The Penguin Walk at Asahiyama Zoo occurs twice daily during the Winter months. It’s a popular event. Since the entrance fee oisonly 1,000JPY (approx $7USD/€7) I can see why.
The Penguins process slowly along a route around the zoo allowing visitors to get very close to them. As you can see from my video:
The penguin walk event usually starts in December depending on snow cover and is held twice daily: at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. It is usually only held once at day at 11am in March until around mid-March when the snow melts. The penguins can only do the parade if there is snow.
Getting there: Take bus numbers 41, 42 or 47 from Asahikawa Station. The journey takes about 40 minutes and costs 700 yen (about $3.50USD). Normally, there are 2 buses per hour. To take the bus, board via the door in the middle of the bus, take a ticket from the yellow machine and pay on exit by presenting the ticket to the driver.
Alternatively, driving takes about half an hour, the taxi fare is approximately 7,000 yen (just under $50USD).
The ancient sages said ‘Do not despise the snake for having no horns for who is to say it shall not become a dragon? So may one just man become an army‘
Beerlao launched in 1973 is the best selling brand in Lao PDR
Beerlao Lager is a European Pale Lager style beer brewed by Lao Brewery Co. You can’t go anywhere in Laos without seeing the Beerlao logo, because it’s effectively state owned and has a near monopoly on beer sales.
5% alcohol by volume and brewed using local rice and imported hops and barley it is a pale amber colour with a pleasant and refreshing taste. It’s well suited to the South East Asian climate.
Best drunk cold, of course.
Restaurant price for a 660ml bottle was about LAK30,000 (= approx €1.30)
The Angkor National Museum, is located on Charles de Gaulle Avenue also known as Preah Sihanouk Avenue in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
The main galleries focus on the art and culture of the Khmer civilization, with collections mainly dated from the Khmer Empire‘s Angkor period circa 9th to 14th-century. So they contain examples from the earlier Hindu period as well as later Buddhist ones.
A buddha at the Angkor National Museuma delicately carved Hindu friezeSeated statue at the Angkor National MuseumScale model of Angkor WatHindu deity at the Angkor National Museum
The wikipedia page wrongly states that the museum has a strict no-photos policy. This is out of date, you may, as I did, take photos but flash photography is forbidden.
Eventually the high speed line from Taipei will terminate here and the are preparing the station for this. It looks very promising so far. I also had to include the video taken in the entrance to the metro station. Trippy stuff.
Charles Stross: (x5) The Rhesus Chart, The Annihilation Score, Equiod, Missile Games, Nightmare Stacks. Three books from the ongoing Laundry Files series which takes the action to Leeds, England, an area I am very familiar with, so that was a lot of fun. If you enjoy ‘Lovecraft-lite’ fiction full of hideous, nameless terrors crossed with James Bond and esoteric, occult technology then this is the kind of fiction you’ll love.
Sci-fi:
(x10) Best of British Science Fiction 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, Best of American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2021, The Android’s Dream & Starter Villain by John Scalzi, The Lost Cause by Cory Doctorow, The City on the Edge of Forever by Harlan Ellison. The Best of British Science Fiction series was an excellent find. Some very interesting stories especially by David Gullen, my favourite story in the whole series being Gullen’s Down and Out at the Tannhauser Gate.
(x8) Soul Music, Witches Abroad, Faust Eric, Men at Arms, Small Gods, Reaper Man, The Light Fantastic, Moving Pictures. I’ll keep it simple – Six Reasons You Should Read Discworld.
Classics:
(x3) Dio’s Rome Volume 1, Thucydides – The History of the Peloponnesian War, The Reign of Tiberius – Tacitus. They are called classics for a reason.
Non-fiction/Miscellaneous:
(x6) World Bank Group – Laos Railway Report, Not the End of the World by Hannah Ritchie, Raising Livestock, Easy Indian Cooking, The Nature of Oaks, Stoicism: A Very Short Introduction
The moat around Angkor Wat seen from the southPool at Angkor Thom, Siem Reap , CambodiaA different view of the pool at Angkor Thom
These GIFs of the pools at Angkor Wat were taken using the ‘Live’ option on my iPhone. They can be saved as GIFs although this does increase the file size (about 15MB), please be patient and let them load.
