Sunday, June 24, 2012 - String Beans and the Duanwu Festival

First harvest of the year.

 String beans.

String beans.

Duanwu Festival (Dragon Boat Festival):

The Duanwu Festival, also known as the Dragon Boat Festival, was yesterday, June 23, 2012. It falls on the 5th day of the 5th month on the Chinese lunar calendar. The festival commemorates the death of Qu Yuan, a Chinese poet from the kingdom of Chu who lived during the Warring States Period (475-221 B.C.). When the kingdom of Chu was conquered by the kingdom of Qin, he drowned himself in the Miluo river on the 5th day of the 5th month to oppose the rule of Qin. The local people who had admired him, threw zong-zi (rice dumplings) into the river so that the fish would eat the zong-zi instead of Qu Yuan's body. They then paddled out on boats in an attempt to retrieve his body.

 Homemade zong-zi given to me by my patients. Zong-zi is glutinous rice, with different fillings, wrapped in bamboo leaves. It is either steamed or boiled.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012 - Transit of Venus, Griffith Park

Went to Griffith Park after work to see the transit of Venus. The transit of Venus is when Venus passes directly between the sun and the earth, appearing as a small black disc moving across the face of the sun. Next Transit of Venus, December 11, 2117. Pictures taken with my camera phone.

A view of the crowd.

 

People waiting in line to see through the telescopes.

 

Pretty awesome that they had so many telescopes available for the public.