The Angsana tree

A row of mature angsana trees ( Pterocarpus indicus) or 'pokok sena' in Malay with their dense crown of leaves provide much shade against the afternoon sun. This picture I took at the Taman Temasya, Tanjung Batu , Bintulu. No respectable landscaper in Malaysia will fail to incorporate this plant species in the design of soft landscape to public parks, roadsides, golf courses, schools and institutions of higher learning ,open spaces and city green lungs.  Angsana trees was a hit in the hey days of town landscaping in Malaysia in the 80's. They are easily propagated from their branches, can withstand rough handling and grows in most soils . Their blanket of flowers are very fragrant though short lived. Its special appeal is in its ability to be grown as an instant tree where the need to achieve immediate results were critical in the greening campaign of the 80's. Today while landscapers prefer to introduce new flowering tree species ( and forgetting the angsana as a result) they remain after these years strong and standing stately as ever.

Barbequed sting ray

At the Ramadan Bazaar located at Bintulu Esplanade I saw these portions of the sting ray fish being barbequed. I have been a fish eater throughout my life and these appetising slices left me sliving. Like a swash buckling samurai I drew out RM 5 from my wallet to capture a portion.

Decorative Ketupat wrappings

We are three quarter way through the fasting month of Ramadan and already the 'ketupat' decorative wrappings are on sale at the local 'tamu' or jungle produce market. These decorative pieces are displayed on the walls of  Muslim homes during the 'Hari Raya Puasa' festival,marking the end of the month-long fasting season.   Wait a minute, did I say jungle? Oh ya in their free time while waiting for customers the traders at the 'tamu' weave colourful strips of glossy papers to make these decorative 'ketupat' wrappings and sell them as seasonal items beside their routine sales of jungle produce items like vegetables, fruits,cakes or riverine fishes.  The real 'ketupat' wrappings are made from young coconut leaves. They are filled with glutinous rice to be boiled and served with 'satay' or taken with curry  to welcome the' Hari Raya Puasa' festival soon.

Plastic Flowers will do

These artificial flowers overflow into the sidewalk.  Made from plastic these flowers will find their way to households,cars, offices,restaurants etc, for their lasting appeal and low maintenance value.  Freshness aside. The display technique I think is eye catching though it tends to crowd the sidewalk.

Blind man show

With a microphone on one hand and his left hand playing the keyboard, this blind man entertains the passers by crowd at the Esplanade . His repertoire consists primarily Iban melodies with a limited song list of Malay songs. He moves location daily and today he is entertaining the Ramadan shopping crowd at the Bintulu Esplanade. He sits next to the trolley which carry his show hardware consisting of the car battery, small PA system, keyboard,chair and donation box.

Ramadan shopping hard hit by inflation

The Ramadan Bazaar at the Bintulu Esplanade looked quiet and few customers are patronizing the food stalls nowadays.  It is the sign of inflationary times.  With the increase of petrol price and thus the means to travel and shop and the across the board increase in the ceiling prices of all goods, gone are the days of 'cheap' price. The people in Bintulu are learning quickly to avoid shopping unnecessarily , mindful of more hard times ahead. It is only the middle of Ramadan and today's crowd is not even half of the bazaar's opening day crowd.

Timber Industrial Zone

From where I am staying, every drive to Bintulu town means passing the Kemena Bridge.  Here's a view of the Kemena Timber Industrial area taken from the Kemena Bridge facing down river.This timber based industrial zone produces plywood, veneer, sawn timber, briguet,medium density fibre board,furniture etc for export. It was developed about 20 years ago to utilise fully the timber resources available in Bintulu's rich forests hinterland.