I'm sitting in a hotel room in the United States writing this blog about reading a book set in Burma before and during WWII and thinking about my past year Malaysia and an upcoming cycle tour of SE Asia. The book, Elephant Company by Vicki Constantine Croke, is the perfect way to relax. This book is about James Howard Williams, a British war hero who worked with elephants in the teak business in Burma, recognized their intelligence, communicated with them, and used them successfully for the Allies during WWII.
Being able to relate to a book enhances it's enjoyment and my experiences in Malaysia are no exception. The descriptions of Jim Walker's expatriate experiences, his observations and anecdotes about elephants, and the impact of the jungle setting on work and life capture eloquently capture some of the feelings I've had.
Although Jim traveled many years before wifi and Boeing 777 Dreamliners, he did leave behind his family and friends for work in a post in the jungle. The description of the bland tins of British food carried by the elephants to the remote posts to sustain the British workers until their next trip home reminds me of the trips to Cold Storage or Ampang grocers in KL for canned chili beans and stale tortilla chips. Eventually, Jim soon discovers that the local food is much better than canned rations and hires a local cook to prepare gourmet meals. Yes, on occasion, I've hired a cook to teach me to cook and yes, given a choice, I generally prefer the local cuisine at the restaurants to a can of chili beans.
Another reason I like this book is the elephants. My one 30 minute elephant ride was enough to "hook me" on a love for these giant creatures. I laughed my entire ride as the elephant snorted, blew hot air - kisses perhaps? -, ruffled his ears, and was, I thought, was especially fond of me and had a great sense of humor. Before reading this book, I thought I'd projected these feelings on "my elephant", but after reading this book, I think the elephant really did "like me."
The descriptions of living in the jungle with it's heat, humidity, monsoon rains, mud, canopy of thick green vegetation, hills, roots, snakes and bugs, is easy to comprehend. Although we don't live "in the jungle" in a temporary house made of bamboo, we have done enough hiking through dense, dark jungle trails, and biking in the heat, humidity and rain that I could relate to the struggles of the teak workers and soldiers. One thing that I'm glad I've never had to do it march to India as a war refugee for thousands of kilometers through the jungle and heat to escape Japanese soldiers nipping at my heels.
In conclusion, if you live, or think of living, in SE Asia, if you like non-fiction books with a hero and elephants, and/or if you like reading about World War II, I highly recommend this book.
Being able to relate to a book enhances it's enjoyment and my experiences in Malaysia are no exception. The descriptions of Jim Walker's expatriate experiences, his observations and anecdotes about elephants, and the impact of the jungle setting on work and life capture eloquently capture some of the feelings I've had.
Although Jim traveled many years before wifi and Boeing 777 Dreamliners, he did leave behind his family and friends for work in a post in the jungle. The description of the bland tins of British food carried by the elephants to the remote posts to sustain the British workers until their next trip home reminds me of the trips to Cold Storage or Ampang grocers in KL for canned chili beans and stale tortilla chips. Eventually, Jim soon discovers that the local food is much better than canned rations and hires a local cook to prepare gourmet meals. Yes, on occasion, I've hired a cook to teach me to cook and yes, given a choice, I generally prefer the local cuisine at the restaurants to a can of chili beans.
Another reason I like this book is the elephants. My one 30 minute elephant ride was enough to "hook me" on a love for these giant creatures. I laughed my entire ride as the elephant snorted, blew hot air - kisses perhaps? -, ruffled his ears, and was, I thought, was especially fond of me and had a great sense of humor. Before reading this book, I thought I'd projected these feelings on "my elephant", but after reading this book, I think the elephant really did "like me."
The descriptions of living in the jungle with it's heat, humidity, monsoon rains, mud, canopy of thick green vegetation, hills, roots, snakes and bugs, is easy to comprehend. Although we don't live "in the jungle" in a temporary house made of bamboo, we have done enough hiking through dense, dark jungle trails, and biking in the heat, humidity and rain that I could relate to the struggles of the teak workers and soldiers. One thing that I'm glad I've never had to do it march to India as a war refugee for thousands of kilometers through the jungle and heat to escape Japanese soldiers nipping at my heels.
In conclusion, if you live, or think of living, in SE Asia, if you like non-fiction books with a hero and elephants, and/or if you like reading about World War II, I highly recommend this book.
