What do you do with old ginger root?

I found a few clumps of old ginger root on our fresh spice shelf. Some of them had growth buds sprouting out. I did not want to throw them away and decided to bury them in the soil for them to grow.

It has been several weeks now and they have now grown into tiny plants. There is something magical about watching plants transform from something so small into the most important living organisms on earth.

Young ginger plant growing out of the ground, from an old ginger root

Young ginger plant with shoots

Soft pastels at Hua Ho Manggis

My delight at such a discovery! If only there is more time to dedicate between books, anime and drawing!

And they have two sizes, last I saw; mini box of 24 and 48 Faber Castell ones.

http://www.fabercastell.com/creative-studio/products/crayons

My first attempt at soft pastel drawing

Peanut butter fruit - Bunchosia argentea - Bagu

At home, these peanut butter fruit  (Bunchosia argentea) trees grow and spread very quickly. The seed in the fruit easily germinates without being buried in the soil.

Dad usually keep the sprawling branches tidy by using a string to bunch them up together.

The green fruit turns a bright, solid orange colour when it is ripe. It is when all green have cleared off the skin that the fruit is ready to be enjoyed. Otherwise, it has a bland taste and a creamy texture which is not pleasant. To be frank, one needs to have an acquired taste for this fruit.

A quick google on the Malay name of the peanut butter fruit, bagu has not returned any useful links. When shown the fruit to my Malay colleagues, they were not familiar with the fruit.

Close-up photo of Peanut butter fruit (Bunchosia argentea)

Peanut butter fruit - Bunchosia argentea leaves with wavy edges

Peanut butter fruit - Bunchosia argentea leaves with wavy edges

Close-up photo of peanut butter fruit - Bunchosia argentea small yellow flowers and tiny buds

According to a book published by Brunei Forestry Department,  the malay name for the peanut butter fruit is bagu. I had brought some of these fruits for my colleagues to try. But none of us knew the local name. Days later, a colleague saw a relevant book where she found its local name. She took a photo of the page and sent it to me.

Pomelo flowers

Mum caught sight of pomelo flowers as we were entering the driveway. I have never seen the flowers though we occasionally consume the fruit. So, now I have. :)

Pollinated pomelo flower soon to bear fruit

Pomelo flowers, buds and baby fruit

Baby pomelo fruit

Pomelo fruits and large leaves

Fijian, African or Brazilian longan? It's Fijian Longan or Pometia pinnata!

My dad loves gardening and he grows plants which he knows not the name of or that they are not accurate. Nevertheless, I was much excited by the latest find in the garden, thanks to his green fingers!

I now realise this Fiji or African longan is not the Spanish lime or Guinep or Mamoncillo fruit as I previously thought. Other names include Island Lychee, Tava (Samoa) and Kasai (Malaysia).

One side of the tree (Fijian Longan) was covered with these tiny pink flowers.

Tiny bees were busy polinating these tiny flowers

Pometia Pinnata (Fiji Longan) fruits and leaves (taken from my previous post)

We have a whole colander full of them!

References:
Tree description from pngplants.org
Wikipedia::Pometia_pinnata
Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants: Volume 6, Fruits
Pometia pinnata link from montosogardens.com

Where to get soft pastel and fixative in Brunei?

JK brought me to WW Mart at Citi Square and the first thing that got me excited was the sight of soft pastel boxsets! I have tried looking for them at Manggis Mall but the Hua Ho there had only oil pastels. Here, not only they have soft pastel blocks but the pencils as well as fixative! And a whole lot of other drawing/painting materials.

We spent a good time there as I relished over the many different items I like. They have really nice decorative boxes, decorative paper for your scrapbook making.

Only thing that disturbed me was seeing a whole aisle of fake Lego. I felt as though my memories of playing with Lego and the essence behind Lego was defiled by the very items on that aisle. There can only be Lego looking like "lego" and nothing else. Sigh.

Soft chalk pastels, pencils and blending tools

Fixative

Fake Lego

Baby fruits

I love having a bit of a wander in the garden whenever I come back from work. The feel of the grass on my toes and the sight of fruits hanging like nature's chandeliers liberate me.

Today, I found some baby fruits just slowly transforming from what were once fruit flowers.

I was so close to taking a macro picture of a brightly greenish chrome-coloured insect perched on a grass leaf. As I steadied my stance for a closer shot, it darted out of sight.

Reddish spots on the edges of the pomelo leaves - is this a kind of crop disease?

A baby pomelo fruit forming from a fertilised flower

A baby soursop

The soursop develops inside the sepal of the fertised soursop flower 

It is just amazing that the macro shot taken from my phone's camera allows me to see the hairs on the grass leaf as well as on the ant!

Pilong Rocks (Pelong Rocks or Pulau Pilong-Pilongan), Brunei Muara

This is a really old post which I dug out from somewhere. A few years ago, I was out at sea with my sister and her group of diving friends. I had been asked if I wanted to tag along and I quite fancied snorkeling, then having forgotten how to scuba dive and not having an updated diving license. The boat had stopped by Pilong Rocks, which I have heard stories of sea snakes from my father since I was a little child. There was always that certain sense of mystery when he told of his misadventures at this tiny island. I suppose it is also the legend behind Pilong Rocks.

The sea surrounding this island is quite rough and not having a proper pier made it harder for the boat to stay at bay. We literally had to time ourselves properly to jump and I think the boat suffered some damaged as it brushed against the concrete pier.

