In pictures, the Petronas Towers looked like ornamental salt and pepper shakers, or sometimes, taking into account the skybridge halfway up, they resembled rugby goalposts.
But as the airport taxi glides into the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, dawn's orange light on the world's tallest buildings reveals . . . two gleaming stacks of ashtrays crowned with fencing foils.
Poking fun at the twin landmarks probably betrays an inability to comprehend their unique shape.