納斯卡線

今次我利用維基百科全書資料及以下的圖片去研究一下有趣的納斯卡線: (左上角之四幅照片是現場空中拍攝的實景。

納斯卡線（Nazca Lines）是位於納斯卡沙漠上的巨大地面圖形。納斯卡沙漠是一座高度乾燥延伸53英里（多於80公里）的高原，在秘魯的納斯卡鎮與帕爾帕市之間。在1939年由美國考古學家保羅•柯索發現。雖然有些地方的人體石刻是以帕拉卡作為主題，但是學者認為納斯卡線是納斯卡文明於400年至650年所創造。有數以百計的個別圖形，出自簡單的線條，以複雜排列構成魚類、螺旋形、藻類、兀鷲、蜘蛛、花、鬣蜥、鷺、手、樹木、蜂鳥、猴子和蜥蜴。

除了從天空以外，納斯卡線條無法被認定成一致的圖形。自假設納斯卡人未能從這個有利位置看見他們的作品以來，已經有許多關於建造者能力和行動方式的推測，推估這些圖案可能在安地斯山的祈雨儀式中，扮演重要的角色。

納斯卡線的製作方法，依據未完成的遺址推測，首先，圖形是以大石頭來標示，並移除深色石塊的表層來界定邊界；接著，移除圖形內部的石頭，並匯集成堆；最後，這些石頭沿著邊界擺放，使圖形的邊緣較為突出。

至於螺旋形圖案的形成，依照考古學家的推測，首先，在圓心的木桿上，纏繞一根繩子，繩子另一端綁上一個棍子，以此方式設計圓形圖案；接著，繩子逐漸向外伸展，設計出愈來愈大的螺旋形圖案；最後，清除每圈螺旋邊緣的石塊，露出顏色較淺的地面，以使螺旋圖案更明顯。

奇妙的花環

今晨往食早餐途中，驟見花圃上的美艷棘杜鵑花自然地編織成圓形的花環在微風下向外飄搖。它們奇妙的造型特別搶鏡，立即將附近的植物比了下去。

我渴望天天都能夠見到這些的棘杜鵑花在爭奇鬥艷！

黃色小花

這兩朶小花吸引我不是它們的黃色，而是它們的花瓣數目不一。

大家不妨留意一下，其中一朶是四片花瓣，而另一朶則五片。究竟這種花的花瓣應該是四片，還是五片才是正常呢？我是不知道答案的，請諸君們為我解答一下。

再傳捷報

香港單車選手李慧詩(2012奧運銅牌得主)成功在2012年10月13日在場地單車世界盃哥倫比亞站中先後擊敗兩名英國車手、歐洲冠軍華莉舒和占姆絲，贏得爭先賽冠軍。

場地單車爭先賽是以一對一形式進行，李慧詩在資格賽以次名晉級十六強後，先後贏了委內瑞拉、日本和英國選手晉級決賽，對另一位英國奧運代表詹姆絲。決賽同樣是三場兩勝制。李慧詩和詹姆絲各勝一場。決賽一場，李慧詩採取終點前直路超越戰術成功，首次奪得世界杯這個項目的金牌。

我們這位單車選手的拼博精神是值得大家學習的。

On Sepulveda Blvd

Endeavour started its way on October 13, 2012, not to the sky, but to California Science Centre. All the obstacles on its route had to be removed, overhanging traffic lights, trees and lamp-posts. Crowds of citizens at Los Angeles watched this 37-metre-long giant space shuttle, as heavy as 80 tons, carried slowly and cautiously by heavy cushion trucks along the roads, wide enough for it to go through.

Space shuttles like Endeavour are clever inventions which carried astronauts and equipments to and from space. Tragically, two space shuttles, Challenger and Columbus were lost in accidents (the former in explosion soon after lifted off and the latter disintegrated during re-entry to Earth), otherwise space shuttles are perfect flying tools.

Thanks to Peter Ng who provides us a link to an interesting video to see how Endeavour was carried through the streets of Los Angeles to a specially-made storehouse at California Science Centre. 

Two works of Art

These are the art-works done by Elly and Abby.

The left-hand picture was painted by Elly, aged three, with a brush and water colours. She says that it is a park. Where is it? Well, it must be in her mind.

The right-hand painting was done by Abby, aged six also with a brush and water colours. Abby now uses lighter colours. In the past, she used very dark colours such as blue, brown, black or deep purple.

These pictures are unique and they carry some free images of children that some of us may not image.

