This is the 2nd day at Des Moines, the capital city of IOWA state, United State of America. Des Moines is not a tourist area for local American as well as foreigners. It is in the mid west of USA, an agricultural region famous for oats and corns. But unexpectedly it is also the capital of insurance industry in USA.
Iowa is a American state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland." It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New France. After the Louisiana Purchase, settlers laid the foundation for an agriculture-based economy in the heart of the Corn Belt. Iowa is often known as the "Food Capital of the World", but Iowa's economy, culture, and landscape are diverse. In the mid and late 20th century, Iowa's agricultural economy transitioned to a diversified economy of advanced manufacturing, processing, financial services, biotechnology, and green energy production.Iowa has been listed as one of the safest states in which to live. Des Moines is Iowa's capital and largest city.
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Des Moines was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857. It is named after the Des Moines River, which may have been adapted from the French Rivière des Moines, literally meaning "River of the Monks."
Des Moines is located within the Polk County. The 2008 estimate was 424,778. It is also the county seat, as well as the capital city of Iowa State, and the largest city in the state. Polk County is one of the five counties that make up the Des Moines–West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area, which consists of five central Iowa counties: Polk, Dallas, Warren, Madison, and Guthrie.
Des Moines River
Des Moines River is a tributary river of the Mississippi River, approximately 525 miles (845 km) long to its farther headwaters, in the upper Midwestern United States. The largest river flowing across the state of Iowa, it rises in southern Minnesota, and flows across Iowa from northwest to southeast, passing from the glaciated plains into the unglaciated hills near the city of Des Moines, which takes its name from the river. It forms a short portion of Iowa's border with Missouri in Lee County. The Great Flood of 1993 on the river and its tributary the Raccoon in the summer of 1993 forced the evacuation of much of the city of Des Moines and nearby communities. On June 13, 2008, officials issued a voluntary evacuation order for much of downtown and other areas bordering the Des Moines River. The river had reached flood stage in many locations, and Mayor Frank Cownie said the evacuations were an attempt "to err on the side of citizens and residents."
The Des Moines River serves as the marker for street names having the prefix "East" or not (and occasionally "West" when on the western side). This is especially important for streets running north-south. "1st Ave" would be on the west side of the river, E 1st Ave the eastern side and are thus completely different streets. Streets running east-west and which exist on both sides of the river typically have an "East" prefix if east of the river. There are some "West" prefixes for those on the other side of the river but this is less common. Perhaps more confusing, there are streets which lie on both sides of the river, such as Grand Ave, which is "E Grand Ave" east of the river but simply "Grand Ave" west of the river; yet "E University Ave" is officially named "W University Ave" when on the western side of the river. Unlike the north-south streets, it is possible to arrive at your destination by simply continuing east or west--depending on your final destination. The demarcation for "SE" and "SW" prefixes is a bit more ambiguous but would certainly refer to a street south of Grand Ave/E Grand Ave and either the western or eastern side of the river. For most part, "NW" refers to streets west of the river and "NE" east of it, but not always so. Additionally, there is no standard reference point for determining when a street gains a "NW" or "NE" prefix.
The five-county metropolitan area is ranked 91st in terms of population in the United States according to 2008 estimates with 556,230 residents according to United States Census Bureau. The city proper population was 198,682 at the 2000 census. At the 2005-2007 American Community Survey Estimates, the city's population was 82.2% White (75.6% non-Hispanic White alone), 9.5% Black or African American, 0.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 4.2% Asian, 5.6% from some other race and 2.3% from two or more races. 10.2% of the total population were Hispanic or Latino of any race
Insurance Industry
Des Moines is a major center for the insurance industry and also has a sizable financial services and publishing business base. In fact, Des Moines was credited with the "number one spot for U.S. insurance companies" in a Business Wire article. Many insurance companies are headquartered in Des Moines, including the Principal Financial Group, Marsh (formerly KVI), EMC Insurance Group, Allied Insurance (now part of Nationwide), AmerUs Group (now part of Aviva), Holmes Murphy, and American Republic Insurance Company. Des Moines has been referred to as the "Hartford of the West" because of this. Principal is one of two Fortune 500 companies having headquarters in Iowa, ranking 273rd on the magazine's list in 2009. As a center of financial and insurance services, other major corporations headquartered outside of Iowa have established a presence in the Des Moines Metro area, including Wells Fargo, ING Group, and Electronic Data Systems.
The Meredith Corporation, a leading publishing and marketing company, is also based in Des Moines. Meredith publishes Better Homes and Gardens, one of the most widely circulated publications in the United States. Forbes Magazine called Des Moines the country’s best place for business and careers. Kiplinger's Personal Finance 2008 Best Cities List featured Des Moines as #9. Des Moines’ economy was among among the best-performing cities in the country during the first quarter of 2010, according to a report from the Brookings Institute.
Presidential election
Des Moines is an important city in United States presidential politics as the capital of Iowa, which is home to the Iowa caucuses. The Iowa caucuses have been the first major electoral event in nominating the President of the United States since 1972. Hence, many presidential candidates set up campaign headquarters in Des Moines. A 2007 article in The New York Times stated "if you have any desire to witness presidential candidates in the most close-up and intimate of settings, there is arguably no better place to go than Des Moines".
The skyscraper
Principal Financial Group's 45-story tower at 801 Grand (1991). 801 Grand, also known as The Principal Building, is a skyscraper located in Des Moines, Iowa. It is named after its street address, being located along Grand Avenue in the downtown area of the city between 8th & 9th Street (with High Street the northern border). Completed in 1991 and standing at 630 ft (192 m) it is currently the tallest building not only in Des Moines, but also in the state of Iowa.
(extract from wikipedia and wikitravel)
13-5-2010(Thursday) Hong Kong- Chicago-Des Moines International Airport
The flight continued from Singapore Changi Airport to Hong Kong Airport, where the plane wait for more than 2 hours to continue to Chicago. Hong Kong to Chicago is long flight, crossing the Pacific Ocean. The flight is actually a long flight from Hong Kong, over Tokyo, Japan and straight to the north beside the Russian land, sourth of Sterling Strait(if the name is correct), the strait between Alaska and Siberia. It was a turning curve from Siberia to North America, then it crossed the Pacific Ocean and finally over the American land mass from Canada to Chicago, no wonder it was a cold and long journey.
We have a more than 2 hr delay at the Chicago airport, the airline told us it was due to strong wind. It is normal, as Chicago was known as City of Winds. It was a long wait, and we met an insurance woman who was offering her help to phone Ben, informing that the flight will be delay. We also met a young college student from Des Moines, who reassure that it was normal for the flight delay. Just wait patiently for the resume of the flight. We finally departed at 7.45p.m. Ben and his friend Robby Patterson picked us up at De Moines International Airport(DSM) at Fleur Dr.
We are staying at a beautiful bungalow house owned by Mr Bruce and Beckey family. Mr Bruce introduced his family members to us. A beautiful family with strong bond based on Christian built up.
The night was unexpectedly cold, even the time now is early summer, the climate is still remain like late Spring. The turning of season is slow or is it because of the Great Lake effect?.
14-5-2010(Friday)Des Moines
First day at De Moines. Wake up late due to tiredness from jet lag
Visit to the university campus at University Ave, Des Moines, and meeting some friends. A small private university famous for actuarial science, with long history of establishment since 1881.
After 7pm. Tim Crane, the son of Mr Bruce took us to the Des Moines downtown, visited City Hall, and one of the art garden nearby. The art garden, the Pappajohn Sculpture Park was dedicated on September 27, 2009, located in Western Gateway Park from 10th to 15th Streets and between Grand Avenue and Locust Street. It showcases a collection of 24 world class sculptures valued at more than $40 million donated by Des Moines philanthropists John and Mary Pappajohn. Resting on 4.4 acres (2 ha) of green space, the sculpure park is designed as an outdoor art museum. Nearby is the beautifully restored and historic Temple for Performing Arts, reborn as a cultural center for the city. Next to the Temple is the 117,000-square-foot Central Library, with its ultramodern, freeform architecture and "organic" roof designed by renowned English architect David Chipperfield.
As it was late at night, the City Hall or State Capital Building was not open. However, it did not deny us from enjoying the view of the city from the hill. The day was still bright despite late night, we still can see the downtown from the garden at the Capital Hill. The Iowa State Capitol is the state capitol building of Iowa state. Housing the Iowa General Assembly, it is located in the state capital of Des Moines at East 9th Street and Grand Avenue. The building was constructed between 1871 and 1886.
The Iowa State Capitol is among the most beautiful state capitols in the country. Arising in the east and facing westward toward downtown, the capitol building with its 275-foot, 23-karat gold leafed dome towering above the city is a favorite of sightseers. Four smaller domes flank the main dome. The Capitol houses the governor's offices, legislature, and the old Supreme Court Chambers. The ornate interior also features a grand staircase, mural "Westward", five-story law library, scale model of the USS Iowa, and collection of first lady dolls. Guided tours are available. The Capitol grounds include a World War II memorial with sculpture and Wall of Memories. Other monuments include the 1894 Soldiers and Sailors Monument of the Civil War and memorials honoring those who served in the Spanish-American, Korean, and Vietnam Wars.
