My World Tuesday geodesic dome

http://showyourworld.blogspot.com/

After the horror of cyclone Yasi, my Australian nephew is taught to be cyclone smart.
Lincoln had to do a school project on cyclone proof shelter. In this picture, the school project is made using A4 Paper.

Then they decided to a build a model out of newspaper for his little brother Thomas. Testing his dome is sister Olivia and their neighbour Noah.

A geodesic dome is a spherical or partial-spherical shell structure or lattice shell based on a network of great circles (geodesics) lying on the surface of a sphere. The geodesics intersect to form triangular elements that have local triangular rigidity and also distribute the stress across the entire structure.

Lincoln is quite an inventor. Last year, he did a recycling project. Ka Pai and paki paki Lincoln.

Sunday Stills: Your best shot of 2010

http://sundaystills.wordpress.com/

Sunday Stills, the next challenge: Your Best Shot of 2010
Posted in Sunday Stills with tags Sunday Stills on December 26, 2010 by Ed

Time for an archive challenge, of all the shots you have taken in 2010, lets see your best..:-)

Happy New Year!!

I am 47 and never been kissed.
I went Down Under to look for a hunk,
A kangaroo took pity on me,
And gave me my first kiss.

Do you know who made that famous statement, "Never been kissed?"

addition: Susan Boyle

Simon Cowell sneered and the huge audience at the “Britain’s Got Talent” show made the sort of faces associated with a bad smell. The object of their disaffection was contestant No. 43212, a plain, middle-aged woman from Scotland with bushy eyebrows and a dress and hairdo that might have been stylish when Dwight Eisenhower was president.

The looks of disdain would shortly turn to tears of sheer elation, as Dawna Friesen said in a report filed for TODAY Wednesday. But first, there was the Cowell torture test for the woman to endure.

“What’s your name, darling?” Cowell said, his tone dripping with condescension.

The woman, who seemed somewhat unnerved by the bright lights and the big crowd in the concert hall where the show was recorded, said she was Susan Boyle. She said she was 47 years old, unemployed, and lived alone with her cat, Pebbles. She had never gone on a date and had never been kissed, she added in a thick brogue.

Save the world: Get involved in a Green Sports.

http://reducefootprints.blogspot.com/

I refused to watch any motor racing or any sports that involves burning up precious gases. About thirty years ago, I watched Mel Gibson in Mad Nax and people became savages fighting for gas. yes, you may say that it is a movie and is unreal.

I lived through a time when there was rationing of kerosene. In Borneo, many households used kerosene to cook their food and light their house. In the early 70s, there was a shortage. and we had to line up at the gas station, and it was a body count. One person was allowed a certain amount, and only if you queued up. My late grandma said this was like the Second World War.

There are many kinds of sports you can get involved in. This jungle gym for example is just as thrilling as the vroom! vroom! vroom!

FSO: How Christmas is celebrated: Caroling

http://mytownshootout.blogspot.com/

http://mytownmrlinky.blogspot.com/
When I was growing up, we were Roman Catholics, and Christmas was a religious affair. After Mid night service, we had cookies and milo. My grand dad told us his Methodist neighbours has "FOOK YIN" aka caroling. Later we had the open house, people came to our house and we served them goodies. And even later, some of us began to have caroling.

When we went to Australia and New Zealand, we brought this caroling tradition. In these photos, my sis-in-law organised her neighbourhood, and they went caroling to houses who had arranged to welcome them to sing at their entrance. After the singing, they all gathered at Audrey and Joseph's place for drinkies and munchies.

In New Zealand, couple of groups of the Mt Albert Baptist Church did the same. We went to rest home, and homes and we sang to them. This was quite a new thing here, and some neighbours came to join us. Then we went to a friends' place for coffee and munchies. No drinkies as we are Baptists.

Of course, we have trees and Santa. But I wanted to feature some thing different.

