As cars streamed continuously into the Karak Toll Plaza in Gombak, a twenty-second camera exposure turned the Hari Raya exodus into something magical…
The Balik Kampung Light Show
I had unexpected company while I was photographing from the roadside. A family came by for ‘buka puasa’. According to Emma Hashim, her kids tried full fasting (successfully), so she is rewarding them with their favourite things. Burgers and watching the balik kampung light show 🙂
I filmed a video preview of DUKE (Duta-Ulu Kelang Expressway) a few days before it opened last April. It is truly a convenient highway but after using it frequently for a year, there is one thing that really irks me.
The Smart TAG lanes behave really stupid, at least half the time. I almost always have to switch to the adjacent Touch N Go lane because of some inadvertent foul-up.
I am aware that many a time it was probably the drivers’ fault. You know those idiots who tailgate into the lane, the clueless who don’t replace weak batteries, the thrifty who don’t top up even when required and the careless who don’t aim properly, etc. But to have the system not functioning ever so often?
True enough, when I drove with the videocam mounted yesterday, the barrier predictably failed to open. Stranded cars were reversing their way out, as usual. After a year, the only remedy appeared to be the installation of a manual Touch N Go swipe sensor. Does that not defeat the whole purpose of using an infrared device?
And at the Air Panas Toll Plaza, the Smart TAG lane ought to be in the middle and not at the extreme right. Why? Because there is an exit immediately to the left, after the toll. Imagine motorcycles casually criss-crossing from their extreme left lane into cars swinging in from the extreme right.
In spite of that, it is still a pleasant ten minutes drive from Mont Kiara to UK. Once upon a time, the journey can take up to an hour during peak hours. Anyway, here’s the updated video, stupid lane and all…
In the previous post, Predator Lake in Thailand is also referred to as Monster Lake. We have a monster lake right in our backyard.
Monster Lake, Puchong
It is actually a former mining pit in Puchong, just like the many so-called lakes in Malaysia. Unlike a natural lake, the water in abandoned tin mines is usually contaminated with heavy metal, making it uninhabitable for most fishes. Yet, the lifeless mines can be magically transformed into water parks or theme parks, provided the location is strategic or the conditions conducive enough.
The view of one of these excavated lakes is quite spectacular when seen from the recently opened portion of the SKVE linking Puchong. The new highway known as South Klang Valley Expressway will connect Kajang/Putrajaya to the Westport eventually. MyCen has a detailed map of the route, directions, location of the lakes and other info here.
While the current flavour of planting oil palm can result in rapid deforestation (as seen in Indonesia), tin mining was harmful to our environment too. In Nigeria, the tin mines left a legacy of polluted water supplies, impoverished land and even radioactive waste.
With scant awareness of the health hazards, thousands of men and women toiled to make our nation the world’s top producer of tin at one time. Ironically, their contributions and place in history are largely ignored and conveniently overlooked.
The giant scars now serve as silent epitaphs to a past forgotten…