大馨吉石林

大馨吉石林(Grand Tsingy)是全球面積最大的石林，位於非洲東部島國馬達加斯加(Madagascar)。由於是石炭岩地質，石林在經過長年累月的雨水侵蝕後，頂部呈現出鋒利的尖刀狀。人們在這裏走動是非常困難的，每每要用繩索攀爬才可到達目的地。
 
在這無法住人的險惡之地，生活著11種狐猴，超過100種鳥類及45種爬行動物；其餘的動物有小型肉食靈貓、貓鼬以及一些品種的蝙蝠。

這裏照片中的白色狐猴們會在鋒利的石尖上跳來跳去，就像雜技演員一樣。 狐猴早已適應了這裏的生活；牠們白天的時候前往石林裏一些小型森林去覓食， 夜間，牠們就棲息在石尖頂部。

Photo of the Year

Recently, I am awarded “the words of praise” from my son-in-law saying that this photo is my best photo of the year 2012.

The photo was taken on September 29. At that moment, Elly was walking on a raised ramp, pretending she was a gymnast and smiling with great satisfaction.

After taking a quick shot at her, I marvelled at the finished photo because it seemed to me that bright light was sending out from this little girl of three with the strong contrast of dark-coloured walls, ceiling and floor. The photo had created a perspective feeling that Elly was coming out from a tunnel and I considered the lighting was very good and Elly's smiles were rich.

If I give a title to this photo, I would say, “Elly glittering with smiles and light”.

碰碰運氣

在今年國慶日晚上，我們幾家人有幸可以上到坐落西九的「凱旋門」空中花園去觀賞煙花。從六十三層樓那裡向中環方面望，能見度不錯，一路視野無阻，不過距離發放煙花的躉船足足有兩至三公里。

我手上的相機只是一部便宜的小型傻瓜機，因拍攝速度有限，在黑夜捕捉煙花美景實在難上加難。當我在機背屏幕上見到燦爛煙花時去按快門制，應該是太遲了。要拍攝幾張像樣的煙花照片簡直是盲目中不斷按快門，碰碰運氣而已。

以上是我將僥倖拍攝到的煙花照片給大家看一看今年的國慶煙花，也許算是最近交的一次功課吧！

中國第一艘航空母艦

       最近中國繼美國、俄羅斯、法國、英國、印度、巴西、阿根廷、西班牙、意大利及泰國之後擁有航空母艦。

 
       這艘命名為京「遼寧艦」雖然是中國第一艘航空母艦，但意義重大。它肯定是中國建造未來新式常規及核能推動的航母作藍本，亦是一艘科研及供訓練海空軍的戰艦。

以下是一些關於遼寧號一些資料：

       這艘「遼寧」號的航空母艦其實在上世紀80年代初開始在烏克蘭黑海造船廠開工建造，最初的名字為「瓦良格」號。從1992年1月份開始，由於缺乏足夠的資金，「瓦良格」號便一直處於停工狀態。到1994年，俄羅斯最終決定放棄參與該艦的建造工作。

　　2000年，尚未完工（當時僅完成全部工作量的76%）的「瓦良格」號被烏克蘭以2000萬美元的「廢鋼價」出售給了中國澳門的一家公司。當時該公司宣稱將把這艘半成品航母改裝成一座海上賭場，但在其運抵中國後，中方卻開始著手修復並對「瓦良格」號進行了改裝。

　　在中國方面獨立進行的改裝過程中，在購買「瓦良格」號時獲得的設計圖紙發揮了重要的作用。

　　中國軍方此前曾多次表示，「瓦良格」號將被用作航母訓練平台，以便中國海軍熟悉使用此類裝備的戰術和技術，同時，為中國今後建造國產航空母艦積累經驗。

　　據中方消息人士透露，按照最初的計劃，中國首艘國產航母將採用常規動力，排水量在5—6萬噸，預計將在2015年完工。而中國的首艘核動力航母將在2020年下水。

　　中國的航母計劃已推進了20餘年。為掌握航母建造技術，中國曾從國外購買過多艘退役航母，包括澳大利亞的「墨爾本」號、前蘇聯的「明斯克」號、「基輔」號和「瓦良格」號等。

　　根據中國海軍的第一階段航母建造計劃，將在2015-2016年左右建造兩艘常規動力航母，並在2020年前組建兩支航母艦隊。在第二階段，中國將建造兩艘排水量達6.5萬噸的核動力航母。

　　未來，中國海軍將組建四支航母艦隊，分別部署在中國南海和東海水域。我相信中國海軍未來有一番新景象。

Endeavour was brought to Los Angeles

From TV news on September 22, (September 21, US), I learned that the space shuttle, Endeavour (奮進號) was carried by a jumbo 747 to Los Angeles International Airport and it will soon be brought to California Science Centre for display. It was an amazing flight around the city, which attracted a lot of citizens to watch it fly across the sky.

