Noooooo!

The headlines today.

 What is the situation like in your corner of the world?

Hometown Glory

I left my hometown for the bright lights of the city almost 40 years ago.

Although I regularly visit my parents who still live in the town I grew up in, I've been walking the same way I did before — rushing about on an errand and missing out the historic landmarks that tourists flock to visit.

Sharing the gems of my hometown that I always see but never noticed .... 

Looking through the eyes of my phone...

Our very own Trafalgar Square

That's our town hall in the background. Note the colonial architecture.

The Birch Memorial Clock Tower

Part of the neo-renaissance facade of the Hong Kong & Shanghai building — it was once the tallest building in town

You can't leave Ipoh without toting a bag or two of our legendary Heong Piah , literally translated as fragrant biscuits.

Heong Piah has a flaky crust encasing a sticky sweet filling made from malt and shallots

Arlene House

It was fun discovering the murals.

You can read more about Concubine Lane here.

Red Button Ginger Flower

When I was little, I imagined heaven to be a place where popsicles grew on plants!

Wouldn't it be nice if it were true? 

These red button ginger flowers are close to what I had in mind.

 

The button ginger gets its name from the lovely flower head that emerges as a luscious red button.

Hometown Finds

I was traipsing around my hometown looking for a coffee shop when these  murals stopped me in my tracks.

Gotta love Marilyn Monroe.

... and Charlie Chaplin...

“We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery, we need humanity; more than cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost.” ― Charlie Chaplin

 

Stop And Smell The Roses

On my walk to the neighbourhood grocer...

Periwinkle

Stinking passionflower

Bird's nest fern

Jasmine

When was the last time you stopped and smelled the jasmines...er.. roses? 

I would give the stinking passionflower a miss though!

Cockscomb

I was strolling in a different part of my neck of the woods when a burst of blazing-red flowers lining the sidewalk caught my attention.

I was instantly reminded of my late aunt A.

Aunty A had a super green thumb.

All the greens on her plate came from her garden and the manure for her greens came from her if you know what I mean  —  the circle of life, eh?

Whenever we were invited over for dinner, Aunty A's homegrown veggies were a running joke among us cousins .

"Well, it doesn't get more organic than this!" Cousin Noel once quipped. And this joke has been recycled over and over again long after Aunty A was gone.

All sorts of wonderfully-weird beans, gourds and flowers grew in Aunty A's garden and my favourite bloom was her cockscomb celosia. 

With its outrageously showy flowers, it was the most conspicuous plant in the neighbourhood and it drew many compliments.

Even passersby would stop to gawk at her curious celosia!

It does resemble a rooster's comb, does it not?

The Curry Leaf Trees

They say money don't grow on trees but these curry leaf trees sure save me a lot of money!

Ever since we moved to our condo 25 years ago, I had been unsuccessful in my many sad attempts to grow the curry leaf plant on my balcony. 

Eventually, I gave up.

Whenever a recipe called for a sprig or two of the curry leaves, I would have to dash out to the grocer in my neck of the woods to get them. Sometimes, they were not available. 

Imagine my delight when I stumbled upon this curry leaf plant in an obscure area of the condo grounds!

There are two more curry leaf trees farther down the road!

I am doing the happy dance!

I was told that a resident of the condo turned to gardening during the lockdown and the curry leaf trees are the fruits of her labour.

The tantalizing aroma that is released when a fistful of curry leaves is tossed in hot oil is really quite out of this world! You can smell it a block away!

An amazing Indian recipe to share. The curry leaf is the star of this dish.

Prawn Varuval

Recipe here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siehpJN2dhA

Flowers In My Garden

Spring?

Nah, it was summer the last time I checked, still is and forever will be in my equatorial corner of the world!

Sharing these captures of the perennial flowers that grow in the common garden of the condo where we live.

Bougainvillea

Ixora

Woodland Sunflower

Hibiscus

Bird Of Paradise

Spider Lilies

Fun Fact

Malaysia ranks among the world’s most biodiverse countries, housing an estimated 15,500 species of flowers, plants and trees.

Happy Easter, pallies!

Cheryl

My son's girlfriend, H , was inconsolable when Cheryl, her fur baby, shuffled off to dog heaven.

We felt that a gift of a pet portrait would express our condolence more than a thousand words.

We were certain that it would bring healing and comfort to her hurting heart.

An artist friend was commissioned to paint Cheryl.

Cheryl captured in her glorious goofy beauty

H had the biggest smile on her face when she saw the painting and absolutely loved it!