Soap bubbles are Adorable

To Elly, soap bubbles are adorable. This morning, she found a boy blowing bubbles with a plastic "gun" at a children’s playground.

Elly always loves looking at light soap bubbles flying in mid-air. Carrying a smiling face this time, she waved her short little arms like a conductor in order to catch or hit any of the bubbles that floated in her way. The bubbles flew away in an unpredictable manner because of different currents of air around, so most of the time she missed them, not even touched them. It seemed to me that she never give up her hope of catching some with her hands.

To raise the chance in catching these bubbles, Elly walked close to or even followed the boy who was holding the bubble gun. That was a good tactic! It was unfortunate that most soap bubbles soon burst and went out of sight, but they had won the heart of our little Elly.

A Yaumati Ferry

The photos show a model of the type of ferry which ran between Yaumati to Wanchai in the 60’s. On my way to school every morning, I boarded the ferry at Wanchai Ferry Pier which was just two streets away from where I used to live.

HYF (printed at the funnel) represents Hong Kong Yaumati Ferry Company Limited. In the past, the company provided the people of Hong Kong ferry services between various parts of Kowloon and Hong Kong Island.

This ferry was a double-decker which narrowed down at its two ends like a leaf. On the upper deck, the central portion was a closed cabin, which provided a shelter for passengers from wind and rain. On each side was a wooden white door which could be lowered through ropes by a sailor as a gangway. The two sharper ends were wide open with railings at sitting levels. Canvases are lowered when there were winds and rain. The seats were long wooden benches with movable backs. At the centre of the ferry was the big funnel which came from the engine room through two decks and out of the top of the ferry, so it was warm when one was standing near the funnel.

The lower deck was not so comfortable as the upper because it was noisier (closer to the engine) and very often strong ropes were laid at the aisles which made walking over them difficult. Moreover, one may get wet when sea water splashed overboard at times of huge waves and strong winds. The large wooden rafts hanging at the sides of the ferry usually blocked parts of the beautiful scenery around. After all, the only advantage of sitting on this deck was the cheaper fare.

The ferry could move forward and backward easily because it had two propellers, one at the front and the other at the back. The pilots could navigate the ferry at either bridge at the roof-top. Each time when the ferry embarked at a pier, we could see the pilots walk to the other bridge to steel the wheel for the next journey.

In speed comparison, this type of ferry ran a little faster than a giant vehicular ferry because it was much lighter. In terms of time, the ferry journey between Yaumati and Wanchai took about twenty minutes.

Cripps Pink (Pink Lady Apples)

So far, in my heart, Pink Lady Apples are the best. Not only they are sweet, but long-lasting.

Wikipedia describes the Cripps Pink like this:

Cripps Pink is a variety of apple, from which apples meeting quality standards can be sold under the trade mark name Pink Lady. The Cripps Pink variety was originally bred by John Cripps at the (then named) Western Australia Department of Agriculture by crossing the Australian apple Lady Williams with a Golden Delicious in order to combine the best features of both apples. The apple is tart and crisp.

The Cripps Pink variety is owned and licensed by the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia (DAFWA), which has plant breeders’ rights in multiple countries. The peak industry body for Australian apple and pear growers — Apple and Pear Australia Limited (APAL) — owns and manages globally the intellectual property in the Pink Lady family of trade marks, which is registered in more than 70 countries.

Registration of the Pink Lady trade marks in Australia has been a challenging process. This is primarily due to the apple being widely known by the industry and public by the trade mark name, Pink Lady, rather than the variety name, Cripps Pink.

The apple shape is ellipsoid. It has a distinctive blush red mixed with a green "background," and taste is tart. The Cripps Pink variety requires a long, 200-day growth period and a hot climate, making them difficult to grow in more temperate latitudes or climates subjected to early winter freezes.

They are principally grown in Australia, but are also grown in New Zealand, Chile, Canada, Argentina, South Africa, Uruguay, Brazil, Japan, Italy, Spain, France and in the United States since the late 1990s.

