And I'm off

[Balta1701]

Well, like any good liberal, I guess as soon as I get promoted, I take a 2 week vacation. Or is that like the President. Anywho, I'm off to Xinjiang Province in China for 2 weeks to take a look at the Tien Shan mountain range. Get f***ing Detroit out of first place while I'm gone, PLEASE!

 

Adios everyone. Hopefully have some interesting pictures when I return.

[southsideirish71]

Well, like any good liberal, I guess as soon as I get promoted, I take a 2 week vacation. Or is that like the President. Anywho, I'm off to Xinjiang Province in China for 2 weeks to take a look at the Tien Shan mountain range. Get f***ing Detroit out of first place while I'm gone, PLEASE!

 

Adios everyone. Hopefully have some interesting pictures when I return.

 

 

I spent some time in Suzhou. Hopefully you will have a better time than I did. It was for work, and there is basically nothing edible. Too much smog also.

 

Fatten up before you fly.

 

 

Good luck.

[southsider2k5]

Bring me back a nice rock!

[Goldmember]

hope ya have a nice, safe trip...

[Queen Prawn]

Have fun and take care!

[NorthSideSox72]

Well, like any good liberal, I guess as soon as I get promoted, I take a 2 week vacation. Or is that like the President. Anywho, I'm off to Xinjiang Province in China for 2 weeks to take a look at the Tien Shan mountain range. Get f***ing Detroit out of first place while I'm gone, PLEASE!

 

Adios everyone. Hopefully have some interesting pictures when I return.

Tien Shan, huh? Bring me back one of those 15-foot salmon relatives (forgot the name). or some Takla Makan sand.

 

Have a blast, sir. I'm jealous.

[FlaSoxxJim]

Tien Shan, huh? Bring me back one of those 15-foot salmon relatives (forgot the name). . .

 

That would be the taimen, aka Mongolian salmon, Hucho taimen.

 

And though they get quite big, the 15-foot number is a fish story. In fact, some fanciful literature has the species reaching as much as 15 METERS (>45 feet! ), and weighing several tons. In fact, the natural high-end sizes are more realistically put at 2 meters and 70 kg, and the angling record is actually less than 50 kg.

 

Big as the taimen is, it's got nothing on it's fellow Chinese/South Asian big fish, the Mekong giant catfish (Pangasianodon gigas) . The record mekong cat, caught just about a year ago in Thailand, was 9+ feet long and almost 300 kg (~650 pounds).

Edited June 23, 2006 by FlaSoxxJim

[NorthSideSox72]

That would be the taimen, aka Mongolian salmon, Hucho taimen.

 

And though they get quite big, the 15-foot number is a fish story. In fact, some fanciful literature has the species reaching as much as 15 METERS (>45 feet! ), and weighing several tons. In fact, the natural high-end sizes are more realistically put at 2 meters and 70 kg, and the angling record is actually less than 50 kg.

 

Big as the taimen is, it's got nothing on it's fellow Chinese/South Asian big fish, the Mekong giant catfish (Pangasianodon gigas) . The record mekong cat, caught just about a year ago in Thailand, was 9+ feet long and almost 300 kg (~650 pounds).

There was a news article a few months ago where some University in that region did a study concluding that the fish stories, in this case, may have been not that far-fetched. I googled, but can't find it now. I have the link at home, somewhere, from when I emailed it around. But they claimed it was a heck of a lot bigger, in a specific collection of high-altitude lakes in the Tien Shan, than 2m and 70kg.

 

If I find the link, I'll post it.

[kapkomet]

Balta, have a great time.

[mreye]

Bring me back a nice rock!

You can't take rocks from a Communist country - it's government workers' pay.

[NorthSideSox72]

You can't take rocks from a Communist country - it's government workers' pay.

[FlaSoxxJim]

If I find the link, I'll post it.

 

Please do, NS. I'd like to see that report. I'm a big fan of the big ass fresh water fish of the world, nearly all of which are on the brink of extinction from habitat decline. Some of my other favorites are Australia's Murray Cod (Maccullochella peelii) and the American paddlefish (Polyodon spathula[i/]), which may be my most favoritest freshwater fish ever.

[NorthSideSox72]

Please do, NS. I'd like to see that report. I'm a big fan of the big ass fresh water fish of the world, nearly all of which are on the brink of extinction from habitat decline. Some of my other favorites are Australia's Murray Cod (Maccullochella peelii) and the American paddlefish (Polyodon spathula[i/]), which may be my most favoritest freshwater fish ever.

I like Alligator Gar.

[Steff]

I like Alligator Gar.

 

 

 

I caught one of those once... it almost bit me when I pulled it up on the shore. Ugly little effer..

[mreye]

I caught one of those once... it almost bit me when I pulled it up on the shore. Ugly little effer..

 

Potty mouth!

[FlaSoxxJim]

I like Alligator Gar.

 

Oooh, now you're talking. Love them ganoid armor scales. Primitive baby, primitive.

[DBAHO]

I spent some time in Suzhou. Hopefully you will have a better time than I did. It was for work, and there is basically nothing edible. Too much smog also.

 

Fatten up before you fly.

Good luck.

^^^^^.

I spent 5 weeks in Nanjing, Shanghai and Beijing about 6 years back.

 

The food over there, is what you call Chinese - Chinese food. It's not really American - Chinese food, if you get my drift. And the pollution over there is terrible. You couldn't see the sun at all during the day when I was over there.

 

Have a great time though.

[southsideirish71]

^^^^^.

I spent 5 weeks in Nanjing, Shanghai and Beijing about 6 years back.

 

The food over there, is what you call Chinese - Chinese food. It's not really American - Chinese food, if you get my drift. And the pollution over there is terrible. You couldn't see the sun at all during the day when I was over there.

 

Have a great time though.

 

 

Should we warn him about the girls spitting.

 

Oh well I will. The smog and pollution is so bad that people just spit to clear their mouths. You will see some young girl in a miniskirt, walking down the street, then she will hock up a loogy and spit it on the ground. I also saw some disturbing things with people allowing some toddlers just to crap on the street, but maybe that was just isolated.

 

The food, was interesting to say the least. :headshake I forwarded myself a care package with 24 pack of Coke, and a s***load of snicker bars because I heard bad things. I put it in with the switches we had sent over. If it wasnt for those snickers, I would of eaten nothing.

Edited June 25, 2006 by southsideirish71

[DBAHO]

Should we warn him about the girls spitting.

 

Oh well I will. The smog and pollution is so bad that people just spit to clear their mouths. You will see some young girl in a miniskirt, walking down the street, then she will hock up a loogy and spit it on the ground. I also saw some disturbing things with people allowing some toddlers just to crap on the street, but maybe that was just isolated.

 

The food, was interesting to say the least. :headshake I forwarded myself a care package with 24 pack of Coke, and a s***load of snicker bars because I heard bad things. I put it in with the switches we had sent over. If it wasnt for those snickers, I would of eaten nothing.

I had an old guy spit on the window in a crowded bus, just because he had no other place to spit to. And then another time, a 5 year old kid just threw up his lunch (some sort of chicken dish) in the aisle on another bus, and the family just got off the bus.

 

Unlike you like Chinese Food, you would seriously struggle to stay healthy over there.