2024-08-09 National Hand Holding Day

【Long Tale】

Nancy Anne Miller

                The kiskadee, with a yellow

                Waistcoat, is full of himself.

                White streaks on his face

2024-08-08 National Happiness Happens Day

【Pink Tangle Teezer】

    Nancy Anne Miller

        Like a rose sun coral, nodules waft a watery aqua sky,

        Deep down in the semitropical ocean of her youth.

        A pink floral Octocorallia with tentacles swaying

2024-08-08 National Pickleball Day

【Coccoloba Uvifera】

Nancy Anne Miller

            Like a scrotum full of seed,

            The cluster of bay grapes

            Hang down on a semitropical

         &

2024-08-08 International Cat Day

【Humpback Whale】

Nancy Anne Miller

            You need a hump to

            Be in tune with a curvy

            Ocean, to rise like one in

            Notre Dame's Cathedral.

       &nbs

2024-08-07 National Lighthouse Day

【Moon Jelly】

Nancy Anne Miller

            Lacey as doilies for tea cups,

            A soft sense of politeness present

            When the sea harmonized itself

2024-08-06 International Scuba Day

【Sea Squid】

Nancy Anne Miller 

            Capped like a nursery bonnet

            With tentacles streaming ties.

            A missing tooth of the sea,

        &nbs

2014-11-05

【Aiden in English】

        I've traveled around the globe and always feel the same. The last day is always the time when my perfect vacation gets ruined. I was sorrowful when I woke up today, knowing that today would be the last day of paradise in Mexico. Once I return, I'll be going back to something like a prison called school and being forced to do experiments on paper that harm the brain and measure my intellect. If I decided not to cooperate, the punis

2014-11-04

【Aiden in English】

        To understand a culture, you must understand people's way of life. How do people survive from day to day? That is undoubtedly the question for the residents who used to live in Tulum. Why? Because the nearest freshwater is 5 miles/8 km away. Geographically, Tulum is sandwiched between a swamp and the Caribbean Sea. Both have water, but it isn't drinkable. To find clean and fresh water, one must travel 5 miles on foot through the s

2014-11-03

【Aiden in English】

        The only thing worse than a long, tedious, dreadful plane ride is a long, boring, hideous bus ride. Mom and I took one to the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. The Yucatan Peninsula is in Central America, where the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico meet. It is one flat plate. I could stare in one direction and see endless bushes and jungles for miles. The highest point in the Yucatan Peninsula is probably the ramp onto the highway. So, Mom

2014-11-02

【Aiden in English】

        I've traveled the world multiple times, seeing things that most of my peers only dream of and experiencing things that most of my friends won't even understand. Yet, through my travels, I have never paid much attention to the wonders right under my nose. I have never considered a trip to Mexico because I don't put the USA's neighboring country on my priority list. Oh, why can't I be any stupider?

      &n

2014-08-08

【Aiden in English】

        I love comedies. They're funny and entertaining; what's not to like about them? And what show is better than the famous Punchliner？ The show features the best entertainers from across America. George Lopez started it and decided to work with Carnival Cruise Lines. I bolted to the next performance when I heard about the Punchliner Show on board.

        The Punchliner became the best comedy ever. Unfortunately,

2014-08-07

【Aiden in English】

        At school, we were taught that stingrays were deadly killers of the sea and had poisonous stingers that could instantly kill you. I disagree, especially after seeing the stingrays when Mom and I sailed Allura Catamaran to Stingray City Sandbar in Grand Cayman.

        First of all, stingray stingers are not poisonous. They are just there for protection from danger. To them, we aren't considered a significant th

2014-08-06

【Aiden in English】

        Dolphins are substantial and intellectual animals. They act as the masters of the seas, and their ability to move in water so quickly and gracefully makes me intrigued by these intelligent beings.

        After all, today was the day that I could finally interact with dolphins up close at Anthony's Key Resort of Sandy Bay, Roátan —not just swim but snorkel.

        The experience was beyond amazin

2014-08-05

【Aiden in English】

        Belize is probably one of the best places for snorkeling. The Mesoamerican Biological Corridor is the second-largest barrier reef on Earth, stretching 186 miles in the West Caribbean, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

        Today, after hearing about the coral sea of Water Caye, located to the east of Belize City, the old capital, Mom and I came to see the offshore atolls, sand cays, coastal lagoons, estuaries, and

2014-08-04

【Aiden in English】

        I have always loved snorkeling. You'll know that by now if you've read about my adventures in the Galapagos Islands. Yet, today in Cozumel, Mexico, the snorkeling experience wasn't as fascinating as I had hoped.

