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Festive Season Culinary Arts• Christmas food history• Variation on a ‘Bolo Rei’ recipe

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20Food for Health

Christmas food historyby Eugénia Santos Silva

Cover story

4Festive Season Culinary Arts

by Dr Baudouin Neirynckphotos MDT, AFP, EPA

26Ask the Vet

Kidney failure: treat your cat with care by Dr Ruan Du Toit Bester

16by António Espadinha Soares

Mouse Click

32by MC LAPress Play

18 World of Wonder

28 Offbeat

29 This Day in History

30 Infotainment

34 Week’s Pick

Administrator: Kowie GeldenhuysDirector: Rogério Beltrão CoelhoEditor: Cecília JorgeDesign Editor: João Jorge Magalhães

Other contributors for this issue: Alberto Ung, António Espadinha Soares, Baudouin Neirynck, Carlos Balona Gomes, Emma Charlton, Eugénia Santos Silva, Everett Kennedy Brown, Fabrizio Croce, Fred Dufour, MC LA, Ruan du Toit Bester

Macau Daily Times’Saturday magazine E-mail for news and agenda: newsroom@macaudailytimes.com.mo

Address: 2nd Floor 62 Av. Infante D. Henrique, MACAU SAR Telephones: + 853 287 160 81/2 Fax: + 853 287 160 84E-mail for advertisement: advertising@macaudailytimes.com.mo

Weekend

10Do you know Macau?

Fr. Don Bosco and Macaoby Alberto Ung

14 Cooking Times

Variation on a ‘Bolo Rei’ recipe (Christmas King Cake)by Carlos Balona Gomesphoto by Fabrizio Croce

22Caviar: the ultimate

delicacy, from a farm near you?

by Emma Charltonphotos by Fred Dufour

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Festive Season Culinary Artsby Dr. Baudouin Neirynck* , PhD

Christmas, beside the pine tree and gifts usually evokes in western memories pictures of turkey, chestnut stuffing, foie gras, oysters, stolen, gingerbread house and other delicacies along with sumptuous wines and liqueurs served with petit fours at the end of a slow enjoyable meal. the presence of

family members, perhaps a log fire in the chimney and lots of Christmas gifts under the tree convey a festive atmosphere and warm feelings. When it comes to complete a Culinary arts picture, beverages play as much a role as the food in establishing a festive mood.

in Europe and the United states, traditional Christmas and New Year fare usually included both expensive and non-expensive items to re-flect the wide spectrum of wealth. Oysters and other delicacies from the sea such as smoked salmon, lobster, crayfish and shellfish have been served at Christmas tables for over two centuries already, in fact since ice was available. For less financially able people, chest-nut, mushroom, fruits, grains, bread and sometimes poultry were married with beer and other homemade brews.

about hundred years ago, Christmas and New Year menus were long affairs, meals lasting four to five hours were not uncommon and diners had inter-vals in the form of sherbets as well as spirits in order to allow for some form of digestion.

as to the main courses, they featured turkey – a staple of thanksgiving Day in the Usa – with or without stuffing. the stuffing allows the meat lining the cavity of the turkey not to dry up and also provides succulent meat and other ingredients to soak the excess juices and mix flavors. alternating turkey was game and

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Festive Season Culinary Artsby Dr. Baudouin Neirynck* , PhD

*Assistant Professor at Institute For Tourism Studies

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Krug Grande Cuvée

Krug is a Champagne house created by a German immigrant more than 200 years ago. the Krug family is still heavily in-volved although the brand is property of LVmh since 1999. Grande Cuvée is a mix of 35-50% reserve wines with more re-cent vintages. although its price places it in the special wines of other houses, Krug is in a league of its own. Best matches for this wine would be cold lobster, mild savoury dishes, oysters and shell fish as well as mild fresh cheeses such as Camembert, Brie and mozzarella. serve chilled at 8 to 10 degrees.

venison. Christmas being at the end of the hunting season, these meats are still available and because of their rich flavour represent a very good middle menu feature. at the end came the desserts but only af-ter cheeses.

the next question is: what kind of wine is the best match for all these rich foods? With colleagues from the institute for tourism studies, we sat down around a Christmas set menu and tried to pair the items with what is in our opinion the best wine: Champagne. On offer were three excellent ones: Krug Grande

