Hotel Trotter

Antigua Guatemala 1/4 安地瓜‧瓜地馬拉

2012-01-27T01:10:00.007Z

Aesthetic Conflicts in Antigua Guatemala 1/4
衝突的美感古城安地瓜 1/4

Antigua Guatemala / 安地瓜‧瓜地馬拉
by Don Schumann

"Muy Noble y Muy Leal"
("Very Noble and Very Loyal")

(My apologies to all English speakers for posting original published article in in-flight magazine in Traditional Chinese. Please make good use of your internet translator!)

安地瓜．瓜地馬拉 (通常被外國人省略稱呼為安地瓜 ) 昂立於瓜地馬拉境內心臟部位高原上著名的城市，高度1,500公尺，一側被壯觀的阿瓜火山 (Volcán de Agua，標高3,765公尺) 所依傍圍繞，位在現今國都瓜地馬拉城的西邊。因為這裡保留著完整深受中古世紀Mudéjar風格所影響的西班牙巴洛克式建築，尚且，處處可見為數壯觀的殖民地教堂廢墟；因此整個城市被選定為科教文組織世界遺產地點。

連續幾年我待在美國洛杉磯，每逢生日時，我給自己的賀禮就是出國旅遊。這次不負責旅行地點的選擇如同往年，以越是陌生的版圖、越是脫離生活常軌、越是異國情調、越是在我地理知識之外的越好。行前對於安地瓜．瓜地馬拉的認知就如同上述前言而已，訂好機票、拎起背包，以一個月的時間，放輕鬆，扮演起一路見學、融入的獨行旅者角色。

Box 1:
＊巴洛克風格
根據某些學者的研究，宣稱巴洛克樣式最早是由Seljuk Turks所開發的。在巴洛克式的建築學裡，大膽的匯集了大量體、柱廊、穹隆圓頂、光影的對比、立體刷塗上色的技巧，以及數量和空間強烈的戲劇化呈現。在內部空間，首先巴洛克風帶給人們視覺上的衝擊一定是氣勢懾人的大樓梯，在此之前，在建築史上前所未見的，在貴族豪邸般的會客大廳或庭廊甚至是臥房裡總有一連串豐富的細節裝飾。

Box 2:
＊Mudéjar風格
直到17世紀，建築師嘗試地把伊斯蘭教的藝術元素加注在巍峨的羅馬式、哥德式和文藝復興建築上，往往可以達到畫龍點睛的驚嘆效果。

Mudéjar是西班牙文中來自於阿拉伯文的外來語，12世紀時，以此樣式作為建築風格的風氣首先在利比亞半島湧現，這種建築學技術層面對應著起源於穆斯林教和基督教文化並存的時期。使用磚作為主要材料。 Mudéjar不同於哥德式或羅馬式風格，它並沒有更動伊斯蘭教的元素，反倒是重新定義西方文化樣式的詮釋。

幾何符碼的主軸，再清楚不過的伊斯蘭教圖騰，顯眼地在輔助工藝使用低價建材的湧現，包含精心製造的瓦作、磚砌、木雕、石灰雕刻和裝飾性金屬。牆壁和地板表面被重新活化，煩複中顯露優雅的蓋瓦型式至今從未被超過。在利比亞半島盛行之後，穆斯林文化本身在建築學上許多元素不再沿用了，Mudéjar樣式仍然不斷地被融入西班牙建築學裡頭，直到17世紀。

More eye-catching Antigua Guatemala pictures at,

Ruins and Remains 破碎的城市

Windows and Doors 門面

Antigua Guatemala Dine about Town

Living Life under Erupting Volcán de Agua

Antigua Guatemala 2/4 安地瓜‧瓜地馬拉

2012-01-20T01:10:00.007Z

Aesthetic Conflicts in Antigua Guatemala 2/4
衝突的美感古城安地瓜 2/4

Antigua Guatemala / 安地瓜‧瓜地馬拉
by Don Schumann

"Muy Noble y Muy Leal"
("Very Noble and Very Loyal")

(My apologies to all English speakers for posting original published article in in-flight magazine in Traditional Chinese. Please make good use of your internet translator!)

昔日安地瓜

安地瓜．瓜地馬拉意味著 "舊瓜地馬拉"，它曾經是瓜地馬拉第三任的首都。歷經幾次 (馬雅人的分支)卡其奎族(Kakchiquel)的起義後，在1527年11月22日首都被搬到阿洛特南戈山谷(Valle de Alotenango)，並且沿用它的原名。不幸地，這個城市在1541年9月11日被阿瓜火山的熔岩所摧毀。當時的殖民地當局決定再度遷移，因此，在1543年3月10日，西班牙征服者在潘丘山谷(Valle de Panchoy)建立了今日的安地瓜古城，並且再度命名為 Santiago de los Caballeros，200多年來，它擔當著西班牙殖民地在瓜地馬拉的軍事政府要地，統御的領地幾乎包括整個當代中美洲和墨西哥最南端的一個省分。

在1717年9月29日，約7.4級的大地震衝擊安地瓜．瓜地馬拉，共計損毀3,000棟建築，這幾乎是整個城市建物的數量。強震迫使當局再次興起遷都的考量。在1773年，一連串的地震再度使整個城鎮殘破，更加肯定了遷都的勢在必行。西班牙王室在1776年頒令遷往一個更加安全的地點－殿堂山谷(Valle de la Ermita)，也就是目前的首都瓜地馬拉市，這個新的城市不再保留它原名，改採受洗的新名稱 Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción (新瓜地馬拉)。嚴重破損的 Santiago de los Caballeros 被認定為棄城，幾成廢墟的舊首都就成為人們口中的安地瓜．瓜地馬拉 (舊瓜地馬拉)。

直到19世紀末期，當咖啡種植在這個區域紮根，被世人遺忘的安地瓜再度受到注目，此時才有了第一次做恢復原有輝煌殖民地的努力行動。安地瓜在1944年被選定為國家歷史文物，瓜地馬拉在1950年1月2日加入科教文組織。瓜地馬拉在1979年1月16日與科教文組織簽署了的世界遺產條約，境內二個文化遺跡點 (安地瓜．瓜地馬拉和蒂卡爾) 。1996年，科教文組織辦公室在瓜地馬拉城建立，支持國家参與科教文組織文化和自然科學的活動。

Box 4:
*阿瓜火山 (Volcán de Agua, 水火山？)
Agua 是西班牙文的水的意思，但這裡千萬不可以直翻成水，除了外文不好，只看字典、字面才會叫它水火山。這裡是指岩漿的意思，因此稱阿瓜火山即可。

More eye-catching Antigua Guatemala pictures at,

Ruins and Remains 破碎的城市

Windows and Doors 門面

Antigua Guatemala Dine about Town

Living Life under Erupting Volcán de Agua

Antigua Guatemala 3/4 安地瓜‧瓜地馬拉

2012-01-13T01:10:00.008Z

Aesthetic Conflicts in Antigua Guatemala 3/4
衝突的美感古城安地瓜 3/4

Antigua Guatemala / 安地瓜‧瓜地馬拉
by Don Schumann

"Muy Noble y Muy Leal"
("Very Noble and Very Loyal")

(My apologies to all English speakers for posting original published article in in-flight magazine in Traditional Chinese. Please make good use of your internet translator!)

今日安地瓜

從第一天下飛機，驅車前來安地瓜這個高原城市，從那一刻起不斷地帶給我衝擊，根本是從二十一世紀的洛杉磯，直衝停留在中古世紀的安地瓜。舉凡是：在中美洲烈日照射到刺眼的竟然是鵝黃色壯觀西式教堂、對面卻是帶著伊斯蘭圖騰崩毀的古蹟，行走在本地火山石鋪砌的巷弄、兩旁是中古世紀歐洲般鮮豔的街坊，再望向瑞士般無所不在的山頭、迎面而來的卻是如假包換的美洲拉丁人。剛到第一個禮拜的我，總是處在時空順序與國家地理錯亂的情境中，當然啦，還有高山反應在我體內作怪所造成醉醺醺的渾沌感！總得時時提醒自己，才能專心咀嚼唯有在安地瓜才擁有的衝突美感。

安地瓜為它的訪客提供親身體驗西班牙殖民時代多樣化的選擇，這裡不再是一個“買門票入場”、“只可遠觀”和“限時開放”的古蹟巡禮展場，整個城市處處皆是歷史建築、紀念碑、噴泉和古蹟。街區裡陳列著保存完整的西班牙Mudéjar風格巴洛克式建築是用來款待來自全世界的眼睛，我所投宿的旅館也是古蹟之一，甚至我所呼吸的空氣也是。其中最經典的建體包括市長廣場(Plaza Mayor)、總司令官殿堂(Palacio de los Capitanes Generales)，殖民地博物館(Museo de Santiago)、史書博物館(Museo del Libro Antiguo)、大教堂(Catedral de Santiago)、聖地亞哥博物館(Palacio del Ayuntamiento)、慈悲教堂(La Merced Church)和舊金山教會(San Francisco El Grande)、Nestra Senoraa del Pilar 遺址、聖塔克來拉廢墟(Santa Clara)和聖奧古斯玎廢墟(San Agustín)。

Box 3:
＊總司令官殿堂
這是安地瓜城市其中最氣派的大樓之一。這個石柱大建物歷經重建，並且多次修捕由於地震和其他因素造成的損傷。曾為西班牙殖民地政府所在地和當年司令官的宅邸，目前正面有兩層呈拱形，每層各有27個拱廊。現在宮殿的一部份被修造成博物館，並且大樓安置有政府機關、市立警察局和瓜地馬拉旅遊學院等等辦公室。

More eye-catching Antigua Guatemala pictures at,

Ruins and Remains 破碎的城市

Windows and Doors 門面

Antigua Guatemala Dine about Town

Living Life under Erupting Volcán de Agua

Antigua Guatemala 4/4 安地瓜‧瓜地馬拉

2012-01-06T01:10:00.011Z

Aesthetic Conflicts in Antigua Guatemala 4/4
衝突的美感古城安地瓜 4/4

Antigua Guatemala / 安地瓜‧瓜地馬拉
by Don Schumann

"Muy Noble y Muy Leal"
("Very Noble and Very Loyal")

(My apologies to all English speakers for posting original published article in in-flight magazine in Traditional Chinese. Please make good use of your internet translator!)

這裡是我見過最美麗的城市。夾在三座火山之間的一個山谷，漆黑火山岩鋪成車道，路牌由綴花陶瓷製成。放眼望去，除了兩層樓的市政大樓之外，保留完整五顏六色的西班牙殖民式一層樓街坊。中央公園(Parque Central)是這個城市的心臟。廣場中被重建的噴泉成為最受歡迎的碰面地點。在中央公園邊角的聖塔卡韃琳娜拱門(Arco de Santa Catarina)是安地瓜許多著名的建築地標之一。大約由八十個市街區塊所組成這樣一個迷人的城市，每每走入美得讓人心碎的中庭後，才能發覺古老斑駁的牆壁之後掩藏著精心佈置的露天咖啡館，在那裡肯定能夠享受到最佳的咖啡和曼妙的餐食。

出身自一個多國文化家庭背景的我，多年來總以為凡事見怪不怪，直到見識到基督教文化居然可以和穆斯林藝術兼容並存，揉合出全新美感的建築工法，同時解構了我重新看待世界的眼光。一個月後，在飛回美國的班機上，我不但經歷了無以倫比的衝突洗禮，也增長了不少拉丁美洲的智慧，同時，異國文化和美感滋潤著我的身心。對我而言，這是一趟背包滿載、難以抹滅的旅程。

More eye-catching Antigua Guatemala pictures at,

Ruins and Remains 破碎的城市

Windows and Doors 門面

Antigua Guatemala Dine about Town

Living Life under Erupting Volcán de Agua

4G War is On

2012-01-03T01:03:00.001Z

One of my long-retired trustworthy Trēos (the third, in a row in succession)
once accompanying me trotting around the globe

I am the Birthday not Bishōnen (美少年) nor Papi but Baby today!

Top New Year's Resolutions:
Learn Something New and Enjoy Life More

image: Yoda Man
Motorola DROID Bionic showcases 4G LTE speed test

What is the difference between 4G in an LTE flavor versus WiMax or HSPA+?

LTE (Long-Term Evolution) networks, from both AT&T and Verizon, offer higher top speeds can be as much as 10 times faster than 3G service, with theoretical peaks of 300 Mb per second for downloads and 75 Mb per second for uploads.

T-Mobile's HSPA+ (High-Speed Packet Access plus) networks have theoretical top speeds of 42 Mb per second (as of July, 2011, averaging 3.7 Mb/s across all markets, also achieving peak speeds of 15.2 Mb/s) for downloads and 23 Mb per second for uploads.

Sprint's WiMax (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) 4G lists a theoretical top speed of more than 10 Mb per second (as of July, 2011, averaged only 3 Mb/s, peak speeds of 10.5 Mb/s) for downloads and 1 Mb per second for uploads.

image: Yoda Man
Motorola DROID Bionic showcases 4G LTE speed test

But speeds are determined more by the configurations of networks than the underlying technology used, as always, just how fast and how reliable a phone or tablet runs on any cellular network varies by country, by city, by device and by carrier.

