Kenya - day 2 - 4 - Samburu Shaba Buffalo Springs

Amazing hotel in Shaba.


Samburu children singing


In Samburu, dusk


Buffalo Springs/Samburu border


12 foot termite hill

to read...

http://harpers.org/InDefenseOfFrenchDirigisme.html

things to come...

i have a few travel stories to tell on Kenya. i'll post them over the next week or so.

scotch tape

have you ever wondered what is the maximum length of a piece of clear tape you can unroll before it starts twisting and sticking to itself?

or if it is cheaper to exfoliate dead skin cells with scotch tape rather than the overpriced, perfumed beauty product?

or why scotch cannot adhere to liquids?

or why, on some days, playing with scotch tape seems much more intellectually stimulating than your work?

me neither

le cinéma!

I finally made it to the movies. Brokeback Mountain was the choice. I truly enjoyed it on many grounds. I wondered during the movie whether the storyline would be as appealing if it were about heterosexual couple and I believe so. Going through that kind of pain due to separation, thwarted love, exclusion and an unfulfilled life seems miserable, unbearable.

In terms of the Oscars, I don't usually follow the nominations, etc. But I do hope that Paradise Now wins. Saw it many months ago with my mom. I remarked the objectivity it angled to present on such a delicate subject.

The EU tells Kosmo "Stay inside!"

If you are in a protected zone (zone de protection déterminée), keep all your pets inside and if outside on a leash. See latest EU rercommendations.

Sorry Kosmo - no more sparrows on the balcony... Ok Paris is not yet a protected zone, but I'd rather be safe than sorry.

50-year tunnel project creating another hole in NYC

Vinnie the Mole (450-ton tunnel-boring machine) is digging the massive second phase of City Tunnel No. 3, a 60-mile tunnel that began in the Bronx in 1970 and is scheduled for completion in 2020. By then, the tunnel will be able to handle the roughly one billion gallons of water a day used in New York City that originates from rural watersheds to points throughout the city.

The water tunnel has taken its toll in human life, with 24 construction-related deaths. A man a mile, the saying goes among the workers.

A geologist's involvement in the tunnel project makes his geologist friends jealous. "For a geologist," he said, "this is like going to Disneyland."

Read more in the NYT (sign-up needed).

Is 27/02 comment a blog pick-up line or simply nice dying heart liberal stuck in Texas?

blog fans

I have a fan in Hummelstown, Pennsylvania - home of penn state athletics.

France vs. Uganda

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/45589
Stable government leads to lack of passion and getting any.

Year of travel will not stop to rest

If anyone thinks that I am going to stop at 4 continents per year, they are wrong!

Did I mention I am leaving for Kenya in 13 days?

You working the night shift?

First thing pronounced by my office mate when he walked in this morning. No, I was not wearing my PJs, sleeping at my desk or getting paid extra. I just hadn't turned on the fluorescent overhead lights.

Avian Flu - In my mailbox on Monday

Une petite documentation gratuite offerte par la CIV - "une association loi 1901 dont la principale mission est de contribuer à une meilleure connaissance des viandes et de leurs filières." La CIV en fait représente les industrie de la viande.

Je ne sais pas si la CIV lit les journaux, les informations scientifiques, etc... mais on ne dirait pas. Lisez les "informations" de la doc (toutes citées) - elles sont ILLUSOIRES, TROMPEUSES ET MALHONNETES DE LA PART DES INDUSTRIELS ET FAVORISENT LES CHANCES DE LA PROPAGATION DU VIRUS :
- en France, chez les volailles, il n'y a à ce jour aucun cas de grippe aviaire.
- la consommation de viandes de volailles en France ne présente pas de risque de contamination de l'Homme par le virus de la grippe aviaire.
- Le virus de la grippe aviaire ne pet se transmettre à l'Homme que de manière très exceptionnelle, principalement par voie respiratoire à la suite d'un contact direct en milieu confiné avec des oiseaux malades fortement excréteurs du virus.

ça continue...
- Non, il n'y a pas de risque de contamination de l'Homme par le virus H5N1 asiatique en consommant de la viande de volaille.

