Traveling around Asia has been a wonderful and educational experience…and truly exhausting! I looked up and realized that it has been some time since I’ve updated the site. Yikes! It’s 12.41am in Singapore currently, and I’m just returning from a few days in Malaysia.
The inspiration behind this post is the horrible haze that I encountered that was the result of (illegal) fires set in Indonesia and Malaysia to clear land for plantations. It has resulted in horrible pollution and an intense burning smell in Kuala Lumpur (KL) and surrounding areas. It was horrible.
Beyond that, the amount of litter I noticed in many parts of Malaysia…and around China was disheartening. Particularly in China, the government does not really regulate all of the factories, so the pollution in the air is stifling.
I am happy to be back in Singapore where it is clean and beautiful. The government here does not play and you will be fined for littering or even improperly disposing of chewing gum. A driver here told me that the city is “well managed” and I would have to agree.
It is so sad to see the harsh reality of the areas of the world that are not taking as much care to protect nature. I was so excited to visit Malaysia, as I had seen the posters of its beauty. However, after experiencing the pollution, I couldn’t wait to leave! So sad.