Quantum Forest

Gostaria, por favor, voce tem, Nova Zelandia.

Some of my co-travellers comment: if you speak in Spanish they will understand. Simple and slow English should do it. You are missing the point! Trying to use another language is fun and people tend to appreciate the effort. I have got discounts or an extra smile just because ‘eu estoi tentando’.

I know, I am butchering Portuguese but, hey, I am having a good time.

Foi ótimo te conhocer. Prazer. Quanto custa?

I would like to come back after studying the language for a while. I could be dangerous!

Written in Salvador’s Sofitel

While visiting Suzano Papel e Celulose’s nursery today I had a look at their weather station: temperature: 34C, relative humidity: 80% and solar radiation: 1,100 W/m². Imagine how comfortable is walking with the equivalent to 11 100 W bulbs above one’s head.

Suzano in Mucuri

Weather report back home, in Christchurch, New Zealand, 43.5 degrees latitude South:

• Maximum temperature: 13 C.
• Minimum temperature: 6 C.
• Relative humidity: 86%.

Weather report in Vitoria, Espirito Santo, Brazil 20.3 degrees latitude North:

• Maximum temperature: 32 C.
• Minimum temperature: 24 C.
• Relative humidity: 89%.

Vitoria, Brazil

While in a forestry tour in Brazil we came across this car in one of the companies’ carpark in Canoinhas, Santa Catarina, Brazil. According to Brazilians the dealer’s German surname is pronounced ‘fukeh’.

I have a weak spot for Arabic food, especially after being introduced to many dishes by our friend Munah (she is from Jordan) years ago. Last Saturday we needed to buy some veggies in Funky Pumpkin in Blenheim Road, when I remembered that one of our students (from Indonesia) mentioned that there was a shop of Middle Eastern food nearby.

MEFCO (Middle Eastern Food Company) is only a few meters behind Blenheim Road in 24B Acheron Drive. We bought dates, feta cheese (very cheap), pickled veggies, halawa, red lentils, couscous, coffee with cardamom and a few sweets. They do sell halal food and bread as well. The pickled veggies were really nice and all the products that we have been trying have been of good quality. When we mentioned to the shop owner that it was our first visit he threw in a few sweets for free. Good and friendly service.

Location of the Middle Eastern Food Company.

Pilons in Blenheim Road (see map).

Ten days ago we had a quick trip to Quail Island. The island, also known as Otamahua, is a 20 minutes boat trip from Lyttelton, which in turn is half an hour from Christchurch.

Quay Island/Otamahua

There is a nice walk around the island, that can be done in less than two hours at a leisurely pace. Just be careful with the seagulls, some times they are a tad too aggressive. There is also a small ‘beach’, no much sand but still a nice place for kids.

Depending on the time of the year there is one (10:20 am) or there are two (10:20am, 12:20pm) boats to the island. Currently the fare is $15 return for adults and $7 for children. Check more details in Black Cat’s web site.

It pays to check the weather too. There is no specific forescast for Quail Island, but Christchurch’s forecast should do.

One of the shipwrecks in the island.

A pebble is not a pebble is not a pebble. There is a special one some where in this beach (see map). I just need time and my trusty orange bucket.

Today I was having a cappuccino in ‘Coffee Culture’, Lyttelton (see map), when I overheard the following conversation:

– I got news from X.
– Who is X?
– An old friend of ours who is now a newborn Christian.
– and what was she before that?
– a Buddhist lesbian.
– ?

It was a funny way to finish a hiking day.

Not long ago I was dropping some friends in Christchurch’s International Airport. While waiting for their call to board they bought some food in one of the airport’s restaurants, including a bottle of Phoenix Organic juice. ‘Yummy!’ — I was thinking — ‘Orange, mango and apple juice’. See picture (sorry, poor mobile phone picture follows):

I have never cared about the ‘organic’ part of food names, but my expectation from reading a label was that most of the juice would be orange, followed by mango and — finally — apple. I do not know, but my cognitive approach at reading labels is thinking that ingredients are listed in order of importance. But wait, turning the bottle shows a different approach (sorry again, crappy mobile camera):

The label states: apple juice (74%), orange juice (20%), mango puree (6%), natural mango flavour, vitamin C. How do I feel about this type of labelling conduct? Deceived and misled are words that come to mind. The labels of some other Phoenix juices show the same problem: most of the content is cheaper apple juice, although the product name start with another (more expensive) fruit name. For example, ‘feijoa and apple’ (apple juice 85%), ‘guava and apple’ (apple juice 90%), ‘blackcurrant and apple’ (apple juice 86%), etc. Ludicrous. They should just call the juices ‘organic apple juice with a dash of XXX’.