The Oil Palm: Memories Uncovered

In composing the first blog post of the year, it had to be about something defining – something which identifies the reasons why I blog and fuels my passion for writing and sharing! It was only a year ago, when we were all walking through what hashed my memories of a palm tree plantation. We were on vacation in Cameroon, in the rural parts of the Littoral province. On this day during our family vacation, we drove 1.5hours from Littoral to the South-West Province and one could not help but notice along the route, farms and plantations covered in these palm trees, more specifically, the oil palm, Elaeis guineensis. We reached our destination and met with family that afternoon. After a quick meal, we walked through the yard with several palm trees. The oil palm species grows in the tropics, both wildly and cultivated, within 10degrees latitude of the equator in Africa, South/Central America, and Southeast Asia. Data collected and analyzed over time confirms the center of its origin and diversity to be in the tropical rainforests of west and central Africa. The "palm belt" of Africa runs from Guinea to Zanzibar and Madagascar and from Senegal to south of Angola. As I draft this post, I am cheered by vivid childhood memories of riding with my grandfather through an oil palm plantation accompanied by uncles, aunts, in the back of a truck. As an agriculturalist, he frequently went to survey and assess the farm work being done on his estate. These trips were filled with a naïve youthful excitement as the truck navigated windy, bumpy routes. I would listen to stories told by my seniors, full of folklore, and metaphors; stories interrupted by gasps as the branches of the palm trees brushed and beat about us more frequently the further and deeper, we got into the plantation. When I was eight years old, I learned soap could be made from palm oil, and was able to observe that process on a small scale. I watched the extraction of crude…

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A Day in Savannah, Georgia – Visiting Telfair Museums and much more…

Savannah, the first city in Georgia has a recorded history which dates back to 1733. It had been 20years since I last visited this coastal city and last month we had the opportunity to visit Savannah for a junior USTA tennis tournament on a 3 day weekend. Savannah has such a charm and historic vibe as evidenced from the old oak and magnolia trees to the Spanish moss. Visitors come to check out this scene unique for its architecture, the parks and squares not to mention the southern cuisine. With only a few hours in a day and several children of varying ages we chose to visit Forsyth park and the Telfair museums in between tennis matches played at the Savannah Yacht club. Forsyth Park Named after the 33rd governor of Georgia, John Forsyth, this 30acre park has something for for every age and interest. We were fortunate to visit on a Saturday morning when it hosts several vendors and artists during its farmers' market hours. Food vendors from meats, to coffees and artists from painters to violinists gave a park a more than lively atmosphere as we walked through. The center of attraction for us was the water fountain not to far from the playgrounds. On first glance, this water fountain looks like one you would see in a European promenade but the striking difference was the water was green. After a lot of scientific guesses involving algae and bacteria we learned the simple reason was every year in celebration of St. Patrick's day the water is dyed green! There is a restaurant on park property, Collins Quarter at Forsyth, which is very popular with indoor and outdoor seating available. It is located in the same building where there are public restrooms. Recreation is the name of the game with basketball courts, wide open fields where one can play football, practice yoga or have a picnic spread. The girls immediately took to the tennis courts which did not require any reservations but limited use to an hour in the…

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