Ruffled feathers .

With the old year fast disappearing , and it seems to happen quicker each year , I like to review the progress of our neighbours ; since that has  such a profound effect  , both for us and our offspring’s future . 

We have just been woken up , well  before dawn,  by that infernal machine that blows out vast plumes of diesel fumes ( they say to control mosquitoes ) .Now this is strange as in many cities diesel cars are banned , as their exhaust  allegedly kills the inhabitants .Yet, here we are , having to breath great clouds of the stuff ; and this practice  goes on year after year.   I can’t help wondering what is the life  expectancy  of the poor guy on the end of the contraption. However  , there  is little concern for the lowly, especially immigrant,  employee ; no change there. 

Now the best way of staying cool, especially in tropical latitudes , is simply to stay out of the sun . For this,  trees or greenery is best,  as in absorbs the light ,converting it into more green stuff . So can you please explain to me why there is this continuing wish to live in bigger , and flashier glass houses which do the opposite of those trees . Then to exist , on comes the AC, increasing outside temperatures still further . No power , inhabitants would cook!  …and still year on year it is getting warmer making the problem even worse; . Short term solution , for those with the money and power, more AC : those without , well that’s their problem !

Crossing roads can still be dangerous , despite more lights and fences . These do not stop those cars getting even bigger and faster. What is the point of being able to accelerate at the speed of light , then having to break hard at the next obstruction ? I suppose those with electric propulsion are feeling smug that they are not exhausting that CO2, but where do they think the electricity comes from? I suppose the noise pollution has decreased, but perversely that makes life more dangerous for all the rest of us! 

What is it with these beings that seem to spend all their time looking at little screens . They have stopped looking at each other , or their surroundings ; and then when they do talk it is with this creature called Siri . This then enables their owners to do even less . The other day I even saw a robot replacing a waiter in a restaurant . Don’t they realise that they themselves are becoming superfluous. Maybe for the planet that will be a good thing . 

In the meantime , they still seem to need more and more stuff . A seemingly infinite growth in outlets provides for their every whim . That queue at Louis Vuitton is still there 10 days later ! Just how many handbags are needed ? Don’t they realise each one represents consumption of the earth’s finite resources. Some do , but too many others are in denial. Maybe this coming year further climatic or man made disasters will prompt more action. 

Apparently this year’s end will be marked by less fireworks , to show political solidarity with some block of  voters . For us that is only a good thing . Do they realise that us tree dwellers are scared witless by the sound of what seems to us as an onslaught by mass ranks of ‘chaussers’.  So we will sit in our eyries , thinking about what has passed , who we have lost , and hoping for a much improved new year; time will tell! But we will be up at dawn as usual singing with joy to welcome in the first morn of a new year. 

Setting sun reflects the passing of another year 

You called my lord?

Growing Pains …with updates

Oh well , I suppose you cannot have years of incredible growth  and at the same time try and adjust for an imbalance of wealth in a multi ethnic society ; without some imperfections . As far as I am concerned  , one of those is being given a £2 parking ticket , for one wheel over my parking line,   and that in a semi rural area with lots of spaces . This was one officious cop , aiming to continue rebalancing wealth . Still I suppose I should be grateful , as It was  a computerised ticket which I can pay on line . 25 years ago , it was essential to have twice that tucked into the driving licence when it was presented to the police. This was an irritant , compared to near disasters. ( ah so you only have 24 hours to pay before the fine trebles . Can effectively only be paid on line , with a program that is only in Bahasa, and with a Malaysian credit card ! So the police get more money with their new technology! Finally  8 times the fine ) 

You cannot get a taxi in Malaysia without a “ Grab app “ . Their  version of Uber , except the transaction is only cash . It is virtually a monopoly , almost no alternative ( an airline is trying to establish a competitor  ) . So no phone , no app, no taxi . Arriving at the airport we couldn’t get the app to function, I think because we didn’t have a local SIM. Fortunately airports are thronged with helpful ,and very expensive drivers ! ….Keeping the phone functional is an imperative for travel; KL is not designed for pedestrians . The upside however is that the rides are ridiculously cheap. 

