Thoughts On Durian Wine

I was always brought up the belief that wine was "fruit of the vine", although clearly now it "grows on trees".  I can't really comment on the pros and cons of a good vintage, durian wine as I have yet to sample it.

Fruit wines though are hardly a new idea and I can't see why durian would be any different.  The British have a long tradition of making fruit wines and I remember as a youngster trying to make some out of plums (we had a tree at the time that was over-burdened with fruit).

Despite the fact of my mother gives me generous support the result was a syrupy mess that was completely undrinkable.  The pet dog was kennelled in the same shed and whined to get out - that's how bad the smell of the vintage actually was!

In New Zealand there is a South Canterbury company called Barkers and although they are today better known for their fruit jams, chutneys and syrups, it is fruit wine that made them a national icon.

Blackcurrants grow very well in Canterbury and it was this fruit that Barkers has been exploiting.  My grandparents who lived in Dyers Pass Road in the Port Hills of Christchurch had a large patch of blackcurrant bushes and I have fond memoires of fresh blackcurrant jam during my infrequent visits from the North Island.

So will the NUS graduates students who created durian wine no branch out and produce a mangosteen cuvee? One would hope they give it a try.

I've go a lovely bunch of?

There are a collection of trees near my former place of work, the British Council in Singapore's Napier Road.  Amongst them are some very odd (to European eyes) varieties.

The one pictured has a mass of flowers which turn into these rather exotic 'fruits'.  Not I suspect that they are edible, as when they burst open they are particularly foul smelling.

But perhaps even more bizarre are those trees with deformed trunks which have become objects of worship.  Such is the case of the 'Monkey Spirit Tree'. After a car had collided with the trunk it split open to reveal a deformity that resembles a monkey with its infant.

Believed to be the harbinger of good luck, folks have taken to 'feeding' the tree with bananas.

Gadgets Galore

Massage Mania - Roger Smith. May 2009

Despite the economic downturn Singaporean remain enthusiastic adaptors of new technologies. One only has to look at the full page advertising for mobile phone each Friday to appreciate this constant desire to upgrade.

The same applies to credit cards which every bank and most large department stores attempt to hook people with. It is the local custom to question any annual charges and express a strong desire not to have to pay these.

If there is a negative response from the card purveyor then Singaporeans will simply cancel the card and apply for another from a different source. This equally applies to the range of benefits that a card can provide. Electronic gadgets come in all shapes and sizes. Most malls have at least two retailers selling massage chairs that clamp your calves, or vibrating neck collars. Irradiated ankle socks and other bizarre electrical gadgets complete the self-medication kit.

In a more positive vein, it is the tropical fruit season in Singapore and we are enjoying the Thai mangoes and lychees from China (which are much more juicy than the Thai variety). These fruit are more beneficial to health than a warehouse full of massage chairs.