Cymbidium aka Boat Orchid

Cymbidium, commonly known as boat orchids, is a genus of evergreen flowering plants in the orchid family Orchidaceae. They are well known in horticulture and many cultivars have been developed.

Cymbidium is a festive favourite due to its large and fragrant blooms that signify fertility and abundance. Flowers are arranged on an unbranched flowering stem arising from the base of the pseudobulb.

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Good, Evil

No human is entirely good and void of evil, nor one who is so evil that he is void of good. There is some good, and some evil in all of us. In every man's heart there is a devil, but we do not know the man as bad until the devil is roused. Sometimes, it is ignorance in the man that commits an act without knowing that what he has done is evil.

No man is permanently and fixedly evil, until he is willingly evil. Still, there is plenty of evil in the world. And being aware of it makes you a realist, not a paranoid.

The line between good and evil is permeable and almost anyone can be induced to cross it when pressured by situational forces. - Philip Zimbardo

The small man thinks that small acts of goodness are of no benefit, and does not do them; and that small deeds of evil do no harm, and does not refrain from them. Hence, his wickedness becomes so great that it cannot be concealed, and his guilt so great that it cannot be pardoned. - Confucius

The world we live in is a world of mingled good and evil. Whether it is chiefly good or chiefly bad depends on how we take it. To look at the world in such a way as to emphasize the evil is the art of pessimism. To look at it in such a way as to bring out the good, and throw the evil into the background, is the art of optimism. The facts are the same in either case. It is simply a question of perspective and emphasis. - William Dewitt Hyde

The truth is that most of us see what we are looking for in this world. If we are looking for evil we find it. The reason is not merely that evil exists all around us. There is another reason, far more potent. By looking for evil in our fellow creatures we bring out evil either from them or from ourselves, perhaps from both. - John Daniel Barry

Life is composed of lights and shadows, and we would be untruthful, insincere, and saccharine if we tried to pretend there were no shadows. Most things are good, and they are the strongest things; but there are evil things too, and you are not doing a child a favour by trying to shield him from reality. The important thing is to teach a child that good can always triumph over evil. - Walt Disney

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Acalypha Hispida

Acalypha hispida, the chenille plant, is a flowering shrub which belongs to the family Euphorbiaceae. They are also known as Philippine medusa and 'red hot cat tail' in English. - Wikipedia

The plant originated in tropical Asia. It can be grown outdoors, or cultivated as a house plant because of its attractiveness and brilliantly colored, furry flowers. The flowers grow in clusters along catkins. This feature is the primary reason the plant bears the nickname “red-hot cat tail”. The pistillates will grow all year long as long as the temperatures are favorable. 

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Cheeky Humour

It is said that laughter is a prevention against depression, a truly therapeutic agent of positive self healing. So, the sensible thing would be to laugh as much as you can, when you can.

Life is short and transient. Like the passing clouds, we are here one moment, gone the next. So, don’t take life too seriously. Laugh and be merry. You will find life more bearable.

Enjoy today’s selection of humour. Remember the ones you like, and go make someone laugh. They might not tell you, but they will be thankful to you for that. We all like someone who can make us laugh.

May your days be filled with laughter.

Remember when we had to smack the TV because the channel wasn't coming in clearly? I feel that way about far too many people. - Unknown

As a novelist, I tell stories and people give me money. Then financial planners tell me stories and I give them money. - Martin Cruz Smith

Most women are not so young as they are painted. - Max Beerbohm

Luck sure didn’t look like a lady tonight, more like the bitch she always was. - Rob Thurman

Many brief follies – that is what you call love. And your marriage puts an end to many brief follies, with a single long stupidity. - Friedrich Nietzsche

You can get much further with a kind word and a gun than you can with a kind word alone. - Al Capone

To err is human, but to really foul things up you need a computer. - Paul Ehrlich

Lawyers believe a man is innocent until proven broke. - Robin Hall

It’s absolutely unfair for women to say that guys only want one thing: sex. We also want food. - Jarod Kintz

The best careers advice to give to the young is ‘Find out what you like doing best and get someone to pay you for doing it.’ - Katherine Whitehorn

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Quote Worthy

The wisdom of the ancient - the sages, gurus, philosophers and all those who studied life, all those who learned Life lessons first hand, their wisdom is invaluable. Their wisdom and life experiences come to us in the form of Aphorisms. If we take time to examine their words, we would surely benefit from their wisdom.

