Licuala Palm ( Licuala spinosa)

Walking below the jungle canopy behind my chalet, I checked on my collection of the Licuala Palm.Licualas are important for the locals here because the leaves are used to thatch sleeping mats, sun hats or to wrap food. They are native to Borneo and therefore Bintulu.

Licualas can reach 4 meters high. The leaves are borne from a long stalk. The Licuala stem is very short and mostly hidden in the thick humus rich environment of the tropical rain forest like ours here. They prefer filtered light and do not grow well in a potty environment. I've tried many times to grow them in pots but to utter failure. The best policy would then be to leave them in peace on the jungle floor where they truly belong.

Unripe seeds of the Licuala Palm
Finally what a field day when I saw a Licuala clump ( unfortunately being hit by a fallen tree trunk) with a bunch of unripe Licuala seeds . Guess I'll use them for germination later.

Call to Prayer

The Bintulu mosque, Masjid Daerah Bintulu - circa 1920

Yesterday I went to Masjid Daerah Bintulu to perform my Friday prayers. After that I took pictures of the 'Beduk' which is a big drum made of wood and goatskin. In the good old days, the drum would be sounded five times a day to call Muslim to prayers. Nowadays, people use loudspeakers and microphone to amplify the call to prayers or 'Azan' over the PA system.

Observe the very top picture. On both towers is faintly shown the 'Beduk' which is the same as above. As a young kid I used to climb the tower and hit the 'Beduk' in successive drumming and tempo at the point of 'Azan' to indicate prayer time. It is my fervent hope that this instrument will forever be kept as a historical relic by the Bintulu mosque authority.

Menara Kidurong

Here's another view of the iconic building belonging to the Bintulu Port Authority. Called the 'Menara Kidurong', it is designed in the form of a huge ship. Bintulu Port Authority undertakes the operation of the Bintulu Port through another sister company called the Bintulu Port Sdn Bhd.

Traveller's Palm ( Ravenala madagascariensis)

I guess Bintulu will need to plant more of these 'palms'. Called the Traveller's Palm ( Ravenala madagascariensis ) there are a delight to see as a distant. Looking like a huge fan, they look tempting to travellers as if waving them to come and stop by . Such icon would be good for Bintulu's tourism. Strictly speaking, these are not 'palms'. They belong to the banana family. However its palm-like in habit i.e. having a single trunk and a crown of leaves that is one-sided and making a symmetrical fan-shaped pattern. The above picture is taken at my eco-farm in Bintulu.

Simpoh Air( Dillenia suffruticosa)

Considered a wild shrub and having potential to grow into a small tree, the Simpoh Air or sometimes referred to as the Shrubby Dillenia ( Dillenia suffruticosa) is a very useful tree. The young leaves can be eaten as salad. The broad leaves are used to wrap food . I've seen recently in my travels up to Tebedu border near Kuching where the tree is used as 'live' posts for pepper vines. This picture was taken at one of the vegetation islands at my farm yesterday. I always welcome these trees around the farm because they produce red fruits that expose red fleshed seeds attractive to the birds. The Simpoh Air loves the open sun. The yellow flowers are eye-catching.

One Kick Up

The Bintulu Taekwondo Association held an exhibition-cum-championship competition at the Park City Mall yesterday ( 29th March). I was informed that Bintulu Taekwondo Association has about 800 members comprising school children and adults . It one of the most active Teakwondo Associations in Sarawak. The presence of so many spectators reminds me that Bintulu is no more the tiny town it was thirty years ago. Bintulu's population seem never to stop increasing due partly to its young population structure, unfettered urban migration from the poorer and isolated areas of Sarawak and influx of foreign workers.

One kick up to the Bintulu Taekwondo Association for an excellent show.

Eugenia polyantha flowers everywhere

While in Japan the coming of Spring is heralded by the cherry blossoms at this time of the year, in Bintulu as I drive along the Tanjung Batu coastal road today I was greeted by rows and rows of flowering Eugenia polyantha trees. In the above picture, both sides of the road are planted with eugenia trees and at the central median the same trees are planted but heavily pruned to resemble topiary. The last time I encountered flowering on these trees were in September,2008. Thus it is safe to say that they flower at every 6-7 months interval.

Close up of the fluffy and creamy white flowers of the Eugenia polyantha.