tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59697249508268922802024-03-13T09:39:59.661+05:00Seven Bowls of TeaRandom thoughts and picturesLochanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10199458132493413422noreply@blogger.comBlogger209125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5969724950826892280.post-9857449862938744402021-09-03T17:26:00.002+06:002021-09-03T17:26:32.632+06:00Faces of Nepal Mandal 01<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K_QV5zihRew/YTIFyNqWs0I/AAAAAAAAHCA/EDM9N_jMlpIHKNR8m3hhGgYLS8gYt7XmgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/L1010012-A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1367" data-original-width="2048" height="428" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K_QV5zihRew/YTIFyNqWs0I/AAAAAAAAHCA/EDM9N_jMlpIHKNR8m3hhGgYLS8gYt7XmgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h428/L1010012-A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Tamang lady from around Nepal Mandal नेपाल मण्डल . </p><p>Nepal Mandal is Kathmandu valley and the surrounding areas which is under the cultural and religious influence of Kathmandu. Around the periphery of Kathmandu valley you have a lot of Tamang settlements. </p><p>I learnt a few words in Tamang as it is useful when hiking around the valley and it is fascinating because it is so different from what I speak. However knowing a bit of Japanese (and even less Chinese) I find that some words are similar to those East Asian languages. For example, "Ta" means horse in Tamang language. The word for horse in Chinese is 马 (Ma) and in Japanese Uma. Similarly water is "Kui" is water in Tamang and the word for water in Chinese is 水 (Shui). </p><p>It just goes to show how Nepal is connected to both its neighbours to the south and north but yet we are so different. Perhaps Nepal is also the place through which some of our Out of Africa ancestors passed through with some of them settling right here. </p><p><br /></p><p>Camera: SL2 🔴</p><p>F-Stop: F/4</p><p>Exposure time: 1/60 sec.</p><p>Focal length: 35mm</p><p>ISO: 100</p><p>Date of photograph: 20 February 2021</p>Lochanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10199458132493413422noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5969724950826892280.post-59046005581607122332021-08-29T11:27:00.006+06:002021-08-31T16:22:24.247+06:00Rice Fields of Champi<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pC2HOW4gVIM/YSsKXdfl8bI/AAAAAAAAHBU/-tnkPMP6ROgXXmSxjiB1a_VrVDyhehvgACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/L1020063-A-2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1367" data-original-width="2048" height="452" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pC2HOW4gVIM/YSsKXdfl8bI/AAAAAAAAHBU/-tnkPMP6ROgXXmSxjiB1a_VrVDyhehvgACLcBGAsYHQ/w676-h452/L1020063-A-2.jpg" width="676" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial Narrow; font-size: medium;">It has been a long time since I uploaded something here. Last time was April 2014. Two reasons: first was Twitter and the second Instagram. I have quit the former and these days I am reluctant to post in the latter. Instagram was mostly to share photographs but perhaps I should do it here from now on. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial Narrow; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow";"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="text-align: left;">This photograph is of rice fields of Champi छम्पी in Lalitpur ललितपुर looking south towards Lele लेले. </span>It was taken on 21 August 2021. So it is right in the middle of a fairly heavy monsoon.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial Narrow; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial Narrow; font-size: medium;">While most of the emerald valley is now a concrete slum, there are still some green patches showing how Kathmandu valley was decades ago. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial Narrow; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial Narrow; font-size: medium;">Camera: SL2</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial Narrow; font-size: medium;">F-stop: f/5.6</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial Narrow; font-size: medium;">Exposure time: 1/100 sec.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial Narrow; font-size: medium;">Focal length: 35mm </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial Narrow; font-size: medium;"> </span></div><p></p></div>Lochanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10199458132493413422noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5969724950826892280.post-16650322831649521252014-04-23T14:00:00.000+06:002014-04-23T15:27:49.176+06:00Dark Mountain Hut<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-family: HakusyuGyosyoPro_kk;">とふ人も<span lang="EN-GB"></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: HakusyuGyosyoPro_kk;">思ひ絶えたる<span lang="EN-GB"></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: HakusyuGyosyoPro_kk;">山里の<span lang="EN-GB"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: HakusyuGyosyoPro_kk;">さびしさなくば<span lang="EN-GB"></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: HakusyuGyosyoPro_kk;">住み憂からまし<span lang="EN-GB"></span></span></div>
<br />
<i>No one visits here</i><br />
<i>in my dark mountain hut</i><br />
<i>where I live alone.</i><br />
<i>But for this sweet loneliness</i><br />
<i>it would be too bleak to bear.</i><br />
<br />
- Saigyo <span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="t_nihongo_kanji" lang="ja">西行</span></span> (<span style="font-weight: normal;">1118 – 23 March 1190). Saigyo was a Japanese poet in the late Heian and early Kamakura period. He was from the nobility and was a guard to Emperor Toba </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="t_nihongo_kanji" lang="ja">鳥羽天皇 </span></span>before becoming a monk at a young age. His poems are greatly loved and revered even today.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">How appropriate it is to have tea in this place somewhere in the mountains of central Taiwan. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This is the residence of a devout Buddhist living almost in solitude after long years of service in a temple in south Taiwan. The residence and the garden is designed in Japanese style with a certain sense of Shibusa 渋さ. Even the water for the tea was brought to boil in a Japanese tetsubin which is unusual for drinking teas from Taiwan. Peace and tranquility pervaded the atmosphere. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Visitors are not allowed as it is a private home. Extremely private, I hasten to add as the few residents spend most of their time in prayers, meditation and household chores. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A disciple of this person brought me here after a getting a special appointment, just so that we could enjoy tea in this serene place with exceptional water from a nearby mountain spring. These photographs do not do justice to the place and the description here is a very poor substitute to the feeling and ambience that I experienced. It was a perfect setting for drinking and enjoying </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">classic high mountain teas from Taiwan (Meishan 梅山) and Nepal (Jun Chiyabari).</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Tea was brought to Japan from China by Buddhist monks and scholars and was propagated by various monasteries. In East Asia, Buddhism and tea were for many years very closely connected. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So finding myself in this place, that connected all the dots of the tea universe, Chinese culture, Buddhism, tea and Japan, I am transported to another dimension, to the world of the tea poet, Lu Tong <span lang="zh-Hant">盧仝</span><i><span lang="zh-Hant"> </span></i><span lang="zh-Hant">(790-835) of Tang dynasty..........</span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>.......I am overcome, </i></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Feeling only a pure wind rushing beneath my wings.</i></span></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Images: Residence, garden and tea pavilion with a meditation room below. Taiwan March 2014</span><br />
<br />Lochanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10199458132493413422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5969724950826892280.post-8570678424234033862014-04-08T10:22:00.000+06:002014-04-08T10:23:34.363+06:00Sun Moon's Black Tea <i>Long years have passed; yours in the Way, mine in worldly life.</i><br />
<i>I am fortunate to speak with you this autumn.</i><br />
<i>Drinking fragrant tea until late,</i><br />
<i>Painful though parting be, I bow to you as I see</i><br />
<i>you off to distant clouds.</i><br />
<br />
