All that and all things kampung

Image posted bytsalak | Image hosted by Image.shack on 2008-06-10

The Malaysian Exodus, that crazy time when you scramble for home for Raya, Fatt Choy, Gawai, Thaipusam is encultrated steadfastly into present day urban life. There are estimated to be more than half of the population in cities and towns in Malaysia. If just half of that scrams out, the roads and rivers, and airports, will be crowded by some 7 million people.

Imagine ...all that people!

Each in his head a picture of home, of mom, dad, hugs, kisses and perhaps a little tear or two; genuinely unabated exhiliration---hardly croc tears.

Well, all that and all things kampung.

It's also about business. 14 millions cans of drinks of Coke and Ali Coked drunk. Just about anything else edible munched. Garbage that needs to be disposed. Fuel to feed trains, cars, boats and planes. Bank LCs for the crude oil and gas, la-di-da-di-da!

But no business is good business unless there is decent politics. Each year in the nation's capital there'll be screwups on busing, trains and even planes. You don't hear much about the boat crowds on the rivers. The MSM never thought that important enough, anyway. And of course there'll be wastes---energy, time, money when the system all too often crashes.

The late Sudirman, Malaysia's great performing artist captured some of this in his music in the song Balik Kampung. If you're an artist emneshed in your work, these things are relevant. And Sudirman captured it. He'll be immortal in some ways and with fond memories.

For some, balik kampung is much treasured experience. These are dads, moms, abangs adiks whose work dictates lonliness and separation. For these, it will be time for friendly slaughter. You bring back goodies and presents embellishing love and affection. It will not be conditional. But life's not always all that and uplifting: there'll be debts to pay. For such it'll be like real executions.

But also the heartbreaking sadness, regrets, retributions when you become ayam balik kampung ... into the pot for some!

All that and all things kampung! Where the heart lies.