It is the only five-domed state capitol in the country. The building is brick with limestone from Iowa, Missouri, Minnesota, Ohio, and Illinois. Iowa stone is the foundation for the many porticoes of the building. Both front and back porticoes have pediments supported by six Corinthian columns each. The dome of the capitol is gilded in tissue-paper thin sheets of pure 23-karat gold, with a protective layer sealing the gold from the elements, and the top of its finial peak is 275 feet (83.8 m) above the ground. From its opening in 1884 until 1924 it was the tallest building in Des Moines, and probably the tallest in Iowa.
The West Capitol Terrace provides a stunning entrance from the west to the state's grandest building, the State Capitol Building. With its picturesque views, the lush, 10 acre "people's park" at the foot of the Capitol complex includes a promenade and landscaped gardens, in addition to providing public space for rallies and special events. A granite map of Iowa depicting all 99 counties rests at the base of the terrace which has become a popular attraction for in-state visitors, many of whom can be seen walking over the map to find their home county.
Iowa's history lives on in the State of Iowa Historical Museum. This modern granite and glass structure at the foot of the State Capitol Building houses permanent and temporary exhibits exploring the people, places, events, and issues of Iowa's past. The showcase includes native wildlife, American Indian and pioneer artifacts, and political and military items. The Museum features a genealogy and Iowa history library, museum gift shop, and cafe.(ref: wikipedia)
Tim was such a nice young man with good manner, a shy, helpful and friendly person. He was our guide and driver in Des Moines. A tall young graduate with blond hair, dressed simple, and easy going.
Shopping at Walmart, the US supermarket chain we had heard so much. The location is 73rd Street, Windsor Heights, West Des Moines. Walmart is the world's largest retailer. In 2010 it was the world's largest public corporation by revenue, according to the Forbes Global 2000 for that year.
Went to one of the lake garden at De Moines...The Gray's Lake Park, the night view of the Des Moines city from the park is beautiful. Gray's Lake, as part of popular Gray's Lake Park, features a boat rental facility, fishing pier, floating boardwalks, and a park resource center. Located just south of the downtown, the centerpiece of the park is a lighted trail encircling the entire park. Kruidenier Trail bridge across Gray's Lake, was lighted with colorful light at night.
Night, still cold.
15-5-2010(Saturday)Des Moines
2nd day at De Moines, still cold, but with sunshine.
Watching garden birds at the garden, see some squirrels. Really enjoyed the morning and the fresh air, with birds and squirrels moving in the garden seeking for food.
Ben took his USA driving license, and passed.
Took Italian food at Olive Garden for lunch. Not familiar with the food ethic and manner, still prefer rice. But it is alright for me, but not wife who has allergy for milk related food.
At night, sharing with Mr Bruce on the life of mother-in-law, as he got the news from the other graduate's mother, that my mother in law have passed away recently. It was emotional moment during the sharing.
Mother in law has been to Iowa state in early 80s, during my brother in law's student days. But I do not know is it Iowa City or Ames, as she did not mentioned the city. She always mentioned Iowa, the place must be significant in her heart. We are now following her footsteps into Iowa state. Prior to her sickness, we had asked her to follow us to revisit Iowa. But she was not prepare for the long hours flight due to her old age. She is however willing to go again to her husband ancestral land, Dapu, China; another place that is dear to her heart, which is with shorter flying time from Malaysia. Even she has passed away days ago, by stepping foot into Iowa state, bought me memories of her...
May be we are bringing her wishes and blessing to Iowa....even she has no longer physically with us. We know she will be proud and happy.... we had good time with her....
A good cold night, but the moment with mother in law still linger in my mind, tears flowing out when think of her.....
16-5-2010 Des Moines(Sunday)
It was a graduation days for the newly graduated. An active days at Des Moines. A grand graduation ceremony, with many parents and friends coming , some all the way from oversea. The President David Maxwell give a presentation of good music at the graduation ceremony, a special and unique way. He picked up his Gibson Les Paul guitar and played a blues ballad with renowned saxophonist Dick Oatts, who had just accepted an honorary Doctor of Music degree from the University.
After the graduation ceremony, it was Malaysian students gathering for photo session. You can see their joy and sense of achievement.
Today is Sunday,we missed the church service, only managed to arrive for lunch at the Church Camp. The graduates are giving testimonies and end with photo session again for all church members who have graduated today.
A brief stop at the house of Asian Affairs Coordinator, Des Moines City Hall. A Taiwanese Chinese with her husband. All Asian graduates were invited and gathered at her house. A friendly and helpful lady, who cared for Asian students. It was food and photo again.
Another function at a fellow graduate's house, a celebration for graduation of the 3 family members. I am really full with food, and hospitality.
The day end with tiredness and feeling of goodness and joy. Anyway it is a happy day for all newly graduated. May they have good future and success in their new undertaking.
A night of good rest for us, as we shall be leaving the place, Des Moines tomorrow (17th May) to Chicago. It is still a cold night, but a good night.
Des Moines
Iowa State
USA
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Changi Airport
I am now in Changi Airport , Singapore. Waiting for the transit to USA. It is late night , I am using the free service provide by the airport. This is T3 of the airport. Tomorrow morning I will be going to Hong Kong on the way to Chicago by air.
The day is spend travelling in the air, just received news mother in law just passed away today on 12-5-2010. Remember the time spending with her in Penang when she is seeking treatment at the hospital in Penang. She was suffering from Lung cancer. The courage and spirit that she revealed during treatment, and the time spending with her sharing about the time she visited USA, and China. Despite the suffering, depite the time of in and out of the hospital; we have great time sharing and laughing. The time seem to be just passed recently and now she is gone. She has been touring many countries as an old woman, she anticipated to visit her late husband's ancestral home in Dapu, China; but she did not make it to visit again. We had been visited the beautiful county of Dapu with her, my children and wife; we have beautiful time together, and we promised that we will go again. Ssd to say, she did not realise the dream. Farewell, mother in law....
Wife was sad as we are not able to attend the funeral as we are on the way to USA. We will remember her in the air, may her soul rest in peace. We will always remember her. The time together will be cherish by us. Goodbye, mother in law.....
She will be foreever remember by our family.....
2.50 am 13/5/2010
Changi Airport, Singapore
The day is spend travelling in the air, just received news mother in law just passed away today on 12-5-2010. Remember the time spending with her in Penang when she is seeking treatment at the hospital in Penang. She was suffering from Lung cancer. The courage and spirit that she revealed during treatment, and the time spending with her sharing about the time she visited USA, and China. Despite the suffering, depite the time of in and out of the hospital; we have great time sharing and laughing. The time seem to be just passed recently and now she is gone. She has been touring many countries as an old woman, she anticipated to visit her late husband's ancestral home in Dapu, China; but she did not make it to visit again. We had been visited the beautiful county of Dapu with her, my children and wife; we have beautiful time together, and we promised that we will go again. Ssd to say, she did not realise the dream. Farewell, mother in law....
Wife was sad as we are not able to attend the funeral as we are on the way to USA. We will remember her in the air, may her soul rest in peace. We will always remember her. The time together will be cherish by us. Goodbye, mother in law.....
She will be foreever remember by our family.....
2.50 am 13/5/2010
Changi Airport, Singapore
Monday, May 10, 2010
Luwak Coffee(貓屎咖啡)
Do you know what is the most expensive coffee in the world?, it is the shit of civet cat. It is an Indonesian coffee, the coffee produced from the shit of civet cat. The civet cat will eat the ripe coffee berries, after going through its digestive system,the ultimate end product are the feces discharged from the cat, which contained the coffee seed, which when brew into coffee, will be called "Luwak coffee, or Kopi Luwak". The most expensive coffee in the world, and considered the best in the world, it is from Indonesia, Luwak Coffee. It is not shit matter(or nonsense), it is the true coffee....it is real shit coffee.
By the way, 1-4-2010 or April Fool Day is over, it is not April Fool joke, but a real story of the shit, shit coffee.....and the best, environmental friendly coffee, animal right champion coffee(if the coffee seeds are collected from the wild).... the aroma from the cat shit is with the best coffee aroma. Sound odd? It is not shit all the way, it is coffee all the way....and it is Luwak Coffee.
This is what wikipedia said:
"Kopi luwak , or civet coffee, is coffee made from the beans of coffee berries which have been eaten by the Asian Palm Civet or Paradoxurus hermaphroditus(麝香貓) and other related civets, then passed through its digestive tract. A civet eats the berries for their fleshy pulp. In its stomach, proteolytic enzymes seep into the beans, making shorter peptides and more free amino acids. Passing through a civet's intestines the beans are then defecated, having kept their shape. After gathering, thorough washing, sun drying, light roasting and brewing, these beans yield an aromatic coffee with much less bitterness, widely noted as the most expensive coffee in the world".
The aroma of the Luwak Coffee depended on what types of the coffee berries the Asian Palm Civet have eaten; it may be specific type, or blends of arabica, robusta, liberica, excelsa or other beans which was cultivated and eaten by the Civet Cat. So the aroma vary.
