I sensationalise, a little.
To be honest, of all the above three statements only the last one is correct. What I did today would hardly qualify as acting and it wouldn't have been especially entertaining and "masses" isn't the appropriate word to describe the amount of people.
I'll start from the beginning. I had just visited Merdeka Square and was heading back to my hostel at around mid-afternoon when something caught the corner of my eye. A musical production was being advertised outside a theatre starting at 3pm. A quick look at the time told me it was 2:55pm, good timing. The musical looked quite interesting as it was advertised as a musical telling Kuala Lumpur's history. So I gave it a go. At the least, it would be somewhere cool to sit for a little while.
I snuck into the back of the theatre just as it was all about to kick off and took my seat alongside the other 12-15 other people in the audience. The production was better than expected. The young actors told the story well and some of their singing and dances was of a very good level. At various points during the show the actors got a couple of audience members onto the stage to do random bits and bobs. I was sat there hoping that each time they would look beyond me and onto someone else for the privilege. Each time they did and I thought I had got away with not having to embarrass myself on stage. That was until the last act. Just after the "great flood" scene. They got myself and two other audience members on to the stage, to do what? To dance, that's what. Fortunately the stage was packed full of professional actors and dancers so I hope the audience member's gaze was taken away from myself and the two other amateurs who were unfortunate enough to join me. So there I was, dancing to some Malaysian music, on one of the oldest and most famous stages in the city, making a right prat of myself!
Other than putting in a performance that will no doubt make me a favourite for next year's Oscars, I did also get up to a few other touristy things. In the morning I visited the Buddhist Maha Vihara temple. This was a little out of the main centre of Kuala Lumpur, so I took a taxi. The fare was 5RM (£1) for a ten minute drive! I gave him a 10RM note and told him to keep the change, his look was of utter amazement and joy. The temple was small but interesting. Monks were wondering around in their bare feet and orange robes and one was speaking some mantras for a group of ladies gathered around him.
After this I took another taxi journey to Thean Hou Temple. The temple's architecture is very eye catching. It is built with inspiration from Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism however it is mainly Chinese influenced with hundreds of Chinese lanterns hung around the temple, predominately coloured in red (a colour of luck and good fortune in China) and plenty of dragons engraved into the walls.
Plenty of photos tonight. Mainly from the Thean Hou Temple that was very photogenic.
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| The above three are from the Buddhist temple |
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| This one and the following are from the Thean Hou Temple |
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| Merkeka Square |
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| The theatre |
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