Forty of us gathered at People's Park and started off our one-day Farm-oriented Johor Tour at 7.45 a.m. We traveled via the Second Link and arrived at Gelang Patah for our breakfast around 9.00 o'clock.

Our Tour Group Leader Miss Qiao Zhen showed us two aquatic plants of Water Chestnut (荸荠) and Water Caltrop (菱角). I ever ate those fruits but saw the plants the first time.

We visited the Ostrich Farm at 2.30 p.m. I ever spent two nights at Sungai Rengit (四湾岛) with my son Solomon in May 2002. That was the same Ostrich Farm we visited.

The farm staff gave us a briefing on growing ostrich. The egg was very big. One ostrich egg is equivalent to 25 chicken eggs. Visitor could request to have the omelette in the farm. One ostrich egg omelette can serve 5 to 6 persons. We ever bought two ostrich egg shelves; hence I did not buy any by-products.

1 ostrich egg .= 25 chicken eggs	The thickness of shelf is about 2 mm
One day old	Young ostriches
Young ostrich should be kept under shelter	Grown up ostrich can move about
“Shy to see so many people!”	“Don't bury your head in sand! We can see you.”
“Don't always torture that poor bird!”	“Dudok!” The ostrich sat down as it understood Malay?
The ostrich eggs and	table lamps made of the shelves

Breadfruit	Female (Round) and male (long)
Pitaya - cactus-like plant	Pitaya, usually known as Dragon Fruit
Many unusual plants	aroused our interest
Buds of Kedongdong	Kedongdong is smaller than Buah Dongdong
Pomelo	Mata Kuching
Guava	Sunburn
Blossom of rose apple	Fruit developed
Rose apple (Jambu)	Keep away from insects
Noni	Coffee
The Indian Gooseberry (油柑)	Sugar cane (甘蔗)

Chuan said that he had never seen any banana tree. On the way when I saw it, I told him that those were the trees.

Initially I was wonder he did not see banana tree, I then realised that there were banana trees I had never seen too. There were different types of banana tree in the farm.

The farm used plastic bag to protect the fruits from birds and insects. Paper was used to cover the fruit from sunburn. The guide showed us a guava got the sunburn and had dark spot.

We were told not to pluck any fruit in the farm. There were also signboards indicating the fine of 500 Ringgit. Sometimes tourists needed to be disciplined.

There was a little pet corner in the farm.

There were two civet cats. They were so lovely that some of us carried them and took photos.

Someone said that the 2003 SARS was caused by these little lovely cats.

I thought that human being should be blamed. If we did not eat them, they would not pass the SARS to us.

We have less and less fowls in Singapore. There was once we found cats always disappeared. My son Solomon was then very young. He said that those children who loved cats would be passionate. Why killed the cats?

Solomon is a teenager now. A few months ago he went for a night-cycling with about twenty classmates. When they took a rest in Changi Village. All the boys and girls were very happy when they saw a cat. Cat! A cat! Meow! Meow! Meow!

Confront for a beauty? (In the Ostrich Farm)	The odd one (Bee Farm)
Duckling in the Fruit Farm	Coaching by the mother
Male turtle has a concave bottom shell	Prefect reproduction method   (God is great!)
Leaving the fruit farm	The farm workers

We took our dinner at New Mui Tou Restaurant (新美都冷气酒楼) in Kota Tinggi. Most of our friends went for a firefly tour except four persons and me. The five of us went to visit the night market near the river. We also spent some times at a departmental store. The firefly tour started at 8.00 p.m. and it took about forty-five minutes. We then left Kota Tinggi and were on the way home.

Chuan loved the firefly tour very much. He told me that it was romantic. He also recited a poem written by a member on the firefly.

We arrived at the Causeway much earlier than the scheduled time of 11.30 p.m. Many of us stopped at Marsiling Station and took a train home.

I ever went to Sungai Rengit (四湾岛) and stayed two nights there. We also went to Desaru for family retreat very often. Hence, we visited the ostrich farm, fruit farm and enjoined the firefly trip.

I attended this one-day tour organised by the website of 随笔南洋 because I would like to meet the net-friends. They were Singaporeans as well as China friends who worked or studied in Singapore. Chuan and I were sitting together for the whole journey. He was from China. He was friendly and easy to get along.

It was amusing to meet an ex-colleague who worked in the same office more than forty years ago. A few weeks ago, I also met another ex-colleague. They still remembered me after more than forty years. Oh dear, it seemed I was always that young.

I have to thank the webmaster Ye Ming (叶明). He used to organise activities to let the Singaporeans and friends from China to get together. I was grateful that he provided opportunities for us to know each other and to help our China friends to know Singapore better. It was great for Singapore to have a person like him.

Ostrich Farm

Fruit Farm