tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47270082145321423922012-02-23T09:45:28.722+08:00A brief diary of Queenie and Paul's beautiful journey on earth and through life together.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05103990308942486967noreply@blogger.comBlogger171125PaulAndQueeniesWorldhttp://feedburner.google.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727008214532142392.post-54634751904449613662012-02-23T07:25:00.003+08:002012-02-23T07:29:46.308+08:00

This monkey trainer/snake charmer was outside the Galle Face Hotel in Colombo, Sri Lanka. He was truly amazing. The video does say it all: one monkey and two king cobras. It was the end of the day and a pleasant show to end the first day in Colombo.Hope you enjoyed.

Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05103990308942486967noreply@blogger.com0http://www.durbanbay.com/2012/02/monkey-trainer-and-snake-charmer-in-sri.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727008214532142392.post-91920465908484163202011-11-08T09:55:00.001+08:002011-11-08T10:00:14.940+08:00

Last Saturday we were at the official opening ceremony of the 2011/2012 Birdwatching season at the Guandu Nature Park (關渡自然公園). As is normal at auspicious event opening there is always some drums and a Lion Dance. The drums and dance in the video below kicked off the ceremony.The performance was by some kids from the local junior high school and we think they did pretty well. The Lion dance has

Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05103990308942486967noreply@blogger.com0http://www.durbanbay.com/2011/11/chinese-drums-lion-dance.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727008214532142392.post-22196781389945562132011-11-07T10:18:00.003+08:002011-11-07T10:23:51.395+08:00

The picture below is one Queenie took in a Beijing Hutong (北京衚衕) on our trip there in August 2010 with Mom. I edited the picture and I just really liked the outcome a lot so wanted to share it. I will post a longer blog at some point with other Hutong pictures.If you have any comments, please do share.

Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05103990308942486967noreply@blogger.com0http://www.durbanbay.com/2011/11/hutong-life-beijing.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727008214532142392.post-53789164250738133842011-11-03T21:16:00.005+08:002011-11-04T13:37:48.771+08:00

The Edward Youde Aviary in the Hong Kong park is a hidden treasure. We have been to Hong Kong many times over many years (and even been in the park) and never knew the aviary was there. Finding it in early 2010 was a treat.The aviary is named after Edward Youde, a long time governer of Hong Kong. The elevated walkway enables visitors to view the birds and vegetation from varying elevations.

Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05103990308942486967noreply@blogger.com0http://www.durbanbay.com/2011/11/hong-kong-park-bird-aviary.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727008214532142392.post-41090611403053310072011-11-03T09:43:00.003+08:002011-11-03T09:53:07.771+08:00

In 2009/2010 we travelled to Hong Kong with our friends Ron and Melody. We had an awesome time there. One of the features of travelling anywhere is the food we eat. Well, after four days in Hong Kong our friend Ron gave us his thoughts on the food. Some fairly interesting insights.The food discussed in the video above is as follows 1) Reuben Sandwich2) Cantonese Dinner3) Dim Sum Breakfast 4)

Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05103990308942486967noreply@blogger.com0http://www.durbanbay.com/2011/11/food-in-hong-kong-our-friend-ron-speaks.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727008214532142392.post-77354678245794359492011-11-02T09:58:00.003+08:002011-11-02T10:02:31.668+08:00

We saw these amazing pieces of Art in the Beijing 798 Art Zone when we took my mom there in 2010. As you can see the pictures were of tragic women with intricate tatoos all over their bodies. I personally loved the concept and enjoyed this particular gallery. It was unusual and differet from the usual landscape galleries and the propoganda galleries. Unfortunately we do not know who the artist

Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05103990308942486967noreply@blogger.com2http://www.durbanbay.com/2011/11/tattoo-art-in-beijing-in-798-art-zone.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727008214532142392.post-13658467081497472432011-10-31T14:34:00.009+08:002011-11-01T09:57:10.104+08:00

Tennoji park is a beautiful park in the middle of Osaka and quite close to where we were staying in Kyobashi. One of the reasons Queenie wanted to go there was to see the brown autumn leaves which makes Osaka so special in October.Autumn Leaves - Tennoji Park (Osaka)I think the video below covers most of what can be written here about the park, so enjoy.As you can see in the video above, the park

Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05103990308942486967noreply@blogger.com0http://www.durbanbay.com/2011/10/osaka-09-pt-02-tennoji-park.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727008214532142392.post-72780876505375547652011-10-31T09:41:00.004+08:002011-10-31T10:17:55.034+08:00

When we were in Khiva, Uzbekistan, we landed up eating dinner at a wedding party and on the second day we danced on the streets of Khiva. We had an absolutely awesome time and to this day Khiva holds special memories for us.Wedding Couple on Parade in KhivaWe arrived in Khiva in the dead of winter. The Lonely Planet said that when travelling in Uzbekistan in the winter, Uzbekistan is yours. For

Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05103990308942486967noreply@blogger.com0http://www.durbanbay.com/2011/10/uzbek-tales-pt-6-weddings-in-khiva.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727008214532142392.post-78224039290372599042011-10-27T14:43:00.004+08:002011-10-27T15:17:07.845+08:00