- Emperor Saga 嵯峨天皇<br />
(February 8, 785 – August 24, 842) 52nd emperor of Japan<br />
<br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
Black tea was introduced in Taiwan during the Japanese period in the 1920's when assamica variety, mostly from Burma, was introduced. After much research Sun Moon Lake area was chosen to be the area for black tea cultivation because of its climatic conditions.<br />
<br />
Long years have passed and black tea has come on its own in Taiwan. <span lang="EN-GB">Some of those plants were crossed with the local Taiwanese wild varieties <i>Camellia sinensis forma formosensis</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">. A prime example of this being </span>Hong
Yue 红玉,</span> a hybrid of a Burmese and a local Taiwanese cultivar. This is a fragrant tea with an amazing flavour profile is now one of the most well known teas of Taiwan: a true, living national treasure if there ever was one.<br />
<br />
<br />
I was fortunate to "have a conversation" with Liao Mayor Black Tea Storyland at Sun Moon Lake in the spring of 2014. It was a fascinating place where the story of black tea in Taiwan is told in a simple but very effective way. Here one can try various types of black tea at the tea bar and even eat tea flavoured ice cream or buy tea and tea ware. In another but contiguous section, a museum of old tea machines and history of black tea are displayed.<br />
<br />
How I wished that we could have something similar in Nepal.<br />
........... <i>Painful though parting be, I bow to you as I see you off to distant clouds.</i><br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Images:<br />
An aesthetically done shrine to black tea at Liao Mayor Black Tea Storyland at Sun Moon Lake, Taiwan. (March 2014) <br />
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<br />
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F-LiROAZWJ5p4%2FU0JZir1LSqI%2FAAAAAAAAFmU%2FiD_mr2u1hTo%2Fs1600%2FDSC_0479.JPG&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LiROAZWJ5p4/U0JZir1LSqI/AAAAAAAAFmU/iD_mr2u1hTo/s1600/DSC_0479.JPG" -->Lochanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10199458132493413422noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5969724950826892280.post-33160389036797657252014-04-05T00:30:00.000+06:002014-04-05T08:53:34.397+06:00Qingming 清明節 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This year Qingming festival </span><span style="font-family: "MS Gothic"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Narrow"; mso-bidi-font-family: "MS Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Narrow";">清明節</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> falls on 05 April.</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Du Mu's poem alludes to Qingming rains. Tradition has
it that it will rain on this day piling more misery to those already heavy with
grief in remembrance of their departed loved ones.</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Almost every year I like to post something about this
festival because of its connection with tea. Tea lovers all over the world look
forward to pre-Qingming teas specially from China, the country where tea
originated. Despite the stratospheric prices for these pre-Qingming teas they
are in great demand. Accordingly this festival is of great significance to all
of us involved in tea.</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Qingming Festival usually falls 104 days after winter
equinox. On this solemn day families visit ancestral graves and tombs to sweep
and clean them and generally remember their forebears. The festival itself is
said to have started during the Spring Autumn Period (771-476 BCE).</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">One does not celebrate Qingming for it is a
solemn day. However on this special day for tea, I shall reminisce about the
bowl of tea that I had in a wonderful natural setting of a tea garden in the
mountains of central Taiwan. The feeling was out of this world: much like the
7th bowl of tea of Lu Tong </span><span style="font-family: "MS Gothic"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Narrow"; mso-bidi-font-family: "MS Gothic"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Narrow";">盧仝</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">. Of course, some exquisite tea will be on the menu for the day as an
offering to the Gods and ancestors for a successful 2015.</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Images:</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Tea "ceremony" near Pagua Tea garden
somewhere in central Taiwan. (March 2014)</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<![endif]-->Lochanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10199458132493413422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5969724950826892280.post-85489322804624337952014-04-02T17:15:00.000+06:002014-04-02T17:15:41.395+06:00Tea on The Tropic<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5dVFpgcTzeA/UzvsUfBLe2I/AAAAAAAAFk4/CuaXTpFOSno/s1600/DSC_0573.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5dVFpgcTzeA/UzvsUfBLe2I/AAAAAAAAFk4/CuaXTpFOSno/s1600/DSC_0573.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nkZzF9FMpEY/UzvrhFcsqHI/AAAAAAAAFkg/cGzaWhsT7Qo/s1600/DSC_0525.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nkZzF9FMpEY/UzvrhFcsqHI/AAAAAAAAFkg/cGzaWhsT7Qo/s1600/DSC_0525.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9TGTVDsuHLQ/UzvrzVufCSI/AAAAAAAAFko/nzVds638xoI/s1600/DSC_0541.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9TGTVDsuHLQ/UzvrzVufCSI/AAAAAAAAFko/nzVds638xoI/s1600/DSC_0541.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X-6VjnVwyUY/UzvrRgHpxqI/AAAAAAAAFkQ/zIMS31SRJfk/s1600/DSC_0449.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X-6VjnVwyUY/UzvrRgHpxqI/AAAAAAAAFkQ/zIMS31SRJfk/s1600/DSC_0449.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SNjo_RmCNpA/Uzvs2QwfxoI/AAAAAAAAFlA/KvjYeNI-vrA/s1600/DSC_0594.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SNjo_RmCNpA/Uzvs2QwfxoI/AAAAAAAAFlA/KvjYeNI-vrA/s1600/DSC_0594.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--XUD4cKM7Rc/UzvrbvjzBDI/AAAAAAAAFkY/ouDh1kCcJZg/s1600/DSC_0537.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--XUD4cKM7Rc/UzvrbvjzBDI/AAAAAAAAFkY/ouDh1kCcJZg/s1600/DSC_0537.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></span><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TpODJeTxUKM/Uzvs3QJEo_I/AAAAAAAAFlE/qUZy3R2HpBs/s1600/DSC_0625.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TpODJeTxUKM/Uzvs3QJEo_I/AAAAAAAAFlE/qUZy3R2HpBs/s1600/DSC_0625.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WA5ANzYM6g0/UzvsLuEZ-tI/AAAAAAAAFkw/EdEMFsQjhW4/s1600/DSC_0584.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WA5ANzYM6g0/UzvsLuEZ-tI/AAAAAAAAFkw/EdEMFsQjhW4/s1600/DSC_0584.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Ruisui Township 瑞穗鄉 is a small rural town in Hualien County of Taiwan on the Pacific coast. Population of Ruisui probably does not exceed a few thousands. Nothing significant except that Tropic of Cancer passes right through it. Except its innovative tea farmers produce some exquisite red / black tea called Mixan Hong Cha (Honey Red Tea). One sip is enough to make you exclaim, "Wow! How can anyone produce such teas?"</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Oh yes, if you get fed up of drinking sublime teas, you can always head to its<span style="font-size: small;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> wonderful dairy and drink fresh, fragrant and "udderly" delicious milk.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A</span> real bucolic idyll to which I want to go back soon!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Images: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Top Three: Tea gardens some amidst betel nut plantations.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Middle Three: Tea farmer serves tea to customers. A happy smiley Mixian Hong Cha and the tea cultivar from which this is made. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Bottom Two: Orchids (grows profusely in Taiwan).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">March 2014</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-X-6VjnVwyUY%2FUzvrRgHpxqI%2FAAAAAAAAFkQ%2FzIMS31SRJfk%2Fs1600%2FDSC_0449.JPG&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X-6VjnVwyUY/UzvrRgHpxqI/AAAAAAAAFkQ/zIMS31SRJfk/s1600/DSC_0449.JPG" -->Lochanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10199458132493413422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5969724950826892280.post-80678909615693048332013-10-02T17:43:00.000+06:002013-10-02T17:43:28.344+06:00Primeval Elegance<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This is definitely my favourite food. Sashimi or raw fish. For me, nothing compares to it because of its pure and unadulterated taste. No spices. No oil except what is naturally secreted by the fish. Not steamed or fried or grilled or somehow altered from its natural state. Of course soy and wasabi accompany it as a dip, but I look at that as being optional.