The simple joy of life.

Today I shall write about the simple joy of life.

How many really can enjoy these simple joys of life?

Each morning I savour these simple joys of life in my home.

The joy of planting a little longan sapling

and watching the little buds and new shoots

sprouting out each morning.

The joy of watching the little nutmeg plant

inching itself upward ever so slowly.

It's still fragile like a baby. The joy is not

in eating the fruits of the rambutan tree,

at least not for now; but the joy of anticipation

for greater things to come.

(Post script dated 13 March 2010: Unfortunately, this plant died. I have replaced it with a chikoo plant.)

The joy of keeping the "lawn" spick-and-span.

Hard labour of wifey and mine.

Nothing of the sort of golfing green,

but the humble mixture of common grass

already growing along with the lallang

when we moved in.

Now no more lallang.

The joy of hard work and perseverance.

(Post script dated 13 March 2010 : I am slowly replacing the common grass with carpet grass.)

This is my favourite. It is flowering now.

The fragrant yellow Chempaka of the

Thai variety. Will plant another of the

common variety later.

The joy of plucking the fragrant flowers

and offer them to the Buddha Image as a mark

of respect and reverence.

On the ground are two varieties of hybrid

Hibiscus, scarlet red and sunshine yellow.

In between is the potted ice-cream

pinkish-white Bougainvillea.

The joy of colourful sights. Wait till they are

more matured!!

The "Diamond" patch!

Just cleared of weeds, now with little Japanese rose stalks

planted on the ground.

At the centre will rise the majestic palm in time to come.

Little pots here and there, awaiting their fair share.

These are my little joys of life.

With quiet solitude and tingling wind chimes

to soothe a worried mind.

I wonder whether it's real joy of life,

or is it a spent life in a home for aged mind??

You see, it's simply a matter of perception;

It's all in your mind.

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To end this tour, let's take a dream-journey to old decadent Shanghai
in the 1930's Zhou Xuan era:

Presented by CCTV through courtesy of Youtube:
Zhou Xuan's 1937 Classic (My favourite) :
"The Wandering Songstress."