Amazing Nature Contest Entry: The Gift of the Sun

As I was walking under the sun, I was thinking perhaps the Sun should be highlighted as part of the most amazing nature despite how humans debate on how it comes to existence, don't you think so? So I got very excited to submit this as an entry to the @amazingnature contest though I am not sure if anyone has written about it before.

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A doctor friend of mine told me many are experiencing Vitamin D defficiency these days. So he highly recommended to me to let the boys go run in the sun from 9am to 11am as this time window has the gentle sun and not too much of the UV rays. It is actually not a rare problem but rather common, as my own sister who works in an office setting is also diagnosed this as well.

So what can be a good source, in fact the best source for Vitamin D?

YES, THE SUN!

Vitamin D, or some call it the 'Sunshine Vitamin' is one of our essential vitamins required by the body. How it works is rather interesting too:

1. When we go under the sun, our skin gets exposed to it and starts to synthesize vitamin D with cholesterol.
2. Cholesterol acts as the energy source for vitamin D synthesis once the Ultra-violet ray (UVB) gets in contact with the skin.

So you may ask, what does Vitamin D do to us?

It "tells" our body to start absorbing calcium and phosphurs which are important minerals to construct strong bones. Deffiency of Vitamin D can lead to weak bones disease such as osteoporosis.

Since the sun is the greatest source of Vitamin D, we should make good use of it and be exposed to it.

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Okay enough of all these Biology knowledge hehe. So yeah here I am, trying to make best use of this timeframe to absorb as much as I can.

So today since my eldest run was having running nose and sneezing, I keep him at home and we went to get some sun.

Can you spot my son and his handkerchief? He was really having a hard time as he sneezed till his eyes went puffy. Poor thing! Anti-histamine could not help too.

Taking in some natural vitamin D.

Love these long shadows taken. As you can tell, this was the morning sun hence our shadows look long and sleek.

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Tropical Plants Love the Sun!

The sun does not just benefit us of course, but definitely plants need it the most for their photosynthesis to make food for themselves( and for us too)!

I usually seldom look up to the trees around me but recently I discovered the leafy shadowy patterns of the trees upwards are really nice. So, I took some photos of these trees around my place.

I like trees with small fine leaves like this, if you can see clearly. They tend to fall a lot though so the cleaners in my apartment are always seen sweeping them, oops!

These were planted along the main road next to my apartment.

There were palm trees and coconut trees too.

Palm trees always remind me of my dad in Kuching, Sarawak on another island called the Borneo island. He used to be so fond of palm trees that he would get down from the car if he spots one that he likes to ask the owner how he or she got the seedling or shoot so he can plant it at our home garden.

We went to our wading pool to have a look at the plants there. Some coconut trees gave us the artificial feeling that we are by the beach since we have not visited the beach yet after lockdown.

This rambutan tree was quite fruitful two months ago until it attracted some monkeys and squirrels nearby.

Actually I did not notice there was rambutan tree here until I saw the shells of rambutans disposed on the floor by probably the monkeys or squirrels.

We actually saw a squirrel which was climbing out this tree earlier but I was not quick enough to capture it with my phone camera, what a shame! It has become my goal to be able to capture a picture of it one day!

I have these very diligent neighbours who are a pair of retirees. They tended the very small spot of land under our block and planted many plants here such as:

A. This little papaya tree.

B. Bougainvilla flowers

C. Alamanda flowers that my 6-year-old could identify after the teachers introduced flower names to them as side interest.

D. Birds of Paradise

E. Hibiscus

F. Betel leaves which I posted about in my post when my son went to harvest it with me.

G. And this. One flower with very pretty leaves which I have no idea about its name. Anyone can enlighten me perhaps?

After we walked a while, there seemed to be clouds coming by, so it suddenly became very shady.

Although my place is further away from the city area, I appreciate how the management planted many trees in my compound. These are the trees natural arch that welcomes me and sends me in my daily going out and coming in.

Going out view

Coming in view

There is also a famous hill where some hikers like to go for a hike just near within our sight named Bukit Tabur. Apparently it has a scenic view up there and is very rewarding for the hikers.

I then went up to my unit and started taking clothes out to sun. I usually do not like doing this chore as I sweat a lot after that. But I am learning to get the sun while doing this now.

Here are part of my plant babies I am trying to plant at my balcony with limited space: some cherry tomatoes, capsicum and dwarf bok choy.

But what is the best thing after that? A RELIEVING BATH!

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Do you love the Sun?

My husband especially likes sunny weather but I like cloudy days more.

I think with many countries being in the lockdown, we literally stayed at home and that is why we get even lesser of the sun. Perhaps even before the pandemic, we have already been getting lesser of the sun if we were working from office and schooling in a sheltered place.

Naturally, urban people RUN away from the sun. That perhaps also includes me. Being in Malaysia situated at the equator, we get so much sun. So much so that it is almost always scorching hot and muggy. But we should give thanks that the sun is shining so much at us compared to some countries that get much lesser sun. I know one of the old wives' tales suggest that newborn babies with jaundice problem to be exposed (with their eyes covered)to morning sun as well to get their natural phototherapy too.

Appreciating the Sun and Its Many Benefits

Image from Unsplash - Daoudi Aissa

Let's embrace the sun and what it offers!

I personally think besides the gifts the sun offers, the sun itself is a gift to this solar system we are part of, to Earth. Imagine if it is further away or nearer to us, I think everything will be totally different. Hence this is why I think nature is amazing, the sun is an amazing nature, God behind nature is amazing!