In the United Kingdom, the Pink Lady brand has increased in popularity in the 20 years since the first shipment of apples from Australia. In 2012, for the first time, Pink Lady brand apples replaced Granny Smith apples from the number three spot by value in the United Kingdom.

Pink Lady brand apples must meet certain trade mark quality specifications. Criteria for the specifications include sugar content, firmness, blemishes and colour. Inspections are regularly performed to ensure both the quality and traceability of the apple from the orchard to the shop.

Cripps Pink apples are the earliest to blossom (late March/early April in the Northern Hemisphere and late September/early October in the Southern Hemisphere), and some of the last to be harvested (end of October/early November in the Northern Hemisphere and late April/early May for the Southern Hemisphere). It is the significant change in temperature between night and day in the autumn that gives the apples their colouring. However, they must also be well exposed. Therefore, the trees must be carefully pruned and their fruit production well managed.

We are sure to buy and eat these lovely apples whenever we see them on the racks of supermarkets.

Flowers and Climate

These beautiful flowers bloom quietly but feverishly in a garden in San Francisco Bay area. They all adapt to the Mediterranean Climate in California. It is funny, isn't it? San Francisco is never in the Mediterranean!

Besides looking at the flowers, let us study the climate of San Francisco.

San Francisco has mild summers owing to the upwelling of cold subsurface waters along the coast producing regular summer fog that does not reach far inland.

In fact, coastal California experiences “Cool-summer Mediterranean climate”. This subtype of the Mediterranean climate is the less common form of the Mediterranean climate. Regions with this subtype of the Mediterranean climate faces warm (but not hot) and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above 22.0 °C during its warmest month and an average in the coldest month between 18 to −3 °C . Also, at least four months must average above 10 °C. Winters are rainy and can be mild to chilly. In a few instances, snow can fall on these areas. Precipitation is heavier during the colder months, but there are a number of clear sunny days even during the wetter seasons.
Regions with this subtype of the Mediterranean climate closely resemble an Oceanic climate. Unlike typical Mediterranean climates, for the majority of the year, these regions experience generally cloudier and damper conditions. During the summer months, these regions experience sunny, dry and warm conditions, where almost no rain falls.

To learn more about the flowering plants that can be found in San Francisco, the Conservatory of Flowers in the Golden Gate Park is worth visiting!

Another Bus Story

This is a story told by Kevin Tsang:

 A CityBus (fleet no.: 445) retired yesterday. It was unexpected that the very last route it operated on its last day was 170 (a long-distance route crossing three tunnels, namely Lion Rock Tunnel, Aberdeen Tunnel and Cross Harbour Tunnel). 445 is a unique one in CityBus due to its all yellow body whereas ordinary CityBus Buses have yellow blue and red colour as standard colours of the company. The reason for it having the special all yellow body still remains a mystery to bus enthusiasts. It is a Volvo Olympian with TD engine. It revealed the long hidden KCR logo on the Sha Tin Station route display since most buses have already got their display changed but not for 445 as it usually operated on local routes like 1, 5, 5B, 10, 70, 72, 75, 90, 97, 592 etc. and seldom operates on long distance routes like170.


I came across it heading for Wah Fu.at noon yesterday outside the Cross Harbour Tunnel Since I have not had lunch at that time, I did not jump on to it. However, after dinner, I  decided to take a ride because I have had quite a lot of childhood memories with this bus so I took it to Sha Tin. There was a saying that it would operate its last journey from Sha Tin Station to Wah Fu at 23:45 but since its license expires after midnight, it would become illegal owhen running on roads of Hong Kong. The bus company decided not to take the risk, hence, 445 took its last journey departing from Sha Tin at 21:20 to Wah Fu. There were kids  who grumbled at their parents saying that they wanted a newer bus instead of 445. Nevertheless, when the kind-hearted driver told them they were lucky to take the very last journey of 445, they became excited and took a lot of photos with the bus. After arriving at Wah Fu, another bus (fleet no.:325) was ready to take up the remaining journey of the day and 445 had to return to the depot to end its service. The driver was extraordinarily kind that he allowed us to take enough pictures before driving the bus away. He even offered us to change its route display. I immediately changed its display to route 10 while somebody suggested changing it to BYE but I insisted number 10 because I took it every day to  my elementary school and it is the route 445 for 17 years. When the driver was driving it away from the terminal in Wah Fu, he suddenly opened the door again and waved to us signalling us to board the bus again! We were the last 4 passengers of the bus which was supposed NOT IN SERVICE!! While making a brief stop at the Ocean Park depot, the driver warned us not to get off the bus and we hid inside the bus in order not to be discovered by the depot manager since it was not appropriate to have passengers on a PRIVATE bus. We got off the bus outside the depot in Chai Wan finally -- I was the last passenger getting off 445 and we witnessed the staff labelling it as "RETIRED" What an amazing experience to me!


