Here, there, everywhere a palm tree
If you didn’t know it already then you’re about to find out something new, so brace yourself. The native tree of Florida is a palm tree.
by Cate
Sabal Palmetto or Cabbage Palmetto may mean nothing to ordinary visitor or local living here, but this name refers to the Floridian native that contended for the prize of state tree kicking out fellow competitors as the Long Leaf pine. Officials in 1953, passed a statute giving the Palm the recognition and protection it deserved.
I never knew there was so much involved in being a tree.
Of course this tree is no ordinary tree, ask a botanist who specialises in palms and you will likely be informed that the Sabal Palmetto is in fact a weed — a grass — with a number of edible parts: leaves, roots, seeds.
by Cate
If you like palm trees then Florida is your place. Beside it being a flat, sandy, humid peninsula, there are around 27 palm varieties — native and exotic flourishing in the wild with six receiving full state protection. Hundreds upon hundreds of palms grow around the beaches, in gardens, line streets and affluent avenues and parking lots. Yet despite the near perfect growing conditions there is not one palm oil production unit in sight.
Royal, Lady, Saw and Windmill are some of the palms around the Palm Beaches, my favourite one comes under the romantic name: Travelers Palm with its fan like leaves, I think this tree warrants recognition as being more picturesque than others.
by Cate
I always thought this tree belonged to the Banana family.
Looking onto the garden complex where I live, there are countless varieties of Palms, of which I know nothing. They are striking in their evening silhouettes softening urban settings between a frame of drooping leaves.
by Cate
Palms offer up a lot to photographers: lines, angles, contrasts, spiders, sticky webs…
- by Cate
Coconuts grow on some varieties around South Florida and yes, these do come crashing down on heads, cars and the roads. As for Date Palms? I haven’t seen any as yet, and when I do I’ll be the first one hanging around underneath eating the fresh juicy fruits.
Caffeinated Traveller
Kiwi Feet
On a chilly mid winter morning when the ground was finely coated with Jack Frost’s calling card, I watched my friend walk towards my house from her car which she had parked out on the street. While I waited, huddled around a gas heater, I noticed something wasn’t quite right with the picture in front of me.
My friend was in this picture along with a bag of freshly baked muffins in her left hand and her car keys and purse in her right hand. She had on a thick woollen coat, a long homespun muffler and matching pumpkin coloured beanie, but I couldn’t put my finger in the thing that was missing. And then it clicked. On her feet she had nothing.
“What happened to your shoes?” I asked her as I opened the door. She smiled holding up a bag of muffins unfazed by the temperature and her barefeet.
“I dunno.” she replied “No worries eh.”
That was the end of the discussion. I had forgotten my friend had a dislike for shoes, excluding jandals (flipflops) opting to go around unshod and free whenever she could.
I, on the other hand, prefer my feet well shod when walking outside on the pavement, road, icy cold grass, sopping paddocks, animal defecated pastures and sunburnt sands.
Many New Zealander’s — bless them — also prefer their feet shoeless: 24/7.
Inside department stores, discount stores and supermarkets unshod feet trod over dirty grimy floors, concrete pock marked with gum, and tar stained roads. All I can say to this a part from “eeeewwwwww”, is that I don’t associated myself with this part of the kiwi psyche. In fact I cannot understand it. Never have and never will.
Like Hobbits, Kiwis who trudge around without shoes have a common ailment known in the shoeless fraternity as “Kiwi Feet.” Here the sole is likened to rhinoceros skin and the foot’s width foot has broadened due to years of being outside a constricting shoe. Another unique fact is the amazing tolerance Kiwi Feet have in subzero temperatures or high heat after standing on a discarded cigarette stub.
It used to be that shoeless feet could be seen everywhere throughout the country’s urban and rural centres, but over the generations as more New Zealander’s travel the globe bringing back etiquette and style (kind of) with them, the shoeless foot has succumbed to ruralisation with feet seeking out fresher and cleaner grounds to wander on.
Shoeless feet can still be found kicking back in rural schools, rural pubs and medical clinics, pushing down on acceleration pedals when driving, running across paddocks and running into the surf.
I cannot guess when going barefoot first entered the New Zealand culture. New Zealand Maori and Pacific Islanders may have introduced this to early European settlers when their footware fell apart, or surfers who lost their sandals and thought “why not?”. The list is endless.
If you want to know more about this oddity in Kiwi Culture, simply Google it and see why tourists are as baffled about it as I am.
