Saturday, December 7, 2013

Tales from the Crypt - Shanghai Hairy Crabs

The Crabs in Moscow
 
The Crabs team to beat the Chinese National Team in 2004
 Rear: Mark Thomas, Damien Smith (Wallaby), Richard Hughes, Bobby Mitchell, Philippe Coquelle, The HK National front row, Bryce Dailly, Forgotten, Ben McGrath, Forgotten, Josh Kronfeld (All Blacks).
Front: Forgotten, Marc Ellis (kneeling, All Black), Big Thomas, Yours Truly, Sylvain Benoit, Nick Francis, Little Thomas, Forgotten, Pierre, Wayne McIntosh.

Between them, the above players have a combined 54 tests and 14 tries for the All Blacks.

Monday, November 18, 2013

Things I saw at the Zoo - zoo keeper attachment

I passed the Docent exams last week and was lucky enough to spend two days in a keeper attachment. Basically shadow a keeper and spend two days-in-the-life of. The zoo is very specific about not sharing photos of the back of house so the below are random Internet photos indicating some of my activities at the River Safari.

 Smelled and rubbed by a curious giant anteater with baby.

 Searched and nudged by a hungry coati.
 
 Struggled with by an elephant trunk snake who would rather not be moved.
 
Growled at by feeding jaguars advising me to back off.
 
 Teased by picky sturgeon who demand hand feeding.

Licked by tapirs mistaking sweat for a salt lick.
 
Smiled at by the ghairal when watching the keeper's back.
 
And spending an hour scrubbing the Ganges River of algae. Yep, it only took an hour, but there was two of us. It wasn't all fun though. Cleaning cages and exhibits, prepping food for all and sundry, back-washing and cleaning filters, sweeping, moving and caging. I probably added and hour to the keeper's day with distraction and annoying questions but it felt like a rare opportunity.

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Look-alikes

I was recently told I look exactly like a particular Indian politician so thought I would compare that with my most commonly referenced look-alike.

 Rahul Gandhi

Vincent D'Oonofrio
 
 
That is crazy, because I look like this.

 

Monday, November 11, 2013

Tales from the Crypt - Super 8

Georgia found some unprocessed Super 8 footage from around 1996 or 1997 I would guess. Nick, Dom, Georgia and I must be about 20 or so. Architecture and art, Kellett St and Dean's, X-Files and rollies, Blackheath, LPs, friends who are missed. Although I still have nightmares that I have failed or not completed university, those were the days.

Sunday, November 10, 2013

Things I saw at the Zoo - adolescent orangutan

 
Today I sat my practical as well as my written exam for the Docent position. It was strangely nerve wracking for what is really just a hobby. I guess without passing, this hobby is a little harder to enjoy. I am pretty confident of passing though you never know.

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Diwali weekend in Kuching

I had been to Penang, HK, Toronto, Penang and the Philippines. I think. Probably Penang again. Amanda was back from London, HK and Sydney. And London again? Maybe that's next week when she is back from Tokyo and I am in Manila again. It was good to catch up anyway. I noticed some slight but important changes.
 

We stayed on a small farm where a car was provided with the room. Despite the location, the holiday reminded me of childhood trips, driving the country with mum and dad, The Beatles on the radio, rain on a tin roof back at the accommodation. Perhaps there were too many mosquitoes for Amanda but I had a great time. Otters, archer fish and crocodiles in the river, chickens and goats on the farm, afternoon naps in the bed. Happy happy Diwali.


With the help of a guide, we were lucky enough to find two blooming Rafflesia flowers in the Gunung Gading National Park and a stream to cool off in after what should have been an easy walk. The still, humid air trapped under the forest canopy made a mockery of that. With my volunteer position at Singapore Zoo's Fragile Forest I felt very informed and official. Amanda felt very bored and annoyed with my information and officialdom. Leave it at the office Paul, leave it at the office.


 
 

The rehabilitation of orangutans at Semenggoh appears to be pretty successful with little need for them to return from the forest to station-based feeding. Or maybe it was from tourists being unable to stay quiet as advised by park rangers. Why am I still surprised by the inability of people to recognise appropriate behaviour? The forest is very close to Kuching and I wonder how long until their habitat is encroached upon. With 27 animals, the park must be very close to maximum capacity.


