Bali and Thai Culture with a Twist

A tree near a small temple in Tista village, Abang district, Karangasem regency, Bali. A few days ago.

Meanwhile this…

A picture shot at the temple of Wat Pho, Thailand. Last year. A tree with a little golden buddha statue.

Those are pictures with a glimpse of Balinese and Thailand culture. Both trees trunks are covered with clothes. In Bali, some trees (especially when it grows near a temple) are considered as sacred ones and it is also a symbol of appreciation to Mother Nature. The cultural behavior seems to be done in Thailand, too. Thailand with its brilliant yellow and green colour. Bali chooses black and white.

Same culture. With a twist of colour.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Twist

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Leaves and Trees

I am so happy to post for Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Leaves and Trees as I have a chance to ‘show’ my photos life of leaves and trees around my garden. Some of them have certain use in daily life (for cooking and drinks).

Pandan leaves (Pandanus amaryllifolius) is usually used in cooking for its special fragrant and as natural food colouring (green).

Daluman (Balinese language) or Cincau hijau (Indonesian) or Cylia barbata is creeping  plant that leaves can be used to make delicious drinks. Squeeze some handfuls leaves with water, strain it and leave for awhile until it forms jelly-like substance. Enjoy it with coconut milk and palm sugar syrup. In the market, it is IDR 40.000 ($ 4). No, I don’t sell my daluman leaves. I was just giving you an additional information.

Kayu Manis (Balinese) or daun Katuk (Indonesian) or Sauropus androgynus. Popular leaf vegetable. To reduce my feeling of guilty when I’m having a bowl of instant noodle, I usually toss some of this to the pan a minute before it is done. Yum!

Don Base (Balinese) or Daun Sirih (Indonesian) or Piper betel. In Bali, it is used for some of religious ceremony purposes. Chew one leaf and it will freshen and give fragrance to your mouth.

The two mango trees in my front garden. O2 providers, heat protection and fruits suppliers! You can ‘enjoy’ its fresh succulent product in here.

Tiing (Balinese) or bambu (Indonesian). There are many kind of bamboos in Bali, but we like this yellow bamboo, as it is said can bring luck to the owner.

Palm leaves. Actually, it was the red dragonfly, made me wanted to take a shot.

Jangar ulam (Balinese) or daun Salam (Indonesian) or Syzygium polyanthum. Popular in Indonesian cooking to give wonderful aroma, suitable for steam food, soup with meat as the main ingredient. It is similar to bay leaves, I think.

This herb is becoming difficult to find these days. Luckily, the sapling of two years ago grows prettily well in the pot. Tenggulun (Balinese) or daun laksa (Indonesian) or Proticum javanicum. Same use with daun Salam. I put both in for my cooking, to enhance its delicious fragrant.

 

Learning My Culture

Example of sampiyan as part of Balinese culture

Everyone can be my teacher. Also everything. To teach me, someone doesn’t necessarily have to be around, through their amazing books or websites (blogs, too, of course) I learnt many valuable things in life.

Culture is one of valuable thing in life. In Bali, culture is impossible to be separated from our religious life that is loaded with making offerings.

Balinese offerings and a lot of sampiyan

Making offering is quite something new to me, I never cared enough to learn how to do it when I was single, I was too busy to study and got my degree (I know, I am making cheap excuses). After got married, I have to learn (we can buy offerings, but, the satisfactory feeling would be different). As the very basic thing to make offering is to know how making the sampiyan (made from young coconut leaves). I have to get the ‘secret’ of making this ‘skillfull needed’ pieces as much as it is possible, from books, other family members, asked some patterns made of lontar or palm leaves (borassus flabeliffer), and trashes.

Trashes? Yes. When an offering material like sampiyan (made from young coconut leaves) had been presented or had been used in a traditional ceremony, I would take its trash, studied how to make it, took some notes of description and photos. Photos are important. Visuals are exactly great teacher for me when it involves beauty.

The used offering materials or trash I had taken

Another used offering material

My palm leaves patterns collection.

My palm leaves patterns collection. The basic material of learning to make sampiyan as the beginning part of making offerings. When I already knew how to make the basic shape of sampiyan, decorating it is up to my artistic side.

If you want to know how I am trying to learn another side of my culture, (traditional music) it will be my pleasure to host you in this post (with an updated of Terompong instrument photo)!

Weekly Writing Challenge: Student, Teacher

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Flowers

These flowers grow in my garden. All of them. When chilli and papaya are UN-intentionally grown. Not these beauties. We do intentionally grow it. Well, my husband does. I? I’ve assigned myself to put them in my blog to meet Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Flowers. Some of these flowers are the flower mascots of some regencies and city in Bali. However, from the 8 regencies and 1 city (Denpasar), not all of the region has already picked their flower mascots.

Jempiring (Balinese) or Kaca Piring (Indonesian) or Gardenia (English) is the mascot flower of Denpasar city. It has wonderful fragrance and colour that reminds you of purity.

Jepun (Balinese) or Kamboja (Indonesian) or Frangipani (English) is the mascot flower of Badung regency. It comes in many kind of variety and colours. Grows pretty easily in Bali soil and climate.

Pucuk (Balinese) or Kembang Sepatu (Indonesian, its translation is Shoe Flower) or Hibiscus (English). The flower mascot of Gianyar regency. What is the resemblance of this flower and a shoe? I-do-not-know. I just accept it without questioning, hopefully you, too :).

Mawa (Balinese) or Mawar (Indonesian) or Rose (English).

Tunjung (Balinese) or Teratai (Indonesian) or (water lily). Karangasem regency has created a dance inspired by this flower that the dance title is Sekar Tunjung (Sekar: flowers) and Tunjung (Water Lily). But, I don’t think they have claimed this flower as their flower mascot of regency.

Soka (Balinese) or Asoka (Indonesian) or Flame of Wood (English).

Another Water Lily. See a little bee inside the flower?

Orchid. Frankly speaking, I have no idea what variety it is, probably you could tell me….

Orchid. Still, have no idea, except its exotic distinguished beauty. That made me choose it as my header. Behind this flower is the traditional barn of Bali (jineng), of course in this modern days, with no paddy supply. Only place to spend our nice afternoon.

White roses.

This is my Champaka tree that just learnt how to produce flower. That little yellow and fragrant flower is its first masterpiece. Champaka is the mascot flower of Klungkung regency.

I hope, you enjoy the beauties in my garden that always make me happy to see. Do you see any same flowers in your place? What do you call them in your language? Or if you live in a different climate with mine, I am sure you have different beauties. Tell me about them.