Blood Boils

 

I am writing because I am starting to feel an itch to travel. I'm starting to envy people who get to go overseas for whatever reason. Kudos to them. Probably it's a sort of wanderlust or some form of cabin fever, or it might be just bitterness.

But I know many feel down for whatever reason. No one predicted we could be like this. No one could have imagined that we will live in a world with  a deadly, infectious disease; and that the mere act of meeting people and going out could risk our health.

The trigger came in the morning when I read a story about people being able to travel for. It was also the sight of watching that crowded mosh pit at the recent MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) in the US.

I saw a video of  Foo Fighters performing, and I was dumbfounded seeing the crowd. I said to myself,"This must be a video from before the pandemic," because it was like a typical crowd Before Covid (BC). Crowded. No Social distancing. As if nothing ever happened. It was as if nobody had ever died in the past two years from Covid-19.

And here I am living in a country where we're still struggling to vaccinate everyone. It made my blood boil for a while, to be honest.   But, you know what?  That's been the reality of the world for as long as I can remember.

It's always been about the Developed World versus the Developing World. And don't get me started on those poorer developing nations. 

I am optimistic. I know that nothing lasts, even hardships. We can work towards our betterment. That's the beauty of life. We get what we give.

It made me think of how backward my country was as compared to  developed nations in the 1980s and 1990s, although by the 90s, my country was progressing at such a rapid pace, nobody noticed how far behind we were. I guess it was because we were economically and politically stable. We were very very stable. Plus, living in this country was a unique experience thanks to our delicious food and unity among our multicultural society. It was a great time to live here. It was always a great  place to call home. 

Now, we're in the middle of a pandemic. We
just got over a brief political impasse. I guess many Malaysians have also realised that politics only gets us so far. In the end, it's up to us down on the ground to take care of each other. Kita Jaga Kita as the phrase goes.

I have been dreaming of visiting the white sandy beaches of the east coast, or driving up the hilly terrain along the highway in the north.  I also dream of taking a flight to that Land Below the Wind and just renting a four-wheel drive vehicle and just enjoying the scenery.

Man, I don't know how we're gonna get through this. I don't even know if I will. Sometimes, I think like that. If I do get through it, I want God to know that I am grateful. Although I don't say it often, I thank God for all His blessings.