Crowded Places

Now that looks painful!

…. And planes. Looking up at the sky it doesn’t seem all that crowed; Flight-tracker tells a different story ( see screenshot) .Every day there are 100,000 commercial flights,  jetting us off on holiday or to meet relatives . Costs have tumbled , so we fly more . Last century , a posting abroad involved a return home every five years . Now, we think nothing of taking multiple flights per year ; and achieved with such incredible safety and reliability. 

Early morning rush to Europe, nobody over Ukraine!

My uncles and aunts emigrated to the far flung empire , never to see their parents again.  We were fortunate this Christmas to reunite as a family from  opposite sides of the globe. Cousins could reacquaint , enjoy our wide open spaces ; yet as 16 , come together on one extended table to enjoy the festive meal . Being the South of France , clear blue sky , no wind;  meant eating outside was also possible . Spacious togetherness. 

At the start of the Autumn , the woodshed was stacked to the rafters with seemingly an infinite source of fire wood . The efficiency of our wood burning fire place had been improved by an exhaust fan on the chimney and another to extract more heat for the fire surround . So as soon as the temperature dipped , the fire was lit . Our main  back up heating is from  reverse AC , electrically efficient ; especially from that generated by our solar panels . Previous winters have been abroad ; in the warmth . This year has been a renewal of living with lower temperatures . Consequently a never ending supply of wood found its way onto the hearth . We  have an electrical tariff , which  for 30 days of the year is six times the normal rate ( France’s nuclear generation has been struggling with reliability of late )  . So extra wood embers were used to cook . By January , the remaining wood in our previously crowded  shed , was looking lonely . No problem , we were off to southern  heat ; leaving behind our handyman to replenish our shed with previously  felled trees. 

Kuala Lumpur was grown from a few huts on a muddy river bank in 1858 to now it seems infinite tower blocks jostling for ever decreasing space It is a physical manifestation of what Asia’s economic growth rate means on the ground ; or what is left of the space available. We were first here nearly 30 years ago , and change is spectacular . Back then roads were crowed with motor cycles . In the intervening years an impressive motorway network has blossomed , and a mass transit system built . Increased wealth has meant that two wheel transport has largely been replaced by four ; but in rush hour the roads seem no less crowded, albeit journeys taken in increased comfort . 

View from Petronas towers , kampungs replaced with tower blocks 

Malaysia recognises four principal religions , and with that their special holidays . Currently ,in the winter period hardly a week goes by without a religious or cultural event .( see list in appendix ). Such was the proliferation of holidays , that when I worked here , my boss insisted that we declared our religious affiliation , and only took the relevant days off . Now I have retired , I have no such constraint and can join in all the festivities. Our visit this year coincided with Chinese New Year, when for one day of the year the shops are actually shut . However not to loose too much money,  on other days , the shopping malls host Dragon dances to bring in the punters . 

A riot of red for the Chinese 

On the other hand the Hindu Tamils go in for spiritual enlightenment derived from self inflicted pain . We joined probably 1 million followers to view the spectacle , leaving before the crowds became impossible. Not to be outdone by the mercurial Chinese , there were a myriad of stalls catering to every religious and physical need , plus plenty of medical support . I suppose if the devotees trance is broken there needs to be someone on hand to stem the blood ! 

With so many cultures , there are a vast array of restaurants catering for every taste and every wallet ; from  Gordon Ramey’s , where it is possible to imbibe fine French wine by the glass ! To  ridiculously cheap street food of equal quality ! Living in KL it makes almost no economic sense to eat at home ; unless to meet a craving for simple beans on toast . In six weeks , we have eaten in just three times!  This feast of delights needless to say impacted on our own physical space . We were running out of room for fat cells and other blood related issues . Fortunately around in KL were plenty of clinics and hospitals, all very reasonably ( for us ) priced  . Diets have been adjusted to enable continued imbibition. 

Malaysia is close to Australia , well closer than Europe , so off we went to visit friends and relatives . The flight takes 8 hours of which just to cross the continent of Australia takes four . With a population of just 27 million , it cannot be described as a crowded place . However , that population wants to live where it isn’t dessert , so the edge of the continent is in big demand . That and the greed of developers , means that on new estates the bungalows are so close they could share rain water gutters. The challenge in Malaysia seems to provide space for the AC units . Space is always relative!  

Malaysian holidays

• 1. Eid-ul-Fitr (Hari Raya Aidilfitri)
• 2. Chinese New Year
• 3. Deepavali
• 4. Christmas
• 5. Eid-ul-Adha (Hari Raya Aidiladha)
• 6. Thaipusam
• 7. Hari Gawai
• 8. Pesta Kaamatan
• 9. Wesak Day
• 10. Pongal
• 11. Merdeka (Independence Day)
• 12. Malaysia Day
• 13. Awal Muharram
• 14. Nuzul Quran