Thorny issue Number 1 –Durians again

Those colleagues who come to NIE from the Student Hostels’ side will have noticed that the bit of woodland adjoining NIE has been cleared except for some trees. These remaining trees are Durian Trees and, very interestingly, several are bearing big ripe fruit. The fruits can be clearly seen against the blue sky backdrop.

Incidentally, if you decide to go and look for durians, remember that old story I told you in previous retrievia–that the Theory of Gravity (attributed to Isaac Newton as a result of an apple falling on his head) was discovered by a Singapore scientist who was resting under a Durian tree.

Unfortunately, the durian contact with his head resulted in prolonged amnesia. By the time he recovered and expounded the Theory of Gravity, he found that Newton had already claimed the discovery.

Conflicting accounts claim that the Durian tree has been falsely accused, that the said tree the Singapore scientist sat under was a Coconut tree. Anyway the moral of the story is that it is cheaper, and safer, to buy a durian fruit than to harvest one.

Re-trievia recalled: Excerpts from Year 2003/ 2004
Tan Wee Kiat

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