If you want to drink the most expensive coffee in the world, remember to ask for " Kopi Luwak or Civet Cat's Coffee(麝香貓咖啡), or Animal Coffee". Coffee critic Chris Rubin has said, "The aroma is rich and strong, and the coffee is incredibly full bodied, almost syrupy. It’s thick with a hint of chocolate, and lingers on the tongue with a long, clean aftertaste."
It is US$300 per pound.....US$50 per cup....
What is so special about Luwak Coffee?
When a Kopi Luwak coffee bean, the world’s most expensive coffee, comes out the other end of a large cat after it’s been eaten by the animal – called a civet or Luwak – the micro-structural properties of the beans are altered, according to new research by a University of Guelph scientist published in Food Research International. They’re harder, more brittle and darker in colour than the same type of bean that hasn’t been eaten and digested by the Civet Cat. The changes in the beans show that during transit through the civet’s GI track, various digestive biochemicals are actually penetrating the outer coffee cherry and reaching the actual bean surface, where a chemical colour change takes place. During the night, the civet uses its eyesight and smell to seek out and eat only the ripest coffee cherries,” he said. “The coffee cherry fruit is completely digested by the Luwak, but the beans are excreted in their feces(Massimo Marcone, 2004)
Research by food scientist Massimo Marcone at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada showed that the civet's endogenous digestive secretions seep into the beans. These secretions carry proteolytic enzymes which break down the beans' proteins, yielding shorter peptides and more free amino acids. Since the flavor of coffee owes much to its proteins, there is a hypothesis that this shift in the numbers and kinds of proteins in beans after being swallowed by civets brings forth their unique flavor. The proteins are also involved in non-enzymatic Maillard browning reactions brought about later by roasting. Moreover, whilst inside a civet the beans begin to germinate by malting which also lowers their bitterness (source: wikipedia)
The internal fermentation by digestive enzymes adds a unique flavour to the beans, which Marcone said has been described as “earthy, musty, syrupy, smooth and rich with jungle and chocolate undertones.”
“The civet beans are lower in total protein, indicating that during digestion, proteins are being broken down and are also leached out of the bean,” said Marcone. “Since proteins are what make coffee bitter during the roasting process, the lower levels of proteins decrease the bitterness of Kopi Luwak coffee.”
“When coffee cherries are processed through the digestive track, they actually undergo a type of wet processing due to acidification in the stomach and fermentation due to the natural intestinal microflora. Lactic acid bacteria are preferred in wet processing systems. Lactic acid bacteria happen to be major colonizing bacteria in the civet’s digestive track.” The unique Kopi Luwak flavour could be due to the type of wet process the beans undergo in the animal’s digestive tracks
Marcone found that although civet coffee beans are significantly more contaminated than regular beans, the civet beans on the market are actually quite clean. “Civet beans are typically extensively washed under running water after collection, which dislodges bacteria
(reference: http://www.uoguelph.ca/news/archives/005780.html)
The video upload from youtube will give you some information on the coffee;
Types and distribution of Luwak Coffee
The Indonesian called it Kopi Luwak, in Indonesian language or even Malay language; the kopi is coffee, and Luwak is the name of Asian palm civet in Sumatra. Kopi luwak is produced on the islands of Sumatra, Java, Bali and Sulawesi in the Indonesian Archipelago, in the Philippines (where the product is called motit coffee in the Cordillera and kape alamid in Tagalog areas) and also in East Timor (where it is called kafé-laku). Sumatra is the world's largest regional producer of kopi lowak. Sumatran civet coffee beans are mostly an early arabica variety cultivated in the Indonesian archipelago since the seventeenth century. Tagalog cafe alamid (or alamid cafe) comes from civets fed on a mixture of coffee beans and is sold in the Batangas region along with gift shops near airports in the Philippines.
Is it a process or specific coffee type?
To Vietnamese and other supporters, Luwak Coffee is a process and not type of coffee. It is the natural process that make the coffee and it is not specific type of coffee. The natural process can be stimulated by artificial process. The main characteristics of the coffee are: exceptionally pleasing initial aroma, generally lighter roast (due to the low bitterness and the enzyme structural action, heavy roasting is not needed to bring out more flavor), smooth, buttery mouthfeel, a hint of chocolate overtones, and a haunting persistance not just on the pallet but on the memory. People say they can "recall the wonderful taste" for as long as a 2-3 hours after having a cup. These characteristics are generally present in all Kopi Luwak, even though the taste experience will be different due to the choice of beans and roast level, etc.
The process can be stimulated by isolated duplicate enzymes, the Luwak coffee can be produced.
The Simulated Civet Coffee or Synthetic Civet Coffee
Civet coffee is also a popular coffeehouse drink in Vietnam, where producers make simulated civet coffee. In 1996 German scientists hired by Trung Nguyen Coffee Company in Viet Nam isolated six digestive enzymes in the civet's digestive tract and a patented synthetic soak with these enzymes was developed to simulate the natural effect. Trung Nguyen's simulated product is called Legendee and is often the first kopi luwak-like coffee tasted by tourists in Southeast Asia(source: wikipedia). It is reported to be the only process using duplicate a natural enzyme soak process that would approximate the same effect.
For information, Vietnam is the world's second largest producer of coffee (second to Brazil).
Imitated Civet Coffee
But beware of the imitation, some kopi luwak simulations are not enzyme soaks but rather, roasts of high quality beans with added flavorings. So please insist on the natural Civet Coffee from the wild(may be more expensive now), or at least the genuine original Civet Coffee which is the defecation from Asian Palm Civet.
If you cannot bear the original smell or aroma of the coffee; then do not drink the coffee raw from the animal. The locals of Indonesia used to make Luwak Coffee, directly boiled, and drink it together. The blog http://penangcoffeelane.blogspot.com/ however will provide you with different ways to brew it in a modern way as the blogger, who was the owner of a cafe, has personally tried it and found a way to retain the aroma of the coffee to suit the modern man. For more information on the coffee and its process from civet cat, please visit the website.
Note the blogger's cafe(not me)in Penang is Coffee Lane(咖啡坊), 10-B, King Street, Penang, Malaysia(Tel: 04-261 0625). If you happen to be in Penang, and wish to try the most expensive coffee in the world, and best coffee in the world, the Luwak Coffee, do visit the Coffee Lane Cafe and try it yourself..... A place where Coffee is Freshly Ground, Freshly Brewed and Freshly Served,even for Luwak Coffee.
Kopi-o, Nescaffee, Coffee bean, all types of coffee, and now......
Shit.......Luwak Coffee.....
References and related articles:
1. New research explains structure, taste of Kopi Luwak coffee(2004), by Massimo Marcone, Department of Food Science,University of Guelph, Canada. http://www.uoguelph.ca/news/archives/005780.html
2. Legendee: The Legend of the Weasel, http://www.trung-nguyen-online.com/legendee.html
3. Common Palm Civet, http://pkukmweb.ukm.my/~ahmad/kuliah/manusia/tugasan/2004/civet.pdf
4. Kopi Luwak, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kopi_Luwak
5. Coffee Lane, http://penangcoffeelane.blogspot.com/
By the way, 1-4-2010 or April Fool Day is over, it is not April Fool joke, but a real story of the shit, shit coffee.....and the best, environmental friendly coffee, animal right champion coffee(if the coffee seeds are collected from the wild).... the aroma from the cat shit is with the best coffee aroma. Sound odd? It is not shit all the way, it is coffee all the way....and it is Luwak Coffee.
This is what wikipedia said:
"Kopi luwak , or civet coffee, is coffee made from the beans of coffee berries which have been eaten by the Asian Palm Civet or Paradoxurus hermaphroditus(麝香貓) and other related civets, then passed through its digestive tract. A civet eats the berries for their fleshy pulp. In its stomach, proteolytic enzymes seep into the beans, making shorter peptides and more free amino acids. Passing through a civet's intestines the beans are then defecated, having kept their shape. After gathering, thorough washing, sun drying, light roasting and brewing, these beans yield an aromatic coffee with much less bitterness, widely noted as the most expensive coffee in the world".
The aroma of the Luwak Coffee depended on what types of the coffee berries the Asian Palm Civet have eaten; it may be specific type, or blends of arabica, robusta, liberica, excelsa or other beans which was cultivated and eaten by the Civet Cat. So the aroma vary.
If you want to drink the most expensive coffee in the world, remember to ask for " Kopi Luwak or Civet Cat's Coffee(麝香貓咖啡), or Animal Coffee". Coffee critic Chris Rubin has said, "The aroma is rich and strong, and the coffee is incredibly full bodied, almost syrupy. It’s thick with a hint of chocolate, and lingers on the tongue with a long, clean aftertaste."
It is US$300 per pound.....US$50 per cup....
What is so special about Luwak Coffee?
