Stinky Flowers and ATMs
Anybody have one of these? Stapelia Gigantea. Also known as a carrion plant. Looks like some kind of cactus with multiple fingers. Then one day small shoots start appearing. Alright, now it has my attention. I will keep an eye on it to see what develops. Probably just more cactus fingers.
Over the course of a few days, some of the largest flowers you will see begin to open. They start out looking like a balloon half blown up. When they open fully they are the size of a soup bowl, with five petals that form a star shape. I’ve never ever seen anything like it.
The next time I have a close look at the flowers, I notice they’re full of flies, that are not flying anymore. Well, that is pretty cool. We learned these flowers are carnivorous, and attract flies with their foul aroma. After a couple of days the flower closes and starts to shrivel up, flies and all.
When I was a kid, which is more years ago than I care to think about, I recall venus fly traps being advertised on the back page of comic books. They were purported to catch and eat flies. I never had one, so cannot comment on whether or not they could catch flies. Not to worry, now I have my very own “stapelia gigantea” that is the real deal. No pesticides, no insecticides, just mother nature in another display of efficiency.
How many years have we been using ATM’s? More than forty? Wikipedia tells me there are over 3.5 million Automatic Teller Machines across the globe. If you have some time to spare and want a little free entertainment, get in the lineup for the ATM at the Scotiabank, in the Mega Plaza. For some unknown reason people step into the little booth and leave their ability to function outside. Once the door closes the show starts.
This particular ATM has a slot for your card that receives the longer side of your rectangular card, not the narrow end. It’s a small puzzle, usually solved by someone waiting in the frustratingly slow line who calls out, “Put the card in like this!” Moving forward…well not really.
Next we encounter the language issue. The instructions are in Spanish! Well, yes they are, but a second look would reveal they are also in English. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anyone take that second look. Thus, game on for the body language; a lot of slow motion Chubby Checker moves you can watch to help you pass the time in line.
Hot on the heels of the machine user’s body language is they take off their glasses. If you can only find the Spanish instructions with your glasses on, imagine how much easier things will be with your glasses off. Those English instructions will really stand out now.
Remember the TV game show where you could “Call a Friend?” That comes next, so there’s now two people in the booth. That just adds to the enjoyment of standing in the lineup.
Eventually you will get your turn in the booth, which until sometime in late 2019, was air conditioned. Remember, put your card in sideways, look for English which is always on the line below the Spanish, and you might have more success leaving your glasses on!