Note: the data rates between Kilobits per second (Kbps), Kilobytes per second (KBps), Megabits per second (Mbps) and Megabytes per second (MBps).
1,024 Kb/sec = 128 KB/sec = 1 Mb/sec = 0.125 MB/sec

Image Flashback 2011

2011-12-30T01:10:00.012Z

Lagen Island, El Nido, Palawan,
Philippines
A Sobering Reflection at Year's End

This is a meditative day

2011 is about a dismal year

Afghanistan

A U.S. Army soldier takes five with an Afghan boy during a patrol in Pul-e Alam, a town in Logar province, eastern Afghanistan
(Reuters / Umit Bektas)

Canada

Australian Scott Jones kisses his Canadian girlfriend Alex Thomas after she was knocked to the ground by a police officer’s riot shield in Vancouver, British Columbia. Canadians rioted after the Vancouver Canucks lost the Stanley Cup to the Boston Bruins
(Getty Images / Rich Lam)

Chile

A student is punched in the face by a police officer in Chile. Students in Chile are demanding a new framework for education
(Reuters / VICTOR RUIZ CABALLERO)

Chile’s Puyehue volcano erupts, causing air traffic cancellations across South America, New Zealand, Australia and forcing over 3,000 people to evacuate
(Reuters)

China

A distressed bride attempts suicide in China after her fiance abruptly called off their marriage. Still in her wedding gown, she tried to kill herself by jumping out of a window of a seventh floor building. Right as she jumped, a man managed to catch and save her
(Reuters / CHINA DAILY)

England

A woman jumps from a burning building during the London riots in August
(Amy Weston / WENN.com)

Flowers and tributes are seen outside the home of Amy Winehouse in London on July 24
(Reuters / STEFAN WERMUTH)

Japan

A whirpool forms off the Japanese coast after the tsunami on March 11
(Reuters / Kyodo )

A woman cries while sitting on a road amid the destroyed city of Natori, Miyagi Prefecture in northern Japan after the massive earthquake and tsunami
(Reuters / ASAHI SHIMBUN)

An aerial shot of the damage immediately following the Japanese tsunami
(Reuters / KYODO)

A girl in isolation for radiation screening looks at her dog through a window in Nihonmatsu, Japan on March 14
(Reuters / Yuriko Nakao)

Kenya

Mihag Gedi Farah, a seven-month-old child, is held by his mother in a field hospital of the International Rescue Committee in the town of Dadaab, Kenya. The baby has since made a full recovery
(AP / Schalk Van Zuydam)

Libya

A Libyan rebel is pictured with Gadhafi’s golden gun
(Getty Images / Philippe Desmazes)

A woman rebel fighter supporter fires an AK-47 rifle as she reacts to the news of the withdrawal of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi’s forces from Benghazi on March 19
(Reuters / GORAN TOMASEVIC)

New Zealand

Office workers look for a way out of a high rise building in central Christchurch, New Zeland on February 22. A strong earthquake killed at least 180 people
(Reuters / Simon Baker)

Norway

Friends and loved ones gather at the Oslo cathedral to mourn 93 victims killed in twin terror attacks from a bombing in downtown Oslo and a mass shooting on Utoya island on July 24
(Getty Images / Paula Bronstein)

Thailand

A woman hangs onto a street sign in chest deep water along the flooded streets in Rangsit on the outskirts of Bangkok on October 24
(Getty Images / Paula Bronstein)

United States

A monstrous dust storm (Haboob) roared through Phoenix, Arizona in July
credit: unknown

Firefighters of Ladder Company 4 — which lost seven men on 9/11 — perched together on their aerial ladder, watching a news bulletin in Times Square declaring that Osama bin Laden was dead on May 2
credit: unknown

A University of California Davis police officer pepper-sprays students during their sit-in at an “Occupy UCD” demonstration in Davis, California
(Jasna Hodzic)

A man sits in front of a destroyed apartment building following the Joplin, Missouri tornado
(Reuters)

A mother comforts her son in Concord, Alabama, near his house which was completely destroyed by a tornado in April
(AP / Jeff Roberts)

Billy Stinson comforts his daughter Erin Stinson as they sit on the steps where their cottage once stood on August 28 in Nags Head, N.C. The cottage, built in 1903 and destroyed by Hurricane Irene, was one of the first vacation cottages built on Albemarle Sound in Nags Head
(Getty Images / Scott Olson)

Two lights from the former site of the World Trade Centers shine for the 10th anniversary of 9/11
(Reuters / GARY HERSHORN)

Cars are abandoned on Chicago’s Lake Shore Drive during the “Snowpocalypse” in February
credit: unknown

A protester gets sprayed in the face with pepper spray at an Occupy Portland protest
(Randy L. Rasmussen/The Oregonian)

A before and after shot of Joplin, Missouri after a massive tornado on May 22
credit: unknown

Robert Peraza, who lost his son Robert David Peraza in 9/11, pauses at his son’s name at the North Pool of the 9/11 Memorial
(Getty Images / Justin Lane)

Members of the national security team receive an update on the mission against Osama bin Laden in the Situation Room of the White House on May 1
(Reuters / HANDOUT)

Slain Navy SEAL Jon Tumilson’s dog “Hawkeye” lies next to his casket during funeral services in Rockford, Iowa. Tumilson was one of 30 American soldiers killed in Afghanistan on August 6 when their helicopter was shot down during a mission to help fellow troops who had come under fire
credit: unknown

Make Packing for Your Flight a Breeze

2011-12-23T01:11:00.012Z

Mini beach, far offshore from Nha Trang beach, Vietnam
How can you say no to the tropical breeze at this time of the year?

I can not believe it is that time again. The year-end and New Year's holidays are fast approaching. But it can be so confusing for what personal belongings one who wants to bring before heading to the airports

You Can Carry On

*
Small tools. Certain tools, such as screwdrivers, wrenches, and pliers, are permitted, as long as they are seven inches or less in length. All other tools should be securely wrapped (if sharp) and packed in checked baggage.
*
Nonflammable liquids, gels, and aerosols. Nearly all liquids, gels, and aerosols, including but not limited to food, drinks, and personal-care items, must be in 3.4-ounce or smaller containers and placed in a single quart-size clear zippered plastic bag. Exceptions include medically necessary liquids, such as insulin and baby formula.
*
Lighters and matches. Passengers may carry on common lighters and one pack of safety matches. No matches, including safety matches, are permitted in checked baggage.
*
Batteries. Always pack batteries in carry-on luggage. Batteries cannot be packed in bags that will be checked.
*
Knitting needles. Materials for knitting and needlepoint are allowed in carry-on bags, with the exception of circular thread cutters or any cutter with a concealed blade.
*
Gifts. Wrapped presents can be carried on board, provided the contents meet safety and security regulations. But since security screeners may unwrap gifts for inspection, it’s advisable to leave presents unwrapped until you reach your destination.
*
Electronics. Small portable electronic items that are smaller than a standard-size laptop, such as cell phones and tablet devices, do not have to be removed from baggage during screening, but larger items, including laptops, full-size video-game consoles, full-size DVD players, and video cameras that use video cassettes, must be removed from their cases and screened separately at security checkpoints.
*
Medication. All prescription and over-the-counter medications can be carried on board the aircraft in unspecified quantities. Other medical necessities including but not limited to liquid nutrition for passengers with a disability and items used for medical or cosmetic reasons, such as mastectomy products, can also be packed in carry-on bags. These items must be declared to screeners before going through security and are subject to additional screening.
*
Baby needs. Baby formula, breast milk, juice, gel- or liquid-filled teethers, and canned, jarred, or processed baby food are permitted on board the airplane if a baby or a small child is traveling. These items must be declared to screeners before going through security and are subject to additional screening.
*
Expensive items. Although not an official requirement, jewelry, currency, and other valuable items should always be carried with you, provided they meet security regulations.

A 14-seater propeller plane landing on a remote vacation island

You Should Check

*
Sharp objects. Sharp objects include a wide array of items, such as box cutters, ice axes and picks, knives, meat cleavers, razor-type blades, and scissors that exceed four inches (smaller scissors can be carried on).
*
Sporting goods. With the exception of balls, most sporting equipment must be transported in checked baggage.
*
Self defense items. Mace, pepper spray, and other items, such as billy clubs, black jacks, brass knuckles, kubotans, and other martial-arts weapons, are not permitted past security.
*
Snow globes. No matter the size, these souvenirs have to be stowed away in checked luggage.
*
Shoe inserts. Gel inserts should be removed from shoes before travelling or packed in checked baggage.
*
Gel-type candles. Wax candles may be put in carry-on luggage, but their gel-like counterparts need to be checked.
*
Alcohol. Passengers may pack up to five liters of adult beverages in a sealable bottle or flask, provided the alcohol content does not exceed 70 percent.
*
Liquid or gel-like foods. Any food or drink you bring (or buy before the security checkpoint) with a liquid or gel-like consistency, such as yogurt, soup, sauce, jam, peanut butter, cream cheese, or a smoothie, will be confiscated by security screeners even if they are under 3.4 ounces, so you should stow them in your checked luggage.
*
Guns. Well-packaged ammunition and well-packaged, unloaded firearms, BB guns, compressed-air guns, pellet guns, starter pistols, and replicas can be put in your checked luggage, but they must be declared at check-in. Ask your airline about specific rules and regulations.

The Empire Hotel and Country Club, Brunei

You Should Leave at Home

*
Flammable items. Aerosol cans (except limited quantities of personal-care items that are 3.4 ounces or less ), fuels, gasoline, lighter fluid, strike-anywhere matches, flammable paints, turpentine, paint thinner, and replicas of incendiaries cannot be transported on passenger airlines.
*
Explosive materials. Passengers cannot bring items such as fireworks, flares, blasting caps, dynamite, and replicas of explosive materials on board aircrafts.
*
Chemicals. Chlorine, bleach, spillable batteries, spray paint, tear gas, and fire extinguishers are considered dangerous and are not permitted on commercial passenger aircrafts.

Checked Items at the Lio Airport, about 2 miles (4 kilometers) from the población (town proper) of El Nido

City center of Abu Dhabi, U.A.E.

More eye-catching pictures at,

Late Afternoon Sun

Unforeseen Vietnam

Eco Nature Exploring Tours

Desert City of the Middle East

The Empire Hotel and Country Club Brunei

Small Sampling of Don Schumann Photography's Hotel Collection

TSA for Travelers

Prasat Preah Vihear Area to be Demilitarized

2011-12-22T07:51:00.009Z

The Cambodian-Thai border dispute began in 2008 as the latest round of a century-long between the two involving the area surrounding the 11th-century temple (named Khao Phra Wihan in Sisaket Province, Thailand and/or Prasat Preah Vihear in Preah Vihear Province, Cambodia)

Temple troops to be withdrawn

In modern times, Prasat (Temple) Preah Vihear, a UNESCO World Heritage Site situated at the top of a 2,000-foot high escarpment overlooking the Cambodian plains far below, was rediscovered by the outside world and became subject of an emotional dispute between Thailand and the newly independent Cambodia.

Now, Thai and Cambodian military authorities have agreed to withdraw their troops from a provisional demilitarized zone near the Preah Vihear temple and let Indonesian observers supervise the area.

Cambodia proposed that both countries immediately follow the provisional demilitarized zone order of the ICJ, welcome Indonesian observers and withdraw soldiers from the zone, of which 8.5 sq km is in Thailand and 8.8 sq km is in Cambodia, under the supervision of the observers.

The Thai side agreed with the proposal.

You might enjoy the following posts,

Sisaket 詩沙吉城

More eye-catching pictures at,

Khao Phra Wihan (Prasat Preah Vihear)

Soothing Blend of Colonial and Royal Thai

2011-12-16T01:10:00.013Z

I stayed at this finest hotel in Chiang Mai, now placed 7th on the "world best hotel" list of 2011 and it was the only hotel in Southeast Asia to figure among the top ten

My first/last stay was three years before/after the resort was fully completed, in six years time. And exactly the same 5-meters (16-feet) high ceiling suite room, with private entry hall and an extra guest bathroom, of colonial style!

More eye-catching pictures at,

Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi Chiang Mai

Le Méridien Chiang Mai

2011-12-09T01:10:00.009Z

I stayed at this interesting themed city hotel in Chiang Mai, Thailand, twice in six years time. First time was during its pre-opening venue!

Models: Fiona and Ryan
Makeup & Photo: Don Schumann

More eye-catching pictures at,

Red, White and Gold Room Color Scheme

My second stay at this hotel in six years time
Tripod: Gitzo basalt fiber

Vietnam Domestic Airfare to Hike Again

2011-12-08T08:43:00.000Z

Đà Nẵng Airport

National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines said it will raise airfare for its domestic routes starting on December 15

Five domestic air routes will see price hikes. The highest increases will be a 20% for economy class tickets. Increases in business class rates will be capped at 5%.

Routes traveling between Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang, will see about a 15% price increase, while shorter routes, where other means of transport are viable, will see the highest increases, of up to 20%.

The new standard price for a ticket on the Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City route will be VND2.56 million (USD121.9), excluding taxes and fees.

This is the second time this year Vietnam Airlines has raised its airfare on domestic routes since April.

20% up for economy class tickets

Dry Winds Trigger Red-Flag Warning in L.A.

2011-12-06T06:42:00.002Z

The National Weather Service issued a red-flag warning in the mountains of Los Angeles and Ventura counties through Tuesday afternoon, and northeast winds are expected to reach 25 to 40 mph with the possibility of 60 mph gusts.

Southern Californians expecting a respite from strong winds will have to wait a little longer, even as some residents remain without power days after the last round.

The strong Santa Ana wind event setting into Pasadena, Southern California late last Wednesday night and Thursday, downing power lines, breaking tree limbs causing 57,000 without power and four injured in windstorms.

About 26,000 Southern California customers remained without power as of Monday morning after last week's heavy windstorm downed power lines and electric cables. Crews have been working to restore power to customers, especially in the hard-hit San Gabriel Valley.

The world famous Venice Beach Boardwalk

Japanese Influence in Taiwan

2011-12-02T01:10:00.012Z

Xin Beitou, Taiwan

A notable Japanese influence exists due to the period when Taiwan was under Japanese rule.

Japanese ancient map of Yang Ming mountain area

from wiki

Since 1999 hot springs , known as wēnquán in Chinese and onsen in Japanese, have been making a comeback thanks to efforts by the government. Over 100 hot springs have been discovered since the Japanese introduced their rich onsen culture to Taiwan, with the largest concentration on the northernmost part of Taiwan island.

Japanese ancient map of Xin Beitou hot springs

My recuperation on Yang Ming San mountain

I had stayed in Xin Beitou for six full months allowing me to extensively explore the hot-spring-densed region of Yang Ming mountain area on foot. The hilly volcanic terrain of these areas offer relaxing walking also a great way to unwind and recuperate. And I truly enjoyed it!

