一個黑暗的日子

二零一二年六月二十八日是德國國家足球隊一個黑暗的日子。這隊雄心勃勃的球隊在上半場開賽20分鐘被意大利9號球員巴洛迪利接應隊友轉中的球在近龍門用頭鎚頂入第一球。

在36分鐘，巴洛迪利又接到隊友一個長傳足球單刀直入，在禁區頂附近勁射足球入網，賽果成二比零。令我最感動的一刻是其中一位女觀眾流下眼淚來。這可見她內心悲痛不已，我當時的心情也很沉重。

可惜的是德國隊在下半場像洩了氣的氣球，始終把握不到機會反平 。雖然在臨完場前獲得一球12碼，但一切都太遲了。完場笛聲一響之下，球隊原本想進入決賽的希望立即幻滅了!

A harvest of plums

These plums are most inviting to look and taste. They grow in the backyard of my dear colleague, Felix.

Felix told me this: “We had planted this tree (the one with white flowers bears fruits) for 2 or 3 years. In the previous year we did have just a few fruits, so strictly speaking this is the first year we have this "harvest". That's why we feel it exciting about this "first time".

The taste is good. The flesh is sweet and soft and very juicy -- it is the kind that once you don't have to bite through the hard flesh (maybe we pick them when they are fully ripened), and instead you can break up the flesh even with your tongue and enjoy the sweet juice in it. The skin is just a little sour and blends well with the sweet flesh inside. We like them very much.

The plum tree flowers somewhere in Feb/March, and it takes 2-3 months for the fruits (at first green and small) to mature to this size.  We picked the fruits on 2012/6/28.”

Which soccer team will win in Euro 2012?

Maybe the clues come from this advertisement which appears occasionally throughout this month in TV. By looking at the make-ups of national flags on the faces of the two gentlemen, either Germany or Spain will become the champion. Do you believe this?

In my opinion, the German team will win in the Final match this time because it is strong, all-round and swift in its attacks. Germany’s opponent, Spain is still strong this year because it is full of football “stars”. The Final on Sunday, June 30th, must be a tough match!

Germany vs Greece Euro 2012

It was a quarter-final match between Germany and Greece on Friday, June 22, 2012.

At 39 minutes, Philipp LAHN (16) of Germany team struck a long distance ball at the goal of Greece. The ball went straight into the net. This brought the first goal to Germany (1:0).

Not long, at 55 minutes, a swift attack by two fast-running Greek footballers had brought back hope to the Greece’s side. Long-haired number 7, Giorgos SAMARAS dashed forward and stretched his legs to hit the ball into the net. It was the work of his team-mate by a short, but effective pass. That goal had raised the atmosphere of the stadium to a climax. Nobody knew what would happen next. The score was an equalizer 1:1.

At 61 minutes, the midfield footballer, Sami KHEDIRA, near the penalty-goal mark struck his ball into the net. Germany regained their confidence and the team was once more on the upper-hand (2:1).

Seven minutes later, at 68 minutes, striker Miroslav KLOSE hit the ball which flew in from the right corner into the net with his forehead. He kissed his right fist to celebrate for his effort. The score became 3:1.

A fourth goal was scored by forward 21 Marco REUS, at 71 minutes. It seemed that Germany had overwhelmed Greece with 4:1.

Miraculously, Greece got a penalty goal at 89 minutes. It was because Greece 15 accidentally struck the ball at Germany 20’s right hand. Greece 14, Dimitris SALPINGIDIS, scored the goal easily since the Germany goalkeeper hopped in the opposite direction. It was just a consolation score because it was too late for Greece’s rebound for a victory over Germany. It was 4:2.

Greece finally lost the game when the whistle was blown by the chief referee. Germany could go into the semi-final. It is going to play the match against Portugal in a semi-final.

The Deck of cards

A Deck of cards can be cartoonized like the one in the photo above, but it could be meaningful to a soldier who had a very different point of view on cards.

Tex Ritter made the story of "The Deck Of Cards" popular in the 1940's.This may be a newer video added to version, but still worthy of viewing (Click the words in blue).

捱眼瞓的日子

這兩星期都過著捱眼瞓的日子，原因歐洲國家盃足球賽(波蘭及烏克蘭合辦)正一浪接一浪的在香港深夜時分舉行，可是免費台總共只播放四場比賽，如果又想免費看其餘的實事，就要自己想辦法了。

   
這裡介紹的是烏克蘭當地六月十五日(星期五) 晚上九時正英格蘭對瑞典的比賽.

