Hummingbird

bunga tanjung ( Mimusops Elengi)

'Hummingbird peeping out the nest

Bird Nest hanging from the Bunga Tanjung tree

a close-up view - Hummingbird (Burung Kelicap)

Asam Gelugur or Asam Keping in Malay (Garcinia Atroviridis)

Brief info :
Scientific name   -   Garcinia Atrovoridis
Local name         -   Asam Gelugur
Common name   -   Malabar Tamarind
Main component -   Hydroxycitric acid (HCA)
Properties/Uses  -   Anti-inflamatory,  antidiarrheic, digestive, anti-tumor

The 'asam gelugur' tree has long trunk and it can grow to more than 20m tall, with smooth grey bark and drooping branches . The leaves are  dark green in colour while its round fruits are initially green  and turn yellow/bright orange when ripe . The long shiny leaves are pointed  at the tip with upturned edges.

Asam gelugur has sour taste .When sliced and dried it is used both for for cooking and as herbal medicine for weight loss and also known for its  antioxidants properties.

Garcinia Atroviridis- asam gelugur belong to the same group as the 'garcinia mangostana' - mangosteen/ manggis fruit tree.

~~~~~~

It was during one of our Sunday morning walks at the Putrajaya Parks that triggered my interest on  the 'Garcinia Atrovidis' - asam gelugur. Came across a few fruits that have fallen down.  Recalled the brief notes on uses and properies of the 'garcinia'  during our visit to the Nasuha Herbal Farm & Resorts in Pagoh, Johor, where hundreds of asam gelugur trees were planted and was told that  the owner of this herbal farm imported selected species from overseas.

The Banting Family Wedding on 23rd May 2010

'bunga telor' - wedding favors for the guests

Amira with the bride - Ain

the marriage ceremony at Sungai Manggis, Banting Mosque

23rd May 2010, in one day, Mak Anjang (MIL's younger sis) welcomed three new members into the Banting family. Two grandaughters were married on the same day and one was engaged the evening before. Managed to snap a few photos of the youngest girl, Raja Siti Ain b. Raja Razman.

Presented her with my 'bierdemeir' design sirih junjung and the Banting girls prepared for them with wedding favors ..  gifts for the guests.

Dean Martin - Sway

Another version .....Michael Buble || Sway

Another version by latest hearthrob ....

Bunga Telang>Butterfly Pea>Pigeon Wings>Clitoria Ternatea

Had a fun trip this morning to Banting, my hubby's hometown located in Kuala Langat and took less than 2 hours drive from Kuala Lumpur via Klang. Visited  an interesting family friend  and came home with a bunch of the 'bunga telang' seedlings  ...

bunga telang seedlings

....became interested and curious about bunga telang when I was posted to work in Kelantan and got to taste Kelantan well known  'blue nasi kerabu'. My brief info on this particular blue flowering climber plant  > .....Bunga Telang - Laman 2008

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http://hajjah-mytravellogue.blogspot.com/2008/08/laman-2008.html

the  bunga telang  plant 

where those seedlings came from

Miniature Pineapple (Dwarf Pineapple)

This morning, a nice surprise greeted me as I ponder over the balcony  railings , where we hang a few potted plants. A beautiful yellow-golden 'dwarf pineapple' fruit with a proud crown on top ....

my own  'dwarf pineapple'

Took the flower pot indoors and immediately

 captured a few images using my tiny digital camera

Nanas Hana69 - MAHA 2008

: Pineapple Industry Board Malaysia

Not sure whether it is edible but have seen in being sold in the supermarket, Chinese fruit stalls and often used in flower arrangements, especially during the Chinese New Year celebration. Maybe it can be used as an exotic drink stirers as it has long nice stalk. I planted this dwarf pineapple from a cutting given by my sister in Melaka who was clearing her plot of front yard garden almost a year ago. Initially, I have given up hope that it could  fruit.

Browsing the internet to get some information on this plant :

Family  :    Bromeliaceae

Species :   Anana Nanus

Known to originates from Brazil as ornamental plant with longish green-grey leaves with spines. The ripe fruit look like a small pineapple.

Red Wild Ginger Blooms - Zingiberaceae (Ginger Family) -

These bright blooming stalks of the 'Alpina Purpurata', also known as ' Polynesian Princess' in Hawaii, started me off doing my first flowers in 2010.

- -Fresh Flower Stand --

Brief notes on Ginger Plants >

There must be hundreds of different variety of ginger plants under the 'Zingiberaceae' group/family. Beside the Alpina purpurata/Polynesian Princess that stand tall in the above geometric-design flower arrangement, I found out that there are several types of 'ginger' commonly used by my kampung folks either in their cooking or herbal medicines such as the following list :-

common ginger - Zingiber officinale

Halia (common cooking Ginger, Botanical name - Zingiber officinle) is known to be used to treat upset stomach, indigestion, motion sickness and muscular cramps. Ginger is also added in cooking so as to relieve fevers and bodily pains as well as to remove toxins from the body.

Temu Kunci - Fingeroot, Boesenbergia rotunda

Temu Kunci- Fingeroot (Botanical name - Boesenbergia rotunda) also known as 'Chinese Ginger', 'Thai Ginger' is a tall ginger plant with beautiful purplish-pink flowers and its long tubers sprout out from the middle of its rhizome. It is so called 'finger root' because the shape of the rhizomes appears to look like the human fingers. Temu Kunci gives out a strong flavor and popular in Indonesian and Thai cooking, often added into fish curries.