For Christmas dinner, You never guess, we had seafood dinner. We are crazy about seafood, I bought live New Zealand Southland crabs, frozen American Crabs, raw oysters, prawns, and smoked salmon canapes. Not at all a traditional Christmas and what an orientation to our family. We had two guests, one is a New Zealand born Kiwi and he had to imitate us to use their hands to eat the chilli crab, the National dish of Singapore.

Sam was Santa's helper and gave out the presents.

Outdoor Wednesday: Sea world, Australia

http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com
The weather commentators tell us that we skipped spring, and jumped right into summer. This is December in the Southern Hemisphere in Australia. This photo was taken in the Gold Coast in Queensland.

US talk show diva Oprah Winfrey and 300 of her biggest fans arrived in Sydney yesterday morning, marking the beginning of their "Ultimate Australian Adventure". Today, she is up in Queensland.

outdoor wednesday: big foot

http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com

Look at my 13 year old's foot. We tease that he is going to have the same big foot as his dad who measures size 13.

My world Tuesday:Surfers Paradise Marina Mirage

http://showyourworld.blogspot.com/
Surfers Paradise Marina Mirage taken from a boat. Life is almost like summer all year round

Save the world: Revegetate beaches and co-operate with signs

http://reducefootprints.blogspot.com/

http://www.jonathanandmelanie.blogspot.com/
On the Gold Coast, the council was trying to re vegetate the beach and protect their dunes. It can only succeed when people co-operate. Eveyone should do their bit.

My world Tuesday: Spring in Australia

http://showyourworld.blogspot.com/

My nephew Lincoln turned ten. My sister Helen took this photo. I like the bokieh effect of the photo. She had him forcussed sharply and the blurry effect of the others. Of course, he was the birthday boy.

My world Tuesday: Samoan Fales

http://showyourworld.blogspot.com/

Seen in a suburb on the Gold Coast of Australia, some one has a Samoan Fales lookalike at the gate. He just has to look out of his window and imagine he is in a tropical paradise.

The word fales came to the forefront when the Tsunami struck Samoa last year. My students tell me that their relatives still fear for another Tsunami coing.

Our World Tuesday: Gold Coast, Australia

http://showyourworld.blogspot.com/
With the rain bomb here in New Zealand, I long for the warm summer in Australia. I took this photo from a boat.

My world Tuesday: Shasha, an AustralianAboriginal Chant

These are their pipes called didgeridoo, or yirdaki





http://showyourworld.blogspot.com/

http://www.currumbin-sanctuary.org.au/

When I went to Australia last summer, I learned a very useful thing. I learned from the Indigenous people, the Aboriginals this chant and dance. I adapted it and use it to teach my little students. They love it. My Indian student says it like Bollywood.

They now know what is left, and what is right.

You may like to do it to.


Shasha, Shasha,
Shasha to the left,
Shasha to the right,

Shasha, Shasha,
Shasha to the side,

Shasha, Shasha,
Shasha to the top,
Shasha to the bottom,

(Jump as you get up)
Shasha!

My World Tuesday: Australian Boomerangs

http://showyourworld.blogspot.com/

Boomerangs are probably Australia's most famous icon. It is a curved wooden instrument used for sports or hunting. I have never been successful to throw it to get it come back to me. They are supposed to come back to you if you miss you target animal, but mine never does. I don't jump up and down with glee because my boomerang has not hit my target. Instead, it is my technique that it not correct.

Have you ever tried throwing a boomerang?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boomerang

My world Tuesday: Sausage tree, kigelia africana in Australia

http://showyourworld.blogspot.com/


At the car park of my brothers Charles and Joseph's law firm at Elliot Street on the Gold Coast, a tree attracted my eye. I am telling you the address in case you want to harvest the pods as you will read below that it can be very handy especially if the cost of beer goes up.

My sister in law Audrey said I was very observient when I notice the tree. I replied it was all due to the blogging and always looking for things interesting to blog about.

Joseph did not know the name of the tree but he said," I can tell you this. The pod is so tough that even when you run over it by your car, it will not break."