More Northern Taiwan Hot Spring's eye-catching pictures at,

Beitou Winter Hike

Hot Springs 溫泉送暖

All photos above by cell phone

You might enjoy the following posts of My Experience in Japan,

Tokishi, 1993 土岐市

Black Friday Shopping Spree

2011-11-25T01:10:00.013Z

Shopping on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, California, USA

Are you ready to shop for Black Friday holiday?

Black Friday is one of the busiest shopping days in the USA. There are two popular theories as to why the day after Thanksgiving Day is called Black Friday. One theory is that the wheels of vehicles in heavy traffic on the day after Thanksgiving Day left many black markings on the road surface, leading to the term Black Friday.

The other theory is that the term Black Friday comes from an old way of recording business accounts. Losses were recorded in red ink and profits in black ink. Many businesses, particularly small businesses, started making profits prior to Christmas. Many hoped to start showing a profit, marked in black ink, on the day after Thanksgiving Day.

from wiki

Black Friday is the day following Thanksgiving Day in the United States, traditionally the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. On this day, many retailers open very early, often at 4 a.m., or earlier, and offer promotional sales to kick off the shopping season, similar to Boxing Day sales in many Commonwealth countries. Black Friday is not actually a holiday, but many employers give their employees the day off, increasing the number of potential shoppers.

The stretch of shops, between Santa Monica Boulevard and Wilshire Boulevard, on Rodeo Drive is only three blocks long. This must be the most sought after residential shopping area synonymous with high fashion, luxury and star-studded in Los Angeles!

I fully aware that your usual shopping centers offering crazy low prices at this time of the year. But if you are looking forward to a great shopping experience this Black Friday and it is not fighting the crowds, consider shopping on the ultra posh Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills at your leisure.

More eye-catching pictures at,

Rodeo Drive 1/4

Rodeo Drive 2/4

Rodeo Drive 3/4

Rodeo Drive 4/4

Shopping on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, California, USA

Highway Slides into Ocean after Storm

2011-11-23T05:04:00.004Z

California Coastline

Heavy rain in southern California has caused a huge portion of a road to collapse into the sea, leaving a gaping hole in the side of a cliff.

Rains pounded the Los Angeles area as a weekend storm passed from the Pacific Ocean into Southern California, 900ft section of highway south of Los Angeles crumbled and fell into the Pacific Ocean on Sunday (11/20/2011).

The section of Paseo Del Mar in the San Pedro area has been edging seawards for months but this is the first time a sizeable chunk has broken away completely.

The scenic route was closed several months ago when splits began to appear in the road.

There are no reports of injuries or property damage in the immediate area.

California Coastline

More California Coastline pictures at,

California Coastline 1/2

California Coastline 2/2

Thanksgiving Feast

2011-11-21T01:10:00.007Z

Eggnog, holiday drink by Chef Mary Soh
The original work was an advertisement for Franz Collection Inc. running throughout greater China

Thanksgiving spirits

Dreamy dinner tables at Asya Boracay, Philippines

Fruit punch for kids

White wine glass: Franz Collection
Original work appeared on the First Class Cabin's wine list of an international Airlines

Roasted Turkey
Chef: Mary Soh

Hyatt Regency Saujana Kuala Lumpur 1/2

2011-11-18T01:10:00.001Z

Taking its name from an old Malay expression "sejauh di sana" meaning, in English, Saujana means "as far as the eye can see"

Hyatt Regency Saujana Kuala Lumpur 2/2

2011-11-11T01:11:00.001Z

Behind the scenes story,

I am Far 遠走他鄉

Malaysia Grand Tour 1/2 馬來西亞縱走大逃玩

Malaysia Grand Tour 2/2 馬來西亞縱走大逃玩

WillKat Opt for Kensington Palace

2011-11-06T05:50:00.004Z

The Duke and Duchess will be moving into Kensington Palace

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are to make Kensington Palace their family home after the Queen personally intervened to enable them to live in Princess Margaret’s former apartment.

However, they will not move in for two years because structural improvements are needed to make it habitable.

About £1 million will now be spent renovating the lavish four-story, 20-room Apartment 1A – which comes complete with its own private walled garden – to make it fit for William and Kate.

The couple are not expected to move in until 2013, when the extensive work will be completed.

More Kensington Palace pictures at,

Grieving Diana 追悼戴安娜

Destructive Flooding Puts Southeast Asia at Risk

2011-11-04T01:03:00.011Z

Nakhon Ratchasima, a city (thesaban nakhon) in the north-east (Isan) of Thailand and gateway to Isan

Sixty of Thailand's seventy seven provinces have been affected by floods and mudslides over the past two months. Thirty provinces are currently ~~curtently~~ deluged and Chiang Mai, one of the largest cities was being prepared for evacuation (at the time of this writing).

Unmanned island in Central Visayas, Philippines

In southeast Asia, flooding rains from two weeks ago continued into this past week across, causing flooding along the northern Vietnam coast, and areas westward into Laos. Lighter rainfall has benefited the rest of Vietnam, Laos and into northern Cambodia. Lighter, but consistent rainfall has continued across Thailand and Burma.

Rice vendor in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, the world's second largest rice exporter after Thailand

Many rice crops in low-lying areas were flooded, Vietnam

Laos

Cambodia

Cambodia and eastern Thailand prepared for major floods and officials warned residents in some areas to move to higher ground along with their livestock.

The night bazaar in Chiang Mai, Thailand

In Thailand, flooding was reported in the night bazaar in the northern town of Chiang Mai, popular with tourists.

Mekong river, Vietnam

In Vietnam's southern Mekong delta, around 5,000 hectares of the Delta's third rice crop have been inundated. Dykes and bridges were washed away in places and roads submerged by the muddy deluge.

My first Cơm tấm sườn chả (Grilled pork broken rice) dish, Ho Chi Minh City

Rice vendor in Chiang Mai, Thailand

Typhoon vs Hurricane

2011-10-28T01:10:00.005+01:00

The 18th typhoon alert in Asia this Summer on September 28, 2011

After viewing the forecast of super Hurricane Irene just about to make landfall in New York's Long Island broadcasted on the CBS Evening News, August 28, 2011 (EDT). Which I watched on my cell phone in Taiwan (local time, one day ahead of the US).

I sent a short email to S reminding her to sit tight until hurricane moved on. S, she is a six-footer fashion model friend of mine current home-based in New York City. In the meantime, another tropical Typhoon well bigger than "Irene" was expected to hit Taiwan any time soon.

Days after, I received S's email saying "Hurricane Irene wasn't anything compared to what we have in Asia. :p"

That is so true! I almost forget S is from Asia and I must agree with her. Not that I am saying that Irene was a joke. But typhoons (tropical cyclones) occurring in the western Pacific or Indian oceans are causing so much damage.

Today's skies in Taipei (Taiwan) look so much like sunny South California's.

Alabaster clouds glide on Kona (deep Tanzanite) blue backdrop. It is very rare in here and indicating a typhoon (tropical storm) coming in. Sadly, the local perpetual polluted and dense haze rely on tropical typhoons to sweep/suck away, all year round. The stronger the greater effect. Despite all that, it is a perfect day for a long walk and a good book in the countryside. What more can you expect from such a beautiful day?

Note: a typhoon is just what people call a hurricane in the pacific. Both hurricanes and typhoons are tropical cyclones. Hurricanes are a bit more specifically defined than typhoons.
The American Heritage dictionary defines a hurricane as a severe tropical cyclone originating in the equatorial regions of the Atlantic Ocean or Caribbean Sea, traveling north, northwest, or northeast from its point of origin, and usually involving heavy rains. The same source describes a typhoon as a tropical cyclone occurring in the western Pacific or Indian oceans.

Let it all go for punctuating the end of what needs to die in order to start and embrace anew.

Maximum Alert on Guatemala

2011-10-21T01:10:00.008+01:00

Façade: my first impressions of Central America!

Roads in Guatemala City and dirt roads in the mountains continue to deteriorate with the torrential rains.

The recent wave of rains started falling on October 11 (Tuesday), hours before Hurricane Jova made landfall in Mexico and two other tropical storms off the Mexican coast north of the border with Guatemala provoked intense rains across southern Mexico and Guatemala.

More than 300 erosions and landslides have been reported, blocking many stretches of Guatemala's main highways.

More eye-catching Antigua Guatelmala pictures at,

Ruins and Remains

Windows and Doors

UNESCO helps rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated struck by Volcán de Agua in Central America

Siri Says

2011-10-16T05:15:00.000+01:00

The iPhone 4S personal assistant application, Siri, not only talks back with humor and wins your heart, too.

Enjoy the good laugh and have a terrific Sunday!

More Siri giggle-worthy answers at,

Shit That Siri Says

Day 15: Hanoi Vietnam 越南河內

2011-10-14T01:10:00.003+01:00

5/4/2009, Vietnam

The Hồ Chí Minh Mausoleum (Vietnamese:
Lăng Chủ tịch Hồ Chí Minh)

I am flying "C" class, this picture was taken by Ryan.

Thanksgiving Airfares Soaring

2011-10-13T11:36:00.002+01:00

Going home for Thanksgiving?

You will be so surprised when booking your flights for the upcoming holiday season.

CBS News reported that at least five major domestic airlines in the United States are cutting flights.

It says there will be about 600,000 fewer seats between November 19th and 28th. In an uncertain economy, airlines want to make sure their flights are profitable.

The domestic fares over the Thanksgiving keep going up on a daily basis.

High Radiation Reading in Setagaya

2011-10-13T06:05:00.008+01:00

(Breaking News Updated)

My personal view on nuclear power plants (on the geographic magazine assignments photography)

Japanese TV stations reported that Tokyo Setagaya Ward 6 in the volume of residential sidewalk near the string measure up to one hour 3.35 (10/13/2011 updated) instead of 2.707 micro on 10/12/2011. Sever levels of radiation.

東京都世田谷区の高放射線量

東京都世田谷区弦巻5丁目の区道で高い射線量が検出された問題で、同区は１３日午後、改めて測定結果を公表する。１２日までに毎時約２．７マイクロシーベルトが確認されたが、１３日午前の専門業者による測定ではさらに高い３．３５マイクロシーベルトを検出。区は原因の特定と除染を急ぐ考えだ。

Setagaya ward, which is 233 kilometers (145 miles) from the Fukushima reactors, has a population of more than 840,000 people, plans to decontaminate the area after radiation levels as high as 2.707 (3.35 at present time) microsieverts per hour were detected at the site in the Tsurumaki 5-chome area, according to a statement by the ward.

That is 14 (now 20) times more than the internationally recommended level for the general public. That reading is higher than several areas within the 20-kilometer exclusion zone around the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant that was evacuated by the government.

from wiki

Setagaya ward (世田谷区 Setagaya-ku) is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo in Japan. It is also the name of a neighborhood within the ward. The ward calls itself the City of Setagaya in English.
It has the largest population and second largest area (after Ōta) of Tokyo's 23 special wards.

Day 14: PM Bac Ha Vietnam 越南北河市集

2011-10-07T01:10:00.000+01:00

5/3/2009, Vietnam

More eye-catching pictures at,
更多精彩的圖片就在,

Bac Ha Facebook 1/2 北河臉譜

Bac Ha Facebook 2/2 北河臉譜

Changes Under the Hood

2011-10-06T06:13:00.004+01:00

image: desktroy.com

The iPhone 4 drops to $99 for the 8GB version while the iPhone 4S is featured at higher price points for their 16GB/32GB/64GB models.

Is this new iPhone for you, world traveler?

Day 14: AM Sapa Vietnam 越南沙壩

2011-09-30T01:07:00.002+01:00

This photo by Ryan

Lao Cai is a town (where I am standing) in northern Vietnam. It is on the border with China, adjacent to Hekou (city right behind my back across the river in the picture).

More eye-catching pictures at,
更多精彩的圖片就在,

Victoria Express to Sapa 薇多利雅特快號前進沙壩

幕後花絮,
You might enjoy the behind the scenes story,

After an Overnight of Backbreaking Train 經歷了一趟渾身酸痛的隔夜火車之旅

Belly Up Flying

2011-09-29T04:49:00.010+01:00

City aerial at late night

The serious incident on the Air Nippon flight appears to have been caused by the co-pilot flipping the wrong switch to unlock the cockpit door to allow the aircraft captain to return after he had used the bathroom causing the plane to dive and fly almost belly-up, according to the Japan Transport Safety Board.

An All Nippon Airways (ANK) Boeing 737-700 performing flight NH-140 from Naha (Okinawa) to Tokyo Haneda (Japan) with 112 passengers and 5 crew. The plane was on automatic pilot and flying about 12,500 meters (41,000 feet) about 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of Hamamatsu, Shizuoka prefecture, when the narrow-body twin-engine aircraft violently rolled until it reached 131.7 degrees to the left, and its nose pointed down as much as 23 degrees at one point.

Two female crew members on board suffered whiplash after the airplane plummeted about 1,900 meters (6,230 feet) in 30 seconds which occurred at 22:50 p.m. on September 6. The flight continued to Tokyo's Haneda Airport for a safe landing.

Day 13: Sapa Vietnam 越南沙壩

2011-09-23T01:10:00.008+01:00

5/2/2009, Vietnam (captions added)

Panting and sweating (around 100°F or 40°C,) as we were finally aboard the overnight express and settling into our air-conditioned deluxe cabin with four bunks. The eight and a half hours' train journey from Hanoi to Lao Cai just about to set off.

Arrived at Lao Cai station before daybreak next morning. After freshened up with a quick splash on the face and grabbed a quick breakfast and coffee, we would have to hop on another 4WD van and headed to Sapa of highland region 21 miles (34 km) away with an hour's ride.

During my stay, daytime high temperature remained under 60°F or 16°C.

Love Market

We would have to reschedule our North Vietnam itinerary in order to catch up on this particular events of love market.

