Pingtan Island

Pingtan Island is located to the south of Minjiang River, and about 120 kilometres to Fuzhou. It is the biggest island in Fujian and 5th biggest island in China, Covering an area of 309 square kilometres, Pingtan Island is composed by 6 tourist sections and 2 beach resorts.

Pingtan Island, isolated to the mainland, is free from pollution. It is boasted with beautiful coastal landscape with clean and fresh water complimented by soft and fine sand.

Pingtan Island has been developed well in recent years, gifted with rich island resources and natural landscapes. Some people think the island suffers its development bottleneck due to the poor transportation. However, it is because of this, the island turns out to be more mysterious for many people.

At present, the only transportation to Pingtan Island is by ferry. You can catch the wonderful views on the way to Pingtan Island. The island looks like an altar seen from afar.

Honda Civic 2010 Edition Japan

Ash From Icelandic Eruption May Just Be the Start

Volcano often erupts in tandem with much bigger one nearby

By Alexandra Witze, Science News

The Icelandic volcano that ramped up activity on April 13 could wreak havoc with European air traffic for some time.

Yet the Eyjafjallajökull volcano (pronounced AY-ya-fyat-la-yo-kult) is not the one most researchers have been keeping a wary eye on. Just a few kilometers to the east of the erupting vent is a much bigger and potentially more dangerous volcano called Katla. In the past, when Eyjafjallajökull erupted, Katla did too. So scientists are closely monitoring Katla to see if it, too, might go.

Volcanic activity is par for the course for Iceland, an island that is the above-water manifestation of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the seam of mountains running up the center of the Atlantic Ocean like stitches on a baseball. The ridge marks where magma wells up from deep inside Earth, giving birth to new oceanic crust that moves outward from the ridge.

“It’s the place to see seafloor spreading without getting your feet wet,” says Alan Linde, a seismologist at the Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington, D.C., who has placed seismic monitoring equipment on Icelandic volcanoes.

The latest eruption comes on Iceland’s south coast, about 75 miles east of the capital city, Reykjavik. Historical records show that Eyjafjallajökull erupted in 1612 and then again between 1821 and 1823. Some researchers think it also erupted in the year 920.

The current eruption began late in the evening of March 20, when seismic activity around the volcano picked up and then a fissure opened on its side, sending lava fountains spurting into the air. Over the following few weeks the eruption continued at low levels, with a second fissure opening on March 31 and steam and ash plumes occasionally drifting up. By April 12, seismic activity was decreasing; Icelandic authorities lowered the alert level a notch.

But on April 13, a swarm of small earthquakes began and a new vent opened on the south rim of the volcano’s central collapsed chamber, this time directly beneath a glacier. Two days later, the ash plume had grown so large that air traffic in the United Kingdom and much of northern Europe was shut down.

The question now is how activity at Eyjafjallajökull might affect its much larger neighbor. Both volcanoes erupted in 1612 and 1821–23, but Katla has also gone off on its own many times, most recently in 1918. One of the largest eruptions in Iceland’s history, by volume, came in the years 934 to 940 when Katla spewed more than 18 cubic kilometers of lava onto the countryside. The Icelandic Meteorological Office, the Nordic Volcanological Center and other institutions monitor both volcanoes with GPS, seismic and other equipment.

Like Eyjafjallajökull, Katla lies beneath a glacier, and the combination of its larger size and the overlying ice makes it far more dangerous, scientists say. When an erupting volcano melts ice, floods known as jökulhlaups can come pouring out suddenly. Flooding from the Eyjafjallajökull eruption has already caused hundreds of people to evacuate.

Iceland has been devastated by its dozens of volcanoes many times in the past. In the winter of 1783–1784, the eruption of the Laki volcano spewed out enough sulfur dioxide and ash to kill thousands of people across Europe and chill global temperatures the next winter. In the 1960s, a new volcanic island called Surtsey was born off the southwest coast. And in 1973, an eruption on the nearby island of Heimaey threatened to bury a town’s economically important harbor; residents sprayed the advancing lava with seawater to cool it off, and the harbor remained intact.

