Saturday 17 April 2010

There was an article about the cruelty associated with shark fin soup in the HK Magazine, which reminded me of a conversation I had with a girl I met in Apo Island where I went for a diving trip last Christmas.

The girl asked me as a Chinese, what my opinion was on killing sharks for our shark fin soup.

To be frank, I almost lied by saying how I didn't care about it and that it's part of our tradition which she should bloody well respect, just to piss her off.

The truth though, was simple. We just don't hear about stuff like that in Hong Kong. I have never ever heard of how sharks are killed for our shark fin soup. Just like a normal person wouldn't make a big deal about how cows are slaughtered or how pigs are killed.

After Apo Island, I researched on it and I was horrified. I had no idea that people just cut their fins off and throw them back into the sea. I thought sharks were treated like cows, that they would be chopped up and every part would serve different purposes such as the eye balls for high school biology classes, ox tail for soup, ox tongue for Japanese yakitori etc.

The obtaining of shark fins is basically the same as chopping your hands off and leaving you to die a slow death.

I am not that bothered about the extinction of sharks, although I should be; but I am bothered by the cruelty and waste of resources!!!

I personally would not go for shark fin soup anymore but it's such a traditional and social thing in Hong Kong. Discussing this with the older generation would be like discussing about the sexual abuse crisis in the Roman Catholic church. The topic is very real, it's wrong, it shouldn't have happened and should never happen again. But it is what it is and it's a very difficult topic.

Good news is, our generation don't care much. We live in a more globalized world with internet access that we can see these things for ourselves. We are younger, more adaptive to change and we can easily justify how not having shark fin soup in a wedding banquet doesn't make it inferior. At least I can, and my friends can, for sure.

I saw a whale shark when I went diving in Apo Island and it's something I will never ever forget. I hope the new generation will be better informed and better educated to avoid the extinction of sharks, one of the most amazing creatures in the world.

Friday 16 April 2010

Jupiter's Icy Moons

I was channel surfing a few weeks ago when I came across an interesting program about one of Jupiter's icy moons called Europa.

Europa is an ocean world and the whole program was filled with theories and discussions about how where there is water, there is possibility of life.

My question is, why would anyone think that there is no life or living organisms or so-called aliens outside our planet, Earth?

The current population on Earth is about 6.8 billion. We have 9 planets in our Solar System (I am including Pluto) and our sun is only one of over 100 billion stars in the Milky Way Galaxy. I don't need to see an "alien" to believe that there is definitely life, maybe in a different form of humans, outside Earth.

With the way we destroy Earth every day and the angry ways the Earth fights back through unpredictable tsunamis, earthquakes and volcano eruptions, it's just a matter of time when humans have to migrate to another planet, just like the way we migrate from one country to another.

Thank God that I will be in Heaven or would have become fish food by the time this happens and it will be kind of like watching 2012 from "up there."

Just a little thought.

Monday 12 April 2010

Butterfly Bun - Sweet Memories

It's strange how little things can bring back great memories. I found this butterfly bun in the village of Clifton, Bristol during a recent trip to the UK.

I have always had a sweet tooth but this was different. It brought back the sweet memories of my childhood when the mother of a friend used to make these butterfly buns.

The buns were excellent but it was the caring and kindness this family
had offered me for letting me stay at their place on the weekends when I attended a boarding school in Belfast.

They expected absolutely nothing in return.

Until today, I am still full of gratitude.

I am not sure whether this is something one can find in this evil, competitive, dog-eat-dog world or maybe I have become rather pessimistic.

Regardless, I am thankful and grateful for the families who had taken cared of me when I was in the UK and although I don't keep in touch with many of them anymore, I think about them from time to time and I wish them well.

Sweet dreams.