Guess What?

Yeah. Guess what? Another year has passed and the last post was many months ago!

Trust that all of us are keeping well despite the silence here; and here's wishing all of us a healthy, prosperous and happy 2010.

Pig farms bloom in Muslim Morocco

Moroccan Jewish farmer Jean-Yves Yoel Chriqui at his farm in Agadir.
Photo: AFP

Shunned by most Muslim countries where pork consumption is a religious taboo, pig farming is booming in Morocco thanks to a growing tourist industry and pragmatic breeders.

"If there's tourism, it would be better to have pigs," said Said Samouk, 39, who raises 250 porkers at his farm 28 kilometres (17 miles) from the seaside town of Agadir.

After being battered by a wave of bird flu, he launched a pig operation 20 years ago in partnership with an elderly Frenchman.

Today, Samouk spins dreams of doubling his production within three years to help meet the demands of some 10 million tourists expected to visit Morocco in 2010 - up from 7.5 million who flocked to the north African country in 2007.

"I'm a practising Muslim. I don't eat pork and I don't drink alcohol but it's just a breeding operation like any other and no imam has ever reprimanded me for it," he said of raising pigs -- whose consumption is prohibited in both Islam and Judaism.

Outlawed in Algeria, Mauritania and Libya, pig farming is nonetheless authorised in Tunisia as in Morocco, to cater to the flocks of European and other non-Muslim tourists who head to north Africa's spectacular beaches and deserts.

"Our clientele is 98 percent European. They want bacon for breakfast, ham for lunch and pork chops for dinner," said Ahmad Bartoul, a buyer for a large Agadir hotel. Signs are posted on buffet tables to avoid any confusion about the meat's origin.

Morocco's swine industry comprises some 5,000 pigs raised on seven farms located near Agadir, Casablanca and the north-central city of Taza. The breeders include a Christian, two Jews and four Muslims.

Annual production is currently estimated at 270 tonnes of meat, bringing in some 12 million dirhams (1.6 million dollars) in revenue.

The breeders include Jean Yves Yoel Chriquia, a 32-year-old Jew who owns the country's main pork processing factory along with a farm of 1000 pigs. Chriquia also buys pigs from Samouk and another local farmer at 22 dirhams a kilo.

Four times a month, he goes to the slaughter house in Agadir -- but must enter from a door other than that used for deliveries of meat that is halal, or authorised under Islam.

"We have a special place for this sort of slaughter. After cutting up the meat and getting the veterinarian's stamp, we transport it to the factory and put it in cold storage," Yoel said.

Almost 80 percent of his products are earmarked for hotels in Agadir and Marrakech. The rest heads to supermarkets and butchers -- and to feed some 220 Chinese workers building a nearby motorway.

"My wife was certain we would never find pork because we were in a Muslim country," said French retiree Bernard Samoyeau, as he ordered pork at a butcher in Agadir. "We have been pleasantly surprised."

Yoel is also pleased.

"We have more than doubled our sales in three years and it's starting to snowball. But since we rely on tourism, we must be careful," he said.

The Moroccan farmer speaks from experience: the 1990 Gulf war, the 2001 attacks on New York and Washington, and the 2003 invasion of Iraq ultimately forced him to shutter his last business burdened by 2.8 million dirhams of unpaid bills.

Three years ago, he opened up a new company that employs 31 people.

"Hotels all over Morocco are calling me up for deliveries, but for the time being I can't respond to all the demands. We're getting there, little by little," Yoel said.

Nor does he see a conflict between his job and his Jewish faith.

"Religion is a private matter. What I do is just another way to earn a living and my rabbi has never said anything about it," he said.

AFP

One Night in Bangkok

On the way back from visiting numerous health spas and resorts at Koh Chang, Koh Kood and Koh Samui we stopped over at Bangkok for the night.

We stayed at Somerset Park Suanplu on the 18th floor and here's the view from the kitchen balcony of the 2 bedroom service apartment. It was a nice spacious and comfortable place to stay.

Happy Mother's Day

I was away for about a week in Thailand on a business trip looking at various properties there. I came back late on Friday night with a missing luggage and had to work again the next morning. But fortunately I managed to get some good rest yesterday afternoon and last night.
I felt like being back to normal - well, almost.Here's wishing all the mothers in our classes a very Happy Mother's Day!
Give yourself a pat on your back because you are beautiful, special and wonderful!

The Lovenstein Institute

The Presidential IQ Report

WASHINGTON --In a published report, the Lovenstein Institute of Scranton, Pennsylvania has detailed findings of a four month study of the intelligence quotient of President George W. Bush. Since 1973, the Lovenstein Institute has published its research to the education community on each new president, which includes the famous "IQ" report among others.

