Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Urban Jungle

I have two serious nature-loving friends who providentially enough managed to find each other in this confusing tangle of humankind. Found kindred spirits in each other, these two city boys who find magic in every rock and tree and creature while running through the hidden pine trails of the forest. So through the hills and vales Lanky Lex and Jaunty Jared ( of Jumping Jalopy fame ) go every weekend bringing back breathless tales of bird-watching, firefly-baiting and cloud-appreciating.

And serious man-loving no doubt - but you didn't hear this from me. :P

Love story
Baby, come to bed...
No! I must catch the damned fireflies!

Each time they return to regale me with the glorious wonders of nature, I stare at them with bemusement.

Jared : They have exotic birds. Brahminy Kites. Oriental Orioles.
Paul : Oh. Do they serve them roasted or steamed for dinner?
Lex : They have gliding lizards. They have flickering fireflies.
Paul : Hmm. Sure they are not christmas ornaments?
Jared : They have beautiful waterfalls. They have awe-inspiring mountains!
Paul : Get me a postcard with the colours of the wind. Hey, do they at least sell arts and crafts?

Different wavelengths. :P

Me, I'm an urban fella. Never been all that enthused with nature. Sure I did all that back in school during my much-lamented scouting days, communing with nature and the like. Somehow or other though, nature and I never got along all that well. Thoughts of jungle-trekking only brings to mind irritating mosquitoes, tenacious leeches and uninhabitable swamps.

And unfortunately no muscular scantily-clad Tarzans wrestling in the mudswamps.

Jungles of the concrete nature though I can deal with. Even tolerate some of the barely civilized baboons that inhabit the cities. If not essential for the continued survival of our fragile environment, no doubt I would have razed the remaining forests and replaced them with rows of pristine, air-conditioned shopping malls. Maybe a hulking cineplex or two.

Sacrilegious to the nature-lovers, I know. I think I just heard Lanky Lex choke in his chair somewhere.

21 comments:

Melvin Mah said...

shopping malls!!!!! gosh...what is a waterfall anyway.....bulldoze that stupid thingy and gimme shopping malls..!!!

poof said...

Right, concrete jungle is the way to go man. Gourmet coffees, malls, movies, delicious food cooked by somebody else... Dont care much for dirt and mud.
We live in the world of modern science and shopping!

Ganymede said...

I'm with yea with Urban Jungle. Civilization, here I come. :P

Janvier said...

And we read that as Oriental Areoles (bad spelling)!

Heh we enjoys both where and when possible, but on our own terms.

Ryan said...

I love nature too. But if talk about jungle trekking or camp in forest, sorry! Please don't count me in!

I'd prefer enjoying coffee in STARBUCK reading or listening to my favourite mp3s.

I love nature. I love civilization more.

Evan Owens said...

Count me in. I like nature but I can't be in nature. Unless of course there's a hot man there... :P

Btw Paul, if u wanna read an elaboration of point 2, go to Oxymoronic Existence... :)

ruff nurse-du-jour said...

Yeah. Not a nature, moreso, a jungle fan too. A place with no electricity, no cellphone signal, and no potable source of drinking water is definitely OFF limits to me.

Though I have the wildest fantasy of pulling out a Pocahontas or something. With my Captain John Smith of course. =)

Sorry that you have to hear the terrible "enema" news. =( Thanks fot the visit doc savant.=)

Anonymous said...

tsk tsk tsk....... ok my nature-loving personality aside, we really do need more ppl like you to go to the malls.

You can start camping outside Pavilion when it opens it's door to the public on September 20th 2007.

Note that down in your diary ;)

Jason said...

Guess that I'm the only odd one who loves nature here. @_@"

edibility said...

nature's nice... but it makes me appreciate civilization all that much more

yeah sleeping under the star is good, but it makes sleeping in a bed all that much better

William said...

Give me my creature comforts!

Sue said...

Yeah, my brother is a nature freak. On a first date once, he pulled the car over to collect a dead owl. He canceled his date, took it home washed it to get all of the mites off. He collects bird mites. It was also his last date with the lady. He eventually found another nature lover and they live in wedded bliss with their nature loving kiddies.

CRIZ LAI said...

I love nature and everything in it. I can feel the calmness and peacefulness of the nature's sound but i get stressed out most of the time. I still need my internet connections .. haha :P

coolgardy said...

I love both nature and urban life, so what does that make me? Someone care 2 comment?

Cyclohelix said...

in between too... but i cant live without communicating devices.

Mr K said...

i like nature but i dont like to go to jungle. 2 weeks work inside jungle taught me a lot

david santos said...

I come to congratulate you with your work and to desire a good Month to you of August in vacation. In Portugal already we walk for beaches and to live the heat of the Summer.

Anonymous said...

I've learnt to appreciate good shopping malls like those in KL much more after being stranded here in China.

Anonymous said...

Hell, I don't do 'tents'.. give me a cabin and I'm fine... better yet, Whistler during gay ski and being waited on by a man with gorgeous eyes...

Alex said...

But without nature, there'll be no life and resources... nothing to sustain your urban and shopping life!!!!
Well, at least support for the sustainable development for the future!

savante said...

Surprised to hear that most guys agree with me :) Thought you'd all be on lanky lex's side!