Other Gathering Spots in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Despite the replication of the sense of smell, taste, sigh and sound, St.John's Cathedral (or the area immediately outside of the church) cannot provide the Filipino domestic workers with all their needs on their Sundays off. Therefore, the crowd proceeds to the other areas in the city for other type of entertainment and chores. Primarily, most Filipinos gather in the nearby shopping complex (Kota Raya, around 5 minutes walk) , which is a known gathering spot for foreign workers as many of the banks and money remittance agencies, mobile phone agents, package or freight mailing centers are located here for the convenience of immigrant workers. Some of the stores sell Filipino products and entertainment. It is here that most of the Filipinos I interviewed quoted to gather over lunch time. On the basement level of the building is the "singing boxes", simplified karaoke facility for those who long to sing. The top level of the shopping center is the food court where Filipina food is served. After lunch, most Filipinos would head to the dance club Angkasa, at the bottom level of a hotel. They would enjoy an afternoon of dancing replicated like the nightlife. The dance club is opened from 2-7 pm for the convenience of female domestic workers who need to return to their employers home before the evening.

Some Filipinos I interviewed mentioned picnicking in the Lake Gardens on their days off, usually over a special occasion like someone's b'day. The reason that this is done rarely is because the secluded location of the park and the difficulty of getting there by public transportation. I visited the Lake Gardens on a Sunday to see if any Filipinos are gathered in the park but did not find any group of Filipinos picnicking. The park is rather large and they might be dispersed so I did not manage to find them or the timing of my visit did not match their visit (I went at around 10 am on the sunday close to Christmas day) According to some domestic workers, most request to take both 24th December off (and 25th) and worked on that Sunday in order to celebrate Christmas with friends in town. Perhaps that is why the crowd observed on the 28th of December seemed fewer than expected, in all areas.