Mieux vaut lire le site de l'Organisation Mondiale de la Santé (bcp + fiable) :

- La persistance très répandue du virus H5N1 chez les populations de volailles constitue un double risque pour la santé humaine. [...] une infection directe en provoquant une pathologie très grave [et...] la transformation du virus [qui...] pourrait constituer le point de départ d’une flambée mondiale (une pandémie).

- L’infection humaine résulte principalement d’un contact direct avec des volailles infectées ou des surfaces et des objets contaminés par leurs déjections. On considère que l’exposition intervient surtout lors de l’abattage, du plumage, du dépeçage et de la préparation des volailles avant la cuisson.

- Aux températures où s'effectue normalement la cuisson (70 oC), le virus sera détruit. Il faudra s'assurer que toutes les parties sont bien cuites (la chair ne doit plus être rose) et que les jaunes d'œufs ne doivent pas être liquides.

- On n’a pas encore compris pourquoi certaines personnes sont infectées et pas d’autres alors que les conditions d’exposition semblent similaires.

S'essuyer c'est bien, se laver c'est mieux!

tagline for "award-winning" toilet paper plus unknown liquid dispensing machine in office bathroom.

South Island, NZ landscapes

The South Island has some magnificient landscapes. The best bit is that they change drastically over short distances.

Here's a map of the road trip with main stops (orange stars are sleeping points):


Driving tour map

My favourites photos:


West coast


Cape Foulwind1


Cape Foulwind2


Blenheim Region


Blenheim Region2

La fin...

So somehow a three-week holiday becomes an 18-day moment.

Great big thanks to all my hosts in New Zealand and Australia!


View from the Manly ferry

Days 17 and 18 Back to Sydney

I spent my last full day in Sydney in the North Harbour on the national park walk between Manly and the Spit. I did the first bit of the beachside/bush walk to the Spit (about 1.5 hours) in 35+ heat and full sun. Cooled off at Reef Beach (I later found out this is a known nudist beach).

I walked around the Opera House before taking the Manly ferry and noticed that it is not in great condition. Apparently there is a controversy in Sydney as to how to reduce the costly maintenance of the building.
Sydney opera house

In terms of "wildlife" in Australia, I saw hundreds of washed-up Blue Bottle jelly fish at One Mile Beach (Anna Bay), otherwise known in the rest of the world as Portuguese man of war. Chose to not swim. Saw some wallabies (roadkill) on the way back to Sydney from Hunter Valley. Nearly stepped on a very large iguana-like animals on the path (at least 60 cm long and 20 cm tall) - we stared at each other for 15 seconds until it joined its friend in the bushes. In Sydney proper, I saw loads of herons and sulphur-crested cockatoos.


native cockatoos

Oz specialities

Road sign


beetroot


refreshingly delicious


Chinatown, Sydney


Bondi surfer boys


He didn't choose me cuz I'm cute - he chose me cuz of my yute! (real bumper stick)

Days 14-16 Shoal Bay (Nelson Bay/Port Stephens)

This beach resort is about a 2.5 hour drive north of Sydney. Note - the drive takes longer with kids! We went to several beaches with great names including Zenith and Wreck Beaches . Jason tried to teach me the difference between dumping and non-dumping waves and how to body surf. Not sure I really got it – all the waves looked similar to me.

Even though this is not the Great Barrier Reef, the beaches were beautiful, the waves were plentiful and tall (making some beaches too dangerous to swim) and we had the best weather - not a cloud in the sky! I even got Dylan - a.k.a. Rudie Nudie - who doesn't like the seaside water to jump baby waves with me (I'll spare you the fotos of me in a bathing suit).


Wreck Beach


Zenith Beach1


Zenith Beach2


Birubi Point & Stockton Beach sand dunes


Rudie Nudie

Jason lent me his car (not a yute unfortunately), so I stayed an extra day in Nelson Bay. Slept in a tent at this great backpackers place in hopes of seeing a koala in the trees. I didn't. :(

Woke up with heavy downpour and decided to leave town to hit the Hunter Valley vineyards. Very sad to not spend the morning swimming at the beach.


