The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

It's the most wonderful time of the year ... where roadside stalls are set up with rows and rows of spiky fruits and the wonderful aroma wafting around in the air. When discussions go on and on about the best varieties, the prices and location. And how Hubs would sigh each time I let out a very content *burrrrrp*.

In case you haven't guessed it already, I'm a HUGE durian fan :D So I was squealing with joy when my team arranged a trip to a durian orchard at Balik Pulau.

This is the owner's house at Balik Pulau - it's the traditional kind of structure that is made entirely from wood and is so bright and airy.

They also have a mini farm with hen houses, geese, some kind of fish in a murky pond and I was walking about, enthusiastically taking photos ... until I saw a Mr. Long dangling from a tree. Crikey! The owners were so nonchalant about it so I quietly went back to the porch and refused to move close to any shrubbery after that.

Lunch is served; I think we had cheh pui (green skin), hor loh (gourd) and susu (milk). The owner gave us complimentary glasses of chilled nutmeg juice and they were a nice accompaniment to the bitter sweet creaminess of the durians. We sat for a while in silence, savouring the delicious, pungent taste, the fresh air, the sun shining down: it was such a blissful moment.

The durians were really fresh plus a lot cheaper than the prices in town so we ended up carting sacks of them back home. Can't wait for the next team building!