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ROMANCE IN A TEA PLANTATION,

CAMERON HIGHLANDS

 Dr. Lim Keng Huat ([email protected])

 

          Splashes of red crimsoned the sky in the eastern horizon. The sun was still hidden behind the verdant hills. The good earth gradually unveiled its beauty as the day became brighter.      

          There were hills over valleys, and valleys over hills, of varying hues of green, of neatly trimmed luscious tea-shrubs; they appeared encroached and tumbled over one another, across miles and miles of green wonderland.

          The air was cold and fresh. The mist, with its appearing and disappearing phantasm, made this enchanted world even more alluring. As one strolled along the serpentine track, one was touched by the sheer serenity and beauty of the land. One paused often, as if out of breath, to be in communion with such majesty. The beauty and grandeur of nature perfused the heart with harmony and the world was throbbed with this outpouring affection. One was suddenly struck with pervasive feeling. There was intense energy: buoyant, vibrant and still ….

          Such blessedness came and gone, but its memories kept lingering on. The mind soon lost its sensitivity and flow. It was unaware of its own indulgence in fond mundane memories and sentiments. It was foolishly searching for other sceneries and scenarios for comparison. It was unwisely seeking for another to share such intimacy. All emotions are meaningful only in social comparison and interaction. Is beauty or its appreciation an emotion? Could it be captured by a camera, or by poetry? Is it beyond praise and blame? As the mind was tuned-in and fine tuned to its habitual thoughts and patterns, the sun has risen high above the sky. Despite the early morning and high altitude, the heat was felt and resented. The beauty of the land had perhaps not changed, but the joy had vanished – the magic mist had perspired into showering sweats.

          The reverie was rudely awakened by the loud honk of impatient drivers, choking out poisonous fumes profusely. This enchanting place, where nature and nurture sang in unison, could not hold them in silent awe. They, rather, hold aloud public discussion on their family squabble, business problems, political and religious conflict et infinitum, even on their holy days. After a long and tiring journey, and a night’s rest, these tourists could, strangely, no longer afford any timeless retreat – a leisurely stroll, in the vicinity, at their hearts’ pace, leaving behind all their entangled burdens. To some it was never easy to unwind even after some long winding road. Instead, they chose to entrap themselves in miseries of their own making – again in traffic-related fights and fright, and in pollution.

Romantic escapades invite flow experiences and are cathartic processes. The time-retreat permits one to be in-time with one’s feeling, emotion, cognition, and to be sensitive of their changing nature. The slowing down also provides opportunity for self-reflection and rejuvenation.