Hunter Valley - Bimbadgen Estates

A few vineyards and back roads later, I headed back to Sydney to have dinner in Darlinghurst with Hanish and Jane. Driving on the left side on the Pacific Highway (busy, curvy road in north Sydney) during rush hour was no easy feat!

Day 11 to 13 - Sydney

I made it to Sydney

After a long weekend in Wellington for Jo Style's wedding to Darrin Cornes (she kept her name...), I continued my journey alone to Sydney where I met up with my friends Sara and Jason and their two kids Dylan (3.5) and Sam (8 months). I haven't seen them since before they had children and they haven't changed a bit. They live in a beautiful old ranch-style home in a western suburb of downtown Sydney.

The weather has been crap for the first three days of my stay and finally cleared up on my last day in Sydney (day 13) before our departure towards Shoal Bay. On Day 11, I wandered around the downtown in a permanent drizzle reminiscent of London. I am puzzled by Sydney. I don't know what I was expecting, but I am surprised by the large number of skyscrapers.


Flying foxes (a.k.a. bats) in the middle of downtown Sydney

On Day 13, I toured the eastern suburbs from Bronte and Bondi beaches to Paddington and Darlinghurst. A lot of walking. The views on the beach were great (path from Bronte to Bondi) and I really love the terrace homes in the bourgeois suburbs. They remind me of a neighborhood in downtown Houston (fuzzy child memory) or perhaps it’s just like the French quarter in New Orleans.I have a much more favourable opinion of Sydney now, especially since it was 26 today and sunny. Another bonus: beaches are free, clean and well guarded and they are easily accessible by relatively inexpensive public transportation.


Terrace homes in Paddington

1.5 hours left...

...until the end of Australia Day on the east coast.


dressing up your boat

I was in NZ...

Une finale franco-belge!

Bonne chance Amélie!

Wife - husband: 1-0

Husband thought that by spending time with two infants I would increase my interest in having children from 0 to 1 (on a scale of 100). No such luck. They are very cute and loveable, but they are also not mine!

Day 7 cont. - Alpine flowers and a big bug

Alpine flower with a small coin


about 20 cm long


Edelweiss?


macro photo

Day 7 - Arthur's Pass

I hiked the Temple Basin path. Most tramps (hikes in Kiwi language) are several days long and take you to wondeful glaciers and such. I only had three hours to play as we were passing through this town and my friends were waiting for me. The path was all steep uphill on stone and gravel - not so easy on the knees coming down. Beautiful view at the top near ski lodges of the Arthur’s Pass valley. Meet an Australian family with three kids from Cairns doing the hike. I went up to the Temple Basin (1774m, beginning at 920m) but you can go further another hour or so wlak minimum up a steeper bit with rope to guide you and see the valley behind. The views I had were on Avalanche Peak (1833m), Mount Lancelot (2112m) and Mount Rolleston (2275m) which all had some snow coverage. I'll put up my panoramic photos when I get my cable back for my camera (left it in Wellie and getting it back in Sydney soon).


View from Temple Basin (1774m)


After a fast hike up...


Leaving Arthur's pass

Day 6 - Franz Joseph and Fox Glaciers

View of Fox Glacier from a helicopter

Cloudy day so never managed to see Mount Cook. Too bad - the glaciers were spectacular though.


Close up of Franz Joseph - about the size of a football field...

Day 5 - Nelson to Hokitika

We stropped in three spots. First, the Buller Gorge Swingbridge which crosses the Buller River and is near a fault line where there was a big earthquake (7.8 on Richter scale I believe) in the 1920s. Also a centre for gold digging on the west coast. From there we drove through to Cape Foulwind to do a hike. However, we hadn’t picked up lunch and by the time we got there we were starving. There was pretty much nothing on the road so we ended up eating a really nice lunch at this pseudo fancy place called Bay Café. Only house on the bay. I had a white bait (local fish) burger with some Kumara (sweet potato-like) vegetable fries. Drank an Aussie bundaberg ginger beer (no alcohol). After that did a one hour walk along the coast via the seal colony – they really stink - up to the lighthouse. Third stop was Punakaiki home of the "pancake rock formations." There is supposed to be a spray of water that comes up from a "blow hole" after a wave gets sucked in and up. But I didn’t see it and it seemed like I would have had to wait for a while before seeing it. The postcards were good enough for me.