The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, not to worry about the future, or not to anticipate troubles, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly. - The Buddha

I know not anything more pleasant, or more instructive, than to register from time to time the difference between idea and reality. It is by this kind of observation that we grow daily less liable to be disappointed. - Samuel Johnson

Little drops of water, little grains of sand, make the mighty ocean and the pleasant land. So the little minutes, humble though they be, make the mighty ages of eternity. - Julia A. Fletcher Carney

One man may hit the mark, another blunder; but heed not these distinctions. Only from the alliance of the one, working with and through the other, are great things born. - Antoine De Saint-Exupery

The resources we need to turn our dreams into reality are within us, merely waiting for the day when we decide to wake up and claim our birthright. - Tony Robbins

When you are obliged to make a statement that you know will cause displeasure, you must say it with every appearance of sincerity; this is the only way to make it palatable. - Paul De Gondi

If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people together to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea. - Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Theology is never any help; it is searching in a dark cellar at midnight for a black cat that isn’t there. Theologians can persuade themselves of anything. - Robert Heinlein

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Mandai Boardwalk

More information on the Mandai Boardwalk. All the information is on their website and the information board displayed along the boardwalk. The information gives visitors a history of the place, and the area's biodiversity. It gives visitors a better picture of what the boardwalk is about.

The Mandai Boardwalk is a scenic 3.3-kilometer-long boardwalk skirting the perimeter of Singapore’s two other tourist attractions – the ‘River Wonders’ and the ‘Singapore Zoo.

The boardwalk offers visitors moments of quiet connection with nature, with opportunities to spot local wildlife, and beautiful views of the Upper Seletar Reservoir.

The Reservoir contains more water than 750 Olympic swimming pools! Though constructed by man to serve Singapore’s growing water needs, the reservoir has become the heart of a thriving ecosystem.

At approximately 2000 hectares, the Central Catchment Nature Reserve is vital to Singapore's survival. It serves as a green lung and rainwater catchment area, as well as a haven for severely threatened animals, including some found nowhere else in the world.

If you are lucky, you may spot some of these wildlife during the walk – monitor lizards, macaques, birds like kingfishers, lora, the native four-lined tree frog, dragonflies and damselflies.

The design of the structures along the boardwalk and the name of the rest stations are inspired by the wildlife and their habitats.

And of course, there’s the local flora and commonly seen vegetation like -

Alocasia odora, also known as Asian taro,

and Dillenia suffruticosa

Other native plants

Beautiful fan palms

The Boardwalk is open from 7am to 7pm. There are no charges for entry.

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Laughter - The Best Medicine

Without laughter, life would be intolerable. Where there is laughter, there is joy and happiness. Laughing faces do not mean that there is no sorrow! It means that people have the ability to deal with their sorrows! It means that instead of wallowing in self-pity and moaning about their ills, people are able to rise above their problems, or sorrows.

So, laugh, the world could use some humour and laughter – a lot of it, in fact. Your laughter might be the only ray of sunshine some people see for the whole day. Laughter translates into any language and is contagious. Laugh and the whole world laugh with you.

May your days be filled with laughter.

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Mandai Boardwalk

Singapore has got a new attraction – the Mandai Boardwalk. It was officially opened on the 14 of January 2025. I went to ‘check it out’ on Monday. The 3.3 km boardwalk was designed to ‘accommodate all ages and abilities’. It takes about an hour of leisurely stroll – if you stop to enjoy the view and to take photos, to complete the walk.

However, the boardwalk is not the kind of thing one would want to do on a regular basis. Although it would be a very good walk route if you live hereby, it is not the same if you have to travel to take a walk. The scenery, though nice is something that if you have seen it once, it is quite enough. I will go back again, but just not in a hurry to do so. But if you are a wildlife enthusiast, there might be more motivation to go back - anytime.

Anyhow, I had a pleasant walk, and I enjoyed the walk. There were some nice views and I encountered some macaques. The place was very quiet. Maybe because it was a weekday and because it is new and people haven’t got a chance to go and visit it.

Interesting structures

3.3 km of boardwalk with views of the reservoir on one side and wildlife vegetation on the other. There are many look-out points and rest stations along the boardwalk.

A group of macaques playing on the boardwalk. I found myself outnumbered, and I wondered if they will gang up to attack me. Luckily, they let me be.

Nice views of the reservoir along the boardwalk.

It is free entry to the boardwalk. The place is open from 7:00am to 7:00pm; last entry at 6:00pm. And it is easy to get to. You can drive there or take public transport or shuttle buses provided by them.

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