literature
The saga of a lovely Saga tree
Saga tree (Adenanthera pavonina) is one of the top popular trees in Singapore. By saying that, we wish to imagine its presence but sometimes without even knowing its existence.
The Saga tree is hardy and fast growing species. It can grow like a giant in 15-20m tall and widely spread out to provide shade and like a welcoming kind father.
The fruits pods of this tree contain scarlet seeds, each of the 4 seeds make up 1 gram. In the past, it is widely used on gold and silver as a weight measurement.
The red seeds are a well-know love seeds among all warm and solicitude heart. Some like to collect it and store it up in bottle for their love ones. Some prefer to stitch it up forming a necklace and some place it to form a heart-shape.
This Saga tree is located at Botanic gardens. He treated his fern fans as his own family. Surrounded with their friendship and love. They lived together and share the wide blue sky. Spreading love-seeds to passer-bys, it also naturalized through out Malaysia and Africa. This is the core soul of Saga tree, the saga never fail to entice!
Every end marks a new beginning
The rare Talipot Palm (Corypha umbraculifera) is flowering for the first and the last time after 80 years of growth.
Over the next few months, it will produce some 24 million tiny flowers, and hopefully some seed, before it finally withers (by courtesy of Singapore Botanic Gardens).
If life ends with 24 million of flowers in exchange of a new dream, it’s just like the story of fireworks; it ends and relives our hope again!
Spring has come
Spring has come.
From all direction, outside the door step.
Along the street.
Waving at you!
An unknown tree, but old pals!
Always cheer me up on the street, from one end to another.
It comes from the top.
It comes from the side.
It comes from all direction!
Since he was young and silent.
Now he has grown up as Laughter!
And they group together as Cheerleading!
They sing loudly!
They are everywhere!
In spring!
A corner of the Park
Gardener always remain low and contribute so much effort to maintain the cleanliness of the park. They are always doing their job without any spotlight flashing on them. So, when you happen to pass-by them, do mind your step to give them your respect and status they deserved. They might be as low as grass, as tiny as sand, but they are equal on earth.
Sunlight and dropping leaves are the most favorable subjects on their stage of life.
Sometime they have to hide themselves in the lush to exchange the bowl of rice on their table.
An endless sweeping job day and night, through months and years. Are we able to take over them?
You can be a jaywalker, but have your grace and don’t litter around.
As there are many CCTV security systems watching you at everywhere you step on.
Tree in the staircases
There are plenty of scenes to enjoy in plant world. We can stroll along the forest, watching wild plants lavishly growing under the sky or make a trip to the garden watching the sunray seeping through the leaves in between.
But this dedicated scene was captured at the border of the Orchard district outside the SOTA.
This is just a tree and it is just one tree!
Standing alone and above all, together with this sleek building. Encompassed with grandeur where buildings, staircases and even roads have to give way to him. It must be an unusual tree, I believe. Given the careful design of the surrounding, I’m sure this tree must have some history behind to share.
Shadow of the tree shades the building from the sun, and the wall naturally washed-out by nature’s providence.
Huge tree is growing larger than it’s expected. How are they going to make way for their soaring height?
Inconspicuous aluminum air-vents allow the rooting of the plant to breathe.
It’s great to see this tree being retained by the authority concerned and be part of our nation. And even more glad, to see green mind blossoming within a city!
32) Be a Happy Monkey
This is the front cover of positive thinking campaign post card by the Singapore Health Promotion Board. Though the campaign was held many years back, but the post card is still sticking on my wall. It pose as a reminder to me and the cute monkeys always made my day.
The campaign is also broadcasted on TV, with a few animated monkeys talking about how they feel so blessed though they are only getting peanuts for their salary.
At the back of the card, the Authority concerned throw 3 questions asking for feedback for a positive mind. This is an effective way of getting people to think and find a solution to their own answer.
I’ve chosen “I think about the good things in my life” among the 3 answers.
First of all, there are too many good things in my life. I’m not here talking about how much I have in my savings, and not referring to how complete a life cycle people always define to be.
I’m talking about the living up to an age with a moderate health condition, moderate standard of living, moderate unevenness of my path. That is good enough for me to conclude how much good things I owned in my life!
I’ve yet to include the blogging trails with the world that I have started 6 months ago. And I have not included my good bonding friendship with all my dear friends, my family members and my other half. Last but not least, how about my pet dog, Cougar!
All these enhance my quality of life and are comfortable enough to be treated like a 5-star dinner. I have so much side dish to recommend if I wanted to!
I can be served with a simple meal just with vegetables, though I’m not a vegetarian. I can bring in plants to add lush to the dinning hall, but I prefer to eat under the sky beside the green.
That’s the reason why these cute monkeys are still swinging on the wall without resting for a day! My gratitude to them for serving as a reminder, reminding us to create positive energy for our own and extension to others beyond your own circle. How about that?!
61) Who are they footing outside Singapore Botanic Gardens
We always stumbled over the grand entrance whenever we enter a brand new tourist spot. The next moment we just can’t wait to see the new adventures coming your way. So gate crash!
