…
Johor Bahru to Kampong Orang Asli, Sungai Layau, Malaysia
The
imposing towers of the Desaru-Senai suspension road bridge, like electricity
pylons, rise up to meet the edges of the dark, dawn sky, like a frozen
intrusion on the landscape. The bitumen tarmac road races ahead and behind, as
my grey machine hurtles along the smooth highway, with only circles of rubber separating
it from a spark-flying explosion of friction.
The
Sagrada Familia comes to mind, that
unconventional, beautiful and puzzling cathedral that Gaudi brought to Barcelona.
The serenity of both structures is there, but it is the artistic glory and power
that strikes one more deeply. Pungent, bucolic aromas tickle the sleepy nostrils
at this early Malaysian hour. Children’s frowns of resistance and repugnance
come to mind, as they would no doubt make faces at such a pong. It is now a
familiar one on my morning route, and familiarity often brings that sense of
comfort and ease with it.
“After
all, the world is indeed beautiful and if we were any other creature than man
we might be continuously happy in it.” The
Secret Scripture, Sebastian Barry, page 12
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