英格蘭國家隊由謝拉特(Stephen Gerrard)率領，對方瑞典隊由伊巴謙摩域(Zlatan Ibrahimovic)帶軍。開賽前，場中央有大約一百人砌出麥穗和維京人在航行中船隻上的圖案 。眾球員列隊牽著可愛的小童入場，站在國旗旁邊。兩國的國歌隨即奏起，然後球員互相握手。雙方隊長互換錦旗和握手，面上都是木無表情，神色俱見凝重，繼而與執法的五位球証一一握手；循例由兩隊長抽籤，主球証以擲毫方式決定,而勝方可選擇場地。

最初兩隊成拉鋸戰。在上半場二十三分鐘，英格蘭9號球員卡路爾(Carroll)得到隊長長傳足球,第一時間跳高用頭鎚將足球頂入對方龍門成一比零.

下半場開賽四分鐘瑞典隊3號美爾保(Mellberg)得到隊友在禁區外傳球輕易送球入網，賽果成一比一。

十分鐘後(即第五十九鐘), 瑞典3號美爾保又接到長傳足球,今次他用頭鎚攻入今仗個人第二球。當時全球英格蘭球迷好像跌入了深淵一樣。

到六十四分鐘時，幸福之神再次降臨在英格蘭球隊身上。入替的7號球員禾確特(阿仙奴的Walcott)短時間內在禁區外不遠的正中位置大力勁射足球入網。對方的球員眼白白的目送足球入自己的龍門，入球紀錄被改寫成二比二。

七十八分鐘，效力曼聯的英格蘭22號球員韋碧克(Welbeck)在瑞典龍門面前背向用後腳巧妙地鈎入致勝的一球.

這場三比二的球賽高潮迭起， 讓球迷看得如癡如醉，大家心情像坐過山車一樣，又起又跌，結果是英格蘭球隊大有機會入準決賽。 看這場免費球賽真是賞心樂事，大清早才上牀是值得的。

Photos of recent Solar Eclipse by specialists

In this particular year 2012, many people are deeply interested in viewing the eclipses of the sun whether it is annular or partial or not. Here are some photos taken by specialists in photography or astronomy on May 20. I just marvel at these photos, but not knowing how they can be taken by cameras of the specialists.

The top left photo shows the Eclipse over the Golden Gate Bridge:

Although San Francisco was just below the path of the eclipse to see a proper ring of fire, it has been quite amazing to see the tiny crescent of the sun right above the South tower of the GGB. Great day over the Bay!

This photo was taken in Marina District, San Francisco, CA, US, using a Canon EOS 5D.
Image Credit : Marco Pelo

Both the top-right and bottom-right photos are montages.

The bottom left photo shows The Lord Of The Ring (Annular Solar Eclipse) on.May 20, 2012
Sundown, TX.by Chris Lynch.using a Nikon D7000.

The bottom centre photo was photographed by Randall Benton, Sacramento Bee/AP. 

蝴蝶蘭與日本葵共舞

最近我發現屋苑的園藝師巧妙地把泥土像牛油塗上麵包似的填在這棵日本葵嶙峋的樹幹上，再植上黃色小花的蝴蝶蘭。在微風下，小花像蝴蝶們在日本葵樹下徘徊飛舞，猶有動人及有趣的詩意！

Very Interesting Photos

 
 
Usually we freeze movements of moving objects in a photo, but a lady photographer in New York City. Jamie Beck, on the other hand, makes something move inside her photos. I like these photos.

The 2012 transit of Venus

The 2012 transit of Venus (金星凌日) occurred on 5 June when the planet Venus appeared as a small, dark disk moving across the face of the Sun. It began at 22:09 UTC, and finished at 04:49 UTC on 6 June. Depending on the position of the observer, the exact times varied by up to ±7 minutes. Here it is a photo Peter Ng gave me yesterday. To me, Venus in the photo looks like a dirty particle on the lens of a telescopic camera.

Transits of Venus are among the rarest of predictable celestial phenomena and occur in pairs eight years apart which are themselves separated by more than a century: the previous transit was in June 2004, and the next pair of transits will occur in December, 2117 and December, 2125 which means they are none of our business.

The entire transit was visible from the western Pacific Ocean, north-westernmost North America (Peter Ng and Felix Ching can see it), northeastern Asia, Japan, the Philippines, eastern Australia (Ho Keung’s family can observe it), New Zealand, and high Arctic locations including northernmost Scandinavia, and Greenland. In North America, the Caribbean, and northwestern South America, the beginning of the transit was visible on 5 June until sunset. From sunrise on 6 June, the end of the transit was visible from South Asia (people of Hong Kong can see it), the Middle East, east Africa, and most of Europe. The phenomenon was not visible from most of South America nor from western Africa.

