The Edge

A movable transparent box called, The Edge, or called Skydeck 88 has been designed and can move out of the Eureka Tower (尤卡利大樓) at its 88th floor in Melborne, Australia. It is a glass box which projects 3 metres (about 10 feet) out from the building with visitors inside, suspended almost 300 metres (984 feet) above the ground. Since it is hanging in mid-air, certainly it will make some people feel horrified.

Eureka Tower has 92 floors in all. Not only it ranks the first tallest apartment building in the world, it also possesses the fastest lifts in the Southern Hemisphere.

To experience what it is like in this glass box, people have to pay for entry and wear coats to the shoes to protect the glass floors from being scratched. No photography is allowed inside. Once all the people are inside a white room with windows opaque, the floor of this box begins to move at 10cm per second over the edge of the building. The sound of metal beating and the sharp noise of glass breaking are heard. Once fully extended over the edge, the glass windows become clear.

The scenery outside the window is magnificent, but the legs of those who are timid are shaking and they are screaming with fright.

Golden Cherries

Connie showed me yesterday the Golden Cherries she recently bought in Canada and reported to me, “The golden cherries are sweeter than most of the red ones.”

Well, I have never eaten this grand kind of “golden” cherries before. Maybe they only appear at “high class” supermarkets or restaurants or on luxurious cakes.

Here is an extract from Jennifer Anderson from allrecipes.com who writes about sweet cherries:

Sweet cherries (Prunus avium) are the most commonly available types of cherries in the United States; with their high sugar content, they are perfect for eating out of hand. One of the most popular varieties of sweet cherry is the Bing.

• Bing cherries range from dark red to almost black. They are firm but juicy, and very sweet when properly ripened.
• Rainier cherries are golden with a pink blush on their skin, and their flesh is yellow to transparent. These cherries have a very sweet and delicate flavor, and like all cherries, they bruise easily.
• Lamberts are heart-shaped beauties with dark red flesh and skin. Their sweet, rich flavor and juicy, meaty flesh make them a favorite for eating fresh as well as for cooking.
• Royal Ann cherries have golden-pink skin and flesh. They are difficult to find fresh; most Royal Anns are used to make maraschino cherries.

A Cutaway View (剖視圖)

It is more or less like a cutaway view of a “Chicken burger” of KFC.

From childhood through adulthood, I like to see this kind of diagrams. I can see the shape and learn the name of each component part, so the composition of each thing is clear in this way.

I am amazed at the cutaway views of an ocean-going ship with many levels and decks, at the component parts of a machine such as the engine of a car or the turbine of a plane and at the structures or organs of a fish. Usually in a diagram like this, the name of each part is labelled, but unfortunately I cannot see any labeling here in the top photo.

Let us label them as we scroll down the component parts from top to bottom:
[1] Dome-like Top bread with sesame
[2] Orange sauce (Please let me know its name)
[3] Sliced tomato
[4] Fried potato in cake form
[5] Salad dressing
[6] Lettuce
[7] Chicken meat
[8] Base of burger (bread)

Look at the beautiful 8-layer Chicken burger in the photo below. I remember the one I ate last time was not like this! It was a "collapsed" one.

Dancing Eyebrows

When we are troubled or puzzled, we frown. In an advertisement, the boy and the girl are frowning. Are they troubled?

The clip of the advertisement began with the boy and the girl frowning . They move the muscles at their eyebrows up and down according to the rhythm of the background music. As a result, their eyebrows move interestingly like waves as the music goes.

For a short while, they look at each other without a smile. It seems to me that they know very well that they are doing the same thing. Well, that is a brilliant performance of “moving eyebrows” by these two kids. The girl also creates some interesting sounds when she rubs on her pink balloon. She is like playing music too.


What is the advertisement about? I don’t know and you don’t know too until the last second. Ha! It is an advertisement of a brand of chocolate.


When you look at the photos carefully, you will notice that the girl is wearing a purple skirt, similar in colour to that on the packet of chocolate. Her hair-pin, too, has the same colour. One, including me, can never relate the “colour” of the “skirt” to that of the “advertised” chocolate.

千日紅

千日紅 (圓仔花、千日草)

一年生草本，全年皆可開花，夏季為盛開期，花色多種，宜花壇種植。

莖 分枝多
葉 葉對生，橢圓形、長卵形或披針形，葉兩面皆有白色柔毛，短葉柄，紙質，羽狀脈。
花 頭狀花序頂生於枝梢，花序初為呈球形，後轉圓柱形。花紅色。
果實 種子被密生的茸毛覆蓋。

The Gigantean Flower only from Texas

To study the Gigantic Hibicus I mentioned previously, please read the extract from the article written by Jerry M. Parsons, Ph.D., the Professor of Horticulture, Texas Agricultural Extension Service:

Hibiscus belongs to the mallow family along with useful cousins such as cotton, hollyhock, Turks cap, and okra. One group within the genus Hibiscus immediately attracts attention with the large span of each individual flower, those now called Perennial or rose mallow hibiscus. Within this group there is considerable variation in the shape, size and texture of the foliage and in height of growth produced each year. Their colors also vary from white through pink to red. The giant flowered rose mallow has the largest flowers of any hardy perennial. These are descendants of the native hibiscus found in Louisiana and other Gulf South states. When hybrids of these first appeared many years ago, they were sold as "The Mallow Marvels". Because of their continuing display of summer color, they still deserve the "Marvel" label. They are among the most spectacular and easily grown plants.