According to statements in the report, there have been twelve presidents over the past 60 years, from F. D. Roosevelt to G. W. Bush who were all rated based on scholarly achievements, writings that they alone produced without aid of staff, their ability to speak with clarity, and several other psychological factors which were then scored in the Swanson/Crain system of intelligence ranking. The study determined the following IQs of each president as accurate to within five percentage points:

147	Franklin D. Roosevelt (D)
132	Harry Truman (D)
122	Dwight D. Eisenhower (R)
174	John F. Kennedy (D)
126	Lyndon B. Johnson (D)
155	Richard M. Nixon (R)
121	Gerald R. Ford (R)
176	James E. Carter (D)
105	Ronald W. Reagan (R)
98	George H. W. Bush (R)
182	William J. Clinton (D)
91	George W. Bush (R)

The six Republican presidents of the past 60 years had an average IQ of 115.5, with President Nixon having the highest IQ, at 155. President G. W. Bush was rated the lowest of all the Republicans with an IQ of 91.

The six Democrat presidents had IQs with an average of 156, with President Clinton having the highest IQ, at 182. President Lyndon B. Johnson was rated the lowest of all the Democrats with an IQ of 126.

No president other than Carter (D) has released his actual IQ, 176. Among comments made concerning the specific testing of President GW Bush, his low ratings were due to his apparent difficulty to command the English language in public statements, his limited use of vocabulary (6,500 words for Bush versus an average of 11,000 words for other presidents), his lack of scholarly achievements other than a basic MBA, and an absence of any body of work which could be studied on an intellectual basis.

The complete report documents the methods and procedures used to arrive at these ratings, including depth of sentence structure and voice stress confidence analysis. "All the Presidents prior to George W. Bush had a least one book under their belt, and most had written several white papers during their education or early careers.

Not so with President Bush," Dr. Lovenstein said. "He has no published works or writings, so in many ways that made it more difficult to arrive at an assessment. We had to rely more heavily on transcripts of his unscripted public speaking."

The Lovenstein Institute of Scranton Pennsylvania think tank includes high caliber historians, psychiatrists, sociologists, scientists in human behavior, and psychologists. Among their ranks are Dr. Werner R. Lovenstein, world-renowned sociologist, and Professor Patricia F. Dilliams, a world-respected psychiatrist. This study was commissioned on February 13, 2001, and released on July 9, 2001, to subscribing member universities and organizations within the education community.

The Lovenstein Institute of Scranton Pennsylvania is a think tank employing high caliber historians, psychiatrists, sociologists, scientists in human behavior, and psychologists. Among their ranks are Dr. Werner R. Lovenstein, world-renowned sociologist, and Professor Patricia F. Dilliams, a world-respected psychiatrist.

Since 1973, the Lovenstein Institute has published its research to the education community on various topics including the famous Presidential IQ Report among others. Reports are distributed to subscribing member universities and organizations within the education community.

NOTE: Really Scary Thought.
This confirms what people in the rest of the world had already suspected and feared most - the most powerful nation on earth is lead by a stewpig fool!!!

"The most important thing is for us to find Osama bin Laden."
"It is our number one priority and we will not rest until we find him."
-- George W. Bush 9-13-2001

"I don't know where he (bin Laden) is. I have no idea and I really don't care.
It's not that important. It's not our priority."
-- George W. Bush 3-13-2002

Ginkgo Biloba

Ginkgo trees in Berlin - Germany

City Quartier, Neues Kranzler Eck, sidestreet of Kurfürstendamm

I got the following from Wikipedia on the Ginkgo Biloba prompted by a comment by Deb in the chat box. I think Edmund takes them on a regular basis and so does Edward so that he can remember to go to the gym on a regular basis. But I think he would need to up the dosage so that he can then also remember his committment to blog at least once a month!

In South Korea, Sungkyunkwan University's logo is a ginkgo leaf. Its main campus features several gingko trees that were planted in 1519 and still stand today.

The extract of the Ginkgo leaves contains flavonoid glycosides and terpenoids (ginkgolides, bilobalides) and has been used pharmaceutically. It has many alleged nootropic properties, and is mainly used as memory enhancer and anti-vertigo agent. However, studies differ about its efficacy.

Out of the many conflicting research results, there seem to be basically three effects of Ginkgo extract on the human body: it improves blood flow (including microcirculation in small capillaries) to most tissues and organs; it protects against oxidative cell damage from free radicals (antioxidant); and it blocks many of the effects of PAF (platelet aggregation, blood clotting) that have been related to the development of a number of cardiovascular, renal, respiratory and CNS (Central Nervous System) disorders. Ginkgo can be used for intermittent claudication.

A 2004 conference paper ^[6] summarizes how various trials indicate that Ginkgo shows promise in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, although further study is needed.

Ginkgo is commonly added to energy drinks, but the amount is typically so low it does not produce a noticeable effect, except perhaps via a placebo effect from Ginkgo being listed on the label.

Tuesdays with Morrie

Deb's humorous post yesterday reminded me of a book I read years ago - "Tuesdays with Morrie" by Mitch Albom; a 'must-read' book about life and how to live it.