Temu Kunci is sometimes used for swellings, treating wounds and diarrhea. The Malays also use it for postnatal care/nursing mothers.

ref : http://www.tropilab.com/

Temu Lawak (Curcuma xanthorrhiza) or Temu Putih still under the  Zingiberaceae  family, is said to originates from Indonesia. Its rhizome commonly use in herbal treatments due to its anti-viral and anti inflamation properties. Also used in cooking as it give certain flavor especially in Indonesian dishes. It is said to have aromatic but pungent smell and has bitter taste. The traditional Malay midwife recommended this type of ginger since it has effect on breast milk production.

Temu Pauh-

Halia Bara-Zingeber officinale var. rubrum

halia bara

Bunga Kantan - Torch ginger (Etlingera Elatior)

Bunga Kantan, a common name in Malaysia, is also known by various names -Torch Ginger, Ginger Flower, Red Ginger Lily, Wild Ginger, Philippine Wax Flower, Indonesian Tall Ginger, Porcelain Rose. Its preety pink flowers are often used in flower arangements and also in cooking giving the dishes an exclusive flavour

Then there also other varieties often used in floral arrangement >

Pinecone ginger/Pinecone Lily - Shampoo ginger (Zingiber serubet)

Siam Tulip (Curcuma Alisnatiforia)


Note : need more info on the different types of  rhizomes under the ginger family

Ref : Plant Aficionado,Wikipedia.org,Daves Garden

SMS message Received Late at Night

Yesterday evening, I busied myself in the kitchen cleaning-up the leftovers. It was rather late but I kept finding things to do whilst normal days, either I would be in bed or asleep in front of the tv. ...as if something awaiting to happen.
It was my hubby who picked up my phone upon the ringing tone of an sms message coming through. Immediately passing the phone to me. It was a mesage from my former colleague from the Tourism Malaysia IT Dept ...a close friend..a former neighbour in Subang Jaya..been working together in TM since 1973 passed on due to cancer of the lungs. At the age of 56 years.

Shocked and unbelieving ..this friend was  a women who always appear happy, active , still able to join netball matches, a mother to 3 lovely daughters (who are almost of the same age with my children and went to the same school in subang) and all in all a happy family.

Managed to pay last respects at the Subang SS15 mosque and met the hubby and eldest daughter, also met a number of friends and colleagues from my former department. All could not not accept the fact that she had succumbed to C A N C E R of the lungs. It was only about  2/3 weeks ago that she was unwell, pale-looking and coughing, immediately warded and informed by the doctors of the serius stage 4 > cancer of the lungs.

.....Cancer is a term used for diseases in which abnormal cells divide without control and are able to invade other tissues. Cancer cells can spread to other parts of the body through the blood and lymph systems....

A lot have been said and written on cancer and yet many, including me , still do not know much and may not be aware of the probability or the risk that we took by not going for our medical check-ups or even ignoring any pain /health symptoms.

"  All cancers begin in cells, the body's basic unit of life. To understand cancer, it's helpful to know what happens when normal cells become cancer cells.

The body is made up of many types of cells. These cells grow and divide in a controlled way to produce more cells as they are needed to keep the body healthy. When cells become old or damaged, they die and are replaced with new cells.
However, sometimes this orderly process goes wrong. The genetic material (DNA) of a cell can become damaged or changed, producing mutations that affect normal cell growth and division. When this happens, cells do not die when they should and new cells form when the body does not need them. The extra cells may form a mass of tissue called a tumor. "
(ref : medical journal)

Relating to the above text (from a medical journal), and in the context of an advice from a noted speaker/motivator >

"a person , who kept and dwelled in his heart all the negative feelings such  hatred, anger, jealousy, intense hostility, dislike and become unforgiving  (kalau kita orang Melayu described perasaan tu sebagai dendam kesumat  /tidak boleh memaafkan dan dimaafkan), within 2 weeks such feelings can cause  deep depressions, stress and may develop cancer cells in the body" 

Taking heed of such advice, we Muslims and all, practise goodwill, positive and healthy relationship, be forgiving, kind and loving and most of all be happy and grateful to Allah SWT the AlMighty. In simple direct understanding > Be A Good Muslim and Practice Islam in True Sense.

The Spirits of My Roses .....Semangat Bunga Rose

There were times when one can really feel like you are thrown into the dragon's dungeon. I could not explain neither justify why should one feel truly lost and frightened and angry and what else could I pen down the words.

Allah the Almighty guided and brought back my own two feet firmly on the ground.  Subhanallah. That was just for a moment.

Now back to earth. My roses and roses and more roses. Am pretty busy doing my flowers for the past two days. Have a look >

a basket of roses

1 - 2 - 3

this is  "my flower-pot garden"

pyramid design  4 feet tall

with pink roselles and yellow tiger lilies