Acorus calamus?

Is this Acorus calamus aka Jerangau. I was given this plant about six years ago. When i first planted it was about six inches tall. By age 3 it started flooring. This is the second time it flowers.

The stalk that you see on the right was flowering about 3 weeks ago and so was the one that you see now. From my previous observation...... about 3 years ago, the same stalk will produce flower for 3 times within 4-6 weeks before the stalk stop producing flower.

The flower petals were pale shades of yellow and don't last long. Within 48 hours the flower will withers.

This is the top view of the flower. Some time after the third flowering, the flower stalk will become new plant. In this case 3 new plants will emerge from those flower stalks.


I was hoping that viewers out there could give me some light as to what is the name of this plant. Once the flower stalks has grown into new plants i will post it again.

Fire Place

This is what the traditional iban fire place looks like. All the cooking is done here. The kettle is used for boiling water. The bamboo stem is utilized for cooking meat and fish. Rice is cooked by pot over the open fire. The wok there is used for frying.

At your left, you can see home made "tongs" made from rattan. The iron mesh at the side is for grilling fish and meat. The rattan tong is usually used to move the pieces of burning wood so as to control the heat or fire while grilled.

Another view of the fire place. For safety reasons, the rear is always made of metal or covered with metal sheet.


For further protection, fire wood is always placed far away.

Callagur borneoensis

Size: These are large turtles, capable of reaching 60 cm
Habitat: Mainly found in the freshwater and estuary parts of rivers in their range
Diet: Almost exclusively vegetarian as adults

Sexing: Callagurs are sexually dimorphic, females are larger than males, and sexually dichromatic, males are differently colored than females. This color difference becomes more noticeable during breeding season.

Mystus nemurus

The base body colour of this catfish is light grey/brown with a greenish tinge. The lower half and underside of the body is whitish in colour. The caudal fin in adult specimens is whole or partially coloured bright red. Juvenile specimens have a whitish coloured caudal fin.



In its native habitat they are caught by seines, hook and line, gill nets, cast nets and traps and then taken to the local markets to be sold fresh.



The dorsal fin has 2 spines with 7 soft rays. The anal fin has 10-13 soft rays. Base of adipose fin shorter than that of dorsal fin and about equal to that of anal fin. Barbels four pairs; nasal barbels extending to or beyond eyes, maxillary ones in anal fin, mandibulary ones beyond base of pectoral fins, mental ones 2/3 - 3/4 the distance between their base and insertion of pectoral fins. Head flattened rather than conical; rugose skull roof; depressed dorsal fin not reaching adipose fin; pectoral fin smooth in front.



Whilst this catfish is best described as a predator/carnivore in its natural habitat feeding on fish, insects, crabs and prawns; in captivity this catfish will feed on mussels, prawns, pieces of fish, earthworms and will even take prepared foods such as catfish pellets.


Publish Post
Taste very delicious if smoked over open fire

Parkia speciosa

The petai tree can grow to about 90 feet (30 metres). It bears flowers in a light-bulb shaped mass at the end of long stalks. The flowers secrete a nectar that attracts bats and other pollinators. The tiny flowers mature and die. Long, twisted, translucent pods emerge in a cluster of 7 or 8 pods. When those pods are mature, within them will reside the petai beans or seeds.

Scientific Classification

Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Fabales
Family:	Fabaceae
Subfamily:	Mimosoideae
Genus:	Parkia
Species:	P. speciosa

Parkia speciosa (petai, twisted cluster bean, yongchaak or stink bean), is a plant of the genus Parkia in the family Fabaceae. It bears long, flat edible beans with bright green seeds the size and shape of plump almonds which have a rather peculiar smell, characterised by some as being similar to that added to methane gas.

They are an acquired taste, but are popular in southern Thailand, Burma, Malaysia, Indonesia and North-eastern India and are sold in bunches, still in the pod, or the seeds are sold in plastic bags. They are exported in jars or cans, pickled in brine.

