MUSHROOM

I love to eat mushrooms and since I discovered this range of bottled mushrooms, I am hooked on them. It goes well with almost everything I eat especially noodles. Yum yum.

MONITOR

By the time this young monitor lizard was found in the garden, it was already dead. What an unfortunate thing! I wonder what happened to it?

KOREAN

I tried out this stone pot Korean rice dish the other day and well, it was just another new dish to me.

SPIDER

I was checking out this Murraya paniculata with severe nutrient deficiency when I saw these two shiny and reflective spiders. I wonder what is the purpose of the spiders adopting such a coloration?

BATTLESHIP

Today's weather - fine

This is yet another one of those alien movies. Starring Taylor Kitsch from the recent movie "John Carter", Alexander Skarsgard from the TV series "True Blood", Rihanna and Liam Neeson, this movie did not give me any pleasant surprises. After watching a zillion alien movies, it really has to be ultra special and original before I can be shaken from the seat. At one point, I even fell asleep at the chair. I can't even imagine how that can happen with all the loud sounds coming from the screen but it happened.

HOUSE GARDEN

I became fascinated by the lizards living amongst my plants in recent years. I have not seen its eggs and do not know where they breed but I have only seen one of this small lizard in the past.


However, the other evening, I saw two of them side by side, seemingly feeding on ants, which is a good thing for me. I used to have a problem with ants that brought with them mealy bugs and decided to let these small lizards alone to do their job in the food chain. I highlighted the severe mealy bugs infestation problem on my Hamelia patens months ago which led me to snip off many of the branches. The problem is not completely eradicated but at least the situation is more under control now, hopefully thanks to these small lizards.


Anyway, it looks like my variegated Hamelia patens is also starting to harbour mealy bugs. Damned! I need to keep a close watch on it.

CALOPHYLLUM & FICUS

Recently, I was at the Singapore Botanic Garden's Botany Centre and was assaulted by an overpowering fragrance when I exited from one of the rooms.


So I retraced my steps and saw this majestic Calophyllum inophyllum in bloom. The tree was covered with clusters of flowers and the scent was radiating from them. This is the oldest specimen of this tree species that I have ever seen and I am glad that this tree was not affected by the redevelopment works years ago when they upgraded this part of the gardens.


What is interesting was also the epiphytic Ficus aurantiaca that was growing abundantly on the tree trunk and branches of the Calophyllum. The leaves of this Ficus is very different from the tree and it is always a delight to see the clumps of orange fruits hanging on the branches throughout the tree. A link on this Ficus is shown here:


http://www.florasingapura.com/Ficus_aurantiacea.php

AMERICAN PIE : REUNION

This movie is the fourth installment in a comedic movie series that was first screened in 1999 and subsequently in 2001 and 2003. 9 years later after the last movie, they came together for a class reunion to update each other on what happened to them over the course of a decade.


Starring the original cast of actors and actresses such as Jason Biggs, Alyson Hannigan, Sean William Scott, Chris Klein, Tara Reid and so on, it was nostalgic to see them once again. They may not be my real classmates, but it was still kind of wonderful to meet them after such a long separation. Some did not change much and aged gracefully while others looked noticeably older and mature.


The movie was off to an entertaining start when I burst out laughing in numerous scenes. Yes, it was still slapstick but I think it is better than the recent Adam Sandler movies. I was also surprised to find a visibly older and skinnier Rebecca De Mornay towards the end of the movie, playing Finch's mum who was banged by the always horny and crazy Stifler.


So what is next after the reunion? We shall see if this is the end of the comedy series or whether more will come.

MIRROR MIRROR

Today's weather - sunny

Of late, Hollywood have been making movies based on well known fairy tales. Last year, I watched "Red Riding Hood" which was nothing like the fairy tale.


This year, there are 2 movies on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The first to hit our screens, stars the pretty woman Julia Roberts as the evil queen, Phil Collins' daughter Lily Collins as Snow White, Armie Hammer as the Prince and Nathan Lane as the queen's servant.


This movie definitely appeals mainly to kids and possibly adults with its humorous theme. In comparison, the other upcoming Snow White movie starring Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth and Charlize Theron is most definitely darker and made more for the adult audience.


Lily Collins is sweet but I found myself constantly distracted by her bushy eyebrows. Armie Hammer seemed more like a decorative piece in the movie by just looking pretty, I mean handsome. The best thing about this slow-paced and predictable movie comes from Julia Roberts. I have not seen her movies for a while and she was still radiant as ever. Her acting and delivery of the role were so natural as if she was born to do so. To me, this movie should be about the evil queen and not Snow White. Another thing worth mentioning is the elaborate and vibrant costumes won by the main cast of actors or rather actresses.

BULBS

Alright, I am not talking about light bulbs here. I am referring to a group of plants with a swollen storage organ that gives rise to its fleshy leaves and roots. Some of the common types of bulbs include the edible onion and garlic, ornamental lilies e.g. Narcissus.


Anyway, there was this clump of  bulbous weeds, which I collected and brought home to wash off the dirty soil. I then planted some of them into an existing container garden of Fittonia cultivar and Hedera helix (common name: Common Ivy, English Ivy) and others into the planters along my corridor.


So are these the white flower Eucharis grandiflora (common name: Amazon Lily) or red flower Eucrosia bicolor (common name: Peruvian Lily)? We shall wait and see.

MOTH

There was this small cute 5 mm moth on the wall of my living room. It has an interesting spotted design on its wings. I am not sure what is the common name for it but I shall name it the leopard moth!

Unfortunately, my existing camera is not able to take 0 mm macro-zoom photos for me, otherwise I would be able to have close up views of this small creature. I miss my previous camera, which was stolen.

KHOO TECK PUAT HOSPITAL & YISHUN POND

It was a day with a clear good weather, as evident by the photos of the still water and reflection of the park surrounding the Yishun Pond, taken from Khoo Teck Puat Hospital.


The Enterolobium cyclocarpum planted along the promenade of the pond has hardly grown much, as observed by the sparse crown of few leaves. The string of floating platforms of marginal aquatic plants, on the other hand, are growing so well. It is an innovative way of creating an island of plants in a pool of water.


Back at the hospital compound, the picturesque garden has established so much since the hospital first opened its doors. I was lucky to capture a photo of a lady bug and managed to focus a ray of light on it for better effect. They have also cleaned up the pond water considerably and it was sparkling clear. However, I noticed most of the fishes e.g. Tiger Barbs, Archer Fish, I spotted previously were nowhere to be found. I wonder if they were deliberately or accidentally removed in the cleaning process?


I found that the new leaf flushes of the Flacourtia inermis were slightly distorted and when I turned the orange leaves over, I discovered colonies of young and adult black and brown aphids. Yes, they looked absolutely disgusting but I guess this is part of the natural ecological cycle.


In an earlier post on this hospital, I highlighted some terrestrial plants that were grown in water. Here, one can see clusters of the common culinary Pandanus amaryllifolius with aerial roots growing in the water too. Unfortunately, they were not emitting the typical pandan fragrance in the air.


Anyway, this is the benchmark for new hospitals that are developed in Singapore. It is no longer just an institution where the sick or injured patients receive medical or surgical treatment. It has to be green and well-landscaped for aesthetics and to promote therapeutic recovery. Green is now the new black.