Dangerous Durian

Smaller Dec.-harvest durians at Green Mansion

    Evidently this is a rare year for durian, the so-called "King of Fruits".  Usually in these parts the durian season is from June through August.  But this year we're experiencing a rare situation in which there has been a second durian season in Nov.-Dec.  The last time this happened was twelve years ago, I heard.  The smallish durian in this photo are ones we were treated to when we visited the Peranakan Mansion (note the traditional tile floor).  They're significantly smaller than the regular-season ones, which can range from two to seven pounds.  The average seems to be 1.5 kilograms, or around 3.3 pounds.   
   

Durian spines or spikes

    Durian have a very hard and prickly outer husk which can be dangerous.  In some places, they like to eat it when it's still a bit firm and there they cut the fruit down from the tree.  But around here (and in Singapore) people like their durian as soft and pungent as possible, so they don't cut it down, but rather wait for the fruit to fall naturally.  There's a saying that "durian have eyes" because they don't fall when people are around and could be hurt.  It's more likely that the cooler temps at night  cause the fruit to fall. A local grower maintains that 90% of durian fall at night and only 10% during the day.  

Borrowed from:  www.yearofthedurian.com

   Nonetheless, there was a tragic story in this morning's newspaper about a woman who'd taken her beautiful one-month-old baby boy out for some air at 4:00 p.m. A two- kilogram durian fell from a 13-meter-high tree and hit the child in the head right there in his mother's arms.  The boy died and the durian was sent to a lab for testing.  The father of the child said, "I accept this tragedy as fate.  I leave the rest to Allah."  What a terrible thing to have happen!  I shows how fleeting life can be.  Everybody's thoughts and prayers are with this poor family.

   More on durian in another post on another day.  

International? Multicultural? Both?

     I'll quickly admit that I'm no expert when it comes to cross-cultural comparisons and  their implications.  But, like everybody else, I do have opinions about it and here are mine!

Remember, I'm an amateur expressing only my own thoughts here.  

   It seems to me that some countries aspire to be "international" even though they're basically mono-cultural or homgeneous and seem happy to be that way.  For many years in Japan, I was the "token foreigner" who was asked to be on committees and show up at events to somehow make them "international."  (I lived out in the mountains where it was decidedly monocultural and not very international.  Tokyo is totally different, of course.)  It made no difference, but it looked good to have a foreigner or two in media photos and such.  I happily went along with it, so I can't criticize and I'm not.  If a country wants to maintain its racial harmony or try to remain homogeneous for its own reasons, that's their business, I reckon, as long as they don't mistreat the foreigners who do live there.  

Photo from the GPB blog of Mavian Arocha-Rowe

   Other countries, like my own, the United States, are plenty multicultural.  Big cities like New York have residents from almost every country in the world living there.  Even small towns all over America have residents from the most exotic places you can imagine.  My sister-in-law taught elementary school, and their class pictures showed the most multicultural collections of cute kids you ever did see. It was like this "borrowed" photo here times five. The majority were not "real Americans" (whatever that is), but were kids whose parents or grand-parents had come from other countries. 
      It seems to me that if you come to America, it's expected that you'll assimilate quickly and become "American," whatever that means.)  We assume that newcomers will speedily learn English and live by our cultural norms even if they don't officially become a citizen.  And most newcomers do, if only because life is easier and your business will be more successful that way.

   Then we come to Malaysia, where Kuala Lumper, at least, is exceptionally international. Even little ole Penang is. Our ladies' organization here has about 30 nationalities represented and that doesn't begin to cover all the people from different countries who live and work here.  Besides being very international, Malaysia seems to be a truly multicultural country as well.  As an outsider, I can't comment on how well the cultures get along with each other or treat each other. But when I opened the newspaper this morning I was struck yet again by how many different cultural aspects appear here, naturally and on a daily basis.  For example:

 "Kolam"-- an intricate Hindu decoration  

    We've just finished the Indian festival of "Deepavali" or "Diwali" as it's called in some places.  It's the "Festival of Lights" and it's kind of like the Western Christmas, but also like the Japanese New Year and well . . . .  You'll just have to google it yourself if you want to learn about it from folks far more knowledgeable than I!   What it meant to me was confusion because, for example, the photocopy shop on one side of our little main street was closed because the staff is Indian but the one across the street was open because their staff is Chinese.  Lucky for me, because I REALLY needed to get something copied in a hurry.