Cuvée, Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin 2002 and Dom Perignon 2002. these three wines were exceptional but the one that matched all dishes was the Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin 2002. Champagne is a very versa-tile type of beverage. Originally de-signed with high acidity in mind for all non-vintage versions, it is re-freshing and an excellent taste buds opener. When it comes from an ex-cellent vineyard and in a year with exceptional climatic conditions, the result is a very different wine with perhaps some residual sugar, a wide array of flavours and a much heavier

Choristers perform in front of Westminster Abbey’s Christmas tree in Westminster, London

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Dom Perignon 2002

Named after the monk who perfected the art of blending the various cuvees, Dom Perignon is the epitome of highest end Champagne. With fresh almonds, lemon peel and zest accompanied by dried fruits and toasted bri-oche, this wine explodes on the nose as much as in the mouth by its power, elegance and finesse. the palate, very concentrated and creamy with still the perfect acid-ity places this wine in the league of best match with a wide array of dishes. it paired best with the turkey on the menu but would do well with flavourful and even spicy dishes. Drink at 10 degrees.

South Korean postmen wearing Santa Claus, or Father Christmas, outfits ride motorbikes to deliver Christmas gifts

to poor people during a charity campaign in Seoul

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Conclusion

While the Krug Grande Cuvée is perfect for preparing the pal-ate for the dinner, Dom Peri-gnon 2002 is the best match for the roasted turkey and the Veuve Clicquot 2002 vintage comple-ments the rest of the menu. merry Christmas and happy New Year.

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Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin 2002

this was the most adaptable Champagne of the three. its am-plitude of smells, aromas and flavours equip this wine with extraordinary matching abilities. the nose is full of aromas with cinnamon and other sweet spices such as vanilla together with citrus fruit such as grapefruit and tropi-cal lime complemented by acacia flower and subtle minerality and toasted brioche. in the mouth, the delicate spices blended with tea leaves notes match the citrus fruits and the flowery character of this exceptional wine. Can match most dishes included some light desserts. serve at 10 degrees.

body. this in turn ensures the wine can be paired with more flavourful and even spicier dishes.

to design a festive menu is a unique occasion to bring along some dishes usually consumed only once a year. spices, herbs, al-coholic beverages all become part of the raw ingredients in the search towards a unique culinary and ol-factory experience. the menu at iFt includes a choice between two appetizers, three main courses as well as the access to a comprehen-sive dessert buffet.

appetizers present the choice be-tween a plate of salt cod, chick peas and tomato salad or green pea pu-rée with pata negra. main courses feature turkey with its traditional garnishes, risotto with clams, octo-pus and prawns or tacho, an array of macanese meats and vegetables stew. the menu is sold at mOP180 per person and served from mon-day to Friday. Call 8598 3077 for bookings.

A Palestinian carver works on a wooden figurine of the Virgin Mary at a workshop next to the Church of the Nativity in the West Bank town of Bethlehem

Indonesian visitors have their pictures taken next to a giant Christmas tree at

a shopping mall in Jakarta

A giant illuminated Father Christmas figure stands in Berlin’s busy Tauenzienstrasse near a traditional Christmas market

18 December 2010

9www.ccadvog.com

Partners:Rui J. da Cunha*

Álvaro Rodrigues*°● Nuno S. da Mata*Zhao Lu *°● Connie Kong

Associates:Adelino Correia*

Zelina Rodrigues ● Nuno L. MartinsSusana Batalha ● Luís A. Pinto

Rita AndorinhoMaria J. Marques ● António I. Azeredo

João N. MarquesJennifer Lao ● Icília Berenguel

Isolda BrasilMariana A. Esteves

Francisco M. CameiraMaria A. Giestas

Trainee Lawyers:Carlos S. Ferreira

Octávio TavaresFong Kit In

Cao Lemeng, RuiWong Pou Ngai, Karen

António Santos

*Notary° China Appointed Attesting Officer

&C&C - Lawyers Office

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Weekend Times

by Alberto Ung, Institute for Tourism Studies (IFT)

I NsiDE the montanha russa Park in macao stands the statue of a foreigner. Even many people in ma-cao are not sure who the statue of the man is. he is st. John Bosco - or Fr. Don Bosco - founder of the salesians of Don Bosco, a roman Catholic religious

order. he had never been to macao so why was his statue erected in montanha russa Park? What is the relationship between him and macao?

