Sunday, January 31, 2010

Vegetable bread

I would like to do vegetable bread, but I am not sure how to adjust the amount of water. Here is a recipe for Spinach Capsicum bread. The amount in parentheses is from the recipe, the amount before parentheses is what I would like to try. I don't have spinach, just finish our green Capsicum, but we have some carrot. Maybe I will use carrot.

water = 270 g (300 g)
oil = 20 g (40 g)
salt = 7 g (9 g)
sugar = 30 g (40 g)
plain flour = 450 g (500 g)
milk powder = 10 g (10 g)
lemon juice = 5 g (no)
yeast = 4-6 g (i.e. 1.5 tsp) (5 g)

add after beep:
spinach (100 g): chop into small piece before use
sweet Capsicum (1): chop into small piece before use

Setting: 1 (basic), light crust color, total 3 hours
1st knead (2 min) -> 2nd knead (28 min) ->1st rise (20 min)
-> punch down (15 sec) -> 2nd rise (20 min) -> punch down (10 sec)
-> 3rd rise (50 min) -> bake (60 min).

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$6.4bn USD weapons sale to Taiwan

US announced $6B arms sale to Taiwan on Friday (Jan. 29, 2010).

I have to admit that I have mixed feeling about this news. I don't like weapon and war because they hurt and kill people, destroy environments and ecosystems, and take over too many money and resources. Unfortunately I don't think Taiwan and Taiwanese have much choice to feel upset about it because we do need something to protect and secure ourselves when China doesn't give up their intension to invade Taiwan.

I prefer to use those money to protect Taiwan's environment, conserve Taiwan's ecosystem, develop renewable energy research, establish better welfare system, etc. if we don't need to face China's military threaten. Sigh! Can we have a different choice?

US announces $6B arms sale to Taiwan (The Washington Post, FOSTER KLUG, January 29, 2010)
WASHINGTON -- In a move sure to aggravate China, the Obama administration on Friday announced plans for more than $6 billion in arms sales to Taiwan, the self-governing island the Chinese claim as their own.

US announces Taiwan arms sale plans (BBC, 29 January 2010)
The Pentagon has notified Congress of a proposed arms sale to Taiwan, worth $6bn (£3.7bn).
PROPOSED ARMS SALE
114 Patriot missiles ($2.81bn)
60 Black Hawk helicopters ($3.1bn)
Communication equipment ($340m)
2 Osprey mine-hunting ships ($105m)
12 Harpoon missiles ($37m)

China fumes at US arms sale to Taiwan (guardian.co.uk, Tania Branigan and Paul Harris, 30 January 2010)
China and the US are set for renewed confrontation after Beijing warned of serious repercussions following Washington's announcement of a $6.4bn (£4bn) arms deal with Taiwan.

US defends $6.4bn weapons sale to Taiwan (BBC, 30 January 2010)
The US State Department said on Saturday that the sale contributed to "security and stability" between Taiwan and China, Reuters reported.

China's strident tone raises concerns among Western governments, analysts (The Washington Post, John Pomfret, January 31, 2010)
China's indignant reaction to the announcement of U.S. plans to sell weapons to Taiwan appears to be in keeping with a new triumphalist attitude from Beijing that is worrying governments and analysts across the globe.

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Fee of Taiwan's National Health Insurance

Taiwan's government said that they will raise the fee of Taiwan's National Health Insurance because of the increasing debt. Well, I do agree that the fee should be raised due to the broad and thorough coverage and cheaper medical expense. But the raise has to be re-evaluated after other local governments and central government agency returning the huge amount of money they diverted from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Fund. The National Health Insurance Bureau should give correct amount of the debt. It is unreliable when they keep changing the amount of debt from 50 to 60 to 100 billion NTD in 3 days.

The Department of Health has diverted 83.731 billion NTD from the Taiwan's National
Health Insurance Fund.
The Taipei government has owed 34 billion NTD to the Taiwan's National Health Insurance Fund.


