NAVAL BASE SAN DIEGO

(CVN-76 USS Ronald Reagan)
(3 Ticonderoga class guided missile cruisers) (CG-52 USS Bunker Hill)

("For Taiwan Crisis 1996" from Bunker Hill official web site)

My wife took a long break and had a chance to visit US. She took some photos during a boat tour at Naval Base Sen Diego. Thought she was not sure what she was taking, I still found some good photos. You can see from these pictures, there are one of the most powerful nuclear aircraft carriers in the world, the CVN-67 Ronald Reagan; also 3 Ticonderoga class cruisers.

The most interesting is one of the Ticonderoga class cruisers, CG-52 USS Bunker Hill had been to Taiwan Strait, due to the Taiwan Strait Crisis in 1996. I wonder if US government will take the same action if China has another ballistic missile test now.

BIG RAINBOW

These photos of big rainbow were taken on Sept. 24, 2007 in Hsintien City, Taiwan. I have not see such a big rainbow for a long time.

WHEN TRADITION MEETS MODERN

(sidekicks of Matzu)
(the drum play group)

(the modern lion dance by 2 kids)

September 16 was the Worship Day(祈福行腳，巡行踩街) of Matzu Festival(媽祖文化節) in Taipei and I was happened to be there to watching this event. Matzu is an important goddess in Taiwanese culture; people believe that she protects people away from dangerous and brings peaceful life. The activity of the Worship Day is a big parade with a lot of traditional Taiwanese cultural performance groups. I saw a quite interesting drum play group; their performance combined of tradition and modern music and lion dance. Check the videos!

MORE PHOTOS

WORLD TRADE CNETER, NY CITY

(World Trade Center, view from Hudson River)
(World Trade Center and US Coast Guard "Dallas")
(Ground Zero, Oct., 2006 by Jane)

Tomorrow will be the 6th anniversary of 911. Luckily I had a chance to see the World Trade Center when it was still there. In December, 1992, that was my first winter break in US. I went to New York City to visit my cousin and had a chance to take a good look at this big city for a month. NY city is quite an amazing city; you can see the best and the worst of US there. I did enjoy visiting museums, watching my first Broadway show and experiencing this melting pot of different cultures. But I did not like the terrible traffic and the unsafe feeling.

I visited World Trade Center and enjoyed the view from its observation deck, but I have never thought it collapsed in 2001 by a terrorist attack. I though it was a movie trailer when I first saw it on TV, and later I realized it was REAL! I really felt sorry for those victims and their families.

Tomorrow will be another 911, and I will take a flight to Japan. One of my colleagues asked me if I really want to do so? Well, I have to, it is a business trip, and I am not afraid at all.

AN INTERESTING MERCEDES BENZ TV COMMERCIAL

(Mercedes Benz TV commercial from Youtube)

Usually I don't like to copy some one's photos or videos for my blog, because I prefer to show originals. But this time, I just can not help to post this commercial!

As most formula one fans know, the competition (both on and off track) between 2 McLarne's drivers is so obvious. This time Mercedes Benz made it real in TV commercial. It is quite a funny and creative work, and you can see 3 F1 stars in this commercial; Alonso, Hamilton and Hakkinen.