The World’s Most Magical Street and Valuable Lotus

It didn’t attract so much attention until Spanish Travel Website BoredPanda ranked this Taiwan country road on “15+ Of The World’s Most Magical Streets Shaded By Fowers and Trees” in 2015, the only one in Asian countries, even Japan’s cherry flowers didn’t surpass it! 

(Source: http://www.boredpanda.com/tree-flower-shaded-streets/#post10)

The Bombax ceiba path located at Baihe district, Tainan Taiwan now has become more popular than before, and tourists influx to witness these trees during the flower booming season, which is only about 2 weeks in every April though.

It is amazing to find the Bombax ceiba street ranked at the top 11 among the most 15, let me wonder that how the reporter discover the beautiful scenery? Have had he/she been here and personally seen the orange colour lighted up the street? 

In Baihe district, you can see it has still remained primitive villages in most areas.

Not so many high-rise buildings but farmers, trees, and different species of birds fill in this quiet place.

Except for Bombax ceiba, it is traditionally famous for its precious asset: lotus, which has been Baihe’s major economic crop for over 30 years. Its seeds and roots provide more than 20 tons of production, making its contributions in the consuming market. 

Lotus, coming out of the muddy waters without any spot, elegantly standing on the surface of the ponds and swing by summer wind, is often described as pristine, unstained and noble. 

That's why in the Buddhist world, Guanyin Bodhisattva loves lotus so much and sits on the lotus blossom.

Most importantly, every part of lotus has precious value. According to Chinese medical guidebooks, lotus seeds can cool down summer’s heat for your body, and its leaf can be used to wrap rice, prawn or other ingredients to combine all the food together, melting fresh herbal flavour into your every bite. Lotus, really graceful and wonderful, isn't it? 

Meeting Richard Rogers in the Kaohsiung MRT Central Park Station

A French publication named “La Défense”, which I got for free from a theme Expo many years ago, introduces the constantly evolving of a great city in terms of its main buildings. With so many exquisite pictures within this book, it really intrigues me to explore more about architecture.

From this book, I read about the spirits of the millennium year has offered architects new prospects in their designs. I then go deeper to get the concept of Millenarianism from Wiki (Millennium is from the Latin mille, “one thousand” and annus, “Year”,) and understand how its main idea from the religious belief--the expectation of a new better future in the world, influence people. Therefore, to welcome Millennium, architecture is designed to display innovation, renewal with high-end technology and evolved materials, especially the shape of the building can be very surreal: tormented, curved, complex or out-of-box… beyond your imagination!

Among the superb Millennium-concept architecture, one of the great masters is Richard George Rogers, best known for his great work on the Pompidou Centre in Paris and Millennium Dome in London. Can you believe it? He once was dyslexic and was always at the bottom of his class in his early days, but he attended the AA (Architectural Association School of Architecture) in London later, and finally was rewarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize – architecture's highest honour! 

The Pompidou Centre in Paris, France (source:wikipedia)

Millennium Dome in London, UK (source: wikipedia)

His work is noted for the modernist and functionalist designs in high-tech architecture. Words like urbanism, controversial, sustainability, safety, and vitality, controversial and iconic are often used to describe his work. Luckily, there is one building in Taiwan- the Kaohsiung MRT Central Park Station-designed by British architect Richard George Rogers, Baron Rogers of Riverside. 

the Kaohsiung MRT Central Park Station

A mini water cycle pouring down in a waterfall off the top

Its surrounding natural landscape contrasting with the high-tech engineering science spreads out an ambience of hard and soft, urban and nature, speaking for our better future. 

"YES" and "NO" in My Summer Food Lists

This summer comes earlier and gets hotter than ever. We all know that the issue of global warming and EI Nino make climate changes, meteorologists have pointed out worrisome figures showing our earth is in danger. Such-and-such uncontrollable environmental threats are happening and we definitely have felt the change year by year.
And what I talk about summer here (Taiwan) means the temperature up to 30 Celsius degree or higher. It is hard to have a pleasant mood, a good appetite and sleep, also makes less productive in work. Exaggerate? No! Therefore, some basic “YES” and “NO” I recommend in summer diet to help live through insane hot summer.

The sun is still like a burning ball in the sunset moment in south Taiwan

Let's start with a cold drink. Fruit juice -- “YES”; beers —“NO” because if you sweat a lot, fruit juice help you get vitamin C, which supply your body with the recovery power and against the evil sunshine. For remark! Artificial juice is still “NO”; natural one is 100% “YES” !! And in fact, iced beer may bring you temporary happy while alcohol strips more water from your body after that.

"YES"--authentic pineapple juice 

Fruit juice is better than beers but artificial one is "NO"!