馬英九、衛生署還我納稅錢!
馬英九欠繳健保費三百四十幾億,賴帳不還,只想想盡辦法要漲大家的健保費,由於引起民眾的反彈,大家都知道只要馬英九還了北市欠的健保費,根本不用調高保費,甚至反而可降價。但馬政府悍然不顧,隨意信口開河、誇大健保的赤字,如楊志良27日先說健保赤字缺口五百億,28日改口變成六百億,29日健保局乾脆說健保赤字缺口高達一千億,三天之內健保赤字就灌水了一倍。

健保費 今年漲定了 (2010-01-28 工商時報 【記者薛孟杰/台北報導】)
楊志良指出,健保財務困窘,調整保費後,只能追求今年度財務平衡,仍無法填平健保財務收支逆差500億元,所以今年衛生署將同步推動2代健保修法工作。

春節前不調健保費? 楊志良:不敢保證 (2010/1/28 中央社)
外傳健保費最快春節前調整,衛生署長楊志良今天對此表示「不敢保證」,但安全準備金早就沒了,健保短絀近新台幣600億元,不調才是違法。

健保局:保費若不調 缺口達1000億 (中央社記者陳麗婷台北29日電)
督保盟批評調整健保費,擬提行政訴願與釋憲。健保局今天說,有關保費調整方案,健保法「沒有授權、但也沒有不准」;且若不調,今年財務短絀將達1000億元,調整保費合情合理。

健保漲? 衛生署先還錢! (2010/1/30 自由時報 自由論壇 王祥維)
近日衛生署研擬調漲健保費,除貧富差距和北高兩市欠款等議題備受國人關注外,事實上,根據立法院預算中心指出,健保保費長年遭政府挪用,支應公共衛生支出高達八三七.三一億元,實為健保虧損之根本原因。

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Sunday, January 24, 2010

Australia Day or Invasion Day?

Jan. 26, 2010 is Australia Day. There will be many celebration events including big firework. I just couldn't have any celebration mood. It is a sad day just like US's Columbus Day which should be memorized but not celebrated. We couldn't change what have happened in the past, but we should try not to repeat it at least, even when we are benefited from it.

Australia Day (previously known as Anniversary Day, Foundation Day and ANA Day[1][2]), and also referred to as Invasion Day[3], is the official national day of Australia. Celebrated annually on 26 January, the day commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove in 1788, the hoisting of the British flag there, and the proclamation of British sovereignty over the eastern seaboard of Australia.

Jan. 26, 2010 是 Australia Day,理論上是澳洲人放煙火慶祝的一天,但是老實說,我不喜歡這一天,因為這一天是為侵略者歡呼的日子,是鼓勵侵略行為的,就好像是美國的 Columbus Day 或是台灣的光復節,但是美國只是將那天當作一個假日,而澳洲竟然是將其當作建國紀念日之類的日子來慶祝,就令我感到很不舒服了。

我曾經和一位澳洲朋友聊到這一天,當我提到 "Invasion Day" 這樣的概念時,其實他是很不高興的,他認為過去搶奪原住民的土地 掠奪他們的生命及文化 以及眾多的歧視對待等行為,都不是他做出來的,所以和他沒有關係,所以這一天是值得慶祝的。

但是我就對他說,可是你從這些行為中獲利,而公義並沒有平反,原住民也沒有得到適當地尊重及補償,這一天就不應該是拿來慶祝的。然後他就說他不在乎過去發生這些事,也不在乎因為這樣而被影響的人事物,反正這天就是應該要被慶祝的。

我的心中是有些憤怒的,即使澳洲總理曾經對澳洲原住民說了道歉的話,但是如果沒有真正對其現在的困境做出實質有效的補助,那句道歉可是輕飄飄的一點意義都沒有,更何況有多少人是真心誠意認為自己及自己的祖先做錯了?當澳洲原住民被迫從自己世居的土地上趕走,被殺以及被迫從事低階的勞動工作,在工作及學習中承受各式各樣的迫害及歧視,被迫不能延續自己的語言 文化 及 傳統,被當作牲口 被當作第二等人對待時,其實這樣漸進式的滅族行為並不比納粹對猶太人的屠殺還要好到哪裡。

