2 Balik Kampung, A Fruitful Visit

Home is where the green is. The ladies in my family were born with the green thumb. I am the exception. While they (the Aunts and mom) compare gardening notes, I'll be fiddling with my fingers wondering where the green genes went...and I figure I have the answer. I, was the sperm that carried, largely, my father's characteristics.

Anyway, my aunt expressed a desire to cook pineapple curry for our little dinner do that night. So off to the garden we went to get a fresh haul of the fruit.

As I held the parang (machete) for the first time in ten years, I felt liberated from the societal paranoia of city folks who would have viewed me as armed and dangerous, and one for kids to stay away from.

Ouch!.. ouch! ..ouch!..ouch!.. An attempt to cut the pineapple fruit from its base proved embarassing as my aunt gave me the 'grow-up-already!' look. I grappled with the thorny leaves determined to succeed (not, not, not a good idea). It was a do or cry call, but no plant was going to defeat this city-tamed, tough (huh?) corporate female who had her pride on the line.

On enemy ground

The target

Haii-yah!!

Mission accomplished with minor injuries

I'm really proud of mom's pineapple garden although I played no part in nurturing it, but this isn't the only fruit that's being grown by the family - they've also planted the rambutan, mango, jackfruit, soursop and tarap.  Almost everyone I know here has some sort of fruit tree growing in their backyard.

Coconut trees in our compound

Our very own mango tree

My aunt's banana tree

She's also planted the sugar apple

Dragon fruit at a friend's place

It's too early for Halloween, pumpkin

Papaya trees are a common find