Top Photo: Taken at  Wah Fu Bus Terminal after its last service journey on 170. I changed its route to number 10 at last and some one suggested N10, an overnight version of route 10). After that it remained its display as N10 North Point.

Bottom-left Photo: Taken at Cross Harbour Tunnel Toll Plaza.

Bottom-right Photo: Taken at Wah Fu estate, with the route display of Sha Tin Station with KCR logo

教畫老師筆下的舊巴士

Eric是女婿的舊同事，現在開畫室教人畫畫。最近Eric送了這捲筒式的懷舊畫作給女婿，而女婿和女兒知道我是一個巴士迷，於是轉送給我，當然我欣然接受。

這般圓型筒子上有兩幅直立畫，我一眼就看得出其中一張是以前九龍巴士行走尖沙咀至官塘1A線或佐敦至慈雲山3C線之一種重量級雙層巴士。這批巴士因高齡關係，現已消失得無影無踪。鮮紅色的車身，配上一條粉黃色的腰帶及上層車行走九龍新界及香港島的九巴是人見人愛的金色巴士。

另外一張圖畫是那種色藍車身前中華巴士的中型巴士。曾幾何時這些輕型巴士在港島狹窄的馬路奔馳，功勞可算是不少。 這兩幅畫值得觀賞的地方是巴士色彩真實，背景則艷麗奪目，尤其那幅中巴天空上縱橫交錯懸掛的凌亂電線正是反映出從前港島區中上環，甚至西環路上的情景。

這卷圖畫內裏有乾坤：原來打開筒頂的膠蓋往內看則見到一家大小都愛吃的Calbee蝦條，不過今次這些是勁辣的那種。

Grow, Grow, Grow…

A few weeks before, Abby and Elly each brought home from school a small seedling of 萬壽菊。These seedlings came back in very tiny plastic cups with very little soil. The class teachers told the girls to nurture the plants until flowers grew out.

Grandma picked up the responsibility of caring these plants. First she bought two bigger pots, one green and one orange and a medium-sized bag of dark soil. She suggested to bring the seedlings home because our home is rich in sunshine than the girls’ home. The seedlings stand with tiny leaves at first. Slowly they develop into stronger branches and bigger leaves as water is poured in and sunshine help photosynthesis.

Happy moments come when small flowers buds appear at the tip of some shoots. “What colours are the flowers?” is our question. As Abby’s plant was the bigger and stronger one. It grew faster than Elly’s. The first flower was orange in colour. It was the right time to bring it back to school for her class-teacher to look at. That was a few days before Chinese New Year. After the weekend Abby handed the pot back home. We found that the only opening flower was bent at the stalk near the receptacle and the plant began to dry up. Grandma gave the plant water and supported the drooping flower. As magic, the plant was saved after water was added and became lively again.

The first flower that grew out from Elly’s plant was yellow. We decided to have Elly take the potted plant back to school after the Chinese New Year. What will Abby, Grandma and Elly say to these plants?
Well, Abby will say, “Grow, grow, grow…”
Grandma will say, “Magic…..”
Elly will say, “Sunshine, water and soil.” Do you know why? Well, Elly has learned the three important factors for a seed/seedling to grow already from a book.

