses in fine shape.  (On a side note it was with some pride we noticed that the subway system had been built by Bombardier.)

 KL is rife with luxury vehicles and luxury products: the KLCC mall is filled with shops featuring $12,000 watches, $2,000 pens – I don’t know women’s clothing and shoes and purses, but everywhere were designer brands selling for the price of a modest home.  We have hardly seen a woman in the streets not teetering on heels.

There are cranes everywhere you look building high-rises.  All day, and then at night under racks of floodlights huge amounts of inner-city real estate is being developed into wonderful architecture.  The high-tech world is here and capitalism is enjoying a feeding frenzy.

So we are left with a question: what are the key indicators of the difference between a developed and developing nation?  After running through a shopping list of possibles (GDP, maybe GDP per capita, perhaps some measure of health, longevity or education – hygiene or medical care), I was left admiring Bhutan  where the King has determined a significant indicator is Gross National Happiness, measured on an annual basis. 

Upon my return to Canada I will begin a campaign to raise money to send Stephen Harper to Bhutan.  It will be my way of giving back.