Fr. Don Bosco was an italian, whose father died when he was still very young. he was brought up by his mother mar-gherita Occhiena. Born to a poor family, he had to work at a young age to supplement his family income, during which time he learned how to make bread, work wood and sew. these skills enabled him to complete his studies on a part-time basis. he was able to cultivate his talents in the face

Fr. Don Bosco and Macao

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Fr. Don Bosco and Macaoof adversity not merely because of his hard work but because of his mother’s love and the enlighten-ment of the gospels.

he was ordained and became a priest in 1846, and thereafter dedicated himself to helping poor young people and saving them from going astray. he founded a youth centre and a polytechnic school, which provided learning and studying opportunities for young people, and through more contact with young people he was able to preach the gospels. Fr. Don Bosco founded the salesians of Don Bosco in 1859, which was dedicated to serving young boys;

later, in 1872, he founded the Daughters of mary help of

Christians with the aid of saint maria mazzarello. Fr.

Don Bosco died in 1888

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and was canonised by Pope Pius Xi in 1934. although Fr. Don Bosco had never reached the soil of macao or

China, a group of salesians led by Fr. Luis Versiglia arrived in macao in 1906, ten years after his death. they embarked upon their journey of teaching, preaching the gospel and saving the poor in macao, later establishing the immaculate Polytechnic school - now the instituto salesiano - in macao. in addition to instituto salesiano, the salesians of Don Bosco and the Daughters of mary help of Christians manage a number of institutions in macao, including Yuet Wah College, Chan sui Ki Perpetual help College, Escola Dom Luis Versiglia, and Bosco Youth service Network, all of which have significantly contributed to macao’s educational cause.

Consecrated and inaugurated by monsignor José Lai hung seng, Bishop of the Diocese of macao, on 24th may 2010, the current statue standing in montanha russa Park replaces the original bronze edifice which had become eroded and damaged over time.

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Variation on a Bolo rei recipe(Christmas King Cake)

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BOLO rei (King Cake) is a must on any traditional Portuguese Christmas table. this kind of sweet bread with a hole in the centre, decorated with candied fruit and nuts, is commonly

enjoyed on Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and Kings Day (January 6th).

it is thought to have arrived in Portugal near the end of 17th century, originating from the France of Luis XiV, where it was calleds a “Gâteau des rois”. it quickly became popular in Lisbon and

then throughout the country.traditionally this cake features a ‘fava’ (dried Lima bean)

hidden in its dough to symbolise luck. some people consider whoever ends with the slice with the fava bean as the king of the celebration. Others commit the finder to bake or to buy the next Bolo rei, so be aware of “fava evaders”!

my Princess doesn’t like the usual candied fruits nor raisins in this royal cake composition, so i switched for cranberries, blueberries and several kinds of nuts to suit her taste. as a matter of fact, Christmas is all about caring and sharing, right? W

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Variation on a Bolo rei recipe(Christmas King Cake) by Carlos Balona Gomes

Photo by Fabrizio Croce

Questions and comments to newsroom@macaudailytimes.com

to publish at http://www.sundayflavors.blogspot.com

YOU WILL NEED:

900 g / 1 lb and 15 ¾ oz of all purpose flour or bread flour;50 g / 1 ¾ oz of active dry yeast;100 ml / 3 ½ fl oz of warm milk;350 g / 12 ¼ oz of sugar;5 eggs;Scrapings of 1 orange;Scrapings of 1 lemon;Pinch of salt;1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon;150 ml / 5 ¼ fl oz of black beer;100 g / 3 ½ oz of butter, melted;100 ml / 3 ½ fl oz of Port Wine;75 g / 2 ½ oz of pine seeds;75 g / 2 ½ oz of walnuts;75 g / 2 ½ oz of almonds;75 g / 2 ½ oz of Brazil nuts;100 g / 3 ½ oz of dried cranberries;75 g / 2 ½ oz of dried blueberries;Egg wash;Dried figs for decoration;Dried dates for decoration;4 tablespoons of apricot jam;Icing sugar to dust the cake;Butter to grease;Flour to dust;

METHOD:

