Yellow Blossoms in Wuchuan

After a hard week's work my eyes craved to look at something pretty. So I collected a series of yellow blossoms I captured on my walks to and back from the office I occupy here in Wuchuan this spring.

As usual, I haven't a clue what these plants and trees are called. I'll stick my neck out and guess that the first are watermelon blossoms. Am I right?

Wuchuan, 2012

These are linked with others who adore flowers at Floral Friday Foto, Flowers on Saturday, Today's Flower and Weekend Flower.

Japanese Pickles

I like trying new foods. I do have boundaries, but I will generally try anything offered in good faith at least once. 

I was intrigued by the specialty food sold in this store in a food mall in Kyoto. But I did not get to taste any of it. My guess is that these rolls right in front are some kind of vegetable in a mustard sauce, but I must call on my blogger friend Kaori from Shinjuku Daily Photo to set me straight.

Postscript: Thanks much, Kaori! Here we have one of numerous kinds of pickles - tsukemono - often served with a Japanese meal. This particular pickle delicacy originates from the Nara period over twelve hundred years ago. The famous kasuzuke, known as shiru-kasu-zuke or narazuke, was made for samurai by pickling fish or vegetables (typically melon, cucumber or eggplant) in a mix of sakekasu (sake lees, what remains after pressing sake mash), mirin, sugar and salt. The amazing part is that a great kasuzuke takes 1 to 3 years to make!  One more reason for me to return to the beautiful Kansai region of Japan.

Kyoto, 2009

The scene certainly fits right in with Mellow Yellow Monday.

How about you... how open are you to new taste experiences?

Yellow, White and Red Flowers Nearby

Here are three flowers species I managed to capture on-the-run over the hectic period of our move to our new home.

This Kampanilya or Yellow Bell (Allamanda cathartica Linn) adorned the gate of our old house. 

These Kalachuchi flowers, aka Temple Flower or Frangipani (Plumeria acuminata), grow on a magnificent tree in front of our new neighbor's house. 

And finally a macro of a flower in a Flame Tree (Delonix regia) outside the court we played tennis last week. To see an entire tree in bloom, see my earlier post here. 

 Manila, 2011

Check out the stunning flowers at Today's Flower and fabulous macros at Macro Monday. I'm also linking with the blogging communities at Mellow Yellow Monday and Ruby Tuesday.

Just a Color Story

I almost blew it by titling this post Primary Colors. But just in the nick of time I caught myself... 

Manila, 2010

This funky scene joins the joys of color at

Mellow Yellow Monday

Blue Monday

Ruby Tuesday

Yellow Wheels

Vienna, 2011

Visitors to Vienna can hop on a horse-drawn carriage and get a guided tour around this beautiful historic city. The old-fashioned carriages can be found parked on Stephansplatz I introduced earlier, right beside the famous cathedral.

There are people who oppose the use of horses for this purpose, no matter how well the animals are treated or protected by laws. In New York City, for instance, a bill has been introduced to ban them. 

What is your view on this topic? Is this an issue close to your heart, either way? The newly wedded couple of Britain greeted their well-wishers in a royal carriage. Was that a sweet nod to tradition or just painfully old-fashioned? Or does it matter at all?

These bright yellow wheels join Mellow Yellow Monday.

Yellow and Red Fruits

When in season, farmers of Romania come into the cities to sell their fresh fruits. I especially relish fresh plump red (or white) cherries; so when at the start of my walk yesterday I saw this vendor selling them out of the back of her old yellow Dacia car, I took a mental note to get some on my way back home. Unfortunately, a couple of hours later I did not run into any more vendors.

 Bucharest, 2011

I got a kick out of how she was parked in the middle of the road, so I am also posting this longer view.

Plenty of yellows and reds here to link with Mellow Yellow Monday and Ruby Tuesday.

Painted Dishes

Satellite dishes, that is.

I saw these funky painted dishes on an apartment building in an "ethnic" part of Amsterdam. What a marvelously creative way to color your world.

 Amsterdam, 2011

 [click to enlarge to see more colors!]

Linking to fans of color at Mellow Yellow Monday and Blue Monday.

Forget Domani

Do you recognize this angel?

 Bucharest, 2011

My clue for you is the song Forget Domani sung by Katyna Ranieri. Listen to it, if you have a few minutes, it's so fun (right click on the title to open the link in a new tab).

Here is a longer view for the answer.

 

She is called Spirit of Ecstasy and has quite the romantic history. This hood ornament has adorned the RR since 1911. And the whole yellow car...

 

And what has that to do with Forget Domani? The song won Best Original Song at the 23rd Golden Globe Awards. It was for the movie The Yellow Rolls-Royce. It looks like a good film, but I've not seen it. Have you?

This post links with Macro Monday and Mellow Yellow Monday.

The Common Dandelion

What is the difference between a weed and a flower? Only that the weed grows where it is not wanted, I've learned. Does that make it less beautiful or useful? Well, no. 

Take the common dandelion. Isn't it delightfully pretty? Each bright yellow flower is unique, no two alike, as far as I can tell... so much like snowflakes that way... and humans.

[Enlarge me by clicking.]

Dandelions have medicinal and culinary uses. If, for example, you have low appetite, upset stomach, or liver or gallbladder issues, or you need to normalize your blood sugar level or improve your lipid profiles, you may want to look more into the curative powers of the various parts of this lowly weed. Its young leaves are great in salads or sauteed with sweet vegetables. 