Aside from outburst floods, ash clouds are the biggest threat from eruptions. In 1989, a KLM flight flew through an ash plume from Alaska’s Mount Redoubt; all four of the aircraft’s engines shut down and the pilot recovered the plane only after it dropped thousands of feet.

On a brighter note, some researchers predict the amount of ash in the atmosphere may be sufficient to cause brilliant red sunsets across Europe.

Iceland's volcano affects Brisbane travelers' plans

By Siobhan Barry

Updated 11 hours 41 minutes ago

International travellers flying out of Brisbane are finding some of their flights are affected by the volcanic eruption at the other end of the world - in Iceland.

Qantas has cancelled four flights to London and one to Frankfurt.

The airline says it is making contact with affected customers.

Qantas is warning passengers flights to London and Europe scheduled for Saturday that those flights might also be cancelled.

Airline spokesman David Epstein says anyone travelling to Europe or London in the few days should not go to the airport until they have received firm confirmation their flight is operating.

"We haven't made a formal call about tomorrow but what I would say to people is do not be optimistic about flights tomorrow," he said.

"In fact my personal view is it may take until Sunday at this stage unless we hear something better from the UK authorities."

Qantas is advising all passengers leaving Australia for the United Kingdom and Europe to check its website before leaving for the airport.

The airline says the website will have the latest information on whether specific flights have been affected.

The Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC) says some passengers flying to Europe via Asia have been told they could get stuck in cities including Bangkok or Singapore.

Passengers have been advised it might be better to stay in Brisbane unless they are happy to wait in Asia until the problem is resolved.

BAC spokesman Jim Carden says passengers flying to Europe should call their airlines before deciding whether to travel.

"All the airlines have various policies and it's prudent for people to check with their airline as to whether that airline will be flying on from the Asian stopover, and if not, whether the airline meets the cost of the passenger's accommodation," he said.

Singapore Airlines says it will still fly to Singapore but is warning people that hotels there are full and they should not board the flight unless they have somewhere to stay.

A volcanic eruption in Iceland that has spread ash throughout European airspace has caused airline chaos, closing airports and stranding tens of thousands of passengers.

冰岛一个月内发生第2次火山爆发

据报道，14日，冰岛一个月内发生第2次火山爆发，巨型“火山灰云”向南飘移到北大西洋，造成来往北 欧甚至全球的航空交通大瘫痪。

　　英国前所未有地宣布封锁领空，禁止飞机升降，北欧几乎所有机场停飞，估计有过千航班、数十万旅客受到 影响。英国航空监管部门14日宣布，自当地时间中午12时起，禁止所有航班进出英国领空，英国停飞限期至今晨7时。禁令实施前，利物浦、曼彻斯特、格拉斯 哥及爱丁堡等主要机场均已停飞，规模最大、最繁忙的伦敦希斯罗机场关闭，盖特威克机场100多趟航班取消。

　　而有专家预计，火山灰短期内将难以散去。

挪威国王转从陆路赴丹麦

　　据报道，除英国外，爱尔兰、丹麦、挪威、瑞典及芬兰均封锁部分空域，预料比利时及荷兰将跟随其后。德 国、法国及瑞士等地均有航班取消，个别机场关闭。由于火山灰笼罩北大西洋主要航线，美国较早前已宣布停飞多数跨大西洋的航班。

　　由于正值复活节长假后的返回期，14日很多旅客受阻。据报道，挪威国王奥拉夫五世伉俪原定坐飞机到丹 麦哥本哈根，出席丹麦女王玛格丽特二世70岁大寿的庆典。但由于航空交通全面停运，领空封锁他唯有改由陆路转水路前往。

火山爆发引洪灾 灰飞8千米高空

　　据报道，冰岛雷克雅未克以东120公里的埃亚菲亚德拉冰盖冰川附近一座火山于14日爆发，火山灰飞到 8000米的高空，波及1700公里以外的伦敦。

　　火山爆发亦导致冰岛冰川融化，引起最少两处洪灾，800名居民需要疏散。有专家指出，此次火山爆发的 威力较上月的爆发高出20倍。

　　据报道，欧洲航空管制机构Eurocontrol估计，西北欧此次航运瘫痪可能还将持续2天。假如情 况恶化，法、德领空也可能关闭，实行禁飞。

　　据悉，这是现代史上英国首次全国禁飞，也是2001年“911”恐怖袭击事件以来，全球最大规模的停 飞事件。

New look bistro for fine dining

BAR ONE BISTRO,
Lobby Level, Summit Hotel Subang USJ,
Persiaran Kewajipan USJ 1, Subang Jaya.
Tel: 03-8023-3000 ext 3511
Business hours: Daily. 5pm-1.00am
Pork free.

