Tis the Season of Durian.

The house just managed to rid of the lingering, omniscient scent; the fridge, however, will take another few days, provided the dad didn’t buy any more (but he announced to me, after the 5th purchase, quite about durian 12-15, that he already had enough and anymore would breach the wall of safe and comfortable consumption). No more durians, but I guess I can say happily that I’ve just eaten my fair share for this season.


Now, for the next, and the next, and the next till the side of death.


(For the record, I like durians.)


* * *


I like opening durians too, but I suck in it.


I’d get one or two open but my speed will eventually force my dad to sigh and snatch the knife away, with which he will proceed to use and open durians at a pace that would rival the peddlers with their machetes. My brother fared better; he managed 5 before dad took over. My mom, she just stands and eat and screams if there’re worms.


Durians are a family thing. We’d sit around the porch, open them up, eat a few and dump the rest into a Tupperware (to be stored in the freezer, making them ice-cream like). We’d comment on the taste, sample some to the dogs and scare my mother with faux worm-alert. It’s been like this for 20 years.


Back then, when we were still living in PJ, things were a little more merrier. Since we lived together with an uncle and his family, we always had a wicker basket of durians (or multiple, almost tearing plastic bags); everyone will be at the porch eating as much as they can and wash it down with mangosteens. Sometimes we drink salt water from the skins, but I don’t remember what it’s for. The kids will stamp cockroaches when we’re not eating, and I remember a lot of talk. Sometimes other relatives will join us. It’d almost feel like a party.


Now the durians are less, but in Chinese new year, the frozen durians are still relative favourites.

* * *

All the world’s a stage.





This is my first full-length flash animation. I’ve been dabbling with flash for a year and only managed two test animations, all of them incomplete and utterly stoic.

It was for my group’s Culture and Communication presentation on Monday, the topic being Shakespeare’s quote All the World’s a Stage and the Men and Women merely players.

Animation is rough and patchy, and I butchered the music. But I didn’t want it to stay in my hard disc after a mere 30 second appearance in front of an audience, so I posted it up.

Music: Cherry Sky, by Sotte Bosse.
Done in: 9 hours (435 frames)

Done with a mouse and a lot of passion for nonsense.