Kites and Shanks: Brokenfields?

Well, well, well - every time someone asks me "Where do you stay?" and I reply "Brickfields", then I would get an awkward reaction from the other person. It's safe to say, on top of the weird expression they have on their face, they also tend to chip in further by making statements like "Oh, the place where it's full of prostitution!", "Macha's paradise I see", "Sure a lot of Indians there, you'll feel like home" or questions like "Eh, the prostitutes there how ah?", "That place teruk right?" or "I heard the crime rate there is super teruk, betul ker?".

So today, I decided to walk about a little bit around Brickfields (since I'm still on Annual Leave... but without a cause, without a purpose). So what I've learned about Brickfields? Like any area / city, the place itself is divided into 2 - the new and the old, the rich

and the poor, the modern and the traditional.

On one hand you have the Little India area, Jalan Rosario, Jalan Thambipillay, Jalan Padang Belia and Jalan Tun Sambanthan - all which still retains the old school feel to it. Government quarters build in 1960s / 1970s, rows and rows of Indian shops selling sarees and Punjabi suits, Indian restaurants serving authentic Indian food and of course, Indian video / CD shops blasting Tamil songs like there's no tomorrow.

On the flipside, just across Jalan Tun Sambanthan - the newly develop KL Sentral development area meanwhile offers a different outlook to the area. I walked along and found the whole place surreal, for once I felt I was away from the hustle and bustle of Brickfields. It was quite, clean and everyone there was much, much more decent and professional. There were definitely a cosmopolitan feel to it. Hidden between

those tall office skyscrapers were a few restaurant and bars - I didn't even know they existed till now! Should try out those places soon when I have a chance.

So after all said and done, I hope people don't just look at Brickfields as a "Macha area". There's more to the place than the vice activities and gangsterism. I admit those influences are still there, but Brickfields has a lot more to offer, culturally, economically and socially (YMCA, Society Of The Blind In Malaysia and Malaysian Paralympic Council)... and oh yeah, not to forget the biggest and most important land transportation hub in the country, KL Sentral.

So as usual, here's some of the photos I captured using my trusted camera again! I know, please stop laughing!