Volvo Olympian 11m

Kevin Tsang recently sent me two precious photos of Volvo Olympian 11m (shown at the top). Kevin made his photos of this type of buses an old look. My collection of the same model bus can be seen at the bottom.

Kevin said, "Volvo Olympian 11m are the very first batch of Volvo buses purchased by KMB and are characterized by their powerful Cummins engine with 3+2 seating arrangement. 22 Jan 2013 was their last day and it was unexpected that one of them (GG9879) operated on route 101 instead of short distance routes. A lot of bus enthusiasts including I went to witness its last moments. FYI, there are still a few buses having the same appearance as these buses that have not retired yet, but retiring soon. Some of them belong to the Shatin Depot with their reg number GL2220, GL7586, GL8078, GL8202. They frequently appear on route 85B."

Kevin owns quite a number of bus models at home, but I have just a few, simply because they are too expensive to me.

Daffodils 2013

Daffodils used to be my favourite flowers in the past. Back to Kowloon Tong’s Era, a week or two before each Chinese New Year, my father often bought home one or two “primary” bulbs, cut them at the right places and let the shoots grow out. To support the bulb(s), I put some pebbles on top of the roots in a water trough.

For me, I like the fragrance of the flowers. In the old days, Mr. Leung, the former Principal of the school I was teaching, gave me a bulb of daffodils as a Chinese New Year present. That saved me a little money and plenty of time in developing the flowers.

Downstairs yesterday, I saw some healthy daffodils which I thought I could turn them electronic so that they could stay in my computer as treasure.

Ladies’ Purse

Ladies’ Purse is a very nice name for a restaurant. We often go there to have lunches or dinners. Yesterday was not an exception.

As usual, every first day of Lunar New Year, we meet our dear relatives and chat for long there. Food is always promising here.

Yesterday, my wife chose fish as her main dish; me, a beef steak; my son, Malaysian curry chicken. Our first courses were respectively soup, dumplings and food-bar salad. Last of all, we did not miss the desserts which were lovely cakes of various kinds - cheese, chocolate, chestnut, etc. etc.

“ladies’ purse” is not only for ladies to keep money and cosmetics. To us, “Ladies’ Purse” is for enjoying good food and meeting our dear relatives.

再度有緣

今年農曆初一(星期日)往順利拜年，喜見上次匆匆離開的「蛇巴」泊在總站旁邊。這次心情大好，因為蛇巴路線版面顯示「暫停載客」，相信我有足夠時間把它照個飽。

蛇巴右側車身有捲曲了的蛇餅，以梅花襯托。這條蛇昂首吐舌，精神十足，絕對不是在冬眠。左側車身的蛇明顯是細了很多，蛇頭亦是向著車頭方向。黃色的鱗片細緻地圍繞著巴士的裙邊走，蛇紋的精粹就在這裡被發現。

上到行人天橋時，我才發現巴士頂另有一條蛇捲伏著，正是蛇四面埋伏(左、右、前及頂)，唯獨是我忽略了蛇尾部分，沒有把它攝入鏡頭裏!

在這裏向大家拜年，恭祝各位日日快樂，事事如意，身體安康!

Elly at play

While Abby was drawing, Elly was free to play the small toys of a funny giraffe and a fat pig on the floor. Her purplish blue antennae at her head resemble those of a butterfly or bee. She long accepts these funny swinging antennae as parts of herself, so whenever she goes out, she wears them.

She enjoys looking at the pictures her sister draws. Maybe Abby is drawing her sister Elly before a TV set.

Please note that this is my 2013th piece of writing.

Abby’s New Drawing

Abby has improved  a lot in painting as well as drawing. Recently, she is able to create her own drawings with delightful colours unlike those she used in Canada, being always dull grey, blue and black.

Her great improvement in Art comes from practices at her lessons at a local Art centre. Thanks much to the teachers at the centre. She has good potentials in Art. Hope that she enjoys drawing and explores more in her own "wonderland" and learns to be more attentive and patient at work.

What do you think Abby is drawing? You may need some imagination!

