Floral Friday :: All Saints Flowers - The Yellow Poui

These flowers are everywhere at this time of the year, upon every hill in the distance, they seem to have taken over the island. They are the yellow poui flower. We seem to call them all saints flowers as they bloom around all saints time. Here where I live we do not have Halloween but we do have what I think is our equivalent: all saints day and all souls day.

November 2nd - On all souls day a large number of the population goes out to the graves of their loved ones and place a lit candle on their grave in remembrance. Folklore says that on this day you are likely to see spirits roaming the earth, that sometimes they come back to visit in hopes of finding their loved ones among the masses out placing flowers on their graves and if you are unlucky one will lure you to your death and the after life from whence they came.

It is said that they are granted this one night to visit the land of the living and their loved ones, so people will light a candle on their door step or on their windowsill so that they can find their way back to the house and visit.

It is said that if your candle goes out, your loved one will not be able to find their way back to eternal rest and so will stay with you, at your house and haunt you all your year. As a result, neighbourhood children have been known to run around and blow out peoples candles so they will be haunted by spirits  (your candle must burn all night) It is also said if I remember correctly, that if you are holding a candle on your way home from the cemetery you must keep it lit or unwanted spirits will follow your light and walk with you home where they will stay with you and haunt you.

November 1st - On all saints day people place lit candles in remembrance of the saint. Admittedly I do not know much else as I am not catholic so have not taken much interest in this day.

These is also a beautiful short story of how the poui came to be in existence. A tale of native Indian girl born of fair complexion and golden hair. (sounds familiar if you're born with albinism) Her people feared her and locked her away in a high tower. At the end of the story she dies but she is turned into millions and billions of little yellow poui flowers and scattered about the entire island so that she will never and can never be forgotten.

 I didn't do any editing of most of these shots because I really liked the way the light was coming though them. No pun intended.

Sorry for the slightly spooky post but I do so love a bit of folklore and the folklore of the islands is ever so fascinating to me haha.

Peace. Love. Culture.
This post is a part of the Floral Fridays series and link up.

The Obvious To Do List : Pt. 1

 I think there are things in life we should all obviously try without rhyme or reason, like dance in the rain or for you none tropical folk, catch snow flakes on your tongue even though you feel stupid doing it. Things nobody should have to tell us to try but that we do anyway because because. This is my list for those who are in want of a list of to dos of this nature.

Dance in your underwear
Do I need to explain this one? Have you not had the extreme pleasure of throwing yourself a solo dance party with your music blazing in attractive garb? In fact I can think of a whole list of things to do in your underwear but someone has already wrote that down and I admit I've actually done 8 out of ten of these...or possible nine I'm not sure. I regret nothing.

Take a sick day at home when you're not actually sick
I like to think of these as mental health days, not that I've ever done it but, you know, if I did, if I were to ever do it, I would consider it a mental health day. You see your body is not the only thing that can be sick, so can your psyche but the corporate world of work does not usually recognise this. Sometimes you need to fight the man and sleep late.

Buy yourself an expensive edible good and eat it all by yourself
A rather large chocolatey piece of cake for me, usually a whole pizza from what I can gather, for the Americans. Sometimes you need to suspend judgement and do the things you've dreamed of doing but felt somehow blameable for doing them. Not that anyone is even watching you in the comfort of your home. As long as it's not harmful to you or others or against your beliefs or principles or health. (I know that's a lot of buts but only you know your situation) buy yourself some cake boo, you work hard.

Listen to a playlist of music that was hip in your time but is now considered classic era
The 2000s had some good tunes, judge me if you will but One Direction is no Backstreet Boys, B2K, Nsync or Boyz 2 Men. Which, is quite all right, they're all special in their own way, ways you're allowed to appreciate.

Be nostalgic toward far away days with mates.
It's been almost two secades since I started high school people. There is a lot there to remember and laugh about with those from that time period of my life. One day we may all be scattered so far and so wide and we may not be able to remember well those stories that make us laugh. So lets laugh, let us remember and be merry even as we work towards the future.

Dress up really nice for an average event.
So you're dressed like a model but you're meeting a friend for a coffee/drink/brunch? So what? They don't know, you could be going anywhere. You could have a scheduled more packed than Drake for all they know. You could be setting off to Paris in the jet of the prince you met clandestinely at the grocery store last week, when your fingers touched as you both reached for the same top box of bran flakes, who you flirted with and gave your number and thought he'd never actually call but after looking him up on google  and you realised he was in fact a actually a legit prince he totally texted you and now he wants to treat you to dinner in Paris. They don't know. They don't run your life. You look awesome and you don't need a reason to wear your clothes.

Eat ice cream AND cake
Because why choose one or the other?




What are some of the things on your list of obvious things to do in a lifetime?

Peace. Love. Obvi.

Food For Thought Round Up | Sunday Sunshine

 It's NaNoWriMo!

These links all make me happy in a way that is different from last week's instalment. They make me happy in a way of awareness and voicing of an issue in a way that is beautiful. Sometimes we think we are the only one who has thought a thing and then we see it miraculously already brought to life in a way we never would have thought to.


// The way I absolutely and divinely LOVE language for example. I have so much passion for it, tis joygasmic! It took me a while to realise just how different my love for it was from others, until I heard it in words, how perfectly appropreate.

// Speaking of being different, the toll bridge has changed shape and size and reach in our world and if we do not soon take responsibility we're going to be in big trouble in ways we wont be able to contain...I see it everyday among our children. We must see it and change the way we fight it.
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// Case in point, I love this use of fame to send a positive message where it matters most; to the coming generation.

// For you see I guess, I'm one of the mad ones and no well the price dealt to those of that thinking.

// This white dad hopes his son stays white and with the 7 short reasons he gives, can you blame him? In a world with such issues of as these I understand where he is coming from.


I hope you're had a good Sunday and that these links serve to inspire you or feed you some food for thought.

Happy Sunday!