Taibao in Chiayi County

Taibao in Chiayi County.

My friend 張進金 – Zhang Jin Jin, who provided me with the Taipei 101 image loves photographing flowers. He traveled 270 km from Taipei to Taibao in Chiayi County in Taiwan to visit the Taibao Sea of Flowers Festival Floral Fest.

The paddy farmers there plant canola (yellow flowers) and cosmos seeds (red-pink flowers) on the organic rice fields during the fallow period to grow a sea of colorful, colorful and romantic flowers attracting honey bees, shutterbugs and selfie addicts.

Depending on time of year, one can also see cherry blossoms and tulips. A brilliant tourism idea. My first time hearing of the beautiful city and county.

Find a hotel with special deals at Taibao here: http://www.mycen.my/taibao-hotel-deals-finder/

#floralfest #flower #cherryblossoms #chiayi #taibao #city #county #farm #taiwan #travel #mycenhotels

Memories of Qingming – Part 3

A Love Story From The Graves.

On a gloomy and windy day, a frangipani landed on the edge of a tombstone. Perhaps, it wanted to be near the fading, hanging red hibiscus it was admiring and longing from the treetop? Will the impending rain separate them again? Or will they wilt together? An ant and silent, invisible souls around them will bear witness.

The frangipani or plumeria is known as the “graveyard flower” locally and the trees are found in abundance at Chinese, Malay and Christian cemeteries. It was in bloom during Qing Ming 2015 and the fallen flowers were scattered beautifully on top of graves.

The frangipani tree is the national tree of Laos and the flower is the national flower of Nicaragua. The hibiscus is the national flower of Malaysia, South Korea and Haiti. It is also the state flower of Hawaii where the plumeria is used as one of the flowers for the Hawaiian Lei or garland. Like the hibiscus, the plumeria comes in a variety of colours.

Sony Alpha a7R, ISO 3200, f9, 1/640 sec.

#qingming #grave #love #flower #plumeria #hibiscus #nature #cemetery

A Malaysian Valentine

RAM Lasts Longer Than Roses.

Wow! I found a Valentine’s article written on my blog 12 years ago. Suanie T is till blogging, I think. The pub Skin’s place is no more.

A MALAYSIAN VALENTINE
by TV Smith
14/02/05

Suanie and I were sipping our 46th beer, blowing smoke rings and popping murukku into each other’s mouth when I suddenly turned slushy mushy.

In a bout of barley malt induced insanity, I asked her the risk-laden question: “What colour roses do you like?” She blew a heart-shaped smoke ring and whispered oh so sweetly, “I rather you buy me RAM…”

Prophetically enough, a Japanese company is now selling heart-embossed memory chips for Valentine’s Day. Yeah, she’s geeky and charming, (almost) always logical and practical but 512MB of DDR RAM still costs RM 500, unwrapped.

It got me thinking, are there Valentine’s gifts other than expensive flowers, dinners and computer parts?

Happy VD friends, bloggers and readers.

The Earth Laughs In Flowers ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

In the old and strange area behind Loke Yew that is Jalan Jubilee (named after King George V’s Silver Jubilee in 1935, presumably ), I saw a quaint cottage with its roof acting as a flower trough. Looked so lovely.

Panasonic Lumix GM-1, ISO 320, f16, 1/100 sec.

#flowers #roof #house #streetphotography

A Flower For You, Loves

I salute the guy who bought his girlfriend a cauliflower for Valentine’s. Maybe not.

Like the roses from Cameron Highlands, massive environmental harm was caused by pesticide use and entire hills were cleared for farming and greenhouse flower growing. They could also be from slave labour like farms of some exporting countries. All artificially coloured or dyed to enhance your Valentine selfies.

So don’t be proud about giving or receiving roses.

Picture of Rohingya cauliflower restorer at work. He and his sister re-conditions or refurbish spoiled of blackened cauliflowers discarded at the wholesale market. Hope their business flourish with Valentine’s.

#valentine #vday #vd #rohingya #cauliflower #flowers #roses