I got especially sunburned that day but had an awesome time on the island. As it isa protected area and we could get into real trouble for trespassing, as stated on the huge red sign by the concrete pier, I made sure that I do not cause any humanly trouble. I was somewhat worried as we should not be there in the first place.

I have to say, this is the most beautiful place I have ever seen in Brunei. The waterfalls in Temburong were magical but this place had its own special magic as well. Unfortunately, on one particular shore with rocks sheltering it from the sea to form some sort of a lagoon were this beach covered with dead corals. While all these pearly white dead corals seem pretty as it span across the tiny beach, looking at them makes me feel sad. I don't think dead corals are natural but then again, I lack knowledge about marine life.






Pilong Rocks (Pulau Pilong-Pilongan) from a distance

"No trespassing" sign

Rocks separating the sea from the beach, creating a little lagoon area

Like a nice lagoon area and beyond where the vegetation are were dead corals which also covered the sea bed.

Metal ladder which we can climb up to some sort of a tower

Steel tower on Pilong Rocks (Pulau Pilong-Pilongan)

View of the sea and the other side of the island from the tower

Me reading a story to a friend

Someone was fishing. Many people fish or scuba dive around this area.

Our boatman, a skilled scuba diver, caught a small fish

View of Brunei shore from Pilong Rocks

Barnacle-covered rocks of Pilong Rocks

Shoal of small fishes in the water

Pilong Rocks is an island of rocks, massive rocks all piled in all sorts of ways

A trail of rocks in Pilong Rocks

More barnacles on the rocks

Coral rock (Pilong Rocks)

Loads of dead corals

Hari Raya Cards by Pusat Bahagia's children

Support of the children of Pusat Bahagia by ordering specially-designed Hari Raya cards created by them.

Order your cards now to send Hari Raya cards out this year to family, friends and business associates, while helping these special children realize their dreams.

At only $1.20 a piece, you can contact Ms Adriane Jaafar at the Brunei Times or contact Pusat Bahagia directly to place your order. These cards are a limited edition and currently, there are less than 2500 pieces left.

Many thanks in advance for your support.

Natural Fish Spa Treatment in Temburong

Our last place of interest to visit was a waterfall, which unfortunately I cannot recall the name exactly. I am not sure if it is called Sungai Lubok or Labuk or anything that is familiar sounding. While the name may not have made an impression on me, the waterfall itself definitely did. There are fishes in the streams and ponds and a rich vegetation thrived wherever nature supports it. The water is extraordinarily clear and so chilly. We walked along the river until we came upon the waterfall which was gushing out in good volumes. BT and I enjoyed a wonderful natural fish spa, all free of charge and without a strict time limit. The sun that filtered through the thick vegetation embraced us gently. The roar of the waterfall in front of us amazed us. The chill of the water and the bites of the little fishes sent us jolting with a mixture of laughers, chills and thrills.

It was an experience which, in about a decade's time, money will not be able to buy. I am completely amazed by how intimate I was with nature and cannot imagine how much closer I can get with nature. I was completely in my element and almost forgot BT was with me!

BT and I went for a swim in the waterfall pool. We inched our way into the pool to allow our body to acclimatise to its chilly waters. It felt awesome and at the same time, so awfully cold when we went under the falls. Just what a wonderful little jewel of Brunei this place is! This place is unbelievably too sensational!

I saw some common split gills on one of the fallen tree trunk along the river. These were way bigger than the ones found on a rotting log at home.


Sun rays in the water


Wild ginger, which the natives gather and use in their cooking


River path we took to get to the waterfall


Wild inedible fruits that look like Kembayau (Canarium odontophyllum). Our guide said this isn't the Kembayau. Check out this blog to see how similar these wild fruits looked.

Another wild inedible fruit


The waterfall and pond


Water flowing down in enough volumes that could give us a natural massage


This is me enjoying my natural foot spa. I truly felt that I was interacting with nature. It may sound absurd that I was thinking about how great my communication with Mother Earth was going while I was feeding the fishes with my dead cells. I am fascinated beyond words by how pure of nature this experience is. I marveled at how I get to be with the fishes, the falls, the rocks and the jungle. Nothing here is man-made, which made it feels untainted and so brilliant. It was an experience to die for. The water was really cold (I said this a million times) and it was very ticklish with the many fishes attacking my toes and legs. They bit on my hands and arms too. They literally bite on any skin that comes into water. I placed my hands over my legs to make sure the fishes did not swim up to my thighs if they ended up swimming in my pants!


This picture vaguely showed a fish swimming over my left foot. I have to stay very still for the fishes to come. Any movements would sent the little fishes scurrying to other potential feeding sites. When we were in deeper parts of the pond, the fishes would peck on us at our arms or shoulders. BT let out a cry each time this happen and I would be laughing like a crazy cow at how a grown man of six feet over has cowered over the prowess of these little fishes. Unable to withstand the fishes going at him each time he stood still, BT came hurrying out of the pond several times only to find the chilly and fun waters irresistible. So, he would go back in the water again and again.


Alas, it was time to leave the waterfall and I came across a small shoal of tiny fishes in another stream. According to our guide, the fishes in the streams are not attracted to human dead cells like the ones in the waterfall ponds.


BT trying to fight the chills and fear of the fishes


Enjoying the heavy splashes of the waterfall