livinguktaiwan 3Speak Podcast: Recent Episodes

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https://3speak.tv/watch?v=livinguktaiwan/cpgoxhzm
For my past travels, I've always been more of a landscape rather than wildlife person. Wildlife can be quite difficult to see and even more difficult to capture. Whereas landscape is static, and changes during and over years. You can return again and again and nature will always offer you something slightly different. It wasn't until my trip to Antarctica did I appreciate the significance of wildlife, the challenges they face just to survive, and how important each and every part of them are to our ecosystem even if we can't see them. [^1]---### Day 4Following on my last post, when we came back from our morning walk, the expedition leader announced they had spotted a pod of whales in the water. Whales migrate down south to the Antarctica in summer for food [^1]. We were at the beginning of the migration season, and weren't expecting to see a lot of whales, so everyone was very excited with the news.After lunch, I went up to the top deck for a spot of whale watching. The crew were loading the zodiacs for our afternoon outing. It was interesting to see how hi-tech everything was. A robotic arm, controlled by a crew member with a PS like console did the job. Once it landed in water, the expedition team would get on and go scout the area for our next outing. The team in the two zodiacs definitely have the best job, and had already come across some whales on their way out. https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/livinguktaiwan/244oUwxZP4nBTKQhLs5VENyLYA6cD7eaJG7WjjojyyfQ3ozEFYSoMJUTVrZPZ18XqM1t9.jpg https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/livinguktaiwan/245mrhpjaWNbX6Wtz6baLD2d9vuiXRBuHnkAsgQB4J5aizMLfhCMpqhMwxUAsvYFFeQwK.jpg This afternoon was zodiac cruising, no landing. In a way, it was more leisurely, we just sat inside the zodiac and cruised around in the wet and snow. And boy!! Did we hit gold! It didn't take long for the first whale sighting. They came, quietly, hiding beneath the water. We couldn't see them at first, just the ripples here and there, like they were teasing us with their presence. We waited patiently and quietly. Then suddenly, the squeal, and the blow! It was unbelievable and magical. A couple of times they were very close to our zodiac, so close that I could feel their movement. I was so mesmerized that I forgot to feel worried, not that I had to because I knew the expedition team would never put us in danger. I have some footage in my video, it still feels so surreal when I watch it back now.---After the amazing encounter with the whales, we cruised out to a place called Recess Cove. These rides are bumpy, yet exhilarating. And at the same time a contrast with the feathery snow gently sliding down on me. When you're on a zodiac, it feels like you're travelling quite a long distance. In reality, we haven't traveled that far. All our surroundings are in different shades of bluey white, from the hazy sky, icebergs, sea, drift ice. It makes one lose the sense of direction. Every stop we make, every angle we turn, we see something different. The quietness, stillness, something I won't forget.---### Day 5The next morning, we cruised to Melchior Island and passed by Base Melchior. This is a small base station owned by the Argentines. They have 13 stations in Antarctica, outranked only by Chile by 1. Melchior is a seasonal station operating in the summer only, and the crew was expected to arrive in a few weeks time. We didn't do any landing, and just cruised around admiring more icebergs, or rather bergy bits. That's the proper name for smaller icebergs around the size of a house. And did you know, the even smaller ones, around the size of a car are called growlers? It's amazing what you learn during your travels. These are two of my favorite bergy bits. Nature is the best architect. Our cruise at the Orne Harbour in the afternoon was the only time that we had bad weather. It was cold and wet, but I loved it!!! https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/livinguktaiwan/EpGRBJXgy1CH7RDcQNBNJYVBeGuRLZxG2Z5ZrewaPnsYeps4mDGngDN6xn1HZJJXhAh.jpg https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/livinguktaiwan/2423sVD4tP7yAdpHVLjLVGvyREw7jZuw9RMBrUeSGeRF4RXz82JnxCMEzLP2R17cwmxJ3.jpg https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/livinguktaiwan/23yTmo2T2qFpJnwPeqGA9wZXvLBGRFeGSgZnUbaY1GUh82sKE3aNdzygswZcWxvc9G8pV.jpg---By the time we returned on board, the weather had cleared up and turned beautiful again. That was very important for some of our fellow cruisers tonight. Normally, the ship travels during night time to get us to our next destination the next day. Today, we would stay here, opposite Argentine's Almirante Brown station. That's the little brown building you can see about a quarter in from the right. Now, pan across to the white patch of snow on the right of the black cliff. Do you see some little dots? Those are 20+ of our fellow cruisers, and they're going to camp out here for the night!! I know, it's crazy, in sub freezing conditions! For some, this a lifetime opportunity to say you have camped in Antarctica. Not many can make this claim. But this bragging right come with a hefty price tag - USD750!!! Next morning, those who did it said it was an amazing experience!### Day 6Words cannot describe how beautiful Antarctica is, and I think even wordsmiths may struggle when they see the Lemaire Channel. During early season like when we visited, there are often ice blocking the passage, and we were warned we may have to turn back if it was impassable. That didn't dampen everyone's mood because the approach was enough to mesmerise us. The sky was beautiful blue, the water serene calm. The two had become one.I've packed this post with so many photos because I just can't stop myself, and there's also a video. My journey will continue in my next post where we have the most fun packed day including a very exhilirating zodiac cruise and where I (who can't swim) do a polar plunge!![^1]: After my Antarctica trip, I feel I have the responsibility to pass on an important message because I know as a community, we can do more for this world : Krill are small shrimp-like creatures and are "the primary food source for whales, penguins and seals in Antarctica, and remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by eating carbon-rich algae near the surface and excreting it when they sink to lower, colder waters, helping to mitigate climate change. " source. They are used in many products such as fish oil supplements, pet food, and fishing bait. This is unnecessary, and there are alternatives to krill that can be used. Wildlife depend on krill to survive and climate change is already disrupting the food web for them. Krill commercialisation accelerates this process. Please stop this by not buying any products that contain krill. [//]:# (!worldmappin -64.32442 lat -62.96984 long d3scr)https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/livinguktaiwan/6lk5PyCT-squared20logo.png