Cape Foulwind

Day 3 - Kaikoura to Nelson

This is from our second day on the road.

We swam with dolphins.

Next morning, we woke up early and undid the tents before heading to Dolphin Encounters (monopoly operator) where the four of us were booked to swim with dolphins. I put on his full body wet suit – head gear included and loaded onto a bus then a boat to head off to the coast just south of Kaikoura. About a 30 minute ride. The first swim was not so enjoyable for me. I was quite cold and I think the shock of swimming in that temperature water made me hyperventilate a bit. Plus the water was slightly cloudy from the wind/current. I was not breathing well through the snorkel so ended up staying above water a lot. The dolphins swam around each one of us, quite close. They told us to sing or make sounds, dive into the water to attract them. So imagine a bunch of fools (all 13 of us) making uncoordinated gestures and singing through a snorkel. Quite an image. After 15 minutes there at the first spot, we moved to another spot with at least 100 dolphins. Made the second dive much better. I was less cold I think and less fearful maybe? They really get close and you can see them looking at you with their tiny eyes. Ne sachant pas chanter, I was more humming stuff. Tried 1060 (by Panama), but couldn’t remember all the words (I think my brain froze despite the head protection). La Marseillaise, par contre, a très bien marché. The dolphins kept swimming right under and around me.


Some jumps...


My new friends

Day 3 - cont.

Arrived quite late in the day in the Marlborough Valley so we weren't too picky with where we stopped to taste some local wines. Stopped at Herzog which had a really nice Pinot Noir at $59 or so a bottle. Also went to Mud House to taste some Sauvignon blanc. J’ai pas trop aimé ça.


Vineyards in Marlborough district

CHC - Botanical gardens

Christchurch

Sunrise in the southern hemisphere

Day 1 Christchurch

It’s a blur. An interesting one. The man sharing the three-seater with me on the way to Tokyo, travelling for work with hair in his ears that is longer than anything I have ever seen and who snored in such a way that I was never able to fall asleep. The bad (yes as in not fresh!) sushi at the Tokyo airport – my only expected redeeming value in transiting via Tokyo - was a big disappointment. The number of Narita airport stores that sold gadgets to attach to cell phones. The way the duty free on the flight to Tokyo lasted about half the flight – ie about 7 hours, rolling carts back and forth. I always wondered who bought their diamonds and pearls on these flights. Now I know.

I wish I had known that the Christchurch street I took to walk home at night – 11pm – was THE hooker street. Granted it wasn't crawling: I passed a total of 7 or 8 teenage girls over the span of a good 15 minute walk. If I had seen only one, I might not have known since they were not dressed much differently than clubbing girls. (Oh that makes me feel young to write that!) It felt off to walk past them and then see their colleagues in parked cars along this major road outside of the city centre. I wish the B&B I was staying at had told me. I would have walked the parallel street (or maybe that was the street reserved for gay prostitutes?). I was just noted to Graham a couple of days ago that I find men who sit in parked cars sketchy. We saw one in Paris, which sparked the comment. Graham didn’t really agree. I hadn’t even thought about prostitution at the time.

Don’t think I am naïve – I know these things exist.

This morning my B&B host told me prostitution was legalised about two years ago here.

best load of msn crap...

so one checks hotmail, there is a little banner in the left hand column with several articles. i admit. in some cases, i am intrigued. today, i skimmed the "10 absolute worst foods you can eat." so first define food - something that people and animals eat, or plants absorb, to keep them alive (Cambridge dictionary). Well, humans don't make it to this ABSOLUTE top 10 list, but oysters do. Yummy oysters. MSN (well actually IVillage) tells you to COOK them - quelle horreur! Then alcohol makes the list:

This one item has created more problems than all the rest put together. Of course, it is possible to consume alcohol wisely and safely and enjoy it immensely, such as a fine glass of wine with a delicious dinner. But even if you exercise caution in no other area of your diet, this is the area where you should.