Three wheels vs Four wheels

It was a happy day yesterday to both of my grand-daughters because Philip and Connie bought Abby a bicycle with two auxiliary wheels at the rear and Elly a small tricycle.

I heard that they rode from the toy-shop at New Town Plaza to Shatin MTR (Railway) Station. Most probably they used lifts instead of escalators. How interesting it was to see two little girls riding a long way through the thick crowds of people at the Plaza!

Abby’s bicycle is dearer than her little sister’s tricycle. It has a bell and a braking system which seems quite high-graded. Elly has a doll of “Doraemon” at the control handle and a small rack at the rear wheels for carrying her private luggage.

The colours of the toy bicycle and tricycle surprise my wife and me at the first sight. The reason is : Abby loves blue colour, but she preferred this pink bicycle. On the other hand, Elly loves pink, but she leans on to this blue tricycle. Maybe there was no choice of colours of toys that favoured the two children.

The grand-children had a cycling practice today at the public park below. There was no problem for Abby because she is already six and can master the skills easily. She rode swiftly and much much faster than Elly. Deep in my heart, I hope that Abby can strengthen her thin legs through cycling. To my surprise, Elly was able to steer her tricycle well and alone at the circular track of the park although she needed more strength at each start of drive. For some time, she kept calling us when we were out of her sight.

Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik (杜布羅夫尼克) is an old city on the Adriatic Sea coast in the extreme south of Croatia(克羅地亞). It is one of the most outstanding tourist resorts of the Mediterranean, a seaport and the centre of the Dubrovnik-Neretva County. Its population is about 43,000 in 2011. Dubrovnik is nicknamed "Pearl of the Adriatic" and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979.

The city of Dubrovnik was built on maritime trade. In the Middle Ages it became the only city-state in the Adriatic to rival Venice. The city achieved a remarkable level of development during the 15th and 16th centuries. Furthermore, Dubrovnik was one of the centres of the development of the Croatian language and literature, home to many notable poets, playwrights, painters, mathematicians, physicists and other scholars.

Today Dubrovnik is an elite destination and one of the most beautiful towns in the Mediterranean. Dubrovnik used to be an independent republic, surviving mostly on trade. It managed to survive many centuries, with constant threats to its territory, particularly from the mighty Ottoman Empire and Venice.

Dubrovnik is attractive in stunning architecture and sculptural details, and boasts of its spectacular churches, monasteries, museums, and fountains (Onofrio is an example). Note that Rector’s Palace is an important museum to study the development of the city.

Some sleeping poses of cats

Cats like sleeping. Here you can see some of them sleep comfortably in different poses – some hanging, curling or straightening-out like human, piling up and drooping because of tiredness. They all sleep well and enjoy every moment of their relaxation. Of course some possess skills of their own.

The 75th Anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge

The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California celebrates its 75th anniversary with fireworks on May 27, 2012. This 1.7 mile steel suspension bridge, one of the modern Wonders of the World, first opened to pedestrians on May 27, 1937 and to traffic the next day. At the time, the Golden Gate was the world’s longest suspension bridge.

Engineer Joseph Strauss designed the bridge which distinguishes itself by its unique color, chosen by architect Irving Morrow and dubbed International Orange.The paint originally ensured visibility for passing ships and served as a sealant to protect the bridge from the salty mist from the Golden Gate Strait after which it was named, the entrance to the bay from the Pacific Ocean. 

Construction of the bridge took four years. Some 1.7 miles (2.7 kilometers) long, it is 90 feet (27 meters) wide and its two towers reach 746 feet above sea level. Traffic is suspended 220 feet above the water.

Pedestrians and cyclists can access the bridge along with motorists. But the span also has a grim history as a popular place to commit suicide.

Tens of thousand of people came to San Francisco’s waterfront last Sunday to mark the anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge, the distinctive orange vermilion structure that attracts some 10 million visitors each year.

The city hosted a massive celebration complete with music, dance vintage cars and motorcycles, as well as a fireworks display showcasing the iconic bridge at the entrance to the San Francisco Bay.

Events marking the bridge’s anniversary are also taking place all year long, and a new visitor center was opened in early May at the southern entrance.

A Severe Eruption on Montserrat 1997

Severe volcanic eruptions did come to Montserrat on June 25, 1997. The needle of the seismograph began to move actively at the observation station at 03:00 hours. Smog began to form around the hills. Only observation of the eruption could be done from the air by helicopters. The local radio station warned the residents in the affected areas of the coming dangers and asked them to leave as early as possible. At 12:45, the needle  of the seismograph vibrated vigorously. At 12:55, the Soufriere Hills erupted. Super-heated rocks and steam burst and the rocks rolled down the valleys.

