Christmas in KL

One of the advantages of living in a country that doesn't celebrate Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday in November, is that there is no limit to how early stores can put up Christmas decorations. The first decprations appeared early-mid November, so I have been listening to Christmas carols for over a month. I am posting this from my hotel room in Seporna in the Malaysian part of Borneo. I was just at a local Giant Supermarket (a local chain) and they were playing "Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer". Right now I can hear the "call for prayers" from the mosque located right down the street. I wonder if everyone can hear it over the carols?

Suria Mall, KLCC

Some of the decorations are horrible, whereas others are more spectacular than I have ever seen, or imagined before. Let's start with some bad ones from Suria Mall in KLCF. The Suria Mall is the mall located beneath the Petronas Towers so it is very popular with tourists. I would have thought that they would have done a little bit better job, but no!

So what do you think of this color scheme? Everyone knows Christmas colors are red and green! The lavender theme at Suria Mall looks much worse in person that it does in photos. I was in the mall with Michael and Jaki, two of the student Fulbrighters, a while back. Michael liked the decorations while Jaki and I hated them. Because Michael is Jewish I don't think that he has any authority to comment on Christmas decorations! Oddly, there was not a single public mention of Hanuka in Malaysia!!


Bad Santa

The only Santa that I have seen in KL has been at the Suria Mall. This was absolutely, positively the worst Santa ever. Unfortunately, I saw him when my camera was broken so I could take a shot of this skinny dude, with a horrible fake beard, and black sideburns showing through!! I think that I should report them to the authorities for scaring kids that believe in Santa. Billy Bob Thorton didn't look worse when he playted "Bad Santa".



The mall did try adding some Christmas cheer by bringing in some carolers. "The Twelve Days of Christmas" just doesn't sound the same with a Malaysian accent.