Depending on the country of origin they may be labelled peteh, petai, yongchaak or sataw (sometimes spelled sator). They are best when combined with other strong flavoured foods such as garlic, chile peppers, and dried shrimp, as in "sambal petai" or added to a Thai curry such as Thai Green Curry of Duck. When young the pods are flat because the seeds have not yet developed, and they hang like a bunch of slightly twisted ribbons, pale green, almost translucent. At this stage they may be eaten raw, fried or pickled. Young tender pods with undeveloped beans can be used whole in stir fried dishes. In North-eastern India, the seeds are dried and seasoned for later consumption. When dried the seeds turn black.

Petai beans or seeds look like broad beans. Petai has earned its nickname 'stink bean' because its strong smell is very pervasive. Like mature broad beans, they may have to be peeled before cooking. It lingers in the mouth and body. Like asparagus, it contains certain amino acids that give a strong smell to ones urine, an effect that can be noticed up to two days after consumption. And like other beans, their complex carbohydrates can also cause strong-smelling flatulence.

Wordless Wednesday: History Walk I

Wordless Wednesday: History Walk II

Wordless Wednesday

Nicotiana tabacum

Nicotiana tabacum, or cultivated Tobacco, is a perennial herbaceous plant. It is found only in cultivation, where it is the most commonly grown of all plants in the Nicotiana genus, and its leaves are commercially grown in many countries to be processed into tobacco. It grows to heights between 1 to 2 metres. Research is ongoing into its ancestry among wild Nicotiana species, but it is believed to be a hybrid of Nicotiana sylvestris, Nicotiana tomentosiformis, and possibly Nicotiana otophora.


Scientific Classification.

Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Solanales
Family:	Solanaceae
Genus:	Nicotiana
Species:	N. tabacum

The leaves are simple, with the blade partially surrounding the stem. Flowers are tubular, white, borne in large clusters above the foliage.


Nicotiana seeds are produced in abundance and are very fine. They can be sown any time in spring, but will produce considerably more growth if sown early in the season. Hold off early sowing if it is unseasonally cold, as frost will kill Nicotianas. Mix the seeds with about twice their volume of sand and sprinkle the mixture on the surface of your growing medium. They can be sown in seed trays, pots, or if it is warm enough, directly into soil. Water pots or trays from below by placing the trays/pots in a sink or large container and letting the water seep upwards through the holes in the bottom by capillary action. When most of the surface is moist, remove them from the water and leave to drain. Place them inside a propagator (heated if available). They require a temperature of 21°C to germinate. They also require light, so don't try to germinate them in the airing cupboard. They should germinate within a week.



Nicotianas are beautiful plants, growing to between one and two metres in height depending on the variety and growing conditions. They have huge green leaves and very sweet-scented flowers which range in colour from white to purple, through pink and red, for N. tabacum, or yellow (or even white or green) for N. rustica. They are straightforeward to grow.

Night Out

A very nice spot to camp for the night.

We were lucky it did not rain that night. Ready to depart and come back to civilization.


Bye.......Lanjak Entimau Wildlife Sanctuary. We'll be back ........

Eat Fish

Boss......there are plenty more. Don't rush


Smoking Fish, pansoh is in the foreground.

Grilling the fish over open fire

Pouring pansoh fish....every tasty while hot

Have you seen them before?

These are called "tengadak". Very tasty when grilled over the open fire, even more tastier if cooked inside bamboo or "pansoh"

This is the "Ikan Baong".

Ah ha.......how many can you named? From left to right :Front row...........Adong/Juak, Banta, Boeng, Boeng, Adong/Juak, Engkarik, Adong/Juak, Adong/Juak. Second row: Boeng and Boeng. So sorry guys, these are the local names....i do not know their scientific names.


2 baongs and 4 tengadak.

This was our catch in the afternoon and soon.......we have dinner.......i mean those fish are for dinner, not that they are having dinner with us..........kih,kih,kih

Fishing Nets

I have been trying to do write up with those pics but ended frustrated. I simply could not add these text under those pics.No images, only those html things popped up. Not once but all the time.

Well, the topmost pic shows, fish nets being set across the river. In areas where the rivers are less polluted, many types of exotic fishes still exists.

Secondly, the task of setting those nets are done by the older generation as the young ones are more comfortable working in towns and cities.

Upright floats usually means that there are fish being caught by the net. This is true when the water where the net being placed is not flowing too fast.

The last pic shows the rows of floats across the river. I wonder if the fish has any chance of escaping.

Fish Nets