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https://3speak.tv/watch?v=livinguktaiwan/sjloskyf
My Antarctica trip began when I first set eyes on our ship as we arrived at the port in Ushaia. She was majestic. All my fellow cruisers on the coach were ohh'ing and ahh'ing. Previously we had only seen her in brochures and videos, and now we were boarding her to start the trip of our lifetime for the next 12 days. ### Day 1We were welcomed by the ship General Manager by the gangway, offered champagne onboard as we checked in, and made to feel like VIPs by the crew. The joys of luxury cruising☺️Then we were taken to our staterooms (never call a room a room onboard a cruise ship 😉) where our luggage was already waiting for us. Another joy of luxury cruising where we don't need to lug our bags around ourselves. The stateroom was lovely. It had a decent size sitting area and full length window to admire the views outside. I'll do a separate post about the ship later on for those who are interested.After settling down, it was time for the mandatory safety briefing. Safety is always the most important at sea. We had to report to our muster station with the life jacket from our room, and were told how to put it on correctly. That's basically a drill in case there's an emergency so we know where to go and what to do, and not panic.I ended my first day on board taking advantage of the free drinks whilst watching the beautiful sunset as we cruised away.---### Day 2Going to Antarctica by sea takes two days via the Drake passage. Flanked by the Atlantic, Pacific and Southern oceans on either side, the Drake passage is approx 800km in between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and no land mass anywhere to be seen. The Antarctic circumpolar current, the world's strongest current, swings around this area, potentially creating massive waves up to 20m in the very worst conditions. That's when you get the infamous Drake Shake. Some cruisers look forward to that for the total Antarctica exhilarating experience. Fortunately, sometimes you may get the Drake Lake, a calm crossing not too dissimilar from normal cruises. You won't know till you're there. Luckily, we got the Drake Lake. Phew! What a great start to our journey.Day 2 was spent on the logistics matters. Mandatory briefings on what to expect on land, what we can and can't do, and how to get in and out of the zodiacs safely. We also tried out our new parkas and boots sizes, and got our outer gear, trousers, gloves and hats etc checked and vacuumed clean to make sure we don't bring any biohazard on land and contaminate the continent and wildlife.We spent the rest of the time exploring the ship and trying to be ~~un~~sociable, meeting our fellow cruisers. We were going to be with them for 11 more days, might as well see what friends, if any, we make.---### Day 3Our Drake Passage crossing was so good that we actually managed it in a day and a half. Despite the overcast and -2 degrees, it was confirmed we would have our first landing at Barrientos Island in the afternoon!!!! That's a pretty big deal in Antarctica, where sometimes landings have to be cancelled due to adverse weather, so getting an extra one was a big bonus.Strictly speaking, the Barrientos Island isn't on the Antarctic continent mainland. It's part of a cluster of islands 120km north of the Antarctic peninsula. As expected everyone was very excited on our first landing and we went out in groups for the short zodiac ride from the ship to land. Everything was well organised to make sure each passenger got their one hour on shore, and that we didn't exceed the 100 people limit at any one time on land.It was quite overwhelming when I got off the zodiac and stepped on the 7th continent at last!!! I wasn't crying with joy here, just trying to adjust my hat because it was so windy 😄 But seriously, it felt great, and I stood there for a moment taking everything in.Once we landed (see the cluster of people