The inaugral Kuala Lumpur Bonsai & Orchid Show 2012 was held at the Taman Botani Perdana in conjunction with the Petronas Formula One Malaysia Grand Prix 2012. Taman Botani Perdana is formerly known as the Lake Gardens. This even was organised by the Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL). Wuan wanted to see the bonsai on display there. We went on Sunday afternoon with the sky threatening to pour any minute. That was also my first visit to the park.

As we were not familiar with the grounds, we parked at the farthest end of the park from where the show was held. Apparently, the park does not have accessible parking and we had to make do with the regular-sized one. The good thing about the entire place is that it connectivity between walkways and roads are almost seamless. Visitors in wheelchairs will be quite at ease moving around.

Stalls offering food and drinks, herbs, ornamental plants, bonsai and orchids like the road leading to the exhibition. It was a rather long stretch of upward slope that would have been difficult for me to traverse independently without Wuan’s assistance. We were to discover later that we could have accessed the exhibit area from another car park just beside Bukit Aman. We also discovered several ramps leading to the amphitheatre and other parts of the park that we would like to explore the next time we go there again.

We spent some time appreciating the meticulous work that went into crafting the bonsai. Some of those miniature trees must have been decades old. I also read that, if well taken care of, bonsai will outlive their creators as these trees can grow to be a few hundred years old or more. The orchids too were an attraction by themselves. Their burst of colours were in stark contrast against the restrained flair of the bonsai.

After having satiated ourselves with ogling the exhibits, Wuan and I browsed at the stalls selling plants and herbs. We found and bought two ornamental plants that we were looking for – croton and red button ginger (costus woodsonii). Further down the road, we checked out the stall with a good spread of traditional herbs usually used in home remedies. We would love to include some of them in the garden but there is no more space for any. In the end, Wuan bought the pandan wangi. We three heavy bags of plant in tow, we made a final stop at the lake where Wuan took shots of the resident ducks and geese, and agreed that we would return to the park soon.

Hokidachi (broom style) bonsai with berries.

Moyogi (informal upright styles) bonsai.

Han-kengai (semi-cascade style) juniper bonsai.

Moyogi (informal upright style) juniper bonsai.

The Ministry of Tourism Malaysia spent RM7mil on the expansion of the Penang Botanic Gardens. It was completed last year. Two controversial arches were built at a cost of RM150,000 at the Penang Water Garden located beside the car park and just outside the old garden gates. Those two arches were later demolished following public outroar that they were unsightly and does not blend into the landscape. One of the arches was said to be tilting. The ministry allocated another RM70,000 for the demolition works.

News report mentioned that Penang Water Garden houses a complex of seven ponds, that altogether, cover the size of half a football field. This part of the expansion costs RM1.5mil. The ponds were cultivated with giant Victoria amazonica water lilies, lotuses and water plants. The Penang Water Garden is said to be the largest water garden in Malaysia.

No way for wheelchair user to get up the kerb and to the ramp at Penang Water Garden.
Photo by Wuan.

The Water Garden consists of several levels. There were two gentle ramps connecting the different levels. What exasperated me was that there were no ramps for wheelchair users to go up the kerbs from the road. One would expect that the Ministry of Tourism, Department of Irrigation and Drainage and other agencies responsible for this project would have the mind to include proper accessible facilities for disabled people visiting the gardens.

Unfortunately, RM220,000 was frittered away in building and then demolishing the arches while access needs of disabled visitors were not given due consideration at all. This is most disappointing especially when the Penang Botanic Gardens is popular among Penangites and tourists alike, and also the fact that the Persons with Disabilities Act has been in force since 2008.

The durian season in Balik Pulau is in full swing. Wuan scheduled her leave especially to coincide with this event. We had for company during the four-day sojourn in Penang our best friends William and Cynthia and their lovely kids Emily and Henry. We drove up from Kuala Lumpur on Thursday and enjoyed the best of Balik Pulau durians, Penang hawker food, crazy traffic jams and mad drivers.

Balik Pulau durian – Ah Wong of Stall 808.
Photo by Wuan.

Three days prior to the trip, I had booked four durians from Ah Wong who runs the 808 stall opposite the Balik Pulau bus terminal. While durians are aplenty, the “ho bak” (good quality) durians are usually snapped up as they come in from the plantation. Wuan and I have been patronising Ah Wong for many years as we are related in some ways and are sure to get the best he has. Ah Wong is very deft in opening durians with just a pen knife. A few cuts to the bottom of the thorny fruit and the glory of the yellow flesh is quickly revealed.

Balik Pulau durian – Lin Feng Jiao.

The first durian that Ah Wong opened for us was Lin Feng Jiao, named after the famous Taiwanese actress of the 1970s. Why it was named so, I did not ask. Perhaps, the actress was the first thing that came to mind when this durian was being savoured. I certainly did not have that impression. It was a rather large fruit with firm and sticky flesh, so sticky that one cannot eat too many seeds without having to drink some water in between.

Balik Pulau durian – Cheh Puay.

Cheh Puay (green skin) is one of my favourites. Its flesh is what durian connoisuers call “koh liam” or bitter yet sweet. I never really found out why I always sneezed when I ate “koh liam” durians. Just like eating durians is an acquired taste, eating “koh liam” durians is also an acquired taste. Not everyone who likes durians likes the bitter ones.

Balik Pulau durian – Tiam Teng.

I have forgotten why I was not too fond of Tiam Teng which meant “lighting the lamp”. Wuan liked it very much though. She says the slight bitterness and creaminess was nice. The fruit is roundish. It is difficult to open with bare hands as it has a thick core that the locals call “tua sim”. I have seen people attempting to open such durians with parangs with little success even after mutilating the bottom of the fruit.

As for its name, I can only guess that it was named so because the planters had to wait for it to drop in the thick of the night with an oil lamp to make sure that the fruits do not get stolen. “Ho bak” durians sometimes get stolen as soon as they drop but woe betide the thief who gets caught as the punishment would be ugly and nasty.

Likewise, tourists should not pluck durians from the trees or pick up durians on the roadside along Teluk Bahang, Sungai Pinang and balik Pulau. Plucking the fruit would spoil the tree as it was believed that the fruits would no longer fall even after they are ripe. Picking durians resting on the roaside is considered stealing. Such durians would surely have dropped from someone’s tree waiting to be picked up.

Balik Pulau durian – Ang Heh.

Ang Heh is Hokkien for “red prawn.” It has a mild pleasant aroma, not overly sweet and has a smooth texture. Its flesh has hints of pink and resembles a big prawn, hence its name. I am adding this to my list of favourite durians. If there is a durian that I would recommend to the uninitiated, this would be the one. We wished we could savour a few more durians but we were totally stuffed. Some of my other favourites that I have had there previous times were Ganja (cannabis/marijuana), Susu (milk) and Hor Lor (gourd).