the long journey home
believe it or not, i spent 5 hours on the highway to get back to ipoh for cny this year. it's crazy, but it's not that crazy if you spent up to 8 hours of your life on the highyway. yes, that was the longest i heard from a fren who started travelling a little bit later than i did. i started the journey at 530am and reached ipoh, which normally takes about 2 hours tops, at about 1045am, no joke.
the cursing and complaints got weary and died eventually, there was just wasn't any energy left for that. but the cursing and complaints did resurrect throughout the holidays. the long journey home has suddenly became the topic of conversation at yamcha sessions, apart from the how-are-you-i-am-fine routine. it seemed that everyone has got their own story of the journey to tell. thing is, they all had the same antagonist, the malays.
well, it could be simply because they are the majority therefore i saw them more than the others on the highway, but i can honestly say that they easily made up 30-40% of the traffic. now the thing i tried but failed to understand is why would anyone want to be stuck in a jam? not a city-jam that eases in a while but a highway jam! this is just incomprehensible. perhaps there aren't enough of cny commercials on the tv that highlights the chinese reunion dinner is the heart of the cny and the chinese would actually want to be back home and look fresh and ready for it. perhaps the non-malays too want to have reunion dinners on the eve of cny? hmm..
the most obvious comment from anyone would be why can't they travel the next day when all the chinese have safely gone home and the highway is once again smooth. ain't it better for everyone? yes, one of the perks of being in malaysia is we get holidays from other races' holidays, which is cool. everyone loves holidays so they can go somewhere with their loved ones, no questions asked. but to hog the highway with the celebrating race is almost ignorant, yes, almost because i believe in benefits of the doubt. but is there anything else...
posted by kenkin @ 10:53 PM
2 Comments:
SAD BUT TRUE.We, Malaysians, claimed to be a tolerant bunch, can't we be considerate as well, or the least, be sane about the whole thing? Come on, the non-malays did their part during Hari Raya, such that 'balik kampung' journeys would not be that atrocious. Why can't they do the same? More astonishingly is that why are they so efficient when it comes to going on holidays? We need to get into one of their incomprehensible brains to identify the driving factor behind their tendencies to crowd on highways. Maybe the answer is not as far-reached than what we think. Perhaps they keep to the old adage that goes something like, 'It's not the destination that counts, it's the journey that is of utmost importance'. And make no mistake, they come prepared with picnic baskets and tons of foods. When the need arises, and in a innately fashion, they will layout the picnic mat and viola! Mass feeding at the convenience of the highway greeneries.
well, i guess everyone just love their families, and wish to see them while they can; holiday. It would be great if there are numerous routes to reduce the traffic, if it is economic wise. Anyhow, every year's the same. So be wiser next year ;) Hope you had a great holiday!
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