不想說太多批評的話,但是我還是感受到白種歐洲移民的驕傲,那種身為既得利益者的無知,只差沒像中國人一樣說出他們歷史上對吐蕃 西域諸國 高麗 百濟 新羅 日本 百越 大理 等國的侵略是為他們帶來文化 文明 及 進步。

唉,為什麼我就是會看到這些,難道我就沒辦法好好融入澳洲,和澳洲人一起歡慶這樣的日子嗎?但是我就是沒辦法啊,就像我對台灣原住民族的感覺一樣,我有很深很深的原罪的愧疚,我知道我沒有能力因為歷史上先人做過的事情對他們做出多大的補償,但是至少我不會在具有「滅族及侵略」象徵意義的日子上大肆慶祝的,那讓我覺得很惡劣。或許你會說我也不是那些歐洲移民 (或是唐山過台灣的移民) 的後代,我對於他們現在的慘境不需要有負擔,但是當我踏在他們祖先生活的土地上,享受著過去移民者掠奪後發展的建設上,我其實也是繼續維持這個掠奪行為的共犯結構中的一員啊,我沒辦法說我無罪。

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Friday, January 22, 2010

Is smoker guilty?

I read this article, 論自由 by 夢之彼方. It reminds me how Taiwan's government and anti-smoking NGO/people try to make Taiwan a no-cigarette nation by passing very restrict Tobacco Hazard Prevention and Control Act and stigmatizing smoker. Taiwan's new Tobacco Hazard Prevention and Control Act went into effect on Jan. 11, 2009.

I totally agree that people should not smoke inside any building because the smell really annoys and disturbs other non-smoker. I do not like the way they stigmatize smoker and even tried to ban outdoor smoking in the beginning of 2010.

Taiwan adopted a new Tobacco Hazard Prevention and Control Act

最後的吸煙者 作者:筒井康隆;譯者:江戶‧東京的格主簡白):我恍惚蹲踞在國會大廈的圓拱屋頂角落,凌空匝繞的自衛隊直升機,接連向此處發射催淚彈攻擊。我既悲憤,又懊惱,拚勁猛吸香煙,一邊也覺悟到,今時今地已屬末日絕境。剛剛,與我同是吸煙愛好者的西洋畫家日下部,從高聳的國會大廈的拱頂摔墜地面,終於,我成為人世間孤伶伶僅存的吸煙者了。

當國家消滅吸煙者:當國家決定消滅吸煙者,或把吸煙者地下化、非人化,而且以善意、進化為名,就像伊森霍克、鄔瑪舒曼那部電影《千鈞一髮》,相信我,我們正默默殺害一些不健康的自由。

關魚〈【反抗詩】政府不如一根煙 ▃▃▃︴〉:
如果傷害自己健康就是不對的
所有疑似含有致癌物質的食品應該全面禁賣
所有麥當勞肯德基碳烤燒烤店應該全面歇業
所有電腦網路線上遊戲入夜後應該全面斷絕
別忘了騎開車有撞死自己他人的高風險也該全面禁駛
對了我還沒說到飛機會發生空難而坐船會發生海難呢

HOW〈來根煙,讓我們一起尷尬吧:向2009/01/11致敬

1968〈幹!1月11號要到了啦!

N/A〈手拿著一支昨暝點的煙

駱以軍〈一個吸煙者的抗議

真.他媽的〈為什麼要抽菸?因為我想得肺癌

A cynical plaza!〈宣導禁煙,真是一門『好生意』!

江戶‧東京〈最後的吸煙者

香格里拉〈吸煙有罪?別讓禁煙變成霸權

回。到。原。點〈活動│請支持《解菸》與《反禁煙自救聯盟》串連活動!〉


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Thursday, January 14, 2010

Bravo! Google

Finally Google has the courage to say no to China. Unlike many other big companies which weigh money and profit more than freedom, democracy, and human rights. Bravo Google!!!

A new approach to China (1/12/2010 03:00:00 PM)

Like many other well-known organizations, we face cyber attacks of varying degrees on a regular basis. In mid-December, we detected a highly sophisticated and targeted attack on our corporate infrastructure originating from China that resulted in the theft of intellectual property from Google. However, it soon became clear that what at first appeared to be solely a security incident--albeit a significant one--was something quite different.