When a Kopi Luwak coffee bean, the world’s most expensive coffee, comes out the other end of a large cat after it’s been eaten by the animal – called a civet or Luwak – the micro-structural properties of the beans are altered, according to new research by a University of Guelph scientist published in Food Research International. They’re harder, more brittle and darker in colour than the same type of bean that hasn’t been eaten and digested by the Civet Cat. The changes in the beans show that during transit through the civet’s GI track, various digestive biochemicals are actually penetrating the outer coffee cherry and reaching the actual bean surface, where a chemical colour change takes place. During the night, the civet uses its eyesight and smell to seek out and eat only the ripest coffee cherries,” he said. “The coffee cherry fruit is completely digested by the Luwak, but the beans are excreted in their feces(Massimo Marcone, 2004)
Research by food scientist Massimo Marcone at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada showed that the civet's endogenous digestive secretions seep into the beans. These secretions carry proteolytic enzymes which break down the beans' proteins, yielding shorter peptides and more free amino acids. Since the flavor of coffee owes much to its proteins, there is a hypothesis that this shift in the numbers and kinds of proteins in beans after being swallowed by civets brings forth their unique flavor. The proteins are also involved in non-enzymatic Maillard browning reactions brought about later by roasting. Moreover, whilst inside a civet the beans begin to germinate by malting which also lowers their bitterness (source: wikipedia)
The internal fermentation by digestive enzymes adds a unique flavour to the beans, which Marcone said has been described as “earthy, musty, syrupy, smooth and rich with jungle and chocolate undertones.”
“The civet beans are lower in total protein, indicating that during digestion, proteins are being broken down and are also leached out of the bean,” said Marcone. “Since proteins are what make coffee bitter during the roasting process, the lower levels of proteins decrease the bitterness of Kopi Luwak coffee.”
“When coffee cherries are processed through the digestive track, they actually undergo a type of wet processing due to acidification in the stomach and fermentation due to the natural intestinal microflora. Lactic acid bacteria are preferred in wet processing systems. Lactic acid bacteria happen to be major colonizing bacteria in the civet’s digestive track.” The unique Kopi Luwak flavour could be due to the type of wet process the beans undergo in the animal’s digestive tracks
Marcone found that although civet coffee beans are significantly more contaminated than regular beans, the civet beans on the market are actually quite clean. “Civet beans are typically extensively washed under running water after collection, which dislodges bacteria
(reference: http://www.uoguelph.ca/news/archives/005780.html)
The video upload from youtube will give you some information on the coffee;
Types and distribution of Luwak Coffee
The Indonesian called it Kopi Luwak, in Indonesian language or even Malay language; the kopi is coffee, and Luwak is the name of Asian palm civet in Sumatra. Kopi luwak is produced on the islands of Sumatra, Java, Bali and Sulawesi in the Indonesian Archipelago, in the Philippines (where the product is called motit coffee in the Cordillera and kape alamid in Tagalog areas) and also in East Timor (where it is called kafé-laku). Sumatra is the world's largest regional producer of kopi lowak. Sumatran civet coffee beans are mostly an early arabica variety cultivated in the Indonesian archipelago since the seventeenth century. Tagalog cafe alamid (or alamid cafe) comes from civets fed on a mixture of coffee beans and is sold in the Batangas region along with gift shops near airports in the Philippines.
Is it a process or specific coffee type?
To Vietnamese and other supporters, Luwak Coffee is a process and not type of coffee. It is the natural process that make the coffee and it is not specific type of coffee. The natural process can be stimulated by artificial process. The main characteristics of the coffee are: exceptionally pleasing initial aroma, generally lighter roast (due to the low bitterness and the enzyme structural action, heavy roasting is not needed to bring out more flavor), smooth, buttery mouthfeel, a hint of chocolate overtones, and a haunting persistance not just on the pallet but on the memory. People say they can "recall the wonderful taste" for as long as a 2-3 hours after having a cup. These characteristics are generally present in all Kopi Luwak, even though the taste experience will be different due to the choice of beans and roast level, etc.
The process can be stimulated by isolated duplicate enzymes, the Luwak coffee can be produced.
The Simulated Civet Coffee or Synthetic Civet Coffee
Civet coffee is also a popular coffeehouse drink in Vietnam, where producers make simulated civet coffee. In 1996 German scientists hired by Trung Nguyen Coffee Company in Viet Nam isolated six digestive enzymes in the civet's digestive tract and a patented synthetic soak with these enzymes was developed to simulate the natural effect. Trung Nguyen's simulated product is called Legendee and is often the first kopi luwak-like coffee tasted by tourists in Southeast Asia(source: wikipedia). It is reported to be the only process using duplicate a natural enzyme soak process that would approximate the same effect.
For information, Vietnam is the world's second largest producer of coffee (second to Brazil).
Imitated Civet Coffee
But beware of the imitation, some kopi luwak simulations are not enzyme soaks but rather, roasts of high quality beans with added flavorings. So please insist on the natural Civet Coffee from the wild(may be more expensive now), or at least the genuine original Civet Coffee which is the defecation from Asian Palm Civet.
If you cannot bear the original smell or aroma of the coffee; then do not drink the coffee raw from the animal. The locals of Indonesia used to make Luwak Coffee, directly boiled, and drink it together. The blog http://penangcoffeelane.blogspot.com/ however will provide you with different ways to brew it in a modern way as the blogger, who was the owner of a cafe, has personally tried it and found a way to retain the aroma of the coffee to suit the modern man. For more information on the coffee and its process from civet cat, please visit the website.
Note the blogger's cafe(not me)in Penang is Coffee Lane(咖啡坊), 10-B, King Street, Penang, Malaysia(Tel: 04-261 0625). If you happen to be in Penang, and wish to try the most expensive coffee in the world, and best coffee in the world, the Luwak Coffee, do visit the Coffee Lane Cafe and try it yourself..... A place where Coffee is Freshly Ground, Freshly Brewed and Freshly Served,even for Luwak Coffee.
Kopi-o, Nescaffee, Coffee bean, all types of coffee, and now......
Shit.......Luwak Coffee.....
References and related articles:
1. New research explains structure, taste of Kopi Luwak coffee(2004), by Massimo Marcone, Department of Food Science,University of Guelph, Canada. http://www.uoguelph.ca/news/archives/005780.html
2. Legendee: The Legend of the Weasel, http://www.trung-nguyen-online.com/legendee.html
3. Common Palm Civet, http://pkukmweb.ukm.my/~ahmad/kuliah/manusia/tugasan/2004/civet.pdf
4. Kopi Luwak, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kopi_Luwak
5. Coffee Lane, http://penangcoffeelane.blogspot.com/
Friday, May 7, 2010
A short note
Sorry for not posting anything lately. Mother in law was critically ill and facing some family pressure lately.
Highly concern on the earthquake on Qing Hai Province China, and the volcano eruption at Iceland. Iceland was the nation I talk and asked a lot prior to my retirement. It is the country that I wish to visit one day. But the beautiful nation was unfortunately faced with economic crisis and natural disaster. It attracted investment during its economically good days, cash was flowing in, especially the hard earned monies from the UK retirees. Then, come the Banking Crisis. Now Iceland can only return the deposit cash without "C", its volcanic ash to them. Cash without C is Ash....
I have a office friend, who have a relative in Iceland. She has been there and bought back a lot of photo from her visit. It is beautiful. It is pity Iceland has to face all the unfortunate crisis. One can be avoid, the Banking Crisis; one is an act of God, the volcano eruption. It will need a long time for Iceland to recover, not only financially but psychologically....
The earth movement is now active, the earth is disturbed by the human violation of mother earth. The climate is changing, the air is polluted, the river is dirty, the ice in the north pole is melting. Earthquake of 9.1 is anticipated in Sumatra,by the geologist, some big cities may be swallowed by the sand storm and become desert, some cities may be sinked under the sea water, there will be more natural disaster, if human did not learn how to love the mother earth they lived. We start wars, we played political games to destroy; but we do not care about the mother earth, including her habitants of fellow human being, animals, plants and the natural surrounding.
Qing Hai province is close to Schichuan which also faced earthquake in the past; the people there are mainly Tibetan, and other minorities. Looking at the way the Chinese government initiated their effort to relief work, I wonder what Dalai Lama is doing now?. The people there are peace loving people, are we still support the politic which we do not know, but actually the games played by the superpowers; or let the people continue living peacefully in their grassland, without disturb their living momentum ? which the modern man has lost, but now become precious...despite the tears and suffering, we know this people will overcome, like their ancestors, they are the people of the mountain, strong will to live under harsh conditions.
Beautiful land , beautiful people. Yet there is no way to escape from the natural disaster. The people around them are still playing their games, going on with their living; there are help, there are concern. But soon it will be forgotten, and we are going our own way to destroy the mother earth again..... May be, human being always forgot, and still waiting for another great flood and Noah to save the mankind....
If you care about yourself, your mother earth; your fellow human being; stop to hear from politician with no universal love for others, but their own political agenda; NGO who care only their narrow minded objectives, but not others fellow human being; Religion leaders who wear wolf clothing, who promote war, power, financial gains, but did not care about the basic right of fellow human being to live. There are also the so called consultants or sale personnels who provide services that their products can cure cancer and sicknesses, change a person to expert, providing false hope to mankind ;If each of us were to listen less to this people, and focus our effort to create a world for each other to live in dignity, to protect our mother earth, our life will be much better.....
Remember if the majority German dare to stand up and said NO to Hitler, there will not be WW2, no genocide, no destruction. But the majority remain silence and let the minority lead the way...let not forget, the bad minority can destroy the good majority. It is time the majority to stand up, for human being, for mother earth.