Journey from Luang Prabang to the Park Ou caves, Lao PDR
Mekong Cruise
A lovely day for a relaxing cruise and travel on the mighty Mekong River, all you have to do is lie back put your feet up and watch the world go by. Thrown in a visit to the Pak Ou caves, being able to feed an elephant and a slap up buffet lunch – it all makes for a very pleasant day.
Railway Stations of the World takes us to the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Luang Prabang.
This station was opened in December 2021.
Luang Prabang Station, Lao PDRNoticeboard and foyer Luang Prabang Station, Lao PDRPanorama of the inside of Luang Prabang Station, Lao PDR
Rather an attractive station that is very Chinese in so many ways: the furnishings, the layout, signage and even some of the announcements (I think). However, this is crowned by a wonderful architecture complete with local motifs. It really deserves to have more trains than it currently serves, but maybe, just maybe, if the Belt and Road does expand all the way down to Singapore as planned that will happen.
山海关 or the Shan Hai Pass is one of the most important and the most easterly of the passes through the Ming Great Wall.
It is built as a square, with a perimeter of around four kilometres (2.5 mi). The walls reach a height of 14 metres (46 feet), and are seven metres (23 feet) thick – see bottom picture. The east, south and north sides are surrounded by a deep, wide moat with drawbridges over it. In the middle of the pass stands a tall bell tower.
The location where the wall meets the Bohai Sea is nicknamed the “Old Dragon’s Head” (老龙头). The pass lies nearly 300 kilometres (190 mi) east of Beijing and if I could be bothered there’s a picture in this blog of that as well, guess you’ll just have to find it yourself.
The Wucai (五彩）Porcelain shown above is all from the Qing dynasty and dates from the 18th century.
Although Wucai can be translated as ‘five-colour’ the colours are not limited to that number and it can best be understood as multicoloured.
Characterised by the over glaze decoration of coloured enamels after the porcelain had been fired once with a blue under glaze design. The over glaze enamels included a variety of colours such as red, green, blue, yellow and purple. Once the coloured over glaze enamels had been applied, the porcelain was then fired a second time, but at a lower temperature.
This year 2023, I has mostly been reading: Iain M Banks, Charles Stross, Isaac Asimov and Terry Pratchett.
Sci-fi
Iain M Banks: Inversions, The Player of Games, Use of Weapons, The State of the Art, Inversions. Also, The Culture Series of Iain M Banks:A critical Introduction by Simone Caroti
Charles Stross: The Apocalypse Codex, Rule 34, The Fuller Memorandum, The Atrocity Archives, The Jennifer Morgue.
Terry Prachett: (Discworld stories) Equal Rites, Sourcery, Mort, The Colour of Magic, Pyramids.
Isaac Asimov: Foundations Edge, Foundation and Earth.
November is a great time to visit Taipei. ‘Goldilocks’ weather (not too hot, not too cold) and there is much to be seen in the Zhongzheng and Shilin districts such as the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial 中正紀念堂圖書室, Liberty Square 自由廣場, the Dazhong Gate 中正紀念堂大忠門, DongMen 東門 Market and the National Palace Museum 國立故宮博物院 where you can see the treasures that the KMT stole rescued from mainland China in 1949.
Probably a cicada of the genus Meimuna, possibly Walker’s cicada, Meimuna opalifera which is commonly found in Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Mainland China. They feed on the sap of trees and are harmless and are believed to live for a total of 2 – 3 years.
In Summer they can be very loud due to their large numbers. In Japan they are commonly called “tsuku-tsuku-bōshi” due to the sound they make.
Haemopis sanguisuga or Horse Leech can grow up to 10 cm long. Although this specimen is much smaller. They don’t actually feed off horses or suck blood, they are rather aggressive predators that either in fresh water or, as in this case, in wet grass.
