CATTLEYA IN BLOOM

It is that time when Cattleyas are in bloom............All week my purple Cattleya has been it it's glorious perch. Not that I knew it was coming. I was about to leave for work last Monday when I noticed the three lovely blooms in full glory.

I had bought three different Cattleya pseudobulbs at an International Orchid Show in Shah Alam some years back. These days they organise them in Putra Jaya. The three I bought were of yellow, purple and white Cattleya and each pseudobulb cost a mere RM10 back then. In buying a whole pot the number of pseodobublbs would be counted and costed accordingly!

The yellow and purple ones have given me many happy moments. Unfortunately, the white Cattleya never made it............

Cattleya gets it's name from William Cattley. It is known for it's large showy blooms which are sometimes fragrant. As I have a perpetual sinus, I have never ever been able to detact the fragrance though. When in bloom, water needs to be reduced to avoid rotting the flowers. Because of their ease of growth and sheer beauty, cattleyas are the most hybridized of all orchids. There are thousands upon thousands of registered hybrids. So, if they are not tagged when you get them be extremely careful in giving them an ID.

VOTE FOR MAZNI EZURA

Ever heard of FAREEDA? It is one of two well known manufacturer of the “tudung” or scarf for Muslim women in Malaysia. It is currently running a cover model search via the Facebook.

My friend Mazni Ezura, is in the running to qualify for the grand final. As what friends are all about, I am doing my bit to spread the news and garner support for her pursuit. I must say she makes a lovely picture!

So here is how we can assist her…..

Step 1 : Go to this link :http://www.facebook.com/pages/FAREEDANyata-Jelita/279846494413

Step 2 : Click “Like” on FAREEDA ..Nyata Jelita ‘s wall

Step 3 : Go to this link :http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150138458069414&set...=a.10150138457124......414.328376.279846494413

Step 4 : Scroll down a little and click “like” to register your vote.

Please vote by 7th March, 2011. She really need all your kind support.

Thank you so very much……………..

RUBBER REPLANTING PROJECT

We embarked on a replanting project a few years ago to make good some parcels of land belonging to the family. When grandma was alive much of it was left unattended because of her failing health. Hence, the first responsibility was to find the boundary markers or the border stones. It was a rather daunting task as the land had become overgrown, much like a secondary jungle!

Here is our man Lukman, with one of the markers at Pondoi, near Tampin.

A small river cuts through the further end of this lot and it provides a rather picturesque scene. Here are Din with my SIL Halijah, enjoying a breather.

As part of the deal with RISDA that provides assistance to small holders of rubber land, we had to clear and till the land before any aid could be disbursed. As the land was an ex-rubber land, there was lesser concern over the state of the soil.

Here are my brother and my SIL trudging over the cleared land.

A second lot was also cleared and we brought in a tractor to till the land and to get rid of any old trunks or roots. That was quite an undertaking and it cost quite a pile! Apparently this was the evidence RISDA needed to see if smallholders were serious!

The Augur was used to dig the holes for the seedlings. Here is a demo for Lukman. He found it very useful.....it made the job much easier.

Din couldn't resist from getting his hands to it too!

It made a nice clean hole , alright!

We made a few trips back to check on the progress. It has been like 5 years now and the trees are lovingly manage by our man, Lukman. He takes on the job of clearing the land, fertilizing the plants and ensuring the security of the place from unwelcome livestock such as stray cows and goats from the neighbourhood. We have had a bad experience at another place where even people used the land as a short cut and destroyed the fencing. As for stray livestock ...they were simply about....

All for one and one for all!

First Days

Amongst the many first days we step into in the course of our lives, one that must invoke many memories later on is our first day in school. 3rd January, 2011 was indeed an important day for many Malaysian kids especially for my grand-daughter, Anyssa Farhana and her younger brother, Amyr Faiq. Spirits have been on a high note since November, 2010 with each collection of new school uniforms, white canvas shoes, bags and other items pupils need, were put together.

When the big day came their parents were most busy. Fortunately the kids are attending different sessions, Amyr attends the morning session at a nearby kindergarten while Anyssa, the afternoon session at a primary school. I understand they settled down very well in no time. Anyssa even met a friend from her former kindergarten and they both knocked off very well. Soon she was going round the class, chatting! Make no mistake...she had been known as a chatterbox in the kindergarten! I'd like to take it as we always encourage he to speak up!

Amyr seemed enthusiastic about being in school. Here he is doing his first homework! Finally he was learning something new even if it was the letter "A".

Here is Anyssa on her first day to kingerten two years ago and now in primary school. How time flies!

I reminise over my own time with my own children on their first day of school and indeed all their school lives. I remember my daughter, Azreen, would now and then turn her head to the kinderten class window to check if I was still around. When she was 6 years old, the family accompanied Papa Din, to the USA for his training in Menlo Park, California. We stayed in Mountain View and Azreen attended the Monta Loma Junior School. Yes, US kids start junior school at the age of 6. There was no school uniform and security of the kids were tight. The teacher sent the kids to their school buses while I waited for Azreen at her stop point near our apartment. One day, she fell asleep in the bus and forgot to pick up her new double-sided jacket before getting down. I only realised it on the next day!

