 |
| Prof Musa, Sahdan, Idrus, Azhar, Yusof dan Esa |
 |
| Wong Jowo ketemu...! |
 |
| Idrus dan Esa |
 |
| Idrus dan Azhar |
 |
| Amran: Gang SeDulor pertama sampai di majlis |
 |
| Idrus dan family Wak Sam |
Portugal Cork HarvestHave you ever wondered where that cork in your bottle of wine comes from?The answer is most likely to be Spain or Portugal, where over half of the world’s cork is harvested.&nb sp;
In fact it isthe “National Tree” of Portugal.However, unlike other forms of forestry, the production of cork never involves the death of a tree.Instead, they are gently stripped, leaving a strangebut fascinating landscape of denuded trunks.All of this takes some time. Cork trees can live to over (200)two hundred years but are not considered ready for their cork to be removed until they are at least 25 years old.Even then, the first two harvests do not produce cork of the highest quality. It isn’t until the trees are in their forties that they produce premium cork.Once the trees have reached the maturity necessary to produce high quality cork thenthey will be harvested only every nine years.A tree, in its lifetime, can be harvested (the process is known as extraction) about fifteen times.Little wonder then, that in Portugal and Spain the propagation of the trees and the production of cork has become an inter-generational industry, with farmers still producing a crop from trees planted by their great-great grandfathers.The cork must, however, be extracted from the trees without causing any lasting harm to them – otherwise, 9 years later they will be useless.Extraction takes place in the summer when the tree is least susceptible to damage.The poor cork which is produced as a result of the first two harvests is known as male cork: later extractions provide what is known as gentle cork which is what you will screw out of a wine bottle, the contents of awhich it helps to flavor.The extractors must be skilled at their job.They make two cuts to the tree.The first is horizontal and is cut around the tree.This is known as the necklace and the incision is made at a heightaround three times the circumference of the tree.Then a series of vertical cuts are made which are called openings or rulers.This is the point at which the extractors must use the most strengthbut at the same time be at their most gentle.They push the handle of the axe in to the rulers and pry the cork away.If the cuts are too deep or impatiently done then there is a risk that the phellogen of the tree will be damaged.This is the cell layer which is responsible for the development and growth of the periderm of the tree – its bark in other words.Damage this and the tree will produce poor or no cork in the future: it may even die.So strength and gentleness must be used in equal measure during the extraction.Once the cork is extracted it is stacked in layers and left to dry out.Once that has taken place it is taken to be processed.The technique used leaves the trees alive and the environment intact – cork production is said to one of the most eco-friendly and recyclable harvests on the planet.Not only is cork easy to recycle.The trees prevent the local environment from becoming arid and so actively help to maintain rare ecosystems.Not only that, but the cork forests of the Iberian Peninsula are home to a number of endangered specieswhich would find it much harder to thrive without the presence of the cork oak forests.Although 60% of the cork extracted is still used for bottle stoppers (despite the recent predilection for using alternatives) cork is an essential component of a number of other things too.If you are a fan of badminton, then without cork you would no longer be able to play – it is a vital component in the manufacture of shuttlecocks.More sports rely on it too – the centers of baseball and cricket bats are made of cork.Cork is also a great material to use for insulation. It is non-allergenic and easy-to-handle and if it does catch fire, its fumes are not toxic likeman-made insulation materials.The different segments of woodwind instruments are fastened together by pieces made from cork and not only that – the baton of your concert conductor will most likely also be made out of this versatile material.Cork has many other uses, too, including components of the fairings and heat shields of spacecraft.Yet ultimately, the fascination is in its production, which leaves so many trees stripped and bared to the elements and which gives the landscapes of parts of Spain and Portugal such a unique appearance.
Once an old man spread rumours that his neighbor was a thief. As a result, the young man was arrested. Days later the young man was proven innocent. After being released he sued the old man for wrongly accusing him.
In the court the old man told the Judge: "They were just comments, didn't harm anyone." The judge told the old man: "Write all the things you said about him on a piece of paper. Cut them up and on the way home, throw the pieces of paper out. Tomorrow, come back to hear the sentence." Next day, the judge told the old man: "Before receiving the sentence, you will have to go out and gather all the pieces of paper that you threw out yesterday."The old man said: "I can't do that! The wind spread them and I won't know where to find them." The judge then replied: "The same way, simple comments may destroy the honour of a man to such an extent that one is not able to fix it. If you can't speak well of someone, rather don't say anything.""Let's all be masters of our mouths, so that we won't be slaves of our words."Death asked Life:Why does everyone loves youand hates me.Life replied:Because I am a beautiful Lie andyou are painful Truth.