Here is an extract from Wikipedia:

Endeavour completed its final mission with a landing at the Kennedy Space Center at 06:34 UTC on June 1, 2011. Over its flight career, Endeavour flew 122,853,151 miles and spent 299 days in space. While flying Endeavour's last mission, the Russian spacecraft Soyuz TMA-20 departed from the ISS and paused at a distance of 200 meters. Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli took a series of photographs and videos of the ISS with Endeavour docked. This was the second time a Shuttle had been photographed while docked and the first time since 1996. Commander Mark Kelly was the last astronaut off Endeavour after the landing, and the crew stayed on the landing strip long enough to sign autographs and pose for pictures. With commander Mark Kelly and pilot Gregory Johnson at the controls, Endeavour's touchdown was the 25th time a shuttle performed a night landing.

One final mission, STS-135, was added to the schedule in January 2011, and Atlantis flew for the last time in July 2011.

NASA offered the three remaining orbiters for museum donation once they are withdrawn from service. After more than twenty organizations submitted proposals to NASA for the display of an orbiter, NASA announced that Enterprise (企業號) will go to New York's Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum, Discovery (發現號) will go the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center of the National Air and Space Museum, Atlantis (亞特蘭蒂斯號) will remain in the Visitor Complex at Kennedy Space Center, and Endeavour (奮進號) will go to the California Science Center in Los Angeles. It was finally delivered to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on September 21 2012. Soon, it will be moved along the streets of Los Angeles (La Tijera, Manchester, Crenshaw, and Martin Luther King Jr. boulevards) to its final destination at the California Science Center.

Wooden-block Man

Elly is now able to assemble blocks as freely as she likes. Here is an example.

It is great news that she feels satisfied every time when the blocks do not fall. That involves her careful way in “building and balancing” blocks. Sometimes, failures may occur and they are really good experiences to this little girl, aged three, because she understands quite well that she may not be successful each time she wants to do something.

To me, her wooden blocks together (in the photo) seem like a “Man” wearing shorts and standing on two legs. The “Man” looks strong and solid and can stand up straight. After she has finished the assembling game, she is pleased and allows me to take photographs of her “master-piece”.

Feathery Palettes

Besides making clever speeches, Parrots show their beautiful feathers like palettes. The colours match so well to please our eyes. Peacocks also display their fan-like feathers when they feel pleased. I remember that in a Japanese Garden in Australia, the peacock did not show off his feathers in my camera's screen.






Even small birds can bear bright-coloured feathers which added much fun to trees that they land on.










Flamingos when they come together redden their favourable lakes or breeding grounds . Water ducks, in their beautiful feathers, fly and duck down to catch fish or small amphibians, worms or small molluscs at their feeding grounds.

Passion Fruit

Yesterday afternoon when visited a friend of mine, I marvelled for some time at the lovely passion fruits that were hanging down the wooden vine support. The fruits appeared to be very round with smooth dotted skins.

Passion flowers are native to Brazil, Paraguay and northern Argentina provinces. Its common names include passion fruit (UK and US), and passionfruit (Australia and New Zealand), and purple granadilla (South Africa). Please note that the flower of the passion fruit is the national flower of Paraguay.

It is cultivated commercially in warmer, frost-free areas for its fruit and is widely grown in India, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, the Caribbean, Brazil, Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador, Indonesia, Peru, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, California, Florida, Haiti, Hawaii, Argentina, Australia, East Africa, Mexico, Israel, Costa Rica, Venezuela, South Africa and Portugal.

The passion fruit is round to oval, either yellow or dark purple at maturity, with a soft to firm, juicy interior filled with numerous seeds. The fruit is both eaten and juiced; passion fruit juice is often added to other fruit juices to enhance the aroma. (See the drink my friend served us at the bottom right of the top photo. It is passion fruit flesh plus cream soda)

The two types of passion fruit have clearly differing exterior appearances. The bright yellow variety of passion fruit, which is also known as the Golden Passion Fruit, can grow up to the size of a grapefruit. It has a smooth, glossy, light and airy rind, and has been used as a rootstock for the Purple Passion Fruit in Australia. The dark purple passion fruit is smaller than a lemon, though it is less acidic than the yellow passion fruit, and has richer aroma and flavour.