This photo was taken by Ryan

More eye-catching pictures at,
更多精彩的圖片就在,

Victoria Express to Sapa 薇多利雅特快號前進沙壩

幕後花絮,
You might enjoy the behind the scenes story,

After an Overnight of Backbreaking Train 經歷了一趟渾身酸痛的隔夜火車之旅

Day 12: Ha Long Bay Vietnam 越南下龍灣

2011-09-16T01:10:00.000+01:00

5/1/2009, Vietnam

Nuclear Explosion in France

2011-09-12T14:57:00.006+01:00

My personal view on nuclear power plants (on the geographic magazine assignments photography)

At this moment, it's hard to tell how big this story is.
One person was killed in the blast and four injured at a nuclear waste processing plant in southern France.

The accident also highlights that nuclear power requires long-term solutions to its waste problems, solutions that in themselves can spawn new fears.

Explosion at French nuclear waste plant

Season of Transition 磁場大波動

2011-09-12T01:10:00.006+01:00

Color-blocking has permeated menswear as well in 2011

Look at all sides of a situation instead of focusing on immediate needs while destiny is at work in life.

Scotland, 10/01/1999

My third trip to Edinburgh, 1999

Why all of a sudden people seem to take an interest in and dig out this old blog entry of mine?

And now, English translation added on 7/20/2011!

Autumn is easily my favorite time of the year. My season.

This September, astonished by the magnetic field changes from the inside out. This inexplicable fluctuations not only affect the surrounding, events, interactions, work, individual, words and deeds. Even the sensitivity is getting the invisible strength traction in making sweeping changes. It all leaves me at a loss. With unnamed sorrows. The horoscopes saying my life has entered to a brand new chapter and the love I have longed for is destined to appear. Is it?

秋一直都是我最喜歡的季節我的季節

今年九月份驚覺磁場由外而內地起了莫名的大波動舉凡週遭事務人際工作個人言行甚至感受性受到無形力量的牽引而產生大變化一切陌生得讓我無所適從也更易傷感西洋星座解釋我的人生在此進入另一全新章節並將出現命中注定久違的戀情是嗎?

More eye-catching pictures at,
更多精彩的圖片就在，

Basking in the Deep Fall of Sun 沐浴在深秋陽光

Color-blocking has permeated menswear as well in 2011

At a juncture in life when/where you can always find yourself involved in such a rite of passage.

Day 11: Ha Long Bay Vietnam 越南下龍灣

2011-09-09T01:10:00.001+01:00

4/30/2009, Vietnam

Day 10: Hanoi Vietnam 越南河內

2011-09-02T01:10:00.005+01:00

4/29/2009, Vietnam

Exploring 1,000-year-old Hanoi in three days

This photo was taken by Mason

More eye-catching pictures at,
更多水上木偶戲的精采圖片就在,

Thăng Long Water Puppet

Day 9: Quang Binh Vietnam 越南廣平

2011-08-26T01:10:00.000+01:00

4/28/2009, Vietnam

Phong Nha - Kẻ Bàng National Park

風雅地底鐘乳石洞國家公園

More eye-catching pictures at,
更多精彩的圖片就在,

The World Underneath 1/3 地下河流

The World Underneath 2/3 地下河流

The World Underneath 3/3 地下河流

This photo by Ryan

Day 8: PM Huế Vietnam 越南順化

2011-08-19T01:13:00.000+01:00

4/27/2009, Vietnam

The Truong Tien brigde crossing the Perfume river is a symbol of Hue city

橫跨香江的鐵橋，是順化的地標建築物

Day 8: AM Museum of Cham Sculpture 占婆博物館

2011-08-12T01:10:00.001+01:00

4/27/2009, Vietnam

NHA - DAD

芽莊 - 峴港

Cam Ranh International Airport, it serves the city of Nha Trang, which is 30 km (16 Miles) from the airport

Đà Nẵng Airport

峴港機場

Museum of Cham Sculpture

占婆博物館

No Smoking Zone

2011-08-06T01:22:00.005+01:00

Hooka (Shisha), picture taken at Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai, 2004

I am a nonsmoker. And I hate it when people smoke around me without showing concern.

Cigar shop on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, 1999

I do not hate people because they smoke, I hate their addiction and habits about smoking.
Luckily I do not have to deal with this social norm back in Southern California, never in my circle of friends either.
But in Asia and Europe.

I just got an email early yesterday with this cool picture from London below,

image credit: unknown

Enjoy your weekend, smoking or not!

Beauty of Desert Biome 1/4

2011-08-05T01:18:00.006+01:00

Desert Biome in California, U.S.A.

The desert has very little rainfall, less than 0.79 inches (2 centimeters) per year. It supports little life. The life that is present in the desert has adapted to conserve water. The plants have tough, waxy coatings, such as the cacti, with thick leaves to store water.

More eye-catching pictures at,
更多沙漠植物生態之美的圖片就在,

Beauty of Desert Biome 1/4

Beauty of Desert Biome 2/4

Beauty of Desert Biome 3/4

Beauty of Desert Biome 4/4

Beauty of Desert Biome 2/4

2011-07-29T01:19:00.001+01:00

Desert Biome in California, U.S.A.

More eye-catching pictures at,
更多沙漠植物生態之美的圖片就在,

Beauty of Desert Biome 1/4

Beauty of Desert Biome 2/4

Beauty of Desert Biome 3/4

Beauty of Desert Biome 4/4

Edsa and Makati Shangri-La Hotels Manila

2011-07-22T01:11:00.000+01:00

I had been frequently staying at these hotels whenever I visited Manila for work since 2004. Both Edsa Shangri-La and its sister Makati Shangri-La Hotels.

自從 2004年至今，每當因工作需要造訪馬尼拉時，我多次投宿的幾家飯店之一。包含了愛莎香格里拉以及她的姊妹分店，馬卡迪香格里拉飯店。

Self-Portraits for multiple times at the same Hotels over multiple stays, below.

I just came back from covering nightlife of Manila. It was way past midnight, local time. I was bushed and my eyelids were as heavy as stones. Furthermore, I would have to catch the earliest flight for next country later in the morning. Must check out of the hotel in 3 hours after freshening up, to be exact. Read and weep!

More eye-catching pictures at,
更多精彩的圖片就在,

Makati Shangri-La Hotel 馬卡迪香格里拉飯店

Beauty of Desert Biome 3/4

2011-07-15T01:10:00.001+01:00

Beauty of Desert Biome 4/4

2011-07-08T01:10:00.002+01:00

Desert Biome in California, U.S.A.

In California the desert biome consists of several different plant communities, such as the creosote bush scrub, shadscale scrub, sagebrush scrub, Joshua tree woodland and pinyon-juniper woodland. The local chaparral and coastal sage scrub plant communities surrounding Palomar College are condidered part of an arid desert biome. Some general biology textbooks have added a seventh biome called the "shrubland biome" to encompass these brushy habitats.

More eye-catching pictures at,
更多沙漠植物生態之美的圖片就在,

Beauty of Desert Biome 1/4

Beauty of Desert Biome 2/4

Beauty of Desert Biome 3/4

Beauty of Desert Biome 4/4

Easy like Sunday Morning 假日般的晨起

2011-07-04T08:00:00.001+01:00

6/20/2011

I need coffee to wake me up every morning
All photos by cellphone

Waking up naturally at 6:44 AM. With scents of coffee and coulommiers mingling and chatting in the house. Guten Morgen!

清晨 6:44在自然中酥醒。咖啡和法式古代乳酪的氣味正在房子裡交融與對話中。早安！

Outside the kitchen windows, ruby rays of sunlight cast through the tall trees in the side garden 18 meters away. In front of my study, a new flock (they all have distinctions, sometimes subtle, I can recognize) of birds happily chirping high on the treetops in the front yard.

在廚房窗口之外，紅寶石般的晨光投射在側院18公尺外的高大樹木。在我書房窗外的前院裡，一大群新來（它們的聲音特質很明顯，有時差異稍微妙，我可以辨認出）的鳥在樹梢愉快地高聲唧啾叫。

My favorite Blueberry from Berry Farm, USA

Later in the morning, filled the air of gaily bird songs where once they are filled with cicadas' hoarse rasp penetrating through my firmly shut 46 windows and 2 glass doors of the house. All of nature is singing to me. All of my spirits are picking up in the blissful morning sun with peace and calmness.

上午，原先空氣之中填滿快樂的鳥聲清唱，瞬時被取代，奮力且粗嘎的蟬鳴聲貫穿了房子緊閉的46扇窗櫺與2道玻璃門。整個大自然都在為我高歌。我的情緒被祥和寧靜的幸福晨光給高高地揚起。

You Won't Find Me on Facebook

2011-07-01T09:01:00.007+01:00

6/13/2011

Image du jour by cellphone on 6/13/2011
With the daily self-portrait posted, never have to worry I might vanish in the sea of network world completely

Drift netting is just not my style of social networking.

I find it so off putting receiving numerous automated emails from people asking, inviting me to join social services (especially facebook) and clogging my inbox for years. Most of them are even remote acquaintances. I am getting bombarded with complete strangers, too.

So, you won't find me on facebook.

I, myself would prefer to wait for a better social network that did not feel like a popularity contest, period.

Image du jour at Honda bay, Palawan, Philippines on 8/29/2007

Advantages of not having/using Facebook, and the like:

1. Cut Off Spam

2. Reliable Communication

3. Better Time Management

4. Refrain from Privacy Worry

5. Control over Types of Conversation

6. Keep Higher Risk Malware and Scams at Bay

7. "Who cares that your neighbor’s dog barks?" No More

8. Never Have to Share Your Life like Soap Opera Characters

Recycled 747 Airplane House Completed

2011-06-25T04:31:00.000+01:00

image: studioea.com

Wing House in Malibu, California is a luxurious new home with views of the Malibu mountains, the Pacific Ocean and the islands in the distance.

image: studioea.com

It is a house built from parts of a decommissioned Boeing 747 jet airliner.
Besides the extensive use of reclaimed materials, the Wing House also employs solar power, radiant heating, natural ventilation and high performance heat mirror glazing.

image: studioea.com

Candle Festival in Ubon Ratchathani 烏汶蠟燭節

2011-06-24T09:10:00.001+01:00

Candle Festival Parade in Ubon Ratchathani, Northeast Thailand

烏汶蠟燭節

泰國東北
Don Schumann

每年七月初若你身在烏汶府附近，絕對可考慮進城去參加當地的蠟燭節慶。於此同時地也在泰國全境被熱烈的慶祝著。蠟燭節來臨，即表示佛教齋戒期的開始，每年歷時三個月。為了表達對佛教的崇敬及講求美觀，當僧侶齋戒期間，每個村莊皆刻意妝點它們所供奉給寺廟的蠟燭。由於各村落之間爭相競比，逐漸形成了蠟燭造型的展示與評賽活動。其中又以烏汶府的蠟燭節最為壯觀。

當地居民做出體積龐大、由木頭或泥膏製成的雕塑品，在它們的外層塗上橙黃色的蜂蠟後，便在蠟上或熱熔、或刻蝕、或拼貼出複雜的裝飾圖案。把這些修飾得美侖美奐碩大的蠟燭雕塑品擺覆在台車上，而遊行展覽過整個烏汶府。觀光客應此稱喚它為“烏汶蠟燭節”。待遊行展示之後，蠟成品將被敬獻給各個佛寺。絕大多數的佛寺都會將這些蠟燭持續地點燃，直到守齋期結束為止。

蠟燭節的由來，實與佛教的守夏節有關。守齋期間僧侶須持守閉關、不得外出化緣，信徒們則主動前往供奉乾糧，和以資照明的蠟支燭火，使寺僧得享三個月內不虞匱乏的定靜安然。守夏齋戒正值稻米收割季，不作化緣實可免除對農忙的不便；另則也是農民的體貼想法，以免雨季期間，和尚外出動輒被雨水濺濕衣裳。就在為彼此設想的溫馨裡，燭火夜以繼日地點燃，示意著梵法的通透彰顯。而藉著熠熠明輝，更將信眾們心中的祈願，無遠弗界地傳達到遠方。

若能身臨巨型蠟雕的製作過程，和親見遊行車上造型蠟燭的展示，必將受到泰人對宗教虔誠投入精神的感動與震撼。從蜂蠟上所蝕精緻、細微的鏤刻，在在可看出製者的巧思，和顯出泰人於信仰上所具，那份綿遠深長的情感。

那麼，一如烏汶府子民秉著虔意地駛載百座親手雕琢的巨燭花車，讓懷想和築夢就從踏實的步履，和親製的手筆裡砌起。

Ice Cream Cone 甜筒冰淇淋

2011-06-17T09:10:00.001+01:00

Enjoying ice cream cone at SM Mall of Asia, Manila, Philippines

1904 The ice cream cone is introduced, at the St. Louis World's Fair, Louisiana Purchase Exposition.

An ice cream vendor named Arnold Fornachou runs out of dishes and a Syrian vendor named Abe Doumar (or a Lebanese vendor named Ernest A. Hamwi) seizes the moment to roll a "zalabia"—a sugar waffle—into a cone and comes to his rescue.

Contested. Some sources say the ice cream cone was invented by Italian immigrant Italo Marciony of New York, a pushcart ice cream vendor in New York, in 1896, who also, perhaps, invented the ice cream sandwich by putting a slice of ice cream between waffle squares cut from a sheet.

Other sources say the ice cream cone has its origins in the mists of history, but was first described in Mrs. Marshall's Cookery Book, whose author, Agnes Marshall, published it in London in 1888.

Still others discern a woman licking an ice cream cone in an 1807 picturing fashionable customers eating at the Frascati café in Paris, although this is uncertain because cone-shaped ice cream bowls were not unknown at the time.

