The ‘gift’ of the hot season.

Along the CTE ( The Central Expressway), during the hot season, there is a delightful distraction (from stress and idiot drivers) – the ‘cratoxylum formusum’. Known commonly as the ‘Pink Mempat’ or even as Singapore’s own Cherry- Blossom (Singapore Sakura), the ‘Pink Mempat” is a very attractive and stunningly beautiful tree when it flowers. The book “Trees of our Garden city” a publication of the National Parks Board, informs that ‘the wood is durable and is used to build houses in Java. A decoction of the bark can be used to cure colic. The resin from the bark is used for itch. The leaves, when pounded with coconut oil, can be applied for skin complaints’. So the “Pink Mempat” is not just a pretty face!

The vision of this row of beautiful pink blossoms is a pretty wonderful sight to behold. They unfailingly lift my spirits as I struggle the predictable traffic jams along the CTE.

Imagine my shock, no distress, that all these beautiful trees, have been chopped down.I am sure instant trees will re-appear once the roadworks are complete.

But the story our lives is that very little in Singapore is allowed to take root.

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