Orchids Ejaculate!

I was reading through last year's diary, to finish the old and start the new, and saw that in Prague last year I was worried that I had given up growing things. It was part of a complicated mind shift in which I realized that it may not be necessary for me to ever be able to be completely self-sustaining and live off the land. It was quite a shock for me, and for a year I didn't grow any vegetables, herbs or flowers. But in Prague, I realized that I could grow orchids. Orchids are frivolous, unnecessary, gaudy, excessive, thoroughly decorative and never included in bomb shelters..I bought my first orchid way out in the New Territories somewhere. I'm not sure where I was because I went on a shopping expedition with a bunch of teachers from other international schools. We went to two porcelain factories, a bronze factory, an outlet for a Pier One kind of place and ended up at a flea market. I bought the orchid at the flea market - cheap because one of the flower stalks was bent and imperfect. The woman wrapped it carefully and it made it safely home. This first picture I took lying on the floor after a run. The blossoms have just begun to open. I wish I knew what kind of orchid it is. I've read two books on orchids: The Orchid Thief, of course, which got made into a movie, and Orchid Fever by Eric Hansen. I found that book in Chapters in Calgary and bought it even though I couldn't really afford it. One year I gave it to Grandma for Christmas, but after she died I found it still unread in her house and took it back.  The first couple of times I read Orchid Fever I had no concept of Turkey and didn't even notice the chapter about the salep orchid. But now that I've had the most delicious salep from a cart with a huge brass dispenser on the top that was being pushed up the bead store hill in Ulus, it's my favourite chapter.

My orchid's blossoms started very

 green, but as they matured they turned more yellow until becoming almost orange. There was dew-like nectar along the stem of each blossom and the base stretched more and more open, waiting. If you look carefully, you'll see a small bump protruding from the hood above the base. I think the orchid needed some bugs because when I bumped the hood, a tiny thing that looks for all the world like a penis popped out, curled and bulging. This last picture shows what it looks like after the flower has been satiated. I have lots more pictures, but I think this is already excessive. 

I hope I can get it to bloom again. I predict that my house will soon be full of orchids sitting in their dormancy for 11 months out of the year. Last week I went to the flower market up in Mongkok and bought four more orchids. But they are quite common. Three are just paphiopedilum hybrids and the other I forget the name. Don't worry; I won't go on about them like this. Well, at least I won't until maybe in a year if I get them to bloom again.