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Friday, January 23, 2009

Bamboo Thoughts

While most Chinese buy some decorative bamboo to usher in the Chinese New Year my thoughts are of my father and our times in Brooke Drive when we had different kinds of bamboo in our garden. My grandfather actually grew many bamboo bushes to produce bamboo shoots in Sungei Merah. But my father was slightly more aesthetic in nature. His interest was more inclined towards landscaping.

But he had many uses of bamboo being the resourceful person he was.



This photo really reminds me of my father. He would trim his hedge on his own with his garden scissors. He was a tall man and therefore could cut the top off very evenly. He had such patience.



This kind of bamboo hedge is rare today because of security issues. We had this kind of hedge all around our house in Brooke Drive Sibu. Throughout the years we lived there our house was never broken into by thieves. I must say we had truly a zero crime rate then.


This was the kind of bamboo we had in front of our main door. Said to be able to ward of bad luck.




The bamboo leaves. We would pick the small undeveloped needle like leaves in the early morning. The dew was also collected and put into a small bowl. Those were the days when we did not know the word pollution. So the whole bowl of bamboo needles and dew drops were steamed with rock sugar for us children to cleanse our kidney and get rid of our "heat".

5 memories:

Bengbeng said...

oh, u r not coming to Sibu? anyway we will b having a dinner bloggers tonight. if u r around u can join us. jus leave a comment and we can get in touch

Mr.Clive said...

wahh,i never see bamboo that way.but now that you write it that way,bamboo sure does provide very good decorative plants after all. hmm...

I Am Sarawakiana said...

Hi Beng Beng
I by passed Sibu to be inKuching for just over two days before I start working again. Hubby works in Brunei so time is terribly in short supply.

Thanks for the invite. I have not checked the Sibu blogs yet. But need to write all the thank yous first.

Hope it will be an ox-picious year for you and your loved ones.

Be in cyber-touch.

I Am Sarawakiana said...

Dear Mr. Clive

Bamboo is serene and beautiful. It adds a lot of class too.

There are a lot of bamboo groves lining up many roads in First Division. The different varieties also make our countryside scenic.

These old kind of bamboo hedges have gone out of fashion when huge concrete walls make their entrance in the 80's. Now we have Great Wall of China every where (due to crime rate or power show?)

I think there should be a law against huge walls which are so anti-social. They are eyesores too.

May I recommend Robert Frost's "Mending Walls".

Have a great day.

Greenspot said...

Sarawakiana,

The hedge bamboo we have in Sibu and Sarawak are scientifically known as Bambusa multiplex and there are a number of varieties. the orignn is South China.

 

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