Avoid following the crowd blindly, alway use our basic common sense; as a human being is it right to do that.... it is our common sense or the natural human instinct, do you like other people to do the same things; if no, avoid it....
Life is beautiful, it always be; the earth is beautiful, it is always there; should we let the minority destroy our beautiful life in this earth; they are not God or the one who control our life or this mother earth.
From today, we the majority who love life; must stand up to say No to the minority who have only their narrow minded agenda, and destroy the world. We must tell them this mother earth and the people need to continue living...
Said NO to them.....
Highly concern on the earthquake on Qing Hai Province China, and the volcano eruption at Iceland. Iceland was the nation I talk and asked a lot prior to my retirement. It is the country that I wish to visit one day. But the beautiful nation was unfortunately faced with economic crisis and natural disaster. It attracted investment during its economically good days, cash was flowing in, especially the hard earned monies from the UK retirees. Then, come the Banking Crisis. Now Iceland can only return the deposit cash without "C", its volcanic ash to them. Cash without C is Ash....
I have a office friend, who have a relative in Iceland. She has been there and bought back a lot of photo from her visit. It is beautiful. It is pity Iceland has to face all the unfortunate crisis. One can be avoid, the Banking Crisis; one is an act of God, the volcano eruption. It will need a long time for Iceland to recover, not only financially but psychologically....
The earth movement is now active, the earth is disturbed by the human violation of mother earth. The climate is changing, the air is polluted, the river is dirty, the ice in the north pole is melting. Earthquake of 9.1 is anticipated in Sumatra,by the geologist, some big cities may be swallowed by the sand storm and become desert, some cities may be sinked under the sea water, there will be more natural disaster, if human did not learn how to love the mother earth they lived. We start wars, we played political games to destroy; but we do not care about the mother earth, including her habitants of fellow human being, animals, plants and the natural surrounding.
Qing Hai province is close to Schichuan which also faced earthquake in the past; the people there are mainly Tibetan, and other minorities. Looking at the way the Chinese government initiated their effort to relief work, I wonder what Dalai Lama is doing now?. The people there are peace loving people, are we still support the politic which we do not know, but actually the games played by the superpowers; or let the people continue living peacefully in their grassland, without disturb their living momentum ? which the modern man has lost, but now become precious...despite the tears and suffering, we know this people will overcome, like their ancestors, they are the people of the mountain, strong will to live under harsh conditions.
Beautiful land , beautiful people. Yet there is no way to escape from the natural disaster. The people around them are still playing their games, going on with their living; there are help, there are concern. But soon it will be forgotten, and we are going our own way to destroy the mother earth again..... May be, human being always forgot, and still waiting for another great flood and Noah to save the mankind....
If you care about yourself, your mother earth; your fellow human being; stop to hear from politician with no universal love for others, but their own political agenda; NGO who care only their narrow minded objectives, but not others fellow human being; Religion leaders who wear wolf clothing, who promote war, power, financial gains, but did not care about the basic right of fellow human being to live. There are also the so called consultants or sale personnels who provide services that their products can cure cancer and sicknesses, change a person to expert, providing false hope to mankind ;If each of us were to listen less to this people, and focus our effort to create a world for each other to live in dignity, to protect our mother earth, our life will be much better.....
Remember if the majority German dare to stand up and said NO to Hitler, there will not be WW2, no genocide, no destruction. But the majority remain silence and let the minority lead the way...let not forget, the bad minority can destroy the good majority. It is time the majority to stand up, for human being, for mother earth.
Avoid following the crowd blindly, alway use our basic common sense; as a human being is it right to do that.... it is our common sense or the natural human instinct, do you like other people to do the same things; if no, avoid it....
Life is beautiful, it always be; the earth is beautiful, it is always there; should we let the minority destroy our beautiful life in this earth; they are not God or the one who control our life or this mother earth.
From today, we the majority who love life; must stand up to say No to the minority who have only their narrow minded agenda, and destroy the world. We must tell them this mother earth and the people need to continue living...
Said NO to them.....
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Turkey(土耳其)
Turkey (Turkish: Türkiye), known officially as the Republic of Turkey is a Eurasian country that stretches across the Anatolian peninsula in Western Asia and Thrace in the Balkan region of southeastern Europe. Turkey is bordered by eight countries: Bulgaria to the northwest; Greece to the west; Georgia to the northeast; Armenia, Azerbaijan (the exclave of Nakhchivan) and Iran to the east; and Iraq and Syria to the southeast. The Mediterranean Sea and Cyprus are to the south; the Aegean Sea to the west; and the Black Sea is to the north.
View Larger Map
Separating Anatolia and Thrace are the Sea of Marmara and the Turkish Straits (the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles), which are commonly reckoned to delineate the boundary between Europe and Asia, thereby making Turkey a country of significant geostrategic importance. Ethnic Turks form the majority of the population, followed by the Kurds. The predominant religion in Turkey is Islam and its official language is Turkish.
Orhan Pamuk, winner of the 2006 Nobel Prize in Literature.
Turkey is the successor state to the Ottoman Empire. It is a democratic, secular, unitary, constitutional republic, with an ancient and historical cultural heritage. Its political system was established in 1923 under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, following the fall of the Ottoman Empire in the aftermath of World War I. Today, Turkey is a parliamentary representative democracy. Since its foundation as a republic in 1923, Turkey has developed a strong tradition of secularism.
The capital city of Turkey is Ankara. The territory of Turkey is subdivided into 81 provinces for administrative purposes. The provinces are organized into 7 regions for census purposes; however, they do not represent an administrative structure. Each province is divided into districts, for a total of 923 districts. Provinces usually bear the same name as their provincial capitals, also called the central district; exceptions to this custom are the provinces of Hatay (capital: Antakya), Kocaeli (capital: İzmit) and Sakarya (capital: Adapazarı).
Demographic Development of Turks
"any individual within the Republic of Turkey; whatever his/her faith or racial/ethnic background; who speaks Turkish, grows up with Turkish culture and adopts the Turkish ideal, is a Turk." It is easy to become Turk. Article 66 of the Turkish Constitution defines a "Turk" as "anyone who is bound to the Turkish state through the bond of citizenship"; therefore, the legal use of the term "Turkish" as a citizen of Turkey is different from the ethnic definition. Turk like Malay in Malaysia, is constitutionally defined. But the constitution definition of Turk is more liberal, as it is regardless of faith or religion, as Turkey is a secular state.
The actual Turk are The name Turk (突厥) was first applied to a clan of tribal chieftains (known as Ashina) who overthrew the ruling Rouran confederency, and founded the nomadic Göktürk Empire ("Celestial Turks") These nomads roamed in the Altai Mountains (and thus are known as Altaic peoples) in northern Mongolia and on the steppes of Central Asia. The Göktürks were ruled by Khans whose influences extended during the sixth to eighth centuries from the Aral Sea to the Hindu Kush in the land bridge known as Transoxania. In the eighth century, some Turkic tribes, among them the Oghuz, moved south of the Oxus River, while others migrated west to the northern shore of the Black Sea. Subsequently, it was adopted as a generic ethnonym designating most if not all of the Turkic-speaking tribes in Central Asia by the Muslim peoples with whom they came into contact. The imperial era also provided a legacy of political and social organisation (with deep roots in pre-Türk Inner Asia) that in its Türk form became the common inheritance of the Turkic groupings of Central Asia.
"Turkishness" (citizenship of Turkey) is the cornerstone of the Republic of Turkey, according to the Turkish Constitution. Kemalist ideology defines the "Turkish people" as "those who protect and promote the moral, spiritual, cultural and humanistic values of the Turkish nation." Kemalist ideology defines the "Turkish nation" as "a nation of Turkish people who always love and seek to exalt their family, country, and nation; who know their duties and responsibilities towards the democratic, secular and social state governed by the rule of law and founded on human rights, and on the tenets laid down in the preamble to the constitution of the Republic of Turkey."
The Kemalist revolution aimed to create a Turkish nation state (Turkish: ulus devlet) on the territory of the former Ottoman Empire that had remained within the boundaries of the Republic of Turkey in 1923. The meaning of Turkishness (Turkish: Türklük) implies a "citizenship" (of the Republic of Turkey) and "cultural identity" (speaking the Turkish language and growing up with the mainstream Turkish culture) rather than an ethno-genetical background. The Turkish-speaking Muslim citizens of the Ottoman Empire had been called "Turks" for centuries by the Europeans, and the Ottoman Empire was alternatively called "Turkey" or the "Turkish Empire" by its contemporaries. However, the Devşirme system and intermarriages with people in the former Ottoman territories of Southeastern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa ensured a largely heterogeneous gene pool that makes up the fabric of the present-day Turkish nation. The Turks of today, in short, are the descendants of the Turkish-speaking Muslims in the former Ottoman Empire. They are the result of war, religion conversion, intermarriage, and Turkification.