First, this attack was not just on Google. ...

Second, we have evidence to suggest that a primary goal of the attackers was accessing the Gmail accounts of Chinese human rights activists. ...

Third, ... we have discovered that the accounts of dozens of U.S.-, China- and Europe-based Gmail users who are advocates of human rights in China appear to have been routinely accessed by third parties. ......

Posted by David Drummond, SVP, Corporate Development and Chief Legal Officer

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Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Harvey Milk

I happened to read an article about the movie "Milk" and the story of Harvey Milk. His words are so moving. They remind me my dreams which have been hiding for a while due to some painful personal experiences.

Some words from Harvey Milk:
"I am not a candidate, I am part of a movement. The movement is the candidate."

"I ask this... If there should be an assassination, I would hope that five, ten, one hundred, a thousand would rise.
I would like to see every gay lawyer, every gay architect come out ...
If a bullet should enter my brain, let that bullet destroy every closet door... And that's all.
I ask for the movement to continue.
Because it's not about personal gain, not about ego, not about power... it's about the "us's" out there.
Not only gays, but the Blacks, the Asians, the disabled, the seniors, the us's.
Without hope, the us's give up."

Milk in ezone's blog: 「1973年,美國精神醫學會首次將「同性戀」行為從疾病分類系統中去除。在此之前「同性戀」行為被視為違法,同性戀者被強制送院接受治療。」

為同志爭取平等權益而投身政治這條路的美國同志運動人士Harvey Bernard Milk( 1930年5月22日 - 1978年11月27日),是美國政壇第一位公開同志身份的人,在1978年當選舊金山市政管理委員會第五區的委員。

Milk (film) in imdb: The story of Harvey Milk, and his struggles as an American gay activist who fought for gay rights and became California's first openly gay elected official.

wiki about Harvey Milk: Harvey Bernard Milk (May 22, 1930 – November 27, 1978) was an American politician and the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California, as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

wiki about Milk (film): Milk is a 2008 American biographical film on the life of LGBT rights activist and politician Harvey Milk, who was the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California, and one of the first three in the United States as a whole, as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

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Saturday, January 9, 2010

Some Chicken Wing Dishes

Because our stove has been broken for 1 week, it is a little bit difficult to cook noodle and many our regular dishes. We have a small oven, a small microwave, a rice cooker, and a steamer. Here are some chicken wing dishes without using stove.

(1) Bake black pepper chicken wings
Season chicken wings with "(garlic) salt + black pepper powder" in fridge overnight
-> Coat chicken wings with "cornstarch + flour" (ps. shake in plastic bag or pyrex container)
-> Bake 325 oF (162-163 oC) for ~1.5 hour or until golden brown and crisp as you want

(2) Bake garlic chicken wings
Season chicken wings with "garlic + black pepper + ginger + soy sauce + cooking wine" for >10 minutes
-> Wrap whole thing (chicken wings and sauces) with Aluminium foil
-> Bake 350 oF (176-180 oC) for 20-25 minutes or until well done

(3) New Orland spice chicken wings
帶腿雞翅 8個
中筋麵粉 1杯
蒜粉(泥)1小匙
黑胡椒、鹽 適量
白醋 1~2大匙
奶油或橄欖油 3小匙
Tabasco 適量
番茄醬 1罐
雞高湯 200㏄

做法:
1. 將帶腿雞翅的雞翅與雞腿部分分開。
2. 混合麵粉、大蒜泥、黑胡椒、鹽,均勻抹到雞翅及小雞腿上,按摩數分鐘,放入保鮮盒中醃製半天。
3. 烤箱預熱170℃,鋁箔紙舖於烤盤上,抹點油。取出醃好的雞翅與小雞腿,排在烤盤上,烤30分鐘(依雞翅大小而定),烤至全熟。
4.平底鍋倒入橄欖油或融化奶油,加入番茄醬、Tabasco、白醋、雞高湯。在倒入烤好的雞翅,拌炒至湯汁有點收乾,雞翅吸收均勻。
5. 再放入170℃烤箱烤5分鐘即可。

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Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Cheese bread

We tried to make Cheese bread (KO's kitchen) with some modification. It tastes really good. We used French-light setting yesterday and has the problem of "bread sinks in the centre". Today we tried Basic-light setting and hope it will be good.

