To get to work, I have to cross the same river in two places using an old motorboat that lost it's motor a couple of years ago. Ok, that was a joke, a bit bad in taste perhaps seeing that some people still need to cross rivers that way...
Naturally, with rivers, the water occasionally decides to seek higher ground especially when their friends from the sky visit, and then there's also the fact that my glaring at people who indiscriminately throw rubbish on the roads, floor or everywhere else but the bin (and only god knows what monstrosities are thrown into the rivers... so sad!) seems to not have any effect whatsoever, which most probably leads to this crazy flooding after a few hours of rain which seems to happen oh so frequently these days. The road that I usually take was partly submerged in water in one small stretch and a double lane was reduced to a single lane. Even last Friday, I ended up staying back in work until almost 9pm because I heard about the road conditions from some other who got stuck.
For the same reason, I was late to work this morning (thank goodness my boss who uses the same route as me called and asked me to take another route through town, which saved me from being stuck for a few hours on the road) For a clearer picture, I give you this: Colleague A (almost same route as me but a little further) leaves the house at 6:40 am and reaches work about 7:15 am.Today she reached work at 8:10 am. I usually leave about 7:20 am and reach about 7:40 am, but at 7:35 today, I get the info about the massive jam, switch routes before I'm stuck there for good and finally reach work at 8:15 am.
This brings forth an important question... who or what do we blame for these recent occurences? (I've been using the same route for the past 4 years and this is the first year where such a thing has happened - 3 times in 4 months! Scary...) The people who haphazardly throw everthing into the rivers because they are too miserly to pay for proper disposal? The increased number of cars on the road? Unplanned development that is too fast and unhealthy? Does this mean that global warming is finally showing it's true colours (a murky brown...)?
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I'm still questioning this whole global warming thing. There are too many valid arguements both side of the fence.. but thats not to excuse the poor state of the river system between your home and work.
ReplyDeleteIt is very different here. We have very, very strict laws re: rivers, streams and lakes. I once studied a process that involves leading simple chemicals back to the source; did you know that if you poured milk into your garden it can be lead back to you from miles away? Insanity.
I blame it on the "tidak apa" attitude that most Malaysians possess; the lack of education and attention paid to the environment; and the greediness of people / companies. Also, what is the government doing to create awareness of the environment we live in, and what are they doing to enforce the related laws, if we have any?
ReplyDeleteorhan: True, there are... in fact I watched a documentary recently whereby the scientist expressed surprise that our climate system has been a bit too stable in the last few hundred centuries~! (which makes me believe that they think that global warming is a non-issue. The reason why I brought it up is mainly because of the crazy weather we've been having over here.
ReplyDeleteOh wow, pouring milk in the garden can be detected from miles away? That's amazing.
I have seen things that shouldn't be there floating in the river :) I think the people here could learn a few things from Australians...
anita: I did a subject on the environment... we do have laws and stuff, especially for hazardous waste. Nevertheless, the tidak apa attitude prevails, and we suffer as a result.
And I think there is plenty we could learn from Malaysians :)
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ReplyDeleteArrgh, that sounds awful. And I can relate all too well. Flooding here gets worse every year too.
ReplyDeleteouch, sounds like quite the ordeal just to make it to somewhere that i'd rather not be to begin with. If I had to deal with that everyday going to work, I think I would just as soon not work! =P
ReplyDeleteAs for the cause, well i'd have to deffer to the others who point to local conditions and attitudes about waste/trash and the environment. I don't put much stock in Global Warming.. i'm glad i'm not alone in that sentiment! =D
When I read the post title, I though it was about the financial crisis! HA!
ReplyDeleteBut I guess flooding is just as dire a problem in some areas of the world.
lizza: yeah, floods suck big time
ReplyDeletemike: That's true... there's not one specific thing we can blame it on, but the latest trend in the weather/climate is rather worrying. That said, my journey to work is not the best thing in the world. If it's not bad weather, it'll be some broken down vehicle or a crazy traffic jam. Nevertheless, life goes on :)
travis: now that you mention it, it does sound like it has something to do with the financial crisis, which reminds me that it is another worry that I will have to address in a bit :)
I think receding ice caps and 65 million tons of pollutants thrown into the atmosphere daily pretty well supports the global warming notion. Besides, why would you want to take the chance? A very expensive and foolish long term gamble if ever there was one.
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