I tried looking at the images of Australian trees but to not avail. Eventually I systematically read the web and came to this website: http://www.treeworld.info which I duly signed up and sent off my photos. This is a great site, as the moment I did, the adminstrator came back with the answer.

http://www.treeworld.info/f47/tree-pods-cant-broken-car-wheels-12391.html#post81234

http://home.intekom.com/ecotravel/plant-kingdom/trees/kigelia-africana-sausage-tree.htm

I found some information you may like to know, and may be you might like to plant the tree.

Human uses - The fruit is poisonous and inedible when green, but is used to brew beer when ripe. The seeds are fried and eaten. The wood is used for making canoes.

Gardening - This is an attractive ornamental shade tree, suitable for larger gardens. It is very susceptible to frost, and is not drought-resistant. The tree can be grown from seed, and is fast-growing.

Flowers -Big, red to dark maroon flowers with heavy yellow veining on the outside, up to 150 mm across the mouth, unpleasant scent; growing in groups of 3, up to 12, appear before the leaves in early spring, from July to October.

Fruit - unique, huge, solid sausage-like fruit, giving the tree its common english name. Greyish-brown in colour, heavily lenticel-dotted, indehiscent, heavy, weighing up to 10 kg, containing a fibrous pulp in which many seed are embedded. Ripe fruits fall from May through to April the following year. (500 x 100 mm) (1 m x 180 mm???)

Interesting Facts:

The flowers and fruit of the Sausage Tree is always an eye-catcher and conversation piece. The fruit is toxic but is used in traditional medicine to treat skin disorders, ulcers and sores. The bark and roots are also used in traditional medicine. Some modern skin ointments are prepared from fruit extracts. Research has shown that the fruit has got antibacterial properties. In Africa, women smear this fruit on their skin to remove blemishes.

**Note** Did you read the part about brewing beer? LOL

Friday Shootout: Look Up, Look Down.

Look up, what did the ibis bring you? Not a baby!



Sam became a water baby swimming in my brothers' pools, creek, lake and the sea.



People having fun up in the air. My second daughter went on one of those in Penang, Malaysia. She said, after a while, it became quite boring just hanging up there, and the harness hurt the thighs.



At Robina shopping mall, the chandelia is made of a million crystals reminding me of the glow worms in Waitomo caves. Under, were these strange shaped stools.



There are many theme parks on the Gold Coast. Sam rated the Dream world best, unfortunately, my camera's battery went flat. This is at Wet N Wild. At these hydro slides, you have to look fast, before you finish looking up, and have to look down. Otherwise you would miss Sam emerging out of the tunnels.



There are many sail cloth shades of all shapes and sizes. This is at Chervon Renaissance at the Surfers Paradise. Down below is a lot of afresco dining.



http://mytownshootout.blogspot.com/

http://mytownmrlinky.blogspot.com/


Jan 29 - look up / look down
Everyone is so good, so creative in their interpretations of our weekly topics that I almost was lazy and didn't write anything about it. This topic was originally suggested by Sara Lulu but because she no longer participates, I couldn't ask her to write something for us and I liked the suggestion so much I just took it as ours.
So here goes my ideas on this topic for our towns ....
Look down at your feet, at the surface where they walk. Look back, back the way they came and where they go.
Look up, above your head. What can you see? How is it protected? What lights your days and your nights, on the path that you walk?
This topic brings so much to mind I will probably have trouble settling on one thing - just this week I have noticed designs in the tiles in the front of stores, floors that are wood and some that are bare concrete - designs are so distinctively Brasil - we'll see you on Friday.

My interpretation is using two photos for each set of look up and look down. Most photos do not need much commentary. Except one set.

Look up, what do you see on top of the wooden fence of my brother Charles' garden? It's an apple core. Guess who put it there?
Look down, you see an ibis, this is why an ibis is called a rubbish bird. It rummages rubbish and people are told not to feed these birds which have become a pest. It is known that they have become so aggressive to even take food out of baby's mouth.