據說甜筒冰淇淋是1904年在美國露易西安那州聖路易斯所舉行的國際博覽會中誕生的

有一位冰淇淋攤販商人名叫阿諾德 Fornachou 用盡碟盤因此敘利亞籍的攤販商人 Abe Doumar (或黎巴嫩籍的小販叫俄內斯特 A. Hamwi) 趁機把自己原先販賣的 "zalabia" －一種奶蛋糖烘餅捲成錐狀來承裝冰淇淋球幫臨攤解圍同時也救了自己的業績

抗辯有些來源說冰淇淋在1896年是由一名居住紐約的意大利移民手推車冰淇淋流動商 Italo Marciony 所發明或許首先把冰淇淋夾在切成正方形的奶蛋烘餅之間作成冰淇淋三明治的人也是他

其他來源說歷史上甜筒冰淇淋一詞首度出現在馬歇爾夫人所著作的食譜當中作者艾格尼絲・馬歇爾此書1888年在倫敦出版

另有一說 1807年一名時髦的女性顧客在巴黎的 Frascati café 咖啡館裡盡情舔著一支甜筒冰淇淋然而這項傳言是很不確定的因為在當年從來沒有人聽過圓錐形的甜筒冰淇淋

Hairstyle by J. N.
Makeup by J Y L
Modeling by Kelly
Wardrobe by 黃淑琦
Location at SM Mall of Asia, Manila, Philippines
Styling by J., X. ＆ Xiao Xien
Creation ＆ Photos by Don Schumann

Sprouts Appear to be E. Coli Culprit 豆芽菜才是禍首

2011-06-11T03:02:00.001+01:00

Hessen, Germany

German health officials said they had finally determined the source of the outbreak, which began in early May. Interviews with patients, restaurants and suppliers allowed investigators to whittle their list of suspects down to bean sprouts grown on an organic farm in Lower Saxony, near the village of Bienenbuettel.

德國官方終於證實了污染源頭，此一致命大腸桿菌疫情在五月初爆發。他們是從追查在數家餐廳用餐並染病者都回報吃了豆芽菜，最後找出它們都向同一家有機農場訂貨，最後判定是德國下薩克森邦自產的豆芽菜肇禍。

In the last 15 years, there have been at least 30 disease outbreaks (mostly of salmonella and E. coli) traced back to sprouts in the U.S. None were as severe as the 1996 outbreaks in Japan, in which E. coli sickened about 12,000 people--tainted radish sprouts were the likely cause.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Escherichia coli (commonly abbreviated E. coli; named after Theodor Escherich) is a Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium that is commonly found in the lower intestine of warm-blooded organisms (endotherms). Most E. coli strains are harmless, but some serotypes can cause serious food poisoning in humans, and are occasionally responsible for product recalls. The harmless strains are part of the normal flora of the gut, and can benefit their hosts by producing vitamin K2, and by preventing the establishment of pathogenic bacteria within the intestine.

A battered Germany recovers from E. coli outbreak

Long-Separated Place 暌違已久的地方

2011-06-10T09:07:00.001+01:00

Photo by Cellphone

I look about the house I left 6 months ago, freshly aware of the roomy four-bedroom of a space that for the 18 years of being my Taiwan's home-base (of course, whenever I am not roaming between any hotels or other oversea residences ) I had taken for granted.

我環視著我離開整整6個月的房子，這四臥房的大空間是我18年來 (當然是，每當我不在飯店間 或是他國的旅居住所 漫遊時) 在台灣的棲身之地，它再度鮮明地呈現在眼前；然而，這個家、這個基地，一直被我所理所當然化。

Outside the unattended yard fills with weeds and plants. A couple things are not working. As I straightening the familiar rooms, with strong molten kind of smell, that suddenly seem unfamiliar. It all reminds me how I miss and enjoy this capacious residence. I understand so well that it takes a lot of loving to make a house a home. Pice by pice, I am not actually trying to put back life together here.

At least, serviceable.

Chef at Work with Music On
Photo by Cellphone

And gratefully glad to be able to cook at my own place again. Well, what is for dinner tonight?

1. Green Vegetable
2. Eurasian Soup of five-spice Lamb
3. Chicken Risotto
4. Vanilla Muffin with Grains

Life is a Thorny Path
Desert Biome in California

Oh, my lunch today was Emmental Scrambled Eggs and Tomatoes with Spinach, with Coco Mocha coffee. Tomatoes are from Holland, I hope they are okay. And in fact, I ate and seemed okay so far. In case any of you are interested, also. Homemade wild Blueberry Pancake mix with traditional, old-fashioned Oats (not instant Oatmeal) to wash down with Coffee and Orange Juice (plus, 10% Lemon juice added) early on this morning.

Daily Chef Don
Photo by Cellphone

Hotels in Putrajaya 位於太子城的飯店群

2011-06-03T09:10:00.000+01:00

Putrajaya is a planned city, located south of Kuala Lumpur, that serves as the federal administrative centre of Malaysia.

太子城是一個重新規劃的城市，位在吉隆坡的南方，是馬來西亞聯邦的行政中心。

The word "putra" or "putera" in Malay means "prince", and "jaya" means "success" or "victory". Coincidently, the term "jaya" (जय) also means "victory" in Sanskrit.

“putra” 一詞，或者 “ putera” 在馬來文中為 “太子” 的意思，而 “jaya” 意謂 “成功” 或者 “勝利”。同時在古印度的雅利安族語中，“jaya” (जय) 一詞也意味著 “勝利”。

Airlines Make Billions Charging for Bags, Food, Movies

2011-06-01T07:12:00.000+01:00

Ancillary Revenue reported by airlines grew to €15.11 billion ($21.46 billion) in 2010 and has almost doubled since 2008

The top 10 was dominated by established carriers. United Continental (Continental + United Airlines) led the way followed by Delta, American Airlines, Qantas, US Airways, Ryanair, easyJet, Emirates, Alaska Airlines and TAM Airlines. However, low cost carriers dominated when ancillary revenue was measured as a % of revenue.

Airlines' revenue from fees has doubled since 2008, study finds

Picturesque Village Sapa Vietnam 如詩如畫的越南沙壩

2011-05-30T13:43:00.000+01:00

There is my new airlines' in-flight magazine featured article in ~~June 2010~~ May 2011 issue, with the hidden town in Vietnam's northern highland region, Sapa incisive reportage.

我又為航空公司撰寫了北越南沙壩 ~~2010年六月~~ 2011年五月號機上雜誌
深入偏遠山區的直擊報導

I was so sick and tired when this picture was taken.

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Unforeseen Vietnam 前所未見的越南

I was so sick and tired when this picture was taken.

Fish Feeding or Hunting? 餵魚還是去抓魚？

2011-05-27T09:10:00.002+01:00

El Nido, one of the best dive sites for underwater adventures

Fish feeding or hunting by hands?

用手去餵魚還是去抓魚？

Credit: Lee McFarlin

It is not fake. Grabblin, Grabbling, or Noodling is the age old art of fishing with your hands.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Noodling is fishing for catfish using only bare hands, practiced primarily in the southern United States. Many other names, such as catfisting, grabbling, graveling, hogging, dogging, gurgling, tickling and stumping, are used in different regions for the same activity. Noodling is currently legal in eleven of the fifty United States.

Myth of Turning Muscle into Fat

2011-05-20T09:19:00.000+01:00

Modeling by "188" Rake, location at Bohol Beach

People often worry that once they stop regularly working out, their muscle will become fat. Is this just paranoia or spot-on?

Health Myth: Muscle Turns to Fat if You Stop Working Out

Modeling by "188" Rake, location at Bohol Beach

There is no biological pathway for muscle to "turn into fat". And you can NOT turn fat into muscle, either!

What's Brewing? 北歐美食

2011-05-13T09:01:00.001+01:00

北歐美食

美國加州聖塔巴巴拉
Santa Barbara County, California, USA
Interviewed accounts orally: Don Schumann
Editor: Spencer Shih

(My apologies to all English speakers for posting original published article in Traditional Chinese. Please make good use of your internet translator!)

來到索緬這樣一個以北歐丹麥風情著稱的小鎮，當然不能錯過各式獨特的北歐美食囉！

當然，索緬的大小餐廳也都是不改其悠閒的、浪漫的風格。就像在「正在煮什麼」咖啡館裡，你可以享受到許多特製的小點心：像是鍚蘭肉桂圓麵包、以及風味獨特的北歐三明治。而在「丹麥磨坊榚餅店」裡，你可以找到很多道地的丹麥麵糰、餅乾；這家店裡最特別的是粗製的裸麥黑麵包、中間夾有奶油的丹麥麵糰。不論是什麼時候品嚐，都具有非常獨特的風味。

另外在「丹麥風」裡，你可以嚐到一種少見的北歐式自助餐，以及丹麥人的最愛──紅包心菜，享受這難得一見的美味。北歐式的巧克力，你可沒見過吧？在「英格伯的丹麥巧克力」店裡，你會發現採獨特的古典式丹麥製法，強調採用純天然的材料以手工製造，且絕不含防腐劑及任何添加物，悠悠散發出香甜氣味，最後再以饒富異國風的包裝，這是許多觀光客所必備的伴手禮之一呢！

More eye-catching pictures at,
更多精彩的圖片就在，

To Smell in A Fairytale

Extreme Hair Makeover 超級變髮術

2011-05-06T09:10:00.002+01:00

Modeling by Rake on Bohol island, Philippines

Nice try!

Extreme Hairstyle Tutorial

超級變髮招數教學

Die Brüder Grimm 格林兄弟

2011-04-29T09:16:00.000+01:00

Brüder-Grimm-Straße in Steinau

Jacob Grimm (1785-1863) and his brother Wilhelm (1786-1859) lived here in Steinau -- on what is now called the Brüder-Grimm-Straße -- for five years of their childhood, from 1791 to 1796.

傑克．格林 (1785-1863) 和他的弟弟威廉 (1786-1859) 曾經住在史代瑙這裡 -- 現今被稱呼為格林兄弟大道 -- 在1791年到1796年間度過他們五年的孩童歲月

Jacob and Wilhelm had spent their five wonderful years in Steinau until these idyllic years came to an abrupt end in 1796 when their father died. Their family had to move out of the big house in Steinau, it was an official place of residence eligibility for their father's government job.

傑克和威廉在史代瑙這裡度過了他們美妙的五年直到1796年當他們的父親過世時這段田園歲月突然地終結由於居住地是他們父親為政府工作的一處公家官邸因此他們的家庭必須搬出史代瑙的大房子

For more image walkaround "Childhood home of the Brothers Grimm" at,
更多精彩 “格林兄弟童年住處” 的影像行旅就在,

Steinau Rediscovery 1/2 二度造訪史代瑙

Steinau Rediscovery 2/2 二度造訪史代瑙

Steinau an der Straße 1/4

Steinau an der Straße 2/4

Steinau an der Straße 3/4

Steinau an der Straße 4/4

Deadliest Delicacies You Eat Everyday

2011-04-22T09:10:00.001+01:00

Củ Chi, Vietnam

Some people are really careful about what they eat, try to cut down on fats and sugar to ensure a healthy life, others just don’t care and stuff themselves with all kinds of junk foods. But there’s another type of people, those that gamble with their lives for a rush of adrenalin or for a taste they find irresistible.

Cassava crops are very common in Africa and South America because they have the ability to grow in unfertile soil and withstand long droughts extremely well. They are very hard to find in other parts of the world and are richer in carbohydrates than maize and cereal crops.

They do however have a major flaw, the ability to kill a person. Cassava roots contain cyanogenic glycosides that are converted into hydrogen cyanide by an enzyme called linamarase. This happens when the plant’s cells are ruptured, most often when it is eaten. That’s why Cassava has to be processed very carefully, if consumed raw it can cause death.

Củ Chi, Vietnam

Taiwan's factories founded in Vietnam collecting Cassava to make M.S.G.
Bubble tea with pearls is a more accurate description of the Taiwanese shaken/stirred/whipped tea containing tapioca pearls. Pearl milk tea (of which "bubble tea with pearls" is a subset), also known as "boba milk tea", can refer to any milk tea commonly used, such as Hong Kong-style milk tea, combined with tapioca.

In Europe, it is called Tapioca, basically a root starch derived from the cassava, or yuca plant. Tapioca Chips is one of the popular snacks available to the street vendors over all especially in UK, which is made from Cassava, too.
Tapioca pudding (similar to sago pudding) is a sweet pudding made with tapioca and either milk, or for lactose intolerant individuals, coconut milk.

You are on TV 你上電視了

2011-04-15T09:10:00.002+01:00

A vacation home in the Anza-Borrego Desert, United States

Hey Look!

You are on TV

(Chinese and English subtitled)

趕快看！

你上電視了

and speaking of Discovery Channel...

既然已經提到了探索電視頻道...

Filming locations in Paris (including the Place de l'Estrapade, Avenue de Saxe, and Champ de Mars), and the Eiffel Tower.

Race Queen 賽車皇后

2011-04-08T09:10:00.002+01:00

Akane Souma in Subic Bay

相馬茜在蘇比克灣

"Race queen" (レースクイーン, rēsu kuīn) is a Japanese term for a type of promotional model found as part of a pit crew in certain kinds of motor racing, such as F1 races, but is mostly banned in the United States due to the reasons of being associated with sexism. Just like as Miss Akane Souma did in Japan. The equivalent British term is "Pit babe". Or, "Grid girl" in Europe.

“賽車皇后” (レースクイーン， rēsu kuīn) 是日本專業術語被用來稱呼在汽車競賽中例如F1賽車之類會出現在維護坑道中與組員在一起的亮麗宣傳模特兒但是在美國會被取締禁止其主要的原因是形象跟性別歧視有直接關係如同相馬茜小姐之前在日本的工作就是一名賽車皇后一詞也等同於英國的 “Pit babe” 或者是在歐洲大陸咸稱 “Grid girl”

Model by Akane Souma
Styling by T.
Makeup Assistants by E.
Makeup ＆ Hairstyle by Model
Lighting ＆ Setup by Assistants E. ＆ Sam L.
Chief Makeup, Creation ＆ Photos by Don Schumann

More eye-catching pictures at,
更多精彩的圖片就在,

Rally Racing in Subic Bay 1/2 蘇比克灣賽事

 Rally Racing in Subic Bay 2/2 蘇比克灣賽事

Marketing Slogan Translation Fails

2011-04-01T09:10:00.002+01:00

Got Milk?
(Photo, Makeup ＆ Style by Don Schumann. Modeling by Mindy.)

