Shrewd Growth Scheme

My Forces of Nature pictures come from the plant life we have seen on our hikes in and around Kuala Lumpur.  Specifically, these photos were taken at the Forest Research Institute Malaysia, or FRIM.

These curly cork screw vines can be seen in any forest in Malaysia.  Well, at least in any of the forests we have been in.  They are opportunistic, growing around another plant and reaching their way to the canopy and towards the sun.  Eventually, they smother their host and the original plant rots away while the vine retains the whorled shape.

Over a Century of Details

The Khoo Kongsi (clan house) in Penang, Malaysia

For the Intricate photo challenge:  A corner piece from Khoo Kongsi temple in Penang, Malaysia, built in 1906.  Clan houses are very important in the Chinese community in Penang.  They served as a sort of community center for new immigrants from the clan.  The Khoo Kongsi complex contained housing, an opera stage, meeting and business rooms, and of course this temple.  (It also currently contains a museum detailing the history, but I don’t think the museum displays were part of the original function of the clan house.)  There are many clan houses, but this is one of the finest…according to our favorite guide book.

The Khoo Kongsi Temple

A Moment of Zen with the Butterflies

I finally participate in the Daily Post’s Weekly Photo Challenge on time, instead of at the last minute!  Here I present my contribution to Motion.

We finally made it to the KL Butterfly Park.  The Tun Abdul Razak Heritage Park, colloquially known as the Lake Gardens, includes a lot of different “sub parks”- like the Bird Park (also, see where I wrote about it), the Perdana Botanical Garden (which also includes the Hibiscus and Orchid gardens), the Islamic Arts Museum, as well as a few other museums.  We’ve explored a lot of these parks and museums and somehow hadn’t seen the Butterfly Park yet.  We had a free weekend last weekend, so we finally made it there!

Inside the park, the mood was quite and contemplative.  We wandered around enjoying the sounds of the water fountains and the bright color splashes of the flowers and the butterflies.  Even through the heat and humidity of Kuala Lumpur, it was relaxing to spend some time with these little guys.