Notes from recent audio book listening

Since my milestone of listening to 100 audio books in March 2023, I kept going. I read at about the same cadence, and select the audio books using the same criterion, nonfiction and available now. I like a few of the books, but none reached the level of love or resonate. One major outcome of the audio books in the last 12 month was that I was provided different perspectives on some familiar persons, institutions and events.

Fall and Rise is a book about 911. Through portraits of individuals involved in 911, both victims and villains, the book gave a personally relatable story of 911. It is poignant and fatalistic. One thing I did not  hear before was that 911 was the outcome of genius of evils! The other thing was that the book made me to think and probe into the physical root cause of the collapse of twin towers. 

The biographies I read included Napoleon's Plunder and the Theft of Veronese's Feast, Life with Picasso and Elizabeth the Queen. 

From Plunder I learned about Napoleon Bonaparte, French history and the Louvre museum where many historical art collections were from Napoleon's looting. 

Life with Picasso was a book written by Picasso's long time mistress Francoise Gilot. Despite acrimonious separation between Gilot and Picasso, The book had a good start, gave an accurate description of Picasso. Picasso had deep insight into art and life, and was a womanizer. Later chapters of the book, especially the last two, were more about trivia. The two quotes from Picasso according to the book that impressed me: If you can do 10, do 5, so you can handle it with ease and mastery. "I paint to disturb, not to harmonize"

Elizabeth the Queen, portraited the Queen very similar to what I read from other sources. The one surprise from the book was its negative description of Princess Dianna  - an emotionally unstable woman, and opportunist. 

The books with big or heavy topics include the battle of your brain, Uncovered, Magathreats, Nine Black Robes, and  A life on this Planet. I also listened a few books about bird watching - Mrs. Moreau's Warbler, the Homing Instinct, and A wing and a prayer.

Celebrating the Lunar New Year of Dragon

Lunar New Year is the biggest holiday in Chinese culture.  This year, the celebration is amplified as it heralds the Year of the Dragon according to the Chinese Zodiac

In Chinese culture, the dragon represents good luck, strength, health and also the male element Yang. The dragon is unique because it is the only mythical creature of all the animals in the Chinese zodiac and babies are born in the year of the dragon more than any other animal.

This Lunar New Year holds particular importance within my extended family, as two siblings share the honor of being born in the Year of the Dragon. To commemorate this occasion, we made the collective decision to gather in Singapore for a joyous reunion, welcoming the auspicious Year of the Dragon together.

Our celebration commenced with the heartwarming reunion of relatives at Changi Airport, marking the first time we convened on foreign soil to observe the Lunar New Year. The air was thick with festive spirit as we embarked on our journey of familial bonds and cultural festivities.

Singapore China Town is a focal point for the lunar new year celebration. Every corner was adorned with vibrant decorations, immersing us in the celebratory ambiance as we savored a sumptuous dinner and strolled through illuminated streets, soaking in the essence of the holiday.

The enchanting Garden by the Bay emerged as a prominent focal point for Lunar New Year festivities, captivating us with its dazzling displays and immersive experiences.

Amidst the joyous reunions and cultural revelries, food took center stage, with lavish feasts gracing our tables both at home and in local eateries.

Venturing beyond the city's confines, we explored Sentosa Island, relishing serene beach walks, delving into history at Fort Siloso, and embarking on invigorating hikes through the lush woodlands of Imbiah Walk. Our guests reveled in Singapore's balmy climate, a welcome respite from the biting cold of their homelands. Multiple visits to the Singapore Botanic Gardens and refreshing swims in the pool further enriched our experience.

A highlight of our Lunar New Year celebration was witnessing the majestic flying dragons grace the skies above Marina Bay on the eve of the New Year, despite a gentle rain shower. The sight of intricately crafted drones forming magnificent dragon shapes illuminated the night, symbolizing the auspicious start of the Year of the Dragon.

Rainforests at South Island, New Zealand - by Lily

The South Island of New Zealand is known for its glaciers, colorful lakes, and beautiful landscapes, but I found myself more drawn to its mystical forests. Perhaps surprise was a factor, the lush green of the temperate rainforest along the west coast was both soothing and refreshing to the eyes. 

Native trees here have millions of years of history. The growth of the trees can be quite slow, as with little topsoil the trees will need to get water and nutrients from the air to grow. So, one can easily spot thousand-year-old trees, and they take on different forms that carry the history of their growth. 

In the rainforest, there are a lot of ferns and fern trees at the bottom layer. Mosses grow everywhere covering tree trunks, live and dead. 

Walking through the forest, I can easily let my imagination lead the way. Do you see my giraffe here? Xmas tree, cow head, Chandelier up in the tree.

An ancient, mythic, and mesmerizing place!

a giraffe?

A charismas tress on the ground

cow head

Chandelier 

Kayaking on Lake Mapourika

We had a guided kayak tour with Franz Josef Wilderness tour on Monday, December 18, 2023, on Lake Mapourika. The glacier lake is very close to Franz/Josef  Glaciers, but due to its orientation and surrounding landscape, the lake would reflect the further away Fox glacier on a good day.

 One interesting thing was that we actually had a sit-in kayak, with skirt to cover the cabin to prevent water spilled in, instead of typical sit-on-top kayak for tourists at most places, It was the first time I had the kayak skirt on since early days kayaking with Cutter Aquatics.

The guided tour included 2 tandem kayaks for the tourists, us plus two solo travelers. Two guides each paddled a solo kayak. The launching place is at the corner of the big lake, with a cove on left hand side. We got into the water first and paddled around the cove. There were a family of ducks and ducklings, and a snow heron. 

Then we paddled across the lake in open water to the other side of the lake  - where ancient rainforest resides, as well as long fined eels. The trees were easy to see but eels were not.

We paddled along the lake shores for a while,  and had some fun paddling through a small "gate" formed by a bent tree. 

The next main activity was to paddle into a "hidden" stream. The area around the stream is the designated conservation area for the rarest kiwi - a flightless bird and New Zealand national bird. The guide told us the area was overpopulated with Kiwi, but we did not see a single one of them.

The stream is narrow and winding, but the water was incredibly still, mirror like. It is a good place for kayaking, bird watching and tranquility.

The view was beautiful, the lake was peaceful in the morning but wind started to blow near noon time. The paddling was easy. 

It was a informative and pleasant tour.

With a kayak skirt on

a snow heron in flight

the morning cloud started to break apart

ancient trees on lake shore

a pair of dragon flies were mating on our kayak

paddle through a tunnel formed by a bent tree

A hidden stream on the other side of the lake from launching spot

the team at the turn around point which is a bit wider

raised paddles