We picked up our hire car in the centre of KL , with the words that you will need a “ Tap and Go” card to use the highways . There is no alternative way to pay !!!  No problem !  they can be bought at any ( light ) rail station . Not true , ‘could’ is the operative word . Our local “ station master advised that they had temporarily run out of stock , more would be in that night ; but could be bought at any number a news/book outlets . Two more “ not trues’. So it was off to the major train station . Can’t buy them there also ,’ you need to go to the adjacent shopping mall’ where on the second floor there was a small outlet; with a long queue. As I approached the desk there were numerous signs which said they had ‘ sold out ‘ . In disbelief I asked the assistant how I could take the highway that afternoon . After a patient wait , a supervisor hustle me into a corner and with furtive smile , advised that she had a limited stock for tourists .My credit card momentarily disappeared , but was returned with my very own toll card .( I have yet to check my bank balance ) . That evening the highway was packed , with owners of all those missing cards , and miracles , ours worked also . ( so far only one debit on my card !)

That night found us up country viewing fireflies . It had been raining so I suppose their batteries had only been partial charged . The best hotel in the environs only cost £20 a night  , without breakfast . In fact there was none available ; so I frequented a local Chinese , and for another £2 ate my fill. Unfortunately that parking ticket doubled the cost . Leaving the hotel I was astounded that one of the guests drove a  Maserati , on road price 10,000 times the room rate .

Our destination  was the Cameron Highlands of lower temperatures , market gardens growing English veggies ; oh and of course extensive tea estates. The road up clings to the sides  in a succession of bends . It had been widened to allow for comfortable passing . This increased the steepness of the sides , which necessitated  copious use of plastic sheeting to prevent erosion ; not a pretty sight. 

Our destination for the nights was a mock Tudor hotel offering all mod cons , excellent staff, ; oh including a banquet for breakfast .No risk of parking tickets, they actually wash the car each night. Allowing time for digestion, an optional activity was a walk in the forest . Billed as not suitable for infants , pregnancy , and senior citizens . Clearly that didn’t refer to me , so I scrambled up , slid and tumbled down . Aged fallers are more at risk of personal damage ; avoided this time. Perhaps  this is another pastime I have outgrown !  

Yep , none in Malaysia ; we’ll almost !

Staff temple

Spent more on dove cote

The Lakehouse. Cameron Highlands finest

Malaysia’s national flower:  hibiscus 

Cullinan

 The Cullinan  is the largest rough cut diamond ever discovered. Presented by South Africa to the king (Edward  VII) ,it was cut into , amongst others , the largest clear cut diamond  in the world . It and another were incorporated into the Crown Jewels . During its journeys it was sent under armed escort by sea ; well that was a ruse to deter thieves. In fact it was variously posted or carried in a coat pocket, risky ? . Relevance to Malaysia , read on!

We first stayed in KL ( Kuala Lumpur ) 25 years ago ; where did those years go ! Then the city’s road network was in its’ infancy . Junctions on major roads were still roundabouts or traffic lights . To keep the traffic moving during the rush hour they were manned by a phalanx of traffic cops . After a never ending series of complaints , they withdrew one day . The city grid locked ; no moans thereafter ! The major road users then were motor cyclists who had a flexible approach to traffic congestion . A major road near us was a small six lane road , which during peak times, the two wheelers turned into to an unofficial contra flow of five lanes in one direction ; oncoming traffic just sort refuge in the one remaining lane . Those cyclists were referred to as TC s ( temporary citizens ) . The vast proportion were immigrant  labour from Indonesia , who didn’t appear in any statistics on mortality . 

Construction of road improvements and an over-head light railway just increased traffic congestion . Now that is all passed and the city’s communication has been transformed  by a seemingly never ending network of motorway standard roads , and at least ten light rail networks .  To ensure that Malaysians would not be held hostage by their train drivers , all trains are not only conductor-less  but also driverless . The whole system is fully automatic, with frequency determined by need , not driver rotas . Makes the UK looks the third world country now ! 

