The Magical Bamboo Tablet

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*sound of traditional Asian string music in the background*

The common Bamboo tree or Bambusa Vulgaris (scientific name) is a symbol of longetivity, modesty and friendship. It also represents resilience and integrity because it bends in strong winds but always return to their upright position thereafter. Unknown to many, Bamboo is actually grass and not a tree.

Bamboo is a plant of many uses. It can used in cooking (bamboo shoots), in construction, musical intruments, medicine as well as for decoration purposes. Ever heard of the Malay proverb, 'Melentur buluh biarlah dari rebungnya'... which means 'shape a bamboo while it is still young' literally meaning it is easier to teach a child when he is still young.

*music fades... *

My house back home used to be surrounded by bamboo trees and I remember my mom used to go and search for bamboo shoots. One should be careful when looking for the shoots because it is fully covered with tiny spikes and if you accidently rub them on your skin, it will itch like crazy!

One of my favorite dish is bamboo shoots mixed with dried salted fish in santan mixture. It is crunchy and has a mild sweetness to its' taste and the salted fish really add 'zing' to the dish. I haven't tried cooking it as I find the shoots in KL to be too yellow and pungent and I have no idea how to get rid of the smell!

Now, why am I so intrigued with bamboo? Well, I have news for you :) I wanted to get your attention, I hope I managed to... hehe. Now, I'd like to introduce 123RF to you! Doesn't ring a bell? Well, let's say you're looking for a nice cute icon or image to use for your blog and you can't draw for nuts.

What do you do? You search for images to buy and download from places like 123RF.com, an all in one royalty-free photo library site that offers all sorts of professional images at reasonable prices. Yes, you still have to pay cos royalty-free doesn't mean it's free, ok :D

Currently they are running a contest called 123rf Search and Win whereby the winner either gets a Bamboo Graphic Tablet or 20123RF credits. To qualify, you need to search for images at 123RF.com. Appearing at random, you may find a special thumbnail showing the prize; click on it and you are on your way to win it :) Of course you have to register and be a member first.

Just what can you do with a Wacom Bamboo graphic tablet? See the stunning painting below? It's all done using the tablet, awesome isn't it? :) I mean we've all wanted to draw on our PC's but trying to draw with that god awful mouse is like trying to scratch an itch behind your back, which is next to impossible.

Now, with the Wacom Bamboo graphic tablet, it's as easy as drawing on a sheet of paper. Just use the graphic pen as you would a normal pen or pencil and you're done. Well, of course you also need to be talented la...

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