BRAVING THE FIRE ANTS

Due to the heavy downpour a couple of days ago, the betel plant in the school garden was damaged. More than three quarters of the plant was destroyed and had to be removed by the gardener. However, my colleagues and I felt that it was a waste just to throw away the betel leaves or daun sirih as they can be kept and used for medicinal purposes.

Unfortunately, all of us were beaten by the kerengga or fire ants while we were plucking the leaves yesterday afternoon. It seems that there was a nest of these ants on the plant. Each and everyone of us was bitten by the ants. I was jumping about trying to get the ants off me when the photographs were taken. Anyway, I did not give up and got me quite a lot of the betel leaves.