Where everyone is happy?

Picturesque or what?

40years ago, during my Boys' Brigade (2nd Penang Company) days, a recurring lure for the privates to aim higher in their performance was a trip to the scenic island of Tioman where colourful fishes swimming in crystal clear sea water apparently fed from your hands. I always thought these type of scenes were only confined to Jasque Costeau's documentaries or the National Geographic magazines!
Well, 40 years later, I found out that such a sanctuary actually exists right in our backyard. Of course with all things in the world, with us leaving our carbon foot prints, people say that with building of resorts and modernization, this tropical beauty with its flora and fauna had been brutally marred.

Ikan Kekek Mak Iloi Iloi!

Life is a beach?

At the ground level, it is a simple island with simple people leading simple lives and smiling a lot with their simple amenities and abodes. It reminded me of a scene from the 1970s TV series, Fantasy Island - the small airstrip with lush greenery surrounding it, the buggy vehicles and the floral batik attire donned by the workers.
I suppose everyone would be happy when they can see money. The locals are happy when kwailohs dish out moolah for the services, for the fresh seafood at the food stalls and tours, which with their earning power is everything is worth peanuts; the entrepreneurs are happy as they stash their good money to good use and they justify their rape and degradation of nature with pathetic attempts at conservation as they continue to pour their effluents into the sea; the politicians are happy as long the local populations do not fight for their bigger piece of the cake.

Da plane! Da plane!

And the visitors go back happy that they can still be king somewhere in the world, if not in the own confines. When holidays end, they realize that they were never in Fantasy Island after all. Unlike Mr Roarke and Tatoo's 'Fantasy Island' where their guests go back rejuvenated with a clear path to follow in front of them after their visits there, for these visitors it is back to life, back to reality, come Monday!

Comments

Gory historic details or gore fest?

Razakar: The Silent Genocide Of Hyderabad (Telegu, 2024) Director: Yata Satyanarayana In her last major speech before her disposition, Sheikh Hasina accused those who opposed her rule in Bangladesh of being Razakars. The opposition took offence to this term and soon widespread mob throughout the land. Of course, it is not that that single incident brought down an elected government but a culmination of joblessness and unjust reservations for a select population group. In the Bengali psyche, Razakar is a pejorative term meaning traitor or Judas. It was first used during the 1971 Pakistan Civil War. The paramilitary group who were against the then-East Pakistani leader, Majibur Rehman, were pro-West Pakistan. After establishing independence in Bangladesh, Razakars were disbanded, and many ran off to Pakistan. Around the time of Indian independence, turmoil brewed in the princely state of Hyderabad, which had been a province deputed by the Mughals from 1794. The rule of N...

The products of a romantic star of the yesteryear!

Now you see all the children of Gemini Ganesan (of four wives, at least) posing gleefully for the camera after coming from different corners of the world to see the ailing father on his deathbed. They seem to found peace with the contributor of their half of their 46 chromosomes. Sure, growing up must have been hell seeing their respective mothers shedding tears, indulgence in unhealthy activities with one of them falling prey to the curse of the black dog, hating the sight of each step sibling, their respective heartaches all because of the evil done by one man who could not put his raging testesterones under check! Perhaps,the flashing lights and his dizzying heights that his career took clouded his judgement. After all, he was only human... Gems of Gemini Ganesan L-R: Dr Revathi Swaminathan, Narayani Ganesan, Dr Kamala Selvaraj, Rekha, Vijaya Chamundeswari and Dr Jaya Shreedhar. ( Abs: Radha Usman Syed, Sathish Kumaar Ganesan) Seeing six of Ge...

Chicken's Invite? (Ajak-ajak ayam)

In the Malay lingo, the phrase 'ajak-ajak ayam' refers to an insincere invitation. Of course, many of us invite for courtesy's sake, but then the invitee may think that the invitation is for real! How does anyone know? Inviters and invitees must be smart enough to take the cue that one party may have gatecrashed with ulterior motives, or the other may not want him to join in the first place! Easily twenty years ago, my family was invited to a toddler's birthday party. As my children were toddlers, too, we were requested to come early so that my kids could run around and play in their big compound. And that the host said she would arrange a series of games for them to enjoy. So there we were in the early evening at a house that resembled very little of one immersed in joy and celebration. Instead, we were greeted by a house devoid of activities and no guests. The host was still out shopping her last-minute list, and her helper was knee-deep in her preparations to ...

RIFLE RANGE BOY

Search This Blog