Cloudy with a chance of rain

Today was the first time I went on a company sponsored trip for work purpose. I was delighted to get the window seat and entertained myself peering over the wings of the plane looking down on the ground.

From KLIA, the earth is a verdant, emerald carpet, thanks to the #1 cash crop of the country, oil palm. Breaking the greenery are the developments, clusters of cookie-cutter housing estates and townships. Angry red welts of exposed raw laterite marks areas where the earth has been gouged for new development. As the plane made its (seemingly) desultory pass over the hilly areas, I wonder how long before those proud peaks are levelled for more development. :p

But I digress.

Looking at the clouds drifting in fat clumps outside the window of the Fokker F-50 (I think), I remembered that as a child flying towards Europe, I looked at the blanket of white below and wanted to ask the pilot to stop the plane for a while, let me out to play in the clouds before resuming the journey. I was seven years old and did not understand that clouds are merely condensation and those cartoons depicting people living on clouds with harp and wings (heavenly, really?) are NOT REAL.

However, at this hoary age that I am at right now, gazing at the expanse of thick whiteness with jagged peaks, reminiscent of pristine Antarctic icefields, still makes me want to ask the pilot to stop and let me go play in the clouds. Granted that I now know that by doing so I'll be plummeting to a horrific death in the South China Sea, but the feeling still remain.

I should stick to playing in the snow (when possible).

Here are a couple of songs I love that features clouds.



This song of Tori Amos has a way of tugging my heartstrings. So poignant and resonant; not a bad feat considering I barely understand her enunciation.

I adore The Cardigans for their subversiveness. Such cheery, pop-py melody teamed with dark themes and slash-your-wrist sentiments as demonstrated by Cloudy Sky (dang youtube no let me embed). Superb.

No wonder one of my favourite past times is lying around watching the bouffant poufs of water above drift by with my earbuds firmly plugged in and my MP3 player on shuffle.