The reason that we made bread yesterday and today is because our stove is broken since Sunday. We won't be able to make our regular dinner, noodle, so we eat bread for breakfast and dinner. Our landlord said that the service people will come on Thursday.

Water = 150 g (ps. adjust water amount to make water+egg = 200 g)
Egg = 50 g
salt = 4 g
brown sugar = 14~18 g
butter = 33 g (ps. microwave several 5 sec to melt and soft it)
Cream cheese = 33 g (ps. microwave several 5 sec to melt and soft it)
Plain flour = 330 g
Dry yeast = 4 g = 1.25 tsp
Milk powder = 10 g = 1 TBL (20 mL)
Lemon juice = 5 g (ps. serve as bread improver)

Add following during 2nd knead when it beeps:

Raisin = 52 g = 3 TBL = 60 mL (ps. 50~100 mL is OK)
Mozzarella = 66 g

Jan. 4, 2010: Dough rises very high, but bread sinks in center.
Setting: 4 (French), light crust color, total 3 hours 50 min
1st knead (2 min) -> 2nd knead (28 min) ->1st rise (20 min)
-> punch down (15 sec) -> 2nd rise (50 min) -> punch down (10 sec)
-> 3rd rise (65 min) -> bake (65 min)

Jan. 5, 2010: Dough rises OK and taste good.
Setting: 1 (basic), light crust color, total 3 hours
1st knead (2 min) -> 2nd knead (28 min) ->1st rise (20 min)
-> punch down (15 sec) -> 2nd rise (20 min) -> punch down (10 sec)
-> 3rd rise (50 min) -> bake (60 min)

Jan. 8, 2010: Dough rises OK and the bread looks fine. It still tastes good, but with a little bit less flavor from butter. We will use this in the future.

Water = 200 g (ps. adjust water amount to make water+egg = 200 g)
Egg = 0 g (ps. Replace egg with water to reduce big bubble during rising)
Salt = 4 g
Brown sugar = 14~18 g
Oil = 33 g (ps. Replace butter with vegetable cooking oil to reduce animal fat)
Cream cheese = 33 g (ps. microwave 3-5 sec twice to melt and soft it)
Plain flour = 330 g
Dry yeast = 4 g = 1.25 tsp
Milk powder = 10 g = 1 TBL (20 mL)
Lemon juice = 5 g (ps. serve as bread improver)

Add following during 2nd knead when it beeps:

Raisin = 52 g = 3 TBL = 60 mL (ps. 50~100 mL is OK)
Mozzarella = 66 g

1st knead (2 min) -> 2nd knead (28 min) ->1st rise (20 min)
-> punch down (15 sec) -> 2nd rise (20 min) -> punch down (10 sec)
-> 3rd rise (50 min) -> bake (60 min)

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Friday, January 1, 2010

Green Tea or Coffee Bread

After making 3 basic white breads during Dec 26~29, we are testing different kind of breads, Green Tea bread and Coffee bread.

(1) Green Tea bread on Dec 30, 2009
water = 215 mL
milk powder = 58.5 g (ps. 100 mL = 35 g)
oil = 18 g (ps. Should use 2 tsp = 10 mL = 8 g, the suggested amount is 15 g butter)
salt = 4 g
sugar = 20 g (i.e. 1 TBL = 20 g)
plain flour = 294 g (ps. This is all we have)
lemon juice = 4 g
yeast = 4 g (i.e. 1 tsp)
green tea powder = 10 mL = 2 tsp (ps. the suggested amount is 10 g)

Setting: 3 (sweet), medium crust color, total 3 hours 20 min
1st knead (2 min) -> 2nd knead (23 min) ->1st rise (20 min)
-> punch down (15 sec) -> 2nd rise (50 min) -> punch down (10 sec)
-> 3rd rise (65 min) -> bake (65 min)

It tastes good, but the green tea is a little bit light. I guess we need to add 10 g green tea powder to make it more like "green tea bread".