    The paper today said that Penang is now a hub of vegetarian cuisine, with 45 such restaurants in the country and the largest concentration being here in Penang.  I assume that there are so many to cater to the part of the Indian population that doesn't eat meat for religious reasons.  There are 2-3 such restaurants within a block or two of our condo complex here.

    Another article explained earnestly that you might want to go shopping for blue, green or purple clothes or paint part of your house in those colors.  This is because feng shui experts have predicted that these are the auspicious colors for the upcoming Year of the Snake, which commences on Feb. 10.  Many Chinese will actually do these things.  They also listed auspicious dates for weddings, starting up businesses or giving birth.  I noticed a ton of prettied-up cars this past weekend, so I suppose this was also a lucky weekend for getting married. 

  

  Over the weekend, Penang devotees made food offerings to Buddhist monks in a practice called "Pindapata."  They can only accept food -- no money -- and only enough for that one day.  The 10 novice monks and two regular ones were led by an Australian forest monk teacher.  They were doing it to let the the novices experience what it's like to be a "forest monk."  They usually wear dark brown robes  and observe 227 precepts, like abstaining from luxurious things and entertainment.  (How can they even remember all 227l, I wonder?) Regular novice monks have to observe only 10, the article said. 

   In another weekend event, young drum troupe members (aged 14 thru 25)  spent four days carrying a war drum relay-style around Penang Island, walking 12 hours a day.  The drum weighed 22 kg.  That's 'way too heavy for any human being to carry for any distance. I know this because  that's how much my suitcases are allowed to weigh when I drag them back from a trip.   The troupe only started in September, and here they are, two months later, building stamina and raising awareness by walking for four days and sleeping overnight in a Chinese community center, a temple and a nutmeg factory.

    What interesting things you can be exposed to when you live in a place where multiculturalism is practiced on a daily basis!  

                                                                                                                          

Warning -- This is an Advertisement!

 Sorry, but this post isn't going to be a sensitive, balanced cross-cultural comparison like all my other posts have been.  (Ha, ha!)  It's an ad, pure and simple.  Clearly, I'm the only human being in a Western country who isn't on Facebook.  So I'm using this blog as a way to promote this Christmas Charity Bazaar that will happen one week from today. 

   What can I write about this bazaar?  It was a huge event that consumed about three months of my life last year.  Afterwards I said, ""Never again!"  But here it is, a year later, and this year's bazaar has managed to consume another three months of my life.  The only consolation is that it's all going to be over one week and 12 hours from now.  But I really won't be doing it again next year.  If I do, somebody please shoot me, and before the bazaar, not after!

    Actually, I'm acting like this is a solo production by me alone, but that's far from the truth.  This is a team effort and I'm a co-chair, and not even the most responsible one.  I'm actually going to be a vendor as well as an organiser.  This means that on the day of the bazaar, when things get really frantic, I'll be in my booth selling my items, immune from the frenzied activity elsewhere.  Does that make me clever or a coward? 

    Here comes the cross-cultural part, if there actually is any.  This is NOT the old-fashioned kind of church Christmas bazaar we Americans expect.  Oh, there will be a few recognizable things, like preserves in recycled jars with little fabric hats on them.   (But most will actually be pickles, since they're a big part of a British Christmas, I gather, and Penang is a seriously British-influenced place.)  The women's group holding this mega-bazaar will certainly have some traditional  booths, like a bake sale table and a white elephant corner to sell recycled clothes and household goods.  But they'll be in the minority and all proceeds will go for our charitable donations.

     Well, you might ask . . . what will be sold in those 100-plus booths (tables, actually) at this bazaar? Well, the variety is immense, since many of the vendors will be business people selling their wares.  I guess I'll have a somewhat international item, with my authentically Japanese stuff.  There will be masses of accessories and kid-friendly items, plus health products, organic goods, and local goods like nutmeg products of all kinds and coconut ice cream.  There'll be Persian carpets, handmade wood furniture from Malacca and home decor stuff. A chocolate boutique took a table and a very upscale operation that sells high-quality textiles from India.   There's too much to explain, truth be told. Of course the best booth of all will be offering Japanese garments, especially kimono jackets, called "haori".  (Of course I think that, 'cuz it's my table!)

Typical women's kimono jacket like what I'll sell

    All those tables will be upstairs, inside a really upscale "retail shopping marina" called Straits Quay, the venue for the event. (Duh!)  Outside will be 18 tables that we'll offer free to local charities so they can raise their own funds and heighten public awareness of their causes.  These range from animal shelters to cancer services, from homes for orphans and abused women to counseling centers, and more.  