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There is also something primeval about it. I can imagine someone 70,000 years ago eating raw fish as she eyed Asia across the Horn of Africa before crossing Bab-el-Mandeb into Yemen. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Yet there is something elegant about Sashimi too. Presentation is mostly minimalist and the portions are bite sized and convenient for chopsticks. Some fish is laid out flat while others are upright and some slanting: all part of the food presentation. There are different colours that make them visually attractive but everything is in harmony and focus is solely on the fish, the main and only ingredient. With different seasons come different fish with different textures, colours and taste. Just perfect!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">However I also worry. What happens when 200 million Chinese discover the joys of Sashimi? Forget the price going through the stratosphere. Will there be enough fish? Will </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Tsukiji Market 築地市場, the biggest wholesale fish market in the world </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">or its successor </span></span> survive? </span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Scary thought indeed. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Images: </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">At the Tsukiji Market 築地市場 May 2013. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Top: Wasabi ready to be grated on the shark skin with soy in the black pot</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Bottom: Assorted Sashimi</span></div>
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Lochanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10199458132493413422noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5969724950826892280.post-90266781948580427232013-09-27T17:38:00.000+06:002013-09-27T17:38:16.206+06:00Simple Fare. Complex Connections<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">One does not associate vegetarian fare with Japan. Yet, should you have meal in a temple complex that is what you will get: simple and delicious vegetarian food surrounded by gardens that are hundreds of years old or even a thousand years plus. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On a warm spring day at Hasedera Temple 長谷寺 in Kamakura 鎌倉 that was my fare. Perhaps it was the first time that I had had something to eat in a temple in Japan. Hasedera is one of the great temples of Kamakura and houses the famous wooden statue of Kannon and is part of the pilgrimage circuit to Goddess Benzaiten. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Kannon of Japan is known as Guanyin in China and Avalokitesvara in Nepal, all in the Buddhist tradition. But here is the thing, svara in the name </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Avalokitesvara shows a strong connection to the Hindu tradition of Shiva.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Benzaiten is one of the seven lucky gods of Japan and is known in this part of the world at Saraswoti. In Japan she holds the Biwa (lute) instead of the Veena from this part of the world. To add to the complexity she has also been integrated into the Shinto tradition. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">One of my favourite teas is Tieguanin 鐵觀音 originating from Anxi 安溪縣 in Fujian province 福建 of China. That tea is named after Guanyin or Kannon or Avalokitesvara. Depending on the processing this tea is either flowery with a delicate aroma. Or if it has been roasted, it will have a strong nutty taste.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So it was entirely appropriate that I should be having a simple vegetarian lunch at a temple dedicated to Kannon / Guanyin to whom Tieguanin tea is dedicated in the tradition established by the person who grew up around my ancestral village in Lumbini, Nepal more than 2500 years ago.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Image: Vegetarian food at the restaurant in Hasedera Temple complex and the surrounding garden. (May 2013) </span></span></div>
Lochanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10199458132493413422noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5969724950826892280.post-86704737127055353672013-09-25T15:39:00.000+06:002013-09-25T16:35:54.680+06:00Trisuli & Tea<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Just a short distance from Kathmandu is Trisuli. The place takes its name from Trisuli River which flows in a south west direction to meet Kali Gandaki to become Narayani in Chitwan. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As a tea person Trisuli touches me through history. It was here at Trisuli at Betrawati, that The Treaty of Betrawati was signed by China and Nepal during the Qing 清朝 period (1644-1912). <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Treaty of Betrawati ended </span><span style="font-size: small;">the Sino Nepali wars (1788-1792)</span><span style="font-size: small;">. These wars are considered to be one of the Ten Great Campaigns of Qianlong Emperor 乾隆帝 (reign 1735 -1796). The upshot of the treaty was that about 70 years later in 1861 tea seeds from China, gifted by the Emperor of China, possibly </span><span style="font-size: small;">Emperor Xianfeng 咸豐帝, to Nepal literally seeded the tea industry in Nepal.</span><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The surprising thing about the drive from Kathmandu to Trisuli is the amount of forest cover that is still intact despite the proximity to Kathmandu and its huge appetite for resources. After the love hotels near Tapoban and the dumping site at Okharpauwa, the drive becomes more relaxed despite the potholes. Rice fields give way to dense forest cover and the volume of water increases giving rise to a multitude of Rainbow Trout farms cum restaurants perched precariously to the hill sides. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">That is not to say that the terraced rice fields ever go away. Those terraces can make one emotional if one cherishes the centuries of toil of Nepalis: a metaphor of the hard work of our forebears to keep this country united and independent. Some of the terraces extend vertically perhaps 300 metres or more and all the way down to the Trisuli valley. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Again on the valley floor one is met by the green rice fields reminiscent of the Kathmandu valley of yesteryear. The future of this emerald valley, hopefully will be better. Perhaps its connection to tea in Nepal will ensure that!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Images: (24 September 2013)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Top - Looking back to the hills of Kathmandu Valley with the clouds overflowing onto the next valley.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Second from Top - Rice fields well before Kakani</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Middle & Second from Bottom - Rice terraces and dense (mostly Chestnut) forest cover after Ranipauwa</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Bottom - Bidur ko phat - the valley floor at Trisuli</span></div>
Lochanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10199458132493413422noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5969724950826892280.post-81378684965976486852013-09-23T15:53:00.001+06:002013-09-23T15:55:36.855+06:00Feeling Small<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">When you're weary<br />Feeling small<br />When tears are in your eyes<br />I will dry them all<br /><br />I'm on your side<br />When times get rough<br />And friends just can't be found<br />Like a bridge over troubled water<br />I will lay me down<br />Like a bridge over troubled water<br />I will lay me down </span></span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Bridge over Troubled Water" - Simon & Garfunkel. Released on January 26, 1970.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">While there is no bridge over these waters, surely one cannot but be moved by these stunning images </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">of the Lake Districts UK in the autumn of 2003 </span>captured by my brother, Bachan. One feels small. And the tears are perhaps tinged with a bit of autumnal bitter sweet melancholy to see nature at its best knowing fully that soon this beauty will give way to cold howling winds from the north. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Images: Around the Lake District, UK. (Autumn 2003) </span></div>