Caffeinated Traveller
City in Transition:Seoul
With the countless travel articles currently flaunting the Eat Pray Love thing or rehashing the old favourites in Mexico and Thailand or Paris and Morocco, it was refreshing to read a feature recently (via the New York Times autumn travel addition) on a place that up to now has never made its way on elite travel lists. I’m talking about Seoul.
I’ve known Seoul as a bustling beehive packed with commuters, pollution, and construction. A place where expats often go to hide and Asians love to visit for the brand shopping. I also know that Seoul isn’t considered as an exotic travel destination among “Western” travellers the way Tokyo is. Past comments I’ve received from bloggers, family and even friends have considered Seoul as a boring, dirty, crowded old city. I admit there is truth in these comments, but I can also take these words and apply them to any city within Asia, the Americas and dare I say it — Europe.
Despite the global recession South Korea was one of the few countries to pull itself out of the financial quagmire earlier on. With sound financial policies and strategies the country is well on track to becoming a major player in North Asia’s financial hub. Add innovative ideas and a national airline that likes to collect award upon award it’s any wonder why the NY Times has picked up on this happening country particularly Seoul, adding it to the top 31 places to visit in 2010.
So, what’s delicious about Seoul?
Buddhism
by Cate
Buddhist enthusiasts can forget Thailand and its glitzy tourist orientated temples and pagodas. Korea’s Buddhism has remained under the radar for decades and well away from wannabe devotees. Temple stays are available in the country’s bigger temples outside Seoul city and in the country’s southern regions. Personally the idea of waking at 4am to chant has never been my thing, but if it’s what you seek in life, you won’t find the temples overcrowded with cameras except on religious holidays.
by Cate
Street food, Café food
A city in transition means food in transition. Street food and vendors are a large part of the Korean landscape selling toasted bread sandwiches, rice porridge, rock hard candy, popped rice snacks, chicken kebab, rice balls in a vibrantly red chilli sauce, noodles, tempura style vegetables, dried fish and boiled silkworm larvae (hmmm). This is what keeps Koreans ticking; stalls that open at day break and close in the early hours. Usually operated by small strong fierce-looking grandmothers, the prices are cheap and the food is fresh.
by Cate
As Koreans bring food and design ideas back with them from overseas, cafés including brunch or spaghetti specific have popped up like mushrooms and have also shut down overnight. The scene is forever changing. There are also Indian, Thai, Uzbeki. Mongolian, French, German and dozens of Chinese restaurants and other flavours of immigrants to South Korea over the recent years.
by Cate
Old style, New style
Corporate conglomerates like Samsung and LG house their staff in Seoul’s finer pieces of architect, and if they are not doing this for their staff their names gone on art galleries. Transitions can be a way passing over a tired old life for a shiny new including residing in old neighbourhoods. What once was a place where traditional homes clustered around narrow lanes and winding streets, are now high-rise apartment blocks, priced in the millions, safe and secure.
by Cate
Development has threatened Seoul’s historic district Bukchon, but thanks to UNESCO stepping in the traditional home called the hanok will be preserved. Sadly many areas have succumbed to the developers demolition ball and the opportunity to get lost among old rambling streets are rapidly decreasing.
by Cate
Personal Space
In a city with 26 million souls it is difficult to find personal space, unless you know where to go. Set among universities like Seoul National and Yonsei are gardens filled with beauty and prestige designed as backdrops for graduate shots and settings for picnics and romance. Naturally plantings change with the season from autumn hues to bridal pinks blossoms…
by Cate
by Cate
Whimsy
I like to think Seoul as a place where whimsy thrives. Old men have the ability to fall into deep sleeps as traffic zooms by honking horns, or hang outside a convenience store in the early hours of the morning debating life over bottles of sochu — at the top of their voices. Whimsy can be seen in the arts districts with retro style fixtures, furniture and music.
by Cate
by Cate
by Cate
But there is much more to South Korea than just Seoul. At the southern end of the peninsula lies Pusan, the second largest city with its golden beaches and very traditional fishing villages. Tea plantations like Boseong are virtually unknown by western tourists and the country’s oldest Buddhist|temple district lies southeast of Seoul in Gyeongju. Further south past Pusan is the island of Jeju known for it’s UNESCO lava domes and the ancient volcano Halla. North of Seoul is well, you know, the tiny artificial kingdom of the Democratic Republic of North Korea which opens its southern borders for day trips when diplomatic relations are good.
Caffeinated Traveller
Time for a Kit Kat and a small break
Dear Readers
I know I haven’t been on the ball with my postings lately, it has been busier than usual and I’m in need for a Kit Kat break.
Will be back posting regularly from next week. Enjoy your weekend everyone.
See you all next week.
Cate