No note of its positive cholesterol-reduction effects. Let's be a little more scientific here (silly puritan MSN) - read AHA's info.

Here's a revised top 10 absolute worst foods to eat:
1. Humans (haven't tasted them)
2. Cats (too cute - refuse to taste them)
3. Most animals that aren't already shrink wrapped in our deli counter or boucherie.
4. Brussel sprouts (no redeeming value for that taste)
4 1/2. Escargots (if desperate, not so bad when swallowed whole)
5. Olestra (who wants to eat something that comes right back out)
6. Spaghetti carbonara in Avoriaz
7. Any seafood mix, especially from Pizza Pino
8. Processed deli meats that smell funny
9. Papaya (again, nothing can make it worth that smell)
10. The Schmitter® at the new Phillies ballpark (very tasty, but very bad for you)

time to be honest

ok so this is a blog. i don't have anything to say on a daily basis - esecially not to the virtual world.

sorry it took so long to write about yummy foods.

yummy holiday food 2

Right after Christmas and the New Year, just when you feel like you can eat no more, there is the epiphany holiday on January 6th. In France, we celebrate it by eating la galette des rois - traditionally a dessert made with puff pastry as a bottom and top layer and filled with frangipane or an almond paste mix. Regional variations exist but they do not compare to the frangipane version: it is absolutely delicious! Families, friends and colleagues get together to tirer les rois (drawing the king), the galette has a fève (originally a dried bean, now pâtisseries compete with fun icons for kids and adults). The youngest person in the group goes under the table and names who gets all the slices, while someone cuts and distributes them. If you end up with the fève, you are the selected king and have to wear a beautiful paper crown. You can choose your queen if you are so inclined. In any case, the dessert is the best thing this side of the new year. Who cares about crowns?

Note - I have been eating these nearly daily for a straight week - still not tired of the galette. Except for the one that was dubiously made with orange flower extract. Yuck!!

Best of 2005.... (1)

- best invention (adapted without permission from the Washington Post) -
Spanish designer Pep Torres developed the "your turn" washing machine, which helps frustrated couples where only one partner does all the clothes washing. Owners register their fingerprints and the machine will only function if the same set of prints are not used twice in a row.(BBC News, May 1). What happens when one partner is on vacation? Or if the couple gets a divorce?

US "spy court" judge quits

Read the original story in the Washington Post if you are subscribed or a poorer version on CNN.

Why is it that everything Bush says is predictable, especially related to his administration's latest scandal? The issue is not about spying on Americans per se, it's about doing it without the checks and balances on the executive. See Daniel Benjamin's piece in Slate for a perspective on this issue.

yummy holiday food 1

Living in a country obsessed with Good food (as opposed to Any food), I am blessed with the ability to partake in the enjoyment of said foods. I am not a vegetarian, nor lactose intolerant, nor concerned about animal's rights in the food production industry. Well, to some extent. Foie gras poses the most difficult conundrum for me. I LOVE the stuff. Seriously, it is so good that I can not imagine a holiday season without it. But I do pity the geese and duck which live in horrendous conditions to provide this feast on my plate. I guess I'll just have to drink more champagne to absolve myself. I am not a cruel person, but foie gras is sooooooo delectable.

The treatment of the animals was the subject of a recent debate in the French Senate. The conclusion was that "Le foie gras fait partie du patrimoine culturel et gastronomique protégé en France." Another example of the exception culturelle en France.

Christmas lights

- Les Galeries Lafayette et le Printemps boulveard Haussmann exposent leurs vitrines de noël depuis le 4 novembre. Malgré un nombre supérieur d'animations de la vie d'une princesse, les GL perdent le match cette année. Le Printemps, sur le thème anglais, animent ses vitrines avec des peluches très British.