After an hour wait and after a good amount of tourists had left, we were lucky enough to see three orangutans feeding and playing a few hundred metres away. The two adolescents' pushing and shoving reminded me of Ben and Jack. Minus the hair and long arms. They had the same eating habits though.

 
There was a  lot to talk about on this trip, having been apart for so long. Lots of planning, speculating, wondering, reflection and some disagreements. The first of many I am sure, but fun to be having them anyway, no matter if it is premature.

Friday, September 27, 2013

Glamour

When Mum and Dad visit, it is nothing but the finest and most glamorous locations. Easy parking, two phones, important news... what else do you need?
 
Por Kee Eating House

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Tales from the Crypt - Xinjiang 2001

Xinjiang is a phenomenal area, both geographically and culturally. Located on the borders of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikstan, Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia, Xinjiang is a Muslim province within China. People are Uighur, Hazak & Kazak and there are few Han Chinese though in recent years this has been rapidly changing due to PRC policy to develop region. The land ranges from Swiss Alp-like mountains to searing low-land deserts, all within a few hours drive of each other.

The Flaming Mountains

My visit was well prior to the up-swell of "separatist" violence of 2008 although several weeks prior, a series of non-fatal explosions had been let-off.
 
In travelling from Turpan to Tianchi, I was befriended by a Uighur man in the bus. His family had currently set their yurt high up on the mountain just below the snow-line and I was invited to ride one of their tiny horses up the mountain and stay with them.


The family were essentially herdsman and horseman. Little did I know, one of the staples if you are a horseman and herdsman is horses' milk. When I saw them milking the mares I stupidly asked "if you can drink it." Horse milk is fermented in a sheep's stomach until alcoholic and then consumed in great quantities. As a guest and someone to be indulged, I was given a bucket-load of milk. Not figuratively. Literally. A bucket of fermented, warm, horse milk.  I didn't want to offend so gritted my teeth and gulped it all down. At about 4am, I had to delicately and drunkenly sneak out of the communal yurt to throw it all up. Good times.

One of my favourite markets is the Kashgar Sunday market. Young men buy and sell horses with the machismo of young men and horsepower anywhere in the world.


In a small circle of men discussing the merits of the wares, horses are raced back and forwards as the haggling and negotiating takes place. The horses are stopped within a few inches of the crowds nothing close to a flinch from anyone, then raced back to the other side.


Possibly my favourite street-food market is the Urumuqi night market. Flat breads, cold beer, everything under the sun grilled on sticks over coals and the spices of the silk road. I felt like Indiana Jones. In one of my more fashionably ill-advised periods, I even sported a panama hat and white singlet to set the mood. I should have gone for the cool leather jacket and whip.

Xinjiang has even more. It has a temple for the Monkey King whose escapades brought him through the region in the Journey to The West. For those who are culturally stunted and don't know the most important variation of the story, we're talking about Monkey Magic!

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Choking on my words

I often bitch and moan about how quickly Tiong Bahru is changing. That the balance between the old-world style that attracted all of "us" and the new-world gentrification is tipping to heavily.

With Amanda away this weekend and feeling particularly bored, I went out for my morning coffee at Forty Hands to ponder what to do today.


After that I wandered over to the Tan Boon Liat building to poke around while munching on a croissant from Providore.
 
 
Then for a snack, I had a cheeky char siu bao  from Tiong Bahru Pau & snack.
 
 
Before picking up a steak for dinner at Foodie Marketplace.
 

Then a cupcake for dessert from Vanilla Bakery.
 
 
And found some unusual and interesting books at Books Actually.
 

  And looked at the kooky things in Strangelet.


 And now I am off to my massage at Nimble/Knead. OK, so Tiong Bahru is not that bad.


Friday, September 13, 2013

Prawning

Part team building, part farewell to Glenn Ng who is one of my team, we spent the afternoon at East Coast Park prawning. It is high action fishing in a man-made pond using rod, but no reel.

 

This is the result of 6 man (& woman) hours of fishing. Mildly fun, incredibly uneconomical.

