4 posts from October 2007

- Cyclamen, سيكلامين, シクラメン
- Bakhoor Mariam (Mary's Incense), بخور مريم
- Qarn il-Ghazal (Gazelle's Horn), قرن الغزال
- Asa Arraii (Shepherd's Cane), عصى الراعي
- Persian Violet
- Sowbread
And my favorite would be...
- Zaamatoot (don't ask for translation), زعمطوط

There are more names for sure, but what most people don't know about this delicate plant, is that it is a Palestinian "delicacy"! Yes, its leaves are picked and cooked like vine leaves (waraq enab) ورق عنب أو دوالي, rolled to contain some rice and be served as a vegetarian seasonal delicacy..

It is also worth mentioning that beneath this beauty, lies the roots -or more precisely rhizomes- which are very poisonous, but used medicinally.

Good night Mr. Typhoon (-_-).... Good morning Sunshine! \(^O^)/

"Oh no, I am not going to be a loser gazing for countless hours at my 17" window to the world and miss this beautiful sky and refreshing breeze!" I said to myself.

I wanted to climb mount Takao, but many warnings to avoid it in weekends, so I went for plan B and head off to Ueno Park.

First thing I encountered  -after the tempting choco bananas- was the Cultural Hall, which features a zillion performances per season

Next was the Western Art Museum. Since I have been to Paris, I decided to skip this one and look for the much anticipated BIG "Tokugawa" Exhibition.

After buying the ticket at the National Museum I looked at the blue sky and decided to spend more time in the sun and check Ueno's famous Zoo, where the giant -sleeping- Panda greets its fans.

I don't like the concept of capturing animals for display, I am totally against it, but I was very tempted to go in and cheer the poor miserable animals and tell them I will come again for their rescue.

After more than two hours, it was time for a hot  meal to charge my energy for the Tokugawa exhibition.



From the display and arrangement, to the splendors of every single article, I traveled back in time to a very controversial period when the War Lord unified the country with all means of power. This era known as the Edo Period, influenced the future of the country dramatically. On a visual level, I personally look at it as the maturity of Japanese Aesthetics. I must admit, there were several items I thought would look much better in my room.

On the way out, there were some public performances in the park by some skilled performers and artists. All in all, it was a very refreshing day for all five senses.

I will leave you with some photos of my visit to Ueno Park..

"Manjushage" (Spider Lily), a native flower to China and Japan. The flowers blossom first without any notice declaring the arrival of Autumn, a week after they wither, the leaves appear.

Scientific name: Lycoris Radiata
Japanese name: Manjushage 慢樹沙華
Common names: Hurricane Lily, Red Spider Lily