I do not remember much about my own first day in school though. There was no kindergarten those days. When my elder brother went to school, dad thought it would be a good idea to put me in school too. So I was indeed put to "sit in" Standard 1 at the age of 5 years under the eyes of a relative, Cikgu Zaharah, who was also the class teacher. I understand, the idea caught on with her when she too had her son "sit in" in her class later after I had left.

I don't recall much of the Alor Gajah Malay Sshool but I did find out much, much later that I did have a report book that reflected that I did not do too badly, considering!I recall sitting for an exam or test with a tummy ache. A senior student, a relative, took care of me while in school and attended to my needs in the tuckshop and washroom. BTW, the tuckshop was really a simple stall built of wood and attap while the lone washroom was an enclosed well area.

There would be a number of first days as I went to different schools later on. Dad was a government servant who got transferred to various towns quite often. I had been in schools in Malacca, Kota Bahru, Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur and Seremban. It was nice to know and have friends in various parts of the country!

Reading Prof S H Alatas' The Myth of the Lazy Native : A Study of the Image of the Malays, Filipinos and Javanese from the 16th to the 20th Century and Its Function in the Ideology of Colonial Capitalism

A Bit About The Author

The late Syed Hussein  Bin Ali Bin Abdullah Bin Muhsin Alatas was born in Bogor, Indonesia and grew up i Sukabumi and Johor Bahru, Malaysia,  wrote this book while he was a Professor of Malay Studies, Narional University of Singapore. It was first published in 1977 by the Frank Cass & Co. Ltd. in London and the USA. This book (hardcover) has been in our family collection since 1998. We also have the second  Malay edition published by the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, Kuala Lumpur in 2009, the first being in 1989 was translated by Zainab Kassim. Worthy of note is that there is an Indonesian edition published in 1987 which was translated by Ahmad Rofie.

S H Alatas studied in University of Amsterdam for 10 years and obtained a doctorate in Political and Social Science. He had an illustrious career in the  academia and was once the VC of University of Malaya. He passed away in January , 2007.

The Read

In between another read I picked up this book. While it it is not the easiest of read, I found it very compelling. There were many pauses to reflect and at times to reread a rendering . A lengthy introduction and an even more lengthy conclusion epitomise the care taken by the author in getting across his much scholastic approach to an important phenomenon arising from an epoch in the history of the Malay Archipelago. In retrospect, I thought I should have started this note from the start of the reading and build on it as I progressed.........

While there were some differences in the history of the people of the Archipelago, there are also many similarities especially during the days of colonialism. While the foreigners came and observed and formulated their opinion about the natives, the natives too had their opinion about themselves except that they were not directly expressed. Hence, ideas about the natives much of which survive till today were greatly based or influenced by what the foreigners said.

The book describes the various effects of conquest by the Portuguese, Dutch, English as well as the Spaniards in the case of the Phillippines with a little more elaboration on the Malays....after all studies on the Filipinos have already been made by Rizal way back. While the the colonials were successful in making slaves of the Filipinos and Javanese in their own countries, the Malays had succeeded in providing a wall of silent protest. Hence, indentured labours or slaves if you will, were brought in from China and India to work in the plantations and mines.

The issue of  national character and concept of industry and indolence are extensively researched and carefully espoused. In comparison with earlier publications that touched on similar issues viz. Revolusi Mental (Mental Revolution 1968) and The Malay Dilemma (1970), they were both motivated by politics. The former is a product of 14 authors and the title was taken from a bock and term coined by the late Sukarno of Indonesia. The author opined that the latter is a little more intellectual it it's analysis though both are devoid of proper research. The former has many inaccuracies and devoid of intellectual depth which  results in ridiculous conclusions, to say the least. In effect they were congruous with the impressions and opinions of the west and embraced western economic ideas en bloc.

I was much astonished by the discourse on the disappearance of the indigenous trading class 200 years after the coming of the Portuguese and Dutch. By the time the British came, none was around. What can you say about a people who for say, five or six generations have not seen open trade? During pre-colonial days, many of the rulers were tyrannical but they did not monopolize trade in the way the colonials did.......

I would strongly  recomment this book.

Garden Plants : Lilies

Over the years I have nurtured various plants in my garden for added exercise and recharge of the essence. I usually select plants that are easy to grow and manage. In this series, I would like to share some of my experience with them and the images I have saved up in my archive.

Liliaceae is a family of lilies. There are so  many varieties of species and hybrids that many of them may have been reclassified. I am putting them here together for convenience. They are rather easy to grow....especially the Asiatics or Orientals. There are very few pests that challenge them apart from the odd slug .......in fact some may  even  be poisonous and are no good around cats.  Lily flowers may be (a)tubular (trumpet- shaped), (b)bowl-shaped or (c) turban-shaped (Turk's cap). There are usually about 3 - 4 flowers on a stem holding themselves upright, facing upwards, downwards or nodding. Some may even be fragrant. Leaves are mostly linear growing from bulbs. Propagation is generally by division of the bulbs.

