Burger is the King but Kate Middlesomething nowhere to be found

KL, or for non locals Kuala Lumpur, the mighty capital of Malaysia.

I have nowhere to stay.. It's nearly 11 pm. I have friends here, and we may meet  and they are good friends, but I thought I would stay somewhere where in last minute I can't or should not stay, and I do not want to bother my friends, "it's OK, I ll find something for sure, & i can survive, it's KL - come on, so many hostels", I think when in another last minute offer I get into a car of Y.'s daughter who is going to KL too.

But, we get here much later than I thought we would. I bravely decide to skip a tiny quiet not-so-cheap-but-sure-and-sweet hotel in the suburbs and head straight to KL Sentral, one of the main train stations and tourist hubs, renowned for its large choice of fast-food restaurants with not only fast food, but most importantly free toilets, wifi & plugs!  Read: backpackers' dream indeed!

The place is nearly empty, the plug is working, the net is quick. Hallelujah!But at  22.47 I still have nowhere to stay, so I google a bit frantically, when suddenly from around the corner a very sweet smile helps me with the chair & my too many pieces of luggage asking " where I am from".

"UK & Poland" in brief i reply, my voice is weak today, I need to save it and first of all get around confirming a more secure place to sleep than KL sentral station bench.

" UK?... so what do you think about Duchess of Cambridge?"


Is it the noise of the station train delay announcement or my utter shock and stupefaction, as royalty probably tops my " the least favourite conversation topics" list, but despite the very clear diction of the smile's owner, I only understand the Cambridge part.

" Oh Cambridge..uhm.... i have never been there.", I mutter.


Same question again, this time announcer lady shuts up, I listen carefully & the question gets to me.


" Well, to be very honest please excuse my language but I could not give a flying toss about her.
Screw the royals. "

A short chit chat ensues.  That's  how I meet Sam, IMHO the best candidate for yearly award of " The smile of KL". He wants to talk a bit more, but thinking of the voice & my accommodation dilemma I cut him a bit  shortly & perhaps impolitely explaining I REALLY can't talk right now. It does not feel right - he is so nice, and  despite of the shortness of our meeting, he manages to surprise me  & suddenly asks if I speak  German & French (to which i reply in German that I do). I order one of the surprisingly long burger list (over 15, all with pictures in the nicely folded menu! impressing right? even in the BURGER King :)  & continue googling. They close in 20 minutes &  I still do not know where to go.. I really should not talk tonight, but the Smile is all around me, like a ghost of friendliness making sure I am taken care of & protected, so between bites and pages of hostelworld.com, I come up to him, smile as well, and with a speed of light, clarify:


" I m very sorry, I have a sore throat & nowhere to stay tonight , it would be nice to talk, it's just  that I can't right now, but thank you for your help & if it's ok I will write about you on my blog."


The smile smiles back, & simply says " Merci" :)

We later talk a bit more, once I secure for myself a place in a very cute hostel right in the centre and for a very reasonable price, after another booked up one offers their  lobby couch in the event of me really having absolutely nowhere to go to. Sam finishes Business studies this year, also blogs, & collects coins & banknotes from different countries, so even though I have no Euro on me when he asks if he could buy some, I give him some of the Chinese cash Wang, the film director I worked with over the past few days, 'paid' me in exchange for a white coffee I made for him after a shuttering 12 hour shooting day.

I get in a cab thinking KL welcomed me pretty nicely this time! and I should probably visit BK establishments more often from now on! :)

Thank goodness, DoC never comes to places like that!