Jamus went to Cameron Highlands.
20 March at 07:53 ·
Last week, we had our annual
#SengkangGRC Malaysia tour, where we headed to Cameron Highlands. We had wished to include as many families as possible, so our timing overlapped with the school holidays (which unfortunately also meant heavier traffic, on top of the already very-long bus ride).
For those that made it out with us (and for others that have been there before), we were treated to wonderful weather, but for me, what was even better was the opportunity to commune with nature. Some travelers may find things like visiting strawberry farms or animal sanctuaries or farmers’ markets to be boring, but I actually think we don’t have enough exposure to such rural life here is Singapore. So I’m delighted when kids are able to learn about a different way of life, about how food gets to our supermarket shelves and dining tabletops, and how challenging (and sometimes thankless) it is to ensure that everyone gets fed in a modern economy.
Like almost every Singaporean, I grew up as a city boy myself. And in so doing, I had little appreciation for country living, and also a shallow understanding of living amidst nature. Sure, I was a boy scout, which provided some (limited, on hindsight) exposure to camping and outdoor survival. But it was only when I stayed in a house out in the Californian redwoods, hiking or mountain biking the mile or so to campus daily, running on backwoods trails with the house dog, and experiencing nature up close and personal (besides the coyotes that would come right up beside my bedroom at night, one would spot the occasional mountain lion or bobcat—ideally from afar—and remind oneself of how to react if they were to approach), that I got to better understand what being part of an ecosystem truly means (it’s still only a sliver, of course; I still slept in a nice warm bed on most nights).
All that to say that I hope that Singaporeans of all ages and stripes—despite our modernity—will also take time to expose ourselves to a deeper commune with nature. It will better help us place ourselves in the larger world that we inhabit alongside other living things, and help us cherish and desire to protect the Earth that we share.
Deep thanks to our operator partners, as well as our
#TeamSengkang organizing leads and volunteer bus captains (who became de facto secondary tour guides), along with the ever-present Mr Low, who assisted with meet-the-people cover while I was away.