1.   Buddhist monks in their brown and orange robes sat under a tamarind tree on lavender plastic chairs as hundreds of cicadas buzzed wildly in the branches above them.

2.   Nestled in fragrant frangipani, they overlook a narrow private beach on the South China Sea, which can be reached by a small path lined with tamarind trees.

3.   Skyscrapers have begun to rise above the tamarind trees.

4.   The buffaloes still graze under the shade of giant tamarind trees in Fatehpur.

5.   The tamarind tree produces a gnarled pod that hides within it a marvelous pulp with a taste reminiscent of sour plums.

6.   And the yellow stucco of French colonial villas blends with the green of palms and tamarind trees.