Tulipmania II

More on the tulips flower display.

Traditional Dutch Windmill
The Netherlands is famous for its windmills, which have played a crucial role in the development of the country. Dating back to the Middle Ages, they have been part of the Dutch landscape for centuries and serve as quintessential symbols of the country.

Typically constructed of wood with a large rotating cap that houses the vanes known as sails or blades, they convert wind energy into rotational energy. The sails are connected to a shaft that runs down into the mill, where they drive the machinery. Initially used to pump water out of low-lying areas, they were gradually adjusted and used for other purposes such as oil and paper production, as well as to saw timber.

Today, traditional Dutch windmills have given way to modern wind turbines, and instead now serve as historic landmarks or educational sites.

Traditional Tulip Fields
Traditional tulip fields, typically found in rural areas, are created by meticulously planting tulips in shades of red, pink, orange, yellow, purple and white in straight lines or curved patterns, resulting in a vibrant patchwork of hues with precision and symmetry that stunningly stretches across the landscape.

Horned tulip is an unusual tulip with long, slender, tapering petals.

Fringe tulips stand out among other tulip varieties as their unique fringed or serrated edges on the petals provide an extra dimension of texture and interest to the blooms.

Classic Tulips

All the information in the post is taken from the information boards at the display.

You can click on the picture for a better view.

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War

War is, of course, madness. For both victor and vanquished, war leaves only a sense of endless futility. Soldiers die, cities destroyed, razed to the ground, and citizens starve. War dehumanizes, it diminishes and it is a crime against humanity. What are leaders thinking when they decide to go to war? How could they want to go to war so readily? In this present day, I thought people would be more civilized and have more sense. I thought they would want to avoid war at all costs. When leaders wage war, it is the people who suffer.

We need to decide that we will not go to war, whatever reason is conjured up by the politicians or the media, because war in our time is always indiscriminate, a war against innocents, a war against children. War is terrorism, magnified a hundred times. - Howard Zinn

Always remember, however sure you are that you could easily win, that there would not be a war if the other man did not think he also had a chance. - Winston Churchill

War: first, one hopes to win; then one expects the enemy to lose; then, one is satisfied that he too is suffering; in the end, one is surprised that everyone has lost. - Karl Kraus

All war is symptom of man’s failure as a thinking animal. - John Steinbeck

I find war detestable but those who praise it without participating in it even more so. - Romain Rolland

They wrote in the old days that it is sweet and fitting to die for one’s country. But in modern war there is nothing sweet nor fitting in your dying. You will die like a dog for no good reason. - Ernest Hemingway

What a cruel thing war is… to fill our hearts with hatred instead of love for our neighbours. - Robert E. Lee

I do not know with what weapons World War III will be fought, but I do know that World War IV will be fought with rocks. - Albert Einstein

War is a poor chisel to carve out tomorrow. - Martin Luther King Jr.

Mankind must put an end to war before war puts an end to mankind. - John F. Kennedy

It is only through an abandonment of the idea that those entrusted with power have an exclusive right to decide upon war, and the substitution of a public opinion equipped with all the facts and taken into the confidence of the ruling classes, that peace can be assured to the world. - Frederic Clemson Howe

I cannot get accustomed to war; my brain refuses to understand and explain a thing that is senseless in its basis. Millions of people gather at one place and, giving their actions order and regularity, kill each other, and it hurts everybody equally, and all are unhappy – what is it if not madness? - Leonid Andreyev

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Tulipmania

Tulipmania is a display of tulip flowers in the Flower Dome in the Gardens by the Bay.

The display is quite impressive with lots of information on the lovely tulip blooms, as well as information on Dutch culture. I visited the display last week. Here are some photos, and information gathered from the display.

“This year’s floral display presents a blend of tradition and modernity, with quintessential elements of the traditional Dutch landscape such as the windmill and watermill juxtaposed against modern features that showcase technological advancements in urban farming and clean energy.”

