A rare shot of nature in action 

Can you spot the ant? Or rather two ants? I took this snappy picture on the way home from today's badminton game and didn't realise of two of nature's inhabitants scampering about the flower which my shot was focused on. A bonus! I got 3 for the shot of 1. (I have specially uploaded this shot in a large format, so click the picture to spot the ants)

The ants reminded me about a little motivational inspirational thingy which I conducted for my secondary school juniors. I got the concept from the National Community Leadership Institute (NACLI) Camp which I went in secondary two. Ants are amazing creatures, they work hard all the time, they think winter all summer and they never quit!

Check out the entire post for more about The Ant Philosophy.

Cool eh? Feel free to share this little bit of motivation with your family and friends.

And don't forget to think like an ant! 

Never Ending

The orange slips folded out,

in a bid to spread its farthest reach,

towards the green, the yellow,

the glory of the sun

from once its inner sleep.

The colour that lives,

the colour that sparks,

in boldness of orange, and

just a tinge of white.

Nothing says more,

of life that exists,

wherever we look,

whenever,

we gaze.

And tomorrow it begins

yet again.

Orange-Red and White Versions of this magnificent paper thin flower.

Roses are red,

Violets are blue,

What does a bougainvillea mean to you?

Well, for what this plant holds for me is the varied bright hues that can liven up the very life of nature. It is a very common plant but to get flowers in such wonderous quantity will definitely take a skilled green finger/s. My admiration to the gardener.

 

Sit back and enjoy the joyful beauty of Old Ma Nature.

 

 

The Banana Flower.

In Singapore these days, you rarely find a banana tree in any housing estate let alone the humongous banana flower. So it was really lucky that the garden I was walking past bore this enormous tree ( or rather stunted tree ) with this colossal flower. 

A wondrous sight, eh?

Anyway, I have recently been playing around with the tools in my kitchen, and guess what. I decided to have for dinner one day "Steamed Bananas". The resultant dish which turned out was a extremely satisfying dinner and snack. Simply steam 2 bananas ( the mini ones or rather known as Pisang Mas ) - you can also steam 1 large Del Monte Banana in a small bowl. Ensure the temperature is about 150-180 degree celsius and steam the Pisangs (banana) for 15 minutes.

What you will get is an extremely soft and mushy banana (almost cream like) and the sugary essence of the banana. Very sweet and satisfying. And you know what? This is way healthier than eating those desserts at the dessert shop. All natural steamed bananas with NO ADDED SUGAR. Serious. Will put up recipe and pictures some time soon once I clear the back log of photos....got way too many of them - but proud of it =)

First time seeing a Jumbu (Rose Apple) Tree with fruit

Apart from the delights of the banana tree, I also saw a perfectly well grown Jumbu (Rose Apple) tree growing beside it. June must be the season in which the fruits are borne so as from their large and juicy looking nature - I reckon they must be DELICIOUS! I always knew Rose Apples grew on the trees but not this way, hanging from the tip. I thought that they hung the other way round, heads up! Not bottoms up! (hmmm maybe that is why there is such a large butt. You know, the way the ends are larger and heavier than the tip)

Prince of the Forest Fruits - The Mango.

If the King of fruits is the Durian, the Queen as the Mangosteen, so the Prince must be the Mango.

Fragrant and sweet smelling with all that fleshy yellow, it is no wonder the Mango has a seat in the Royal Family of fruits.

I have seen these mangoes in the supermarket and they are going for about $4.00 each, and for gosh sakes they are growing by the dozens in this tree alone. Ooooo, what a lovely delight! I reckon that the family who harvests this tree must enjoy the fruits of their labour - literally.

The Fruits of Labour.

I have no idea why is it that from the post about Bougainvillea, I have side tracked all the way to fruit- bearing trees. Haha, must be the naturalistic side of me. Many of these fruits can be used to cook in Asian dishes like curries, desserts or even steamed food and I will post them up once I think or come across recipes that are worth mentioning. Even the flowers of the bougainvillea can be used as a decoration for dishes (not always the plain old orchids).

So yeah, I know this has been a mighty long post, but with nature in its finest, I think its well worth it. Till then, enjoy reading on!

 

I stumbled across the trees bearing bright pink flowers while going home today. It looks like the one that has auspicious meanings behind it and costs hundreds of dollars for a shrub at the nursery. Other than that, enjoy the beauty.

Tecoma Plant (Yellow Trumpet Flower) - it blooms all summer.

Mini Peppers - Extremely Spicy!!

This bright sunny morning (ok mostly sunny morning) gave bloom to the Tecoma and Pepper flowers - in hues of bright yellow and white. Haha, its so common to see flowers in bloom for my garden. (Must be that fertiliser or my parents' green fingers...)

Anyway, for breakfast today, I had 1 curry puff (the other my dad took..grumble grumble), and that mini mini mini traditional cup of coffee. I will always remember these curry puffs as I believe they are some of the best around in the northern hemisphere of Singapore.

Crispy on the outside, with a thin yet firm skin to boot, the fillings were generous and not too spicy. Paired with that steaming cup of coffee, I must say it was an almost perfect breakfast (I would have loved a few more curry puffs...)

The traditional breakfast of a cup of coffee and 2 curry puffs. (My style)

Delicious and savoury!

Each piece of the potato is nicely cut into bite sized pieces with the fragrant curry aroma bursting out of every bite.

Perhaps the one qualm I can say about it is that I got the puff only slightly warm. (I should have bought it when the aunty came...nice and hot then =)

Surprisingly in this age of day where curry puffs usually cost 3 for $2, this one merely cost an affordable cost of $0.60 each. Not bad eh, and for what you get, this is well worth it.

Craving for these curry puffs? You better get them early in the morning (a.k.a 8am) cause they sell out fast by 11am.

A butterfly!

Dish Reviewed : Traditional Potato Curry Puff at Blk 306B Mini Mart

Rating : 4/5

Location : Blk 306B Canberra Road #01-01

Tel : 6757 0570

How to get there : From Sembawang MRT Station, walk towards the bus interchange and towards the housing estate. The Park and playground should be prominent and head towards the carpark on the left of the park.Find the minimart at the entrance of the carpark,