Nature

The Aerophytic Orchids in June

When the aerophytic orchids bloomed in March in tropical Singapore (where there isn’t really a Spring season), they were besetted with the approaching parched and dry sunny weather. Yet Mother Nature gives as it takes. On a mild Sunday morning in June, an overnight tunderstorm has refreshed the air, moistened the flora, and blown down…

The Aerophytic Orchids in Tropical Spring

The aerophytic orchids that hang by threads of weathered linen on the peacock tree is blooming in profusion. Meanwhile, the peacock tree, feeling parched, clipped, and facing its own existential threats, is not providing enough to shield and relieve the orchids’ entitled blooms. Sun-damage! The bottom-fishers bloom with abandonement. While seeds fall to the ground…

My Singapore Sunbird

The Singapore olive-backed nectar-loving sunbird that visits my garden is bright and chirpy in the morning. That’s why she’s a sunbird. Her effervescent presence permeates the early morning humidity as she announces her presence on the ginger. You can tell it’s a she from her upperpart olive-green plumage and completely yellow underparts. The juvenile sunbird…

An Unplanned Encounter in Jeju

When we visited Jeju island in the autumn of 2022, we had not expected to experience another Encounter with the Lord. As it were, the allure of old friends reuniting, nature beckoning, and savouring the yet unfamiliar Korean cuisine was enough to assure us of a most fulfilling week of fellowship and experience to come.…