The colour white is often associated with lilies. Legends and folklore abound about this symbol of innocence and hence you may find white lilies placed on graves/tombs of those committed of crimes they didn't do and in bridal bouquets. They may also appear as the symbol of mourning, glorification of the dead. Of course lilies come in different colours

I inherited the above white , bowl-shaped lily from my late mum. No one else wanted them after she passed away. I didn't think it was a lily initially, until I had a closer look at  the blooms.

I bought the red Amaryllis above  from the Jaya Superparket in PJ some years back. It is of Dutch origin. It is usually identified by it's two-ranked leaves. To encourage the flower stem to grow upright, I would recommend to grow it in the sun. Being of dutch origin, I made a mistake of growing it in a shaded area ....it never produce any more flower. So, one day I tried putting it in the sun and true enough it began to bloom. The flower stem and leaves are cut back at just above the bulb once the blooms have dried up.

Starting from a single plant, I now have several pots of them from bulb divisions every now and then. I prefer to plant them in containers for easy management. The bulbs make wonderful gifts to friends and relatives.

The above variety is the Allium.....same genus as onions, chives and garlic. Indeed they are often called blooming onions. It has 4-6 base leaves and requires full sun. The bulb may grow to quite a size and do remember to give it ample space during re potting. The flowers are rose pink florets forming a pompom-like flower-head. It is often described  as a firework frozen in mid-explosion.

Flowers may come in different colours too ranging from white, green, yellow, blue and purple. Some bulbs may not be so big while some are, like the gigantum varieties. Again , once the bloom is completed, the whole stem is to be cut back.

Some of the florets are not open yet

All florets are opened

GOODREADS MALAYSIA FIRST EVER GATHERING

It was 26th September, 2010. The awaited event was finally here. Expectantly my hubby and I was trudging down the path of Taman Jaya  in PJ  when we saw Khairul waving at us.

As the number of members was getting bigger, we then moved to a gazebo overlooking the lake and TNB Building on one side and the AmCorp Mall on the other. All together ten members attended,  some with their families. It was really a picnic....we talked, we ate and we drank. As it was still the month of Syawal, some members have brought their Eid cookies. 

We dispersed at 11 am. Sorry guys, Thamrong and I could not join you all at AmCorp Mall as we had to rush to our daughter's place. We are definitely looking forward to the next gathering.

Taman Jaya, PJ
 ( TNB Building in the background)

The Lake at Taman Jaya, PJ
(AmCorp Mall in the background)

Ummu Ainu's Pic

Bunnybaby and Cikyah

Hamizao(me), Ulya, Fariza and Haryati

Fariza, Haryati, Saniah and  Spouse (standing),
Ummu Auni (with Mudin's son)

Thamrong, Ulya, Fariza, Haryati and Ummu Auni
(Khairul's Pics)

Khairul, Najmuddin, Thamrong and  Saniah's Spouse

Front Row : Ulya, Bunnybaby, Faizah and children
Standing:  Hamizao, Saniah, Ummu Auni, Cikyah, Haryati
and Fariza (Khairul's pics)

MY CATASETUM IS IN BLOOM AGAIN!

@ 07-09-10

I had bought my only Catasetum at an orchid show some years ago. A small variety no doubt but it was what I could afford! It has given  me many blooms and in time I have managed to have  four pots through  splitting of the fleshy pseudobulbs (recommended at the start of a new growth) and  patiently tending them  At times they did not survive!

 Repotting

Three of the pots have  produced spikes since a couple of weeks ago and I reckon I would be having an interesting Hari Raya this year observing and admiring them develop. 

 Catasetums With Spikes

When I first had the Catasetum, I just hung it under my orchid stand where it received quite an amount 

of light. It had been producing female flowers that look bulbous much like the bishop's hat! (See pic #5). My first spike produced only two or three blooms of green and brown hue. I have never seen such flowers and I thought they were rather strange looking. 

 Catasetum - Female Flowers

Catasetum is the most interesting of the deciduous orchid genus. There are over 100 species which are native of  Mexico to Argentine and Peru. It is a sympodial, epiphytic plant. I grow mine in pots with broken bricks and charcoal as medium. I do not know it's species but it does have a strong semblance of the Catasetum expansum. The interesting thing about Catasetum is it produces separate spikes of male and female flowers. It is seldom hermaphrodite or produce perfect flowers. The male flowers can eject pollina up to 8 ft. 

 Catasetum Spike

The fleshy pseudobulbs are deciduous inferring to a need for care in watering and it's dormancy requirement. It will lose it's foliage, usually about 6-8 leaves, after completing the flowering cycle. New pseudobulb will grow from the base. Regular watering and weekly fertilising with 20-20-20, N-P-K content  is recommended. Note that different medium may require different type of fertilizer. For example, if a tree bark is used it is recommended to use 30-10-10  fertilizer. While brighter light produces more vigorous growth and better blooms, it tends to produce female flowers. A shadier environment would produce male flowers.

When the spike is about 4" - 6" it may be staked to avoid breakage and  encourage good flower arrangement and it is recommended that it face the same side during the inflorescence development.

In this article  are images of my Catasetum spike at various stages of development. Enjoy them.

Note : I have had confirmation that the above orchid is actually Catasetum pileatum.