Bright (This week's Photo Hunt theme)

I have to be honest: I almost decided not to take part in this week's Photo Hunt -- not because the theme was too difficult, mind; but, rather, due to my having discovered within the past 24 hours that some photos I had previously posted up on my blog have been stolen by -- and even had copyright claimed on them! -- by a bright spark (not!) of a blogger.

But then I got to thinking of how much I've enjoyed taking part in tnchick's Photo Hunt, and for more than a year now. (In fact, upon checking, I find that my first Photo Hunt entry -- 60 entries ago! -- was back on April 13, 2007!) So here I am, with another pair of photos -- this time on the theme of bright -- which I hope you guys and gals will enjoy checking out:-

Bright sunlight creates a sparkly effect
on the waters of Victoria Harbour

Spotted while on a hike that took in
Sai Kung East Country Park's Pak Tam Chung
Nature Trail and Sheung Yiu Country Trail
back in March -- bright red flowers
of the ivory coral tree that blooms in the spring

(Oh, and do please do excuse me if I'm a little slower in doing my visiting rounds this week(end) as I'm actually travelling during much of it! And yep, that's also why this entry is up earlier than usual and chances are high that I'll be on a plane when some of you are reading these very words... ;b)

Picture theft notice

Early on in my blogging 'career', I blogged -- among other things -- content theft after I discovered that some other bloggers had copied verbatem a popular blog entry of mine. Sadly, feel obliged to report that I've discovered that it's happened again -- this time with some photographs I took while out and about in Hong Kong.

Now, I have to admit that in my early days of blogging, I too was a bit uncertain about what constituted public domain, etc., with regards to photos. But never at any time would I take more than one photograph from a single website (other than my friend Brian's who has told me he's okay about my doing so!), never mind single blog entry -- unlike this blogging copycat -- who apart from taking photos of mine and putting up on another blog, also has the temerity to then claim copyright for them!!!

Oh, and by the way, you thief, that's not Sai Kung pier and the photos weren't taken on an Easter Weekend; rather, as my earlier blog entries that you took the photos from indicated, it's Wong Shek Pier and I visited around the turn of 2007/2008. Now that you've been discovered, I dare you to admit your guilt, take down those photos and/or apologize (preferably all three but even two out of three would satisfy me).

And to others: Sad but true, I have to admit that discoveries like this does make me wonder whether it's worthwhile, etc. posting up my photos to share with friends and friendly visitors since I risk being disappointed by some others of our fellow humans while doing so... (Oh, and for those who wondered, I was unable to leave a comment on that blog and there's no e-mail address posted there for one to contact the blogger. Hence my resorting to doing what I'm doing here on this blog entry.) :(

Rain, rain, go away...!

Rain clouds (and the Lion Rock in the distance)
can help make for quite the impressive sight

Normally, on a Wednesday morning like it is right now, I'd be out at work. Right now, however, I'm sitting in my apartment writing this blog entry. Why? Because, currently, as has been the case for the last 12 hours or so, Typhoon Warning Signal 8 is in effect. Indeed, the last time (i.e., a few seconds ago) that I checked at the Hong Kong Observatory's website, I saw the following:-

THE TROPICAL CYCLONE SIGNAL NO. 8 HAS BEEN ISSUED.
THE AMBER RAINSTORM WARNING SIGNAL WAS ISSUED AT 10:10 A.M.
THE LANDSLIP WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED.
THE SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT OF FLOODING IN NORTHERN NEW
TERRITORIES HAS BEEN ISSUED.

Sounds pretty scary, doesn't it?

From what I can myself observe through the apartment's windows and the balcony's glass door, though, indeed, there's quite a bit of rain falling. But, surprisingly, not that much wind -- nothing at all like could be seen battering Hong Kong in sections of Mud Child, a wonderful film from 1976 that's part of the Hong Kong Film Archive's ongoing as well as invaluable Care for our Community programme -- even if I can see the aerials on a nearby building moving more than usual!

Indeed, about the major indicator that things are not normal is that it's so quiet on my street and the one next to it that I can also see. Few people out and about and even fewer vehicles, especially public transportation (since bus service, etc. has actually been temporarily suspended!). Yeah, they sure do take their weather warnings seriously here...!

Hedonistic Osaka, ascetic Shosha-Zan Engyoji (photo-essay)

Should you have thought that the Osaka Aquarium photo-essay was the last you'd see from my recent Japan trip, here's one last one that I hope continues to give people a different view of Japan from the usual stereotypes conjured up by visions of the chrysanthemum and the sword, the geisha and the warrior. For better or worse though, have to admit that the pictures in this photo-essay nonetheless can't help perpetuate but certain other stereotypes: i.e., of Osaka being a foodie haven, and there being amazing pockets of Zen in the country -- like Shosha-Zan Engyoji (aka the Engyoji Temple on Mount Shosha)...
 