        We were unprepared. Mom bought me a snorkeling set back in the US. However, it was far too large. Water leaked through the plastic and into my eyes. My mouth had many cuts beca

2014-08-03

【Aiden in English】

        Have you ever tried finding a needle in a haystack? Nobody is insane enough, actually, to do it. Have you ever tried to find a group of specific cruise staff members in a sea of people for a scavenger hunt? Sure, they are wearing bright T-shirts. However, we're talking about a cruise ship the size of the Titanic (maybe) with 15 floors, hundreds of rooms, and over 4,000 people on board. That's just like finding a needle in a haysta

2014-08-02 Chinese Valentine's Day

【Aiden in English】

        The Mesoamerican Biological Corridor, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the ideal destination for a summer getaway. There is nothing like paradise for relaxation, thanks to its stunning barrier reefs, pristine white beaches, expansive blue skies, and abundant marine life. So, my family booked a flight from US Airways and packed our bags from Philadelphia, PA, to Miami, FL, where Carnival Glory waited to tak

2009-01-31

        初识邓恩“深色”(Dunn)河瀑布，是在汤姆·克鲁斯“双·大胆”的《花心情圣》(Cocktail, 1988)里——那600英尺/180米高的阶梯式巨瀑，从林水之乡奔涌而出，合着雷鬼乐的节拍，一路连蹦带跳泻入加勒比“勇者”海。后来才知，007早在《诺“虚无”博士》(Dr. No, 1962)中便已在此崭露头角。我们此行首站便选邓恩河，想亲眼看看这瀑布如何直入大海，那碳酸钙岩石又怎样不停“生长”。耳听为虚——尾端近海处的石灰岩经河水长年磨蚀，早已光洁无棱；瀑布顺势淌下，将钙质一并带来，日积月累，“

2009-01-29

        坦率地说，我对哥斯达黎加“富海岸”的认知，仅限于那三处世界遗产，以及铺天盖地的热带雨林、火山温泉与丛林海滩。等真正置身于“中美洲花园”，才惊觉印象最深的，果然还是自然本身。首都圣何塞“神恩”群山环抱，云雾缭绕，远看前山雄伟，走近却觉后山秀丽，颇似我家背后的紫金山那般葱郁。这里虽无南京的繁华，也少了故都的亭台楼阁，但热带雨林的原始风貌，将大朴无华的自然毫无保留地交给了居民。站在岭脊远眺，“海到尽头天是岸，山登绝顶我为峰。”博物馆里，我被民间绘画吸

2009-01-28

        小时候因“文革”父母分居两地，我常借寒暑假穿梭于京津济徐宁杭之间，对京杭大运河早有亲见。大学后往返京宁一线更加频繁，有一年暑假索性与正读初中的妹妹结伴，从北京出发，经天津、河北、山东、江苏、浙江，头一回实地走完了这条贯通海河、黄河、淮河、长江、钱塘江五大水系的古运河——可惜那是80年代，百废待兴，运河本身疏于打理，古人笔下“渔歌飘渺飞檐外，帆影参差玉浪中”的景致早已无处可寻。没想到20多年后，我会带着即将六岁的娃儿，横穿巴拿马“鱼类丰富”地峡，去看那

2009-01-27

        因着要去哥伦比亚“鸽子”，我们特意看了德·尼罗“黑色”(De Niro)主演的《战火浮生》(The Mission, 1986)，却终究没来得及读马尔克斯“战神”(Mrquez)的《百年孤独》(One Hundred Years of Solitude)。不过从报刊与网络上零散的文字中，对卡塔赫纳这座背景之城倒已略知一二。它坐落在哥伦比亚北部海滨，三面环水，与哈瓦那“港口”、圣胡安“神慈”并称加勒比“勇者”海三大港口。早在16世纪中期，它便成了西班牙殖民者掠夺南美财富的中转站；如今已是哥伦比亚的主要油港与石油加工中心

2009-01-26 春节

        在美国待得越久，越觉得想坚持点业余爱好、做点喜欢的事，年轻时不易，中年更难。责任与义务总在肩上，时间、情绪、金钱样样牵绊，不觉半个世纪擦肩而过。又是一年之首，北方的宾夕法尼亚“山林”州冰封雪飘，南国的阿鲁巴“位置优越的岛屿”却阳光和煦、海风宜人。春节将至，人便容易暂时忘掉那些纠结。娃儿翻出印着“桃符”的红纸袋，逢人作揖讨压岁钱——我触景生情，心中萌生出一份节日的冲动。翻出地图，目光落在那棵迪维迪维树上，它像天然的指南针。待心情如东

