Bicoloured Papaya

Is this a bad sign??

Halloween is Coming

Our garden is all ready for it.

Bigga and Betta Banana

Just for you to compare.

12 days ago, I asked you to applaud the bananas below.

And now, compare them to the bigger and yellower bananas today:

Can you see the difference? The hands are spreading out and definitely fatter and less green. Grandpa said they would be ready for harvest in 26 days’ time.

Sponge Gourds (Hah!)

Do you remember that my sponge gourds were setting a second generation? We were always a bit puzzled about why some were a darker green and hairy, and others were pale green and smooth. Anyway, today I had a close look at the 2 biggest ones on the vine, a big sister and a little sister, and decided that they were ready for harvesting. The big sister had cracks in it! I told Mummy that meant it was too old. Mummy looked doubtful but before she could say anything, I chopped both off their vines. I was late for my oboe lesson so Mummy didn’t even have time to squeal loudly. She likes me to be punctual for all my lessons.

Here they are:

Have a look at the close-up of the big sister gourd below. See the cracks?

Now…..we were still a bit puzzled as to what type of sponge gourd this was. Mummy said it smelled awfully sweet and maybe it was a melon. I sure hoped it wasn’t, because I gave one to my teacher for teacher’s day, and told her to fry it with tanghoon and dried shrimp!

Anyway, before we cut it to see its true heart, I weighed both gourds:

 

 

 

 

Not-so-bad, huh? Then Mummy took a knife and sliced the big sister gourd through its middle. AND GUESS WHAT??? IT WAS A MELON. A HAMI MELON. Look:

It wasn’t very sweet, but it was very crisp and juicy.

Oh dear the little sister melon will be even less sweet. Perhaps I shouldn’t have been so quick to chop it off its vine. Mummy is eating through the melon with determination.

Not Time for Chilli Yet

Remember I posted about my chilli plants, which looked as if the plague hit them? I haven’t seen a plague but I know all about locust plagues in Egypt.  Well, it was not time for them to meet Scissorhands Mummy. After seeing her evil-eyed eagle-eyed stare, they quickly decided to behave and they are all green, healthy, and full of spice now.

Aren’t the little flowers pretty? Mummy is quite pleased with the chilli plants now. I kind of know what the chillies feel like. When Mummy gives me the evil-eyed eagle-eyed stare, my homework improves very quickly too.

Enjoying my Camera

I had a nice time at sunset taking photos of my garden.

A red okra sword (above)

 

 

Colourful Clusters (above 2)

 

The Theory of Relativity

The Big Sister occasionally mentions this theory. It seems a bit confused. Or maybe I mean The Big Sister seems confused. She usually is. She has just started driving lessons and her instructor seems to spend a lot of time exclaiming “ALAMAK!!!”. That is not a good sign.

Anyway. We have a new pot of long beans because the old ones are not so productive. The new bean plants have impressive leaves! Look!

Mummy said that no one would know how big the leaf is, what with photoshop and all those fancy things. So I took another photo with my hand on the leaf:

Then Mummy said since no one knew how big my hand is, how would they have any idea how big the leaf is? So I will tell you. I am 9 years old, 136cm tall and 32kg. That is a good sized 9 year old. I cannot remember what percentile I am on (a percentile means that the doctor compares you to all other 9 year olds in the universe) but I will ask my Pediatrician and post later. My Pediatrician knows all about these things and has a fat file in her clinic where she writes stuff down so she doesn’t forget.

Anyway, then I had a bright idea. Here is a leaf next to my slipper!

OK. I am a size 35 European. I mean my shoe size, not me. I am Chinese. In case you want to know, my foot and The Big Sister’s foot are the same size. This means we are European size 35 and British size 2.5. Strangely, I am American boys size 3, but The Big Sister is American ladies size 5! You can have a look at this chart if you don’t believe me. http://www.dancesport.uk.com/shoes/conchart.htm. If you don’t have a size 35 shoe at home, maybe you could go to a shoe shop and have a look? Then you would know pretty accurately how big the long bean’s leaves are!

Two Stages of a Sponge Gourd

Our sponge gourds started a second generation. They are growing up! Here are 2, a big and little sister.

We have the same problem again. This is meant to be long and cucumber-shaped. But we got the eggs again!

Please Applaudabanana!

I am quite, quite satisfied.

Stormy Weather and Right Angles

A couple of nights ago there was a big storm! Our papaya tree (the one that was transplanted by Grandpa into the big Toyogo pot – see this and that) blew over. When Daddy woke up in the morning, he found it leaning on our big car. He righted the tree, and it seems quite well, except that… well, look for yourself!

There are 2 right angles. We are learning geometry at school. That is very cruel to 9 year olds. Anyway, I asked The Big Sister, if 90 degrees is a right angle, what is a wrong angle?