You know you're on Osaka's Dotonbori
when you see Kani-doraku's giant crab! :b

And you know you're in Kani-doraku when
you're presented with crab dishes like this one...

...and this delicious, rich plus creamy mix  
of baked cheese and crab roe :)

There's more than one fugu-ya (complete with a big
puffer fish mock-up to let you know it!) along Dotonbori
 -- but Zuboraya is the one that got my patronage

The Nio Mon gate along the pilgrimage path
up on Mount Shosha

Early 14th century Shoro (bell tower)
on Mount Shosha that's one of Japan's oldest
(and considered an "Important Cultural Property")

Buddha statue in the Engyoji temple grounds
that brought to mind the Great Buddha of Kamakura

A splash of color in the vicinity of the area of Engoyji
known as the Three Temples which
includes the 10th century Daikodo (great auditorium)
and 12th century Jikido that originally served as priests' lodging

Water (This week's Photo Hunt theme)

After a few weeks where I had to scramble about for appropriate photos for the tnchick-led Photo Hunt, here comes one for which I have plenty of pictures to choose from! Indeed, I have so many photos of water -- like I have so many photos taken while out hiking in Hong Kong that I've yet to put up -- that I had to narrow things down and did so by deciding to put up just this trio of shots in which water prominently figure in the picture, all of which were taken during each my three most recent Hong Kong hikes (all undertaken within the last two months).

For those who are not content to just admire the visuals and, instead, want to know what areas of Hong Kong the hikes took place and what you're seeing in the pictures, what's shown in the pictures (from top down) are:-

i) One of the 10 or so streams that the Lung Mun (Dragon Gate) Country Trail -- that goes through Tai Mo Shan and Shing Mun Country Parks, and which a couple of friends and I followed last Sunday -- passes over (as in this case) or through (as in others!) ;

ii) One of the scenic views -- this of a southeastern portion of Hong Kong Island -- that one is privy to when hiking on the Pottinger Peak Country Trail; and

iii) View looking out from Tung Lung Chau (East Dragon Island) looking north up to Clear Water Bay, the Clear Water Bay Peninsula and the New Territories beyond.

(And for those who haven't realized it yet: Yes, Hong Kong really does have its share of natural areas and beauty spots! :b )

Octopi in Osaka

An Osaka favorite -- takoyaki (octopus balls),
made from bits of octopus together with batter, etc.

A giant octopus, complete with
a takoyaki improbably affixed to one tentacle,
spied on Dotonbori!

I've just returned from my favorite eatery in Hong Kong -- not one serving Chinese food but, instead, a yakitori joint where I treat myself to sticks of tasty eats (including quails eggs, squares of tofu, portions of pork's neck, pumpkin, and asparagus wrapped in bacon along with a variety of different chicken parts) that go very well with some hot sake. So hot on one more experience which reminds me once again how much I love Japanese food, here's posting up another Japanese food-related blog entry: one which while not quite the Osaka Aquarium specimen and Dotonburi eats pairing I had threatened a couple of days back, still makes for an interesting photographic pairing! ;b

The amazing Osaka Aquarium (photo-essay)

The following may sound sick but if I had to describe in a nutshell what I did during my recent visit to Osaka, it's first go and see lots of fish and other aquatic life at the incredible Osaka Aquarium that is Japan's largest (with a water volume capacity of 11,000 tons) -- and surely best? -- and then follow that up by heading to the justifiably famous Dotonburi and eating a lot of relations of what we had ooh-ed and aah-ed over at the aquarium!

Even sicker is the fact that I toyed with the idea of doing a photo-essay that showed some of what I saw at the aquarium along with some of what I ate on my Dotonburi visit... But, as it turns out, have enough pictures from the aquarium to make up its own separate photo-essay. Consequently, you're spared what might have seemed to some to be a rather twisted set of snaps... ;b

View from the world's largest ferris wheel,
including of the Osaka Aquarium's colorful building

"What are you looking at?",
a large California sea lion looked to be asking me

Can you spot the fish in the picture?

How about with this one?

Alternatively, this whale shark,
and the school of fish that seemed to want
to go wherever it went,
is pretty much impossible to not notice!

After we saw how they looked from the bottom,
we got to calling the sting rays and their ilk
Caspers (as in 'the Friendly Ghosts')!

While still on rays: Is it just me
or does this manta ray bring to mind
some kind of alien space ship?!

Confirmation, if needed, that
the Osaka Aquarium contains hundreds,
if not thousands, of water creatures!