<br />Lochanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10199458132493413422noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5969724950826892280.post-44475829034317408002013-09-17T17:37:00.001+06:002013-09-17T17:37:41.711+06:00Autumn Night Thought<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">静夜思</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">床前明月光</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">疑是地上霜</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">举头望明月</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">低头思故乡</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Night Thought</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The bright moonlight</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">in front of the bed</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">appears like frost</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">on the ground I look up</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">at the Autumn moon, and</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">lowering my head</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I think of home.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Li Bai 李白 (701-762) of Tang</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It is now Mid Autumn Festival </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="st">中秋節</span>. A time when people gaze at the moon, eat mooncakes and drink tea. It is a time of reunion and gathering of both family and crops. A time of thanksgiving for the harvest.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I like this Chinese festival for several reasons. Firstly our tea garden name is Jun Chiyabari and in Nepali Jun means moon or moonlight. So there is immediate connection. Then the other connection is with drinking tea and eating mooncakes. As a person involved with tea, what more can I say about drinking tea? Finally, last but not the least, I love autumn. Always have. I can't ask for more than a festival at the beginning of autumn with all its layers!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Image: Moonrise over Jun Chiyabari (2012) at Nigale, Hile-Dhankuta. </span></div>
Lochanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10199458132493413422noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5969724950826892280.post-49664339466562273272013-09-11T14:13:00.000+06:002013-09-11T14:15:15.311+06:00Creativity Uncaged<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>A far croonin' is pullin' me away<br />As take I wi' my cromack to the road.<br />The far Coolins are puttin' love on me<br />As step I wi' the sunlight for my load.</i></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- "The Road to the Isles" - The famous traditional song from Scotland.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A firefly in a bamboo cage is brought to my table. The cage is lifted. Lo and behold! The firefly turns into the most delectable morsel of what Italians call </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="st"><i>Frutti di Mare</i></span>. With the help of chopsticks it goes slowly into my mouth and I am transported into seventh heaven. Although a part of me wishes to have just admired this beautiful creation, cage and all for hours.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is when I see such "Tongue-gasmic Food Porn" as CNN called the food scene in Tokyo that I remember the Scottish song taught to us in high school by my music teacher, Mrs. P Murray. Fond memories of Scotland lures the traveller back in the same manner that I am repeatedly lured back to the islands........</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>............."The blue islands are pullin' me away<br />Their laughter puts the leap upon the lame<br />The blue islands from the Skerries to the Lews<br />Wi' heather honey taste upon each name."</i> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Images: At Chinzanso Tokyo 椿山荘 (May 2013)</span> </span></div>
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Lochanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10199458132493413422noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5969724950826892280.post-90200304191000674672013-09-09T11:05:00.000+06:002013-09-09T15:40:58.676+06:00Red Snow<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>For you,</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>I went out to the fields</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>to pick the first spring greens-</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>all the while on my sleeves</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>a light snow falling.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- Emperor Kōkō 光孝天皇 Kōkō-tennō (830 – August 26, 887) the 58th Emperor of Japan. From The Ogura Hyakunin Isshu </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="st">小倉百人一首</span>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In Nepal red is an auspicious colour. It is a the colour of life and vibrancy. Brides wear red when they get married and not the white like in the western tradition where it symbolises purity. We put red tika on our foreheads as a blessing. And women wear red during Teej festival rejoicing the joy of life. Yes, red is definitely my colour of choice.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In Japan I have seen red being used in a different way than I am used to. More sparingly and with that typical finesse that is so natural in Japanese culture. A bench with red blanket set in a sea of green. Red bridges over babbling brooks are more common, but I do not know why they are coloured so. Or a red mat under the zen-black of a tea ceremony set. I could go on and on. Nuanced use of red creates a dramatic effect. One is drawn not so much to the red per se but to the totality of the scene. That splash of red serves to focus the visual sensation of the looker but actually accentuates the scene.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I went into a dark forest of green and found splashes of red. Perhaps that is the light snow falling on me. I am thankful for that red snow.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Images: At Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo 椿山荘 (May 2013)</span></div>
Lochanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10199458132493413422noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5969724950826892280.post-87429022520563602292013-06-19T16:28:00.000+06:002013-06-19T16:28:16.707+06:00Bridging the Stones<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">You would be forgiven if you thought that Kurume 久留米市 ,a small city in Kyushu, had nothing going for it. Till about a year ago, I had not even heard about it though, unwittingly, over the years I had been using its most famous product.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Recently I got an opportunity to visit Kurume. For such a small place its list of achievements is impressive indeed. Indigo dyed cloth called Kurume Kasuri, </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">invented by a young girl named Inoue Den, is famous throughout Japan. As is ramen noodles and pork soup of Kurume.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Bridgestone tyre company was founded in Kurume. Over the years I had been using tyres from this company without any knowledge of where and how the company had been established. The first Japanese American millionaire, </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">George Shima,</span></span> was born in Kurume. At one time he accounted for 85% of California's potato crop and was called the Potato King. Singer and actress Seiko Matsuda and TV personality Rena Tanaka are also from Kurume. And these are just a few....there are others.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Not bad for a small city of 300,000 people! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My visit was really short and in this short time I was taken by my friend to see ruins of Kurume castle of the Arima clan. There one can still see the walls built with massive stones and can get an idea of how extensive it must have been. Inside, only </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sasayama Shrine remains. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In between we managed to squeeze time for tea and ramen and a visit to the most friendly antique shop. At the end of the day, products made of Kurume Kasuri was in my bag too. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What makes Kurume tick? The university set in its midst? Or the working culture? Can do attitude? Its friendly people? I am not sure but I am pretty sure that it will continue to produce some fine people and products.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Top: Stained glass window at Kurume station</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Second from top: Tea and sweets at a tea room in Kurume</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Third from top: A traditional Japanese Torii </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="t_nihongo_kanji" lang="ja">鳥居</span></span> at the Kurume castle leading to the shrine. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(The gate is symbolic of the transition from the profane to the sacred in a Shinto shrine)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Bottom: Looking down from the castle rampart.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">May 2013</span></span></div>
Lochanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10199458132493413422noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5969724950826892280.post-34501835357856720402013-06-15T18:25:00.000+06:002013-06-15T18:25:15.339+06:00Tea Space-time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P2PmXfU-cI4/UbwxBB_OH9I/AAAAAAAAEys/RGFeaq0x12U/s1600/DSC_0581japan-20130525_124949.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P2PmXfU-cI4/UbwxBB_OH9I/AAAAAAAAEys/RGFeaq0x12U/s400/DSC_0581japan-20130525_124949.JPG" width="400" /> </a> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EZ84aS5_IKw/UbwyNcuNjUI/AAAAAAAAEzQ/x4AyXBlkHks/s1600/DSC_0589japan-20130525_130418.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EZ84aS5_IKw/UbwyNcuNjUI/AAAAAAAAEzQ/x4AyXBlkHks/s400/DSC_0589japan-20130525_130418.JPG" width="265" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EONiZplPA-w/UbwwxoBX3xI/AAAAAAAAEyk/qI-I8Zd3baU/s1600/DSC_0587japan-20130525_130121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EONiZplPA-w/UbwwxoBX3xI/AAAAAAAAEyk/qI-I8Zd3baU/s400/DSC_0587japan-20130525_130121.JPG" width="400" /></a> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> 間 is an interesting character in Japanese. Till writing this blogpost I thought it only meant a door or an entrance. Apparently it can also be used in conjunction with space, time, interval, pause, leisure, room, apartment amongst other words!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So when I was invited for a rendezvous over tea at Chacha-No-Ma 茶茶の間 I thought the meaning of the name of the tea room was a "Gateway to Tea", though I was confused why there were two characters for tea in the name, 茶茶. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Chacha-No-Ma was a really pleasant experience and the company made it more pleasurable. The tea brewing master of the house, Kitagawa san </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="short_text" id="result_box" lang="ja"><span class="">北川</span><span class="">さん</span></span>, was very much on top of the game and gave a skillful performance with the brew. One can produce the best tea in the world but if the brewing is incorrect then all the effort of the people in making that tea is really wasted: from the time the tea plant was in the nursery, to planting and taking care of the bush through the years and the efforts of the girls plucking the teas and the tea master and the helpers making that tea. Not to speak of the logistics.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For me, </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">most serendipitous thing was</span> when I asked him which teas he liked, he replied, without much hesitation, that he really liked teas from Jun Chiyabari.That was music to my ears!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After he found
out that I was from Jun Chiyabari, he brewed various other
interesting and delicious Japanese teas including Goishi-cha 碁石茶 or the
so called Japanese style Pu-erh tea from Shikoku. And also a most delicious infusion of green tea with lavender, mint and other ingredients which I shall keep secret. But, as can be seen from the images, there is no secret that I also enjoyed the matcha ice cream. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Perhaps the true meaning of </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Chacha-No-Ma 茶茶の間 is "The Wormhole to Tea Space-time continuum". And the double chacha </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">茶茶 in the name? Perhaps, like many things in astrophysics, we are destined never understand that either!</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Images:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">At the tea room, </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Chacha-No-Ma 茶茶の間 in Omotesando, Tokyo with Kitagawa san (May 2013)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">http://www.chachanoma.com/</span></div>
Lochanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10199458132493413422noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5969724950826892280.post-87289743137758461612013-06-12T11:34:00.000+06:002013-06-12T11:34:51.378+06:00Ebony & Ivory<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Ebony and ivory,<br />
Live together in perfect harmony,<br />
Side by side on my piano keyboard,<br />
Oh, Lord, why don't we?</span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Lyrics: Paul McCartney </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sung by Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Released March 1982</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In Shizuoka </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="st">静岡県 I came across some really fascinating tea bushes. In a large field there were hundreds of different tea cultivars. Within that, one small section had some tea bushes with really </span> dark leaves and another section had white / creamish / yellow leaves. In a sea of green it was easy to make out the cream coloured leaves from a distance. Just a few metres away was this patch with really dark leaves which was equally if not more impressive. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Surely they were different cultivars and both were really interesting for me. Unfortunately due to language difficulty I could not ask which variety these two were. Due to confidentiality issues I cannot reveal the exact location where these two grow in perfect harmony.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Just a small thank you to all those who made it possible for me to see Ebony and Ivory.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Images: Two different tea cultivars in Shizuoka, Japan. (May 2013)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"></span>
Lochanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10199458132493413422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5969724950826892280.post-87531866039135055142013-04-04T09:07:00.001+06:002013-04-04T09:07:55.475+06:00Himalayan Evergreen 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-91xFQ16QHfY/UVzneiIaYDI/AAAAAAAAEm0/7HcHsVzcf2A/s1600/DSC_0026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-91xFQ16QHfY/UVzneiIaYDI/AAAAAAAAEm0/7HcHsVzcf2A/s400/DSC_0026.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zXTYoN7rD7k/UVznfffoViI/AAAAAAAAEm8/ODIyVmCSoWA/s1600/DSC_0032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zXTYoN7rD7k/UVznfffoViI/AAAAAAAAEm8/ODIyVmCSoWA/s400/DSC_0032.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Listening to the wind, to the rain,</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">the day of Qingming fleeing,</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">I try to write, like an earlier poet,</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">an ode to buried petals....</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">-Wu Wenying<span style="font-size: small;"> (ca. 1212 - ca. 1272) Wu was a poet during the Song dynasty. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Yesterday I tried Himalayan Evergreen from Jun Chiyabari. This particular one was </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">from <span style="font-size: small;">the </span></span>2012</span> <span style="font-size: small;">spring harvest.</span></span></span> Himalayan Evergreen is a tea that is really popular and well liked by customers all over the world. <span style="font-size: small;">E</span>ven in a country like Japan where you get the best green teas, <span style="font-size: small;">this <span style="font-size: small;">tea is well liked</span>.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">The liquor was very light and very delica<span style="font-size: small;">te. <span style="font-size: small;">I</span></span>n the mouth it was almost sweet with no vegetal <span style="font-size: small;">taste </span>that is so common in green teas. The after taste <span style="font-size: small;">left a <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">lingering grape flavour</span></span></span> which reminded me of a very special green tea that I had had near <span style="font-size: small;">Mariko </span>in Shizuoka in 2012. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Image: Himalayan Evergreen<span style="font-size: small;"> 2012 (April 2013)</span></span></span></div>