The city’s  wealth has converted most motorcycles into cars . I passed one large house on my walk which had managed to squeeze ten large German  saloon cars onto its forecourt. There’s would be a brain teaser to extract the needed vehicle each morning ; although I suspect that it would be the chauffeurs’ job.  

All this money and cars need somewhere to go ; shopping malls are the solution . Within a ten minute taxi drive of us there are no fewer than six , with another vast complex under construction. Mega mall with 400 shops is linked to Garden mall with a further 200 . Whenever we have been, they have been heaving . There was even a ten deep queue outside Louis Vuitton’s  handbag shop one Wednesday afternoon ! Pop-up shops provided even more opportunity to spend . HSBC even had one , focussing on what freebies you could get from being a loyal customer . I am not sure what market the bank was targeting , but judging by the lack of quality , it wasn’t those in the queue nearby!

Our local mall is barely 10 metres away and caters for rich Malays and expats on company expenses. The in store supermarket even has a Waitrose corner . To access the mall we have to pass the passenger drop off points. It would seem that every third car is either an S class Mercedes  or a Toyota MPV . I had to look up that one . It stands for Multi purpose vehicle . In this case,  it is large enough to incorporate business class seats, complete with electric sliding doors for the over indulged passengers . There are a sprinkling of SUV’s including  a few  Bentleys . I can always remember the car magazine article with the phrase “ would you take your off-road Bentley , off -road ?” . To encourage that sort of outdoor activity , an optional extra was a leather bound fly-fishing kit for just another £60,000. 

So now we come to ‘that ‘ diamonds relevancy . Not to be outdone by their upstart competitor , Roll Royce now have an SUV , the Cullinan named after that rock .At $500,000 on the road price in Malaysia it is only for those with , well no pockets , just banks or conglomerates . For even more you can have the  high performance version : “The Black Badge “ . One passed by on the a way from the mall ; I had to struggle to see its famous marque. When the diamond was offered to the king he at first declined . He no doubt had perceived the cost of ownership ( the expense of almost a years worth of transformation into cut diamonds ) , and then the weight of possession . Having no practical function , those diamonds were added to The Crown and Septre . It anyone can remember to sight of the previous queen at her coronation struggling  with her newly acquired weighty royal accoutrements ; then you can appreciate her forebears reluctance . As an owner of that RR , I am not sure I would take if out of the garage , let alone off road! 

Look no driver!

HSBC moving down market

A queue for essentials

Running Dogs !

 Hey dad ! I will give you a race around the football pitch . Well not only did I loose to my 7 year old son , but I nearly didn’t make it . Now this is serious , I have to exercise regularly . So began my running career, to be truthful more jogging than anything . So every morning before work, I set off over a ( very ) few kilometres ( better than miles as I can complete more of them ) . Then I discovered orienteering , intelligent running;  as you have to also find hidden way-marks. Perfect , because I had to stop frequently to read the map, thus giving time for my breadth to catch up. 

The years have run by ! and knees and hips degraded . Have you even tried running while carry a full flight case , well thats what my extra weight means . I am now back to jogging at walking pace! No point in triggering early joint replacement , that itself would wear out before me ;  you have to be optimistic about longevity!  Back  in KL , an early morn , and downhill ; nope! Running is  permanently out . So just enjoy the walk , and thinking about the next blog . 

On my first outing two wild dogs approached . When in packs , and especially Asia , that can be risqué. Fortunately we avoided each other and continued our separate ways .  When I could, I would take our pet dog on my weekend runs . We could pace each other . In India we inherited an Alsatian with the house ; so I took that for defence while traversing unknown territory . Wow , I had just set my high jump record while avoiding a big black snake crossing the path . Local colleagues commended my lack of collision , as it could have proved fatal . Next day I set off with a longer lead ; the dog in front . 