No appetites? Try some spicy food and herbal cuisine, let the colourful plant spice stimulate your eyesight, awake your tongue, active your stomach. Why not consider some Thailand or Korean food--YES, but when it comes to eat noodle, Japanese Ramenラーメン—“NO” (hot soup and comfort elements suitable for the winter!)

 

"YES" stimulate the tongue!  (photoed at Bangkok)

"YES" active the stomach!  (photoed at Bangkok)

"YES" to herbal cuisine, comfort cuisine!  (photoed at Seoul)

 "YES" Enjoy the eyesight!  (photoed at Blue Elephant, Bangkok)

Outdoor BBQ under the big killing sun?—“NO”; BBQ inside a restaurant with cozy air conditions?—“YES”! Please don't try to prepare all the materials by yourself, those chores will drive you crazy, remember, the reason is that we human being are not so patient and calm in such a hot weather. It is better just go to a nice restaurant to eat like a king with friends without leaving leftovers and dishes waiting the host to wash.

BBQ outside is extremely hard-work, "NO WAY!!  (photoed at Bangkok)

BBQ inside a nice restaurant with friends "YES" (photoed at Jeju island)

Last but not the least, we don't want to reject ice cream, which is born for the hot weather, isn’t it? So eat ice cream wisely, choose products consist of yogurt, fruit with low-fat and low- sugar. Because too much sugar only makes people feel thirstier. I would like to praise the Okinawa salty ice cream; it adds the sea salt making all the flavour balance and supply the essential need-salt for our body in a sweating season. So over-sweet ice cream—"NO"; but good-selected ice cream as I mentioned above —"YES"!!

It consists of only brown sugar and bulk of ice cubes, I know its popular...but I say NO!

Yukisio-salt ice cream for me is "YES" (photoed at Okinawa)

Simply DIY Fresh & Light Food

I am very sure that I don’t have a talent for cooking; my mother isn't a great cook, either. (Ha-ha, am just telling the truth!). Because of that, I assume that not everyone could cook well. But watching great and handsome chefs such as Jamie Oliva and Curtis Stone dealing with all the ingredients can be very enjoyable.

Jamie Oliver

Many years ago I bought my first English culinary book “Jamie's 30-Minute Meals”, he and his cuisine are very creative. He grew up cooking; his parents run a pub when he was a child. Now he even has a professional team to study the recipe, which puts emphasis on food nutrition and makes cooking simply for the public. I like the idea that he teaches us how to turn the leftover into another dish. Wasting food is guilty!!

Find Jamie Oliver’s recipes here:

http://www.jamieoliver.com/

(Source:http://www.kitchensourcebook.co.uk)

Take Home Chef-Curtis Stone

Having a chance to be invited by Curtis Stone to take him home and cook together or do the cooking under his instructions, that is definitely too exciting. I cannot believe all the participants can learn cooking well facing his smile and with his fun talks. But I like to see prentices getting nervous about involving the artist work. Again, cooking is never so easy!!! I can’t remember all the steps of a great dish no matter how many times I have seen…

                                    Source:http://ia.media-imdb.com/

Last week, I joined a culinary class, which teaches people how to make a nutritious sandwich in the coming hot summer. It would be suitable for those who don't want to get in a lot of trouble, like me.

I didn't pencil down any note because it seemed to really easy and quick to complete. And I don't need to make bread, dice, chop, shred, or peel anything, the ingredients are already there, and all I have to do is beautifully put them on the surface of the slice of toast, and sequentially add meat, vegetables(onions, tomatos...), various kinds of home-made salad dressing.

Finally, it is about the added-value issue, isn’t it? So just go grill these elements in order to combine them together with a wonderful checkered pattern. Then done and enjoy! This is really a culinary class for beginners to have some fun!

簡單的DIY新鮮輕食

🍵我很確定我沒有烹飪天賦;我母親也不是一個好廚師。（哈哈，我只是說實話！）。因此，我認為不是每個人都能作手好菜。但是看著像Jamie Oliva和Curtis Stone這樣優秀而英俊的廚師處理所有食材真的會非常愉快。

🍠傑米奧利弗

很多年前，我買了我的第一本英文烹飪書“Jamie's 30-Minute Meals”，他和他的菜很有創意。他從小就做飯;他的父母在他還是個孩子的時候經營一家酒吧。現在他甚至有一個專業的團隊來研究配方，著重在食物營養上，簡單地為公眾烹飪。我喜歡他教我們如何把剩下的菜變成另一道菜的想法。浪費食物是有罪的!!