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<br /><br />Lochanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10199458132493413422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5969724950826892280.post-90147265064988292692013-04-01T17:52:00.000+06:002013-04-01T18:19:37.331+06:00Beitou 北投區, Taiwan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zCLoo7cGh0Q/UVlpXu1PZBI/AAAAAAAAEmU/7ogsBmG8gXo/s1600/DSC_0206.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zCLoo7cGh0Q/UVlpXu1PZBI/AAAAAAAAEmU/7ogsBmG8gXo/s400/DSC_0206.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-17fDO30OwbM/UVlpaVQ6nAI/AAAAAAAAEmc/rt6dtVCqQds/s1600/DSC_0212.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></span></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Now , the pavilion deserted,</span></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">there is no trace of her,</span></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">only the swallows twittering about bygones.</span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">- Xin Qiji </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">(28 May 1140–1207)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Xin was a Chinese poet, military leader, and statesman during the Song dynasty. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Beitou 北投區 is the famous hot springs district of Taipei. While it is always nice to spend a night <span style="font-size: small;">or two at one of the hot spring hotels, the thing that really caught my eye was this aesthetically pleasing turn of the century red brick and wooden planks building. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Beitou Hot Spring Museum was originally built as a public bathing house exactly 100 years ago in 1913 during the Japanese era in Taiwan. As <span style="font-size: small;">a result it is </span>a wonderful fusion of <span style="font-size: small;">European and Japanese styles.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">The ground floor is in <span style="font-size: small;">European style complete with red bricks exterior and stained glass windows. <span style="font-size: small;">T</span>he <span style="font-size: small;">first floor is Japanese and <span style="font-size: small;">has this big hall</span> wi<span style="font-size: small;">th tatami mats</span>. <span style="font-size: small;">Parts of the<span style="font-size: small;"> exterior of the first floor are covered in wooden plan<span style="font-size: small;">ks.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">I wonder if <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">one of the stained <span style="font-size: small;">glass is a depiction of Fuji<span style="font-size: small;">-</span>san</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="st">富士山. Or is that just<span style="font-size: small;"> my imagination?</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="st"><span style="font-size: small;">Images: Exterior and interior of Bei<span style="font-size: small;">tou Hot Spring Museum. (January 2013)</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
Lochanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10199458132493413422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5969724950826892280.post-74516399483401794782013-03-17T14:04:00.000+06:002013-03-17T14:04:34.368+06:00Chitwan: Paradise & Opportunity Lost <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v81XmU6YQaE/UUVtlQBvqCI/AAAAAAAAEks/8Gg6JTeyAfY/s1600/chitwan+march+11-14+026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v81XmU6YQaE/UUVtlQBvqCI/AAAAAAAAEks/8Gg6JTeyAfY/s400/chitwan+march+11-14+026.jpg" width="400" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JQ3WxWbyzqA/UUVtlATOWkI/AAAAAAAAEkk/xFV7hW8fZuc/s1600/chitwan+march+11-14+128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JQ3WxWbyzqA/UUVtlATOWkI/AAAAAAAAEkk/xFV7hW8fZuc/s400/chitwan+march+11-14+128.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fElFnPb9hiU/UUVtvsNd-hI/AAAAAAAAElE/GMLksveTuV0/s1600/chitwan+march+11-14+173.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fElFnPb9hiU/UUVtvsNd-hI/AAAAAAAAElE/GMLksveTuV0/s400/chitwan+march+11-14+173.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nMk52Fqb1ko/UUVtwzaQpqI/AAAAAAAAElM/eopYOYoiuWw/s1600/chitwan+march+11-14+172.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nMk52Fqb1ko/UUVtwzaQpqI/AAAAAAAAElM/eopYOYoiuWw/s400/chitwan+march+11-14+172.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the mid 1980's we established a </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">jungle lodge (Narayani
Safari) at the outskirts of Royal Chitwan National Park. The lodge
itself was located on a bluff overlooking Rapti River and the national park
beyond. </span>For many years till mid 2000's we operated this property till the political situation forced our hands.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When we started, we had been given the permission to operate our own elephants and conduct jungle activities inside the park after paying royalties and other fees like the other lodges inside the park. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At that time, the explicit understanding between the government: Forestry Ministry, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">King Mahendra Trust </span> et al and us was that it was to be a new model for the park and tourism. If successful this model was to be implemented on all existing properties inside the park. The time period for its implementation was to be the next 15-20 years. The idea was that LIMITED jungle activities including elephant rides were to be operated inside after paying royalties and fees but no hotel or lodge or private motorised vehicles were to operate inside the park itself. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Narayani Safari experiment succeeded beyond our wildest imaginations mating good environmental practices with high quality tourism.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the mid 2000's we exited the hotel business and the property changed hands. Recently in March 2013 I went back to Narayani Safari for the first time since this change of ownership. While it was good to see the improvements in the lodge itself, the state of jungle activities has regressed much to the detriment of the country and the tourism industry due to political pressure from various groups, inability to act swiftly and decisively and the lack of political will to do the right but difficult thing. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I doubt that the overall experience of the tourists would make them want to come back again to what was once the best wild life experience this side of East Africa. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Images March 2013</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Top: Narayani Safari outdoor dining area</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Elephant ride and viewing the wildlife (rhinos, rose ringed parakeets on kapok trees, peacock and spotted deer) in the community forest outside the national park</span></div>
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Lochanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10199458132493413422noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5969724950826892280.post-22015086269426010422013-03-14T18:20:00.000+06:002013-03-14T18:20:25.955+06:00Definitely Pre Qingming 清明節<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_00_pGI175k/UUG4xERhkEI/AAAAAAAAEkE/AjNZQ7VLMsA/s1600/chitwan+march+11-14+258.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_00_pGI175k/UUG4xERhkEI/AAAAAAAAEkE/AjNZQ7VLMsA/s400/chitwan+march+11-14+258.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fy-FU3gN9TE/UUG4xfZPhbI/AAAAAAAAEkU/B7fv04j2YX0/s1600/chitwan+march+11-14+263.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fy-FU3gN9TE/UUG4xfZPhbI/AAAAAAAAEkU/B7fv04j2YX0/s400/chitwan+march+11-14+263.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="zh">清明時節雨紛紛</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="zh"><span lang="zh">路上行人欲斷魂</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="zh"><span lang="zh"><span lang="zh">借問酒家何處有</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="zh"><span lang="zh"><span lang="zh"><span lang="zh">牧童遙指杏花村</span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="zh"><span lang="zh"><span lang="zh"><span lang="zh">Heavy rain<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">drops fall like tears on Qingming</span>;</span></span></span></span></span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="zh"><span lang="zh"><span lang="zh"><span lang="zh">The mourner's heart is breaking on his way.