 Austria, 2011

Hey, honeybees love them... and after a spring of seeing bright yellow dandelions everywhere, so do I.

This is my contribution to Today's Flower, Mosaic Monday, Macro Monday, and Mellow Yellow Monday. (If a host of any of these memes frowns on multi-linking, don't be shy to let me know.)

Yellow Mansion

This is an interesting looking home we saw on our walk in an upscale residential district of Bucharest. It looks to me like it was built quite recently, as opposed to being an oft-seen renovated old mansion, so the amount of detail astonishes me.

Bucharest, 2011

Would you care to live in this house?

Posted for Mellow Yellow Monday.

Yellow Signs of Spring

It was a chilly day for our walk around Bucharest today, made chillier by a persistent wind, but lovely signs of spring are finally in clear view.

 

Bucharest, 2011

To see more things yellow, go to Mellow Yellow Monday.

Yelllow Glass Roof

Today our ramble exploring the city of Bucharest took us through Pasajul Macca-Vilacrosse, a pleasing fork-shaped, yellow glass covered arcade built in the mid-19th century and named after the chief architect of the city and his brother-in-law.

 Bucharest, 2011

I link with Mellow Yellow Monday and Mosaic Monday.

Sticky Stuff

Suman is a Filipino delicacy served over the Christmas holidays, which in the Philippines, it is jokingly said, goes from early September to end January. Traditionally suman is served as dessert at the Noche Buena meal (Christmas Eve after late night mass).

This delicious dish is made of sticky rice cooked with coconut milk and steamed in banana leaves. The rice mixture is then skillfully wrapped in buri leaves. There are regional variations in the recipe, and these days we can buy them flavored, including chocolate suman!

I found these being sold in front of the Quiapo Church in Manila just a few weeks ago.

Manila, 2011

Suman is typically served with sugar and grated coconut, or with a coconut based sauce, or with ripe yellow mango.

This is my offering for Mellow Yellow Monday.

Tempozan Ferris Wheel

Some months back I already introduced the imposing Tempozan Ferris Wheel standing between the Osaka Aquarium and a cable-stayed bridge (panorama better viewed enlarged).

Osaka, 2009

This ferris wheel stands 112.5 meters / 370 feet tall and measures 100 meters / 328 feet in diameter, making it one of the largest in the world. 

I still feel a tinge of regret that we did not have the time to take the 17-minute ride to enjoy (and capture!) the view of Osaka Bay, the city and the surrounding mountains, especially since a gray rainy morning had turned into brilliant blue-skied afternoon.

Today I link with Mellow Yellow Monday. Click on the link to find more interesting takes on the theme.

Feeling the Fruit

Delhi, 2010

Today I am linking with Mellow Yellow Monday.

The More Things Change

The more they stay the same...

This building in Manila once housed the national waterworks and sewage authority and is now a hall of justice.

 Manila, 2011

Unfortunately, I can tell you nothing more about the building.

Yeah, I know, a very lame post. But sometimes I just want to express my exasperation with the never-improving status quo.

The color does qualify it to be linked with Mellow Yellow Monday.

Tropical Foliage

The deep mottled hues and varied shapes of the tropical croton plant appeal to me. Its colorful glossy leaves brighten up any garden.

Quezon, 2010

Linking with Today's Flower, where I hope my pretty leaves are accepted as decoratives, as well as the blogging communities at Mellow Yellow Monday and Mosaic Monday.

A Yellow Weed

Like a shy plain Jane at a ball of beauty queens, this is a little yellow weed in a land of exotic eye-popping flowers. Nonetheless, on a rainy day, I found her in our garden shining with her own special loveliness. She certainly brightened up my day.

Manila, 2010

Can anyone identify her?

Joining the fun at Today's Flower and Mellow Yellow Monday.  

Holding Up the Sky

Kyoto, 2009

We were temple-hopping on foot in Kyoto and along the way I saw and snapped this golden sculpture. I now wish I'd stopped a bit longer to consider a better angle to take the photo, but still I think it is quite an imposing piece of public art. I also didn't get any information about it, so if anyone can fill us in, that would be super.

PS. Thanks to fellow blogger VP from Livorno Daily Photo for this link to some information about this sculpture.

Perhaps the folks at Mellow Yellow Monday would enjoy this. You'll find many links to blogs offering creative takes on mellow yellow.

Autumn Gold

The Kansai region of Japan may be more famous for its pink cherry blossoms in spring and red maple leaves in fall, and no one could possibly deny their stunning beauty. But I fell in love with the golden ginkgo tree.

 Osaka, 2009

The botanical name of this tree is ginkgo biloba. It is a unique species of tree with no close existing relatives, and but for a few possible locations in eastern China, it does not grow in the wild; it is an entirely cultivated tree. And yet it may be one of the oldest species of trees on earth. 

If you suffer from lapses of memory like I do, they say the extract of the nuts and leaves of ginkgo can help restore your powers of concentration. I've bought it before, but I never remember to take it.  In concentrated form ginkgo is also used to help people (yeah, me too) with blood circulatory issues.

Whatever its benefits, I just find it a beautiful tree with unique shaped leaves. This is the kind of gold I can get attached to.

I'm linking with the blogging communities at Mellow Yellow Monday and Mosaic Monday.