Palm art

There are a lot of palm trees in Cambodia.  They do not look very imposing from a distance.   

But they can really be quite big.  One day this summer I picked up a dead leaf and wondered what can be done with it.  

I cut a piece from the stem and smoothed it, to make a little boat.   My colleague G suggested to fit LEDs into it to make a lamp.  I cut 2 pieces and fitted them together, so that it can stand by itself.  I then asked another colleague K to fit 3 LEDs into it, powered by a rechargeable battery.  We had already installed solar powered electrical charging systems in Cambodia.  We can now teach our students, and the Cambodian youths to make these solar-powered lights.  It is a pity that they do not seem to have palm trees in Rwanda.  

While I was at it, a small piece became a cat, or a panther.  

I had wanted to make a bowl out of a larger piece.  But it turned out to be something that can balance itself on my desk, delicately.  I simply called it “balance”.  Many people seem to like it. 

It seems that these dead palm leaves can be quite useful.