My Weekend Break in Peaceful Putrajaya

Putrajaya's iconic pink Mosque - one I couldn't enter, but could appreciate from outside.

I have always believed that travel does wonders to our psyche. It is to me, like a reset button. I often leave in a messy state of mind - with to-do-lists and mental notes cluttering my brain. I always return refreshed. With my mind rewired, my thoughts focused, my agenda clear, my energy no longer erratic, but flowing smoothly.  This weekend, I had one very peaceful trip to Malaysia.  A confluence of factors led to a languid journey. I traveled with my mom-in-law, Mama Rubi - and she was in no rush. We were visiting my sister Marion, who was in Malaysia for an extended stay for work, and she just wanted to relax during our visit. And I, having seen Malaysia several times before, had only one agenda on this trip. To enjoy the change of scenery. To breathe in new air. To take a break from my daily routine.  And Putrajaya was a worthy setting for our kind of trip.  We took a ride on a tour boat that cruised around a lake around which Putrajaya's buildings are built. I sat out on the deck, in the sun and the breeze, and took in Putrajaya's experiments with architecture, and politics.

On board are tour boat, at Cruise Tasik.

Putrajaya is a planned city designed according to some utopic ideal. It feels somewhat surreal.  Somewhat detached from reality... like most utopias tend to be.  It is still, and quiet, like a ghost town - only, it isn't. It's a functioning administrative center, with government buildings, housing the country's bureaucracy.  There was a moment I was staring at the unmoving scenery, and I felt like I stepped into a post card. I have felt like this before - in another Muslim capital - Bandar Seri Begawan, in Brunei Darussalam, the abode of peace.  In both places, majestic mosques dominated the skyline.  The footpaths were lined with flowers. Calm waters and blue skies framed the view - with no threat of storms and subsequent floods.  The streets saw no crime, nor grime. And poverty thrived elsewhere, far away.  Islam means peace - we often hear. And staring at the iconic pink Mosque in Putrajaya, I felt this statement's truth. Encoded in the architecture is the formula: faith is the solid foundation on which a good society is built.  

A view of the mosque from our tour boat. Cruise Tasik, Putrajaya.

It was a vision to behold, of symmetry and harmony, and dignity.  I was allowed to admire it from afar, though not from within. And from a respectful distance, I was moved to meditate on the power of prayer, and of places of prayer - mosques, temples, and cathedrals alike - to project a message of peace.  It was a powerful image. The sight of that pristine, perfect, peaceful mosque.  It offered a respite from the barrage of negative images in media about Muslims and violence.  Putrajaya radiated peace, and exuded an other-worldly orderliness.  There was so much space, vast and wide, and green.

The government buildings on the banks of the lake.

The huge lake we toured covered such an expanse, and reached quite a depth (of some 18 meters in some parts), I found it hard to believe it is man-made.  It's a large-scale project, constructing an entire city from  scratch. It is an ambitious undertaking, a gargantuan task, and despite the many controversies it has ignited, and the huge costs, Putrajaya is a significant accomplishment.  The buildings and the bridges are of great architectural interest, referencing other landmark monuments from elsewhere in the world, from Australia to Yemen, the US to Europe.  The end result of deriving influences from a hodgepodge of global sources, is surprisingly a cohesive, harmonious whole that is distinctly Putrajaya in execution.   It is there, in the bones of the structures erected thus far: the rootedness in Islamic arts, and the desire to claim a spot in the global scene.  It resonates with the guiding aesthetic behind the iconic Petronas Towers in KL.

My mom-in-law, looking at one of Putrajaya's grand bridges.

Putrajaya presented a wealth of contradictions: it presented something new and modern, that also felt timeless and classic; it felt somewhat contrived and artificial - but also, well-suited to the surroundings, and peculiarly nature-bound (it's not a big chunk of concrete, but a garden city carved into the hills); it feels like an exclusivist city catering to Muslim dreams, but open to tourists and foreign workers who are welcome as guests; ... it is exciting, and (dare I say it?) boring, all at the same time.  For every person who recommends going to Putrajaya, you will find another who will say "there's nothing to do there, it's a waste of time".  But I loved it.  My stay in Putrajaya was a welcome break from the hustle and bustle of Kuala Lumpur. 

Even shopping was at such a leisurely pace.  My sister took us to a nearby mall in Alamanda, and it was nearly deserted.  We shopped at Carrefour (an old favorite supermarket of ours, from our days living in Spain and Singapore), and we had the entire superstore to ourselves!  Perhaps because we were there on a weekend? And maybe the place is busier on weekdays?  Or maybe we arrived too early? I couldn't tell for sure.  

My sister and I, outside Carrefour, in Alamanda.

But it was good for my spirit, the seclusion and the calm setting.  I shopped in silence, unhurried.  I bought toys and clothes for my children, and some stuff for myself. And felt very, very relaxed. This trip is a far cry from last month's trip to Singapore with kids and strollers in tow, when I felt tired and wiped out all the time.  This trip was at such a slow pace, it felt as restorative as a beach vacation!  Putrajaya had that effect on me.  A restful, relaxing effect. And I returned to Manila, recharged.  I could even say I missed Manila's chaos - after a couple of days in too-peaceful Putrajaya.  In truth, I sometimes wonder whether I travel so I could have an excuse to miss Manila and love it even more. I'd like to believe I am a better mother after a trip. I end up more attentive, and patient, and eager to tend to my children after missing them for a few days.  And my husband too, seems like a better father when I'm not around for a bit. So it was a good weekend. I got to bond with my mom-in-law, and my sister, for a relaxing break in peaceful Putrajaya.  

At the mall in Alamanda - a relaxed alternative to crowded shopping in KL.