The project of producing a hibiscus flower big enough to satisfy the rotund former "baby rocking in the cradle" required the imagination and talent of Ying Doon Moy, research and development horticulturist at the San Antonio Botanical Center. Mr. Moy cross bred a Hibiscus moscheutos hybrid with Hibiscus grandiflorus to create the largest, open face hibiscus flower in the world. The phenomenon of hybrid vigor (the offspring is superior to either parent) resulted in huge, rose pink flowers of the new variety named Moy Grande. (Be careful not to say the name too fast or would be bilingual, politically correct experts may want to correct your pronunciation to the Hispanic version Muy Grande which means "very large". Obviously, these folks are just bilingual (English and Spanish) and not trilingual (English, Spanish AND Chinese!)). Hibiscus moscheutos 'Southern Belle', which usually has 8 inch diameter blooms, was cross bred with Hibiscus grandiflorus, which usually has 10 inch blooms, to create Moy Grande which has 12 inch blooms. Most gardeners have been settling for the comparatively small 8 10 inch blooms but as I out grew the 4 inch cotton blooms, it is time for me to upgrade to Moy Grande 12 inch blooms.


Perennial hibiscus prefer a sunny location and well drained soil containing plenty of organic matter and nutrients. Rich, moist soil and full sun bring the most vigorous growth but mallows are very accommodating and will tolerate light shade and less desirable soils. To bloom and grow profusely, hibiscus must have enough water. Some cultivated varieties, like their marsh growing parents, will actually tolerate flooding. As with most other plants watering should be done thoroughly and not too frequently. Some protection from strong winds is necessary since the main canes can be broken. If this occurs during the growing season, removal of the broken section will stimulate side shoots which ultimately results in more blooms.

Perennial hibiscus flowers removed from the stem are popular for table decorations. They need not be placed in water to prevent wilting which adds flexibility to their use. Each flower lasts a full day before withering. If one wants flowers for the evening, blossoms should be cut as soon as they are fully open in the morning and placed in the refrigerator until just before using. Following the refrigeration period, flowers should remain open for at least four hours. This is the ONLY flower of this size in the world which will not wilt when displayed out of water for such a long period of time. It is a perfect, spectacular flower to take to hospitals or convalescing people. Old flowers and seed pods should be removed to encourage flowering. Another cut flower advantage of Moy Grande is one of its parents, H. grandiflorus, is fragrant giving Moy Grande fragrance as well.

Remember that this hibiscus is a root hardy perennial (top declines in autumn and the plant sprouts from the base the next spring). Applying a loose mulch such as hay, straw, grass clippings or leaves around the base of the plant before cold weather can prevent injury in severe winters. Certain varieties are more susceptible to cold damage than others. Following the spring and summer growing seasons, the plants freeze back to the ground each fall. Old stems should be cut back to the ground. New shoots emerge by mid spring and the plants quickly develop handsome mounds of foliage and flowers by early summer.

Hibiscus can be used as container plants as well. Plants may be purchased early in spring or summer and placed in 20 gallon or larger containers. Containers should be used with a commercial potting soil which drains well. Regular watering of the plants is required, especially in the afternoon heat. Both a time release fertilizer and a water soluble fertilizer, each with minor nutrients, should be used from April through October. The first should be applied about every six to eight weeks as a top dressing and the latter once a week.

Growing hibiscus in containers with a proper potting mix avoids many problems for the gardener. This includes root knot nematode and cotton root rot so frequently encountered with plants grown in soil. Also, in severe cold (below 10 degrees F.) weather the plants may be moved to a protected situation. All hibiscus will experience the same pest problems as its cousin cotton. Leaf eating worms can be controlled using products containing Bacillus thuringiensis such as Dipel, Biological Worm Control and Thuricide. Most insecticides are not phytotoxic to hibiscus. Moy Grande has the advantage of having leaves with a fuzzy surface which is less appetizing to foliage. Individual flowers last only a day, but each plant may flaunt a number of giant flowers at once. Few garden plants provide so much enjoyment for so little care. Now you can have a plant with the largest flowers in the neighborhood when you plant the new Moy Grande perennial hibiscus. The Moy Grande hibiscus produces the largest garden flower in the world. It is the second largest flower of any plant in the world and this is the first time it has ever been sold. If local nurseries do not have a supply of these very special plants in July, request that they order some from suppliers in San Antonion including Lone Star Growers, Mortellaro's or Peterson Brothers Nursery.

