Sarawak : Malay Ginger Flower

I grew up in Kampong Nyabor from the age of six. My father had moved us from PUlau Kerto across the river from Sibu, a huge Foochow town on the east bank of the Rajang River. Thus we became "town people" but we lived about 500 m from the nearest shop.

One of the great memories I have of Kampong Nyabor of my childhood was the white butterfly ginger flowers which grew in most of the kampong houses along the road where we lived.

Our road was originally called Kung Ping Road, named after my paternal Grandfather Tiong Kung Ping, who opened up a few acres of the land in the area and built a small mud road.

The road was lined with about 10 Malay houses at the beginning of the road. My grandfather's parcel of land had  four big wooden houses at almost the end of the road. The road was not that long though. Beyond the road were rubber gardens. A few rubber garden foot paths branched out from the small road. I often saw men bringing out their rubber sheets on their bicycles, which was quite a common thing to do.

The Malay kampong folks grew a lot of flowers, either in pots or on the grown.  Frangipani, balsam, gerbera, forget me not,and various types of lilies in pots often lined their staircases. Some Malay woemn would have platforms made from planks outside their house fto display their flowers grown in pots. It was like some kind of competition among the Kampong folks.

But the ginger flowers would normally be at the back of their hourse and sometimes quite hidden from sight.

THE butterfly ginger  has a nice scent, and is very "romantic" flower.

Sometimes we would play with them and wear them on our hair. We also sucked the nectar and and enjoyed playing "dango", a childhood Malay make belief game. It was our childhood game of "playing house". We usually pretended to cook and had conversations like adults.

Our Malay neighbours used to tell us that it was a good flower to use to "mandi bunga" or flower bath.

We Foochows don't have this spiritual ritual. 

But later, when the Foochows became more affluence, some of them toured Bali and came back to tell us how they bathed in Bali with flowers. 

Tourism has helped promote Balinese style of bathing which isconsidered calming to the senses. 

Floral baths do rejuvenate the body and mind.