Kuala Lumpur vs Rotterdam

Since I'm leaving KL soon, back to work in NL, I've been thinking of the pros and cons, yet again, of both places. Have they changed from before? Maybe slightly. But it's always good to take stock of your feelings and impressions every once in a while to see how you truly feel about something.

Naturally, the winning statements mean that the other city has an absolute lack of those.


10 wins for Kuala Lumpur

1. My family
2. Malaysian food (my faves: roadside nasi lemak, wan tan mee, chicken rice, Hong Kong dim sum)
3. My dogs
4. Sunny, cheerful weather
5. Huge choice of restaurants and cafes
6. Huge and better choice of clothes and accessories
7. Opening times till 10pm, 7 days a week
8. Lots of product brands to choose from
9. Affordable English fashion and art magazines
10. Very well-designed restaurant and shop interiors

10 wins for Rotterdam

1. Fast internet
2. Online shopping
3. Bicycling
4. Pim
5. Trustworthy police
6. No sweating just from getting out of bed
7. Living in the city centre
8. Earning in euros
9. Shop assistants know their products
10. Everyone is more equal financially and there is less pretentiousness and superficiality

3 votes against Kuala Lumpur

1. Potholes
2. Overpriced items (ie. European prices at Malaysian salaries... wth?!)
3. Traffic jams and aggressive drivers

3 votes against Rotterdam

1. Cold and distant people
2. Super high tax
3. No drop-ins at the clinic when you're sick