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Tales from the crypt - Botswana warthog kill

This video is not for the faint of heart, vegetarians or the kiddies.

 
This is from our trip to Botswana in 2009 and filmed in the Kwando Linyanti wetlands near the Namibian border. We had come specifically to see the endangered wild dogs however were very lucky to see an actual kill. While the slow speed in which the warthog was dispatched was fairly uncomfortable, it was the noise that chilled to the bone.

Bunaken drift dive

I just figured out how to compress videos so I can now upload this short clip of a nice little drift dive in Bunaken, Manado. The speed in the clip is the natural current speed and is something I always enjoy. While a little clichéd, this is as close to flying as you can get. Except for flying.
 
sorry about the resolution!

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

How to encourage Australian's to vote

Well apart from being legally compulsory, you provide a sausage sizzle. This year's election seems to be the first Australian election where social media has been so ubiquitous and while there was little comment on the dire state of the Australian political scene, there was plenty of comment on the sausage sizzle. The wasn't one, there was a great one, I am the way to the sausage sizzle, can't wait for the sausage sizzle, where was the sausage sizzle........


The political options this year were so uninspiring that the sausage sizzle played a moderate part in making sure I didn't skip the vote. It was definitely the only thing that got Amanda to the booth.

Essentials for the sausage sizzle:
  • one slice of cheap white bread per sausage
  • sausage placed diagonally
  • grilled onions
  • mustard/tomato sauce optional but must not be gourmet versions

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Singapore Zoo volunteer - Stage 2 passed

The common training phase has successfully been passed and I now move to station-based training.  I have been allocated my first pick, the Fragile Forest.

 
 

 

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Mum and Dad circa 1867


Aunt Betty

Elizabeth was in Singapore for a whirlwind stopover after a month with Bhutanese monks. After the pretentious Gastrogig (theme of the night - chefs with tattoos), we risked another event by the same mob and glad we did. BBQ? Tick. Whole animal? Tick. Plastic seats? Tick. Relaxed? Tick. Cold beer? Well, there was a lot of box ticking.


Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Kuala Rompin

Unfortunately Nathan could not join what would have been our 3rd annual trip to Kuala Rompin as sadly, pregnant Juwon was not well. My old fishing companion "Hurricane" Schmidt was missed however we managed a great trip anyway.
 
 Tim Maudson (l) Dave Louey (r)


 I only managed a couple of small fish this year but you should have seen the one that got away.


Monday, August 12, 2013

Selemat Hari Raya Manado

Manado sits on the northern tip of Sulawesi within the Coral Triangle, the global centre of marine biodiversity. When I was a boy, the island of Sulawesi always caught my attention on the map due to its unusual shape - some sort of mix between a Chinese character and a microscope subject.


For Singapore's National Day and the end of Ramadan we took the easy three hour trip for a week of diving. The diving is mainly muck diving with very limited pelagics however between Lembeh, Bunaken, the mainland and Manado Tua the variation and number of interesting species is phenomenal.

We saw more turtles than in Sipadan and generally of incredible size, more species and numbers of lion fish than anywhere else we had been and not only did we see them above water, but had the rare luck to dive with dolphins, albeit briefly.


Even our incredible dive guides didn't know the names of dozens of species we came across however they included:

common seahorse, frogfish, blue spotted ray, leaf fish, lizard fish, flathead, fire goby, candy crab, cuttlefish, squid, common octopus, pipefish, banded pipefish, ghost pipefish, juvenile pipefish, cardinal fish, pajama cardinal fish, white tip shark, black tip shark, flying gunnard, moray, decorator crab, tigris cowry, barracuda, commensal shrimp, popcorn shrimp and then reef fish and nudibranch species beyond counting.


L-R (row by row): pygmy frog fish, soft coral crab, bobtail squid, orangutan crab, spider crab.
ambon scorpionfish, pink squat lobster, pygmy seahorse (pea-sized), mandarin fish, robust pipefish.
ribbon eel, boxer shrimp, peacock mantis, sexy shrimp, harlequin shrimp.
bubble coral shrimp, cleaner shrimp, porcelain crab, anemone shrimp, crinoid shrimp.
 
 

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