Chocolate Rain

One day in December, 2013, the display of Chocolate Rain dolls at Telford Garden attracted me to stop and take a few photos of them.

The creator of these dolls is a young girl who creates beautiful and colourful dolls made by cloths. They are special because their eyes close all the time. We never find any trace of “chocolate” or “rain” on these dolls.

In the display, I found a Volkswagon “beetle” made of cloth and beautiful trees without leaves.

Snake Bus

Tomorrow will be the first day of Lunar New Year, the Year of the Snake. I wish my blog readers a Happy Chinese New Year in 2013.

Let me show you a Snake Bus from KMB. There are only two such buses running along the shores of Hong Kong and Kowloon. This one is an KMB bus, route 619, running to and from Central and Shun Lee.

Medical Examinations at PWH

Back to November 26, at around 4 o’clock, I felt cold and exhausted after walking rapidly to City One Station. Twice did I faint and finally I dropped flat on the platform ground. I woke up to find the station master who told me that he had called an ambulance. Immediately I informed my wife by phone about my accident. Soon I was sent to A & E at Prince of Wales Hospital. I was initially examined by a nurse and later a doctor. My wife arrived in a short while after my daughter returned home to take care of her children. A doctor came to tell me that I was admitted to the hospital.

Having taken my first plate of food at the waiting area, at about seven thirty, I was brought to Ward 10B where I was allocated to a bed called 1X at the corridor. There it was a sleepless night to me because of the occasional voices from a patient and the conversations among nurses.

On the next day, November 27, Doctor Wan came to see me with another doctor. He decided to transfer me to Ward 7C. In a single room at 7C, my blood pressure, pulse rate, breathing rate and oxygen content were closely monitored. The “warning” sounds from the machine, the regular measurements of my blood pressure at the arm and the coldness of the room had broken my sleep into pieces. Nurses rushed in at one time when my blood pressure dropped to 74 - 34. Perhaps I was at a dormant state after I was chilled for some time in the room. Well, they left after my blood pressure bounded.

The next morning at ten, November 28, I received a Coronary arteriography to see if there was any blockage in the arteries. The operating doctor told me that my arteries were fine. At 2 o’clock, I was bought to a room in the old medical building to have a 24 hour monitoring device attached to my chest.

Because of haemorrhoids, I consulted a specialist doctor on the morning of November 29 and in the same afternoon, the heart monitoring device was removed.

On November 30, Friday, at about half past eleven, I took a cardiac graph through a walking machine. The results were not bad. Unexpectedly, I was granted a “Home leave” for two days and three nights. Well I could get better sleep at home at the weekend.

I returned to the hospital on the following Monday as early as seven and stayed at PWH for four more days because I was still under observation. I was successfully discharged on Thursday, December 6. What a big relief to me!

On December 10, I went to PWH again and this time I received an ultrasound study (ECHO) of my heart. The result came out to be “Normal”.

Hard time came three days before I took the colonoscopy because only low-fibred food should be taken and on the day prior the examination, I could only drink thin congee and nothing else besides water.

Drinking of 4-litre water with laxative was a must to me at the hospital ward 7C on the morning of January 7, 2013. There was no question that I would be busy at the toilet that very morning. The colon examination started in the afternoon. I was given some medicine to pull me to sleep. Back to Ward 7C, I was told that there was no problem at my colons. Well, my worries had gone.

There would be some follow-up appointments for me to consult specialist doctors in Cardiology and Colorectal Surgery in the coming months.

Newly arrived photos of Sydney New Year Fireworks

What lovely and charming fireworks that blast over Sydney Harbour this New Year 2013! Let us see them here. Some of the photos seemed to show our happy teeth and paint brushes. These photos were really beautiful and skillfully taken. Thanks to the photographer(s).