Giant Hibiscus

Daisy Mak kindly sent me the photos of a Hibiscus plant in her garden today.

Daisy said, “The attached are the photos of Moy Grande, the Giant Hibiscus of Texas, that is now blooming in my butterfly garden. The plant is 3 feet 9 inches tall. Each flower has a diameter of 12 inches. The flower petals are thin like silk cloth. Each flower lasts only about one day but luckily there are lots of blooms in one plant. It can be used as cut flower to put in a vase to decorate my home and for me to enjoy it indoor.”

Daisy measured her flowers and leaves with a ruler. Both the flowers and leaves appear gigantic!

膠袋徵費

香港政府在今年七月七日(今個星期二)向光顧全港(來自50集團)超過2900間商店(超級市場及便利店佔大部分)而取用每一個手挽塑膠袋顧客徵收五角稅款。以上所述商店要上繳該等稅款給政府，聽聞有些商店收取一元徵費，等同與政府各分一杯羹，因政府說徵費最少收五毫，不設上限。

徵費前怪現象:
[1] 一直以來，市民不斷從不同展覽會或街上或店舖收到印有宣傳產品廣告的免費環保購物袋。昨天一份免費報紙報導有市民半年內已經積存了50個環保袋。
[2] 幾個星期前逢星期五、六、日某超級市場向購物滿88元的顧客派一個附有商品廣告的「不織布袋」。於是該等日子，各區同一集團的超級市場一早已經有大批顧客購物換袋，不消一個鐘頭，那些「不織布袋」就被一掃而空了。

徵費後現象:
[1] 70%顧客自備購物袋，有10%至15%顧客付五角拿用膠袋。
[2] 有些顧客因拒絕繳費而放棄購物
[3] 有顧客索取新鮮食物部的無手挽膠袋
[4] 部份顧客只備一個購物袋，不足以裝載多些貨品，因而減少購物
[5] 香港環保政策評議會認為過量製造不織布環保袋，同樣會製造大量垃圾。該會發言人呼籲市民培養自備購物袋的習慣，減少使用膠袋，並且限制使用過多的膠製環保袋，才能真正減少膠袋對生態的禍害。
[6] 零售管理協會主席認為內地客來港一般會多購物，擔心他們取用膠袋時，因要付膠袋稅而發生不愉快場面。
[7] 更多零售商以膠袋(有手挽的)預先包裝貨品出售(包括紙巾、廁紙、樽裝飲品等等。

Melting away!

The weather report in the evening in Hong Kong reveals that today’s temperature reaches 33 degrees Celcius. Heat waves will last for three more days till Sunday.








What can we see in our cartoon forecast for great “heat”? Look! The man is slowly melted like ice-cream by the red-hot sun. Finally, a pool of liquid is left on the ground. Sooner or later, it will dry up too.

Driving through a Redwood Tree

It must be a comfortable drive on the roads to Humboldt Redwood National Park because redwood trees are everywhere in the area. The redwood trees in this park are as tall as a 30-storey building with an age of 1000-2000 years. These giants grow only in a narrow strip of land on the West Coast of California, north of San Francisco, from City Ukiah to City Eureka.

Going through a redwood tree by car seems impossible, but the owner in a private property in California makes the dream come true. A post card souvenir is given to the visitors when their car passes through that redwood tree. The owner collects each time $2 per person for a car to pass through. On the post card given out, the same tree in the picture has much better growth of leaves than nowadays. It must have been taken much much earlier.


















Information from Wikipedia:

The Redwood National and State Parks (RNSP) are located in the United States, along the coast of northern California. The parks consist of a combined area of 131,983 acres (534.12 km2) located entirely within Del Norte and Humboldt Counties and they protect 45% of all remaining Coastal Redwood, old-growth forests, totaling at least 38,982 acres (157.75 km2). These trees are the tallest and one of the most massive tree species on Earth. In addition to the redwood forests, the parks preserve other indigenous flora, fauna, grassland prairie, cultural resources, portions of rivers and other streams, and 37 miles (60 km) of pristine coastline

Motorized Cable Cars

There are Fun Tours on motorized cable cars in San Francisco. These city tours last for 1 to 2 hours. The tours are to depart from Union Square (near Powell and Geary Streets) and Fisherman’s Wharf (near A. Sabella’s Restaurant). The cars will take tourists around the city and even cross the Golden Gate Bridge to Marin, a city near Sausalito.

At first sight of the top photo, the car looks very much like those usual electric cable cars running on rails, but this one runs on "tyres". There are railings at its sides to protect the tourists from falling off. I like this kind of cars because cool fresh air can rush in while the car is moving.

