Archive for
2006
December 22nd, 2006
A week of rain before the hike helped clear the pollution and gave us back a blue sky for a few days. Such luxury of blue brought by a week of rain before — an indication of global warming. We received record high rainfalls in this autumn!
A hike from Luk Keng (鹿 頸) to Kuk Po (谷 埔) on last Sunday. A very easy route mainly walking along the coast with clusters of mangroves. Lunch at a local Hakka village restaurant (盈 生 農 場) with simple but very delicious dishes. The photos speak for me:
November 26th, 2006
Chief Executive Donald Tsang and his wife took photo with leaders of Guizhou Province and Anshun City in front of Huangguoshu Waterfalls.
Source: Information Services Department, HKSAR
When I saw this scene in the news, not the smiles of people caught my eyes, but the strong flowing water behind, which reminds me of a true story a friend told me…
A group of environmental delegates visited Guizhou some years ago, and the local goverment took them to the Huangguoshu Waterfalls (黃果樹瀑布) at the end of the visit. It had been dry for some time and the waterfalls were not stunning enough. What can be done to keep the VIPs impressed?
The solution was to stop the water at upstream to accumulate bulk amount of water. When the VIPs arrived, they released the water to give a more spectacular view.
Perfect… except they’ve forgotten to alarm the local people about the cutting and release of water. Several villagers passed by the upper stream, and the sudden flood of water drowned them, while visitors downstream exclaimed the “natural” beauty of the waterfalls…
Our honorable CE visited the place during the dry Autumn season too. I hope the local government has learned their lesson well enough to prevent the same tragedy happen again!
November 17th, 2006
My friend Clod has just worked in the “Clos des Patris” organic vineyard in September. Hope to organize a trip there next summer. Before that, let’s take a look at his journal:
The 2000m Mont Ventoux, standing between the Mediterranean Sea and the Alps, is the highest point in Provence. Vines have been growing on its southern slope for centuries.
During the 14th -15th centuries, Popes settled in Avignon. Winegrowing became an advantageous business in the region. Vineyards are properties of rich bishops and princes properties.
Yves Morard, owner of Clos des Patris, lives in Caromb, his vines are in Caromb, Mazan and Bédouin; his wine stamped “Côtes du Ventoux.”
In France, a new class of winemakers known as “chefs” arise — they emphasize quality, purity and natural perfumes of the grapes. The unique art of caring the grapes has been here for centuries. People have such sense in their blood, some may even say in their reptilian brain. More
November 16th, 2006
Wine is created by mixing different energies in a big tank. A kind of caldron!
The left pic is taken inside the “Clos des Patris” cellar. You can see Xristof climbed up the tank with a hose full of juice.
Sweating under the heat of the roof, you can hardly stay longer than 30 minutes at the top of the tank, which is a carbon rich area. Temperature control (below 29C) and pigeage (pronounce : peejaj ) are definitively vital for wine process.
First we need machines, long hoses and a certain level of imagination; second, only arms and energy. Of course this becomes rarer because in big cellars everything is machinerized and computerized to produce more at lower cost. Then government, euro laws and the World market keep producers to this philosophy: more benefits, more quantity, more degrees, less people, etc. It’s also a new fashion to make strong wines. A decade ago wines at 13-14° are rare and most of them came from Burgundy or Côtes-du-Rhône. Now it’s everywhere! More
August 20th, 2006
A place more Tibetan than the real Tibet in China — at least not yet train and reflective glass commercial buildings. A trip with many unexpectancies — floods, escape at midnight, flight delays, spiritual experience of travelmate, plus most important, friendship with the Ladakhi family we stayed with in the past half month.
Above is the mountain monastary in Liksee, also the home village of the mother of the family we stayed with. Just less than an hour ride from Leh, the capital town of Ladakh, it’s frequented by tourists but still remains by and large a peaceful village. Too quiet maybe? As most young people left the village to Leh or other cities in India for life more exciting and different to them. Only in monastary we find most young people, who are monks. With buddhism, they may be able to resist the temptation of modernity.
Click to see more photos at Flickr. . .
Will be on the go next monday to Yunnan, then Guangxi, until mid Sept…
July 15th, 2006
without the physical self,
you can now travel faster than light,
and fly freely
in the nth dimension of the universe…
where there’s no more fear,
anger, pain and worries,
nor the need to breathe…
which has been such an exhausting effort
for you in the past few days….?
July 10th, 2006
The Rocking Consumption documentary series we produced last year has an English version now! It’s broadcasting on ATV World Channel, and is available on RTHK web after the show:
Every Wednesday at 6:55pm:
