Entry 8 : Ending of 2021

 Chrismas 2021 came and went peacefully. Some local islanders who are Christians, have small family celebrations with KFC and strawberry cream cake. The unmarried couples opted for night dates and continue the night into whatever they liked to do. For the rest of us, everything is just routine as the nation does not have a public holiday for this occasion.
I just stayed warmed with leg warmers, trying to stay warm without the room heater on so far this winter. I was testing myself to see how long I can cope but I failed yesterday. It was gusty and chilly yesterday at 10c and I told myself, "that's it, today the room heater shall start." No more grinding my teeth to keep warm.

Our petit banan plant drooped with a bunch of baby banana. The summer this year was cool, not much humid days. When the weather started to become humid, all too sudden, autumn set in. The banana plant was happily flowering and for a short while budding with fruits. It couldn't last long. It seems like the whole branch is breaking off.

It is an entirely a different story for our papaya trees. This summer and into the autumn, it sprout abundantly with flowers and serving us with loads of sweet, juicy fruit papaya. 

I went to the local market yesterday and found out that a ripen papaya is more costly that the green, unripe fruits. The local islanders use the green papaya as side dish with rice by slicing and stir-frying with pork and other meats. In Singapore and Malaysia, only the ripen fruits is eaten. I was surprised to see cooked papaya when I landed on this island 25 years ago.
As the year is ending and with the coming new year, whenever I happened to meet friends while shopping or on the road, we say "Yoi Otoshi yo or the long version Yoi Otoshi yo mukae kudasai" which means May you see a good year.

良いお年お迎えください everyone.

Haiku
Year-end papaya
humble and unglorified
my healthy breakfast.