Tiles and durian

I have been unable to do this blog mainly because we were out for dinner 5 nights in a row. And also there was the third Choral Festival to go to and a concert by the PESSOC orchestra. A few days’s rest and I am back at the job.

The photo above is of a section of the hall of the late Soon Eng Hooi’s house in Aboo Sittee Lane, built in the later 1920s. I was delighted to see the same tiles along the five foot way of the shophouses along Moulmein Road built in the 20s in Pulau Tikus.

I was photographing the same tiles at Armenian Street which enabled me to establish that houses along the same street were tiled in the same period to bring them “up to date” and get rid of their terra cotta red when Beng commented that they were tiles from Morocco. When I told him they were Italian he could not tell the source of his information.

Beng is a former businessman who was once locked in his flat by thugs hired by lawyers acting for a buyer who had bought the property from a bank which had foreclosed when Beng failed to pay his instalments. The purchase price was lower without vacant possession and it was cheaper to hire thugs to get the man out. Luckily Ben phoned a friend who got him out and took care to photograph the lock and other things that locked Beng in. They made a police report and are now suing the lawyers for damages.

Beng has made friends with the two lively children of the Serb who runs a pub. He is married to a local. We dropped in for a drink one night when he told us he had a million jazz songs in his computer. That was the night that Beng and the kids were outisde on the five foot way, caring for two baby sparrows that had fallen from their nest.

Sylvia has opened a home for old lonely people to play mahjong and otherwise pass the time. She is a Catholic and has come back from Taiwan where she spent one year learning to speak Mandarin. I suggested lessons in painting and clay working,

One day, along Tanjong Bungah, I looked into a humble eating place to see what food was being offered. To my surprise the man called me by by name. He turned out to be Tat Thong’s hill estate caretaker’s son who reminded me that he was always there when we went up to the rubber estate Sundays for whisky and lunch. He turned to be a jovial fellow, introduced us to his wife and daughter. Food turned out to be good.

Had one piece of buttered bread and 4 durians for dinner one night - excellent stuff. When KH said I was nuts I reminded her that in Trengganu they have durian in curry eaten with rice.

Post box and lazo

Above is my photo of the post box in Betong, just across the border. It’s been variously described as “the largest mail box in Thailand” and “the world’s largest post box.”

I have just finished Khaked Hosseini “A Thousand Splendid Suns.” A story that makes you thank your lucky stars you are not an Afghan woman.

Started on Mo Yan’s “Big Breasts and Wide Hips.” His “Red Sorghum” I put down without finishing because it was so painful to read. This new novel begins with the birth of a child just when the Japanese army invades the village and promises to confirm that he is one of the greatest out of China.

You will see an astonishing account of the invention of the second wheel by Jansen. Just go to led.com and search for “Jansen.”

And here is an extract I promised from Darwin’s notes of his tour in

THE VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE

“So many works have been written about these countries, that it is almost superfluous to describe either the lazo or the bolas. The lazo consists of a very strong, but thin, well-plaited rope, made of raw hide. One end is attached to the broad surcingle, which fastens together the complicated gear of the recado, or saddle used in the Pampas; the other is terminated by a small ring of iron or brass, by which a noose can be formed. The Gaucho, when he is going to use the lazo, keeps a small coil in his bridle-hand, and in the other holds the running noose, which is made very large, generally having a diameter of about eight feet. This he whirls round his head, and by the dexterous movement of his wrist keeps the noose open; then, throwing it, he causes it to fall on any particular spot he chooses. The lazo, when not used, is tied up in a small coil to the after part of the recado. The bolas, or balls, are of two kinds: the simplest, which is chiefly used for catching ostriches, consists of two round stones, covered with leather, and united by a thin plaited thong, about eight feet long. The other kind differs only in having three balls united by the thongs to a common centre. The Gaucho holds the smallest of the three in his hand, and whirls the other two round and round his head; then, taking aim, sends them like chain shot revolving through the air. The balls no sooner strike any object, than, winding round it, they cross each other, and become firmly hitched. The size and weight of the balls varies, according to the purpose for which they are made: when of stone, although not larger than an apple, they are sent with such force as sometimes to break the leg even of a horse. I have seen the | balls made of wood, and as large as a turnip, for the sake of catching | these animals without injuring them. The balls are sometimes made of iron, and these can be hurled to the greatest distance. The main difficulty in using either lazo or bolas is to ride so well as to be able at full speed, and while suddenly turning about, to whirl them so steadily round the head, as to take aim: on foot any person would soon learn the art. One day, as I was amusing myself by galloping and whirling the balls round my head, by accident the free one struck a bush; and its revolving motion being thus destroyed, it immediately fell to the ground, and like magic caught one hind leg of my horse; the other ball was then jerked out of my hand, and the hone fairly secured. Luckily he was an old practised animal, and knew what it meant; otherwise he would probably have kicked till he had thrown himself down. The Gauchos roared with laughter; they cried out that they had seen every sort of animal caught, but had never before seen a man caught by himself”.