MALAYSIAN ROAD USERS HAVE GONE MAD!

Each time I am on the road I treat every other road-user as a stark raving mad moron who is determined to end my life. Malaysian road users, motorists and motorcyclists in particular, have gone mad. If you don't believe me, the next time you are at the traffic lights and the light is red observe what people will do. Motorcyclists will shoot out in defiance of the red light and motorists will make a turn even when the red light says that they shouldn't. If you are dreaming you will wonder whether you are doing the right thing staying stationary in obedience of the red light when others are moving on.
Double parking and sometimes even triple parking of cars are common on busy streets at markets and in commercial areas, especially in front of banks, and nobody does anything about it. The mata-mata doesn't seem to be around anymore and the reason that is always given is that the police are short-handed, that is except when the dignitaries are given outrider escorts. Nowadays there is blatant disregard for the law and we find motorists parking their vehicles at street corners as well.
Federal traffic police chief, Senior Asst. Comm. II, Datuk Gingkoi Seman Pancreas, was quoted in the Star of Wednesday, 28th.Sept., under the headline "No respect for traffic rules", as saying that "many Malaysian drivers only obey traffic rules and regulations when they see enforcement authorities, cameras and speed traps." He is right and the police, more than anybody else, should know better. When the law allows thousands and thousands of summonses to accumulate over a period of time and then finally decides to allow a discount if traffic offenders take steps to settle within a time frame, respect for traffic rules must wane. On Thursday, 29th Sept., Datuk Gingkoi was again quoted in the Star as saying that when the "amnesty" period for paying of summonses at discounted rates ended on 30th Sept the police would come down hard on the defaulters. Well if the police do not match their words with the appropriate action, Datuk Gingkoi will know why there is no respect for traffic rules.

JIUZHAIGOU TOUR 17.9.05 - 25.9.05

On 17th. Sept. the wife and I left on a 9 day tour of Jiuzhaigou, in the northern region of Sichuan province in China. Often referred to as "a fairyland", Jiuzhaigou, which means nine Tibetan villages scattered throughout the valley, is a primitive and natural tourist attraction. The beautiful emerald lakes, layered waterfalls, colourful forests and snow-covered peaks are a sight to behold. Our tour covered Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, Huanglong/Mounigou, Jiuzhaigou, Maoxian, Dujiangyen, Leshan and Emeishan.
We left Penang on the 0810 China Southern Airline flight on 17th Sept. for Guangzhou, a flight that took 3 hours 40 minutes, followed by a nearly 6 hour transit at Guangzhou before our connecting flight to Chengdu which took about 2 hours 20 minutes. China airlines are generally plagued by delays. On our return flight from Chengdu to Guangzhou, the delay was more than 2 hours and during the course of that time there were incessant announcements over the public address system informing passengers of delays for other flights. "We regret to inform..........due to aircraft relocation" became the standard announcement every few minutes. It sounded like a broken record. The hotels were good but Sichuan cuisine which is spicy and oily did not suit the taste of many in our group and we had to request for less or non-spicy and less or non-oily food every now and then.
We had an internal flight from Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou which saved us many hours of arduous travelling by bus and the view from the plane as we were approaching Jiuzhaigou airport was breathtaking albeit a little scary. A window seat will afford you this breathtaking view if you are not squeamish about heights. Jiuzhaigou is as beautiful as the travel brochures claim it to be but be prepared for a lot of walking and climbing. However, there were several in our group who are in their late sixties (including us) and if we could make it, younger people should have no problem. We heard about typhoon Damrey on the day before our return but we were fortunate that nothing untoward prevented us from making our return flight safely.

