A White Treasure

Sometimes, beauty lies hiding in your backyard. It is just a matter of looking for it.

There she was waiting on the ground. My treasured white find which had me practically squealing with delight. Barringtonia Asiatica, the flower that is otherwise known as Sea Poison Tree and commonly referred to in Melay as “putat”.

It was lying there on the grounds out at FRIM  (Forest Research Institute malaysia), a place that I had once frequented for weekly walks.

Thing is,  when you’re out with frens  that time walks too earnestly and have a gazillion things to accomplish on a Sunday, there’s no time to stand and stare.

Totally different from when photographers venture out.

Which is why that Sunday morning, we took our own sweet time. The fitness freaks would have breezed through the main road in five minutes. We only took about two hours.

A friend gleefully tested out  her micro lens on mushrooms that tried to hide away between leaves. Tall trees with leaves that hardly touched loomed over us,  barks with interesting patterns stared at us and dragonflies that rested fleetingly teased us. That and much more had us snapping away.   

This particular forest still leaves me spellbound no matter how many times I visit. Which brings me back to my point about beauty being in our backyard.

Often, we don’t seem to look hard enough with what we have and what is so close by. There’s no need to seek beauty and joy afar; it’s most probably staring you right in the face. 

Ever met old-time birders who are still mesmerized by  common birds?

They painstakingly focus their binoculars on them, letting their beauty fill their lives with awe all over again. Perhaps we should be like them. Appreciate the beauty in all that surrounds us, no matter how many times we’ve seen it. 

 

A quick word about FRIM

FRIM is a green haven that locals flock to, to walk off food indulgences, soak in  green vibes, cycle on treks, picnic out to the sound of cascading water, and more. There are lots of trails, a canopy walk, a waterfall, etc. Try logging on to the official website  at www.frim.gov.my/, though it is a tad slow.