Australia says NO to Mooncakes
So preparing for the trip, I bought some mooncakes for my relatives, colleagues and friends. Fresh from Hong Kong, I wanted to send them the vibe of the Mid-Autumn Festival this coming Sunday. I was all set with my “pasalubong” for each of them when I learned earlier today that the Australian Customs is a bit strict when it comes to goods bringing in to their country. The Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) would not allow the following:
- Foods that are commercially prepared, cooked and raw food and ingredients
- Dairy and egg products
- Animal products
- Seeds and nuts
- Fresh fruit or vegetables
- Live animals and animal products
- Plant materials
- Used freshwater watercraft, sporting or fishing equipment
Unfortunately, mooncakes belong to second category as they have whole egg yolks inside. You can learn more details by visiting the AQIS site.
So just making really sure that I can’t bring them even though they are packed and sealed, I Googled if there were incidents where mooncakes were confiscated by the Australian customs. I found out from forums that these festivity cakes are, indeed, banned from the land down under.
Crap. Now I’ll have a feast of mooncake myself. I tried giving some to my officemate, however, most of them had already bought one for their families. Anyways, its better I learned earlier than being dumbfounded in AU. Now I am getting my travel jitters (is there even such a thing?!). My first trip outside Asia. Yay!
Amanda Seyfried is Savannah Lynn Curtis
Savannah has been casted at last. Earlier this year, I learned that one of Nicholas Sparks’ books will have a film adaptation expected to release by 2009.
Dear John is a story of John Tyree, an army officer who made himself a social outcast until he met Savannah Lynn Curtis. It’s a tearjerker that tells how far one will go for love and doing the right thing in the name of it. I personally consider this book as my number 1 from Sparks. I read it three times and every single time, it made me cry. I just love this book.
John’s character will be played by Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried, the girl from Mamma Mia, was recently casted as Savannah. I am so excited. I really look forward for this movie. I really hope they will give justice to the emotions brought about by this book.
The Pig Cage Cake (Chu Lung Beng)
In five days, the Chinese people will be observing the Mid-Autumn Festival – a celebration of abundance and togetherness. The festivity falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month of the Chinese calendar, usually around mid or late September in the Gregorian calendar. During this event, it has been a custom to eat Mooncakes hence the event can also be called as the Mooncake Festival.
Aside from Mooncakes, there is another form of cake, more like a biscuit, that is being sold around this season. They are called Pig Cage Cakes which is a literal translation of its Chinese name “Chu Lung Beng”. Pig Cage Cakes are not as popular as the Mooncakes and are only sold by traditional bakeshops. These biscuits are enclosed in a sort of “cage” with colorful ornaments. The biscuits itself are made of plain dough shaped into pigs.
Unknown to many Chinese, the Pig Cage Cakes originally was created to recycle the dough used to test oven temperature for making the actual mooncakes. Today, with modern ovens and advanced technology, they have become more of a traditional food than a test dough.
Introducing… Google Chrome
Earlier this year, Microsoft released their browser’s latest version, Internet Explorer 8. Last June, Mozilla just had their launching of the Firefox 3. And just earlier today (September 2 on US Time), Google introduced their very own – the latest addition to all other Web browsers, the Google Chrome.
Google Chrome is an open source web browser which is currently available for Windows XP and Vista Operating Systems only. The MAC OS and Linux versions will soon be available, according to Google.
Installation is a piece of cake (for Vista at least). I never experienced any interruption to my current processes and it’s quick and easy. I remembered upgrading my IE browser from 7 to 8 required me to restart my computer! Given the fact that I have the same OS developer as my browser, I still had the hassle to reboot. When I also initially opened my upgraded IE, I’ve experienced error with my add-ons as they were not compatible with IE 8. Some required me to manually upgrade. In comparison to Firefox 3, upgrading the browser did not require me to restart. There were also compatibility issues with the add-ons but upgrading had been done automatically by Firefox.
So anyways, my initial Chrome experience was good. The browser is also tab-based like Firefox and IE allowing you to open several sites without having to launch a number of windows. Loading time is pretty quick, too. There are also new features which I find really cool.
First, Chrome allows you to see the images and link of your most recent visited Web sites. More like a graphical representation of your history – only it’s limited to a few sites. For downloading files, there are no pop-ups showing the remaining files and the time left. All these information are displayed at the bottom of the browser, which I think, is less annoying. Aside from New Tab and New Window options, Chrome also has a new feature called “Incognito”. Going incognito means that pages you viewed won’t appear in your browser history or search history, and they won’t leave other traces like cookies on your computer after closing the window.
I’ve also come across a CNET review about beating Firefox and IE on an Acid3 test. The Acid Test checks how well a browser complies with a given set of Web standards.
The downside I had seen so far – it does not come in handy with the ever useful Google Toolbar or it allows you to install one. I initially thought most, if not all, Google applications would be integrated on this browser. However, that is not the case. I tried downloading the toolbar for Chrome, which to my surprise is not currently available. It redirected me to toolbar for Firefox which is kind of strange. I hope it comes around soon.
All in all, I think Chrome’s BETA is off to a good start. To experience Google’s latest browser project yourself, download Google Chrome here.
The Paradox of Our Time in History
The paradox of our time in history is that….
We have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints.
We spend more, but have less.
We buy more, but enjoy less.
We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time.
We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.
We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.
We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values.
We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.
We’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life.
We’ve added years to life not life to years.
We’ve been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor.
We conquered outer space but not inner space.
We’ve done larger things, but not better things.
We’ve cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul.
We’ve conquered the atom, but not our prejudice.
We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less.
We’ve learned to rush, but not to wait.
We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.
These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships.
These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes.
These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill.
It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom.
A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete.
Remember, spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.
Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.
Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn’t cost a cent.
Remember, to say, “I love you” to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it.
A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.
Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again…
- Dr. Bob Moorehead
djong here. thanks for stopping by i gotta go! and happy anniversary! enjoy your bangkok trip!