2008-02-06 春节

        在饮食这件事上，我着实幸运。身边不少美国朋友把做饭吃饭当作一桩没完没了的家务，而我除了采购和饭后收拾，从不与油盐酱醋周旋——全因家中一位深谙厨道的母亲，即娃儿的外婆，在全程打理。母亲天生好吃，又爱琢磨，走南闯北对各地风味过目不忘，既勤于活学活用，更长于触类旁通，总不忘照着我们自家口味改良创新。每日工作之余，足不出户便能品尝到她的家宴：青岛的油酥火烧清煮鱼，山东的饺子油条煎饼果，南京的什锦拼盘咸水鸭，四川的宫保鸡丁鱼香茄，河南的道

2008-02-05

        从费城“兄弟之爱”起飞，不到四个钟头便能抵达波多黎各“富港”首府圣胡安“神慈”——比飞往西海岸还便捷，只是票价常居高不下。波多黎各是美国的自由邦，棕榈婆娑的海岸线与葱郁的内陆山区尚存着岛屿的天然风貌，本土文化却深浸西班牙遗韵，政治主权紧系美国，经济生活仰仗合众国的庇荫——称它为“加勒比的黄金珠宝”，并非过誉。圣胡安是西半球第二古老的首府：福塔雷萨“城堡”宫的征服者气派，鹅卵石铺就的月亮路，圣菲利普“爱马仕”与圣克里斯托瓦尔“基督追随者”堡垒的险峻，康达多“

2008-02-02

        在纽约“新紫衫树之地”居住的那四五年，我们对多米尼加“属于主”共和国并不陌生——那些散落街巷的移民，带着梅伦格“蛋白酥”(Merengue)的狂潮与巴恰塔“派对”(Bachata)的浪漫，沿着七号地铁线铺展开来。10年后，我们乘着音乐的翅膀，来到罗马纳“罗马人”城内的查翁“神慈”高地(Altos de Chavón)工匠村——一座16世纪西班牙风格的文化小镇。查翁高地坐落在查翁河畔，鹅卵石拼花铺就的路面硬朗光润，低矮的古朴街灯与高大的棕榈树错落有致。石灰岩砌成的美术馆、图书馆、地中海餐厅与工

2008-01-31

        如果说圣基茨和尼维斯“沃土和雪中圣母”是世界上最小的国家之一，绝非夸张——即便把两座火山岛之间那条三公里长的地峡算上，总面积也不过与中国舟山群岛相当。可就是这样一片弹丸之地，却集山魄与海魂于一身，抬头可揽秀峰，俯首能赏水色。首都巴斯特尔“低地”坐落在圣基茨岛东南海边，远有利亚穆伊加“沃土”(Liamuiga)山重峦叠嶂，近有尼维斯岛遥相呼应，学院河与西溪河穿城而过。这座城始于1639年，曾是法国西印度群岛殖民地的中心，直至1727年英国取代法国统治，政治地位才被重

2008-01-30

        巴巴多斯“有胡子者”位于加勒比“勇者”海小安的列斯“前方的岛屿”群岛(Lesser Antilles)最东端，地貌如无花果藤须，粉黛娇艳——当年葡萄牙探险者一见倾心，便以葡语“留着胡须”为之命名，一个浪漫诗意的名字从此流传。旅游、蔗糖与轻工业三大财源，加之“自豪与勤勉”的民风，使它成为加勒比地区经济最发达、人口最密集的国家之一。枪山信号站有约300年历史，坐落在圣乔治“农夫”教区，登高远望半壁江山尽收眼底。东临大西洋，风高浪急，拔示巴一带酷似苏格兰风光——山连着海，海连

2008-01-29

        “我们尊主为大，甚于热爱地球。”上帝造了多米尼克“主日”，让80%的国土覆满厚实的热带雨林。它孤悬于加勒比“勇者”海小安的列斯“前方的岛屿”群岛(Lesser Antilles)东北部，曾是加勒比印第安人的大本营。1493年哥伦布“鸽子”探寻北美洲时恰逢礼拜天登岛，便以拉丁语“主日”为之命名——直到1978年才真正独立，英国殖民近180年，英语成了官方语言。首都罗索“芦苇”年轻而蓬勃，人们爱用最鲜艳的色彩涂抹生活，空气里飘着肉桂的芬芳；街巷狭窄，矮屋刷着绿黄黑白红，前巷挨着后院，推开

2008-01-28

        我们向来羡慕美西太平洋岸的朋友——不出四个钟头便能置身夏威夷“家园”天堂。其实，我们所在的宾夕法尼亚“山林”州乡下虽前不着河后不靠海，只要朝大西洋与加勒比“勇者”海交汇处纵身一跃，花上相当的工夫，同样可以坠入美属维京“少女”群岛那柔美动人的仙境，感受“云在青天水在瓶”的悦然。维京群岛是第一次大战期间美国花2,500万美元从丹麦买来的，位于加勒比海小安的列斯“前方的岛屿”群岛(Lesser Antilles)群岛北部的背风水域。1493年哥伦布“鸽子”率船队第二次远征时发现此地，