"Stampede"

1 a situation in which a group of people or large animals such as horses suddenly start running in the same direction, especially because they are frightened or excitedA stampede broke out when the doors opened.2 a situation in which a lot of people are trying to do or achieve the same thing at the same timeFalling interest rates has led to a stampede to buy property.

Human stampedes most often occur during religious pilgrimages and professional sporting and music events. They also often occur in times of mass panic, as a result of a fire or explosion, as people try to get away.


From the news:

More than 300 people died in a stampede in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh after panic erupted at a water festival crammed with millions of revellers.

The stampede took place on a bridge over a tributary of the Tonle Sap River, which connects Phnom Penh with nearby Diamond Island, where festivities were taking place to mark the final day of the annual festival.

Ref.

http://www.oxfordadvancedlearnersdictionary.com/dictionary/stampede

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/11/23/3073577.htm

Rhododendrons - Hoa đỗ quyên

These photos were taken in Olinda, Melbourne.

"Powernap"

I learned this new word to the way to Melbourne a couple of weeks ago. It means: "A short sleep taken in the daytime in order to refresh a person and generally terminated before deep sleep begins so as not to leave the sleeper drowsy." 


Drivers can take power nap in the powernap areas.


Ref.
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/power_nap

Olinda, after 2 years

I went to Melbourne with my Uncle & Aunt for 4 days from 11-14, Nov. It took us more about 10 hours for driving more than 700 km from Adelaide.

The trip was really tiring but I enjoyed it. I had a chance to see Olinda again after 2 years. The first time I went there was in Sep., 2008. The scenery is still wonderful there.

Year 2008, behind holiday house

Year 2010, @ the same place

Bancha tea

 a Japanese green tea. It is harvested from the second flush of sencha between summer and autumn. (The first flush is harvested for shincha.)

Ref.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bancha
http://www.marukyu-koyamaen.co.jp/english/about/kind.html

"Feng shui"

Feng shui /ˌfʌŋˈʃweɪ/:  Chinese philosophy about the relationship between humans and their environment. It is about how everything is connected and affects your well-being. The term feng shui literally translates as "wind-water" in English.

Developed over 8,000 years ago as a system of how to survive and excel in harmony with nature, feng shui theories came from logical assumptions about natural causes and effects that endured through time. Passed down from generation to generation, only a select few understand the phenomenon of feng shui in its entirety. The complexity and correct application of feng shui takes many years to learn from a master. The ideas presented here offer some of the basic concepts that explain the principles of feng shui.

Feng shui is based on the Taoist philosophies of nature: these include the Yin-Yang Theory, Five Element Theory and the trigrams of the trigrams of the Yi-Jing. Everything is made of qi (pronounced chee) or energy which is organized into five elements: metal, fire, water, wood and earth and associated to the trigrams. Do not think of the five elements as static physical elements but energies like frequencies which have direction and a unique wavelength. The Five Element Theory explains how qi cycles in nature, constantly changing from phase to phase, since energy is neither created nor destroyed. Consequently, everything around us is connected and has the potential to affect our well-being. Today, feng shui is a multi-disciplinary study encompassing architecture, urban planning, geography, astrology, electromagnetism, landscape design, environmental psychology, and many others.

Ref.

http://www.astoriabrown.com/Feng-Shui.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feng_shui