A TRIP UP BUKIT GASING - a tale of how much my life has changed


Last Saturday after meeting with my friend for lunch, on my way back I decided to drive up to Bukit Gasing just to check it out. Its been years since I went up even though I see it every single day when I come out from my house. When I got up there and there was a few cars chilling there and when I parked my car, I was somehow surprised how run down the place was. The paint on the benches are all faded out, the place was littered with plastic bags and left over food. I wanted to sit on one of the bench and realised there was rotten banana skins all over it.

What has happened to this wonderful place? It looked like a forgotten place. This place was once a hot spot for local movie drama. With the view of PJ as the background. But now the trees is over grown, the bushes is growing out and there was clearly no maintenance whatsoever. But I still found a decent clean bench to sit down and enjoy the green and the cool breeze. As I sat there, out of the silence the sound of a motorbike rips through the sound of nature and suddenly an uneasy and insecure feeling stricken all over me. The first thought was, is it a snatch thief? or some mat rempit!

I turned and saw a couple in their 40s. Perhaps they also came up to relive their dating days or just wanna enjoy the view of PJ.

This was where I wonder how much time has changed since the last time I came up here. Coming up to Bukit Gasing brought back alot of memory. I was literally drenched with memories. I use to go up Bukit Gasing every Sunday when I was a kid. Me, dad, mom and sis would wake up at 6am and we will walk from my house all the way up. It will take us around 20 minutes to reach to the peak, just in time to see sunrise.

My dad will then take us go hiking up certain trails. The view was spectacular and there was this particular part next to the communication tower, where we climb up and there it was a concrete platform that has a piece of metal plate on top showing a "Y" symbol where it shows where is north. If you walk further up you can see the whole of KL. Then the view was without the Twin Towers or the KL Tower. The only obvious building was the Dayabumi and the Maybank building. Then we will come back down and head to the opposite of the road and we would climb up this area where we will reach a cliff. At the cliff we would be able to see PJ areas like section 14 to Section 17 area. Then we would walk back down and head to Devi Curry house to have our breakfast.

FLASH BACK to now. There I was sitting there looking at what a shit hole has Bukit Gasing has become. Inconsiderate assholes just throw their rubbish all around. Beer cans lying around, Styrofoam boxes with left over food lying around and finished packet drinks scattered all over the place. I actually saw a plastic bag hanging on a tree! and NO this is definitely not the work of the monkeys coz its within human reach. This was done by the real monkeys we call uncivilized humans or more like inconsiderate fools. On the other hand, what was the local authority doing? are they going to just leave a once great and clean place to rot?

Besides the upkeep, one thing that came into consideration was the insecurity that I felt when I went up there. This is what our country has became. We do not dare to walk alone outside anymore. When I was sitting there, I was looking out more for potential dangerous stranger rather than enjoying the peace and serenity of nature. I always have a feeling that someone will come and poke a knife at my and rob me mindless.

Not only at Bukit Gasing but most of the whole country. Do you realise that no one dare to walk alone unless they dont have a choice. When we go out, to quieter place we would be worried instead of excited or happy. With all the news on snatch theft and robbery it just creeps me out. So are we moving into a develop nation with the right mentality? NO!

It seems that we are moving backward instead. We are now looking more like the old west where there are outlaws robbing train with horses that we see on tv. Or like in the Chinese Movies during the Imperial times where there is road Robbers, where they will rob from people passing the area.

We are now living in a more scary and locked up environment. Why? Look at how many housing areas adopting the gated community system?! We are literary locking ourselves in. Which is so sad...

Yea we may have many wonderful structures such as KLCC, KLIA, TWIN TOWERS or KL TOWER, but just like the Bukit Gasing I know... it will all wither and rot away due to mentality of people and the authority taking care of it.

Unfortunately for the new generation, it has became a sad and pathetic world...

I shall leave you with this song which somehow says what I am feeling now...


Comments

Oh no..then I cannot bring my family to climb that hill anymore. I thought it would be nice if we could do it some time. Sigh. Thanks for the info, man.
JS said…
the hutan pendidikan bukit gasing is ok. but the one where you can drive up is quite dirty. its ok but ur kid have to be really careful