    This event really is a charity bazaar!  The money we get from vendors for their table rental will go to worthy charities.  So will any proceeds our own tables bring in with the homemade baked goods, etc.  The raffle proceeds will, too.   The charities will be given a free table out in the courtyard, and naturally any money they raise will be theirs.  We gave away tens of thousands of ringgit last year and we expect to do it again this year, too.  

Boys' Brigade Lads -- Nice bunch, aren't they?

Donation boxes from last year, lost in the move, sadly

       We'll have the volunteer support of the Boys' Brigade (like Boy Scouts), but this year we'll have some girls, too, we hope.  They'll help us set up and take down the tables and haul stuff.  Their help is invaluable and they're fine examples of youth volunteer spirit.  Last year I offered one young lad some cake to thank him for helping me haul my heavy bags.  He politely declined, saying, "Sorry, I can't.  I'm on duty."  Impressive!  Another thing they do is carry our donation boxes around so people can put small change into them.  I made these boxes last year and learned that:  
1)  You have to cover the whole box so nobody will be tempted by seeing the money inside and snatch one, 2)  You have to tape the top closed so nobody can

quickly take off the lid and dip in. Who knew?!?  Unfortunately, the ones in this picture were lost or thrown away when we moved our office, so they had to be made all over again this year.  (Heavy sigh!)  

      Another thorny aspect of most events in Penang, maybe more than most places, is sponsorship and donations for raffles, etc.  First, you approach potential sponsors and get them to provide something of value that you can raffle off to make money.  Then you have to figure out how to thank them publicly and give them the exposure they expect and deserve for having made their contribution.  For example, one of this year's sponsors is a jewelry boutique that donated this lovely pearl earring and necklace set.  Once you get the raffle items, you have to safeguard them on the day until they are awarded to the winners.  You have to guard the raffle tickets, too, since they're like money.  Again, who knew!?

Pearl set donated by Amee Philips for bazaar raffle

       One interesting new aspect of our bazaar is a "bottle tombola," something I'd never heard of before.  It's a British thing I gather.  People buy raffle tickets and then, throughout the day, the tickets are drawn from a wire revolving basket (called a "tombola," apparently).  The prizes can be  anything as long as it's in a bottle, from wine to ketchup.  Any bottled thing is fair game, and I guess you don't know ahead of time whether you'll get a lovely bottle of something alcoholic or just some ordinary household condiment.  As I said, it's a first for me.

   Yup, this bazaar has been killer hard work, it's true.  But whenever I get tired or discouraged, which is a lot of the time these days, I just remember that our bazaar is only once a year and it'll be over a week from today.  Royals in other countries and First Ladies (presidents' wives) in America, not to mention ordinary women worldwide do some kind of charitable work day in and day out.  There's no doubt about it:

We women rule the world (from behind the scenes)!  

DO Tread on These Carpets!

Mr Waqar showing a "learner's carpet"

   I'll admit to total ignorance on the subject of Persian carpets.  Completely clueless!  So I had a lot to learn and learn I did.  We were invited to the shop of Nasim Carpets in Straits Quay for a "carpet talk."  And here's some of what I learned:   

        1)   Hand-knotted carpets can range from 100 knots per square inch to 1,500.  Prices rise accordingly.

             2)  Traditionally, the first and best thing in a Persian girl’s dowry was a pair of fine carpets.

             3)   An antique carpet (one over 100 years old), even one with all the pile worn off, can easily be worth five times the value of a new one. 

·                 I knew (vaguely) that quality carpets are good investments, just like fine artwork.  But I had no idea how good!  It depends on the size and quality, of course, but good ones in the Nasim Carpet shop seem to be priced in the low thousands of ringgit, like around RM3,000 and up.  But recently they sold a medium-sized silk one that was 50+ years old, with 1,500 knots per square inch.  (That's apparently the most knots you can get.)  The carpet has the name of the village where it was made knotted into the design.  And Mr. Waqar told us he's never seen such a fine one in his ten years of experience with carpets.  And guess what it cost!  RM 30,000.  That's US $10,000 or  778,000 yen. and over 6,000 British pounds.  I could never tread on anything that expensive, and apparently the buyer can't either.  He's planning to hang it on the wall of his abode somewhere here in Penang.

