“Mari mari merry oom. Beli Beli berry boom.”

Once upon a time, on a dark silent night, a wizard cast a spell in Cameron Highlands. The next day, residents in Cameron Highlands were surprised that many of them shared the same message from their dream: strawberry =prosperous.

A brainstorming session began (and it never ends).

“Let’s grow strawberry.” Good, but not enough. “Let’s grow strawberry and engage visitors to pick them!” Seems fun. Kasimanis Strawberry Farm, Raju’s Hill Strawberry Farm, Healthy Strawberry Farm, EQ Strawberry Farm, KHM Strawberry Farm, Big Red Strawberry Farm, Mountain Strawberry Farm…On my last visit to Cameron Highlands, I spotted easily a dozen strawberry farms.

Strawberries. Strawberries. What to do with it? Eat it. Sure. Sell it.  Definitely. Process it. We have strawberry milkshake, strawberry and cream, strawberry ice cream, strawberry jam, chocolate dipped strawberry, strawberry shortcake. We have strawberry-themed restaurant like Strawberry Moment. Hey, but we still have TONS OF strawberries! Ideas! Ideas! Roti canai (indian flat bread) with strawberry, nasi goreng (fried rice) strawberry…F&B outlets are squeezing their brain to put strawberry in the menu. What’s the weirdest strawberry dish you ever tasted?

Visitors need to bring home all these luscious juicy memories. “Souvenirs!” Strawberry pillows, strawberry umbrellas, strawberry magnets, strawberry slippers… Red is catchy. Now, give me slogans. ”Think strawberry.” “Simply strawberry.” Try Sloganizer for more options. Not strawberrised yet? Stay at Strawberry Park Resort. Take photo with giant strawberry sculptures.  Make a homemade strawberry facial mask. At Cameron Highlands, strawberry never sleeps.

Strawberry is indeed a tourist magnet that brings prosperity to Cameron Highlands. The Highlands is crowded, especially during weekends. You picked or bought your strawberries, but you would probably be finishing it on your way back. No, not because these glossy strawberries that claimed to be organic are sweet and addictive. It’s because you are stuck in the traffic and are hungry for food. Flashy strawberry souvenirs are drowning the green landscape. Watch out, strawberry has gradually mutated into a ladybird and infecting Cameron Highlands. Should resources be spent on researching and improving strawberry quality? Or another strawberry themed toy or folly? Who is living happily ever after in Cameron Highlands? Strawberry or ladybird?