Horse leeches have five pairs of eyes and three sets of teeth. They prey on invertebrates and small amphibians and fish. After photographing, I carefully put it back into the water. They are relatively common in Europe.
The siege and assault having ceased at Troy as its blazing battlements blackened to ash, the man who had planned and plotted that treason had trial enough for the truest traitor! Then Aeneas the prince and his honored line plundered provinces and held in their power nearly all the wealth of the western isles. Thus Romulus swiftly arriving at Rome sets up that city and in swelling pride gives it his name, the name it now bears; and in Tuscany Tirius raises up towns, and in Lombardy Langoberde settles the land, and far past the French coast Felix Brutus founds Britain on broad hills, and so bright hopes begin, where wonders, wars, misfortune and troubled times have been, where bliss and blind confusion have come and gone again.
Another one of those movies that Apple’s built in software for Photos creates for you. This one takes photos and video clips from a trip to County Clare and the infamous Craggy Island.
Confined by the restrictions of zero-covid what better way to escape to than to The Culture?
The Hydrogen sonata is a version of the Hero’s Quest where the protagonist goes on a quest to find something, which in the end doesn’t matter, What does matter is what she found out about herself.
Set against the background of a civilisation on the brink of enfolding to the Sublime. The protagonist and some ship minds endeavour to find out some truths fundamental to the development of the Gzilt – will this knowledge prevent their sublimation?
When the going gets tough, the tough start baking chocolate muffins
Chocolate muffins recipe
Ingredients:
2 medium eggs
125 ml vegetable oil
250ml milk
250g sugar
400g flour
3 tsp of baking powder
salt to taste (½ tsp)
2 tbsp of cocoa powder
100g chocolate chips
x2 muffin trays either greased or with paper muffin cases
Recipe:
Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas mark 6. Line 2 muffin trays with paper muffin cases. In a large bowl beat 2 medium eggs lightly with a handheld electric mixer for 1 min.
Add the vegetable oil and milk and beat until just combined then add the sugar and cocoa and whisk until you have a smooth batter.
Sift the flour, salt and baking powder then mix until just smooth. Be careful not to over-mix the batter as this will make the muffins tough.
Stir in the chocolate chips
Fill the muffin cases two-thirds full and bake for 20-25 mins, until risen and firm to the touch and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. If the trays will not fit on 1 shelf, swap the shelves around after 15 mins of cooking.
Leave the muffins in the tin to cool for a few mins and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Once cool serve with a nice pot of tea.
Variations:
Use vanilla essence top with chocolate fondant icing, sprinkles or icing sugar
Feb. 1, 2022 – Jan.21, 2023 is a year of the water tiger （水虎）
春节快乐 – Happy Spring Festival
Characteristics of Water Tigers: Studious, Thoughtful
Water Tigers have an innate ability to learn something new, and they are especially professional in the fields of art and handicrafts.
They have a strong sense of self-esteem and seldom accept advice from others. They only have a slim chance of failing in their careers, which often incurs envy from others.
what fate has in store for Water Tigers: Bittersweet
Water Tigers will achieve more in their careers by getting help from their friends and lovers. They should be very careful and thoughtful when making big decisions and dealing with any emergencies in life, and should not trust others readily or they will suffer because of it.
If you’re interested in this sort of thing then go here for more horoscope info.
T’lorem ipsum, by eck that sounds reet queer Tha don’t get owt for nowt ‘appen as maybe tha knows Th’art nesh thee nay lad soft lad wacken thi sen up t’foot o’ our stairs. Nay lad where’s tha bin. Th’art nesh thee a pint ‘o mild any rooad t’foot o’ our stairs. Where there’s muck there’s brass t’foot o’ our stairs ah’ll gi’ thee a thick ear. Ah’ll learn thi tintintin tell thi summat for nowt soft lad mardy bum. Chuffin’ nora ah’ll box thi ears soft lad ee by gum tell thi summat for nowt ah’ll gi’ thee a thick ear. Bobbar nay lad. Breadcake soft southern pansy wacken thi sen up. Be reet where’s tha bin mardy bum mardy bum. Tell thi summat for nowt where there’s muck there’s brass shu’ thi gob. Dahn t’coil oil. That’s champion ey up will ‘e ‘eckerslike shurrup by ‘eck. Eeh. Shu’ thi gob face like a slapped arse god’s own county soft lad th’art nesh thee tha daft apeth.
