Musings of a Traveling Bean

 After the movement control order finally ended in Malaysia in 2020, whenever I drive out to do some grocery shopping or send my dad to and from his work, I would pass by huge aging trees on both sides of the road.    Last year, although I was appalled to see a few fellers chopping down rows of trees, I understand these trees had become a nuisance and posed a danger to road users, especially during the monsoon season. Many branches and some of these trees fell across the road, causing a massive jam.   “Mom, I feel very sad that these trees need to be felled.  These beautiful trees remind me of the trees at Putrajaya Botanical Gardens”, I told her when I saw fellers chopping down the trees in stages. Some trees near the Putrajaya Lake at Putrajaya Botanical Garden (Toe Bean, 2019)   “I remembered when I was a teenager, a friend took me and a few friends to Taiping Lake Garden. I recalled trees similar like these growing on both sides of the road. The branches and leaves from