More Bamboo Just For You

Here are some more amazing facts about bamboo:

1. Most bamboo floors come from the Hunan province of China.
2. 6 million people are employed in the bamboo industry in China.
3. 600 million people worldwide rely on the income generated by bamboo.
4. Bamboo comprises of 99% of the giant panda’s diet. Yummy!
5. Bamboo is part of the grass family.
6. Comparison: an oak tree requires 120 years to reach maturity but bamboo only requires 3 years.
7. Bamboo has been around for 200 million years.
8. Thomas Edison used bamboo as filaments in the first light bulb.
9. There a bridge in China built entirely of bamboo and without a single nail.
10. Bamboo is twice as strong as oak.

What Do YOU think of Bamboo?

Ever wondered about bamboo – that plant that pandas like to munch on and that is used to build houses and furniture in some cultures? Bamboo is fascinating. It is incredibly strong. It is also very beautiful. Bamboo has been used as the standard building material for the majority of the world for thousands of years. Apparently, bamboo can withstand severe earthquakes (6.0 and above on the Richter Scale). This is due to its amazing tensile strength, which is higher than steel. What is tensile? This relates to how much stress or pressure that an object can withstand. Bamboo is also the fastest growing plant on the planet. Believe it or not, but some varieties of bamboo can grow 4 feet in 24 hours! A pole of bamboo can regenerate to its full mass in just 6 months.

Do YOU know Taekwondo?

Orange Bunny is the taekwondo instructor on Fujimini Island. Taekwondo is a martial art similar to karate. Taekwondo is not just about kicking. Taekwondo also is about ethics. What is ethics? Ethics is basically about what is good and what is bad. Taekwondo guides people to what is good in life. Taekwondo is often seen as an aggressive sport, which is usually associated with what is bad. But taekwondo is not a destructive or aggressive sport but a sportive one. Doing taekwondo is not about hurting your opponent but testing your strength, in both physical and mental ways. The main goal of taekwondo is to achieve harmony with nature and oneself. Balance is gained by controlling both evil and good forces.

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Stay in Shape, Have Fun, But no Fighting

In Silent Samurai and the Magnificent Rescue, the third installment of the Fujimini Island Adventure Series, Orange Bunny gives lessons on taekwondo. Orange Bunny says, “We are taught to fight only when there is no option. But just in case, we should practice our taekwondo exercises all morning.” What is Taekwondo? Taekwondo (also written as tae kown do or taekwon-do) is a martial art from Korea. There are lots of fast, high and spinning kicks in taekwondo. It is believed that taekwondo dates back to 50 B.C. Back then it was called ‘taek kyon’. How do we know that Koreans were practicing taekwondo back then? Ancient tombs from back then have paintings showing two men in fighting-stance. At times, taekwondo was used as a military training method. Modern day taekwondo is influenced by many other martial arts such as Japanese karate. Taekwondo is a great way to get in shape and you can kick your way into fun.

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Different Noodles, Difference Places

Have you ever eaten packaged ramen? Of course you have. Think Top Ramen or Cup of Noodles. Instant, packaged noodles were pioneered by Momofuku Ando, the founder of Nissin Foods in Japan in 1970. Instant noodles were such a success that Lipton and Campbell tried experimenting with their own noodles. Instant noodles make about 15 billion dollars a year worldwide. That is a lot of noodles and a lot of love for one dish.

Every country has a unique take on the famous noodle. Noodle soup is different in China than in Japan. Noodle soup is also very different in Thailand than in Singapore. There are so many tasty noodle dishes that it makes you dizzy and your tummy rumble.

Are you a Noodle Lover? :)

Most kids love noodles. Macaroni, as in Mac n’ Cheese, is a noodle. Do you love spaghetti and meatballs? That’s noodles. I am going to say it because you know its coming – noodles are oodles of fun.

Did you know that Italy’s famous pasta dishes almost didn’t happen unless Marco Polo, that intrepid explorer and inspiration for everyone’s favorite pool game, had not traveled to marvelous, exotic China. Noodles are Chinese. In China they are called ‘Lo-Mein’, which basically means boiled noodles. In Japan, boiled noodles are called Ramen. The noodle is an amazing invention. Think of all the yummy things you eat with noodles.

Stay tuned for some noodle fun facts.

Start the New Year with Fujimini Island

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