Berries for dinner

Dinner everyone!

The other day, lying in bed  and browsing the daily papers, the quiet was interrupted by some excited chirping. Accompanying it was a sudden flutter of wings. Promptly I dumped the papers. I knew where to look. For the noises was just outside the nearby bedroom windows.

Such a flurry of activity greeted my eyes. Some birds had landed on several hanging strands of berries of the red sealing wax tree. Quickly I grabbed my daughter's camera. Without being intrusive, I zoomed the lens onto their preoccupation.

 I wonder if it was the considerably cooler air after the rain that brought  the birds here. First came the pigeons, then starlings, followed by the magpie robins. As they pecked and caught the seeds so deftly with their slightly curved beaks, the strands of berries danced in the air. It looked like a bird party - everyone was invited. Each bird seemed happily feeding away and there was no tussle for food nor territory. It was just past 6 pm and I reckon birds call it dinner too like us. Talk about eating like a bird! But they didn't seem to want much and soon flew to  higher look outs. The neem tree nearby was their perch - here again I managed to capture the plumage of the pigeon. Thankfully my friend, WChinner  identified  the specie, so now I know it's  the Trenon Vernans. I think 12 birds came for dinner in 4 different flights.

To think this was my lucky encounter with the birds after so many years of the plant standing right there. After all, this clump of lovely palm ( cyrtostachys renda) with its deep red trunk and fronds have been planted more than 20 years ago. The trunks have grown pretty tall and grace the front of the house. The horticulturist highly recommended this as it is a showy plant.  How could I have missed  the visitations ? There must have been many.

Having a berry -merry time!

Aiming for the choicest

Starling sharing dinner .

Fluffing up on the neem tree   

We have had our dinner. Time to catch up on news.

Can't possibly eat them all. Never mind,  I'll take it easy.

The handsome male-  Pink-  Necked Green Pigeon ( Trenon Vernans)

Acrobatics in the air

Weekend retreat

We followed our GPS - then nothing showed on the screen - our destination was off the radar. There was  only one  way  to go - keep following the  gravelly road. Finally we arrived at The Dusun, tucked in the Berembun Reserve, about an hour's drive from KL.

Jem, a staff and an orang Asli  of the Temuan tribe greeted us to escort us to our overnight abode. Down the steps we walked with our hands full, each one of us, lugging our bags and food. Upon entrance into Emas chalet, a quick look around registered ,'Yay! this is it!'. So did 5 of the rest. First impressions - so free and open! Then straight onto the deck to view the dusun in front of us with the hills beyond. Then niftily up the narrow staircase  we checked out the sleeping loft. A higher view of the valley down below and and a sense of more freedom! Emas like the other timber chalets are built Malay style and on stilts.

It is certainly a place to chill out. Already I could sense the 36 hours or so ahead were going to be enjoyed to a different beat. It's amazing how  we distance ourselves from the grind and the noise of the city when nature surrounds us. We hardly ever protest. There's a willingness to just soak in and embrace.

The master bedroom in EMAS chalet

We came prepared to enjoy a bbq. That evening, in the darkness around us, with the city lights twinkling in the distance, and a sky that threatened to pour, we eagerly got our prepared bbq  stuff out of the fridge. The Dusun has a kitchen  ready for our cooking needs. Jem brought the coals and we started the fire  to cook our food, kawah-style. First off, were the drinks - white wine was the preference with beer and fruit juices while the coals were being stoked. I brought enough I reckon but my nephew insisted I had overdone it! 'But what do we do when our stomachs are half empty?', I countered. 'You wanna have bugs for dinner??'  I have to say we did well - almost all polished off with a bit to take -away. Dessert was kept simple - dragon fruits, grapes and chocolates. Everyone was satisfied. By the glow of the lights, we chatted and the young set  thought the  night bugs  were increasing in numbers as it grew darker.

All from our home kitchen  - chicken wings, spare ribs, lamb kebabs, mackerel, sotong,  frankfurters, sweet potatoes, corn on cob , potatoes and coleslaw.

In the open deck, we cooked  our food. 

