新店中興路好吃的水煎包 Delicious fried dumplings in Xindian

這是台北縣新店市的中興路，路過時發現一排車(圖最左邊)臨停及一堆人在排隊買，周圍沒有任何賣吃的店家，很奇特的景象。
This is a scene on the ZhongXing Road in Xindian City, Taipei County: some cars pulling over and lots of people waiting in line in a fried dumplings store. No other vending stalls or eateries near the store, its good business interested me.

沒有店名，這麼多人潮，一定很好吃吧！
It doesn't even get a name. The sigh just says "Fried dumplings."

於是加入排隊的行列。
I joined the queue.

爐子就一個，擺在路邊。

There is only one stove with an iron plate pan on it, just on the side of the road.

只賣煎包及豆漿，右上角有營業時間，早上(5:30-12:30)是高麗菜口味，下午(3:00-6:30)是韭菜口味，每週二休息。

The store sells only fried dumplings and soy bean milk. The business hours are 5:30-12:30 in the morning (cabbage stuffing only) and 3:30-6:30 in the afternoon (leek stuffing only). The store is closed on Tuesdays.

水煎包一起鍋，老闆就忙著包給客人，大部份的人都買八個十個的，一下子就沒了！（又要再等下一鍋了:(）等待時聞到了麻油香，很特別。

As soon as the dumplings were well-cooked, the bosses were busy packing. A whole pan of dumplings were soon gone because each customer took eight or more . Oh, no! I had to wait for the next pan. While waiting, I smelled of the fragrance of sesame oil. No wonder the dumplings are popular.

天哪！有ｇｏ好吃的！內餡除了韭菜，還有加一些豆干、肉及蛋，第一次吃到這樣的韭菜水煎包，實在的料、完美的味道及酥脆但有料的外皮 ，真是美食大發現！
Wow! How delicious! The stuffing includes not only leek but also some tofu, pork, and egg.

The stuffing is special and good, and the dumpling skin is nicely chewy and crispy.

ｐｓ.地址是台北縣新店市中興路一段112號，離碧潭捷運站不遠，走路５分鐘。

P s. The address is 112 XhongXing Rd. Xindian City, five minutes walk from the Bitan MRT station.

got fleas? Get the vacuum 有跳蚤？拿起吸塵器吧！

"Vacuum cleaners kill fleas just as well as any poison...the vacuum brushes wear away a waxy outer layer on insects called the cuticle (表皮). Without it, the fleas, larvae (昆蟲的幼蟲) and pupae (蛹) probably dry up and die."

(摘要)

吸塵器能把昆蟲有蠟的表皮刷掉，讓牠們乾燥而死，因此能殺死跳蚤。

English news from The China Post, page 11, 2007/12/20

新聞選自英文中國郵報，第十一版，2007/12/20

講到跳蚤，就令人想到John Donne 的那首詩The Flea（跳蚤）

The Flea by John Donne
Mark but this flea, and mark in this,How little that which thou deny'st me is;It sucked me first, and now sucks thee,And in this flea our two bloods mingled be;Thou know'st that this cannot be saidA sin, nor shame, nor loss of maidenhead;Yet this enjoys before it woo,And pampered swells with one blood made of two,And this, alas, is more than we would do.Oh stay, three lives in one flea spare,Where we almost, yea, more than married are.This flea is you and I, and thisOur marriage bed, and marriage temple is;Though parents grudge, and you, w'are met,And cloistered in these living walls of jet.Though use make you apt to kill me,Let not to that, self-murder added be,And sacrilege, three sins in killing three.Cruel and sudden, hast thou sincePurpled thy nail in blood of innocence?Wherein could this flea guilty be,Except in that drop which it sucked from thee?Yet thou triumph'st and say'st that thouFind'st not thyself, nor me the weaker now;'Tis true, then learn how false fears be:Just so much honor, when thou yield'st to me,Will waste, as this flea's death took life from thee.

winter sky

winter sky



閱讀的最大理由是想擺脫平庸。

一個人如果在青年時期就開始平庸，

那麼今後要擺脫平庸就很困難。~余秋雨

容易混淆的endemic, epidemic, and pandemic

endemic 地方性的，某地特有的　　
eg: endemic species 特有種

epidemic　流行性的，傳染的
eg:epidemics 流行病

pandemic　大流行的，普遍的

moderate amounts of wine 適量的葡萄酒

枯葉上的小蟲(新店獅頭山)

A new study suggests that women who drink moderate amounts of wine may have less inflammation in their blood vessels.

新研究指出，婦女飲用適量葡萄酒，能減少血管中之發炎症狀。

中英文摘自英文中國郵報，The China Post, page 18, 2007/11/29

Human nature

Human action can be modified to some extent, but human nature cannot be changed.

--Abraham Lincoln, 1809-65 林肯

人的行為可以部份被修正，

人的本性卻無法被改變。

（我想林肯總統指的不只是某些個人，還包含廣泛的人類吧）

烏來半日遊

烏來的瀑布+帥哥的背影

烏來的台車(tram)

簡單的駕駛座

軌道旁的步道