And we ignored the little fairies calling outside the entrance that made up the big picture as a whole.
This may happen in Singapore Botanic Gardens but not the way I perceive it.
They are not invisible, they are just lying low.
They are as gorgeous as fairy.
They are the encyclopedias in silent I should read.
So who are they…?
Some I don’t know, some I knew, but most importantly, they need to be known!
Young ginger changing himself in blush!
Banana flower dressing up in pink!!
Floating musical notes!!!
Listen to the Weeping Tea tree’s calling!!!!
Where are your bamboo friends, My Bamboo Orchid?
Bring them outside the fence. We need more fans!!!!!
6) The artist of the 50 dollars note
There is a pair of gibbons on the back of Singapore 50 dollars note. The gibbons are there not only to beautify the note but they also signify a great artist who contributed his entire whole life to the art world.
陈文希, Chen Wen Hsi, was born in China, Guangdong province. He migrated to Singapore in 1948 and passed on in 1992. He loves art and nature at a young age. He grown up in a suburb village and was taught by renowned artists like Pan Tianshou in Xinhua College of Arts in Shanghai, China.
Chen was proficient both in traditional Chinese ink paint and western oil paint. He focuses in observing the behavior of nature and animals. The subject varies from landscapes, figures, birds to animals. He has a penchant for gibbons and owned 6 of them. One white, one gray and four black ones. These beautiful animals gave him the opportunities to study the creature’s postures and its characteristics.
In 1975, Chen was conferred an honorary degree of Doctor of Letters by the then-Chancellor of the University of Singapore and the then-President of Singapore, Mr Benjamin Sheares. He earned many more titles like Public Service Star; Cultural & Communications Award just to name a few.
Chen was also a perfectionist to his own art works. While he was insistant to leave the best on earth, he burnt away paintings he deemed not up to his standard. A rigorous artist, he woke up early in the morning at 6am to do his paintings without a skip for many decades.
So the next time, if you happen to hold on to a Singapore 50 dollars note, just spare some time to say hello to these gibbons and the great artist before you pass it on to another!
31) The 9th Day of Lunar New Year
The number 9th day of Lunar New Year is a day where we offer our thanks to God of Heaven. It’s a big event to some Chinese. But I set up some simple offerings for my thanks giving. Some cookies, cakes, fruits and paper gold for prayers (not too good for the ozone layer though) and also a pair of sugar cane.
Ever wonder why is sugar cane significant to this big event of the Lunar Calendar?
Some legend began way back to the old era in China, in the province of Fujian (Hokkien). The story has it that villages in Fujian tried to escape from the killings and rummage of robbers on the 9th day of Chinese New Year by hiding themselves in the sugar cane plantation. Their lives were saved. Thus, from then, villagers offer a pair of sugar cane on this 9th day of Lunar New Year to thank the Heavenly God for the good blessings, protection from natural disasters and a year of good harvest in return.
Besides, ‘sugar cane’ in Hokkien pronounciation coincidently sounds like ‘thankful’ in meaning. That’s how the fable arises.
I gift-wrapped my pair of sugar cane in red-paper, hug him with good luck while I offer it to the Heavenly God, and wishing that he hugged me in return.
11) Spending a week with Miss Coco
When Miss Coco gets ready to pack up and go home, I left all her belonging on the sofa, and she seems strange to me.
She sat quietly by her belongings and stayed at the corner for hours without her usual jumping up and down and wriggling her tail seeking for hugs. This is unusual scene, it reminded me of the song by John Denver “I’m leaving`on the jet plane”. When a new journey is beginning, there may be something you can’t bear to leave behind.
Coco needs special diet advised by her vet. So, pan fried pork with potatoes and beans are must for her daily two meals. Whenever I am preparing her meal, Coco will not be the one sitting on my feet but it is our greedy Cougar instead.
She stayed away from me not because of my cooking style but because of this clumsy monster (Mr Cougar) trying to dash for the first hand meal.
When I’m done with the meal, I have to segregate the two by using the timber gate. Cougar will try to force his way through the gate for a bite of the meat. I have to deter him and at the same time cajole Miss Coco to sit tight, enjoy her meal without worries. Miss Coco will munch her meal bit by bit just like enjoying herself in a posh restaurant. While she maintain her civilized personality, she enjoyed the ‘lion roar’ at the same time behind the wooden gate.
This little princess is different from my rugged Mr Cougar. One so rough, the other so gentle. One is a rugby player, the other one a ballet dancer.
That is why when she knew she’s returning home, she started guarding her belongings and waited for her owner to arrive. This is the only reason I could figure out.
Man best friends undoubtedly have strong senses. She may be able to sense her owner 10 miles away who can’t wait to fly home soon to see her. Or she may be feeling glad she is leaving us soon…
Whatever is her reason, I thanked her for spending her time with us. The 7 days is not a long time but the memory is going to be forever.
Lastly, Miss Coco allowed me to have her picture posted without copyrights.
I hope to see you around, but I’m not sure if you feel the same…
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