Thatched Roof Farmhouse
A traditional architectural feature in the Netherlands, thatched roof farmhouses have a rich history in the Netherlands, dating back to medieval times. Serving as homes for farmers and their families, they were once common across Dutch countryside landscapes, and many have been preserved as historic landmarks, or turned into tourist attractions, museums, guesthouses, or private residences today.

The roof of these farmhouses was most distinct, constructed using locally sourced materials such as water reeds, straw or heather. Valued for their durability and sustainability, they provided excellent insulation, keeping those inside warm in winter and cool in summer. The steeply pitched roof also often had decorative ridges and gables, adding to its picturesque appearance.

There were many visitors at the display, making it difficult to take photos.

Dutch Watermill
Dating back to the Middle Ages, watermills have been used in the Netherlands for centuries. Strategically located near rivers, streams and canals so they could harness the power of flowing water to drive their machinery, there was no lack of opportunities to construct water mills given the country’s extensive network of waterways.

Dutch watermills typically consist of a large waterwheel often below the mill building, which is turned by the flow of water. Its rotation powers internal machinery, such as saw blades for cutting timber or millstones for grinding grain.

While most historic watermills no longer retain their original purpose, there are a few that still produce flour or perform other functions using traditional methods in the Netherlands.

All the information in the post is taken from the information boards at the display.

You can click on the picture for a better view.

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Monday Humour

Laughter might not solve our problems, but it provides a few minutes of relaxation, and distraction from all the negative news that is going around. It is also said that a sense of humour can give our immunity system a boost. So, laugh whenever you can. It is cheap medicine.

The following images are taken from Facebook pages and Whatsapp messages. They are not mine.

You can click on the picture for a better view.

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Cloud-spotting

Nothing changes more quickly than clouds in the sky. That is why cloud-spotting is never dull. Every time you look up at the sky you see a different scene. The scenes are ever changing.

Where I am at – in a concrete jungle in the tropics, I don’t get to see the sun rising or setting in the horizon, or behind the skyline. Occasionally, there might be something interesting, but generally, they are just rain clouds.

Fluffy clouds that look like cotton wools.

“Clouds in the sky very much resembles the thoughts in our minds! Both changes perpetually from one second to another! - Mehmet Murat Ildan”

You can click on the picture for a better view.

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Quote Worthy

Aphorisms are Life lessons from the sages, gurus, philosophers, and the wise men before us who had experienced and understood what life is all about. They are valuable lessons. If we could learn from them, we will be able to get a head start in life. We will be able to avoid some of the mistakes dotted along our life’s journey.

I recommend that people take an interest in aphorisms. There is so much to learn from these terse sayings, and astute observations.

It is through our imagination that we awaken some of its unknown potential. It is the one quality that is invariably attributed to our most inspired, creative people. - Leo Buscaglia

Winners take time to relish their work, knowing that scaling the mountain is what makes the view from the top so exhilarating. - Denis Waitley

There is a boundary to men’s passions when they act from feelings; but none when they are under the influence of imagination. - Edmund Burke

To recognize the shortfall in our life’s achievement, and still delight in being alive – this is the happiness of the mature. - Unknown

Trust your hunches. They’re usually based on facts filed away just below the conscious level. - Dr. Joyce Brothers

The only thing that overcomes hard luck is hard work. - Harry Golden

Compassion for others begins with kindness to ourselves. - Pema Chodron

Don’t think you’re on the right road just because it’s a well-beaten path. - Unknown

The only way to discover the limits of the possible is to go beyond them into the impossible. - Anthony D'Angelo

Use what talents you possess: the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best. - Henry Van Dyke

If you are serious about change, you have to go through uncomfortable situations and stop trying to dodge the process, it’s the only way to grow. - Unknown

We are always looking outside ourselves for strength and confidence but strength and confidence comes from within. They are there all the time. - Anna Freud

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