Coconut baby-Dunghe tribe 23ap-25may2k6

The joy of life lies in every minute of growth 23ap-25may2k6

(baby coconut palm in water-took from Dunghe 28ap2k6)

Three-day-two-night trip to Dunghe in Taitung is unforgettable. Tribal people’ passion was like the Dunghe shining sun. The itinerary planned suitable for visitors’ needs, leisurely but intensive, made us feel tribal people’s considerations.

Before leaving, I was given lots of baby coconuts as gifts and given directions to take care of them: put in vases, and water them every day that could be treated as interior decoration. Cepo’ interested in living objects. Like other people’s need for hurrying home, my car was not big enough to hold all these precious gifts, so I just took three of them with me.

According to tribal people, imported 5 or 6 years ago this new breed of coconut palm can be ripe and harvested when reaching the end of three years of growth. The obstacles of distribution and the culture that neglects old traditions and values new trends in Taiwan cause coconut less popular. Some farmers cut off half amount of coconut palms. These young coconuts were survivors.

Tow of the coconuts grew with about 15-meter-tall shoots. One of them kept in front of A-Ching’s cottage was taller when I visited A-Ching a few days ago.

From this trip I really learned something which is Amis tradition “sharing” When I first met a lady who was nicknamed “Taitung savage sister”, I gave her the last coconut. Since then I had no chances to see her again.

As you can see in the photo, the coconut kept at Cepo’ farm sprout short shoots just like newly born baby. I put it in an iron container, full of water that was outside the huge scenic windows, while I was waiting more than a week for it to grow. But it remained unchanged. When the wind was blowing hard the baby plant would float in the direction of the wind.

(floating coconut like a snail17may2k6)

After 20 plus days, the coconut sprang 2 fresh shoots that felt rough—not soft and tender as most plants.

In a certain angle to observe it looked like a snail floating on the water. When A-Ching came here, it’s leaves turned larger to make it seem like a little whale with a tail fin.

(coconut is growing up12cm 25may2k6)

When baby coconut was a month old, it measured 12 cm long. I found that it grew 4 roots underneath its body (as you can see in the next photo)

( short young roots spring from coconut25may2k6)

I have eaten coconut. But I have not seen the cycle it follows specially when it was young until now.

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