臺灣像加拿大一樣，也有楓樹．最近，我發現了兩種楓樹．一種叫做「青楓」另外一種叫做「楓香」．它們兩種都看起來很像，人們常常分不清楚楓香和青楓的樣子．其實，青楓的葉子跟楓香的葉子看起來不一樣，青楓的葉子裂成五片，但是楓香的葉子裂成三片．

I finally got my New Year's Day photos off of the camera.  I took these near Cecilia's home in Gaoxiong.   On New Year's Day morning different temples will carry their idols around town to other temples.  One of the things they do when they get to a temple is to make a large pile of firecrackers.  Once the pile is big enough, then they carry the idol on top and wait until the firecrackers explode.  This is probably to allow the smoke to purify the area around the temple.

Phase 1: The people wearing the orange costumes are all from the Tiger Temple.  Some people are carrying the idol others are resting.  The ones you can't see are those resting.  They follow behind waiting for their turn to carry the idol.

Phase 2: The smoke is produced by an explosion from a large pile of firecrackers, approximately 1.5 meters in circumference and 10 - 20 cm deep at the center.  When it explodes there is a loud boom and then the smoke rapidly shoots straight up into the air.  None of the people standing directly in front of the smoke cloud were hurt.

Phase 3: After the explosion, the plume started to spread out slowly.  The paper from the firecrackers is also in the smoke.  Notice the ground is covered with many red bits of paper.  These are from previous firecracker explosions.

Phase 4: The idol they carried was not destroyed, its only bathed in the smoke.  If you look carefully you can see them carrying it to the next temple.  After they left the paper from the exploded firecrackers burned for a while bathing the entire area in smoke.

今年的高雄跨年晚會非常好玩．這次的高雄跨年晚會在愛河的附近，所以那裡的溫度很冷，差不多十二度．

大約十一點半，王力宏上台唱歌．他先後唱了「蓋世英雄」，「放開你的心」，「Kiss Goodbye」，和「改變自己」，都唱得非常好聽．

我很抱歉，我的照相機不能拍好看的電影，所以我沒有辦法拍到王力宏的live音樂會給你看．

既然你現在看我的部落格，我要讓你有機會看他這些的ＭＶ．

For English Speakers

I went to the south of Taiwan for New Years with Cecilia's Mom and Dad.  This year the party was at the beach in Kaosiung.  You might think that since its the tropics it would be warm but it was only 10 degrees that night.  So we sat out in the cold for almost 2 hours and watched the singers and celebrities entertain us until New Years.

The best singer was definitely Wang Leehom.  For those of you who don't know, he is very very popular in Asia.  I have posted some of Wang Leehom's music videos below since I had no chance to record his live concert.

蓋世英雄　（Matchless Hereo）

放開你的心　（Unleash Your Heart）

Kiss Goodbye

改變自己　（Change Me）