State of the art printing press in Cleck-Heckmondwike, West Riding
Ne’ermind soft lad th’art nesh thee gi’ o’er ah’ll box thi ears shurrup. Ginnel snicket Tha knows wacken thi sen up cack-handed nay lad gi’ o’er ne’ermind. Ee by gum. Tintintin ah’ll box thi ears aye tha what ne’ermind big girl’s blouse. Nay lad tintintin face like a slapped arse what’s that when it’s at ooam. Michael palin ah’ll gi’ thee a thick ear. By ‘eck that’s champion mardy bum mardy bum t’foot o’ our stairs appens as maybe. Will ‘e ‘eckerslike. Big girl’s blouse nay lad tha knows. Eeh ah’ll gi’ thee a thick ear. Where there’s muck there’s brass. Shurrup where there’s muck there’s brass. Aye. T’foot o’ our stairs cack-handed where’s tha bin. Soft lad.
Nobbut a lad big girl’s blouse nay lad is that thine shurrup. By ‘eck th’art nesh thee shu’ thi gob. Bloomin’ ‘eck nay lad tintintin god’s own county. Chuffin’ nora breadcake nobbut a lad shu’ thi gob. How much that’s champion how much shu’ thi gob. Sup wi’ ‘im bobbar shurrup where there’s muck there’s brass. Shu’ thi gob bobbar. Ah’ll learn thi god’s own county where’s tha bin. Bloomin’ ‘eck ne’ermind. Dahn t’coil oil th’art nesh thee that’s champion wacken thi sen up ah’ll gi’ thee a thick ear. Bobbar ee by gum is that thine. Cack-handed. Soft lad ey up big girl’s blouse nay lad that’s champion.
Gerritetten ey up tha what. Aye mardy bum aye. Bloomin’ ‘eck ah’ll gi’ thi summat to rooer abaht ah’ll box thi ears is that thine ee by gum th’art nesh thee. Ey up ah’ll gi’ thee a thick ear chuffin’ nora nah then th’art nesh thee dahn t’coil oil. God’s own county wacken thi sen up. God’s own county ne’ermind. T’foot o’ our stairs bobbar wacken thi sen up by ‘eck tha daft apeth. Mardy bum eeh soft lad sup wi’ ‘im. Aye bobbar where there’s muck there’s brass tha what. Will ‘e ‘eckerslike. God’s own county soft southern pansy by ‘eck nobbut a lad what’s that when it’s at ooam chuffin’ nora. Tha knows.
Geoffrey Boycott tell thi summat for nowt aye tintintin breadcake. God’s own county what’s that when it’s at ooam big girl’s blouse how much chuffin’ nora. Cack-handed god’s own county mardy bum shurrup. Appens as maybe. That’s champion tha knows ah’ll gi’ thee a thick ear nay lad chuffin’ nora ah’ll gi’ thi summat to rooer abaht.
Any rooad cack-handed be reet nay lad soft lad ah’ll gi’ thee a thick ear. Tha knows ah’ll gi’ thee a thick ear ah’ll gi’ thi summat to rooer abaht ne’ermind where there’s muck there’s brass th’art nesh thee. Tintintin be reet. Sup wi’ ‘im god’s own county. Soft southern pansy ah’ll box thi ears cack-handed. Tha what ah’ll box thi ears by ‘eck will ‘e ‘eckerslike how much. Dahn t’coil oil dahn t’coil oil what’s that when it’s at ooam that’s champion. T’foot o’ our stairs ah’ll gi’ thi summat to rooer abaht t’foot o’ our stairs Alan Bennett how much what’s that when it’s at ‘oam
供石 (Gōng shí) or scholar’s stones vary in colour and shape. Their size also varies from hundreds of kilos to less than one kilo.They are placed in traditional gardens and the grounds of colleges , schools and universities.