Other major ethnic groups (large portions of whom have been extensively Turkicized since the Seljuk and Ottoman periods) include the Abkhazians, Adjarians, Albanians, Arabs, Assyrians, Bosniaks, Circassians, Hamshenis, Kurds, Laz, Pomaks, Roma, Zazas and the three officially recognized minorities (per the Treaty of Lausanne), i.e. the Armenians, Greeks and Jews. Signed on January 30, 1923, a bilateral accord of population exchange between Greece and Turkey took effect in the 1920s, with close to 1.5 million Greeks moving from Turkey and some 500,000 Turks coming from Greece
Minorities of West European origin include the Levantines (or Levanter, mostly of French, Genoese and Venetian descent) who have been present in the country (particularly in Istanbul and İzmir) since the medieval period.
The Kurds
The Kurds, a distinct ethnic group concentrated mainly in the southeastern provinces of the country, are the largest non-Turkic ethnicity, estimated at about 18% of the population. During the 1930s and 1940s, the government had disguised the presence of the Kurds statistically by categorizing them as Mountain Turks. This classification was changed to the new euphemism of Eastern Turk in 1980. Since the Turkish census figures do not include statistics on ethnicity, so no statistic of Kurds is easily available. Leyla Zana, the first Kurdish female MP from Diyarbakir, caused an uproar in Turkish Parliament after adding the following sentence in Kurdish to her parliamentary oath during the swearing-in ceremony in 1994:
"I take this oath for the brotherhood of the Turkish and Kurdish peoples".
In March 1994, the Turkish Parliament voted to lift the immunity of Zana and five other Kurdish DEP members: Hatip Dicle, Amet Turk, Sirri Sakik, Orhan Dogan and Selim Sadak. Zana, Dicle, Sadak and Dogan were sentenced to 15 years in jail by the Supreme Court in October 1995. Zana was awarded the Sakharov Prize for human rights by the European Parliament in 1995. She was released in 2004 amid warnings from European institutions that the continued imprisonment of the four Kurdish MPs would affect Turkey's bid to join the EU.
Minorities other than the three officially recognized ones(Armenians, Greeks and Jew)do not have any special group privileges, while the term "minority" itself remains a sensitive issue in Turkey. Reliable data on the exact ethnic repartition of the population is not available since the Turkish census figures do not include statistics on ethnicity. Turkification, i.e. cultural assimilation, is eagerly implemented in political policies of the state. Minority like Laz, Hemsin,formerly Christian have been assimilated into Turk culture and Islamic religion. Assyrians are declining. Turkification is still going on.
The Eastern Orthodox Church, led by Patriarch Bartholomew I has been headquartered in Istanbul since the fourth century AD. However, the Turkish government does not recognize the Patriarch as the leader of Orthodox Christianity, and forces the Church to operate under significant restrictions.
IDP
There are 1-1.2 million IDPs (fighting 1984-99 between Kurdish PKK(The Partiya Karkerên Kurdistan)and Turkish military; most IDPs in southeastern provinces)(2007). PKK is an ethnic military secessionist organization for the purpose of achieving its goal of creating an independent Kurdish state, in parts of southeastern Turkey, northeastern Iraq, northeastern Syria and northwestern Iran. Several large scale Kurdish revolts in 1925, 1930 and 1938 were suppressed by the Turkish government and more than one million Kurds were forcibly relocated between 1925 and 1938. The use of Kurdish language, dress, folklore, and names were banned and the Kurdish-inhabited areas remained under martial law until 1946. Between 1984 and 1999, the PKK and the Turkish military engaged in open war, and much of the countryside in the southeast was depopulated, as Kurdish civilians moved to local defensible centers such as Diyarbakır, Van, and Şırnak, as well as to the cities of western Turkey and even to western Europe. The causes of the depopulation included PKK atrocities against Kurdish clans they could not control, the poverty of the southeast, and the Turkish state's military operations.
Cyprus Issue
Turkey invaded the Republic of Cyprus in 1974. Nine years later the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) was established. Turkey is the only country to recognise the TRNC. The status of north Cyprus question remains blur.
Armenia relationship
Turkey's border with Armenia, a state in the Caucasus, remains closed following its occupation of Azeri territory during the Nagorno-Karabakh War.
Turkey is having complex maritime, air, and territorial disputes with Greece in the Aegean Sea; Syria and Iraq protest Turkish hydrological projects to control upper Euphrates waters; Turkey has expressed concern over the status of Kurds in Iraq.
Turkey is now applying for full membership of EC. Since then, Turkey has become increasingly integrated with the West through membership in organizations such as the Council of Europe, NATO, OECD, WEOG, OSCE and the G-20 major economies.
Related articles
1. Genetic origins of the Turkish people, http://en.wikipedia.or/ wiki/ Genetic_origins_of_the_Turkish_people
2. Turkish people, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish_people
3. Turkey, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkey
4. Turkey, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/tu.html
View Larger Map
Separating Anatolia and Thrace are the Sea of Marmara and the Turkish Straits (the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles), which are commonly reckoned to delineate the boundary between Europe and Asia, thereby making Turkey a country of significant geostrategic importance. Ethnic Turks form the majority of the population, followed by the Kurds. The predominant religion in Turkey is Islam and its official language is Turkish.
Orhan Pamuk, winner of the 2006 Nobel Prize in Literature.
Turkey is the successor state to the Ottoman Empire. It is a democratic, secular, unitary, constitutional republic, with an ancient and historical cultural heritage. Its political system was established in 1923 under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, following the fall of the Ottoman Empire in the aftermath of World War I. Today, Turkey is a parliamentary representative democracy. Since its foundation as a republic in 1923, Turkey has developed a strong tradition of secularism.
The capital city of Turkey is Ankara. The territory of Turkey is subdivided into 81 provinces for administrative purposes. The provinces are organized into 7 regions for census purposes; however, they do not represent an administrative structure. Each province is divided into districts, for a total of 923 districts. Provinces usually bear the same name as their provincial capitals, also called the central district; exceptions to this custom are the provinces of Hatay (capital: Antakya), Kocaeli (capital: İzmit) and Sakarya (capital: Adapazarı).
Demographic Development of Turks
"any individual within the Republic of Turkey; whatever his/her faith or racial/ethnic background; who speaks Turkish, grows up with Turkish culture and adopts the Turkish ideal, is a Turk." It is easy to become Turk. Article 66 of the Turkish Constitution defines a "Turk" as "anyone who is bound to the Turkish state through the bond of citizenship"; therefore, the legal use of the term "Turkish" as a citizen of Turkey is different from the ethnic definition. Turk like Malay in Malaysia, is constitutionally defined. But the constitution definition of Turk is more liberal, as it is regardless of faith or religion, as Turkey is a secular state.
The actual Turk are The name Turk (突厥) was first applied to a clan of tribal chieftains (known as Ashina) who overthrew the ruling Rouran confederency, and founded the nomadic Göktürk Empire ("Celestial Turks") These nomads roamed in the Altai Mountains (and thus are known as Altaic peoples) in northern Mongolia and on the steppes of Central Asia. The Göktürks were ruled by Khans whose influences extended during the sixth to eighth centuries from the Aral Sea to the Hindu Kush in the land bridge known as Transoxania. In the eighth century, some Turkic tribes, among them the Oghuz, moved south of the Oxus River, while others migrated west to the northern shore of the Black Sea. Subsequently, it was adopted as a generic ethnonym designating most if not all of the Turkic-speaking tribes in Central Asia by the Muslim peoples with whom they came into contact. The imperial era also provided a legacy of political and social organisation (with deep roots in pre-Türk Inner Asia) that in its Türk form became the common inheritance of the Turkic groupings of Central Asia.
"Turkishness" (citizenship of Turkey) is the cornerstone of the Republic of Turkey, according to the Turkish Constitution. Kemalist ideology defines the "Turkish people" as "those who protect and promote the moral, spiritual, cultural and humanistic values of the Turkish nation." Kemalist ideology defines the "Turkish nation" as "a nation of Turkish people who always love and seek to exalt their family, country, and nation; who know their duties and responsibilities towards the democratic, secular and social state governed by the rule of law and founded on human rights, and on the tenets laid down in the preamble to the constitution of the Republic of Turkey."
The Kemalist revolution aimed to create a Turkish nation state (Turkish: ulus devlet) on the territory of the former Ottoman Empire that had remained within the boundaries of the Republic of Turkey in 1923. The meaning of Turkishness (Turkish: Türklük) implies a "citizenship" (of the Republic of Turkey) and "cultural identity" (speaking the Turkish language and growing up with the mainstream Turkish culture) rather than an ethno-genetical background. The Turkish-speaking Muslim citizens of the Ottoman Empire had been called "Turks" for centuries by the Europeans, and the Ottoman Empire was alternatively called "Turkey" or the "Turkish Empire" by its contemporaries. However, the Devşirme system and intermarriages with people in the former Ottoman territories of Southeastern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa ensured a largely heterogeneous gene pool that makes up the fabric of the present-day Turkish nation. The Turks of today, in short, are the descendants of the Turkish-speaking Muslims in the former Ottoman Empire. They are the result of war, religion conversion, intermarriage, and Turkification.
