Sunset with a Collie

post from FelixWong.com on 29 April 2012 08:30:51 AM. © FelixWong.com

I’m starting a new section on my website entitled Life’s Little Luxuries. It is for the little things in life that are inexpensive, yet give an immense amount of enjoyment. Here’s a photo from an after-dinner stroll with Kelly and her collie Kona in my neighborhood by Richard Lake. The night was warm, the air [...]

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Buddhist Monks in Thailand

post from Thailand Travel Blog on 29 April 2012 07:23:15 AM. © Thailand Travel Blog

I always like to catch a good shot of a Buddhist monk in my travels around Thailand. Here are a few photos here and i have complied a whole set at this link to my Flickr Thailand Photo Blog.

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http://blog.apllc-connect.com/2012/04/buddhist-monks-in-thailand.html

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Hot Pot in Shanghai

post from Mad About Shanghai on 29 April 2012 05:21:39 AM. © Mad About Shanghai

I love hot pots meals, especially on a cold night.

Grace and I made arrangements just to go for hot pot. She said she knows a place that I would like. We arranged to meet just outside Jing-an metro station.

While waiting for her to arive, a friend, Qing called and asked me what my dinner plans were. She and another colleague ran out dinner ideas and asked if she could join us. I readily agreed. For hot pot dinner, it is always a case of the more the merrier. We would be able to order more dishes too.

It took a while for them to find us and Grace took us by taxi to this place called "????. She told us to be preapred to wait a while.

Upon arrival, I was surprised to see customers playing board games, having manicures and watching TV. I asked Grace what was going on. She said that these are the activities that the restaurant have arranged to keep the customers entertained while they wait for available tables instead of turning them away.

We waited about 20 minuntes for our table.

The food came and did not dissapoint though I find it a tad too spicy for my likely. Grace and Qing, being natives of Sichuan found that to be no problems at all. Of course! They come from the land of Ma La hot pots! Oh, the girls got their manicure done as well after dinner.

To our surprise, Qing gave us all a treat.

Grace and myself went for a drink at a cosy bistro/pub near her place before calling it a night.

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t-grace-and-i-made-arrangements-just-to-go-for-hot-pot-she-said-she-knows-a-place.html

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More Random Cusco Street Sights

post from Streets of Lima on 29 April 2012 04:24:07 AM. © Streets of Lima

[...]

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Answering Questions About Fukushima: Reactor 4
Fuel Rods & Worldwide Mass Extinction

post from Japan Probe on 29 April 2012 03:07:01 AM. © Japan Probe

Wondering about the latest string of fear-inducing stories about the horrors of Fukushima? An excellent place to find some answers is Reddit’s /r/AskScience, a forum in which questions about scientific issues are answered in a serious manner, free of layman speculation. Included among its regular users are several people with professional expertise on nuclear reactors [...]

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Malaysia: Mount Kinabalu for the non-mountaineer

post from Ivan About Town | Tourist Spots in the Philippines | Philippine Travel Blog on 29 April 2012 02:22:09 AM. © Ivan About Town | Tourist Spots in the Philippines | Philippine Travel Blog

Last year, I made it up to Low's Peak of Mount Kinabalu, which at 4,095 meters, is called the rooftop of Southeast Asia. This year, Ivan Man Dy joined the Pinoy Mountaineer Mount Kinabalu Expedition 2012. And congratulations are in order because he successfully made the ascent to Low's Peak. Here is his advice to non-mountaineers.

At 4,095 meters, Mount Kinabalu is one of the highest mountains in Southeast Asia. It is not the easiest mountain to climb especially for an urban rat and non-mountaineer like me. And the only reason why I even dared to scale this wonder is because I love highland weather and certainly, this mountain and her scenery did not disappoint. So how did we survive? Here are some tips to conquer Kinabalu if you're not a seasoned mountaineer.

1. Tone up your leg muscles. We haven't had a major hike for a long time but all our daily steps conducting tours for Old Manila Walks may have made our legs ready for this climb. We asked some first-time Singaporean climbers if this was their initial ascent. They said yes and added it was also to be their last. Do not even attempt this climb if you have never scaled a mountain. Wrong mountain to choose!

2. Join a tour group. It's much more fun especially if the group gets along well (this is a hit or miss). But also, it makes a lot of things easier. Logistics are taken care off, food is prepared, tips shared, camaraderie formed. To the budget traveler, this might be less than ideal (and pricier perhaps). But for any climber, the convenience and security is godsent. There was even a pre-medical check before the ascent (Watch out for Pinoy Mountaineer Mount Kinabalu Expedition 2013).

3. Go 5-star (if budget permits). And by this I mean, splure a bit and make it easy on yourself. Invest on a good pair of shoes. Buy (or rent) a mountain stick or trekking pole. These are things that you'll be glad you have when you start feeling the pressure. And yes, get yourself a porter (RM8 or roughly Php110 for every kg). Even if you are only carrying 5kg to the top, that will feel like 20 as you start your ascent. Pack light to save and leave the weight to your porter guide!

4. Go slow. There are points when you start huffing and puffing and questioning yourself if you can make it. Don't rush, remember, there are probally some people slower than you. Charge up by eating good trail mix (chocolates and peanuts go well with each other). Drink water. Take a few minutes rest or even siesta (I did) in the trail stops. Stop and smell the roses. Just make sure you reach the base camp before dark and be sure to rest really, really well!

5. It's a long way up. And down. Yes, you made it up. Now is equally the challenging part of going down. Essentially, you start your ascent to the summit (approximately another 840 meters up, this like climbing to Tagaytay from the lowlands but higher) at 02:00; then are expected to be back down for breakfast in the base camp by 10:30. Then you begin your descent to the starting point and may reach it at 17:30 hours depending on your speed. So for Day 2, that's more than 12 hours of ascent and descent in one day. Be prepared for this!

All in all, it was very challenging climb. The highland weather was perfect, views were stunning and the buffet-style food, lovely. If you can stand walking 8.7 kilometers up and two days worth of leg muscle pain (don't forget to bring muscle pain killers), then this climb is absolutely worth it, even for an urban rat like me.

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31 percent rise in airplane birdstrikes in NYC -
Newsday

Airplane birdstrikes have increased 31 percent in the past two years at New York City’s primary airports, Newsday reports today citing information culled from FAA data.The Federal Aviation Administration’s Wildlife Strike Database says[...]

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