In the words of Morrie - "To learn to live, one must learn to die."

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It's quite thin and one should be able to finish it in one seating. But you would want to read this book slowly; ponder and reflect on your own life for all the wisdoms contained in it.

ABOUT THIS BOOK

Maybe it was a grandparent, or a teacher, or a colleague. Someone older, patient and wise, who understood you when you were young and searching, helped you see the world as a more profound place, gave you sound advice to help you make your way through it.

For Mitch Albom, that person was Morrie Schwartz, his college professor from nearly twenty years ago.

Maybe, like Mitch, you lost track of this mentor as you made your way, and the insights faded, and the world seemed colder. Wouldn't you like to see that person again, ask the bigger questions that still haunt you, receive wisdom for your busy life today the way you once did when you were younger?

Mitch Albom had that second chance. He rediscovered Morrie in the last months of the older man's life. Knowing he was dying, Morrie visited with Mitch in his study every Tuesday, just as they used to back in college. Their rekindled relationship turned into one final "class": lessons in how to live.

Tuesdays with Morrie is a magical chronicle of their time together, through which Mitch shares Morrie's lasting gift with the world.

Liew Lian, and more liew lian

While looking for something on the net, I came across this website www.durianpalace.com, and have extracted from there

Rare Durians of Borneo!
 
Shunyam Nirav has this to say about the durians:

All Thai durians and most Malaysian durians are varieties and clones of only one species, Durio zibethinus, the common domestic durian, which has been bred and selected for centuries in southeast Asia for various desirable qualities. However, D. zibethinus has many other lesser-known siblings in its plant family — approximately twenty-seven Durio species exist, of which about seven produce edible fruit. And these edible seven all are native to durian's original native home on the planet — its "center of diversity"— on the island of Borneo. Many still grow wild in the rainforests of Sabah, Brunei, Sarawak and Kalimantan ... but only rarely anywhere else.

We visited many produce markets and roadside vendors in small villages, towns, and cities, as well as agricultural research orchards and forest reserves, in quest of these rare and beautiful "other" wild durian species. We eventually did find fruits of five of these species, and they were a total delight! with surprising differences in form, appearance, color, fragrance, and flavour from common domestic durian (D. zibethinus). The complex rich unique flavor of durian known and loved by millions of people is in fact not the only durian flavor — these other species have completely different flavors equally or even more exotic and incredible than common durian!

                            —Shunyam Nirav



Durio oxleyanus


*small green beautiful fruits with very long sharp spines, smooth creamy flesh with an excellent unique durian flavor that includes undertones of banana and grape










Durio graveolens

*small yellowish-rind fruits with sharp spines, flesh ranges from yellow to bright red; pudding-like flesh has a very distinctive, different, alien but enjoyable flavor resembling burnt almonds blended with carrot juice! 











Durio kutajensis

*small fruits with yellow rind and soft flexible small spines, flesh is bright orange, dry and almost chewy, 
with a complex agreeable flavor like a combination of orange, celery, and basil, with a hint of garlic





Durio oblongus

*very ornamental with yellow rind and bright red seed skins; the aril has a pleasant plum flavor but as it is only a very thin skin around the seed, this species is not considered edible


 




Durio testudinarium




photo by Markku Hakkinen, Kotka, Finland



*The rare and famous durian species that bears its fruit low on the trunk, in the manner of jackfruit. Only small seedy fruits were happening in January so I did not get to taste one, but reportedly they are very strong-flavored and enjoyable only to the most enthusiastic durian-lovers.
 


*three rare Durio species together

from left to right: 
D. kutajensis - D. graveolens - D. oxleyanus 
(Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia, 10 January 2003)



Something from Lat about durians. http://www.ecst.csuchico.edu/~durian/lat/index.htm

Another Surprise!

Guess who we are taking kayaking through the rainforest of Bau this morning?

Clue: Someone who quietly 'sneaked' into and out of town without contacting anyone of us here and out of sheer conicidence this dispicable someone's sibling's hubby contacted us yesterday to do our kayaking! So when I drove to Taman Pecky Park to pick them up for kayaking (I'm not bringing them but my guide Azmi is) I remarked that I knew someone who used to live there eons years ago ...

Merry Christmas Greetings From Kuching

'Buddy' looking back towards our house from the jetty on Christmas eve

Merry Christmas greetings to all of you scattered around the globe from us in Kuching - the "bestest" place on earth!

Guess Who I Met at Xmas Carolling

I was at my cousin's house last night and he had arranged for christmas carolling which were nicely performed by the Kuching girl's and boy's brigade afterwhich I was approached by the troupe leader inquiring if I'm Francis Ho seeing that I still have my kayaks strapped on top of my car! (I had just came back from a kayaking trip and had not taken down my kayaks yet before rushing to the gathering)

I've not met him before until that evening but one of us sure has! Surprise huh? ;)

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year 2007!