You are Wan, manager of Wan's floating restaurant.  You serve food from 7:30 am until 10 pm daily.  Many of your customers are tourists that are staying in the village or are brought over by the water taxi from the resort.
 
The overall economy in Malaysia has been poor due to the collapse of the Asian stock market. However,  in the Taman Negara area many tourists come, attracted by the natural resources and the strong dollar against the ringitt.

Your school is better than those in nearby states.  In a few years you will have saved enough to go to Kuala Lumpur and attend the university there.

Your younger brother makes good money as a boatman taking tourists up the river through the rapids.  If a road and bridge are built, it will mean more money for the family from the restaurant and boat concession.  Your grandfather can continue to fish like he has done for many years, and your mother and father can continue to work in the resort.  Having a park here has been the difference between a livelihood based on fishing and one based on tourism.

Copyright, Thea Sinclair, 1999

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