Sometimes it’s just better to leave it alone. Here is the Worst Marketing Slogan Translations.

1. The Dairy Association’s huge success with the campaign “Got Milk?” prompted them to expand advertising to Mexico. It was soon brought to their attention the Spanish translation read “Are you lactating?”

2. Coors put its slogan, “Turn It Loose,” into Spanish, where it was read as “Suffer From Diarrhea.”

3. Scandinavian vacuum manufacturer Electrolux used the following in an American campaign: “Nothing sucks like an Electrolux.”

4. Clairol introduced the “Mist Stick,” a curling iron, into Germany only to find out that “mist” is slang for manure. Not too many people had use for the “Manure Stick.”

5. When Gerber started selling baby food in Africa, they used the same packaging as in the US, with the smiling baby on the label. Later they learned that in Africa, companies routinely put pictures on the labels of what’s inside, since many people can’t read.

6. Colgate introduced a toothpaste in France called Cue, the name of a notorious porno magazine.

7. An American T-shirt maker in Miami printed shirts for the Spanish market which promoted the Pope’s visit. Instead of “I saw the Pope” (el Papa), the shirts read “I Saw the Potato” (la papa).

8. Pepsi’s “Come Alive With the Pepsi Generation” translated into “Pepsi Brings Your Ancestors Back From the Grave” in Chinese.

9. The Coca-Cola name in China was first read as “Kekoukela”, meaning “Bite the wax tadpole” or “female horse stuffed with wax”, depending on the dialect. Coke then researched 40,000 characters to find a phonetic equivalent “kokou kole”, translating into “happiness in the mouth.”

10. When Parker Pen marketed a ball-point pen in Mexico, its ads were supposed to have read, “It won’t leak in your pocket and embarrass you.” The company thought that the word “embarazar” (to impregnate) meant to embarrass, so the ad read: “It won’t leak in your pocket and make you pregnant!”

11. When American Airlines wanted to advertise its new leather first class seats in the Mexican market, it translated its “Fly In Leather” campaign literally, which meant “Fly Naked” (vuela en cuero) in Spanish!

延伸閱讀,
You might enjoy the following posts,

Freaking Good Stuff 精彩到爆

How to Feed 100 Dogs at Once 如何同時搞定一百條狗的晚餐

2011-03-25T08:11:00.000Z

Owen at Winter House basking in the desert sunlight

Stay... stay... OK!

等一等… 再等一等… 開動！

The last time I visited Loire valley, France was in 1998 with a Spanish/German friend. But we missed out on checking into this spot.

我前一次與一位西班牙裔德國籍的朋友造訪法國羅瓦爾山谷但我們錯過了這個景點那已經是在1998年的事了

French dog handler at Château de Cheverny (located at Cheverny, in the département of Loir-et-Cher in the Loire valley in France) feeds a large, well disciplined group of hunting dogs. They keep a pack of 100 hunting dogs there, and feed them every evening at 5 P.M. When the dog keeper gives the signal that it's time to eat (they won't touch it until he gives the OK), they go absolutely nuts! The pack goes on hunts almost daily, they're fed twice daily, the evening feeding being the spectacle, and the 4 trainers on staff work fulltime to care for these dogs.

Oldest Geological Formation in Taipei

2011-03-18T08:04:00.000Z

Taipei oldest geological formation - Mt. WuZhi (Five Fingers)

台北最古老的地層五指山

Guizikeng (Beitou) Water and Soil Conservation Education Park has an area of about 5 hectares including geographical and geological points of interest as well as biological features.

Beitou (traditional Chinese: 北投區; is the northernmost of the twelve districts of Taipei City, Taiwan. The historical spelling of the district is Peitou. The name originates from the Ketagalan word Kipatauw, meaning witch) is the most mountainous and highest of Taipei's districts situated at the tail end of Yangmingshan National Park.

All photos taken by cell phone camera

Japan Quake Aftermath 日本地震災情

2011-03-14T07:39:00.000Z

Aerial photos taken over Japan have revealed the scale of devastation

航空圖片揭露了日本遭受地牛重創的程度

via: ABC News
Japan Earthquake: before and after

Steinau Rediscovery 1/2 二度造訪史代瑙

2011-03-11T09:10:00.001Z

This friendliest resident in Steinau turns out to be a French!

我在史代瑙碰到的這位最友善的居民居然是法國人在本地僑居！

延伸閱讀,
You might enjoy the following posts,

Die Brüder Grimm 格林兄弟

For more image walkaround "Childhood home of the Brothers Grimm" at,
更多精彩 “格林兄弟童年住處” 的影像行旅就在,

Steinau Rediscovery 1/2 二度造訪史代瑙

Steinau Rediscovery 2/2 二度造訪史代瑙

Steinau an der Straße 1/4 通商大道上的史代瑙

Steinau an der Straße 2/4 通商大道上的史代瑙

 Steinau an der Straße 3/4 通商大道上的史代瑙

 Steinau an der Straße 4/4 通商大道上的史代瑙

Steinau Rediscovery 2/2 二度造訪史代瑙

2011-03-04T09:10:00.000Z

My first German breakfast at the Gasthaus Weißes Roß. Why is German bread so tasty?

我在白馬驛站的第一頓德式早餐為什麼德國麵包會這麼好吃呢？

延伸閱讀,
You might enjoy the following posts,

Die Brüder Grimm 格林兄弟

For more image walkaround "Childhood home of the Brothers Grimm" at,
更多精彩 “格林兄弟童年住處” 的影像行旅就在,

Steinau Rediscovery 1/2 二度造訪史代瑙

Steinau Rediscovery 2/2 二度造訪史代瑙

Steinau an der Straße 1/4 通商大道上的史代瑙

Steinau an der Straße 2/4 通商大道上的史代瑙

 Steinau an der Straße 3/4 通商大道上的史代瑙

 Steinau an der Straße 4/4 通商大道上的史代瑙

Ticket 車票

2011-02-25T13:04:00.000Z

My "Ashahikawa-Sapporo" ticket in Japan

我的“旭川－札幌”車票日本

Ticket (Day Trip)

You must have heard of the place that has all of our hearts' desires once we reach it
Our happiness and dreams, all that we've been waiting for, will wait for us at the destination
And only a single ticket is needed for multiple trips
But no one has ever returned to tell me anything about it

So I wonder if it's real, I want to see it for myself
Even if it's by foot, I'm willing to go if there will be something upon arrival
No matter what's the cost i must pay to get the ticket, I will
And so I paid with everything I had just for someone to return it all back to me and say

This ticket is not for me even though it is sold to all
It's just that this train does not have a place for me, so I can't get on it
This ticket is not for me even though it is sold to all
It's just that this train does not have a place for me, so I can't get on it

Like I said before, I'm dedicated and will travel anywhere it takes
No matter the fatigue, the heat, or the cold, I'm not afraid
With a proud heart I will endure it all and within a short while the destination will be near
So I struggle on to reach that destination that is disappearing

It's probably is not real, a destination like that for someone like me
The ticket that everyone has, probably does not exist for someone like me
And so I turn back to the way that I came from, and there I saw someone looking at me
When I walked back, I saw that it was the same person that told me repeatedly, stressing that

This ticket is not for me even though it is sold to all
It's just that this train does not have a place for me, so I can't get on it
This ticket is not for me even though it is sold to all
It's just that this train does not have a place for me, so I can't get on it

This ticket is not for me even though it is sold to all
It's just that this train does not have a place for me, so I can't get on it
This ticket is not for me even though it is sold to all
It's just that this train does not have a place for me, so I can't get on it

車票 (晝途)

傳說中有個地方在那裡能擁有一切
渴望的快樂與夢想都在終點等著你
僅需一張車票就能來回往返
但從沒人回來過告訴我那裡的樣子

所以我懷疑這不是真的想親自去看看
只要確有此處就算步行千里我心甘情願
無論這張車票再貴也不惜一切
於是付出了我的所有
卻被退了回來他們還說…

這張車票不能賣給我儘管它向每一個人出售
但這班車沒有我的座位我早已失去旅行的權利

這張車票不能賣給我儘管它向每一個人出售
但這班車沒有我的座位我早已失去旅行的權利

如同我說過我決意追隨他的方向前去
即使疲累炎熱寒冷也不怕我心甘情願
走了沒多久還彷彿見到終點就在不遠處
但當我竭盡氣力到達那地方卻消失不見

或許像我這種人本來就沒有美好的結局
人人都能擁有的車票也一樣不屬於我
所以我轉身折返卻見有人在起點張望
回到原點就看到他
他反覆地對我說著…

這張車票不能賣給我儘管它向每一個人出售
但這班車沒有我的座位我早已失去旅行的權利

這張車票不能賣給我儘管它向每一個人出售
但這班車沒有我的座位我早已失去旅行的權利

這張車票不能賣給我儘管它向每一個人出售
(坐在這裡看著這條鐵路從未看見有人歸來)
但這班車沒有我的座位我早已失去旅行的權利
(想念著離開我的那個人與那些一去不返的日子)
這張車票不能賣給我儘管它向每一個人出售
(如果能坐上這班列車或許我也不會回來 )
但這班車沒有我的座位我早已失去旅行的權利
(多想搭上這班列車然後...)

Tourist Ship Sinks on Ha Long Bay 下龍灣遊船沈沒

2011-02-22T08:57:00.000Z

Quang Ninh Province’s police on February 20 arrested the captain and chief mechanic of the sunken (overnight) tourist boat that killed 12 tourists on February 17 at 5 A.M.

廣寧省的警察在2月20日拘捕了 (過夜)遊船的船長和技工兩人涉嫌在2月17日清晨5點沈船事件中造成12名旅客死亡

The Truong Hai, one of about 100 small ships that offer tours of Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay, sunk on Feb. 17 at 5 A.M. Vietnamese time, killing 12 people, two from the United States. The boat sank while passengers were sleeping. Early reports suggest that there were 27 people aboard. Among the dead are tourists from countries such as Britain, Australia, Sweden, Japan and the two from the United States.

According to Nguoi Lao Dong (Laborers) Newspaper, police on February 20 arrested captain Nguyen Van Minh, 22, and chief mechanic Do Van Thang, 27 of Truong Hai boat for investigation.

This incident follows a 2009 sinking that cost the lives of five passengers and the 2006 storm that capsized many boats, killing 13 people, though no tourists were among the dead. In 2002, two boats were capsized killing several.

Life in Anza-Borrego Desert 在安紮玻銳芶沙漠生活

2011-02-18T09:10:00.000Z

The unbelievable desert views right outside of the kitchen window, super cool!
令人難以置信的沙漠景觀就在廚房的大窗之外超贊的！

The drive to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is spectacular. The scenery ranges from rolling, pastoral landscapes to endless bird's-eye vistas from precarious dead-man's curves.

Anza-Borrego Desert
安紮玻銳芶沙漠

More eye-catching pictures at,
更多精彩的圖片就在,

Anza-Borrego Desert 1/2 安紮玻銳芶沙漠

Anza-Borrego Desert 2/2 安紮玻銳芶沙漠

People in Desert Winter House 住在沙漠裡冬季別墅的人們

First Gay Cruise in Latin America 拉丁美洲第一艘同性戀郵輪

2011-02-15T05:58:00.000Z

image: ego54.com

Latin America's first official gay cruise will leave the port of Buenos Aires next month for two cities in Uruguay.

拉丁美洲史上第一艘同性戀渡假郵輪下個月從布宜諾斯艾利斯港口出巡航向烏拉圭的二個城市

EGO Gay Cruise will depart from the city of Buenos Aires and during its voyage will do stops at two of the main cities of Uruguay, Montevideo and Punta del Este, as part of it itinerary. EGO Gay Cruise will not be the first Gay Cruise to come to Argentina, since ATLANTIS Cruises has been a pioneer into this route in the past linking Buenos Aires with Rio de Janeiro for 2 consecutive years. But indeed EGO Gay Cruise will be the first Argentinean flagged gay cruise to sail away.

The modern cruise ship is 220 meters (722 feet) long and features 1,000 rooms with a capacity for 2000 guests on board, seven bars, four restaurants, a casino, a discotheque and four swimming pools.

Panning and Frazil Occurence

2011-02-11T09:10:00.000Z

Photo by Brook Tyler

Fascinating facts. Look closely and you can see the currents around it causing it to spin slowly in a certain direction!

Strange Ice Circle

Mysterious Ice Circles, Stowe Vermont

Eisscheibe beim Kunsthof Pösling

Rotierende Scheibe aus Eis in der Kalten bei Pösling.
Large rotating ice disc in a small river in Germany, 1/18/2009.

Ice Circle in Cinnamon Creek on 2/06/2009

Ice Circle-Oregon

This video is of an ice circle that is floating in the middle of the Winberry river in Oregon. This perfect circle of ice is approximately 24 feet in diameter. If you look closely at the video, you will see that as the water runs by on both sides, the ice circle is slowly spinning in a counter clockwise direction. This video was taken on 12/11/2009.

Bizarre Creek Circle

On December 13th, 2008, This "creek circle" appeared in Rattray Marsh, Mississauga, Ontario.

Elverhøj 森林女精靈

2011-02-04T09:15:00.001Z

埃弗后依博物館文化的見證

美國加州聖塔巴巴拉
Santa Barbara County, California, USA
Interviewed accounts orally: Don Schumann
Editor: Spencer Shih

(My apologies to all English speakers for posting original published article in Traditional Chinese. Please make good use of your internet translator!)

