Friday 13 August 2010

Travelling and Living: Locky's Trip to Tokyo (Part 1 -- Greens)

Image from Locky's English Playground

Although this was my second time to Japan and the first time to Tokyo (last time was to Hokkaido), I am already really impressed with the minds of the Japanese. From the moment I laid my eyes on slopes besides the road, I was admiring the environmental-friendliness that the Japanese offer to Mother Nature. They really do care a lot about their home country, their greens -- forest, trees, plants, farms, etc.


Image from Locky's English Playground


Although they still have to build their roads and buildings, they have never forgotten to place some greens back to nature -- slopes are green, Jersey barriers are green, crash barriers are green, even noise-barriers are green. It makes me think of only one thing,

"What on Earth have the high-earning officials in the Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department been doing? Surfing porn sites again???!!!"


Image from Locky's English Playground


Moving through the highways, passing the fields and through the forests was simply enjoyable! Your eyes get the maximum relaxations, the sky was blue, clouds were white, trees were green, I already felt like I was having vacation already (even before I had even reached the hotel!)

You have to care and respect, to create so much green. And I think we lack this care and respect for our natural treasures.

 I recalled that some years ago the Hong Kong officials went onto a "Journey to the East" to obtain the Nippon Sūtra on environmental protection, now I bet they only went their to enjoy the sushi!

What our government is doing, is not even close!!!


Vocabulary:
clap/lay/set eyes on sb/sth -- to see someone or something for the first time
Mother Nature -- (n) [U] often humorous nature, especially when considered as a force that controls the weather and all living things
porn -- (n)[U] informal for pornography books, magazines, films, etc. with no artistic value which describe or show sexual acts or naked people in a way that is intended to be sexually exciting but would be considered unpleasant or offensive by many people


Resources:

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/clap-lay-set-eyes-on-sb-sth#clap-lay-set-eyes-on-sb-sth__1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jersey_barriers
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crash_barrier
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noise_barrier
http://www.epd.gov.hk/epd/eindex.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journey_to_the_west
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sūtra
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/mother-nature
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/porn_1
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/pornography