by the shore) we could walk either to the left or right, but we had to follow the paths in between the cones laid out by the expedition team. We're not allowed to deviate from the path, and we're not allowed to walk towards a penguin. We were, after all, visiting their home, and we had to respect them. If a penguin walks towards us or crosses our path, we have to stay 5m away or back away slowly from them. That's to prevent us from disturbing them too much and passing any disease to them or vice versa. Avian flu was detected in the Antartica last year, and that is a big concern for everyone as it could wipe out the wildlife.We headed right first, which was nearer, to see some penguins. It's not a massive colony as we often see in photos, but that didn't matter. I was happy to be here and embrace whatever was on offer. Then we trekked to the other side. When it's just a massive sheet of snow-covered land, distance looks quite far away. In reality, it's probably only 200m. The difficulty was a combination of the excitement of actually being here at last, getting used to walking on snow in our gear after being on board for 40 hours, and a bit of a slope which some seniors struggled with and had to turn back. I forged ahead and made the most of my first landing. https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/livinguktaiwan/23tbwR3gHp6j9Mn3kGy5TBMHb3qXxVZXaGFoD3kyhiVqg7z51xKazMG8XrFMk17U1Mhh4.png https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/livinguktaiwan/241EzQGvHSGgMkDGp6zAQoCbYMzWFxf3vQ8tsA1hvUmtH5gN43J2M8amPVrgPXHVWVjxe.png https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/livinguktaiwan/241QP4dWYQHgZTxDY2mmpgxZLL4QW1EaYcfoAXFFSTNZ18sEVnbN5bZwjikzK1PEJuRTe.jpeg https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/livinguktaiwan/23tScdjksj9gLSECAVTWP3i297Bx1jMMnLoWmvYdeX3rWnK2XNu47uqLGMZyBwhz3ygLT.jpg We were so hyped after our first ever outing on the Antartica. And to top everything we got to celebrate our wedding anniversary that evening. This year marks a major milestone in our marriage, hence another reason to do this special trip.---### Day 4I woke up the next morning and was rewarded with this stunning view outside my stateroom. You'll see a bit more of it in the video.Today we'd go for our second landing at Portal Point. The crew said it's known for its broad snowfields, calm waters and sweeping views of surrounding glaciers. We could already get a taster of it from the zodiac on the way there.This landing involves a fair amount of walking. The expedition team had already mapped out the route and prepared walking sticks for us when we landed. We walked one after another, not too unlike the penguins, as we waded through the pristine snow, hearing it crunch beneath our boots on ever stip. It was cold, windy and snowing, but who cares when you're at the Antartica! It was an incredible feeling. I never thought I'd enjoy it so much walking in freezing cold weather for an hour. https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/livinguktaiwan/23w2oCu81E1nvsMYk4iuwDrohdi95JMhzqSefR6LZMKvZSuR2qvPQsSEzMLoQLin8ZUAJ.png https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/livinguktaiwan/23tSYuqpKbkRg9kpzhXfx5cjG5vQKtJmKJuJdbH3EqBWwKSF7ysVptrhTca4SW2pEYHwb.png https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/livinguktaiwan/23wMafNVxzQsK1iv836MFAGUXbCrDjjwtuzEyVmBx2YAnSd7NRyNAjsQeVAFENJvUbKNA.png https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/livinguktaiwan/23tHAAdc8UupPREN9fFn3epvzedgcvQZqGX23tcJ3L5r8EbRBEteiwRZLT9krvhEpjaeK.png ---### Next partDay 4 afternoon will continue in my next post, here's a teaser. Let's just say we had a whale of a time! Video music credit to @ravenmus1c who gets 5% beneficiary of this post as a thank youHere are my previous posts for my Antartica trip Antarctica - the 7th continent My day by day Antartica journal https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/livinguktaiwan/6lk5PyCT-squared20logo.png