Not just greens: Sesame Chicken Strip

HAVING undergone some refurbishment, Bar One Bistro at Summit Hotel Subang USJ has opened its doors with a revamped concept and new dinner menu.

The management wanted to transform Bar One, which was previously known as Bar One Dance Club, to a one-stop centre with food, entertainment and wine and cigar bar.

Using Norwegian salmon: Atlantic Salmon Fillet with Cajun Garlic Butter.



Sweet endings: Chocolate Nougatine Served with Vanilla Ice-Cream and Chocolate Sauce

A good roast on a Sunday

The Lobby Lounge,

Ground Floor, The Ritz-Carlton,168,

Jalan Imbi, 55100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-2142 8000

Business hours: Every Sunday

from 11.30am to 3.00pm

Halal.

SUNDAY Roast at The Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur is not just about the good old fashioned roasted prime beef rib, but it also offers a medley of European classic favourites with authentic ingredients

“Our cheese is from Italy and the fish roe from the Scandinavian countries. We want to be as authentic as possible and import some of the ingredients if a particular dish warrants it,” hotel executive sous chef Mohd Firdaous Mohd Izhar said.
However, the highlight of the buffet is the roast which is made from Black Angus beef imported from the United States.

Enticing: The tastefully presented Sunday Roast buffet at The Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur’s Lobby Lounge.

“The meat, once it arrives needs to be aged two to three weeks before roasting. Ageing here means putting it in the chiller with herbs and spices,” Firdaous said, adding that the roasting took about seven hours.
All that work is so that they are able to serve tender and tasty beef that has been well done to rare cuts on a single roast, depending which section of it is selected by the diner. Recommended to go along with the roast is a side of stewed cabbage that has a taste reminiscent of sweet prunes and Yorkshire pudding.
“Our stewed cabbage is deep purple because it has a variety of fruits and herbs. It is a classic European way of cooking,” Firdaous said.

Another classic item on the menu is the salmon coulibiac, a French favourite consisting of salmon, hard-boiled eggs and fragrant rice all cooked in a pastry and served in slices.

Meaty delight: The highlight of the Sunday Roast is of course, the roast itself.

“As there are a lot of different ingredients in a single dish, its quite hard to cook this particular dish which needs patience and attention to detail to prepare,” Firdaous said.
The buffet also features a small Asian section dedicated to sushi and choice sashimi cuts.
“This is to cater to the Asian diners who must have some rice in their meals because for most it is a staple food,” he said.
The buffet also includes many other delicacies such as deep-sea oysters, mini-lobsters, pates and smoked salmon.
Though the buffet is relatively small compared with most other buffets, the Sunday Roast still manages to pack in a variety of desserts all with the diners’ preference in mind.

For the fondue: Rows of fruits and marshmallows sticks that can be dipped into the creamy chocolate fountain.

“Other than the usual chocolate fountain with a variety of bite-sized items like fruit and marshmallow on sticks to dip in, the other interesting dessert item we have are macaroons,” Firdaous said.
He said when coming up with the menu, the team had wanted to make a light dessert that was not as heavy as chocolate that some diners enjoyed after a meal.
“Macaroons are sweet without being too sweet. Diners need not worry about the bright colours our macaroons come in as it is all entirely due to the various natural ingredients.
For instance, for strawberry macaroons we will use real strawberry paste for the colour,” Firdaous said.
Firdaous, who has been working in the industry for the past 14 years, said it took about two months to prepare the menu for the roast.
“The idea is to provide our guests with a taste of Europe,” he said, adding that it was pointless to serve ordinary local food at the classy lounge because the best ones are more likely to be found on the streets.
The price per person for the Sunday Roast is RM130++.
This is the writer’s personal observation and is not an endorsement by Star Metro.