There's so much pollution in the air now that if it weren't for our lungs there'd be no place to put it all. R. Orben

Conversation overheard at KLCC

Makkk, cantiknya kabussss!
Bukan kabusla, Jo. Tu jerebu.
Jerebu tu apa, mak? Macam awan yek?
Bukannn... macam asap.. Kan bau asap nii, Jo tak bau ke?
((( sniff! sniff! )))
A ah la mak. Asaaap.
((( pause )))
Mak, kenapa banyak sangat asap kat sini? Banyak orang isap rokok ek?
Bukan Jo. Hutan terbakar kat Indonesia.
Sapa bakar hutan tu mak?
Orang Indonesia la Jo.
Kenapa dia bakar hutan tu mak?
Sebab dia nak buat bangunan atas tanah hutan tu.
Bangunan macam KLCC ni mak?
A ah.
((( pause )))
Mak, hisap rokok tak baik kan mak?
A ah. Tak baik. Tuhan marah.
((( pause )))
Bakar pokok?
((( pause )))
Mak, bakar pokok pun tak baik kan mak?
... a ah Jo, tak baik.
Nanti Tuhan marah kan, mak. Pastu kenapa diorang bakar pokok tu mak?
Kan mak dah cakkaaapp, sebab diorang nak buat bangunan. Dah, jangan bising-bising. Kata nak makan ais-krim tadi... kita naik gi McDonalds yerrr."

I hate the haze.

I hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate HATE THE HAZE.

As I drove out of the parking lot in KLCC yesterday evening, I went through the underground tunnel. And as I approached the end of the tunnel, I could see the thick haze being reflected by the streetlights. And believe it or not, my eyes teared up.

Not because they were smarting from the haze or anything like that... But because I was overwhelmed by the HORRIDNESS of the haze.

Bad weather like heavy rain or thunderstorms or extreme heat; these can all be tolerated. And I would never say I HATE 'em.
They're Mother Nature's work.

But THIS?
This Haze is Man's Masterpiece.

As I drove home, I looked at how KLCC had disappeared from the skyline. I saw how the trees were wilting and how the entire city looked like a bad remake of Twilight Zone. It was disgusting.

It's disgusting how we allowed this to happen to us.
It's disgusting how we continuously tolerate being tortured with bad air.
It's disgusting how we calmly purchase masks as if it's the most natural thing to do.
It's disgusting how we relish in the 'uniqueness' of "hazestones" falling from the sky.

It's disgusting how we just sit back, and tolerate all this.

Life goes on.

Yes, that's true enough.
But what KIND of life is this??

I can't walk out of the building without feeling like a smoked salmon.
I see people coughing, sneezing, wheezing, panting...
I see children forlornly gaze at the haze that has invaded their playgrounds.
I see construction workers braving the haze while rushing to complete their work, building more palaces in the sky.
I see people driving to the office, wearing a mask even in the confines of their cars.

And I hate it.

I hate the level of tolerance that we have for things like this.

I hate what we've become.

I hate knowing that in the future, I'll have to do the explaining when my children ask me "Kenapa orang bakar pokok, mak?"

We cross our bridges when we come to them and burn them behind us, with nothing to show for our progress except a memory of the smell of smoke, and a presumption that once our eyes watered.
Tom Stoppard (1937 - ), Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead