Bamboo, bamboo everywhere

@JudyEv (325331)

Rockingham, Australia

March 14, 2018 8:40am CST

MyLot member Fei Shao (@fei1125) wrote about bamboos recently. You can catch up here: http://www.mylot.com/post/3163087/do-you-know-bamboo-grows-very-fast. I was reminded of the many uses made of bamboo when we stayed in a Karen village in the backblocks of Thailand. The bamboo there was stronger and sturdier than what I’ve seen in Australia. The houses in the village were made of bamboo with rooves of overlapping leaves. Most houses were up off the ground and were reached by steps cut from bamboo sections split lengthwise. The rice-drying pans were woven from bamboo leaves and cages for hens were also made from bamboo. You can see rice drying in flat pans on the roof of one of the houses. Guess what the boundary fences between the houses were made of? Yes, bamboo! It was everywhere. However, we Westerners were generally taller and weightier than the indigenous Karen people and the floors and stairs would creak as we walked on them. But the bamboo I liked best had been made into cowbells which gave a very gentle mellow sound as the cattle wandered through the village.

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17 responses

@andriaperry (116860)

• Anniston, Alabama

14 Mar 18

We have something similar, I forget the name but we call it cane, people would cut the cane and make fishing poles with it. Its invasive, one year I cut cane and used it to stake the tomatoes.

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@JudyEv (325331)

• Rockingham, Australia

15 Mar 18

I think it is the same thing. The climate in Thailand means the cane/bamboo is very, very strong. They use it for scaffolding and just about everything else.

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@JudyEv (325331)

• Rockingham, Australia

17 Mar 18

@lynnief That would be handy.

@lynnief (1203)

• Australia

17 Mar 18

I have heard that you can get varieties that are not invasive. I don't know whether they are natural varieties or ones that have been specially cultivated.

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@mydanods (6513)

• Nigeria

14 Mar 18

Some rural areas in Ogun state here in Nigeria have houses made of bamboo. That is generally the most I have seen of bamboo being used for houses although it is used here extensively as struts when constructing houses. Bamboos are very strong stick.

4 people like this

@JudyEv (325331)

• Rockingham, Australia

15 Mar 18

When we were in Thailand we often saw it used as scaffolding on building sites. The climate seems ideal for it there.

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@snowy22315 (169576)

• United States

14 Mar 18

I never really thought of how much bamboo must be available in Thailand..but I bet it is ubiquitous.

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@snowy22315 (169576)

• United States

16 Mar 18

@JudyEv That must have been one vigorous massage..

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@JudyEv (325331)

• Rockingham, Australia

15 Mar 18

It is indeed. Vince had a bad back and a local man gave him a massage but they broke the bed (

don't ask!). The guy just went into the jungle and came back the the piece he needed to fix the bed.

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@JudyEv (325331)

• Rockingham, Australia

16 Mar 18

@snowy22315 I'll have to post about it. It is too funny not to share with everyone.

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@allknowing (130067)

• India

15 Mar 18

Nothing to do with bamboo but your mentioning cow bells took me to a memory. We were on our way to Jung Frau, Switzerland and were on a cable car and as the cable car left the ground and went higher I could hear the tapering sound of cow bells that were on cows grazing below. I will never hear that sound again.

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@JudyEv (325331)

• Rockingham, Australia

15 Mar 18

It's a lovely sound isn't it? We heard it in Europe too but the bamboo bells in Thailand had a wonderful mellow ring to them.

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@Fleura (29097)

• United Kingdom

14 Mar 18

There are many different types and sizes of bamboo. The giant stuff grows so fast you can see it growing!

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@JudyEv (325331)

• Rockingham, Australia

15 Mar 18

I can believe it! The stuff in Thailand was incredibly thick and strong.

2 people like this

Swayamsiddha Dash

@Swayamsiddha (4358)

• New Delhi, India

14 Mar 18

You are right. Bamboo is a very helpful resource in man's life . Its just that people are avoiding its value in life.

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@JudyEv (325331)

• Rockingham, Australia

15 Mar 18

They made good use of it in the village we stayed in.

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@youless (112100)

• Guangzhou, China

15 Mar 18

In fact we shall take more advantages of the bamboos since they grow faster than trees. Here the bamboos are very useful. They can be made as tableware, chair, bed, basket and so on. The bamboo shoots can make as delicious dish.

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@JudyEv (325331)

• Rockingham, Australia

15 Mar 18

Certainly the bamboo seems to be able to become anything. Vince has some bamboo socks which he says are very comfortable but they do take a long time to dry.