</span></span></span></span></span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">When asked where could a tavern be found<span style="font-size: small;">,</span></span></span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="zh"><span lang="zh"><i><span lang="zh"><span lang="zh">A cowherd points yonder to Xing Hua (Apricot flower) Village. </span> </span></i> </span> </span> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- Du Mu 杜牧 (803–852)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In Nepal we do not celebrate Qingming festival 清明節. However every tea lover worth his salt knows the importance of this Chinese festival in the world of tea. What that is, I leave it to you to find out! Along the way, please find out about Du Mu who wrote that poem above and Zhang Zeduan 張擇端 (1085-1145) who painted the famous Qingming scroll. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The festival itself is dedicated to the honour of ancestors. Families visit the burial grounds of their ancestors to pay their respects.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This blogpost and the images of tea from Jun Chiyabari's very first day of production is dedicated to all tea lovers worldwide and to our respected ones to guide us in the days ahead. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A word of apology. The poem above had been posted in one of my earlier blogposts.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Images: Tea from the very </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">first day of production. (March 2013)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Top: Dry tea leaves </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mid: The liquor after 5 minutes of brewing</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bottom: Infused leaves</span></div>
Lochanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10199458132493413422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5969724950826892280.post-71043937548827742862013-03-09T12:17:00.000+06:002013-03-09T12:19:28.596+06:00Ephemerality: Remembering Spring 2011<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RB9hLiBqBSo/UTmLfKXrVrI/AAAAAAAAEi8/7xa6cZx00IY/s1600/2011+March+Japan+187.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RB9hLiBqBSo/UTmLfKXrVrI/AAAAAAAAEi8/7xa6cZx00IY/s400/2011+March+Japan+187.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2oPheaQyrdQ/UTmLqZ0McdI/AAAAAAAAEjk/BCbe8AimyaA/s1600/2011+March+Japan+296.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2oPheaQyrdQ/UTmLqZ0McdI/AAAAAAAAEjk/BCbe8AimyaA/s400/2011+March+Japan+296.jpg" width="400" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zNx_mLDSK5I/UTmLthhN0MI/AAAAAAAAEjs/MXuqBZHRa9o/s1600/2011+March+Japan+354.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zNx_mLDSK5I/UTmLthhN0MI/AAAAAAAAEjs/MXuqBZHRa9o/s400/2011+March+Japan+354.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--luR0YmOU1Y/UTmLt3AUMwI/AAAAAAAAEjw/BS4XkHY9akk/s1600/2011+March+Japan+375.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--luR0YmOU1Y/UTmLt3AUMwI/AAAAAAAAEjw/BS4XkHY9akk/s400/2011+March+Japan+375.jpg" width="400" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u7eDdEPXe54/UTmLiSQP94I/AAAAAAAAEjE/T5ocak_LXrc/s1600/2011+March+Japan+188.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u7eDdEPXe54/UTmLiSQP94I/AAAAAAAAEjE/T5ocak_LXrc/s400/2011+March+Japan+188.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yours is not a song</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">we hear only once in a while,</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">little cuckoo.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Though we listen all our lives</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Your every song surprises.</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- Ki no Tomonori </span>紀 友則 <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> ca. .850 – ca. 904 from early Heian era </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="t_nihongo_kanji" lang="ja">平安時代</span></span>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Beginning of March 2011 was just another month. A routine spring time. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Whether it was early spring blossoms or ladies taking instructions at Nagoya Castle. Some days it snowed and when it did not, people enjoyed sunshine at Ginza that had been turned over to the pedestrians. Or they took advantage of the fine weather to visit Meiji Shrine before returning for tea of coffee at Omotesando. Just a normal spring time before the flowering of Sakura and the beloved and fun filled hanami </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="t_nihongo_kanji" lang="ja">花見. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="t_nihongo_kanji" lang="ja"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="t_nihongo_kanji" lang="ja"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I did the same when I had free time: went to Nishi Tama, visited Meiji shrine, enjoyed Ginza bereft of vehicles and spent time at Omotesando. And yes, I went to Nagoya to meet friends and customers.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Little did we suspect the demons under the ocean that were about to be unleashed turning an elysian spring into hell on 11 March. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="short_text" id="result_box" lang="ja"><span class="">In remembrance of Tohoku 東北地方太平洋沖地震。</span></span></span><span class="short_text" id="result_box" lang="ja"><span class=""></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Images: From Nagoya and Tokyo few days before 11 March 2011</span></div>
Lochanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10199458132493413422noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5969724950826892280.post-21536570142530437032013-03-01T10:24:00.002+06:002013-03-01T10:24:56.236+06:00Nepal Bleeds<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-F95LoQYIRrk/UTAqMOTSsgI/AAAAAAAAEiM/RfH1T4ZmPPo/s1600/1-4+February+2013+059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-F95LoQYIRrk/UTAqMOTSsgI/AAAAAAAAEiM/RfH1T4ZmPPo/s400/1-4+February+2013+059.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YBEjXZynw6c/UTAqTLXNyZI/AAAAAAAAEis/dSzoMUDE6Zg/s1600/1-4+February+2013+063.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YBEjXZynw6c/UTAqTLXNyZI/AAAAAAAAEis/dSzoMUDE6Zg/s400/1-4+February+2013+063.jpg" width="400" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IRoxvEmrvqo/UTAqM79ZYDI/AAAAAAAAEiU/0JENIEZIdLU/s1600/1-4+February+2013+069.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IRoxvEmrvqo/UTAqM79ZYDI/AAAAAAAAEiU/0JENIEZIdLU/s400/1-4+February+2013+069.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-luWPzwhmKfA/UTAqRhApIRI/AAAAAAAAEik/tX6Qtkkj-bE/s1600/1-4+February+2013+070.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-luWPzwhmKfA/UTAqRhApIRI/AAAAAAAAEik/tX6Qtkkj-bE/s400/1-4+February+2013+070.jpg" width="400" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YJn0FZrKyBU/UTAqRQlSU7I/AAAAAAAAEic/rKz2VqN4R9c/s1600/1-4+February+2013+077.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YJn0FZrKyBU/UTAqRQlSU7I/AAAAAAAAEic/rKz2VqN4R9c/s400/1-4+February+2013+077.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Singular lack of compassion and compunction is a hallmark of a violent society. More so when violence is committed against those who have no voice.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Images: Ilam, 2013</span> <br />