Other major ethnic groups (large portions of whom have been extensively Turkicized since the Seljuk and Ottoman periods) include the Abkhazians, Adjarians, Albanians, Arabs, Assyrians, Bosniaks, Circassians, Hamshenis, Kurds, Laz, Pomaks, Roma, Zazas and the three officially recognized minorities (per the Treaty of Lausanne), i.e. the Armenians, Greeks and Jews. Signed on January 30, 1923, a bilateral accord of population exchange between Greece and Turkey took effect in the 1920s, with close to 1.5 million Greeks moving from Turkey and some 500,000 Turks coming from Greece
Minorities of West European origin include the Levantines (or Levanter, mostly of French, Genoese and Venetian descent) who have been present in the country (particularly in Istanbul and İzmir) since the medieval period.
The Kurds
The Kurds, a distinct ethnic group concentrated mainly in the southeastern provinces of the country, are the largest non-Turkic ethnicity, estimated at about 18% of the population. During the 1930s and 1940s, the government had disguised the presence of the Kurds statistically by categorizing them as Mountain Turks. This classification was changed to the new euphemism of Eastern Turk in 1980. Since the Turkish census figures do not include statistics on ethnicity, so no statistic of Kurds is easily available. Leyla Zana, the first Kurdish female MP from Diyarbakir, caused an uproar in Turkish Parliament after adding the following sentence in Kurdish to her parliamentary oath during the swearing-in ceremony in 1994:
"I take this oath for the brotherhood of the Turkish and Kurdish peoples".
In March 1994, the Turkish Parliament voted to lift the immunity of Zana and five other Kurdish DEP members: Hatip Dicle, Amet Turk, Sirri Sakik, Orhan Dogan and Selim Sadak. Zana, Dicle, Sadak and Dogan were sentenced to 15 years in jail by the Supreme Court in October 1995. Zana was awarded the Sakharov Prize for human rights by the European Parliament in 1995. She was released in 2004 amid warnings from European institutions that the continued imprisonment of the four Kurdish MPs would affect Turkey's bid to join the EU.
Minorities other than the three officially recognized ones(Armenians, Greeks and Jew)do not have any special group privileges, while the term "minority" itself remains a sensitive issue in Turkey. Reliable data on the exact ethnic repartition of the population is not available since the Turkish census figures do not include statistics on ethnicity. Turkification, i.e. cultural assimilation, is eagerly implemented in political policies of the state. Minority like Laz, Hemsin,formerly Christian have been assimilated into Turk culture and Islamic religion. Assyrians are declining. Turkification is still going on.
The Eastern Orthodox Church, led by Patriarch Bartholomew I has been headquartered in Istanbul since the fourth century AD. However, the Turkish government does not recognize the Patriarch as the leader of Orthodox Christianity, and forces the Church to operate under significant restrictions.
IDP
There are 1-1.2 million IDPs (fighting 1984-99 between Kurdish PKK(The Partiya Karkerên Kurdistan)and Turkish military; most IDPs in southeastern provinces)(2007). PKK is an ethnic military secessionist organization for the purpose of achieving its goal of creating an independent Kurdish state, in parts of southeastern Turkey, northeastern Iraq, northeastern Syria and northwestern Iran. Several large scale Kurdish revolts in 1925, 1930 and 1938 were suppressed by the Turkish government and more than one million Kurds were forcibly relocated between 1925 and 1938. The use of Kurdish language, dress, folklore, and names were banned and the Kurdish-inhabited areas remained under martial law until 1946. Between 1984 and 1999, the PKK and the Turkish military engaged in open war, and much of the countryside in the southeast was depopulated, as Kurdish civilians moved to local defensible centers such as Diyarbakır, Van, and Şırnak, as well as to the cities of western Turkey and even to western Europe. The causes of the depopulation included PKK atrocities against Kurdish clans they could not control, the poverty of the southeast, and the Turkish state's military operations.
Cyprus Issue
Turkey invaded the Republic of Cyprus in 1974. Nine years later the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) was established. Turkey is the only country to recognise the TRNC. The status of north Cyprus question remains blur.
Armenia relationship
Turkey's border with Armenia, a state in the Caucasus, remains closed following its occupation of Azeri territory during the Nagorno-Karabakh War.
Turkey is having complex maritime, air, and territorial disputes with Greece in the Aegean Sea; Syria and Iraq protest Turkish hydrological projects to control upper Euphrates waters; Turkey has expressed concern over the status of Kurds in Iraq.
Turkey is now applying for full membership of EC. Since then, Turkey has become increasingly integrated with the West through membership in organizations such as the Council of Europe, NATO, OECD, WEOG, OSCE and the G-20 major economies.
Related articles
1. Genetic origins of the Turkish people, http://en.wikipedia.or/ wiki/ Genetic_origins_of_the_Turkish_people
2. Turkish people, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish_people
3. Turkey, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkey
4. Turkey, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/tu.html
Turkey: Earthquake
The 6.0-magnitude quake, epicentred on the village of Basyurt in Elazig province, struck at 0432 (0232 GMT). It has been followed by more than 40 aftershocks. Officials said the nearby village of Okcular had been almost destroyed and several others badly damaged. The 6.0-magnitude quake struck before dawn on Monday 8-3-2010, toppling buildings in five villages. The earthquake that struck near the eastern Turkish village of Basyurt is the latest in a series of deadly tremors to hit the country. The destruction was said to be worst in the Kurdish village of Okcular, where at least 15 people were killed.
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An earthquake expert said that an earthquake with this magnitude should not usually cause any deaths, but mud-brick houses and other buildings that are not resistant to earthquakes can cause so much death and destruction
Turkey, which is crossed by the Northern and Eastern Anatolian fault lines, suffers from frequent earthquakes.Turkey is fundamentally vulnerable to earthquakes because of its geographical location. The country sits between two huge tectonic plates, Eurasia and Africa/Arabia, which are inexorably grinding into one another, north to south.
The Anatolian plate, on which most of the Turkish landmass lies, is being squeezed westwards towards the Aegean Sea. Periodic movements happen along two main faults, the North Anatolian fault and the East Anatolian fault. The earthquake in Basyurt looks likely to have been triggered by movement on the eastern fault.
Many of the earthquake are minor, though a 7.4-magnitude tremor which hit the western city of Izmit in August 1999 killed more than 17,000 people. Istanbul is a city that's at risk from a significant earthquake at some point in the future.
This means safe building practices are essential in earthquake-prone areas.
Many of the losses in earthquake regions arise from non-compliance with earthquake building codes. Severe damage can be caused by relatively small earthquakes.
Poor quality buildings were also blamed for the high death toll then and there is still concern in Turkey's largest city, where seismologists predict a major earthquake will occur within the next few decades.
But ironically the poor quality buildings are always the excuses by the government after the earthquakes in Turkey. It seems that no action were taken after many earthquakes. Compared to Chile, Turkish government is not a responsible government, as being located at earthquake prone area, the strict building code for earthquake resistant buildings is important, and to be strictly enforced, especially at urban area. Is it because it was a Kurdish area? Should the government wait until Istanbul is destroyed?....
God save Turkey.....
View Larger Map
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An earthquake expert said that an earthquake with this magnitude should not usually cause any deaths, but mud-brick houses and other buildings that are not resistant to earthquakes can cause so much death and destruction
Turkey, which is crossed by the Northern and Eastern Anatolian fault lines, suffers from frequent earthquakes.Turkey is fundamentally vulnerable to earthquakes because of its geographical location. The country sits between two huge tectonic plates, Eurasia and Africa/Arabia, which are inexorably grinding into one another, north to south.
The Anatolian plate, on which most of the Turkish landmass lies, is being squeezed westwards towards the Aegean Sea. Periodic movements happen along two main faults, the North Anatolian fault and the East Anatolian fault. The earthquake in Basyurt looks likely to have been triggered by movement on the eastern fault.
Many of the earthquake are minor, though a 7.4-magnitude tremor which hit the western city of Izmit in August 1999 killed more than 17,000 people. Istanbul is a city that's at risk from a significant earthquake at some point in the future.
This means safe building practices are essential in earthquake-prone areas.
Many of the losses in earthquake regions arise from non-compliance with earthquake building codes. Severe damage can be caused by relatively small earthquakes.
Poor quality buildings were also blamed for the high death toll then and there is still concern in Turkey's largest city, where seismologists predict a major earthquake will occur within the next few decades.
But ironically the poor quality buildings are always the excuses by the government after the earthquakes in Turkey. It seems that no action were taken after many earthquakes. Compared to Chile, Turkish government is not a responsible government, as being located at earthquake prone area, the strict building code for earthquake resistant buildings is important, and to be strictly enforced, especially at urban area. Is it because it was a Kurdish area? Should the government wait until Istanbul is destroyed?....
God save Turkey.....
Frequent Earthquakes?
An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor, or temblor) is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes are recorded with a seismometer, also known as a seismograph. The moment magnitude (or the related and mostly obsolete Richter magnitude) of an earthquake is conventionally reported, with magnitude 3 or lower earthquakes being mostly imperceptible and magnitude 7 causing serious damage over large areas. Intensity of shaking is measured on the modified Mercalli scale.
At the Earth's surface, earthquakes manifest themselves by shaking and sometimes displacing the ground. When a large earthquake epicenter is located offshore, the seabed sometimes suffers sufficient displacement to cause a tsunami. The shaking in earthquakes can also trigger landslides and occasionally volcanic activity.