在這裡找到Jamie Oliver的食譜：

http://www.jamieoliver.com/

（來源：HTTP：//www.kitchensourcebook.co.uk）

🍤把帥哥廚師帶回家 - 柯蒂斯斯通

有機會受到Curtis Stone的邀請帶他回家做飯或按照他的指示做飯，這絕對太令人興奮了。我簡直無法相信所有參與者都可以經由他的微笑和有趣的談話來學習烹飪。但我喜歡看到學徒對涉獵如藝術般的作品感到緊張的樣子。還有，烹飪從來都不是如此簡單！無論我見過多少次，我都記不起一道美食的所有步驟......

                                    出處：http：//ia.media-imdb.com/

🍖上週，我參加了一個烹飪課，教人們如何在即將到來的炎熱夏季製作營養三明治。它適合那些不想像我一樣怕很多麻煩的人。

🍕我沒有寫下任何筆記，因為它看起來非常容易和快速完成。我不需要做麵包，骰子，切碎，切碎或去皮任何東西，原料已經存在，我所要做的就是將它們精美地放在烤麵包片的表面上，然後依次加入肉，蔬菜（洋蔥，西紅柿......），各種自製沙拉醬。

🍞最後，它是關於(看起加)加值的問題，不是嗎？因此，只需將這些元素燒烤，就可以將它們與美妙的方格圖案結合在一起。然後完成並享受！這真的是一個烹飪課，初學者可以享受一些樂趣！🍴

The first British Consulate at Takao, Kaohsiung in Taiwan

Kaohsiung is the biggest harbour city in Taiwan. It is constantly evolving so you can always see new skyscrapers constructing there, also the hot weather and heavy industry make the city more dynamic and energetic. Ship, boat, yacht and ferry can be seen along the wharf and are used as transportation tools.

The British Consulate was originally set up inside a ship named “Ternate” (living and working on a ship isn’t a bad idea but less personal privacy!). In 1876, they started to build the official residence on the hill, with a trail path linking to the office in foot of the hill and completed to open in 1879.

When I enter this site, the first sight jumping out to me is one of the British icons--the Red Royal Postbox, standing in the facade of the building. 

The Takao British Consulate has a fine view facing the harbour, and it is next to the customs to provide easy access for consular affairs and commercial trade.

Walking inside the building, the red-brick building was reconstructed with a wooden, arched veranda in 1900, which was designed as a venue for receiving diplomatic envoys and guests.

I suppose that they once tried to cultivate some roses in the backyard to have a small British garden, but the weather in Kaohsiung is really too hot to keep such delicate flowers.

Not only has the British-style souvenir shop there, but it also offers British afternoon tea in the teahouse named Rose House upstairs (It was packed! no seats for me...).

See! those British afternoon tea utensils are there

Anyway, there is a great sense of history here, ranging from the unique British style buildings around the Takao harbour to the memorabilia displayed in the exhibition room.

If it is not enough, I would suggest get a ticket to have a flagship Journey -“Swinhoe Adventure” following Takao's first Consul - Robert Swinhoe's footsteps to recall the past!

 See more:

http://britishconsulate.khcc.gov.tw/eng/home01.aspx?ID=1

Trace the Dutch footprints in Eco Tour

Most people travel to Tainan for historical buildings and local delicacies, yet, if you like Eco Tour, Taijiang National Park is the place that has more species of mangrove in Taiwan, where the Sicao Green Tunnel is my favorite place.

I have been there several times when I received VIP foreigners from many countries for the Tainan government many years ago. Many of the visitors are the Dutch because they once owned this place in the 17th century (1624-1662), their legacies still remain here such as Fort Zeelandia (Anping Fort)the ancient Dutch named it “Orange” , which is from the Dutch royal family: House of Orange- Nassau at that time.



Behind Dazhong Temple, the Green Tunnel in the eco preserved area is formed by the only four mangrove species found in Taiwan: Rhizophora mucronata Lam, Kandelia candel(L.)Druce, Lumnitzera (Lumnitzera racemosa).

Along the river way, with views of the natural canopy, green sightings, and little crabs and unknown reptiles appearing on both sides of the path and under the mysterious river.

I once arranged a two-day trip for the Studio Classroom to Tainan,surely including this unexpectedly beautiful spot. And I still remembered one of them suddenly burst out “MY PRECIOUS”, as the magic scene got her into “The Lord of the Rings”.

And more mysterious is that the former Dutch ambassador Menno Goedhart, a strong, nice, generous and wisdom man, once claimed that there are some treasures still buried under the river by the Dutch during the war. 

Therefore, this is a place full of fun memories, and today I came to discover and explore it again, although the sailing route only took 30 minutes, I am always amazed by the wonderful green every time!