sATURDAY meTRo, 22 JAnUARY 2011 CommenT m11

Flying down memory laneSeeing places that matter evokes nostalgia

THESE days, it is common forme to use phrases like “KualaLumpur is so small”.

Considering that the industry that Iwork in where we meet new peopleall the time, the degree of separationappears to be shrinking by the day.

But taking the phrase more liter-ally, the truth is that the city isn’t avery big place at all. Granted, thanksto our infamous traffic condition,some times it takes us hours to getfrom one end of the city to theother.

When you are so used to sitting ina car, stuck in a jam and watchingtime tick by, you could be forgiven ifyou thought that we lived in one ofthe largest cities in the world.

Just last week though, the literaland figure of speech came togetherwhen my friend Johan FaridKhairuddin (more known as Hitz.fm’s JFK) took me and my cousinElaine Daly on a tour of Kuala Lumpur— by flight.

JFK and I met through mutualfriends (and connected more witheach other via social media) andrecently he asked me if I wanted totake a flight out into the city. He hashad his flying licence for years andwill soon be flying big planes for amajor airline and wanted to give hisfriends a chance to feel what it is likeflying a plane from the cockpit beforehe gets too busy.

My cousin Elaine celebrated herbirthday on Monday so I took thisopportunity to give her a treat.

We flew out of the airport inSubang in a four-seater plane andflew past the Federal Highway, intothe heart of the city. Then we flew

towards Batu Caves and then toBandar Utama before heading backto the airport.

Besides the fact that I had towake up in the wee hours of themorning, reminding me about thelast time I voluntarily woke up soeasy was because of school, thejourney took me back down mem-ory lane.

When I was younger, Subang wasthe only airport I knew and that waswhere I took my first flight into mymother’s hometown Singapore, andwhere I’d wait eagerly for her returnwhenever she visited her home-town.

Then there was the FederalHighway which sat just next toschools where I spent 11 years of my

life. As we headed into the city, wewent past Bangsar, where I grew upand still live.

Looking down at it all from thesky, however, evoked a strange reac-tion. I suppose seeing all these thingsin one view meant that all the mem-ories of childhood come rushingback at the same time.

But it was also a reminder of howmuch the city has developed overthe years. The new buildings, high-ways and landmarks are all signs ofprogress. In a way, it is also a remind-er of how we can’t keep lookingback.

My friend Ivy always reminds meabout how I am annoyingly senti-mental. In a way, I am like KualaLumpur – a mixture of the old and

the new.I love how our city boasts such

modern technology, architectureand facilities, and at the same time,how we still have the little thingsthat remind us of the past – roadnames, quaint buildings and thefood.

Which is why it breaks my heartevery time I see the the “old” thingsmake way for the new.

It is easier, I suppose for an indi-vidual. I really enjoyed the experi-ence of taking such a flight out andsharing the moment with a newfriend, and a relative whom I’veknown all my life.

And I loved how I could enjoy anew experience which brought backso much memories from the past.

As a city, we have many opportu-nities to blend the two together, ifthere is enough will to do so.Whether it is in the planning of a cityor the culture of the people, I thinkthat there is always a place for thepast in our journey towards thefuture.

I had to fly miles up into the sky torealise this but like taking steps backor pausing to think, revelations likethis only come when you can have agood view of the bigger picture, Isuppose.

l To watch a video of Niki’sexperience on the plane, visitwww.nikicheong.com. Find Nikion Twitter at www.twitter.com/nikicheong.

Set to soar:(From left) Nikiwith Elaine andJohan.

THE BANGSARBOYNIKI CHEONGniki@thestar.com.my