Source: The Canadian Press
Posted: 07/30/09 8:09AM
VANCOUVER, B.C.
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The city of Vancouver has registered its hottest day on record.
Environment Canada says a temperature of 33.8 C was recorded at Vancouver airport on Wednesday, shattering the previous high of 33.3 C that was set in 1960.
"A very strong ridge of high pressure is currently dominating all of B.C.," said Gary Dickinson, a meteorologist with Environment Canada.
"The ridge of high pressure also brought up from the south very warm air, which was responsible for the record-breaking temperatures."
I see... Prior to Chinese New Year in February, T&T Supermarket (the largest Asian supermarket chain in Canada) ordered at least 2,000 pounds of crocodile meat from Hills Foods based in Coquitlam for sale in its B.C. and Alberta stores, huh?
You're telling me, Diane.
How come some people here in Vancouver eat crocodile meat?
Well... Crocodile meat is an ingredient used in traditional Chinese cooking, particularly in the Canton region of China... It is believed to be beneficial for the respiratory system that could possibly ease asthma symptoms or cure illnesses afflicting the lungs, like pneumonia and bronchitis.
I see... Kato, have you ever tried it?
No, not a chance.
Why not?
'Cause I've never seen any crocodile meat in my whole life.
But you're a Japanese... You love Asian food, don't you?
Of course, I do, but traditional Chinese cooking is quite different from Japanese... The Japanese usually don't eat crocodile meat.
Why not?
'Cause crocodiles don't live in Japan... They are seen only in zoos... Anyway, the company in the above article sells everything from Vietnamese python, camel, and kangaroo to crocodile.
Python meat? Ugh!... Who would eat such meat?
Well... some Asian people love it.
Weird!... disgusting!... bizarre!... Ugh!...
You know, Diane, some people love to eat peculiar meat that you even hate to see... Here is a YouTube clip that shows top 10 animals eaten in other countries.
10 Iguana
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9 Turtle
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8 Guinea Pig
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7 Emu
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6 maggot
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5 Camel
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4 Dolphin
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3 Cassowary
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2 Dog
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1 Jellyfish
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I've heard that some people eat dog meat, but how could you possibly eat a dog?
Personally, I don't eat dog meat, but some people eat dog meat for a thousand years as a tradition... For example, some Korean people love to eat dog meat... We should respect their cultural traditions.
But eating dog meat is unimaginable to me... It would horrify me to death.
You know, Diane, the first time I ate beef, the idea of eating part of a bull horrified me to death.
Diane, you love to eat beef, eh?
I'd say yes, but while I watched the above clip, I felt nauseous... It's horrible... Terrible!
I felt the same way... You know what... I seldom eat any meat.
Are you serious, Kato?
Oh yes, I'm dead serious.
So, you're a vegie, aren't you?
No, I'm not a vegetarian nor a vegan... Actually, I like salami and sausages, but I seldom eat pork or beef.
So, Kato, you eat greens and fruits a lot, huh?
You're telling me... Besides, you would be better off without meat.
Why is that?
Well, James Cameron, a famed Canadian director and Hollywood big shot, wants to save this planet by promoting veganism and put Viagra out of business.
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How do we save the earth?
He's happy to begin in the bedroom by raising the sexual benefits for men of a plant-based diet.
No kidding!?
I'm dead serious... Cameron explains, "Men have much better erections after consuming plant-based meals than after meat-based ones."
Taiyaki (literally "baked sea bream") is a Japanese fish-shaped cake.
It imitates the shape of Tai (Japanese Red seabream).
It is also the origin of the name.
The most common filling is red bean paste that is made from sweetened azuki beans.
Other common fillings may be custard, chocolate, cheese, or sweet potato.
Some shops even sell taiyaki with okonomiyaki, gyoza filling, or a sausage inside.
Taiyaki is believed to have originated in Tokyo during the Meiji era, and can now be found all over Japan, especially at food courts of supermarkets and at Japanese festivals.
In any road, I expect Kato will write another interesting article soon.
Kato watched "The Arabian Nights" or "One Thousand and One Nights" as his 1001th movie.
You might just as well want to view it.
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The stories in "the Arabian Nights" were collected over many centuries by various authors, translators, and scholars across West, Central, and South Asia and North Africa.
The tales themselves trace their roots back to ancient and medieval Arabic, Persian, Indian, Egyptian and Mesopotamian folklore and literature.
In particular, many tales were originally folk stories from the Caliphate era, while others, especially the frame story, are most probably drawn from the Pahlavi Persian work Hazār Afsān which in turn relied partly on Indian elements.
What is common throughout all the editions of the Nights is the initial frame story of the ruler Shahryār and his wife Scheherazade and the framing device incorporated throughout the tales themselves.
The stories proceed from this original tale.
Some are framed within other tales, while others begin and end of their own accord.
Some editions contain only a few hundred nights, while others include 1,001 or more.
