Taipei 101

Taipei 101 became the first world’s tallest building in the 21^st century (completed in late August 2003). It has been chosen as one of the Seven Wonders of the World by the Newsweek Magazine in 2006.



It has broken the half-kilometer mark in height (508 metres), Obviously its 101 floors mark the name, Taipei 101.

Interesting enough, an 800- ton tuned mass damper helps stabilize the tower under strong winds or earthquakes. The damper is an enormous ball of welded steel plates hanging inside the top of the building.

The 89^th floor is an indoor observation area and an outdoor observation deck is located on the 91^st floor.

The shopping mall concentrates on the second to fifth floors and its Observatory Elevators earn the Fastest passenger elevators in Guinness World Records (1010 metres/min).

Fireworks have been displayed at its spire during New Year so that the citizens of Taipei can easily see them.

The first three photos of this tall building have been extracted from a website while the last two are from Anthony showing a closer look of Taipei 101 on a rainy day and its shopping mall.

A Simple Christmas tree

On December 3^rd, my brother, Anthony, arrived at Clarke Quay in Singapore. He found an interesting Christmas tree inside a display stall by the side of the Singapore River. It was a GREEN one with a red star at the top.

Taking a closer look at the second photo, you may find that this simple tree is made by stacking up 3 triangles of bottles of beer.

When I say SIMPLE, I mean this decoration of this Christmas tree is

SIMPLE in SHAPE, just three triangles,

SIMPLE in DESIGN, just several straight lines,

SIMPLE to MAKE, just stacking up green bottles of beer,

SIMPLE to ADVERTISE when people are interested in how this tree is made

and most important of all, under ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION.

Attractions from Festival Walk

In purchasing articles over 5000 dollars from the shops of Festival Walk at Kowloon Tong with a Master card during Christmas, a customer will get a fabulous gift like the one here.

First look at the beautiful design of the paper-bag for holding and carrying the gift.

It looks really beautiful! A WHITE Christmas tree stands out from many red snow-flake-like shapes that go around it. The most attractive snow-flakes are the blue ones.

In the centre of the Christmas tree were written these: CHRISTMAS FANTASY OF LIGHTS AT FESTIVAL WALK.

The gift is a basket of various kinds of skin care products such as soap (solid and liquid), bath and shower gel, creamy lotion, lotion for protecting the skin under sunshine, hand recovery cream and cream for skin therapy. It is said that the gift costs around 600 dollars.

If they are all given to me to clean my skin, I just wonder where to start.

Other Features in Thermal Areas of New Zealand

Alum cliffs show many layers of rock which is dangerous to climb because one never knows which layer will break when he/she is climbing. Looking at it is better!

Oyster Pool is another feature to see. Will there be oysters in the pool? I guess not. If there are oysters, they have been thoroughly cooked, but not fit to eat!

Lake Ngakora (the grandfather) is a beautiful green lake more than 700 years old formed after an eruption. There is still rising steam from the lake. This indicates it is still thermally active.

Yellowish brown sulphur mounds are found. Heaps of sulphur stack up like ant mounds.

McDonald’s New Wrapping Paper for its Burgers

Recently, on the wrapping paper of certain McDonald’s burgers, there are pictures of sports on promotion.

They are sports other than those of the Olympics:

(1) Hula (hoola) Hoop – a toy hoop, usually made of plastics, that is twirled around the waist, limbs, or neck.

Running while twirling a hula hoop around the waist can be great fun and exciting.

(2) Cycling with two people – Two cyclists riding on the same bicycle.

Cycling with more people with more wheels requires team work - an interesting game too!

I guess the reason for McDonald not to promote Olympic sports is that it is only a Fast Food Shop and in printing any pictures about the Olympics may need copyright.

On these wrapping papers, there are pieces of information about the Quality and Name of the burger, and the most important slogan - “I’m lovin' it” in different languages.

場內場外

昨天下午一時三刻, 接到Connie的電話, 說她們已經到達佑寧堂, 我們三人立即從裕華國貨公司趕去教堂. 目的是去照顧Abby, 令Connie和Philip可以放心做婚禮主席. 這天正是Abby叔叔結婚的好日子. 十分鐘前, 我和Tony在裕華二樓第一次見到特首及夫人在逛公司, 太太就沒發覺. 特首個子比較矮, 身旁有個高大的漢子, 相信是近身保鏢. 當特首等人走過身旁之後, 我告訴太太我的發現, 太太並不是第一次見特首的, 但是她像記者般追著去看一看.

不消四分鐘已到達紅磚塊造的舊教堂, 立即見到一干人等. 接過今天特別靚的Abby, 選了面向禮台右面第三排長椅坐下, 以為可以安安樂樂坐在那裏去觀禮.