位在埃弗后依街上有一座記錄索緬歷史的埃弗后依博物館，是全球少數在丹麥以外的地方宣揚丹麥文化的博物館之一。由於它的外觀與其他的丹麥式建築並無兩樣，因此對索緬不熟悉的遊客還可能會錯過它！

埃弗后依這個字是來自於一部完成於西元1828年的丹麥民俗劇，描寫一位國王與在深夜裡翩翩飛舞的森林女精靈間的故事。維格．布蘭特艾瑞森是這棟建築的催生者，他以日德蘭半島十八世紀的農莊為藍本，建造了心中理想的家園。

不論是誰，在第一次踏進埃弗后依博物館前，都會被它那大門上精雕細琢的雕畫所吸引，那就是埃弗后依劇中的場景。館內依索緬不同的發展時期區分為數個不同的展示區。所有一切索緬早期拓荒者所使用的器具，以及一些難得一見的手寫稿、畫作等，都會在這裡看到，來過一趟，就像是再度參與了索緬的開墾一樣。

另一個所有人都不容錯過的是安徒生博物館，它是位於米迅道上的「書樓咖啡屋」二樓。安徒生可謂是世界上最偉大的童話故事作者之一。安徒生的故事大多來自於實際的生活，我們所熟知的有醜小鴨、賣火柴的小女孩、豌豆上的公主等，然而他的作品卻不只有童話故事，還包括了詩集和小說。

索緬的安徒生博物館內蒐收了相當大量與安徒生有關的記錄，包括眾多他的著作、手稿、照片，以及寫給友人的信件。進到了這裡，就好像來到了童話的國度一般，勾起了許多人兒時的依稀回憶，回憶起非要吵著媽媽說完童話故事才肯乖乖睡覺的孩提時期。親自走一趟安徒生博物館，滿足童年的幻想與驚奇。

More eye-catching pictures at,
更多精彩的圖片就在，

To Feel in A Fairytale

Q&A: 8, 18, 28, 38 and 48

2011-01-28T09:10:00.000Z

Sonya's Garden, Tagaytay

Question:

"What's the difference between women at ages of 8, 18, 28, 38 and 48？"
「女人在8、18、28、38和48歲時有啥不同？」

Answers:

8．You take her to bed and tell her a story;
8歲時，你帶他上床並講個故事哄她睡覺；

18．You tell her a story and take her to bed;
到了18歲，你要編個故事把她騙上床睡覺；

28．You don't need to tell her any story and take her to bed;
28歲時，你啥都不用說只要直接和她上床就好了；

38．She tells you a story and takes you to bed;
38歲時，她會編個故事要你跟她上床；

48．You tell her a story to avoid going to bed.
48歲時，你會編個故事以避免和她上床。

Thailand Closes Dive Sites 泰國關閉潛場

2011-01-24T05:10:00.001Z

Thailand declined to say how many diving spots would be closed or how extensive the damage was to the reefs.

泰國官方拒絕透露關閉潛場的正確數目與珊瑚礁受損的嚴重程度

More than 80 percent of southern Thailand's 15,000 hectares of the corals at 18 dive sites have undergone bleaching, a symptom of severe stress caused by excessively warm water temperatures. Corals can recover from bleaching, but if the stress is too acute, they die.

Samgetang 蔘雞湯

2011-01-21T09:11:00.001Z

Samgetang feast in Pusan, South Korea

到韓國不可錯過的風味餐之一

蔘雞湯

南韓採訪
Don Schumann

秋意正濃，現在可以為將要來臨的冬季，準備做一個身體的滋補。為您介紹最受歡迎的韓式蔘雞湯，韓國除了有好吃的朝鮮泡菜和韓國烤肉等等之外，可別忘了高麗人蔘也是世界上出了名的，在漢城許多的餐館之中幾乎都可以見到蔘雞湯這道美食，您來到韓國不仿吃一道蔘雞湯，讓您全身有著一股洋洋的暖意，驅趕混身的寒意。蔘雞湯是一種傳統的食補，可改善虛寒的體質，滋補養身，是這個季節最好的一道佳餚。

令人贊不絕口的蔘雞湯
韓國的土地資源豐富，除了有新鮮豐富的漁業資源，廣闊的原野上還有許多的農牧業，也因為韓國半島這個區域的氣候使韓國有著優秀的先天環境，才能產出最好的高麗蔘。

在揮汗如雨的大熱天裡，您一定容易感到食慾不佳，看到什麼東西都沒胃口。在韓國有種使人恢復活力的特殊傳統食療，而這就是韓國的蔘雞湯，不管是在一年四季中的任何時候都合適的一道餐桌上的佳餚，這也和中國人講究食補的概念不謀而合，蔘雞湯不僅美味可口外更具有豐富的營養價值，對正在發育的小朋友也有很大的幫助。參雞湯是從古自今就是一道補充精力的佳餚，這道令人垂涎的蔘雞湯正是大韓民族飲食文化的智慧結晶。

韓國的夏天是相當炎熱，年中的最熱時節稱三伏，夏至後的第三個庚日（西曆7月12日庚~7月22日庚）為初伏、第四個庚日為中伏，立秋後的第一個庚日為末伏。這段時間最熱，通稱“三伏”，這時的熱天稱“三伏熱”。因為炎夏常使人食慾不振，元氣受損，為了補充體力，在古代的皇宮為了使官員們涼快些就從冰庫中分發冰塊消暑；在民間就以蔘雞湯和狗肉湯來補充消耗的元氣。人蔘有很多的療效，對於憂鬱症、心虛、高血壓、動脈硬化、貧血症、糖尿病、潰瘍、中暑中風等有療效，人蔘之前也是在國內相當好的抗癌食品，《神農本草經》把它列為上品，此道補品營養豐富，是炎夏的高級涼性補品，適於容易上火的夏季食用。

選擇一隻春雞，生長還不到兩百二十二天的雞最為恰當，因為那時候雞肉較柔嫩營養也較為豐富。腹中塞入高麗人蔘、糯米、棗子、大蒜以燉煮的方法，使全部的精華留在盅中，一股人參的清香撲鼻而來，不管是鮮嫩多汁吸收精華的雞肉，還是鮮味可口的湯頭都叫人垂涎三尺，吃在口中的滋味那更是無話可說，被大火燉到香滑柔嫩的雞肉和帶有QQ的黏滑集聚糯米精華的湯頭，吃完後口齒中留著人參淡淡的香味，身體也暖和起來，特別是在這微涼的季節裡吃起來，不僅可以滿足您的口腹之慾，也達到滋補養身的療效，可以說是一舉兩得，吃過您一定還會想再吃一次，這蔘雞湯在韓國一年四季中可都是賣的強強滾！當然更是受到老饕食客一致性的好評。

試著自己DIY動手做蔘雞湯

準備材料：1. 全雞一隻(約450公克） 2. 糯米1/5 杯 3. 人蔘一枝（約30公克） 4. 紅棗（去核）六粒 5. 薑二片 6. 鹽一茶匙 7.食鹽、胡椒粉若干。

第一步：切開雞的腹腔，然後取出雞腹腔內的內臟，以清水洗滌乾淨腹腔內的殘餘物。

第二步：準備好食材，以冷水浸泡好糯米，在剝好人蔘、栗子、大蒜的皮，加以清洗乾淨。

第三步：將糯米、栗子和大蒜放入雞的腹腔中，然後用細線將開口緊密的封住。

第四步：把這些材料用好後放入盅中以大火悶煮約五至六小時。

第五步：增加棗子和人蔘到沸騰的湯中，直到湯頭呈現乳白色就可食用。

Capsule Hotel in Shanghai 上海膠囊旅館

2011-01-16T04:42:00.000Z

image: theage.com.au

China's first capsule hotel to open in Shanghai on 1/15/2010.

中國第一家膠囊旅館訂於2010年1月15日在上海開幕

Total of 68 beds housed in rows of capsule-sized rooms. China has followed Japan's lead in the capsule hotel market, targeting budget-conscious travelers in the country's glitzy commercial capital.

飯店裡的客房總共安置了68張膠囊大小的床位在商業資金誘人的光環下中國在太空艙旅館市場上追隨著日本的腳步把瞄頭對準預算緊促的旅行者

Analyze That 分析

2011-01-14T09:11:00.000Z

Baguio, Philippines

Lurch across a rickety bamboo bridge.

為了方便讓心中擷取腦裡所不知道的某一信息
必須使向來沸沸揚揚的快速思惟運作安靜地轉動
聆聽心意並讓真實的感覺自我傳達
而不再只是選用客觀邏輯分析情況

我如是告訴自己

一定要這樣嗎？

Hoi An, Vietnam

Up or Down?

FD Suspends BKK-TPE Flights 亞航停飛台北-曼谷

2011-01-11T04:18:00.000Z

AirAsia suspends Bangkok-Taipei flights

亞洲航空臺北-曼谷航線暫停運營

AirAsia would like to inform all guests and partners that flight FD3656 from Bangkok-Taipei and flight FD3657 from Taipei-Bangkok will be suspended indefinitely effective 27 March 2011.

AirAsia 由曼谷飛臺北的FD3656航班由臺北飛曼谷的FD3657航班將於2011年3月27日起無限期暫停運營。

Motor+Hotel 汽車旅館

2011-01-07T09:17:00.000Z

Unusual hotel in Stuttgart, Germany

As the United States highway system began to develop in the 1920s, led to the growth of the motel concept. The word motel, a portmanteau of motor and hotel or motorists' hotel.

美國高速公路系统在20年代開始建立帶動汽車旅館概念的成長汽車旅館一詞來自汽車和旅館或者駕駛人旅館所合成的新名詞

All images: v8hotel.de

Camden High Street Inflight Magazine Layout 肯頓大街航空雜誌版面

2011-01-01T09:20:00.000Z

This featured story of Camden Town, London is my latest article for an international in-flight magazine appealing in Spring 2011 issue.

這一篇介紹倫敦肯頓鎮高街的文章是我為一家國際航空雜誌撰寫2011春季的最新力作

More eye-catching pictures at,
更多精彩的圖片就在,

Camden Town, London

1963 Vintage Video Feeds 民國52年的珍貴影像記錄

2010-12-31T09:16:00.000Z

Happy Birthday to Me!

Classic Taiwanese breakfast of the 1960s

Northern Taiwan through the eyes of an American Soldier, 1963!

民國52年在美國駐軍眼中的北台灣！

Taiwan Free China 1963 events 1

Taiwan Free China 1963 events 2

Taiwan Free China 1963 events 3

Above all 3 valuable video clips uploaded by larkelley

More eye-catching pictures at,
更多精彩的圖片就在,

Stir Frying 大火快炒

Dan Zai Noodles 擔仔麵

Cuisines in Taiwan 台灣料理

Traditional Taiwanese Food 傳統台灣美食

Authentic Taiwanese Breakfast 道地的台灣式早餐

Popular Food Culture in Taiwan 盛行的台式餐飲文化

Christmas iCarol Medley 愛耶誕組曲

2010-12-30T01:22:00.000Z

iCarol

"Carol of the Bells", "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" and "Feliz Navidad" performed by iPhone and iPad at North Point Community Church.

愛耶誕組曲

由 iPhone 和 iPad 聯手在教堂演奏的 "Carol of the Bells"、"Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" 與 "Feliz Navidad"

Winter House Holidays over Christmas

2010-12-24T09:11:00.001Z

Finny and I, photographed by Wong-Smith

I was driving with my muscle Mustang fully loaded and ready to go to Anza-Borrego Desert from Los Angeles. As expected, I hit the peak of holiday traffic as soon as I took I-10 east. Because it is Christmas Eve today.

Merry Christmas!

Finny and I, photographed by Wong-Smith

More eye-catching pictures at,

Anza-Borrego Desert 1/2

Anza-Borrego Desert 2/2

People in Desert Winter House

Where Flight Attendant Rest 空服員睡覺的地方

2010-12-17T09:11:00.001Z

Bedside lamps at the luxury suite of Pan Pacific

For those wondering where flight attendants and pilots rest during their crew rest.

本文獻給所有對空服員與飛行器駕駛睡覺的地方感到好奇的人

Boeing 747-400

(unless otherwise stated, all image credits unknown)

Boeing 747-400

KLM Airline

Airbus A340

Canada Airline

Singapore Airline

SQ-with in-flight TV and telecommunications

Want more?

還不過癮嗎？

Boeing 777

Photo Credit: Boeing Photo

Boeing 777 overhead pilot crew rest compartment

Photo Credit: Boeing Photo

Airbus A380 crew bunks Singapore Airlines

More?

還要？

What about this one here?

這個如何？

Beitou Winter Hike

2010-12-12T10:01:00.000Z

Peitou (北投, also written as Beitou) District is in the northern outskirts of Taipei, Taiwan, on the southwestern flank of the Yangmingshan (陽明山, also called Caoshan (草山, Grass Mountain) during Japanese occupation of Taiwan, because it was covered with grass and seldom visited) National Park/Volcano.

Geothermal outburst

Geothermal

My hiking route today:

QuanYuan (泉源, Springhead) Road - DongSheng (東昇, East Rising) Road - DengShan (登山, Mountaineering) Road - QuanYuan Industry (泉源產業, Springhead) Road - XiyYuan (西園, West Garden) Street - CuiYun (翠雲, Jade Cloud) Street - ZhuHai (珠海, Pearl Sea) Road - QuanYuan (泉源, Springhead) Road

All photos by cell phone

Warmth 溫暖

2010-12-10T09:10:00.000Z

Camp John Hay Manor Baguio

TBWA Brussels

It took a month of preparation, 4 days and night shoot, with a professional crew of over 40 men, shot live and in stopmotion with 4 different cameras to achieve this film through visualizing the warmth of natural gas by wool.

一個月的前置準備花了四天四夜拍攝動用超越40名專業人仕同時以4臺不同相機做定格攝影試圖藉著毛線來傳達天然瓦斯帶給人們溫暖的形象廣告

Behind the Scenes

越南河粉的故鄉 - 報紙版型 Phở - Newspaper Layout

2010-12-06T09:13:00.004Z

My first ever Phở bowl in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

這個報紙版型是我最新發表的 "越南飲食－ Phở 的故鄉" 做為耶誕新年的異國飲食文化圖文報導

Here you see is my latest featured article of Vietnam Treasured Phở called "Dining in Vietnam" for the Christmas/New Year Special in a major newspaper.

