Thursday, May 21, 2009

Sunday stills: Yellow



In the town Sarikei, in Sarawak Borneo, where my Dad worked for some years as the Divisional Education Officer, the pineapple is the mascot. Here is a giant ten feet tall pineapple. I have eaten the best Sarawak pineapples that there is none as good as the Sarawak Pineapple. Ask people from Singapore, and they will agree.


We were in Singapore, and had a Kiwi visitor. I had to crop her face because I didn't ask her permission to post this photo. I took her with my children to visit Singapore's "resort" island Sentosa. There was a man there who charged $5 and allowed you to handle the python. My brave visitor and my daughter both spent $5.

Against the Chinese beliefs that we shouldn't be in the rain, I let D, then five to enjoy, "I am singing in the rain." I bought her a raincoat, gum boots and sewed her a pair of leggings. She had great fun, and I was there too, but with an umbrella. There was a heavy rainstorm, and part of our garden became a paddling pool. You can see from her face that she greatly enjoyed it.

Sam was a Teletubby toddler. He loved Lala. I was worried he would be "stupid" after reading all the controversial discussions about the Teletubbies. Sam turned out fine. I needn't have worried.

We went to USA, and this was a train at Washington DC. We stayed at the Grand Hyatt hotel, where downstairs, there was a station. The yellow seats were padded, unlike those hard seats in the MRT of Singapore. I knitted those colourful vests D and G were wearing. The yellow stood out.

You are right to think that this is orange, and not yellow. The sheep skin rug was yellow. I have no idea why the photo after all these years changed it's colour. I want to share this New Zealand story. My friends tell me that all Kiwi babies are given a sheep skin rug. They gave D one, which was twenty four years ago. You can't see her in the push chair, but she was there. She still has the rug.

This is a Kelabit mortif on a skirt that my Kelabit Sis-in-law Elly wore on her wedding night. She danced her tradition dance with hornbill feathers.

In year 2000, when G was twelve, the water engineer, G and I walked miles and miles in the freezing rain to Franz Josef glacier. This photo showed the terminus of the glacier. It is imperative that people obey the signs. Two brothers died when they didn't.

This was D's five year's old birthday. In New Zealand, children went to school at five years old, the day after their birthday. They don't anymore, I think now, they have a few in take a year. D's birthday was in December, she went to school for two weeks. Then they broke up for the long summer holiday. Here she was, on a McDonald's yellow slide, and a lemon dress her mum made. At that time, clothing were very expensive because there were no cheap foreign imports. I made all my children's clothing, and even some of mine and the water engineer's.

This was Summer, we were in some fun park. The kayak was powered by me as we meander about in the park. We didn't go very fast of course.

Sunday Stills the next Challenge: The color Yellow



As children, we always draw sunbeams yellow.
Sun flowers bring a cheer to my face.
We have the smiley happy faces yellow.
I think yellow is a happy colour/color.

15 comments:

Lori Skoog said...

You found a lot of yellow! A piece of pineapple sounds good about now...

flowerweaver said...

I love the giant pineapple! All your photos of your family in yellow show a nice slice of your life, in places I haven't been but would like to visit.

Especially enthralling the Kelabit skirt. I would love to know more about the symbolism of the motif and why it is used for a wedding in this culture.

Wildblack said...

Very nice photos! Yellow full of life! Cool collection!

WhimsybyMari said...

Wonderful pictures thank you so much for sharing a little bit of your family with us. It was very intresting to read you post also.

Jen Mo said...

LOL Great photos but I like the pineapple best!

Inday said...

Besides being a happy colour, it is also the colour for Friendship. I enjoy reading your life with your friends and children. I'll take note of your advice regarding what clothes to bring when we go to NZ. Counting down to 5 months now. It won't be long....

Anonymous said...

Very interesting shots. Now I'm hungry for fresh pineapple. I also collect pineapples. Good Job!

Regular Guy said...

Like your shots, my fav is the teletubby and I have ridden the Metro in DC many a time.

Anonymous said...

Lots, and lots of yellow. Nice job.

Guy D said...

Lots of yellows in those pics, great shots.

Cheers
Guy
Regina In Pictures

Unknown said...

wow...so much yellow, the Chinese always love and hang yellow pineapples in front of their homes. I hate the teletubbies..the kids love them, when they were younger then. they gave me headaches with their neverending giggles, glad all the kids have outgrown them..but then they are now into loud music, and that's another set of headache too...hugs..........M

Tammie Lee said...

Fun series of photos, full of tales and memories.

amuse me said...

Wow, you have been so many places. Really enjoyed this post. Thank you too for commenting on Bless Me Father. I didn't realize Father Muldoon was a real person! But I'm sure the story isn't real! :) M

Unknown said...

Love all the yellow.

Thanks for coming by to visit and commenting. Looking forward to your future post of your recipe for Tom Yum Khong soup!
-Kim

Reader Wil said...

Thank you for this beautiful post, Ann! We have also been near and even on Franz Josef glacier. That was in January, 2005. You asked about the hay bales. Yes they are put in black plastic bags. But I really don't know anything about hay making. Sorry.