It is different in Hong Kong. Although most of the buses are air-conditioned, the air inside is not fresh at all because it has been trapped and sealed off. Without choice, all the passengers breathe in and out the same stale air.

Clinging to a train!

This is Dhaka (達卡), Bangladesh (孟加拉). The trains here are usually overcrowded, not only inside the carriages, but also on their tops and outside.

Clutching at the doorways and at the engine or sitting on the tops of a train like this are equally dangerous. The train must be moving very slowly owing to age and excess weight. I wonder if these people who could not get inside the train have to buy tickets for such journeys or not.










The lady in the last photo would like to get her foothold onto the steps at the doorway to get access to the train. Meanwhile the two men on the right would like to get on the train even if they have to hang themselves in mid-air while travelling.

布甸果凍

聖安娜新出品「動物奇兵布甸果凍」，的確有創意，造型可愛，價錢略貴，味道如何，要試過才知道。

布甸果凍以造型分四種:
[1]熊仔將軍
[2]獅子王
[3]河馬司令
[4]青蛙上將

味道則是: [1]草莓 [2]芒果 [3]黑加侖子 [4]青檸
你們有沒有興趣試一下這些果凍呢?

雙托天堂鳥

On May 8th, 2009, Ho Keung and Yin Ping showed me their “Twin” flowers of Strelitzia (雙托天堂鳥) from their backyard in Australia.

Ho Keung said, “Usually 天堂鳥 has one flower on one stem, but this one has a ‘twin’.

Anyway, both are beautiful.

天堂鳥 in Australia is quite expensive, 雙托天堂鳥 is much dearer because of rareness.”

Read these:

In eastern Indonesia(東印度尼西亞), Torres Strait Islands(托雷斯海峽羣島), Papua New Guinea(巴布亞新畿內亞), and eastern Australia(東澳洲), there are birds called “birds of paradise” (天堂鳥). They have highly elongated and elaborate feathers extending from the beak, wings or head.
鶴望蘭(Strelitzia) 叫做天堂鳥(Bird of Paradise Flower)是由於這種原籍南非的花與天堂鳥的羽毛相似。在南非，人們叫它們做 crane flowers.

橘色的花瓣、藍色的雌蕊，組成了這種色彩瑰麗的花朵。花形呈銳角狀。只要一朵天堂鳥，就足以使得整個花束顯得栩栩如生了。

Clouds, Sky, Moon

Lower down the photo, the white clouds float like cotton in the blue sky. Higher up floats the Moon, round as ever, although it is a little rugged when someone looks at it closely. Here the sky links the clouds and the Moon up in harmony.

Clouds sometimes hide the Moon up when people want to see it on Earth and they hide parts of the Earth too when astronauts want to see them from the Moon.

A Preview of the new PWH Building

The new Prince of Wales Hospital Building (extension block) gradually takes shape in these few months.

The building progress is speedy. Now it may have been built up to more than 12 floors. Each day we see workmen nailing wooden boards together, binding steel bars together and concrete is laid afterwards.

The building of this hospital is very complicated because the floor plans are very different from floor to floor. The three cranes swing about and lift up loads of building materials to the top level for construction. The workmen gather like working ants at special spots to create new structures every day.

Scaffolding and green protective nets are erected at times to ensure better access and safety measures. I wonder how these workmen get up to the top floors. I guess they must have walked up the stairs because the lifts are not yet equipped. I wonder if the workmen have tea-time at 3:15 p.m. each day.

Today I saw a large red umbrella erected at the top floor. What is the use of it?

Its uses maybe one of these:
[1] It provides shade for those workmen when they take rests.
[2] It shelters the food they eat for tea time from rain or sun.
[3] It protects the delicate building materials that cannot be exposed to rain or sun for a long time.
[4] This is where the chief of engineers sits.

Ronald McDonald’s House

The first Asian Ronald McDonald’s House (麥當奴叔叔之家), the yellow house in the top photo, was completed and in service in Hong Kong in 1996. It is located at To Shek (多 石 村), Shatin, near Prince of Wales Hospital. This House provides a “temporary” home for the families of the sick children who want to take care of the latter during their stay in PWH. It is a few minutes’ walk to the hospital.

There are 23 rooms with toilets, common rooms, a kitchen, a dining room, a laundry room, a games room, a library and a garden. After referral from the hospital, a family can reside and use the facilities there. Not only the parents can take care of their sick children most of the time in the hospital, but they can also live with the rest of the members of their families. They feel “at home” and share among themselves the experience in caring others, food therapy and cooking skills.

Giant Faces on Rocks

Human faces of Rocks scattered over Easter Island, some on the slopes, some on lower grounds and some lined up at the shores. People keep flying in to see their glamour and beauty. Their sizes are huge and people seem to have come to a “Giant” kingdom.