Tag Archives: Asia

Walrus

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Walrus

Walruses are gentle giants with super strength.

  • Walruses are large mammals that live in the Arctic areas of the Northern Hemisphere, including the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.
  • Walruses have the scientific name Odobenus rosmarus, of which there are up to three subspecies, and they are the only extant member of the family Odobenidae, a family of pinnipeds or seals.
  • Walruses can weigh 400 to 2,000 kilograms (880 to 4,400 pounds) in weight and grow up to 2.2 to 3.5 metres (7.2 to 11.5 feet) in length.
  • Walruses have two long tusks that can be 1 metre (3.3 feet) in length, that are used for latching onto and digging holes in ice, and in males they are used for fighting.
  • A female walrus usually gives birth to one pup during spring, not more than once every two years, around the time they migrate north, and the animal’s life span is generally between 20 to 50 years.
Walrus, herd, Blue, Animals, Marine, Ten Random Facts, Brown, Marine, Large, TuskA Herd of Walruses
Image courtesy of Claumoho/Flickr
  • Walruses generally hunt for food in the water in small groups, and typically eat shrimp, coral, worms, molluscs, sea cucumbers and other small aquatic animals.
  • Data relating to walrus populations has been difficult to obtain, making it difficult to determine whether they are endangered or not, however, they were heavily hunted in the 1700 and 1800s, causing a significant population decrease, and in some areas, extinction.
  • Legislation in some areas has protected the walrus for almost a century, however they have been illegally poached for their tusks, blubber, hide, meat and flippers, and now it is only legal for them to be hunted by local natives to the area, although permission has been granted to allow natives to include other hunters to participate in the hunt under special conditions.
  • A walrus has skin typically coloured brown to grey, that is scattered with hairs, and the animal also has whiskers above its mouth that are used as sensors.
  • Walruses live on ice in herds that can number in the thousands, with adult males usually living in a separate group to the females and their pups, and they are sometimes preyed on by orcas and polar bears.
Bibliography:
Walrus, 2013, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/walrus/
Walrus, 2014, National Geographic, http://animals.nationalgeographic.com.au/animals/mammals/walrus/
Walrus, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walrus

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Gyokusendo Cave

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Gyokusendo Cave

Gyokusendo Cave is bright, beautiful and peaceful.

  • Gyokusendo Cave is a large underground cave and water body located underneath the city of Nanjo, located in the southern part of the island of Okinawa, Japan in Asia.
  • ‘Gyokusendo Cave’ is also known as ‘Illuminated Cave’, and it is part of the above ground amusement park Okinawa World.
  • Gyokusendo Cave contains more than a million fragile stalactites that can fall from the ceiling as a response to loud noises that cause vibrations.
  • Gyokusendo Cave is full of moisture, with pleasant air movement, and it has temperatures typically averaging 21°C (70°F).
  • Gyokusendo Cave is lit with numerous multicoloured lights, ranging from yellow, blue and green, among others, to enhance the cave’s natural beauty.
Gyokusendo Cave, Rock, Limestone, Place, Japan, Underground, Lit, Stalactites, Ten Random Facts, Flickr
Gyokusendo Cave
Image courtesy of SteFou!/Flickr
  • Although the cave is approximately 5 km (3.1 miles) long, only 890 metres (973 yards) of Gyokusendo Cave can be accessed by the public, and ramps and man-made paths lead visitors through.
  • Gyokusendo Cave was first made known to the public in 1967, when it was discovered by a group from a Japanese university, although it is believed that locals to the area already knew of its existence.
  • Water flow thousands of years ago is the most likely cause of the Gyokusendo Cave, that is made primarily of limestone, while a river can be seen in the cave, as well as small waterfalls.
  • Gyokusendo Cave is the home to much wildlife including fish, bats, insects and reptiles, many of which are on display in the cave.
  • Gyokusendo Cave is a very popular tourist attraction, while access requires an entry fee, and the cave system is the second largest in Japan.
Bibliography:
Going Down in Okinawa, Japan, 2010, Go Backpacking, http://gobackpacking.com/gyokusendo-cave-okinawa-japan/
Illuminated Caves – Okinawa, Japan, 2014, Planet Den, http://planetden.com/architecture/illuminated-caves-okinawajapan
Top 10 Places to See Before You Die, n.d, Funzim, http://funzim.com/top-10-places-to-see-before-you-die/6/

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Katsuobushi

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Katsuobushi

Foreign food, like katsuobushi, is quite interesting.

