"Petaling Jaya" Petaling Jaya by wondersF

Petaling Jaya is the living area for the middle class Malaysian. Essentially a fair size township for with private homes, dotted with very small pockets of light industries. From the planned 97 square kms land, 57 sq kms is now built up to cater for the 1.5 mil inhabitants.

As a living area, the place is great for up-market private hospitals, eating out, routine recreation activities, shopping and sending children to schools. In short, it has the best of everything this modern world can offer - except wild night life.

No! No! You may learn to love the scenes of the night markets. These are organised and stationed in alternate parts of town each evening from 6.30 pm - 10.30 pm

Now, What else we don't have here in PJ? Yes, we do not have anything that looks like Rodeo Drive or Sunsets strip or any ancient like Trevi Fountain.

I am sure most travelers have not planned to visit PJ as a tourist destination! You are landed in PJ because you are visiting Malaysia, now staying with friends or relative in PJ for some days. What can you do and how are you going to maximise that time?

Then alter your mindset! Do not look for interesting sites or nice places to make souvenir photos, as most tourist would do. Not that! Why not spend the time to experiences how it is like to live in PJ?

To give a greater insight of life in PJ, as we called it. For me, I shifted my session of morning walk from the one of trekking within the forested trails of Gasing Hills. Now I am having my work out using the 5 kilometers loop weaving through 3 hills in the Kiara Hills. My regular time is between 6.00 am-6.30am. Then I would return to perform my "National Service" of sending my grandson to school. Clear my mails and adjourn to IKEA for a low cost breakfast cum fellowship. As a Cinderella, I would return home or explore new eateries for lunch. Now that is one example of life in PJ. An active one.

If I need to get an update on bird life? I would drop by Rimba Kiara. e.g. these few days would be checking out the progress of nesting done by Crested Goshawk. That's the more sedated and second lifestyle.

My house is located next to the interchange. For me, reaching Genting Highlands is matter of 60 minutes, Frasers Hills in 2 hours and in Karak by 90 minutes. And that's the 3rd style, traveling out of PJ.

That's if you must really need to explore Malaysian while living in PJ.

Lastly and the 4th style, the most practical and sanely past time. For those coming from outside the city, the best next would be to get a condo unit on short term lease and join the fun. The way I look at it, the easiest and the best fun would be food. Testing and trying out the food outlets in PJ.

Get to know the locals, they are a friendly lot.

• Pros:Very nice peaceful community with plenty of food
• Cons:I cannot stand the attitude of some yuppies
• In a nutshell:Good mix of urban living with quiet neighbourhood