Fine silk carpet -- village name on edge

              This was a somewhat humbling experience

      for me because I think of myself as pretty artsy-

      craftsy and dextrous.  But goodness gracious, 

      how clumsy I was!   During the workshop, with 

      the teacher standing right there by my side helping 

      I could hardly tie even one knot.  I have new respect      for Persian carpets and the people who make them        for eight, ten or more hours per day.  It can take a        year or even two to make a particularly fine one.                 I simply cannot imagine working that hard for that long  on just one piece.  It makes quilt-making look speedy, which of course it is not!   

        I was also intrigued by the way they clean these  carpets, which they recommend having done every 3      to 5 years. If you live here in Penang, you simply take
   it to Nasim Carpets and they send it down to their

      KL operation.  There, the carpets are put out flat under water and washed with special soft  brushes that look 

      like industrial floor brooms. The detergents  are special, too, with special ones being used for the different kinds of carpets - silk, wool or whatever. They dry them flat in the sun, turning them often to  avoid fading and to make them dry evenly.  Don't try this at home!

          The folks at Nasim carpets can appraise and repair Persian (or any) carpets, too.  A friend of mine  got termites in the Chinese shop house she's refurbishing and those little devils ate a big chunk out of one of her Persian carpets, too.  But Mr Waqar says he can have it repaired, though it'll take a bit of time.

             They say you learn something new every day, and I learned all kinds of new things about carpets thanks to this workshop.  And the lovely spread of drinks and snacks they laid out for us just made the information all the more palatable.  You can't learn on an empty stomach, right?

     

  

       

Natural & Unnatural Fall Beauty

Mountain Fall Foliage in Japan

Fall in northern Illinois -- my home

        The Japanese are extraordinarily proud of having four seasons (though they actually have five if you consider the June "tsuyu" rainy season to be one of them.)  I'd never deny that fall is gorgeous in Japan, with the mountains cloaked in trees of different colors that make them look like they're wearing a brocade obi.  The TV news programs announce the "Fall Foliage Front" during which they tell viewers how far down the archipelago the leaves have changed to their fall colors.  Then those same newscasters tell us about the long traffic jams and standstill traffic as people turn out in masses to view those leaves.  

      But I've just returned from a month in both Japan and the States and I don't know when I've ever seen a more glorious fall as they were having in America while I was there.  It was a joy to be alive there in the marvelous weather and scenery.  They even had fall-colored M&Ms you could buy, just to put you in the mood for fall.  So much for crunchy apples and salted pumpkin seeds!

           It was Halloween season while I was there.  I couldn't help but notice that Americans take this holiday incredibly seriously these days. In fact, I saw a factoid saying that two billion dollars or so was spent on this recent Presidential election.  It's a shockingly huge amount to spend without having concrete improvements (like schools, hospitals, national parks, for example) to show for it.  I hate to see such waste of good money and Americans who came to despise all those expensive and never-ending political ads on TV would probably agree.  But, just to put two billion bucks into perspective, the announcer added that Americans spent roughly the same amount on Halloween Trick or Treat candy this fall.  No wonder we and our kids are fat!

Light-skinned pumpkin all gussied up!

   

Relatively tasteful home decor for Halloween

          The stores had put out masses of Halloween decorations, and Christmas stuff as well.  Thanksgiving seems to get lost between those two holidays nowadays.  Gone are the days of simply plopping a hand-carved Jack-O-Lantern on the front step.  Americans now decorate their homes for Halloween with elaborate displays both inside and out, some homemade, some store-bought.  There are whole pop-up stores devoted exclusively to Halloween costumes and decor.  American women delight in 'decorating themselves" and so Halloween jewelry and sweatshirts are enormously popular.  I'll admit to having my share of Halloween earrings and brooches myself.  We American teachers generally feel the urge to "wear the holidays" and I did my share of it, too.  

     Even pumpkins wear Halloween costumes & masks, judging by these.  Unfortunately, Hurricane Sandy happened the day or two before Halloween and, for much of America, put that holiday in the backs of people's minds.  It was a frightful enough night even without Halloween festivities.  We all send our positive thoughts and support to those who are still suffering in its aftermath.

    On another note, I did see one almost frighteningly unnatural thing while I traversed the States and here it is -- genetic engineering employed to make orchids grow in ghastly artificial colors like turquoise and electric blue.   I found them so distressing, I took two photos and here they are.  See the little natural yellow one down in the lower left corner?  Isn't it refreshing?