Spread all the nuts on a baking sheet and take it to the oven for a very light toast;Chop coarsely all the nuts, saving some for the decoration;Soak the chopped nuts, cranberries and blueberries in Port Wine and reserve until you need to incorporate it in the dough;Dissolve active yeast with 100 ml / 3 ½ fl oz of warm milk and let it stand for 10 minutes;In a large bowl incorporate the dissolved yeast with 250 g / 8 ¾ oz of flour and mix very well. Add water or dust with flour to handle the mix until soft, rolling the dough into a ball;Place the bowl in a warm place and let it rise for 1 hour;Add into the dough ball the remaining flour (650 g / 1 lb and 7 oz), sugar, orange and lemon scrapings, a pinch of salt, cinnamon, and black beer and mix everything very well;Add eggs, one at a time and beat well in between;Incorporate melted butter and mix well;You may add some extra flour if the dough is too sticky and knead it, pushing the sides in, until the dough is soft and elastic; Add nuts, berries and the Port Wine mix and incorporate everything very well;Dust the dough with flour and keep it in a warm place to rise again for around 90 minutes, until it doubles in size;Grease a baking sheet with butter and dust it with flour, tapping out any excess; Place the dough on the prepared baking sheet, dust with flour and form a large ring with a hole in the centre;Wrap the dried fava bean in a piece of baking paper and insert it into the dough ring, concealing it as best as possible (optional step); Leave the ring to rise in a warm place for a further 30 minutes;Preheat your oven to 180º C / 350º F;Mix egg yolk with a little water to make egg wash and brush top and sides of the ring;Decorate with reserved nuts, dried figs and dates or extra cranberries (you can chose a different decoration);Bake it in the oven for 45 minutes, until golden brown;When baked, remove the cake from the oven and brush top and sides with apricot jam;To finish, dust some parts of the ring with icing sugar, using a tight sieve, and allow your Bolo Rei to cool for a while.

A Merry, Merry Christmas to all of you!

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Mouse Click by António Espadinha Soaresby António Espadinha Soares

http://www.ge.com/thegeshow/flight/index.html#ch1

General Electric, or GE as it is better known, is a huge industrial conglomerate that fabricates all sorts of equipments for several types of heavy industries. this particular website is a fun and edu-cational outreach to the general public on their activities, with this particular episode being dedicated to their contributions to the world of aviation. it features some pretty cool videos and a fun game that’ll teach you the fundamentals of airplane design.

The GE ShowVideo of the WeekThe Order elecTrushttp://youtu.be/5juZhbrVjse

Evolution, the process by which life on earth diversi-fied itself in order to reach any and every habitable part of our planet Earth, has created not only forms most beautiful but some pretty bizarre ones as well. With the impact humans have had on this planet there are many species which have adapted and thrived in environments which are fruit of our industrial and consumerist waste, a concept which is taken to an odd, yet visually entertain-ing, extreme in this short film on a fictional new order of insects which have evolved in the industrial waste of old factories.

http://labs.divx.com/

Flash video has certainly left it’s mark on the age of the internet with the standard being adopted by many websites to display vid-eo content. however, the nifty little standard uses up a consider-able amount of computing power which can overburden a CPU, especially if you’re multitasking, one of the reasons why apple’s mobile devices don’t support it. With this little plugin you’ll now be able to use the power of your computer’s GPU, the graphics card processor, instead of your computer’s CPU to handle Flash video on websites, making your computer runs smoother. it’s still a beta release so be sure to check out the compatibility issues that still exist.

software of the Week - divX hiQ

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Blog of the WeekFOrgOTTen BOOkmarkshttp://www.forgottenbookmarks.com/

reading a good book is an experience like no other, if anything due to the practicality and functionality of the technology especially when compared to today’s gadgets. and when you’re done with a particular passage or section you probably do what most people do and just use any random piece of paper as a bookmark. this blog is run by someone who works at a used and rare books store. Given that he buys books from people every day he ends up finding all sorts of “personal, funny, heartbreaking and weird things” which people use as bookmarks, and shares them with the world via this bog.

http://www.thehungersite.com/

recommended to me by a friend who is always on the lookout for any sort of charitable cause, this site was founded in 1999 with the goal of using the power of internet to help eradicate

world hunger. You simply click on the link on the site to donate cups of food paid for by sponsors, which are then distributed

by established charitable organizations. also, you can purchase items through its online store and through each item generate

funds for the hungry. the site is also part of a larger network with other charitable goals.

The hunger site

software of the Week - divX hiQ

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Food for health

Christmas food history

FOOD and drink play a significant role in Christmas celebrations since ancient times. the feast starts on Christmas day and continues till the Epiphany.in China, as a great percentage of the

