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Ah, I forgot to mention..

Yesterday I spent the day with an old crush..Since he does not have a car in KL, I went to fetch him from his room. He happens to live in (in his own words) a hell hole in the middle of the city. The room he is renting is right next to a brothel.

Initially when I he told me about it, it was funny. He has a way of livening up anything, that gem..

But he was still at college when I went to get him, so I waited in Fellie's car and was observing the neighbourhood. Of course, my eyes strayed to that very, very unassuming purple shoplot.

It wasn't like the other shoplots. Most shops had huge doors..like u know..restaurants, and car/bike workshop. If it were saloon or an optometrist, it would probably be a glass wall, and doors. It would have it's company's name bright and clear for all to see. Established places would have employees coming out to greet ya with a warm welcome and a cheerful smile..

But this purple shoplot had no cheer whatsoever. It had two openings, leading into a poorly lit walkway. It did not have any signboards hanging outside it's entrance, just some old banner which I did not pay attention to..

There was a chinese man outside..Thin man..greying hair, white singlet, standing around. He goes up to men to walk the pavements, like a salesman trying to sell something. If there isn't anyone there, he stands by one of the two doors that flank the shoplot. Nearby was a plump lady, who I presume worked there, but more as a pimp and not a..service provider.

Then I started paying more attention to the flow of people. I was observing that place for about half an hour, and in that time, I saw at least 5 men walk in like as though they were regulars. They were mostly foreign looking. One group consisted of 3 men, and the rest were on their own. There I saw a Malay looking chap. Young guy, probably in his mid twenties going in as well. The thing was he could have walked into my university and I'd take him for one of the students there. I also saw an elderly man, old enough to be anyone's grandpa coming out of there. Some of the customers going in and out looked filthy. As much as I do not like assuming, they looked as though they would be definite carriers of STDs. They looked like the people who loitered the streets of pudu during public holidays.

I guess, the worse part was how well the business was. How other people, non-customers, walked pass that shoplot like it did not exist. How we all turn a blind eye to this. I can't even bear to think of what the poor poor women inside are going through. The customers did not look like people who gave a damn about condoms. They did not look like they'd be gentle with anyone.

I am a woman. And my body is so precious to me. I can't even bear the look on men's faces when they stare straight at the assets. It only takes a dirty stare to remove all dignity I have in me. And, to think that these women, probably out of poverty, force, deception, have to allow these men, filthy, savage maybe, to use their bodies at their own will...aih..

I told Lydia about this, and Lydia said, "sometimes its thirst, sometimes is the satisfaction... evil as it may sound... and when there is demand, human trafficing will cease to exist"

I couldn't have said it better.

Why aren't we doing anything about this? Why can't we? Immediately, the first thing I thought of was, why is our money channeled for the unnecessary? My first real dissatisfaction with the government was the building of Melaka's great waterfall in the middle of nowhere in Bukit Baru. It is at a stupid junction in lebuh ayer keroh..It does not have a parking lot for visitors to visit the waterfalll..and the view...

VOILA!!magnificient!!

It does not serve any purpose...not even recreational..it is purely for aesthetic reasons! And, some beauty it is...half the time, it is switched off..to save electricity? And oo...did i mentioned...it cost the Melaka government 1.78 million??

My point, why aren't we doing something beneficial with the people's taxes? Is this waterfall necessary? Don't we have to do something about the asylum seekers in Malaysia instead? Aren't human lives more important? Aren't we the least concerned about human beings? Look at the Bukit Antarabangsa tragedy? Couldn't we care more about people's lives to assess housing project site more carefully?

Looking at the purple shoplot, I can only begin to imagine what life is to them..No human being would want to be reduced to that. The only driving force is survival. In other words, they have no choice. I wished things were more simple. That people weren't so twisted and money minded...too idealistic, but it is still a dream..:(