You might ask, where the heck is Puchong?
That was my question when I first saw the info for APAC Wrestling‘s Rise event
which happened on 10 and 11 December of 2022.
Where the heck was it? It was somewhere in Malaysia. It’s one of those not really here nor there places. Out of ‘town’ but close enough to it. I decided to take a plane trip there and this was my first plane trip after the whole Covid-19 circuit breaker/lockdowns etc.
Malaysia Airlines had the best timing to go there from Singapore and back again. Plus, it was affordable. I didn’t do any check-in luggage since it was just for the weekend. Of course I flew in at least 1 days before and 1 day after the event.
Did you know at the Kuala Lumpur airport, there’s a floor for e-hailing and you can get a Grab there easily?
That was so useful. However, Grab ‘changed’ to the Malaysian version for me so that was interesting. It became drop down menus instead of the regular typing in version.
Anyway, from there I clicked Sheraton’s Four Points and quickly headed to the door. The driver called me over the app and told me I should cross the road and I did because apparently, it’s super expensive parking just to be a driver there. I don’t know where he came from but it was a pretty nice car and off we went.
The driver was so nice, he talked about the seasonal food there since I did come in during durian season.
And then I dropped off at the hotel and went in, did an about turn and ordered another Grab.
I chose the wrong Sheraton Four Points.
I had ended up at Chinatown instead of Puchong and the hotel at Puchong’s address was a business tower and wasn’t “renamed” on Grab to be Four Points yet.
IT WAS THE BUTTON’S FAULT OKAAAAY. It ISSSSS.
After a very short wait, because I wanted to make sure my previous Grab driver had already left the area, I clicked for another driver.
The Grab driver this time was a lady and she pretty much said “Oklah, Puchong is… Puchong”. Soon after, I did reach the correct hotel and wooh! It’s quite nice!
Puchong is really just Puchong.
It’s known for it being the end of a highway before you get to the city…
There’s not much here… Except that I got the hotel closest to the venue for the event.
First day in Puchong, I was hungry and did you know we don’t have any more Taco Bell in Singapore?
I Grabfood-ed some Taco Bell for dinner instead. I know, it is starting to sound like some weird Grab advertisement but no. I’m not sponsored but it was the most convenient thing ever.
I didn’t have to travel out, I could stay at my hotel but of course I ran down from my room to get the food from the driver who dropped off just in front of the hotel cause he’s not allowed to drop it at reception.
It was then, that I realized Malaysia has really good tomatoes.
I don’t eat tomatoes unless they’re specific plummy ones and the ones in Singapore are kinda watery and are best for curry and stews. I just don’t like it eaten ‘raw’. Having Malaysian tomatoes in Malaysia really made a difference.
You might think, no, there isn’t a difference… BUT NO, THERE REALLY IS!!!
Since there wasn’t much in Puchong, I did head out to one spot I saw when my Grab drove towards the hotel. I eyezoom-ed on it when I saw the faint GREEN AND BLUE.
It was a Family Mart.
For the whole weekend or so, I pretty much at konbini food and I was ridiculously happy on it because:
a) It’s cheap
b) It’s so near the hotel
c) I could pretend I was in Japan but everything is Halal there.
Ok, the only thing different between Malaysia’s fruit sando and Japan’s fruit sando is the bread. For some reason, we get a swiss roll type of cake bread instead of a soft white bread but that’s probably localization because you don’t get Tom Yum soup for the oden in Japan.
The wrestling show was at this building you see here. The ESI? While there’s an ‘e’ in wrestling, this isn’t an ‘esport’.
I took a walk and did find out I could go here during the day easily even if the roads were slightly dodgy. It was walkable. Only yeah, for the night time I had to go home with friends cause they advised me not to especially since it’s very dark on the way back.
Also, wah first time I go to such an event and there’s fried food and chips and water or some sugar free energy drink you can buy! You can’t bring it in but you can eat something before the show so that’s nice.
I want more cup snacks like this. Or the kind where the snack is ON the cup you drink from. Did I buy a snack for myself? No. I only bought water but I stole some fries from friends who came by too.
Since I went for both days, I could see the little ‘cliffhanger’ at the end of day one and it continued to day 2.
What I can say is that WOW, the audience in Malaysia are loud and so encouraging! They have fan groups there and they’re also so welcoming to guest wrestlers from other countries. The atmosphere is so fun.
Wrestling Observation Note for self: The style for the wrestlers here are pretty impactful and boom, boom fast. The audience really like fast paced things. Chain wrestling, not too much.
At the end of the day 1 show I do remember that one of their ministers Syed Saddiq was there to watch too and he got to say hello to some of the wrestlers at the end. I was entertained for the both days of shows and of course. OF COURSE, I enjoyed the ladies’ matches so much.
Maybe I’m biased because I did travel all the way to Puchong to also see Maki Itoh for this show. And then I got to see Steph and Kamiyu and how they wrestled against Phoenix too and that was just so good, the heck?
Howlah, when will I get enough charisma and training points to be that good. Nevermind, I’ll continue training, you all just watch out.
The end of day 2, I went out with a friend and we went to A&W, which is still kinda ‘rare’ for us in Singapore since we only have 2 branches out of the whole country.
You want to make a Singaporean go “OOOOH” bring them to Taco Bell or A&W. Anyway, they had some “blue beary burger” promo and I had to try it because it sounded weird.
It was just average. It’s trying to be Swedish meatballs with lingonberry jam but all you had was a beef burger with fake blueberry jam that’s more sugar than blueberry.
Fortunately I bought a coney dog too for insurance.
Alright, perhaps Puchong being Puchong is not just it.
It’s also the home of one of the biggest fanciest 7-Elevens in Malaysia. There’s even a BookXcess book store on the second floor along with the cafe. The first floor is your regular 7-Eleven but with an extensive menu and merchandise.
I did buy a 49 ringgit 7-Eleven enamel cup there…
The cafe had some lovely matcha and hojicha lattes too which I enjoyed.
To me, no trip to Malaysia is complete without having a taste of their sodas. Specifically Tapping Tapir because Singapore doesn’t have this brand unless you specially import it.
If you’re a tourist/traveller to Malaysia, try out Tapping Tapir flavours cause it’s so localized!
Also this just made me laugh cause you can have a single banana.
A 100% Malaysian banana to know you’re in Malaysia.
OhOhoHOhoHohoH.
Ok nevermind.
Puchong is… Puchong.
That’s what I’ve learned from my weekend trip there and there’s nothing much else. The shops were also mostly closed because it was some prince’s birthday too during that weekend.
With that, I did try out the Starbucks at Kuala Lumpur airport since they had ayam percik in their menu. Although as what you have in the Starbucks menu, you just get food microwave/toasted, this was good.
It doesn’t look like the picture on their menu but it was good.
Would I go back to Puchong again?
Not really, unless there’s another event.
But at least I’ll know which button to click for my Grab to get to my correct hotel next time.