So that links running with  dogs; and now in Malaya ( as Malaysia was previously called ) , with the Anti British National Liberation War of 1948 to 1960 . Known by the communists as the “ War of the Running Dogs “ . They clearly had poor view of the British Colonialists. That was a mistake as the response was quickly uncompromising . The assassinated Governor was replaced by steel . To cut the insurgents off from local support , the rural population was corralled into fortified villages to some , or concentration camps to others. Agent Orange was used destroy crops away from those camps, coupled with aerial bombardment . Fortunately the military commander had learnt his jungle warfare skills against the Japanese ; and  SAS led ambushes became the key strategy supported by focussed intelligent gathering . 

10, 000 guerrillas faced a force of  400, 000  ; 50,000 of which were troops drawn from across the Commonwealth . Unable to be supported from outside , then with independence granted and the ‘Raison d’être “ removed ; the war ended with a few remaining  terrorists decamping to Thailand . An inspired part of the winning strategy was offering deserters money , with a leader receiving  an extra bonus .  

Wishing passing walkers a polite good morning on my jungle sojourn ; this seems a life time ago. Mmmm ; it was , my life time !

    

Jimmy , in a bashful moment !…the neighbours’s cat having been too slow!

Mad dogs ..

 .and Englishmen go out in ….this certainly wasn’t …the midday sun..  After a night of continual rain we awoke to life in the clouds. A gap , then more rain . ; but wait do I spy a change , so I set off on my morning walk in our bit of tropical forest.  I was all alone , for the whole way round there were no other walkers or riders. The locals clearly had more respect and understanding of their weather. 

Rain drops dripped amongst the canopy ; was this more rain? No! just an after-storm serenade from a wet jungle. The birds had not been put off , so they joined in . I forgot about the effort of walking and enjoyed the range of greens brought to life after their morning wash. The only noise was that of AC units , although the cool after precipitation meant that they were just idling . 

My mind wandered to considering the efficiency of various AC configurations. They can be power hungry beasts,  thus whist cooling the inside , increase the ambient temperature. Evaporative are the  most energy efficient, utilising , in layman’s terms , the cooling effect of water evaporation . ( explanation  below) . Our unit in Australia was the epitome of efficiency having no moving parts . Water trickled over incoming air in a box on the roof , which was ducted to the various rooms ; the amount of air , and thus cooling , governed by cracking  open a window . I was so impressed that I had a water line installed in the roof of our house in France . The draw back is having a surfeit of water , which we don’t now have , nor does Australia in a hot dry summer. 

Lee Kwan Yew ( former PM Singapore ) profoundly uttered that if it wasn’t for AC , Singapore in its current form couldn’t have existed. He also added that the same could be said for the third Vietnam War . Ugh , what was he talking about , I knew about first and second, but third ? Having won the first two ( against the French then Americans ) , Vietnam set it’s sights on the rest of SE Asia ; there was no one there who could stop them ; or so they thought . It was China invading from the north to stop their neighbours, that diverted the Vietnamese and determined Asia’s future …for now . 

It would seem that Europe hasn’t learn’t its own lessons. In 1683 it was the Pole’s that stopped the Ottoman Empire at the gates of Vienna ; then  (to everyone’s surprise ) in 1920 at the battle of Warsaw, stopped Lenin advancing westwards. It was the Americans , and their Atomic bomb,  that stopped Stalin’s westward military advance .  So here we are again , this time relying on the Ukrainians halting another expansive despot . Fortunately they had been preparing, and had more artillery pieces than the rest of Western Europe . That and American support has held the line ; for now.  . Sanna Marin , the Finish PM , is spot on  …“ We would be in trouble without the US “. I wonder when , or if , we will learn.

A bird of paradise pulled me back to enjoy the now! This tropical  flower is prolific here. We even managed two blooms on our French plant . For the winter , ours is confined to the greenhouse. Unfortunately in the move a flower stem broke . However whilst resident in a vase on the breakfast table , it treated us a demonstration of nature’s beauty. Over the days the individual petals unfold from the flower’s ‘ beak ‘, the whole array rotating to accommodate each additional petal.

Our bit of Paradise

Evaporation :

‘ the enthalpy of vaporization, also known as the heat of vaporization or heat of evaporation, is the amount of energy that must be added to a liquid substance to transform a quantity of that substance into a gas.  ‘.