My chill space

I asked my students to write a paragraph about their favourite place to relax recently. Amidst all the confusion (as always), they managed to write some pretty decent descriptions about their favourite places to chill, ranging from KLCC's fountain to Cameron Highlands although I explained to them that Cameron Highlands would probably be a complete holiday rather than a moment of chillin'.

So, it got me thinking, what's my favourite chill space? I took sometime to think about this and the answer came to me a couple of days ago, while I was actually seeking sanctuary in the place, away from traffic jams and blaring bus horns.

My favourite chill space would definitely be Pasar Seni, or the Central Market to old schoolers. I don't know why exactly but whenever I walk to the spot where I normally take my bus home, I will have to pass by Pasar Seni. During each of these walks, my head would be pounding from the traffic congestion and noise pollution. But once I step into Pasar Seni, I am transformed into a different world, where things are just so serene that you'll actually think you're somewhere else. And of course, there's that culture bit. Browsing in Pasar Seni is therapeutic to me. It reminds me of who I am, my roots and heritage. No matter where I've been or what I've done, this place will always take me back to my cultural identity. And that's really important to someone like me, to remember that I am who I am, no matter what.