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https://3speak.tv/watch?v=livinguktaiwan/clthnjsm
When I found out about the Wuppertal suspended monorail, and that it was so near where I was visiting, I figured it would be a crime not to go for a ride. There are only a handful of them in operation in the world, and this one is the oldest electrical one. How old? How about 122 years old😀 That's pretty impressive, right?

It turns out the cost of the monorail ride is included in my train day pass, and since I had nothing else to do, I ended up riding the 13.3km ride two and and half tI message so I can see the view from both directions.

The suspended monorail is used by locals as their normal means of transport. However, due to it's unique nature, it's also a very popular tourist attraction for those visiting Wuppertal and nearby.

Come and join me on the ride!

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https://3speak.tv/watch?v=livinguktaiwan/hssqptgn
This week I've done quite a few posts about the See Monster, hopefully you're not bored to death about it yet!!! In my last post I showed you some photos of the amazing drone show, but to be honest the photos don't do the show justice at all. During the final show, I decided to make a video of the drone show so you can view it (virtually) live to experience this awesome event.

In the afternoon, I went down to the beach where the drone show was to be held. I wanted to take some photos and other clips for my video. And the most important thing was that I managed to get exclusive access to the back stage where the drones are laid out on the platform on the beach ready to take off. Normally the team are very busy just before the show, but Sophie from the organizers was really great and squeezed out some valuable time to show me around. I was able to get up close and personal to the 400 drones. If you haven't see 400 drones before, this is what it looks like. Isn't it so ultra cool!!!

Later on in the evening, I went down a bit earlier than usual to bag a good spot to take my video. It was already jam packed with people. The event organisers reckons around 30 thousand people have attended the previous two shows. Not bad for our town which only has around 90 thousand population!!!

I passed by the drones again, they were already lit up ready to start the show.

Luckily I managed to get a great spot right by the sea front where I was able to sit on the wall above the beach. That made it a lot easier for me to hold my camera still for 10 minutes and to get better video quality, and to not have any people's heads moving in front of me.

Now all that's left if for you to watch the video. I hope you enjoy it. Would love to know what you think!

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https://3speak.tv/watch?v=livinguktaiwan/maknnrnm
Every since I started the Loo Loo Community, I'm always on the look out for some interesting toilets when I go out. Today's selection exceeds all those that I've shared previously. And trust me, you will be blown away!!

First of all, isn't this pretty? Not that one can view it whilst you are doing your business. But you can't deny, this is pretty impressive for a toilet? And the rest of the toilet follows the rose theme on the mirrors

This particular establishment has 5 floors I think, and toilets on each floor. I went to three of them, and each of them have a different theme. Apart from the rose toilet, this is another very interesting one. I didn't go into the actual toilet as there were people around and I just wanted to take a quick photo which again I thought was pretty remarkable.

Actually, do you want to guess what type of establishment this building is? This image will give you a clue. 2 Hive to the first person who guesses correctly!!!!

The most fascinating toilet I want to show you today is inside this funky Italian restaurant, Ave Mario in London. I went there this week with my kiddo nephew before his graduation ceremony.

Actually, I didn't know about the loos as kiddo booked this restaurant. He said they do awesome pasta. And the pasta was indeed awesome. But we're not going to see any food today as this is a post about toilets. When I pushed open the loo door, I thought I'd walked into a disco!!! The fluorescent arches lined up from front to back, and although it was a small space, it felt like I was could keep on walking inside.

The whole toilet design is really clever, because there's a mirror on the door reflecting the rainbow arches. Surely this is worthy of a LooLoo post on Hive!!

And.... I'm not done yet. If you notice, this is a 3speak post which means I have a video for you. Yes, a video inside a toilet, this might be a fist on Hive! Turn on the volume, click play and see if you can feel the vibe of this place and let me know what you think!!

And after you've watched the video, don't forget to see if you can guess what type of establishment the second toilet is located in. You might win the 2 Hive if you're quick in guessing correctly.

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https://3speak.tv/watch?v=livinguktaiwan/vhzbtqli
This is the correct versioni of my video

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https://3speak.tv/watch?v=livinguktaiwan/yxisosjb
It's been well over a year since I made a video on Hive, long over overdue.

In the past year and a half, I've been making quite a lot of videos, but they're all on YouTube targetted at a specific audience hence I don't post them on Hive. I'm making this video because thanks to the black Friday deals, I bought a new laptop this week, and want to thank the Hive community for supporting me with the purchase. Whilst I didn't actually withdraw any Hive to buy it, it's the thought of knowing I earned something on the platform that helps to justify it.

I spent his weekend playing with my two laptops, cleaning up files in the old one before I transfer them over to the new one. Then I've had to make sure all the apps and programs work on my new laptop, especially since I got quite a few that are Hive and crypto related from recent years. It's such a tedious process.

The difference between my old and new laptop is remarkable as you'll see in the video. The biggest difference is the time it takes to render a video and this was the main reason I bought it. Previously a 10 minute video would take me nearly two hours to render. I couldn't wait to see how long it wold take on my new laptop. Today, this three and a half minute video took me less than 14 minutes to render!!!! I'm really impressed!! And now this means instead of having my dinner whilst waiting for my video to render, now I can only have my cup of tea!!!!

The other thing that I will be busy with this weekend is to work out how the Ledger works. I never really felt the need for it in the past as my crypto portfolio is so small. As I was brwsing cfor Blak Frida they deals eekend I saw this on offer at £38, so I figured it was time to get one. Knowing how stupid I am with tech stuff, this might take me a while to figure out. In fact, if you want to know how stupid I can be sometimes, check out the end of my video!!

Have a great weekend everyone!!!