誰不知Abby眼見Connie在台上, 立即嚷著要去她身邊. 我們三人立即抱著Abby離開教堂. Abby不停地哭, 我們都沒有她辦法. 眼見對面馬路有一間麵包店, 我們相信它是我們的救星. 買了Abby心愛的紙包蛋糕, 返回教堂, 以為可以一切無事. 第二輪的嗚嗚聲又開始了, 我們再次離開教堂, 吩咐Tony去取Connie帶來的嬰兒車, 把Abby放進去, 推著她走, 不時哄她吃蛋糕, 她開始用自己的小手指挖蛋糕吃. 我們叫Tony返回教堂 觀禮. 我倆開始推著Abby去作巡遊, 從佐敦道出發, 右轉入覺士道, 那裡的行人路非常闊落. 太太推著嬰兒車慢慢地走, 希望可以拖延時間, 跟著轉入短短的德成街, 再右轉入德興街, 那裏的行人路特別窄, 只夠Abby的車子過, 剛巧在這街頭遇見一對外籍夫婦. Abby又開始她的外交手段, 望著他們微笑, 揮手向他們打招呼. 哄得這對夫婦對Abby笑一笑.

行行復行行, 我們已經返回教堂附近. 太太進入教堂視察一番. 她回來時提議將Abby帶返教堂, 放她在禮堂後面的走廊位置. 於是我又將Abby和嬰兒車一併抬上石級. 可惜今次又失敗了, Abby再哭起來. 當時新人正進場, 我們害怕Abby將這個婚禮弄得到一團糟, 立即又向街外逃. 今次又把Abby在街上推來推去. 太太給Abby一枝筆, 一個信封去畫東西. Abby手握著它們, 眼淚依然流下來. 我們在覺士道兩邊的行人路來來回回走了幾趟. 稍後她终於靜了下來, 十分鐘之後在佐敦道街頭睡著了.

三時半左右我們決定把睡著的Abby送返教堂. 那時的婚禮已經完成, 一對新人正開始和各人影相. 很快Connie把睡得正好的Abby抱去影相. 今次Abby再沒有哭了.

太太在堂前寒暄一下, 我和兒子在禮堂後面等候, 為著是影一張結婚合照, 終於我們是和新人影相的最後一批人士.

今次照顧Abby有些領略:

(1) Abby訓練了太太的耐性

(2) Abby和 Connie 兩母女關係很牢固

(3) 蛋糕是可以暫時停止Abby哭泣

(4) 自己一定要操練身體去抱, 去抬, 去推!

(5) Abby情緒不佳時, 我們也要抑制自己的情緒, 要耐心地和Abby打一場耐力戰.

相中正是Abby吃蛋糕, 開心的時候. 那一刻是笑著的!

Christmas Decorations at New Century Plaza

Towards Christmas, the hall at New Century Plaza, next to Mongkok Station, is full of Christmas Decorations.




The most attractive figure here is the big Santa Claus. He looks gentle and kind. His hat is tall and his cloak is triangular in shape. His moustache and beard are long and thick. At that moment, he is sitting on the ground with his big shoes resting on the ground. In front of him are two beautiful chairs inside a glass cabin.

Over the Christmas trees and inside those Christmas balls, some lovely figures and snowmen are turning round and round.

At the base of several Christmas trees, there are two transparent crystal balls each with a snowman inside.

樹木建交

在香港濕地公園裏, 最近不難找到新種的榭木.

我發現其中兩棵不同國家品種的小樹, 它們的高度相約, 大家相隔最少有十尺. 一棵是中國的枇杷樹, 而另外一棵則是楓樹. 它們沒有被種得太接近, 這是需要的, 否則 當它們長大之後會互相爭奪空間, 陽光, 空氣及養分, 那就大件事了!

這兩棵樹, 一代表中國, 另一代表加拿大, 這樣的建交蠻有意思喔!

我希望以後有更多不同國家的樹木可以被種在這個濕地公園的大家庭, 讓香港的市民在欣賞之際, 也可探索這聯合國式的樹木王國.

The Primrose Terraces

At Wai-O-Tapu, there is a geyser called Lady Knox Geyser. The eruption is caused by a hot stream meeting a (comparatively) cold stream underneath the ground. Every morning a worker uses salt to stimulate a quick eruption for the tourists to watch.

In the large photo, Yin Ping and Ho Keung were watching the geyser which ejected hot water to a height of 30 feet or more.

More interesting were the Primrose Terraces in the second large photo.

From an explanatory board, the formation of the Primrose Terraces was like this:

The water overflowing the Champagne Pool (mentioned earlier) is rich in silica. As the water cools, progressively more silica precipitates and forms into sinter. The Primrose Terraces have been forming for 700 years and are the largest in the southern hemisphere covering 1.2 ha (approximately 3 acres) since the destruction of the Pink and White Terraces with the eruption of Mt. Tarawera in 1886.