Morning came.No one except  hubby and I were ready for the jungle walk. We were joined by 2 other trekkers from Brisbane. They occupied  another chalet by the infinity pool. It was past 10.30 am  when we started off. Nothing beats a good workout doing a trek. Surprisingly them lazybones of mine responded to the much needed exercise. Limber bodies bending real low under huge fallen tree trunks, clambering onto a couple of fallen timber to continue the trail, doing the stepping stone walk  across rivulets of water, clutching onto branches warily to get on to a higher level. Blackie and Tan, the  two resident dogs  just happily ran about, very much at home in this virgin jungle. Hubby's legs attracted  several leeches and it was a tussle to pull them off. When the walk ended and he was ready for a quick shower, more were found on his body. Such momentoes!' Well, no thanks,' said the young ones in unison.

All in all, the hours did not rush by. It was time to set off at 1.30 pm from this homely retreat. The gathering of cousins and us as a family was a time to treasure.

Trees before our eyes and the hills beyond - that's what we came for! 

Three's not a crowd - in fact come party here!

Nature surrounds

Let's drink to our fill and spout only tender words for Mother Nature around us

Listening to the sounds of rushing water is therapeutic  

The setting sun obscured by clouds

Our orang asli guide - he's 22 years old.

Fungi among the leaf litter

Phyllagathis rotundifolia / Akar serau malam - perennial herb  which is shiny dark green above and reddish below

Selaginella wallichiana Peacock plant /Paku merak - is a widespread herb of the lowland -forest understorey. The surface cells of the primitive leaves reflect green or blue according to the angle of view. 

Picking a leech off my hubby's leg - a few  of them  clung like crazy.

A leech reaching out , like a tiny whip for the unsuspecting victim

This one got me -  my pint in there !!

The sign that says it all - VIRGIN - let no man  plunder!

We passed by a freelancer who was taking pictures of  mushrooms. I had a peep into his camera - exquisite mushrooms

A jungle walk never fails to invigorate

Wordless Wednesday - Flower Power in your House

Your garden is on the move - right into your living room, kitchen, bathroom. Just enjoy the beauty of nature   in shades of  lemony yellow, fuschia, red, pastels, bursts of orange...  Is there a favourite among these ?

Khatak Dance

Bells tinkled on the ankles as the Khatak dancers made their way to the stage. It is one of the most beautiful sounds to hear, especially when one is waiting with great expectancy. The sounds  produced from it  are rhythmic. Even before the percussion instruments start to play and the dance gets under way, the ankle bells or  ghungroos as they are called , already makes music to tingle our senses.


Khatak, derived from 'katha', a Sanskrit word means 'story'.Witnessing this classical dance which originates  from North India, was a real treat. The interactive lecture /demo by accomplished teacher, Geetanjali Singh and her troupe of dancers mesmerised  the MCG ( Malaysian Culture Group) members who filled the auditorium of the ICC ( Indian Cultural Centre). I am familiar with the the other classical dances like the  Bharatanyatam and the Odissi  dances. But it was a first witnessing the Khatak which is derived from the dance dramas  of ancient India. This dance form developed over the years and by the end of the Mogul rule, it was a popular entertainment. There are 8 classical dances in India : Bharatanyatam, Odissi, Mohiniattam, Kuchipudi, Kathakali, Manipuri and Khatak.


The structure of a conventional  Khatak performance  tends to follow  a progression in tempo - from slow - fast and ending in a dramatic climax. Geetanjali  put us through the paces of clapping the tempo. Counting and timing is of utmost importance. And she demonstrated the steps as the beat was clapped. The sounds of the bells and feet harmonize with the percussion instruments. The main accompanying musical instruments are  the tabla, sitar, sarod, harmonium, sarangi etc.

Happy to express herself

One of the dance poses

In harmony - teacher and students

Geetanjali Singh has been  a disciplined dancer since  young. At a tender age of 3 she was already dancing!

The  skirt is cut  such that when a dancer pirouettes, the skirt  swirls and flares out during a spin .
The complex footwork  performed with dexterity.

Students  showing off their skills

Amazing talent and discipline among the dancers - we were told they had only  a few months of learning and they  were ready to perform before a live audience.

After the demanding dance routines, the dancers still looked fresh as daisies.

Besides the dance steps, Geetanjali  also showed her skill in the abhinayas - the art of expression. Not only does the body express itself, the sentiments are felt by the audience.  

A lovely attire with the embellishments makes it complete for  the dancer.

Ghungroos - tiny, brass bells - Geetanjali's numbers 100!  Students start with 25 and as they progress to a higher competency,- they wear 50 and finally 100. The bells are tied together to a cloth  and worn above the ankle during a dance performance.

Red was my lucky colour that morning. See, I got to have a photo taken with Geetanjali