A short set from Kuala Lumpur.

The maximum speed of the KLIA Ekspres appeared to be 160 km/h, and it was touted as the fastest train in Southeast Asia. The train had free Wi-Fi over a 4G network, so we were able to send photos home and chat on Gtalk. We also tested a Gtalk video call with each other while sitting on the same train, and it worked. I wished more people back home had Android devices so I could talk with them.

Kuala Lumpur is familiar to me, yet each time I go back I do something unique. My layover this time was a mere 16 hours, enough to go into the city, visit some sights, and start adjusting to the jet lag of crossing to the other side of the world. The LCCT is located an hour from KL Sentral, with frequent buses running between the two. My trip brought me to KL Sentral just after breakfast time, and I was hungry after choosing not to buy food on the AirAsia flight. I walked out of the main train station looking for curry, one of my fondest memories of Kuala Lumpur and something I seek every time I transit through. Just around the corner I found a busy restaurant and ordered roti with curry. Then another. Then a …

Ahh. New Zealand coffee must be of a new variety — mimicking Sweden, the coffee is roasted dark and bold. Just the way I like it. Glancing out the window a flurry of rain hits the people walking around, all darting for cover like little ants. Realising how thoroughly the internet has become part of my life, I feel as though half my time is spent searching for the next affordable hotspot.

I slowly glance out of the 15th-storey window of my hotel and take in the aura of the Petronas Towers. The sky is slightly overcast, and the weather is perfect here in Kuala Lumpur, but the perfection doesn’t end there. Before leaving Korea, I probably shortened my life with stress. My flight left at 11:35 a.m., so I planned to catch the 8:30 a.m. bus to the airport. The ride takes about 45 minutes, which would leave me plenty of time to find my gate. One of my close friends passed away a few months ago, and I have brought some of his ashes with me. As a promise to his mother, I am leaving a pinch in the ground at each place I visit. After leaving the hotel, I had to buy batteries and find a suitable place. …