Looking at Australia from Shatin

Previously in my blog, I have shown a photo with metallic hands holding the Earth in the daytime. This time, I wanted to see how it looked at night.

By the spotlights below, this sculpture looked shiny and golden.

I walked around it and found the piece of the Southern Continent I had set foot on, Australia. Last time, I looked at it on the globe at Canberra. Now this time I looked at it at Shatin. The continent here looked like a piece of ginger with a shoot growing up on the right. The shape of the continent here is not so detailed as that at the Captain Cook Memorial at Canberra, but it was simple enough for recognition.

Fearless Abby

Yesterday I witnessed Abby having great improvement in sliding down. She knew the skill of letting her hands off the rim of the slide and she went swiftly down. Once when she reached the base of the slide, she tumbled. Since the ground was soft, it absorbed the force and she was unhurt.

More challenging skill needed when she attempted the upward climb on a red "Rugged" slanting wall. She was successful in climbing up to the top. Of course Connie would watch out for her safety all the time.

Coming to a blue Rugged Slide, it was obvious that she could not slide down on the rugged surface.

How could she come down? She made a downward crawl slowly with our close supervision!

生活寫照(2)

這是一條幻想加思考題, 請大家想一想!

若果左邊那個人是你, 而右邊那個是人類進化後的模樣, 頭部變成顯示屏, 什麼的面部表情都用圖像顯示, 人的內心世界, 想些什麼, 全部在屏幕上見得一清兩楚, 聲線和走路像機械人的.

那麼樣的未來世界, 你是否可以接受嗎?

Captain Cook Memorial

At one side of the lake in front of the New Parliament House at Canberra, Capital City of Australia, I found a big metal globe. On the ring that surrounded it was written “Captain Cook Memorial”.

I learned from History lessons that Captain Cook sailed his ship to Australia and landed on it. He was worth remembered in the hearts of Australians. There were lines on this globe that marked the route of travels of this great navigator across the oceans and reached this Southern Continent.

The people who made this globe are serious enough to give very accurate shapes and detailed relief of lands, so this “Earth” looked very realistic to the spectators. The globe is tilted so that people understand that our Earth rotates round and round using a slanting axis. The net-work supporting the continents actually represent the latitudes and longitudes of our Earth. I wondered if it would rotate, driven by motors. At the time I took these two photos, it was motionless!

Adventures at Rotorua

It takes 1 hour fifteen minutes to travel from Taupo to Rotorua in New Zealand.

Rotorua is a town in the volcanic thermal land area. There is steam coming out from many places in the region.

Yin Ping and Ho Keung visited Wai-O-Tapu, a thermal wonderland with bubbling mud pools, craters, terraces, cliffs and lakes.
Mud shoots up at times when bubbles burst. Taking a Mud bath here can kill!

The above photo shows the Artist’s palette.

The above photo shows Champagne Pool. The liquid really looks like champagne, but we cannot drink it!

The above photo shows Inferno Crater

The above is Bird Nest Crater

Sulphur Cave is on the right.

A bigger crater with rising steam

Devil’s Bath. No one dares to take a bath here.

沙田夜景

臨近聖誕, 沙田夜景特別美麗.

平時的瀝源橋, 晚上披上紅色閃閃發光的舞衣,加上城門河水面反映. 倍添燦爛奪目.

兩岸的燈火, 也毫不失色, 再加上倒影, 簡直像一幅油畫!

I have got it!

This morning I found the new product by Vitasoy Company from the nearby 7-eleven.

These bottles of Ginger Soya Bean Milk were placed inside a heater with water inside to keep them warm to hot. The cost of each bottle was $5. Since I bought one home for photo-taking, I had to deposit 50 cents. Certainly I would get it back when I returned the bottle.

The taste of Ginger in this drink is a little bit stronger than that of Soya beans. Chinese people like to drink Ginger Tea in winter because the tea will make them feel warmer. Anyone who does not like to prepare such tea nor bother to make it may try this new product from Vitasoy. However, I can tell you that the taste of ginger from normal Ginger Tea is several times stronger than this one. This drink is simply a mixture of ginger and soya beans.

The ingredients in the drink are as follows: Water, Whole Soyabeans, Sugar, Milk solid, Ginger powder (Ginger Juice and Maltodextrin, Flavouring, Salt, Vitamins (B6, B1 and B2). It contains Soyabeans and Milk.

To save the money for making new bottles, the company uses the old kind of bottles (Net volume 236ml) with a newly-printed plastic covering on the outside.

The photos show the Chinese and the English versions on the covering.