另類朱古力

今年十一月十七日晚上是在下學生貝琪結婚的好日子。此包朱古力是放在我面前的婚讌桌上，相信是貝琪送給在座的賓客的禮物之一。

從禮物外貌來看，我推斷是朱古力，裏面可能是一包市面可以買得到其中一款現成獨立包裝的朱古力。究竟錫紙背後全塊是朱古力，還是朱古力威化，當時我是無從估計的。

朱古力外面的包裝紙相信是套上的，具有特色的設計主題是顯而易見的。這裏的新郎(約翰)是背起穿著婚紗的新娘(貝琪)而來，充分帶給當地嘉賓一種甜絲絲的感覺！

後來在家中，我打開包裝紙及錫紙，發覺它是名副其實的朱古力，咬下去是Kit-Kat級的朱古力威化，食落還有一對新人的甜蜜蜜的味道呢！

釣魚台列島

在地理角度來看，釣魚台列島包括釣魚島、北小島和南小島。

釣魚島上有兩山峰，名高華峰及神農峰。

釣魚島之東北方有黃尾嶼，上有黃毛峰。

在釣魚島與北小島，南小島之間的水道叫釣魚水道，而北小島與南小島之間則叫橄欖門。


電視台每次播放有關釣魚台的新聞片段時很多時見到南北小島，間中也會見到釣魚主島。

Peppermint Chocolate

The red coloured packet of Andes peppermint chocolate attracts my attention for some time. At the first sight, the word “pepper” makes me think of the hot stuff I often dip and taste. After looking up Wikipedia, it is clear that peppermint is one kind of mint that flavours our food, chocolate, chewing gum, tea and candy.

Here it is an extract from Wikipedia:

Peppermint is a hybrid mint, a cross between watermint and spearmint. It is a herbaceous rhizomatous perennial plant growing to 30–90 cm (12–35 in) tall, with smooth stems, square in cross section. The rhizomes are wide-spreading, fleshy, and bare fibrous roots. The leaves are from 4–9 cm long and 1.5–4 cm broad, dark green with reddish veins, and with an acute apex and coarsely toothed margins. The leaves and stems are usually slightly hairy. The flowers are purple, 6–8 mm (long, with a four-lobed corolla about 5 mm diameter; they are produced in whorls (verticillasters) around the stem, forming thick, blunt spikes. Flowering is from mid to late summer.

The leaves and flowering tops are used; they are collected as soon as the flowers begin to open and can be dried. The wild form of the plant is less suitable for this purpose, with cultivated plants having been selected for more and better oil content. They may be allowed to lie and wilt a little before distillation, or they may be taken directly to the still.
Peppermint has a long tradition of medicinal use as far back as ten thousand years ago. Peppermint has a high menthol content, and is often used in tea and for flavouring ice cream, confectionery, chewing gum, and toothpaste. The oil also contains menthone and menthyl esters, particularly menthyl acetate. Dried peppermint typically has 0.3-0.4% of volatile oil containing menthol (7-48%), menthone (20-46%), menthyl acetate (3-10%), menthofuran (1-17%) and 1,8-cineol (3-6%). Peppermint oil also contains small amounts of many additional compounds including limonene, pulegone, eucalyptol, caryophyllene and pinene. It is the oldest and most popular flavour of mint-flavoured confectionery. Peppermint can also be found in some shampoos, soaps and skin care products. Menthol activates cold-sensitive TRPM8 receptors in the skin and mucosal tissues, and is the primary source of the cooling sensation that follows the topical application of peppermint oil.
Peppermint is commonly used to soothe or treat symptoms. Examples would be nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, indigestion, irritable bowel, and bloating. It is also used in aroma therapy.

One animal study has suggested that Peppermint may have radio-protective effects in patients undergoing cancer treatment.

The aroma of peppermint has been found to enhance memory.

Peppermint flowers are large nectar producers and honey bees as well as other nectar harvesting organisms forage them heavily. A mild, pleasant varietal honey can be produced if there is a sufficient area of plants.

The peppermint chocolate shown here comprises two layers. The top layer is white chocolate inserted with small particles of dried peppermint. The lower contains fully red peppermint paste. To me, the taste and colour of this kind of chocolate are miraculously interesting and far different from traditional dark or milky brown ones. No wonder I like it.