  • Katsuobushi is a Japanese food product of fermented, smoked and dried fish, such as bonito or most commonly skipjack tuna.
  • ‘Katsuobushi’ is also known as ‘okaka’, both Japanese words, as well as ‘dried bonito’ and ‘dancing fish flakes’.
  • Katsuobushi is commonly used in Japanese cuisine to make soups and sauce, or more specifically, broth, as well as a garnish or topping that imparts flavour to the dish.
  • Katsuobushi has a savoury taste, and the product includes fungi that is part of the fermentation process.
  • Heat emissions and steam can cause Katsuobushi to move as if the substance is alive, and it is often used decoratively on hot foods for this reason.

Kastuobushi, Dried Bonito Flakes, Bowl, Japanese, Food, Culinary, Small, Ten Random Facts

  • Katsuobushi can be bought either in blocks or as shavings, often in sachets, in a coarse or fine version, and it is typically pink to brown in colour.
  • Katsuobushi is made by filleting the fish, boiling and smoking the fillets, sun-drying them and spraying them with moisture-absorbing fungus, and letting them ferment, while the entire process takes many months.
  • The final product of Katsuobushi, before shaving, is generally a very dry, hard block that looks similar to wood, and weighs over 80% less then the original fillet, and once shaved it resembles wood shavings
  • Katsuobushi is available in fine or coarse flakes, while the larger flakes generally have a stronger taste and are bulkier.
  • Katsuobushi was first made in the 1670s, in Japan, while a more modern version was brought into use by 1770.

 

Bibliography:
Fujita C, Dried Bonito, 2009, The Tokyo Foundation, http://www.tokyofoundation.org/en/topics/japanese-traditional-foods/vol.-15-dried-bonito
Katsuobushi, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katsuobushi
What is Katsuobushi, 2014, WiseGEEK, http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-katsuobushi.htm

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Origami

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Origami

Did you know that there is an art to folding paper? Well, it is called origami.

  • Origami is the art of folding paper, generally without cutting or gluing, that is believed to have originally started in the first or second century AD, in China.
  • Origami generally involves folding a square piece of paper into a two or three dimensional object, while the most common or well known folded object is a paper crane (bird) or ‘orizuru’.
  • In the sixth century AD, origami was introduced to Japanese people, and it eventually became ingrained into the Japanese culture, so much so, that it has been, and is still strongly associated with Japan.
  • Origami paper sizes typically range from 2.5 to 25 centimetre (1 to 10 inch) squares, although they can be larger, and the most common size is 15 cm (5.9 inches).
  • Although folding paper in origami is typically performed by hand only on a smooth surface, tools including a scorer, embosser, paper clips and tweezers can be used for better folds or holds.

Origami Boxes, Coloured, Green, Purple, Bright, paper, Art, Ten Random Facts, Invention, Craft

  • Some origami models have moving mechanisms once interacted with, and designs include simple jumping frogs and flapping wings to complex models of a figure playing a paper instrument.
  • ‘Origami’ comes from the Japanese words ‘ori’ and ‘kami’ meaning ‘fold’ and ‘paper’ respectively.
  • The final design size of an origami model is dependent on the paper size; and a number of computer programs have been designed that can simulate the art of paper folding, and can also create designs.
  • Origami has a strong link to mathematics, and can be seen used in practical solutions such as airbags in vehicles, and it has been a common subject of copyright issues, as designs have been often stolen and republished.
  • Origami paper is available in a wide range of colours and patterns, that usually range between 55 to 90 gsm in weight, and the paper is often thin, allowing for ease of folding.
Bibliography:
History, n.d, Kid’s Web Japan, http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/virtual/origami/origami01.html
Origami, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origami

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Gerbil

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Gerbil

Gerbil… not just a pet.

