Saturday, October 20, 2012

Family Carnival is here!

Remember how excited we were as kids when the circus came to town? There was always  the promise of fun and laughter. Or when a Family Fair with carousels and ferry wheels made us yearn  for popcorn, ice cream  and wishing the fun would not stop!

When The Family Carnival came to the Royal Lake Club, it was time for merriment. So much happened under one roof. Well, under canopies and under the sun.  Luckily, the days and evenings of rain got shooed away by the glorious sun! It was fun playing games. Not the computer kind!

The mini petting zoo was a hit too. Possums, guinea pigs, rabbits and snakes and other reptiles attracted many visitors.

More than a touch of magic was in the air too. I bet many kids had wished to  be wearing the magician's robe and waving that wand just to make things disappear into the thin air!

The Club  organised  the different cultural shows for all to enjoy the different ethnic cultures in the dances.

I was late for the sale of the dvds. Nevertheless, I went home with a couple of different genres which I do not normally view. My highlight, being a kid again (!) was to try my hand at paint ball. Must admit it was a bit 'tame' judging by the real  stuff of dodging  one's enemies etc. The itch was there to see the splatter of paint from my machine gun!



Hawker-style food - favourites to eat - all for children's charities via coupons

Bringing on the smiles

The Royal Lake Club Committee in the mood for a jolly time. 

Lift and ready for the roll

Knock 'em down!

Blowing In The Wind- catch, grab them and win vouchers

Cuddles for the guinea pig

A possum  awakened from his sleep.



Giddy up! - wanna get the feel of  being a cowboy?

An attraction in itself - so many prizes. Hmm. which one do I want??

Sway and dance your worries away

Like a bullet it comes! - drat! missed again.

Slide and bounce in the sun - that's what kids should do.

My highlight - gunning for a hit. Despite not knowing where/how  to aim, I scored  2 out of 10. Hurray! 

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Plant Exchange

Greenies of the Selangor and FT Gardening Soc (SFTGS) inevitably look forward to the annual plant exchange  at our beloved patron, Tan Sri Chong Hon Nyan's house.

Outwardly the event might look like a 'lelong' of plants  but more things  surface  when one is enjoying oneself there.

This event usually takes place on a Sunday. It spells camaraderie - of people and plants. The simple request  goes: gather ye some plants, pot or bag them with tlc, bring them and do an exchange with someone else's plant/s. Or just donate your money to the SFTGS if your plant is sold.

There was quite a good selection of plants. This time round, I bought plants I had 'killed' off - cili , kesum and aloe vera. I added  a sweet basil and a peppermint plant. Someone brought  an armful of cinnamon leaves to give away.They were snapped up in a jiffy.

Another member who has a thriving  rearing goat business brought goat dung and fresh milk  to sell. The goat dung really does wonders to the plants.

Not to be outdone, Puan Sri Chong's fruit acar  always adds to the coffers of our Soc. In fact, our dear patron and his wife make us proud of them. Our Soc tagline, 'ALL Things Grow With Love', just suits them to the T. Take a walk into their garden and you'll  wish you had a piece of their treasures! There's also birds which chirp  beautifully in the background. That's also one of their passions.

We bought our brand new publication titled:  Gardening in Malaysia. Flowering Plants Vol.1. It  was launched at our annual gathering  and the response is encouraging. More issues are in the pipeline - 2)Ground Covers,Annuals, Herbs ,3) Climbers, Bulbs, Foliage Plants 4)Trees and Palms. All the issues are for the layman's usage - suits me fine:)

Our hospitable hosts made sure we had our fill of local favourites- curry mee, popiah, kuay teow, mee rebus and ice kacang. Say no to food? never!

Yummy food at your command!

Plants potted in a variety of containers for exchange or sale.

Our patron, Tan Sri Chong Hon Nyan and members enquiring about the goat fertiliser and milk on sale.


Puan Sri Chong 's signature acar always makes an appearance to get more funds for the Soc.

So many plants to choose from. I bought an aloe vera, cili padi, croton, peppermint plant and sweet basil. 

Our banner to greet the members at our patron's house.