Sojourn in Kyoto

Reflected in the lake were autumn's hues,
Red, orange, yellow in a wild mélange;
Distorted when the ducks and rowboats cruise
Beside the ramen shop where voices sang.

Red lanterns swayed, inebriated by
Rice wine, oblivious of autumn's chill;
I sat in wonder as the cold winds sigh
And slalom their way down the flaming hill.

Then dusk descended like a swarm of bees
To carry autumn's palette far away;
I closed my eyes to memorize all these
Before they’re all engulfed in quiet grey.

I had to leave although I wanted more;
"We'll meet again, perhaps in spring." I swore.

Taiping Love Story

The loves and lives of the people in Taiping, a town where everyone knows your name, are entwined with the Taiping Lake Garden. Taipingites cannot imagine living without the lake and this is their love story.

Clockwise from top-left.

1. Young Love
They met, fell in love and courted at the Taiping Lake Garden. Now they have decided to get married here where it all began.

2. Middle Age
The kids are away at college so they have time to themselves. Even though they still have to work to support the kids, they somehow find time to stroll around the lake every day.

3. Retirement
The children are grown up now and working in the big cities and they have a lot of time on their hands as they are now retired. They like to spend their time at the lake under the old oak tree and amongst the green green grass of home chatting from dawn till dusk.

Okay, okay, it is not an oak tree but I just cannot resist.

4. Memories
She is gone now somewhere over the rainbow but he insists on going to the Lake Garden every day to sit amongst the green green grass beneath the old oak tree where he can "meet and chat with her again." He has difficulty walking and his eyesight is not so good so the grandson has to take him there. A filial boy, he is.

The End.

Bird Stories

Woodpecker by TanEric and Ducks by vaughaag


Today I saw the woodpecker again. I recognized it by the red plumage on the head and the yellow wings. It peered at me quizzically from the branch of the Rain Tree above with dark eyebrows raised as if saying, “Oh, it is you again.” I had last seen it pecking away at one of the Royal Palms in the thicket nearby from which it flew. It tried to look nonchalant but I knew that it was nervous. I also knew that it had deliberately revealed itself to me to distract me from the thicket of Royal Palms where its nest was.

I am sorry Mrs. Woodpecker but I was wise to your trick but do not worry, your secret is safe with me. I will not tell a soul about your nest. What am I doing here so often? Oh, this pathway is part of my morning walk in the Lake Garden.

This encounter reminds me of the pair of Canadian ducks in a park at Coquitlam, Vancouver, Canada. Back in early 1990, I had promised them that I would return to see them someday but twenty one years have already passed by. I intend to fulfil my promise but I worry whether they will still be able to recognize me. I have put on a few pounds, my hair has turned grey and the more and deeper wrinkles on my face have given me that craggy look. You know, like Charles Bronson.
However, I am sure I will recognize them. Back then, there were just the two of them in the lake at the park but if I were to return now, I expect to hear the soft flapping of little wings as the young ones follow them around like in a flotilla. I really look forward to seeing them again.

A promise is a promise and it has to be kept so I must return to the park at Coquitlam and, I must also ask you to promise not to tell anybody about the woodpecker’s nest located in the thicket of Royal Palms right in front of the nursery and beside the lotus pond at the Taiping Lake Garden.


Note:
1. The above episode happened some time ago. Mrs. Woodpecker and her children have since left the nest for places unknown.

Reunion Dinner

The reunion dinner is of the utmost importance during the Chinese New Year. Millions of Chinese all over the world travel up to thousands of miles by car, train, sea and air to attend this dinner at home on New Year’s Eve when the whole family sit down to feast and to renew family ties.
For our children and us, the New Year passed too soon and they are leaving home once more. We watch until their car turns the corner.

thoughts
leave me lonely again -
longing

Car Thief

On Saturday, the 7th of March 2009, my daughter, Siu Wei, and I went for a hike along the Hilltop Walk situated at the top of Telok Blangah Hill in Singapore. As we passed a car park, we heard a strange tapping sound and, on investigation, we found out that the sound was due to a white-headed woodpecker trying to break into a car.
I cannot understand why it would want to steal a set of wheels when it could have simply flown to its destination. I mean what if it got stopped by the police? In Singapore, driving without a licence is a serious offence.

Do you know the name of this flower?

Just like there is the Christmas tree, there is also a tree to celebrate the Chinese New Year – the plum tree. This is because the Chinese New Year actually celebrates the advent of spring. The plum tree cannot be found in hot and humid Malaysia so we have to do the next best thing; we create one. Every year we would strip a small tree of all its leaves and then decorate it with plastic pink and white plum blossoms.

As the Chinese New year is just around the corner, I was chopping down a branchy "catapult" tree at the edge of a forest the other day when I spotted this flower.

I had not noticed it at first because it resembles the purple flower of the "catapult" tree, although slightly bigger, until I saw the two green hairy elongated globes behind it. This is the first time that I have come across this flower and I was intrigued. Upon further examination, I found a darkened and split mature globule with tiny seeds further down the branch and realized that the hairy globules are actually the fruits. I have now planted the seeds and hopefully, they will germinate. Now, maybe someone can tell me its name.

a tear falls

Photo from Photobucket

a tear falls
frozen in midair
by your coldness