(note) Another Tea bread recipe: use same composition as Coffee bread, except adding 10 g Green Tea powder or 2 tea bags instead of coffee powder.

(2) Coffee bread on Jan 1, 2010
water = 280 mL
instant coffee powder = 15 mL (i.e. 3 tsp)
oil = 16 g
salt = 4 g
brown sugar = 36 g (ps. 34 g should be enough)
plain flour = 450 g
milk powder = 13 g (ps. 10 g should be enough)
lemon juice = 5 g
yeast = 6 g (i.e. 1.5 tsp)
ground coffee powder = 15 g
cinnamon powder = few (ps. <<< 1 g)

Setting: 1 (basic), medium crust color, total 3 hours
1st knead (2 min) -> 2nd knead (28 min) ->1st rise (20 min)
-> punch down (15 sec) -> 2nd rise (20 min) -> punch down (10 sec)
-> 3rd rise (50 min) -> bake (60 min)

It smells good after kneading. I guess it will smell even better during baking.

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Raining New Year Eve

Here is our raining New Year Eve trip. It has rained nearly 2 weeks. It means that all our Christmas-New Year holidays were under rain. Ok, it did not rain 24 hours per day, but it was heavy cloud all the time and the 3 min ~ 1 hour long rain could come down in any minute. We did not want to get wet, carry umbrella all the time, or hike on muddy mountain trail, so we stayed home or went shopping during this holiday.

We couldn't take it any more and decided to go out yesterday. We have thought about northern NSW or southern QLD. After checking weather.com, we decided to go to Great Sandy National Park, QLD because the weather forecast predicted ~5 mm per day on Dec. 31, 2009 and Jan. 1, 2010 for Gympie but >10 mm on Dec. 31 around that national park in northern NSW.

這裡已經連續下雨下了快兩個禮拜 (ps. 滿天烏雲,隨時都可能下那種三分鐘到一個鐘頭的雨),非常煩人,除了家裡的地毯踩起來好像可以擠出水以外,我們整個聖誕節新年假期都是以一付困在這裡的情況呈現,其實主要是因為我們不想淋濕,也不太想走到哪裡都要拿著雨傘,更不想在泥濘的山路上走,結果就是天天待在家裡或是跑去逛不同的超市或是百貨公司。

昨天是新年前夕,雖然還是滿天烏雲,但是我們終於忍不住了,決定跑去 Great Sandy National Park 去看夕陽 日出 海邊五彩的沙子 以及餵海豚,這是一個位在 Queensland's Sunshine coast (昆士蘭的陽光海岸) 北端的國家公園,有漂亮的沙子以及可以開四輪傳動車子的大片沙灘,算是這裡的度假勝地,對我們而言,主要是要去健行的。從我們家開去那裡大概要開3個小時,出發前我們還查了氣象,氣象預測說會下大約 5 mm 的雨,嗯,屬於可以忍受的量,但是當我們快要開到時,就開始下雨,然後那個雨就忽大忽小,有時是綿綿細雨,有時不下雨,有時又下起大雨,根本就是 5 mm 的不知道多少倍的雨量。

考慮了老半天,還跑去位在附近 Tin Can Bay 那個海灣小城看煙火 (ps. 因為一直在下雨,本來還以為不會放了,後來在放煙火前將近一小時就停雨了,其實應該說是半小時,因為本來說是9點要放煙火,但是拖到9點半才放,而雨是8點半停的),因為這個一小時的無雨,害我們很掙扎,想了老半天,看著滿天的雲,最後還是決定回家,結果一路上又是和雨相伴而回,真是令人無語啊,害我們都在那裡懷疑我們的頭上是不是黏著一塊會下雨的雲。

回到 Brisbane 時已經是 12 點多了,雖然錯過了這裡的新年煙火,我們還是開到 mountain Coot-tha 上去看夜景,開到山頂時大概是12 點半,看到一大堆車子開下山,眺望整個 Brisbane city 的夜景很漂亮,可以想像在這裡看煙火應該是很享受的。

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