Archive for June, 2012


Red claw crayfish (left), and one of the nicest-to-eat lobster in the world (on the right).  Australian ‘lobster’ do not have the nippers/claws of the real lobster found in the Atlantic Ocean.  It’s interesting that Australia’s freshwater crayfish have the nippers.

The bulk of lobster eaten in Australian restaurants would be from Western Australia, where the quality is good.

Eastern Rock Lobster are caught in New South Wales, so Sydney would be the ideal place to seek them on sale next time you are in that part of the world.  Highly recommended. Current seafood store price is about NT $2500 per kilo, which can rise to over NT $3000 in peak demand times.

The freshwater crayfish is an aquaculture product since the rock lobster has not been successfully raised in captivity.

When I was much younger, and the editor of this magazine, my first big story covered a visit to a couple of beautiful islands, actually true atolls, close to the equator in what is now called the Federated States of Micronesia.  I’m now recycling the pictures on a new blog.  This might be of interest for anyone with friends studying Taiwanese aboriginal cultures.  There is a proven or at least illustrated DNA link between Polynesia and Taiwan which may answer the very old question of “where did the Polynesian people migrate from”?

http://realpolynesia.blogspot.com.au

 

MILITARY LOGO’S

(Top row) Military police; SWAT

(Centre row) Space or missiles; possibly Kinman Island; Mountain team?

(Below) Emergency medical team

There’s a couple of places I’ve found that sell these patches for collectors. Also military and police clothing, T-shirts and gadgets.

These came from a shop near one of the Ximen MRT exits, not far from the Armed Forces Museum.

 

CLICK PICTURE

Kaohsiung, in a cinema-department store complex.  Very delicious.

Food in Taiwan. Hotel breakfast included this delicious soup. (I stayed in the same hotel for three weeks). The free ice cream was also a very interesting idea. (Kids in Australia would go berserk with that).

(Kindness Hotels, Kaohsiung and Taitung).

CLICK HERE to play newsreel

Still pictures and video show Yan Ping Road North (window shopping) – a walk from the old city North Gate north to the first MRT (new one) with an unpronounceable name.   Yan Ping Road is significant as it was once the most fashionable area of Taipei – before Zongshiao East Road began.

Presumably the retail prices in Yan Ping Road would be good – if only for the cheaper rents for the buildings.  The variety from one shop to the next is entertaining and far beyond the scope of this simple video.  This only shows one side of the street too – the east side. I’ll eventually explore the west side and see if anything outstanding was overlooked.

NIGHT scenes are a protest organized against the importation of beef containing the leanness enhancing drug Ractopamine.

I read about the protest in Taipei Times and considered it might be worth a look.

The newspaper said protesters ‘would march to the President’s building’ – well, they marched in that direction,  but did not get there.

At a point near the 228 Peace Park a wall of police stopped the crowd in its tracks.  Senior police stood in front of their troops and the crowd  quietly dispersed.

Everyone should have been happy with the results, except the media perhaps (who love to report otherwise.  They can’t help it).

Footnote: (The TT newspaper is always available in the 7-11 and Family Mart type stores with TWO copies being delivered.  Recently only a single copy – not a good sign of circulation figures).

 Taipei Times sample story on local food for Americans.

http://taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2012/06/14/2003535266

CLICK HERE to play

Quite an amazing chance encounter to see this. Part of the procession entered the famous ‘snake alley’ section of the night market, (shown at the end).  Fireworks in the street always attracts me – especially as these are no longer in most Australian states.

The restaurant that specializes in ‘just desserts’ was mentioned in an earlier blog entry.

I hope you will enjoy this HD video, my first posted.  Images were with a Sony TX-9 camera.

CLICK FOR VIDEO 5.33sec

Taiwan’s bid to rejoin the United Nations was not the first attempt but this was the last.  We went to Kaohsiung and joined many thousands of others from all over the island.  It was a well-organized rally but failed to impress the United Nations sufficiently.

(With a new computer and extra RAM I decided to do this fresh edit.  The song and dance are most memorable).