Gallimaufry#42

Just a gallimaufry of photos ...

"Just as the pure white lotus flower blooms unsoiled in muddy water, our lives, which are supremely noble, can continue to shine even amid life’s harshest realities." - Daisaku Ikeda

Japanese garden

THE HARDEST THING TO LEARN IN LIFE IS WHICH BRIDGE TO CROSS AND WHICH TO BURN

FROM THE TRAVEL ARCHIVES

 A Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Walk plaque in St James Park

The memorial walk is a 7-mile (11 km) long circular walking trail in central London, England, dedicated to the memory of Diana, Princess of Wales. The walk passes between Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park, Green Park and St. James's Park in a figure-eight pattern, passing five sites that are associated with Princess Diana's life: Kensington Palace, Spencer House, Buckingham Palace, St. James's Palace, and Clarence House. It is marked with ninety individual plaques, each of which has a heraldic rose etched in the centre made of aluminium.

Dad's final resting place

columbarium in  St Michaels' church

An imposing statue of St Michael the Archangel vanquishing Satan stands in front of the church

Sharing the same church grounds is a Catholic graveyard.

The children's graveyard is right in front of the columbarium.

Every grave marker has a story to tell.

Little Joseph  lived for two days before he was called to The Lord.

 His mom joined him in heaven two days after.

The inscription makes this little boy’s death all the more poignant.

Baby Gerald lived for 37 days. I was born in the same year. He would be 60 today.

Little Lucy did not reach her 1st birthday

Little Agnes did not make it past her third birthday

Weathered and chipped, the gravestones with their fading inscriptions are evident that they have been here for a long time. I am guessing the parents of these departed children have passed on too and they all are now eternally reunited in heaven. I wonder if anyone still visits these graves.

Interestingly, I learned that there is a difference between cemeteries and graveyards. Cemeteries are usually larger and not associated with a church while graveyards are smaller and connected to churches, usually residing on the church grounds. The terms are used interchangeably these days 

Prayer for Eternal Rest (The Requiem Prayer)

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon them.
May the souls of all the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
~Amen~

Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine.
Et lux perpetua luceat eis.
Fidelium animae, per misericordiam Dei,
requiescant in pace.
~Amen~

Gallimaufry#41

Just a gallimaufry of photos ...

Yellow walking iris

The name refers to the plant's unique propagation process. New plantlets form at the ends of flower stalks. As they grow,  the stalks bend under the weight of the plantlets and take root upon touching the ground. This process is repeated for each new bloom, thus giving the impression that the iris is “walking” across the yard or garden.

Rainbow lorikeet

Ikan sambal dabu-dabu

Dabu-dabu — a type of spicy condiment commonly found in Manado (Indonesian) cuisine that is quite similar to Mexican salsa.

Waterfall

Vietnamese Coffee (Cà phê đá)

Cà phê đá, a traditional Vietnamese coffee recipe literally translates as "iced coffee".  The coffee is made using medium to coarse ground Robusta beans which are Vietnamese grown. The idea is to make a very dark, slightly bitter, and very strong tasting coffee using a small metal drip filter unique to Vietnam called “Phin”.

FROM THE TRAVEL ARCHIVES

Countryside view of Bath

I found calming solace in this quaint little chapel in the hospital where Dad was admitted during his final days.

This little sacred space away from the smell of antiseptic and the cacophony of beeping machines and rattling gurneys became my refuge.

The chapel is annexed to the side of the main hospital building.

The hospital was named after Our Lady of Fátima, a Catholic title of Mary, mother of Jesus, based on the Marian apparitions reported in 1917 by three shepherd children at the Cova da Iria in Fátima, Portugal.

Hospital Fatimah was founded by The Brothers of Mercy, a German congregation.  I can still recall its official opening in 1974. I was in the church choir back then and we were invited to sing at the first Mass held in the chapel. We sang a hymn in German!  I think it was "Ein Haus voll Glorie schauet". I remember the long practice sessions we had with Brother James as we struggled with the lyrics and pronunciation. It certainly wasn't an easy hymn to learn!

Gallimaufry#40

Just a gallimaufry of photos ...

Wishbone flower

The plant gets its name from the two stamens that grow from the opposite sides of the flower, meeting in the middle to form a structure that resembles a chicken wishbone. 

I snagged the photo below from Google Images. Can you see the wishbone?

image credit - DNSJR

Nankeen night heron

Two covid years too long

Good friends reunite over a meal for the first time since the pandemic started

Angled loofah with Japanese tofu and egg

Traditional Malay/Indonesian musical instruments

Clockwise from left — angklung, kompang, rebana, gambus, gereteh, jidor

My favorite hymn As the Deer on the angklung

Gereteh

A gereteh rendition of the viral  Korean song  DDU-DU DDU-DU

FROM THE TRAVEL ARCHIVES

Thumbuakar Performance at the Singapore Night Safari