Visages de Raub (1)...a pictorial

If the eyes are windows to the soul of a person, then the facade of the street must be the window to the town's soul...

The shophouses in Raub are mostly pre-war buildings in Straits Chinese style (methinks) and what's charming is the patina from the passage of time created by years under the hot tropical sun...

All pork menu

Two weeks back, my colleague's parents and friend came visiting and them being Breton (people from the Brittany region in France), I hesitated with the menu as they would have had some of the best pork menu (and apple products) in France. However, I got the request for pork and pork it was on the main menu...(also the fact that I wanted to use the apple compote that I made with the extra apples I had in my fridge).

the setting...

Alberto brought the best of Spanish Serrano ham and I answered with seared fresh fig and ripe rock melon, a classic accompaniment for ham...

Large chunks of pork belly stewed with white wine, apple compote and fresh baby carrots. The dish was flavoured with a tinge of juniper berries and bay leaves, served with a generous portion of gratin dauphinois.

Fresh salad with a tinge of truffle oil.

The happy faces - attestation to the success of the menu. Merci.

Chocolate cake with orange liqueur sauce to finish up.

Lata Jarum 2011

Some friends from afar came visiting and I took them for a 'balade' at the Rafflesia trail at Lata Jarum...unfortunately, there weren't any in bloom, just a few buds and horrific leeches feasting on everyone...

A species on melastomataceae flowering in the shades.

It was a hot and sunny day and the canopy was pissing (literally) on us from above...

A tiny cicada

Another melastomataceae but this one is a creeper...

A grasshopper

A horned spider

Bemban leaves against the mid-day sun

A large forest ant

A congregation of mapwing butterflies

A nymphalid sunning itself

Gapis flowering from its lower trunk

and striking magenta beans directly from the base of its trunk

A begonia at the water's edge

A fascinating dragonfly - a rare forest drgonfly IDed by Dr. Choong of UKM as Camacinia harterti (2013 update)

A small butterfly from the shades of the jungle: Ragadia makuta siponta

A large birdwing resting on the leaves of a Mahang tree