CNY Cards

Well, they do send CNY cards still. Come next Monday the 26th of January, the Chinese community in Bintulu will be celebrating their new lunar year of the Ox. I saw these new year cards still available these days of internet, sms and ICT. I guess some traditonal ways have a uniqueness that stays with time. Probably it is the nostagia, sentimentalism and anticipation that these cards bring that they are still very much a part of the festivities.

Rainy Bintulu

Somerville Road in flash flood

The persistent winds and rains coupled with the king tide have caused a flash flood at Bintulu's banking street, Somerville Road.

I have not seen any such occurence since at least 20 years ago.

At the point of time the flash flood occurred the high tide at Bintulu reached a 6 m reading.

The newly renovated exterior of the Chinese temple in downtown Bintulu.

This picture is taken just after the rains have stopped and the carved walls appeared much darker grey than when dry.

The Tanjung tree ( Mimusops elengi ) opposite Pasar Utama.

I could hardly do much work outside or in the open this January and is easy to imagine how difficult it is for civil contractors to beat the weather in order to complete their projects in time. Going around Bintulu town and taking photographs from inside the car seems to be my favourite pastime in January. The above is a view of Tanjung trees that provide some shelter from the light shower. The ripe seeds are orange in colour, oval and about 2.5 cm long and it is from seeds that the tanjung trees are usually propagated.

The seeds are also very attractive to the birds.

The road leading to SMK Bintulu overhead bridge.

Fruit with hair-like appearance

It is the 'rambutan' fruit which in Malay means a fruit with plenty of hairs. These hairs are actually soft and the leathery skin covering is easily removed by just twisting it with our hands. To eat, just pop the fleshy white pulp in the mouth and once the flesh is consumed eject the seed.
The rambutan is also called' little clouds' because the word 'nephelium' in Greek means 'little clouds', to desccribe the succulent fleshy pulp. In full the botanical name is nephelium lappaceum. The above fruits are harvested today at my eco-farm and comes from a wild rambutan species tree of which there are a few in stock.

January Sky

There is something about today's sky over at my eco-farm in Bintulu. The white lining on the right and the light red colours on the left kept me wondering when the rains will fall on my roof tonight. Truly the rainy monsoon season is extending itself to the month of January, much to the delight of textbook writers. In our primary school schooling we were told that the rainy season will start from November right till February. Well, this year the rainy season follows the textbook. Like last month it rains daily, if not in the day then the nights would very very cold with the rains pouring non-stop from midnight till dawn.