Earthquakes are caused mostly by rupture of geological faults, but also by volcanic activity, landslides, mine blasts, and nuclear experiments. An earthquake's point of initial rupture is called its focus or hypocenter. The term epicenter refers to the point at ground level directly above the hypocenter.
Minor earthquakes occur nearly constantly around the world in places like California and Alaska in the U.S., as well as in Guatemala. Chile, Peru, Indonesia, Iran, Pakistan, the Azores in Portugal, Turkey, New Zealand, Greece, Italy, and Japan, but earthquakes can occur almost anywhere, including New York City, London, and Australia. Larger earthquakes occur less frequently, the relationship being exponential; for example, roughly ten times as many earthquakes larger than magnitude 4 occur in a particular time period than earthquakes larger than magnitude 5. In the (low seismicity) United Kingdom, for example, it has been calculated that the average recurrences are: an earthquake of 3.7 - 4.6 every year, an earthquake of 4.7 - 5.5 every 10 years, and an earthquake of 5.6 or larger every 100 years. This is an example of the Gutenberg-Richter law.
According to US Geology Society(USGS),there's a 100 percent chance of an earthquake today. Though millions of persons may never experience an earthquake, they are very common occurrences on this planet. So today -- somewhere -- an earthquake will occur. It may be so light that only sensitive instruments will perceive its motion; it may shake houses, rattle windows, and displace small objects; or it may be sufficiently strong to cause property damage, death, and injury.
Most of the world's earthquakes (90%, and 81% of the largest) take place in the 40,000-km-long, horseshoe-shaped zone called the circum-Pacific seismic belt, also known as the Pacific Ring of Fire, which for the most part bounds the Pacific Plate. This is the most probable location for today's earthquake. Massive earthquakes tend to occur along other plate boundaries, too, such as along the Himalayan Mountains But it could hit any location, because no region is entirely free of earthquakes
Cause of the Earthquake
Tectonic earthquakes will occur anywhere within the earth where there is sufficient stored elastic strain energy to drive fracture propagation along a fault plane. In the case of transform or convergent type plate boundaries, which form the largest fault surfaces on earth, they will move past each other smoothly and aseismically only if there are no irregularities or asperities along the boundary that increase the frictional resistance. Most boundaries do have such asperities and this leads to a form of stick-slip behaviour. Once the boundary has locked, continued relative motion between the plates leads to increasing stress and therefore, stored strain energy in the volume around the fault surface. This continues until the stress has risen sufficiently to break through the asperity, suddenly allowing sliding over the locked portion of the fault, releasing the stored energy. This energy is released as a combination of radiated elastic strain seismic waves, frictional heating of the fault surface, and cracking of the rock, thus causing an earthquake.
While most earthquakes are caused by movement of the Earth's tectonic plates, human activity can also produce earthquakes. Four main activities contribute to this phenomenon: constructing large dams and buildings, drilling and injecting liquid into wells, and by coal mining and oil drilling. Perhaps the best known example is the 2008 Sichuan earthquake in China's Sichuan Province in May; this tremor resulted in 69,227 fatalities and is the 19th deadliest earthquake of all time. The Zipingpu Dam is believed to have fluctuated the pressure of the fault 1,650 feet (503 m) away; this pressure probably increased the power of the earthquake and accelerated the rate of movement for the fault. The greatest earthquake in Australia's history was also induced by humanity, through coal mining. The city of Newcastle was built over a large sector of coal mining areas. The earthquake was spawned from a fault which reactivated due to the millions of tonnes of rock removed in the mining process.
Earthquake cannot be accurately predicted, but it can be monitored by using scientific technique.
After Haiti Earthquake 2010 on 12-1-2010, the following significant earthquakes were reported :
* Magnitude 6.1 EASTERN TURKEY March 08, 2010
* Magnitude 6.8 SOUTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA March 05, 2010
* Magnitude 6.6 OFFSHORE BIO-BIO, CHILE March 05, 2010
* Magnitude 6.4 South Taiwan,Kaohsiung city, March 04, 2010.
* Magnitude 8.8 OFFSHORE MAULE, CHILE February 27, 2010
* Magnitude 7.0 RYUKYU ISLANDS, JAPAN February 26, 2010
* Magnitude 6.9 CHINA-RUSSIA-NORTH KOREA BORDER REGION February 18, 2010
* Magnitude 5.9 OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA February 04, 2010
Related article
1. USGS, http://earthquake.usgs.gov/
2. Earthquake, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthquake
3. Malaysian Meteorological Department, http://www.met.gov.my/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=265&Itemid=367
At the Earth's surface, earthquakes manifest themselves by shaking and sometimes displacing the ground. When a large earthquake epicenter is located offshore, the seabed sometimes suffers sufficient displacement to cause a tsunami. The shaking in earthquakes can also trigger landslides and occasionally volcanic activity.
Earthquakes are caused mostly by rupture of geological faults, but also by volcanic activity, landslides, mine blasts, and nuclear experiments. An earthquake's point of initial rupture is called its focus or hypocenter. The term epicenter refers to the point at ground level directly above the hypocenter.
Minor earthquakes occur nearly constantly around the world in places like California and Alaska in the U.S., as well as in Guatemala. Chile, Peru, Indonesia, Iran, Pakistan, the Azores in Portugal, Turkey, New Zealand, Greece, Italy, and Japan, but earthquakes can occur almost anywhere, including New York City, London, and Australia. Larger earthquakes occur less frequently, the relationship being exponential; for example, roughly ten times as many earthquakes larger than magnitude 4 occur in a particular time period than earthquakes larger than magnitude 5. In the (low seismicity) United Kingdom, for example, it has been calculated that the average recurrences are: an earthquake of 3.7 - 4.6 every year, an earthquake of 4.7 - 5.5 every 10 years, and an earthquake of 5.6 or larger every 100 years. This is an example of the Gutenberg-Richter law.
According to US Geology Society(USGS),there's a 100 percent chance of an earthquake today. Though millions of persons may never experience an earthquake, they are very common occurrences on this planet. So today -- somewhere -- an earthquake will occur. It may be so light that only sensitive instruments will perceive its motion; it may shake houses, rattle windows, and displace small objects; or it may be sufficiently strong to cause property damage, death, and injury.
Most of the world's earthquakes (90%, and 81% of the largest) take place in the 40,000-km-long, horseshoe-shaped zone called the circum-Pacific seismic belt, also known as the Pacific Ring of Fire, which for the most part bounds the Pacific Plate. This is the most probable location for today's earthquake. Massive earthquakes tend to occur along other plate boundaries, too, such as along the Himalayan Mountains But it could hit any location, because no region is entirely free of earthquakes
Cause of the Earthquake
Tectonic earthquakes will occur anywhere within the earth where there is sufficient stored elastic strain energy to drive fracture propagation along a fault plane. In the case of transform or convergent type plate boundaries, which form the largest fault surfaces on earth, they will move past each other smoothly and aseismically only if there are no irregularities or asperities along the boundary that increase the frictional resistance. Most boundaries do have such asperities and this leads to a form of stick-slip behaviour. Once the boundary has locked, continued relative motion between the plates leads to increasing stress and therefore, stored strain energy in the volume around the fault surface. This continues until the stress has risen sufficiently to break through the asperity, suddenly allowing sliding over the locked portion of the fault, releasing the stored energy. This energy is released as a combination of radiated elastic strain seismic waves, frictional heating of the fault surface, and cracking of the rock, thus causing an earthquake.
While most earthquakes are caused by movement of the Earth's tectonic plates, human activity can also produce earthquakes. Four main activities contribute to this phenomenon: constructing large dams and buildings, drilling and injecting liquid into wells, and by coal mining and oil drilling. Perhaps the best known example is the 2008 Sichuan earthquake in China's Sichuan Province in May; this tremor resulted in 69,227 fatalities and is the 19th deadliest earthquake of all time. The Zipingpu Dam is believed to have fluctuated the pressure of the fault 1,650 feet (503 m) away; this pressure probably increased the power of the earthquake and accelerated the rate of movement for the fault. The greatest earthquake in Australia's history was also induced by humanity, through coal mining. The city of Newcastle was built over a large sector of coal mining areas. The earthquake was spawned from a fault which reactivated due to the millions of tonnes of rock removed in the mining process.
Earthquake cannot be accurately predicted, but it can be monitored by using scientific technique.
After Haiti Earthquake 2010 on 12-1-2010, the following significant earthquakes were reported :
* Magnitude 6.1 EASTERN TURKEY March 08, 2010
* Magnitude 6.8 SOUTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA March 05, 2010
* Magnitude 6.6 OFFSHORE BIO-BIO, CHILE March 05, 2010
* Magnitude 6.4 South Taiwan,Kaohsiung city, March 04, 2010.
* Magnitude 8.8 OFFSHORE MAULE, CHILE February 27, 2010
* Magnitude 7.0 RYUKYU ISLANDS, JAPAN February 26, 2010
* Magnitude 6.9 CHINA-RUSSIA-NORTH KOREA BORDER REGION February 18, 2010
* Magnitude 5.9 OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA February 04, 2010
Related article
1. USGS, http://earthquake.usgs.gov/
2. Earthquake, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthquake
3. Malaysian Meteorological Department, http://www.met.gov.my/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=265&Itemid=367
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