Monday 24 December 2012
Catalogue of delights 5
I was shown a cashew nut tree growing comfortably on the footpath. Apparently a pleasure is to break off the fresh shoots at the end of branches and eat raw. Leaves can be used in salads. Handsome looking tree. I was surprised to learn avocados dont grow in Malaysia. We talked about whether the high rainfall depleted the ground of necessary nutrients. Doesnt make sense to me. Saw special mangoes for sale that were a type designed for green grating. Long papaya for sale -M was fascinated that mostly we call them pawpaw. We both puzzled on the derivation of both names and came up with nothing. Both yellow and red rambutans.
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Regarding the "pawpaw", "papaya" names, I don't know the derivation either. However, we used to have Malay neighbours when we lived near the university in Newcastle. They always, always called it "papaya" and couldn't bring themselves to say the other. They explained to us, the other word was, sounded like, or was similar to, the Malay word for excrement. Maybe it was a dialect thing; don't know. The wonders of comparative languages, eh? I.
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