  • Gerbils are a subfamily of approximately 110 species of mammals, or small rodents, native to Asian, Indian and African deserts and hot areas.
  • A gerbil was historically called a ‘desert rat’, while its scientific name is Gerbillinae, and it belongs to the family Muridae, a family of rodents.
  • Gerbils generally range from 7 to 20 centimetres (2.7 to 7.9 inches) in length, plus the tail that can be just as long, depending on the species, and weigh from 57 to 114 grams (2-4 ounces).
  • Mongolia gerbils were first made available as pets in the mid 1900s, and are now quite popular, although the pet can be illegal in some areas due to threats to agriculture and ecosystems.
  • Some species of gerbil live alone, while others reside in groups, and they use their sense of smell to determine whether fellow rodents belong to their family group or not.
Gerbil, Pet, Animal, Dirt, Brown, Animal, Rodent, Mammal, Ten Random Facts, FlickrA Gerbil
Image courtesy of Shankar S./Flickr
  • Gerbils generally live for three to five years and females have litters of approximately eight, that are born with no fur or sight.
  • The diet of gerbils generally consists of seeds, nuts and fruit, although insects, small birds and eggs, and other plant material are sometimes consumed, depending on the species.
  • Gerbils live in burrows and are prominent diggers, digging underground networks and tunnels with strong claws.
  • Gerbils have fur typically coloured brown, grey, black, white or tan, and those in the pet industry most commonly differ in colour due to select breeding.
  • A gerbil has the ability to shed their tail if it is trapped, and they are preyed on by snakes, birds, feral cats and other small mammals.
Bibliography:
Gerbil, 2013, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/gerbil/
Gerbil, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerbil

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Mount Ararat

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Mount Ararat

Mount Ararat, the tallest peak in Turkey.

  • Mount Ararat is a stratovolcanic mountain and the most elevated peak in Turkey, West Asia, and is part of the Armenian Highlands.
  • Mount Ararat consists of two peaks, the ‘Greater’ and the ‘Lesser’, reaching 5,137 metres (16,854 feet) and 3,896 metres (12,782 feet) in height respectively.
  • ‘Mount Ararat’ is also known as ‘Ağri Daği’, ‘Çiyayê Agirî’ and ‘Kuh-e-Nuh’, meaning ‘Mountain of Ağri’, ‘Fiery Mountain’ and ‘Noah’s Mountain’ respectively, and it is also called ‘Masis’,
  • The main peak of Mount Ararat is always covered in ice and snow that begins at an elevation of 4,800 metres (15,750 feet), and is likely to increase the peak’s height.
  • Mount Ararat is said to have last erupted in 1840 after an earthquake, although the history of its eruptions is uncertain, and specimens found in the area have been dated back to the Bronze Age.Mount Ararat, Mountain, Volcano, Stratovolcano, Snow, Mist, Turkey, Landform, Ten Random Facts
Mount Ararat
Image courtesy of Arthur Chapman/Flickr
  • The first climb to the summit of Mount Ararat during the modern age was in 1829 by naturalist Dr Friedrich Parrot, a German, also known as Johann Jacob von Parrot, who was accompanied by Khachatur Abovian, an Armenian.
  • Mount Ararat is often described as the final resting place of Noah’s Ark that is depicted in the Bible, and there have been many expeditions to the area for the purpose of finding evidence.
  • Climbing Mount Ararat can only be achieved once a permit has been obtained from the government, and a qualified guide has been secured.
  • Mount Ararat is Armenia’s national symbol and in Armenian mythology, it is the home of the mythical gods and a sacred place.
  • The lower parts of Mount Ararat are the home to juniper trees and fields of grass, often used for sheep breeding; and a monastery and village were constructed on the mountain although these were destroyed in the 1840 avalanche, however, some buildings were rebuilt.
Bibliography:
Mount Ararat, 2014, All About Turkey, http://www.allaboutturkey.com/ararat.htm
Mount Ararat, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Ararat
Mount Ararat, n.d, Encyclopaedia Britannica, http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/32131/Mount-Ararat

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