Gallimaufry#48

Just a gallimaufry of photos 📸

I had no clue what these were but an image search with Google Lens identified them as the buds of the Poison Arrow Vine.

Poison Arrow Vine 

Can you guess what this is?

It's a macro shot of the inflorescence of an amaranth.

FROM THE TRAVEL ARCHIVES

I love street photography and this shot of excited kids on a field trip, taken in 2011, is one of my favourite photos. Somehow, sharing snaps of children without parental permission didn't feel right, so I had their faces blurred.

But it was the happy smiles and unadulterated joy on their little faces that captured my attention in the first place.

I did some research online and learned that, as long as the photos are shot in a public location and not used for commercial purposes, it is totally legal to post photos of children without parental consent. 

What's your take on this?

Batu giling 

Long before the advent of electrical food processors, this massive stone metate was found in every Malaysian home. This crude contraption was used to grind an assortment of spices and herbs into rempah (spice paste).

 

image credit - http://www.pickles-and-spices.com/

It required a fair bit of elbow grease to work the heavy roller back and forth. Hands were calloused by the constant chafing against the ends of the course granite roller. The rhythmic rumble at the crack of dawn when Mom was grinding out the rempah was a sound I grew up on in the '60s.

When we were little, we used to love watching mom roll out the rempah. She would squat behind the batu giling with an array of plates and bowls of ingredients lined around the stone slab on the floor. She would then place some onions, turmeric, candlenuts, galangal and chilies on the slab, deftly smash the ingredients, and magically turn them into a smooth paste. The fascination became a dreaded chore when my sisters and I were old enough to take turns doing "rempah duty". But according to our Indian neighbor, this "exercise" was great for building the chest!

Ha, turned out, it was a myth. None of us sisters grew up well-endowed. But then again, you can't make mountains out of molehills, if you catch my drift! 😉

Korean BBQ

I love the novelty of the traditional Korean way of dining, where you sit cross-legged on the floor at a low table during your meal. But sitting on the floor after an hour or so can be a bit uncomfortable when your legs start to cramp.

So, Dorae (Malaysia's largest Korean restaurant chain) came up with this brilliant idea that allows you to enjoy the traditional experience minus the discomfort. The answer? A hole in the floor under a low table so you can stretch your legs!

Gunung Lang Waterfall