Some people wonder at the parts of the passion flower and the tendrils. They say:
(1)The three stigmas reflect the three nails in Jesus's hands and feet.
(2) The threads of the passion flower resemble the Crown of Thorns.
(3) The vine's tendrils are likened to the whips.
(4) The ten petals and sepals regarded to resemble the Apostles (excluding Judas and Peter).
(5) The purple petals representing the purple robe used to mock Jesus' claim to kingship (Mt. 27:28)

Abbreviations on a KMB bus

Today at Choi Hung, on the walls of a pink bus I found abbreviations of a Question Mark and a Colon and nothing else. Soon I understood what it meant.

What does it mean to you?

Seckel pears

Recently I bought several pears which appeared green with a blush of red across it. "W" supermarket calls them as 紅胭脂啤梨. After surfing the Internet, I find their name as Seckel pears.

According to a source of information, good-quality Seckel pears will be small or even bite-sized with no bruises and only a few minor scuff marks. The coloring will be green with dark-red blush or nearly all red. Pears are ripe when they take on a yellow hue and yield to gentle pressure at the stem end.

From my experience, when the pears has turned from red-green to red-yellow, they have ripen already. The pear which I cut open was a bit over-ripe. The texture at the time I eat it has become that of a potato. There are a few root-like things inside. I wonder if the pear has entered the stage of rottening. To find out if those unripe Seckel pears appear in the same condition, I cut and taste them. Well, their qualities equalize with those ripe Anjou pears I ate before.

I learn a lesson that I do not have to wait for such Seckel pears to ripe (red-yellow). Just eat them as I wish. Never let them rotten!

Since Seckel pears are available August through January, there will be a lot of time for my exploring their taste when the supply is still abundant

The virtues of Seckel pears are Low-fat, Sodium-free, Source of fiber, a source of vitamin C and Cholesterol-free.

It is interesting to know that pears can be kept to ripe at room temperature in a sealed plastic bag with a couple of ripe bananas. When the pears are ripe, they can be refrigerated until one is ready to eat them.

Another fact is that pears are cousins of apples. The American varieties come from Europe, where they migrated from central Asia. Early colonists brought the first trees to America where they thrived until blights became severe. Most pears are now grown west of the Rockies where diseases are less of a problem

Happy Dancing

Recently Edward Li sent me a video-link https://www.youtube.com/embed/Pwe-pA6TaZk?rel=0 which goes to a video showing happy people, young and old, dancing in various places of the world. May this video bring love to mankind to do away with hatred, conflicts and wars.

I saw an advertisement (see the photos) showing people dancing and singing in similar manners, but it is a commercial one.

Men’s BMX race London Olympics

The start list of athletes in Men’s BMX race London Olympics
by countries was:
1.    USA
2.    The Netherlands
3.    Latvia
4.    Columbia
5.    Australia
6.    Great Britain
7.    Columbia
8.    The Netherlands
Guess which countries win the gold, silver and bronze medals in this race?

Women's BMX race (Final) London Olympics

The start list (final) of the Women BMX race in London Olympics was:
1 Great Britain Shanaze READE
2 France Laetitia le CORGUILLE
3 Australia Caroline BUCHANAN
4 Columbia Mariana PAJON
5 France Magalie POTTIER
6 New Zealand Sarah WALKER
7 USA Brooke CRAIN
8 The Netherlands Laura SMULDERS

By judging the colours of the track suits, you can easily trace the order of the athletes during the race. Well in this race, M. Pajon took the lead all the way and became the champion. S. Walker came second and L. Smulders third.

The winners of Gold, Silver and Bronze by countries were Columbia, New Zealand and the Netherlands. I find these lady medalists particularly very young and beautiful and am greatly impressed by their courage, strength and skill in the race.

BMX race course, London Olympics

BMX races are expected to be thrilling, dangerous and full of excitement at London Olympics. The race course starts with a sharp slope, at the top of which the athletes begin to descend and accelerate and it extends with wavy, up-and-down dunes on which the athletes jump up, land and accelerate. In addition, sharp bends like woks and a tunnel have added much interest to the race course.

Accidents may occur at moments when the athletes cannot balance themselves well when landing on those wavy curves or at the bends. The bottom photo shows the dangers of athletes falling down or colliding along the course.