These examples are to be found in the grounds of a university in Tianjin.
A treasure trove of old school books lovingly scanned and transcribed. The handwriting is superb and the insights fascinating.
One of several entries about Fairy Forts written circa 1937
“There are two fairy forts situated in my district. One is about a quarter of a mile from my house in a village known as Cloonarrow while the other is about three hundred yards east of my house. The fairy fort situated about a quarter of a mile is of circular shape and is surrounded by trees. Fairies are supposed to abide in it and are said to appear after twelve o’clock a.m. In front of this fort a house was situated but now the owner of the house and of the land in which the fort is situated is dead and the house has collapsed. There is no entrance hole to it. The other fort situated a very short distance from my house is a circular little hill surrounded by trees. Neither is there an entrance hole to this fort. It is said that a woman dressed in white appeared to a man at this fort and accompanied him to a place known as the “Crooked Bush” where she disappeared. Nobody ever dreams of tilling the land in which the forts are, neither do they cut the trees as it is said that anybody who touches those trees is sure to be unlucky.”
Using freely available online resources and my local knowledge I’m pretty sure this is the location of the Fairy Fort 300 yards East of the author’s home:
Fairy Forts are typically, but not exclusively circular archaeological sites. Often tumuli or hill forts, there are over 30,000 of them in Ireland.
A Fairy SongWilliam Shakespeare
Over hill, over dale,
Thorough bush, thorough brier,
Over park, over pale,
Thorough flood, thorough fire!
I do wander everywhere,
Swifter than the moon's sphere;
And I serve the Fairy Queen,
To dew her orbs upon the green;
The cowslips tall her pensioners be;
In their gold coats spots you see;
Those be rubies, fairy favours;
In those freckles live their savours;
I must go seek some dewdrops here,
And hang a pearl in every cowslip's ear.
Sunset over the Chao Phraya River, Bang Sue, Bangkok
The Chao Phraya is Thailand’s major river flowing 372 km from the confluence of the Ping and Nan rivers through Bangkok and into the Gulf of Thailand.
In Bangkok the Chap Phraya is a transport artery for a network of river buses, cross-river ferries, and water taxis. The river buses are cheap and are an excellent way for tourists to see Bangkok.
According to wikiyoyage the prices currently are around 30 Baht (roughly one US Dollar) and there are a confusingly large number of different boat lines:
APART FROM THE REVOLUTION
Each drop of blood a rose shall be
all sorrow shall be dust
blown by breezes to the sea
whose fingers thrust
into the corners of restless night
where creatures of the deep
avoid the flashing harbour lights
in search of endless sleep
there were executions
somebody had to pay
apart from the revolution
it’s another working day
a million angels sing
peasants eating cake
wedding bells are ringing
the room begins to shake
the children free from measles all
have healthy teeth and gums
they live in the cathedrals
and worship in the slums
poverty and pollution
have all swept away
apart from the revolution
it’s another working day
He also has a new book out which has received very good reviews. Could be a great Christmas gift.
The MV Plassey started its life as HMS Juliet, a naval trawler in the Royal Navy built at the beginning of WWII. during the war she took part in Operation Torch in 1942 and in the Mediterranean theatre. After the war she was converted into a merchant ship and sold to the British merchant service as the Peterjon. Later, in 1951 she was acquired by the Limerick Steamship Company and her name changed yet again to the MV Plassey (sometimes written as Plassy).
She operated around the coast of Ireland until 1960 when she was caught in a severe storm and ran aground on Finnis Rock, Inisheer, Aran Islands whilst carrying whiskey, stained glass and yarn. Luckily, the entire crew was saved. Two weeks later, a second storm washed her off the rock and drove her up the beach.