THE ONLY REASON WHY YOU SHOULD HAVE CHILDREN

This is the 21st century and the only reason why anybody should have children is because he/she has an unsatiable love for children. No other reason is valid. I wish my father had told me that half a century ago before I embarked on a life of adulthood. In the olden days it was drummed into the male of the species that it was his bounden duty to perpetuate his family lineage by producing male off-springs. I wish somebody could convince me why it is necessary and important that the family name should continue after I have expired.
A reason very often used in arguing in favour of having children is that in our old age we need our children to support us when we are no longer productive or look after us when we are ravaged by disease or old age. If that is the reason for having children, it is not only a selfish reason but also one that will definitely bring untold disappointment. Children today are too busy with their careers and their pursuit of wealth and material possessions that they have hardly any time for their parents. The better educated and the more successful they are, the less time they have for their parents.
Some newly married couples are apprehensive that if they don't produce any off-spring
people will start to talk and fingers will start to point accusingly! This is the 21st century and we don't need to prove to anybody that we can function biologically. Nobody should give a damn whether we are fertile or sterile! It shouldn't be anybody's concern.
Nowdays when I talk to young couples who are on the verge of taking that big step to matrimony, I can't resist advising them to give a lot of thought to the implications before starting a family. I always emphasize to them that the only reason for them to have a child is because they have a very strong love of children. We are living in very difficult times and having children is no longer necessarily a blessing. They must realize that they will give at least half of their lives to bringing up the child and when the child is independent of them, if they have the health and the resources to enjoy whatever there is left of their lives they will be very lucky. Married couples who opt to remain childless don't have anything to apologise for. Society is no longer the same and more and more people have come to look upon childless couples as people who have their heads screwed on to their bodies properly and not as screwed-up people!

IS LONGEVITY AN IMPORTANT ISSUE?

When you are my age, nearly 3 score and ten, whether longevity is an important issue or not becomes a valid question. Many contemporaries of mine are so concerned with longevity that they are constantly obsessed with their health. They may be very careful with their money with other things but where their health is concerned they do not mind splurging on expensive and seemingly worthless things. A neighbour of mine who is of the same age is very careful with her money but she does not mind spending a bundle on underwear lined with magnetic beads which are supposed to induce better blood circulation and bracelets of crystal beads which, she is told by the salesperson, will help to regulate her karma and contribute generally to her well-being if she wears them on her wrist. There are others who will spend lavishly on "health food" and other food supplements which they have been told will contribute to their good health and keep all the ailments of old age at bay.
I always tell people of my age group that as we grow older we become uglier and, as far as I am concerned, I would prefer to go while I still look good. Longevity is not what I aspire to achieve. Quality of life is more important to me. I would rather prefer to be able to enjoy every 24 hours that I have to the fullest and not worry about how many more 24 hours I am going to have. What is the point of living up to a ripe old age of 90 years when you have to spend the last 10 years in a horizontal position ravaged by disease or old age, relying on others to help you endure the misery and suffering for another 10 years? Of course we have no control over how and when we have to go; that is the prerogative of a higher being. However, we have reasonably ample control over how we are going to spend the next hour and if we are going to throw that hour away by dwelling on our obsession with old age and good health instead of going out and enjoying ourselves and be thankful that we have one more glorious hour to enjoy then longevity will be meaningless.

THE LANGURS OF THE BOTANICAL GARDEN, PENANG

If you, like a great many people in the state of Penang, are not aware of the existence of the langurs in the Botanical Garden, here are some photographs of the langurs. These photographs were taken during National Day week when the elusive langurs decided to oblige by coming down to ground level to feed on the hibiscus plants in the garden. As mentioned in my previous blog the langurs seldom come down to ground level, preferring to feed at the middle or top levels of the trees most of the time. While they will feed on leaves, flowers and fruit, their preference is for the small leaflets and it is this choosy feeding habit that makes them quite messy feeders, very often leaving a carpet of older leaves, discarded by them, on the ground below. Langurs are natives of Southeast Asia and India and because they have been seen in the Botanical Garden only in the last few years, many locals are still unaware of their presence. Most Penangites are aware of the "pesky" macaques but few know about the existence of the langurs.
The langur has a multi-chambered stomach which helps it to digest the leaves that it has eaten. In addition there are also bacteria in the stomach of the langur to help in the digestion of the food. After the langur has finished eating, it will sit around for a while to allow the food to digest. Langurs do not move around much because of their diet. They have to sit around and let their food digest. The life span of the langur is about 20 years.