- Aux US, les maisons individuelles dans les banlieues ou à la campagne ont l'habitude de décorer leurs maisons avec des gigantesques statues sur leur pelouse ou avec des lumières qui adornent leur toit, fenêtres, etc. The left hand column of this website has a great list of excessive displays.


- Voici un exemple inouï (de l'année dernière avec plus de 16000 ampoules) de la maison de la famille Carson à Mason, près de Cincinnati, Ohio. Ne ratez pas vidéo 1 et vidéo 2!


La famille Carson devant leurs illuminations de cette année

- L'hôtel de ville de Philadelphie décoré pour les fêtes

- Longwood Gardens dans la banlieue de Philadelphie

stealing off other blogs for humour...

i am being lazy in not thinking of my own humourous topic (although that guy in the metro drooling while AWAKE could be the subject of one). so i will share this one. There's no sound, so don't be shy and wait till you get home to read it.

Face implant story

In May, a 38-year old woman was attacked by her labrador-mix dog, while she was alseep or drugged out on tranquiliers (suicide undetermined) and stepped on the dog. After losing part of her nose, chin and mouth, she tried to lead a regular life but was frustrated with being teased and taunted despite the surgical mask that covered her scars. She followed the regular advisory path for transplant patients (ie psychological testing, information, future health concerns) before French doctors to perform the world's first partial face transplant in late November. The patient appears to be recovering well. Yet, critics, including the National Consultative Ethics Committee (Comité consultatif national d’éthique - CCNE) and doctors working on the technique, believe that the surgery was premature for both medical and psychological reasons and should not have been conducted. The ethics committee had rejected a full facial transplant but left open the option of a partial transplant.

Another media ball game is in play. Doctors tried to keep her identity unknown but the British and French press revealed photos from before, during and after the operation.

A few takes:
- NPR
- NYT "Ethical Concerns on Face Transplant Grow"
- Apparently reports that the donor (who had to have the face removed before she was taken off ventilators) was brain dead because she tried to hang herself might not be true.
- Dr. Dubernard - also a French member of parliament - defends his team's stance.

On a personal note: I find that the dog part of the story seems flaky. Labs are supposed to be the sweetest dogs - maybe it was mixed with a Belgian shepherd? Can people stop making fun of the fact that I am afraid of chihuahuas? The dog was put to sleep and, apparently, the woman bought a smaller dog.

For bébémoche

ID the NYT columist...

Fun little quiz here.

Found it while looking for a NYT password to read the op-eds. I can't seem to bother people directly for one. Feel free to send one along...

NO update

Death of an American City

I missed the 100 day post-Katrina mark by a few days.

Here's a non-times select op-ed contribution by a person I respect: 7 December 2005.

cynicism

maybe this is how a good blog works (or at least gets read more often)...
i (along with many others) receive an email from a friend:

If you're receiving this e-mail it's because I miss you deeply. That or I need a favor, right?

Okay, you got me. My friend Dave and I just started a blog and we need lots of visitors and feedback. We'd love it if you visited: theapollocreed.blogspot.com

Let us know what you think of the site. Give us story ideas and tell us if you'd like to contribute. We're looking for more writers!!!

Google video excludes France

So a friend of a friend blogger has this link which I will now obsessively want to see. http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=hung+up cannot be viewed in France and they really appreciate my patience.

Attack of the kitchen sponge in mid-town

Fruitcake #1 present

Adding to Bebemoche's entry on fruitcakes, I declare that the fruitcake is the number 1 Christmas present this year offered by people from the South. My father, a former Texan, has been a faithful fruitcake purchaser for his siblings for 15 years running. The Collins DeLuxe (sic) Fruitcake from Corsicana, TX. is world-famous thanks to him - it has been shipped all over the world to follow my aunt's moving cycles.

Bangalore - brasserie capital of the world

Bangalore, India is a hip, happening city according to latest news reports. Religion, hard work and beer guzzling define the average Bangalore inhabitant. Women wear a veil, but also spend their weekend nights in libation overload. Hotel rooms are amongst the most expensive in the world and $80 will get you a mosquito-blood-stained wall cubicle.