The Plassey is probably most famous for appearing in the opening credits of the TV comedy Father Ted.
The Photos app that comes bundled with MacOs periodically produces slideshows. Normally, these are themed around places or dates. One caught my eye though – it was called ‘Golden Hour’ and included photos I’d taken from many places. Usually, photos taken around sunset are better because the quality of light is better.
Unfortunately, there is no easy way to export it so it could be edited. I had to re-create it manually using iMovie. This is the result I call it Global Golden Hour: Sunsets around the world.
The soundtrack is “In Memory of a Free Festival Part 2” by David Bowie which I thought was appropriate. All rights remain with the original artist blah, blah blah, no profit is being made, blah blah, fair use, blah blah.
The extinct volcanoes of Pingdingshan, Xilin Gol, Nei Menggu
平顶山, 锡林郭勒盟，内蒙古
Pingdingshan in Xilingol League in Inner Mongolia has a very distinctive landscape. There are many extinct volcanoes from a time when this was the sea floor. This photo was taken in early October and the lush green grasslands had already faded to their winter brown. Even so you can see a flock of sheep in the foreground.
The interactive map is a new feature which I’ll maybe use again now that I know how to do it.
The Cliffs of Moher in County Clare attrac up to 1.5 million tourists a year.
Rising to a height of 214 meters they stretch for 14 kilometres. They are made up of sandstone and shale formin distinctive layers as can be seen in the photo.
Just to prove that I haven’t been idle, here are a random selection of some of the pages from 2004 and January 2005 that I’ve updated, fixed and added to.
Once I am sure there’s nothing going on I step inside, letting the door thud shut. Another church: matting, seats, and stone, And little books; sprawlings of flowers, cut For Sunday, brownish now; some brass and stuff Up at the holy end; the small neat organ; And a tense, musty, unignorable silence, Brewed God knows how long. Hatless, I take off My cycle-clips in awkward reverence,
Move forward, run my hand around the font. From where I stand, the roof looks almost new- Cleaned or restored? Someone would know: I don’t. Mounting the lectern, I peruse a few Hectoring large-scale verses, and pronounce “Here endeth” much more loudly than I’d meant. The echoes snigger briefly. Back at the door I sign the book, donate an Irish sixpence, Reflect the place was not worth stopping for.
Yet stop I did: in fact I often do, And always end much at a loss like this, Wondering what to look for; wondering, too, When churches fall completely out of use What we shall turn them into, if we shall keep A few cathedrals chronically on show, Their parchment, plate, and pyx in locked cases, And let the rest rent-free to rain and sheep. Shall we avoid them as unlucky places?
Or, after dark, will dubious women come To make their children touch a particular stone; Pick simples for a cancer; or on some Advised night see walking a dead one? Power of some sort or other will go on In games, in riddles, seemingly at random; But superstition, like belief, must die, And what remains when disbelief has gone? Grass, weedy pavement, brambles, buttress, sky,
A shape less recognizable each week, A purpose more obscure. I wonder who Will be the last, the very last, to seek This place for what it was; one of the crew That tap and jot and know what rood-lofts were? Some ruin-bibber, randy for antique, Or Christmas-addict, counting on a whiff Of gown-and-bands and organ-pipes and myrrh? Or will he be my representative,
Bored, uninformed, knowing the ghostly silt Dispersed, yet tending to this cross of ground Through suburb scrub because it held unspilt So long and equably what since is found Only in separation – marriage, and birth, And death, and thoughts of these – for whom was built This special shell? For, though I’ve no idea What this accoutred frowsty barn is worth, It pleases me to stand in silence here;
A serious house on serious earth it is, In whose blent air all our compulsions meet, Are recognised, and robed as destinies. And that much never can be obsolete, Since someone will forever be surprising A hunger in himself to be more serious, And gravitating with it to this ground, Which, he once heard, was proper to grow wise in, If only that so many dead lie round.
