Kuala Lampur, Sept. 25 -- Randall was born in Kuala Lumpur but as a third culture kid saw too little of it till last year when he moved back. A teenager trying to make sense of a past he never had. In our last coffee session, he asked a peculiar question. It was from an online debate he was following.

From it, he opined: "It is a misstep to put the Maybank logo at the top of the Merdeka 118 Tower. The architecture physically expresses the declaration of independence in 1957, above the original site. It diminishes its stature."

Three things strike me, having listened to him.

Brand it, and they will come (not)

Half the tourists who leave Kuala Lumpur take home at least one souvenir - T-shirt, plaque, keychain, umbrella or crystal ball -...