M-whY

I figured the banks would be open by around 9:00am, so around that time, I walked to the ATM that had so rudely swallowed my debit card. The machine no longer flashed 'Temporarily out of service,' which I wasn't sure whether to take as a good sign or not. On the one hand, that meant someone from the Bumiputra Bank had come by and extracted my card. On the other hand, I no longer knew where exactly my card was.

I copied down the number to call in case of emergencies, which was conveniently listed right next to the ATM. There was a payphone nearby where I could contact the bank. Making phone calls shouldn't be difficult, especially a toll free one. But I couldn't seem to connect. Maybe it's the phone, so I tried a different one. Still didn't work. Man, this getting really annoying.

Fine, I'll just tell them about my problem in person. I got online at an internet cafe across the street, looked up the nearest Bumiputra branch. Turns out there was one in the Kota Raya shopping complex, where the ATM was located.

"Hi, my card got stuck in the ATM machine downstairs last night."

The teller spoke english, so he understood me. But he didn't know what to do. He called over his supervisor. I described my predicament again.

"We don't run the ATM downstairs," he explained. "The security in this building does. If your card was stuck in the ATM, they will get it out and bring it to us. We should have it by tomorrow."

That's not what I wanted to hear. I wanted it back today! However, I had no choice but to leave my contact info and wait. They promised to leave a message at my hostel if it turned up today.

Well, point in letting this bring me down. I could still go to the Petronas Towers as planned. I exchanged a C-note for some Malaysian ringgit, then took the LRT to Kuala Lumpur City Center (KLCC). Outside, the twin towers loomed overhead. Completed in 1996, it held the title of the tallest building in the world (452m) until 2003, when Taipei 101 (509m) in Taiwan took over. For further comparison, the Sears Tower is 442m and Empire State Building only 381m.

The base of the towers is actually modeled after the Islamic eight-sided star. I entered through the atrium, which also happens to house the Petronas Philharmonic Orchestra. Tight security guarded the regular elevators so unauthorized persons couldn't just go wandering throughout (not that I expected to be able to anyways). The tourist lift to the skybridge was in the basement. I arrived about an hour before noon, in time to get hold of a 2:00pm viewing. With some time to burn, I decided to check out the rest of the KLCC complex.

A large shopping center encircled the ground floors of the Petronas Towers. Out back was a beautifully designed park, where kids on a field trip ate lunch under the trees, and kids still too young for school splashed around in one of the many fountains. A very nice change from chaotic street where I was staying.

The only problem was the heat. With air conditioning so close, I only stayed outside long enough to take some pictures before ducking back in. I had an Auntie Anne's pretzel for lunch, and passed the rest of the time in the Petronas Towers exhibit. They had a cool little height measuring contraption, which told me the towers were 260 times my height. There was also an informative 15-minute video, detailing how the towers were constructed. I watched it four times.

Finally, it was time for the 2:00pm group. Fifteen of us were led through metal detectors and had our bags checked by x-ray machines, much like what happens at the airport. We boarded a high speed elevator to the 41st floor, where the Skybridge connecting the two towers was located. Actually a double decker bridge that also spans the 42nd floor, it serves several purposes. It provided an easy way to move items back and forth without going all the way to the ground floor. It also acted as an escape route, in case one of the towers became unsafe and evacuation was necessary. And of course, its a popular draw for tourists such as myself.

Limiting visits to fifteen people at a time is a great idea. The bridge didn't have a crowded feel, and there was no pushing and shoving for prime viewing spots. I'd sure like an office with a view like this someday, I thought. Our fifteen minutes were up, and we were ushered back downstairs. A bit disappointing though, because I didn't get to see CZJ swinging around outside!

On the way back to my hostel, I stopped by the bank again. The supervisor noticed me walk in, and held up a blue piece of plastic.

"Is this yours?"

"YES!!" While I signed off that I received it, he told me what had happened.

"The cards our bank issues have a small chip in them," he showed me. "So our ATMs only accept cards with a chip. That's why yours didn't work." He listed some banks that probably would accept my card.

I guess the moral of the whole story is: Be careful where you stick it!

Thanks to everyone for their support and comments! Knowing people are reading keeps me motivated to continue the updates!