And so the exodus begins.
It's that time again when Kuala Lumpur empties out and all the small towns see a sudden population resurgence.
Some people are going home to celebrate Hari Raya with their families, others are just going home because its a long weekend. Either way, there'll be a lot of traffic on the roads out of the Klang Valley in the run up to the 8th and 9th and back into KL in the days thereafter. Those stress hormones are going to sky rocket.
So, how are you going to keep those murderous thoughts from swamping your brain as those maniacs and morons on the highways and by-ways impede your progress with their idiotic driving?
It's one thing to know you have to keep your cool, quite another to maintain it when faced with situations that test your patience. Oh, to be able to whack that ass driver's head off with the overwhelming power of your evil-eye!
While it may seem faster to drive straight to your end destination, what about giving yourself a mental break, rather than push yourself into a breakdown, and take it easy by weaving in a side trip as part of your travel plans?
When I was a child, travelling between Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh in the days before the highways, a lot of my parents' stops centred around food. Where and what we ate would vary from trip to trip but there was Haji Wahid's mee rebus in Johor Bahru along with satay and soto ayam; chicken sandwiches at the Rest House in Segamat; lunch at the Double Happiness Restaurant, Tampin (sadly, now closed down); wan tan mee and steamed duck soup in Bidor as well as the famous Kampar Chicken Biscuits. According to childhood legend, it had no chicken in it. Whether or not this is true, I have no idea but I had it again recently and it still tastes great with its sweet-salty Chinese five spice powder flavour and crisp texture.
Another stop we made was to the Claytan factory in Ayer Hitam to watch the craftsmen turn lumps of clay on the potter's wheel into mugs, savings banks and plant pots.
Also in Ayer Hitam were the local vegetable farmers who sold their produce direct at a fraction of the price in KL or Singapore so my parents would fill up the car with fresh vegetables for family and friends.
On a trip with my grand-aunt and grand-uncle, they took us to St John's Fort in Malacca. This was also where I saw a cashew nut tree for the first time.
As Ralph Waldo Emerson so aptly put it, life is a journey, not a destination.
So as you make the long drive home to the furthest reaches of the country, keep in mind that it is better to reach your destination late than not at all.
To those of you celebrating Hari Raya, Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri. To those of you going home to be with your families over the long weekend, have a great time.
Safe travels to everyone.