There were two more eruptions. The third one was most severe. The ash rose to a height of 13500 metres. The red-hot debris flowed 7 km down at a speed of 128 km per hour, along the valleys, over the spurs, spread over the plain, melted everything and buried the houses along their paths. Around 6.4 million cubic metres of melted rocks had burst out from the crater.

Four days after the eruption, the volcanic activities subsided. The northern part of the crater had cracked open and fallen. The temperature of the red-hot rocks had once reached 600 degrees Celcius. On the day of eruption, 19 people died. Many people left the island after the eruptions and less than 4500 stayed behind.

First Eruption on Montserrat 1995

Eighty percent of the public facilities were built in the shadow of the Soufriere Hills, the tallest of all on the island of Montserrat. Plymouth is the capital in which most of the people work and live. Farms are found on the fertile slopes here.

The dense vegetation on the fertile soil in this tropical paradise cover up some hidden dangers.As a matter of fact, Montserrat lies on the most active parts of the Caribbean Sea plates. As the North Atlantic Ocean plates moved west, it sank and melted into lava. After thousands of years, the lava moved up to form the Leeward Islands of which Montserrat was one.

On July 18, 1995, the sounds of jet engines were heard. Eruption of Soufriere Hills began. Volcano Specialists came flying in to set up observation points and a centre to monitor the eruptions. They considered the sounds were made by steam expulsion The length and intensity of the eruptions were recorded 24 hours a day and closely observed by the scientists.

Another “steam expulsion” burst out volcano ashes, mud and steam to a height of 2 kilometres. The whole of Montserrat was shaken up. The south-western part of the island was covered by a thick blanket of volcano ashes. Half an hour later, the ash was dispersed. Once more, sunlight came through the dust and the entire area was covered with ash. The local people called that day as “Grey Monday”. With the assistance of British army, 6000 citizens were evacuated to the temporary homes north of the island.

Black Labels

For the first time, I see a black label (a blue one for ordinary and a pink one for Cara Cara) on an orange today. What does it mean? It means it is an orange of “Late season”. I guess it is a signal to the world that the harvest season of this kind of oranges will going to end.

Our family has been eating these first class oranges for months. What do we expect to see in the new “orange world” in Hong Kong? Most probably the forth-coming oranges are from South Africa instead of California, U.S.A. Other sources may be from Australia. Am I right? Let me see.

如此這般不規則的條紋圖案

看上這樣植物的葉子時，不僅帶給我一個變幻莫測的感覺，也送給我一個驚嘆！這全因為它們上面的條紋圖案塊塊不同，產生像畫家隨意在葉上畫上花紋的效果，一絕也!

Trawlers at work

In the old days when I was at school, I learned methods of fishing from a Geography text-book. The methods are illustrated by drawings instead of photos.

Trawling is one method of fishing. A large wide-mouthed net is dragged along the sea bottom to catch fish. Usually trawlers go in pairs.

With my digital camera on May 4, 2012, I could take some clear photos of two trawlers at work in Tolo Harbour  because the sky was blue and that the trawlers came closer to the shore where I was standing.

To my delight, I learned a “better” lesson that day than that from an old text book many years ago

Solar Eclipse 2012

There were so many people on earth, expecting to watch the Annular Eclipse of the Sun yesterday.

Solar Eclipse becomes a hot topic among the citizens of Hong Kong and quite a number of people crowded along the sea-front at Tsimshatsui especially the Avenue of Stars on the early morning of May 21, 2012. They were armed with cameras and telescopic and astronomic devices in watching the phenomenon. Our Space Museum provided filters to the audience so that they would not watch the sun directly and their eyes thus protected.

It was unfortunate indeed that thick white clouds covered up the sky over Tsimshatsui which ruled out the possibility of seeing the “diamond ring” on the sun.

Peter Ng, my student of early years at CCSC, took a series of photos of the eclipse of the Sun at short intervals in recording the whole process of Partial Eclipse since where he lives in California was not on the path of the sun which created Annular Eclipse with the moon, I admire his patience and professionalism. His photos were well taken.

Peter said, “I took pictures of the partial solar eclipse (I am a few hundred miles south of the path limit) in my backyard and combined them together.”

Then Peter added, “Near the end of the eclipse, the sun shone past the leaves of a tree in my yard which acted as pinhole projectors. It created a montage of the crescent sun on the side of my house.”