In 2009 Queenie and I went off to the Merchant capital of Japan, Osaka! Neither of us had ever been in that city before so we were looking forward to it. We arrived around 9 o'clock at night and jumped on the JR (Japan Rail) train direct from the airport to Kyoboshi, where our hotel was.Kendo in the ParkThe train ride from Kansai airport to Kyobashi took longer than an hour (closer to 90 minutes

Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05103990308942486967noreply@blogger.com0http://www.durbanbay.com/2011/10/osaka-09-pt-01-arrivals-on-jr.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727008214532142392.post-24182159453719610682011-10-24T11:23:00.037+08:002011-10-26T09:48:21.690+08:00

Urgut Bazaar is one of the most authentic market we visited in Uzbekistan. The roads were muddy and dirty and everything from fabrics, to carpets to goat heads were sold. A truly original place and somthing that would be hard to emulate.Queenie in Urgut BazaarGetting ThereGetting to Urgut from Samarkand is easy: just take the bus. Many people suggested we rent a driver for a day, or hire a

Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05103990308942486967noreply@blogger.com0http://www.durbanbay.com/2011/10/uzbek-tales-5-urgut-bazaar.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727008214532142392.post-63345110368812382252011-10-20T15:47:00.004+08:002011-10-20T16:15:04.388+08:00

Queenie and I were chatting the other day about where to go next year on our annual trip. I suggested the crazy idea of going to Easter Island, one of the most remote places in the world. However, a trip there seems to be extremely difficult and the marginal benefits of going to an island that can be covered in a day by car might make it not worth it at this point of our lives.(Picture by Nicolas

Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05103990308942486967noreply@blogger.com3http://www.durbanbay.com/2011/10/thinking-about-easter-island.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727008214532142392.post-45951683707248035512011-10-19T21:40:00.002+08:002011-10-19T21:43:49.303+08:00

Our niece Rochelle is growing into a wonderful artist and she has been selected for a special art class after school. She is really and enthusiastic about the class. The other day we visited and she painted our portrait. I thought I would share it here.Its a great picture I am sure you would agree.

Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05103990308942486967noreply@blogger.com0http://www.durbanbay.com/2011/10/picture-of-us.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727008214532142392.post-78708909776248398872011-10-16T13:14:00.014+08:002011-10-19T09:46:41.923+08:00

As mentiioned in an earlier blog post(Shek O (石澳) Beach), we recently went on a hike to Shek O (石澳), a small fishing village on the southern peninsula of Hong Kong island. Our good friend Sam invited us on the hike that was, by my standards, pretty easy but done at a mellow pace. Apparently the Dragon's Back Trail was declared as the Best Urban Hike in Asia in 2004 by TimeASIASam, Queenie and

Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05103990308942486967noreply@blogger.com0http://www.durbanbay.com/2011/10/hiking-to-shek-o-dragons-back-trail.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727008214532142392.post-39221797522793359102011-10-15T22:35:00.003+08:002011-10-15T23:12:57.405+08:00

On Friday night Queenie and I had the privilege of attending the annual rugby charity dinner whose guest speaker was none other than dual code (union & league) international rugby player John "Bentos" Bentley who featured on the 1997 Lions tour to South Africa.Paul, Queenie & John BentleyThe dinner is an annual event now and was first initiated after the Bali Bomb Blasts in 2002. The dinners were

Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05103990308942486967noreply@blogger.com0http://www.durbanbay.com/2011/10/2011-hsbc-rugby-charity-dinner.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727008214532142392.post-35643054697450538972011-10-14T09:58:00.002+08:002011-10-14T10:13:51.812+08:00

Queenie and I are huge fans of New Zealand and rugby. I have been watching rugby for as long as I can remember and Queenie really enjoys watching the games with me. I played before but recently not so much. We are fans of rugby but I suppor the South African team and Queenie is a huge All Blacks supporter. Anyway, a friend shared this wonderful video with us on facebook. I decided to share it

Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05103990308942486967noreply@blogger.com0http://www.durbanbay.com/2011/10/rugby-lifeblood-of-new-zealand.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727008214532142392.post-64719286027193729792011-10-13T12:46:00.008+08:002011-10-13T13:28:35.543+08:00

From Wikipedia - "The name "Shek O" literally means the "rocky bay". The entire area is a peninsula on the southern coast of the Hong Kong Island, facing the South China Sea. Shek O is surrounded by Shek O Country Park, Big Wave Bay and Cape D'Aguilar."Beach ModelThe first time we went to Shek O (石澳) was way back at the end of 2005 with our friends Annie and Dennis at the back end of our six week

Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05103990308942486967noreply@blogger.com2http://www.durbanbay.com/2011/10/shek-o-beach-hong-kong.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727008214532142392.post-74541706388214618122011-10-12T11:28:00.004+08:002011-10-12T11:37:54.273+08:00

Earlier this summer we revisited Pinglin (坪林) (see A Riverside Walk in Pinglin (坪林)) with my mom, Sister and nephew. As we were walking down the trail we heard this terrible screeching noise. We looked on the tree and saw this Cicada being eaten by a lizard. The picture is below.Cicada Trapped in Lizard's SalivaIt may seem cruel but this is nature and the cycle of life and happens everyday in

Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05103990308942486967noreply@blogger.com0http://www.durbanbay.com/2011/10/lizard-and-cicada-in-pinglin.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727008214532142392.post-80490476720890428242011-06-14T14:02:00.005+08:002011-06-14T16:15:45.717+08:00

Tianamen Square is, as per the lonely planet, the center of the Chinese Universe. Most people have heard of it beacause of the student uprising that occurred in Tianamen Square way back in 1989. I have also read that Falun Gong members have regularly been arrested there for acts of protests. At any rate, Tianamen Square is one of the places a person must go if they go to Beijing. But once is

Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05103990308942486967noreply@blogger.com2http://www.durbanbay.com/2011/06/beijing-august-02-morning-in-tianamen.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727008214532142392.post-36895618814094160112011-06-13T07:18:00.008+08:002011-06-13T10:01:20.936+08:00

Over the weekend we went on our second photowalk with our friends Ron and Melody in the Taipei Flower Market. The theme of the photowalk was Macro photography. As per wikipedia: "Macro photography is close-up photography of usually very small objects. The classical definition is that the image projected on the "film plane" (i.e., film or a digital sensor) is close to the same size as the

Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05103990308942486967noreply@blogger.com0http://www.durbanbay.com/2011/06/photowalk-in-taipei-flower-market.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727008214532142392.post-83522806929245854632011-06-10T20:18:00.010+08:002011-06-10T23:44:59.238+08:00

Pinglin (坪林) is a small town south of Taipei that is most famous for its tea production. The town itself has a Tea Museum. Pinglin (坪林) is nestled in the mountains and the tourist department there have initiated a tourist promotion scheme by providing free shuttle buses to take people to places of interes. A really beautiful and wonderful place.Next to the Jingualiao River(金瓜寮溪)This year Dragon

Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05103990308942486967noreply@blogger.com4http://www.durbanbay.com/2011/06/riverside-walk-in-pinglin.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727008214532142392.post-79386818547296972342011-05-10T09:29:00.001+08:002011-05-11T09:25:41.673+08:00

As per Wikipedia: "Bozburun is a small seaside town with own municipality in Marmaris district, in southwestern Turkey. The permanent population is about 2000. It is situated on the coast of the peninsula of the same name (Bozburun Peninsula) which extends in parallel to Datça Peninsula in the south. The town faces across the sea the town of Datça and the Greek island of Symi (Sömbeki in Turkish)

Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05103990308942486967noreply@blogger.com0http://www.durbanbay.com/2011/05/turkish-delight-pt-04-beautiful.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727008214532142392.post-89670649106500785352011-05-09T14:14:00.005+08:002011-05-09T14:34:56.238+08:00

We have moved into a great new apartment at the back of the Taipei Library on Chienkuo South Rd. and we have had the opportunity to share our home with many people. Anyway, before our photowalk yesterday we decided to do a brunch with our friends Ron, Melody, Doug and his son Raymond. It was awesome!Sunday Morning BrunchOk preparing for brunch is always fun! I woke up early to do some shopping

Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05103990308942486967noreply@blogger.com0http://www.durbanbay.com/2011/05/sunday-morning-brunch.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727008214532142392.post-29798768831482356762011-05-08T16:53:00.011+08:002011-05-08T23:19:24.574+08:00

We enjoy taking photos and videos of our travels and our lives in and around Taipei, Taiwan and the world. Most of this blog shows that. Well we decided to try and improve our skills and our friend Ron from Rosh Images has taken us under his wing to teach us photography. Today was our first PhotowalkGreen Leaves (by Queenie)Queenies PicturesSome of Queenie's pictures were awesome. The one with

Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05103990308942486967noreply@blogger.com0http://www.durbanbay.com/2011/05/ta-park-photowalk.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727008214532142392.post-6475077096289754672011-05-07T11:57:00.012+08:002011-05-07T18:54:25.675+08:00

One of the joys of visiting Turkey is without a doubt the food. We both love Turkish food with a passion and especially the bread. One of the best dishes served in Turkey is breakfast. All fresh foods (cheese, olives, tomatoes) and of course bread. And all breakfasts are served with really delicious Turkish tea.A Turkish BreakfastTurkish breakfasts are awesome and always a highlight of visiting

Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05103990308942486967noreply@blogger.com2http://www.durbanbay.com/2011/05/turkish-delight-pt-03-turkish.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727008214532142392.post-20947919109935210212011-05-06T09:24:00.015+08:002011-05-06T15:48:07.131+08:00

Marmaris is a picturesque Mediterranean resort town buried deep in the South of Turkey. It is a popular tourist destination in the summer with its beautiful beaches, clear blue skies and deep, blue sea. In the summer there are many things to do but, in the winter it is mostly dead. Our sister Judith, our brother-in-law Ahmet and nephew Tibet now live in this paradise.Judith, Tibet, Queenie and

Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05103990308942486967noreply@blogger.com0http://www.durbanbay.com/2011/05/turkish-delight-pt-02-marmaris.html