Besides Japan, Iceland is another country that does commercial whaling. Its quota ain't that high - just 40 whales a year. To those animal activists/whale protectors, 40 may seem a lot though, given that almost the entire world has pledged not to whale no more. We saw minke whale meat being served on skewers but didn't dare try it after our very enjoyable afternoon stalking the whales on the high seas. They are really smart and adorable creatures - so stop whaling before they go extinct.




As I learn about everyone's plans to welcome the Golden Tiger Year, the more unhappy I become. Although it was a conscious effort on our part to avoid being home for the Lunar New Year, I cannot help but feel left out during this all-important holiday. On this island, we have all but 1 so-called Chinese restaurant. Every year, they would put up the red banner a few weeks before CNY. One red banner compared to the numerous ones back home. How pathetic eh? There is no atmosphere whatsoever. With the "influx" of Chinese kids, 4 in total plus 1 soon-to-be-born, I made myself pack some red envelopes from home, so that the kids can experience a little of the festivities that I am so used to. WHAT IS CHINESE NEW YEAR WITHOUT THE RED PACKETS? This year, we've upgraded our celebration to include mahjong! yes, the mahjong set and table arrived last weekend. hao-e couldn't stop himself from ripping the plastic cover off those ivory -coloured tiles and we ...
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