Scanned Newspaper Clippings by Burt
Scanned files Post Processed by Don Schumann

延伸閱讀,
You might enjoy the following posts,

Vietnamese Food in Translation

Dining in Vietnam 吃在越南

More eye-catching pictures at,
更多精彩的圖片就在,

Homeland of Phở 越南河粉的故鄉

Oldest and Most Mysterious Tarsier 最古老的神奇小精靈

2010-12-03T09:10:00.000Z

2/17/06

Don's photo by (entertainment broker) Ruby

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tarsiers (Tarsius) are nocturnal creatures, being active and looking for food during the night, and preying mainly on insects. They are tiny animals, measuring about four to six inches in height. Their small size makes them difficult to discover. During the day, tarsiers sleep in dark hollows close to the ground. Their natural habitat is the tropical rainforest with dense vegetation and trees.

Tarsiers have round heads that can be rotated 180 degrees, with large membranous ears that appear to be almost constantly moving. They have uniquely large goggling eyes (disproportionate to their heads and body), listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest eyes on a mammal. They use their thin tail about twice their body length to balance themselves. They habitually cling vertically to trees and are capable of leaping from branch to branch. The thick and silky fur is colored gray to dark brown. Their hind limbs are elongated and have disklike pads on the fingertips that help them cling easily to trees.

Don's photo by (entertainment broker) Ruby

More eye-catching pictures I shot in Sabah and Bohol,
更多分別在沙巴和薄荷島拍攝的精彩圖片,

Big-Eyed Tarsiers 大眼小精靈

Stadt Steinau 史代瑙

2010-12-02T02:15:00.000Z

Gasthaus Weißes Roß, Germany

我的攝影歷程兼容了旅遊與探索
其中最新一則提供給國際線航空雜誌的個人遊歷記錄 2010年12月號：史代瑙格林兄弟的故鄉

My photography is a mixture of travel and exploration.
One of my latest articles for an international in-flight magazine December 2010: Stadt Steinau - Hometown to the Brothers Grimm.

Der Kumpen

Photos by Don Schumann
Article by Don Schumann
Locations in Steinau and Hanau, Germany

Winter Ranch Home Christmas Lights 冬季田園耶誕燈光秀

2010-11-26T09:10:00.001Z

It is Black Friday 2010!

Snow covered Ranch home in the United States. A perfect addition to announce the coming of Christmas.

積雪的美國大農場家宅為即將到來的聖誕新年增添了更完美的宣告儀式

Localized Fast Food 地方化的快餐

2010-11-19T09:06:00.000Z

Asia is the fastest-growing market for American fast food

American fast food chains are trying to come up with fusion dishes to woo local palates.

美國快餐跨國連鎖店積極地推出文化混搭餐點來迎合當地的胃口

Here's some of what Americans may be missing:

Cordon Bleu Burger (McDonald’s Poland)

Burger topped with ham-stuffed fried chicken patty and bacon.

Shrimp ＆ Chicken Sandwich (KFC, China)

Fried chicken patty stuffed with shrimp.

Golden Fortune (Pizza Hut, Japan)

Shrimp, crab stick, fish, pineapple, lime and cheesy dough bite pizza.

Das Nürnburger (McDonald’s, Germany)

Triple bratwurst sandwich.

Egg Tarts (KFC, China ＆ Taiwan)

Pastry cups filled with egg custard.

Mega Tomago (McDonald’s, Japan)

Double Big Mac with with an egg patty and bacon.

McLobster Roll (McDonald’s, Canada)

Lobster salad on a roll. (Also available in Maine, America)

McArabia (McDonald’s, Morocco)

Two grilled Kofta patties, tahini sauce, lettuce, tomatoes and onions. Wrapped in Arabic bread.

Tender Beef Pentagon (KFC, China)

Tortilla filled with Schezuan beef, tortilla chips, lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise.

Cheese Catsu Burger (McDonald’s, Japan)

Fried pork filled with cheese, served with tonkatsu sauce.

Chicken Buriyani (KFC, Sri Lanka)

Fried chicken, buriyani (briyani) rice and curry gravy.

Camembert Premiere (McDonald’s, France)

Fried French cheese nuggets.

Nacho Whopper (Burger King, Netherlands)

Whopper with nacho chips, jalapenos and Mexican sauce.

Septuple Whopper (Burger King, Japan)

Seven patty Whopper, released in conjunction with Windows 7.

The list remains open, I hope you enjoyed it!

All photos (except the top photo) from internet, credits unknown

延伸閱讀,
You might enjoy the following posts,

Jollibee of Hong Kong (1988) 1/2 香港小蜜蜂快餐

 Jollibee of Philippines 2/2 菲律賓小蜜蜂快餐

Stay in a Test Run Hotel Again 又是住在一家尚未正式營運的飯店

2010-11-12T09:10:00.001Z

I was so excited to check in to this hotel. Aside from a test run, all the rooms were suites!

我很興奮地登記入住這一家飯店不僅僅是因為尚未對外開幕營運的關係而且每個房間都是大套房！

Our photo crew of 20 something members checked in this four star hotel months before its grand opening in October 2003 by the then Prime Minister of Malaysia. (Note: this hotel was not our photographic subject in Malaysia though!)

我們的攝影組員一共有二十多人在這家四星級旅館於2003年10月由當時馬來西亞該國的總理主持下盛大開幕式的幾個月之前我們登記入住了這家還沒開放的飯店 (註記：這家旅館並不是我們飛往馬來西亞所要拍攝的攝影目標!)

Behind the scenes story,
幕後花絮,

I am Far 遠走他鄉

Stay in a Test Run Hotel Again 又是住在一家尚未正式營運的飯店

More eye-catching pictures at,
更多精彩的圖片就在,

Berjaya Times Square Hotel KL 吉隆坡時代廣場旅館

What is Love 什麼是愛

2010-11-05T08:11:00.000Z

Fulda, Hessen, Germany

What is love?

說穿了就是
當您給了我快樂
頻譜對了
我必能接收到相知相惜的訊息
延生共鳴
並把快樂回饋於您

當您從我眼神中泛出的快樂獲得無上的滿足而我亦然
基於歡樂頻譜共振的效應幸福感自然加倍油生

這就是愛
沒什麼大道理的
就這麼簡單
就這麼應該

Pearl Farm, Davao, Philippines

Laura Ann Branigan (July 3, 1957 – August 26, 2004)

I myself had attended her live concert (tour) in 80's.

我自己曾經在八○年代親臨她的個人(巡迴)演唱會

Mystery Sinkhole in Germany 詭異巨坑現身德國

2010-11-01T10:09:00.000Z

The rock formations beneath the huge crater to break apart at around 3 a.m. local time.

巨型坑洞之下的岩層在當地時間清晨3點前後轟然裂開

A large sinkhole measuring approximately 130 feet wide and 65 feet deep caved in overnight in the middle of a residential area in Schmalkalden, central Germany, Monday.

All photos from internet

Proper Way to Eat Sushi 寿司の伝統本格

2010-10-29T09:10:00.000+01:00

Sumptuous sushi meal at a stunning restaurant

To get you "In The Know"

There is so much to the Japanese tradition of eating sushi. You might want to read between the lines of this video carefully before you head out for a classic yummy treaty next time.

(Japanese-language narration with English subtitles)

Here is a fun and dip food for you

寿司の伝統本格

More eye-catching pictures at,
更多精彩的圖片就在,

You Like Nigiri Sushi? 握り寿司(鮨・すし)？

Samādhi 正定

2010-10-22T09:10:00.000+01:00

Khao Phra Wihan in Sisaket Province, Thailand / Preah Vihear Province, Cambodia

正定

Samādhi

一切衆生離諸惡趣

いっさいしゅしょうりしょあくしゅ

(issai shujou ri shoaku omomuki)

A samādhi on a world free from all the evil destinies.

Note: Samādhi (Sanskrit, ‘putting together’, ‘union’). Enstasis, intense concentration or absorption of consciousness in a variety of higher mental states in Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain yoga, in which distinction between subject and object is eliminated; the eighth ‘limb’ of ‘eight-limbed’ (aṣṭāṅga) or rāja yoga. Samādhi is the consequence of meditation rather than the state of meditation itself.

Doi Suthep temple, Chiang Mai

一切如來諸法本性滿淨蓮華三昧

いっさいにょらいしょほうほんしょうしょうじょうれんげざんまい

(issai nyorai sho hou honshou jou renge zanmai)

It is a Tathāgata meditation, that the fundamental nature of all existence is pure like the lotus.

Note: A lotus-samādhi 蓮華三昧 of Vairocana from which Amitābha was born.

More eye-catching pictures at,
更多精彩的圖片就在,

Window to Chiang Mai 1/4 清邁映像

 Window to Chiang Mai 2/4 清邁映像

 Window to Chiang Mai 3/4 清邁映像

 Window to Chiang Mai 4/4 清邁映像

Newsreader Fired over Drinking Beer on Live TV 新聞主播在直播現場喝酒被解職

2010-10-18T09:04:00.000+01:00

Beer taps at the Gasthaus Weißes Roß, Germany

A Finnish anchorman of English news has been sacked after he was caught drinking beer on live TV -- during a report about alcohol licensing laws.

芬蘭電視台英語新聞主播在直播現場趁著播放影帶期間偷偷飲用啤酒的畫面被眾人活逮之後遭受解雇的命運 -- 當時他正在報導關於酒精的准許法律條文規定

As producers cut back to the studio camera from footage about Finland's alcohol licensing laws, host Kimmo Wilska was seen swigging from a bottle of beer.

After the footage was aired, his bosses were apparently quick to sack the boozy news reader, but he insists it was just a joke.

Kimmo claims he was pretending to drink from the bottle as a joke for colleagues in the studio and had not intended for it to be broadcast.

Hotel Trotter

Antigua Guatemala 1/4 安地瓜‧瓜地馬拉

Antigua Guatemala 2/4 安地瓜‧瓜地馬拉

Antigua Guatemala 3/4 安地瓜‧瓜地馬拉

Antigua Guatemala 4/4 安地瓜‧瓜地馬拉

4G War is On

Image Flashback 2011

Make Packing for Your Flight a Breeze

Prasat Preah Vihear Area to be Demilitarized

Soothing Blend of Colonial and Royal Thai

Le Méridien Chiang Mai

Vietnam Domestic Airfare to Hike Again

Dry Winds Trigger Red-Flag Warning in L.A.

Japanese Influence in Taiwan

Black Friday Shopping Spree

Highway Slides into Ocean after Storm

Thanksgiving Feast

Hyatt Regency Saujana Kuala Lumpur 1/2

Hyatt Regency Saujana Kuala Lumpur 2/2

WillKat Opt for Kensington Palace

Destructive Flooding Puts Southeast Asia at Risk

Typhoon vs Hurricane

Maximum Alert on Guatemala

Siri Says

Day 15: Hanoi Vietnam 越南 河內

Thanksgiving Airfares Soaring

High Radiation Reading in Setagaya

Day 14: PM Bac Ha Vietnam 越南 北河市集

Changes Under the Hood

Day 14: AM Sapa Vietnam 越南 沙壩

Belly Up Flying

Day 13: Sapa Vietnam 越南 沙壩

Day 12: Ha Long Bay Vietnam 越南 下龍灣

Nuclear Explosion in France

Season of Transition 磁場大波動

Day 11: Ha Long Bay Vietnam 越南 下龍灣

Day 10: Hanoi Vietnam 越南 河內

Day 9: Quang Binh Vietnam 越南 廣平

Day 8: PM Huế Vietnam 越南 順化

Day 8: AM Museum of Cham Sculpture 占婆博物館

No Smoking Zone

Beauty of Desert Biome 1/4

Beauty of Desert Biome 2/4

Edsa and Makati Shangri-La Hotels Manila

Beauty of Desert Biome 3/4

Beauty of Desert Biome 4/4

Easy like Sunday Morning 假日般的晨起

You Won't Find Me on Facebook

Recycled 747 Airplane House Completed

Candle Festival in Ubon Ratchathani 烏汶蠟燭節

Ice Cream Cone 甜筒冰淇淋

Sprouts Appear to be E. Coli Culprit 豆芽菜才是禍首

Long-Separated Place 暌違已久的地方

Hotels in Putrajaya 位於太子城的飯店群

Airlines Make Billions Charging for Bags, Food, Movies

Picturesque Village Sapa Vietnam 如詩如畫的越南沙壩

Fish Feeding or Hunting? 餵魚還是去抓魚？

Myth of Turning Muscle into Fat

What's Brewing? 北歐美食

Extreme Hair Makeover 超級變髮術

Die Brüder Grimm 格林兄弟

Deadliest Delicacies You Eat Everyday

You are on TV 你上電視了

Race Queen 賽車皇后

Marketing Slogan Translation Fails

How to Feed 100 Dogs at Once 如何同時搞定一百條狗的晚餐

Oldest Geological Formation in Taipei

Japan Quake Aftermath 日本地震災情

Steinau Rediscovery 1/2 二度造訪史代瑙

Steinau Rediscovery 2/2 二度造訪史代瑙

Ticket 車票

Tourist Ship Sinks on Ha Long Bay 下龍灣遊船沈沒

Life in Anza-Borrego Desert 在安紮玻銳芶沙漠生活

First Gay Cruise in Latin America 拉丁美洲第一艘同性戀郵輪

Panning and Frazil Occurence

Elverhøj 森林女精靈

Q&A: 8, 18, 28, 38 and 48

Thailand Closes Dive Sites 泰國關閉潛場

Samgetang 蔘雞湯

Capsule Hotel in Shanghai 上海膠囊旅館

Day 15: Hanoi Vietnam 越南河內

Day 14: PM Bac Ha Vietnam 越南北河市集

Day 14: AM Sapa Vietnam 越南沙壩

Day 13: Sapa Vietnam 越南沙壩

Day 12: Ha Long Bay Vietnam 越南下龍灣

Day 11: Ha Long Bay Vietnam 越南下龍灣

Day 10: Hanoi Vietnam 越南河內

Day 9: Quang Binh Vietnam 越南廣平

Day 8: PM Huế Vietnam 越南順化