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<br />Lochanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10199458132493413422noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5969724950826892280.post-27489702459285136192013-02-19T11:42:00.000+06:002013-02-19T16:03:09.368+06:00Museum Tea<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Dyl4lCbnCyk/USMHpMjJ8sI/AAAAAAAAEhk/kGpFiSBnIkQ/s1600/DSC_0233.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Dyl4lCbnCyk/USMHpMjJ8sI/AAAAAAAAEhk/kGpFiSBnIkQ/s400/DSC_0233.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kDJ08TnXOd4/USMHn0Ki4gI/AAAAAAAAEhc/UYy55TVa_DE/s1600/DSC_0258.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kDJ08TnXOd4/USMHn0Ki4gI/AAAAAAAAEhc/UYy55TVa_DE/s400/DSC_0258.JPG" width="400" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p3H8qlkebiE/USMHjx9Vi8I/AAAAAAAAEhU/orHuQKCxCAU/s1600/DSC_0255.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p3H8qlkebiE/USMHjx9Vi8I/AAAAAAAAEhU/orHuQKCxCAU/s400/DSC_0255.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4ogYQZaMUWA/USMHYzdCuPI/AAAAAAAAEg0/yeqcFS8WjF8/s1600/DSC_0229.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4ogYQZaMUWA/USMHYzdCuPI/AAAAAAAAEg0/yeqcFS8WjF8/s400/DSC_0229.JPG" width="400" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e9_Gmas96d0/USMHYNyUKiI/AAAAAAAAEgk/ABe1b_FBSAM/s1600/DSC_0230.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e9_Gmas96d0/USMHYNyUKiI/AAAAAAAAEgk/ABe1b_FBSAM/s400/DSC_0230.JPG" width="400" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2Qr2qT-06CE/USMHeySshNI/AAAAAAAAEg8/mfacyFsTuV0/s1600/DSC_0232.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2Qr2qT-06CE/USMHeySshNI/AAAAAAAAEg8/mfacyFsTuV0/s400/DSC_0232.JPG" width="400" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-goUVtVppdhY/USMHYUdryMI/AAAAAAAAEgo/GA2tU5OGERk/s1600/DSC+454.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-goUVtVppdhY/USMHYUdryMI/AAAAAAAAEgo/GA2tU5OGERk/s400/DSC+454.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jWn5q3mRRWQ/USMHjAK5eSI/AAAAAAAAEhM/z-Tx4rN8p90/s1600/DSC_0243.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jWn5q3mRRWQ/USMHjAK5eSI/AAAAAAAAEhM/z-Tx4rN8p90/s400/DSC_0243.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">National Palace Museum </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="zh">國立故宮博物院</span> in Taipei houses about 700,000 pieces of historical Chinese artifacts covering some 8000 years of Chinese history. This museum shares its roots with the Palace Museum in Beijing with the treasures being split as a result of the Chinese civil war. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Tea lovers can see examples of various tea ware from different eras of the Chinese history.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I would recommend anyone wishing to understand a bit of Chinese culture to start here. Be careful as it is a life long journey.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On the 4th floor of the museum is the Sanxitang 三希堂 Tea House which serves really delicious teas and Chinese snacks such as dumplings and Rice Cooked In Bamboo. Usually in such restaurants and cafes it is difficult to find good teas. Fortunately I was mistaken and was really surprised by the quality of tea served. My choice was the exquisite Jin Xuan </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">金萱 tea. But then, teas in Taiwan, like many other things, are usually amazing. </span></div>
Lochanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10199458132493413422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5969724950826892280.post-36231069059990404532013-02-12T03:00:00.000+06:002013-02-12T07:45:50.533+06:00Taiwan Seascape<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CWsmmh9f4Es/URdbp9ObsvI/AAAAAAAAEfM/0HHPTtjVhU4/s1600/DSC_0662.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CWsmmh9f4Es/URdbp9ObsvI/AAAAAAAAEfM/0HHPTtjVhU4/s400/DSC_0662.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fsm1MAsvX8M/URdb2LyrA-I/AAAAAAAAEfs/opUJx0uplGc/s1600/DSC_0782.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fsm1MAsvX8M/URdb2LyrA-I/AAAAAAAAEfs/opUJx0uplGc/s400/DSC_0782.JPG" width="400" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w8zRdUP4Pns/URdb0E6kYmI/AAAAAAAAEfk/yj89DbwOV30/s1600/DSC_0736.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w8zRdUP4Pns/URdb0E6kYmI/AAAAAAAAEfk/yj89DbwOV30/s400/DSC_0736.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3fCTAr3y7jo/URdb4ZpI1QI/AAAAAAAAEf8/bw2IOFj-gig/s1600/DSC_0820.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3fCTAr3y7jo/URdb4ZpI1QI/AAAAAAAAEf8/bw2IOFj-gig/s400/DSC_0820.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As a person from the mountains, I don't get to see oceans much. So seas and o</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">ceans hold a special fascination for me. Just love the sound of the waves and the general feeling of goodness of the oceans. Not to speak of seafood!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Seascape photography particularly difficult in my opinion. How to capture its vastness yet also the details of the surf as it crashes on to the beach? Point your camera in one direction and the ocean looks dull and grey but in a slightly different direction the same ocean will look blue. Unlike mountains it is constantly moving close up yet unchanging from a distance. Till recently I did not even know that photographs of the water and surf rolling back make better photographs than the waves crashing in though the latter is more dramatic in real life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Recently </span>I was fortunate enough to stay a day at a beautiful bed and breakfast place, Haiwan No 32 in Hualien, Taiwan.</span> <span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Gothic";"><a href="http://www.hw32.com/">http://www.hw32.com/</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Like most Taiwanese, the owner and staff were really friendly and nice. The view of the Pacific was quite stunning from here. Specially the sunrise. Unsurprisingly it was the perfect opportunity to practice ocean photography. I would love to go back there soon: for the hotel and its warm hospitality; for the views of the ocean; and to hone my skills in ocean photography. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Images: View of the Pacific in its various moods at Haiwan No 32, Hualien. (January 2013) </span></div>
Lochanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10199458132493413422noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5969724950826892280.post-71040533431999644832013-02-10T12:52:00.001+06:002013-02-10T12:52:13.326+06:00Taiwan Connections<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ytbo6SG9Ykg/URc6qXQqViI/AAAAAAAAEeA/QXz01qXK0Z4/s1600/DSC_0278.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ytbo6SG9Ykg/URc6qXQqViI/AAAAAAAAEeA/QXz01qXK0Z4/s400/DSC_0278.JPG" width="400" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bwwHKmBKbr0/URc6uIaW0sI/AAAAAAAAEeY/qCt6mtAQrOo/s1600/DSC_0282.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bwwHKmBKbr0/URc6uIaW0sI/AAAAAAAAEeY/qCt6mtAQrOo/s400/DSC_0282.JPG" width="400" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-epMe0OlLCEs/URc6pIMbHsI/AAAAAAAAEd4/Mt9fw_5bRIo/s1600/DSC_0275.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-epMe0OlLCEs/URc6pIMbHsI/AAAAAAAAEd4/Mt9fw_5bRIo/s400/DSC_0275.JPG" width="400" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ocL5cszGL2o/URc6ncPhAdI/AAAAAAAAEdw/N1un_dmaw1c/s1600/DSC_0274.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ocL5cszGL2o/URc6ncPhAdI/AAAAAAAAEdw/N1un_dmaw1c/s400/DSC_0274.JPG" width="400" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QeE4nDpHDOE/URc6yWshXvI/AAAAAAAAEek/c9dlbwPHRPg/s1600/DSC_0311.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QeE4nDpHDOE/URc6yWshXvI/AAAAAAAAEek/c9dlbwPHRPg/s400/DSC_0311.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Cu4-q5W-Hz4/URc6tsJTCWI/AAAAAAAAEeM/dsMDGL5xRZc/s1600/DSC_0289.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Cu4-q5W-Hz4/URc6tsJTCWI/AAAAAAAAEeM/dsMDGL5xRZc/s400/DSC_0289.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">At Buluowan in Taroko National Park </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="zh-Hant">太魯閣國家公園 </span> one can have a traditional aboriginal lunch. Specially interesting is "bamboo rice". I am not sure if they cook the rice inside the bamboo or they put it inside the bamboo after cooking.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Some of the colours and costume reminded me of Mizoram, Manipur and Nagaland. No wonder because this area is populated by Atayal </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="zh">泰雅 </span>aborigines of Taiwan. They are the descendant of the people from southern China and Northern Laos who crossed over to Taiwan about 7000 years ago. These areas are not too far from northern Burma.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">One does not realise it, but Taiwan is more south than Nepal. </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Latitudes from </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Kagoshima </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="t_nihongo_kanji" lang="ja">鹿児島県 </span></span>to Okinawa </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="t_nihongo_kanji" lang="ja">沖縄本島 is the same as</span></span></span></span> Nepal's latitude.</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Taiwan is further south. Kaoshiung is the same latitude as Calcutta. As a result even in mid January in the mountains one could already see cherry and other blossoms.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Images: At Bulowan Taroko National Park, Taiwan. January 2013.</span></div>
Lochanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10199458132493413422noreply@blogger.com0