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@drannhh (15219)

• United States

15 Mar 18

I love bamboo. That is such a beautiful photo. Thanks for sharing.

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@JudyEv (325331)

• Rockingham, Australia

16 Mar 18

We slept in a house like this and there were no windows. Actually there were big windows but no glass in them.

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@Shavkat (137189)

• Philippines

14 Mar 18

It is a perfect nipa hut like in my country. I am planning to have one in my late father's land soon.

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@Shavkat (137189)

• Philippines

15 Mar 18

@JudyEv I am going to use the bamboos that we can get from the backyard. It could grow wild, especially in the countryside. It will be cheaper since I don't need to buy bamboos.

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@JudyEv (325331)

• Rockingham, Australia

15 Mar 18

@Shavkat That will be a huge saving if you can access your own bamboo.

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@JudyEv (325331)

• Rockingham, Australia

15 Mar 18

Will you build it from bamboo? Does bamboo grow wild there?

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@rakski (112925)

• Philippines

16 Mar 18

In provinces here, you can still see some houses made of bamboo. It is very versatile.

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@mydanods (6513)

• Nigeria

16 Mar 18

@JudyEv That's cool. Made of bamboo!

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@rakski (112925)

• Philippines

16 Mar 18

@JudyEv oh yes, it is very comfortable and cozy. and it is cooler than when you are inside a wooden or cemented house.

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@JudyEv (325331)

• Rockingham, Australia

16 Mar 18

I was really surprised how sturdy the houses in the village were and they were all made of bamboo.

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@moffittjc (118365)

• Gainesville, Florida

15 Mar 18

Bamboo is considered an eco-friendly wood, and bamboo flooring and bamboo bed linens are quite popular here in the US right now. Bamboo grows so fast that it can be replenished quickly, preventing over-forestation of its wood.

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@moffittjc (118365)

• Gainesville, Florida

15 Mar 18

@JudyEv I have bamboo sheets on my bed right now, and I love them because they are hypoallergenic. They are very comfortable, and very durable. I also have a comforter and a blanket made out of bamboo.

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@JudyEv (325331)

• Rockingham, Australia

15 Mar 18

I can certainly believe it. I'd forgotten about material being made from it. I think Vince bought some bamboo socks - maybe in Nepal - but they take forever to dry.

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@JudyEv (325331)

• Rockingham, Australia

16 Mar 18

@moffittjc Have you noticed if they take longer to dry than other materials? I'm just curious.

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@shshiju (10342)

• Cochin, India

14 Mar 18

Bamboo houses are cooler ones and Eco friendly.

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@JudyEv (325331)

• Rockingham, Australia

15 Mar 18

These houses had quite large overhangs and no glass in the windows. You could also see the sky in patches through the leaves which formed the roof.

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@shshiju (10342)

• Cochin, India

15 Mar 18

@JudyEv Yes that is right no need to add anything special.

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@Courage7 (19633)

• United States

14 Mar 18

Nice I like bamboo. It is so useful.

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@JudyEv (325331)

• Rockingham, Australia

15 Mar 18

It certainly has a lot of uses.

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@lynnief (1203)

• Australia

16 Mar 18

It's an amazingly versatile material, with so many different uses.

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@JudyEv (325331)

• Rockingham, Australia

16 Mar 18

Vince has bamboo socks and Jeff in his comment says he has bamboo bed linen.

@JudyEv (325331)

• Rockingham, Australia

17 Mar 18

@lynnief Yes we have Spotlight here. I'll have to have a look for it. Is it expensive? I think they hike up the price of some of these fancier yarns.

@lynnief (1203)

• Australia

17 Mar 18

@JudyEv I've heard of bamboo bed linen, and I've seen bamboo knitting yarn in Spotlight. (Do you have Spotlight in WA?)

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@Freelanzer (10745)

• Canada

17 Mar 18

I love bamboo and it is really strong. I have bamboo floors in my living room and I think they could withstand anything.

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@JudyEv (325331)

• Rockingham, Australia

17 Mar 18

I guess your flooring would be a bit different to that in the Karen village. it was just split lengths laid on beams.

@teamfreak16 (43421)

• Denver, Colorado

14 Apr 18

I like bamboo shoots in my Chinese food!

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@JudyEv (325331)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 Apr 18

It has a multitude of uses it seems.

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@Hannihar (129376)

• Israel

21 Aug 18

@JudyEv Thanks Judy. That is very interesting.