| A Durian named Desiree | 23 August 2005 |
|
Start drooling now ! Mid Autumn Festival is set to knock you off your feet with a 'thud' as loud as ten thousand durians falling simultaneously in about a month's time! Yes, that's precisely what's in store for us here in Singapore soon. We will be 'going over the moon' with durians craftily dressed in mooncakes ! The giant
(pictured right) behind me is certainly the biggest show of affection
I have ever felt in downtown Singapore. I promptly named it 'Durio
goodwoodii' in honour of its owner ! |
 |
Nowhere is amorosity with the prickly fruit so infamously evident than in some hotel bedrooms bearing terse notes which warn - 'No durians or outside guests of opposite sex allowed'. Some things do smell in hotel bedrooms, I bet, but it's not always 'fishy business'. Rather, it is the durian's 'steamy' perfume which I will not attempt to describe here, but it is objectionable to many. This 'out of bound' rule is applied to many air-conditioned public places such as our Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) trains. But there lies the crux of the matter: Don't Die for a Durian !
With the heightened state of alertness against terror threats in force, let Durian Daredevils be WARNED. It is simply not worth smuggling durian onboard anymore.
Picture this: a man with a fidgety disposition and fugitive glances, weighed down with bulging plastic bags on an MRT train. This plus that, plus a stuffy-nosed law-enforcer... well, it spells tragedy. Mind you, the recently announced shoot-to-kill engagement policy is very real. Imagine newspapers milling out headlines like 'Death by Durians', or 'No Bombs, Just Bombacaceae Fruits'. This ought to scare-off botanists too. Discussing dissertation on Bombacaceae (the botanical family of the durian tree) openly in public should be a no-no. That B-O-M-B combination could cost you dearly if it is mentioned, overheard and mis-intepreted.
Durian seasons come and go. Whenever it knocks on our door, it comes like the proverbial Call of the Wild. Many amongst us answer it with unerring spontaneity. We go trooping off to the forested areas of Mandai, Upper Thomson and Rifle Range Road just to hunt for that prized local durian. Never mind the early hours of dawn, the bees and the snakes, etc. No undergrowth is too thick either. There is so much fun and energy involved, and |
 |
All too often, you get to hear stories of squabbles and scuffles between two contentious parties. Imagine having the ill-luck to stumble upon each other and that darling Desiree on the ground at the same time ? The prospect of a love-triangle becoming messy is almost certain. As one man found out the painful way, it is quite a 'thorny' affair to have durians hurled at you by the other party. And another to learn that falling in love with durians could mean falling into a dis-used well if you are not too careful. Fortunately for him, he was found and rescued a few days later. Durian-hunting, I figured, will end one day when all the durian trees in Singapore are gone, but till then, it will remain a national pastime.
As a botanist, however, my love for the fruit goes beyond the taste bud. Here is a fruit that is delightful Asian, ranging from Sri Lanka to South-east Asia. It is our gift to the world. And from the riches of the Malayan rain forests, E.J.H. Corner also gave the world The Durian Theory in 1949. Tropical botanists were understandably thrilled.
Up till then, time-honoured theories behind the evolution of plants were temperate in origin and based solely on reproductive-characters, i.e. the flower structures. Corner did not set out to rock the botanical-boat but gave it a better engine to go greater distance in exploring the scope and dimension of plant evolution, in particular the evolution of the modern tree. In a nutshell, Corner asked us to look deeper at the whole range of tree, leaf and fruit forms, and gave examples of tropical plants to interpret those which show features argued as primitive signatures, example the big, thorny and woody durian. Malaysians and Singaporeans alike should at least understand the significance of The Durian Theory and be proud of it.
But how do we understand if we do not know ? And how do we know if we are not in touch, i.e. with our own rain forest ? Sadly, the adage that 'we value not our own' rings true.
As we cast our eyes over to the fair distant moon this Mid Autumn Festival amidst the traditional feast of mooncakes and tea, let's not forget the good earth below our feet. Let's not forget the creatures big and small who look at the same moon every night like us. The wildboars, the tigers, the elephants and the orang utans especially; they all love their durians too. Under the same moonlight, for as many moons as anyone can remember, the bats will be feasting on the nectar and pollen of the durian flowers.
While far below the forest canopy, the mousedeers vie with the squirrels for the tiny red Durian Tupai (picture above). Saved for the Singapore-named Durian Bujor, they lie lonely on the forest floor full of stones but no flesh to offer to any animals. And in that stillness, the wise owls hoot their favourite song, 'Knowledge is not understanding without wisdom'. Yes, 'Nothing is more blind than one who refuse to see'. Here... have a durian !
Here's another amusing old tale from the classroom concerning the durian