at a bus terminal

can you guess what these three hoops are for?

Added the day after:

There were only 3 hoops sighted along this bus terminal.

It is for bicycles...shouldn't there be more? Obviously bicycles are discouraged in the heart of the busy streets. Walking around the inner city is good exercise though.

For tourists, there are the free shuttles that ply through the inner city of Auckland every 15 minutes interval. However students from the nearby educational institutions board these...

When I saw the hoops, I wondered --

• for dog training?
• distraction for young children like going through the hoops for fun perhaps?
• any suggestions...

dinosaur-like reptile

When I first saw this reptile, the giant monitor lizard at sungei buloh wetland, which was at least 200cm long, I was somewhat afraid as it was hissing and shooting its tongue like a snake.

There were 4 of these around and they were lying in the shade, so I presume they just had their fill and having a siesta. It eats snakes, birds, and lizards.

A kind passer-by told me these were harmless.

fanciful comfort room

Chongqing, China

Sight is interesting but smell?

(photos taken from www.chinadaily.com.cn)

a rainbow halo

A human-shaped shadow in the middle of a rainbow halo

appeared in Zu Shan (Zu Mountain) after a heavy rain

in Qinhuangdao, Hebei Province on 1 July 2007.

The vision lasted more than one hour.

Tourists who witnessed this believed that was 'Buddha'.

(taken from www.chinadaily.com.cn)

An interesting phenomenon. What do you reckon?

Clouds surrounding Zu Shan (Zu Mountain).

Discovered Zu Shan is situated in the same province as in Beijing where the Olympic Games 2008 is to be held. You could consider visiting Zu Shan then and you might catch the sighting after the rain or it's just clouds, not too much sightseeing!

rangitoto

Situated in Hauraki Gulf, Auckland,

Rangitoto Island is the largest and youngest volcanic island

which last erupted 600 years ago --

'rangitoto' is a Maori word meaning 'bloody sky'.

the old the new

Reflection of new buildings on Singapore River water

in contrast to the old.

bus stop

What a cool idea!

Advertising the Singapore Zoo on the roof of a bus stop.

merlion singapore

The Merlion, the famous icon of Singapore today,

was designed by Fraser Brunner, a curator of the Van Kleef Aquarium.

Originally, in 1964, this merlion served as an emblem for

the Singapore Tourist Board

-- the lion head with a fish body resting on a crest of waves.

.....

The lion head represents the lion spotted by

Prince Sang Nila Utama

when he re-discovered Singapura

(in Sanskrit: 'singa' means 'lion' and 'pura' means 'city') in 11 AD.

The tail of a fish resting on a crest of waves

represents Singapore's humble beginning as a fishing village.

.......

Singapore was founded by

Sir Stamford Raffles in 1819 which became colonial rule

until [1963*] 1965 where the island became an independent nation.