Chinese population is not Christian, Christmas Day is not a major holiday. the main winter festivity, in China, is the Chinese New Year celebration. in spite of this, Christmas celebration is becoming popular, especially in big cities, where we can find Christ-mas trees and other decorations on the streets. the Christian children hang up muslin stockings on the hope that Dun Che Lao ren, the Chinese version of santa Claus, will visit them and leave gifts. a similar trend can be observed in Japan, where the potential commercial of the Yuletide season has also emerged. While in China and taiwan Christmas is a private celebration, in macao and hong Kong December 25 is a public holiday by western influence.special Christmas food varies, around the world, with the different cultures and their influence on food. the turkey is often regarded as the traditional Christmas meal, but it appeared on the Christmas menu only in the sixteenth century. Prior to turkey, swan, goose, peacock or boar were been associated with the Christmas feast. her majesty Queen Vic-toria, had, for her Christmas buffet, amongst oth-er delicacies, beef, boars head, and woodcock pie. Nowadays, a large variety of dishes are enjoyed.in Western culture, Christmas day is time to spend with family, all together, having a special meal with delicious food and desserts. instead of turkey, some families prepare roast chicken, barbecued pork or kid goat. there is an excessive consumption of fat, sugar and salt rich foodstuffs. a special Christmas meal with salted dry-cod fish, boiled potatoes and cauliflower, eaten at midnight on Christmas Eve, is a tradition in Portugal. in Norway, cod and pork chops are part of the Christmas meal, eaten at Christmas Eve. traditionally, farmers leave a bowl of gruel in barns, on Christmas Eve, for the magic Gnome who protects their farms. in United Kingdom, Christmas pudding and mince pies containing a typically pre-served apple, dried fruits, spices and vegetable short-

by Eugénia Santos Silva

ening are consumed on Christmas meal. in south hemisphere, Christmas is during the hot summer season and lunch is often a steak and chicken or prawns barbecue and ice cream as dessert, may be at the beach.Each year during Christmas/New Year holiday sea-son, many people change their eating, drinking, ex-ercising, working and travelling patterns. these be-havioral changes may affect health, especially those

with cardiac disease. Over the Christmas period a great number of individuals refer an increase in weight which is maintained for several weeks. this may signify additional calories intake due to over-eating, there is also an excess of salt and alcohol consumption, lack of sleep and emotional stress. these factors are associated with cardiac problems. in Usa, research found a peak in cardiac mortal-ity during the Christmas/New Year holiday season

(Circulation Journal, american heart association, 2004).For many people Christmas represents an exception to the rule within the diets, and the idea of eating in excess is well accepted. a balance is needed. mean-while, the season is here. although traditions differ around the world, the original Christmas message remains the same: Peace on Earth. merry Christmas with more flavor and fewer calories!

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Christmas food history

ening are consumed on Christmas meal. in south hemisphere, Christmas is during the hot summer season and lunch is often a steak and chicken or prawns barbecue and ice cream as dessert, may be at the beach.Each year during Christmas/New Year holiday sea-son, many people change their eating, drinking, ex-ercising, working and travelling patterns. these be-havioral changes may affect health, especially those

with cardiac disease. Over the Christmas period a great number of individuals refer an increase in weight which is maintained for several weeks. this may signify additional calories intake due to over-eating, there is also an excess of salt and alcohol consumption, lack of sleep and emotional stress. these factors are associated with cardiac problems. in Usa, research found a peak in cardiac mortal-ity during the Christmas/New Year holiday season

(Circulation Journal, american heart association, 2004).For many people Christmas represents an exception to the rule within the diets, and the idea of eating in excess is well accepted. a balance is needed. mean-while, the season is here. although traditions differ around the world, the original Christmas message remains the same: Peace on Earth. merry Christmas with more flavor and fewer calories! W

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Caviar: the ultimate delicacy, from a farm near you?

ThE grey pearls burst on the tongue to re-lease their salty, marine aroma, lifted by notes of nut or fruit. Caviar

remains the ultimate luxury food – except these days the Caspian deli-cacy likely comes from a farm near you.

Exports of wild sturgeon eggs – culled to make caviar – have been severely restricted since 1998 under UN quotas set to protect the species from chaotic overfishing after the fall of the soviet Union.

For the past two years, there have been next-to-no wild sturgeon’s eggs available on world markets, save for

black gold trafficked out illegally from the five countries that share the Caspian sea shores.

Deprived of wild raw material, cavi-ar houses turned towards an alterna-tive source, like France’s armen Pet-rossian, whose armenian father in-troduced the delicacy to Paris in the 1920s and who started using farmed eggs in 1998.

today Petrossian – a veritable cav-iar “tsar” whose specialist boutiques account for 15 percent of the world market – works exclusively with farms, as do his global competitors.

Farmed caviar – whose pearls range in colour from honey to dark grey – can offer the “best or the worst”,

Petrossian told aFP at his flagship Paris store, wearing trademark waxed moustache and bow tie.

“there is nothing generic about caviar – it’s a complex product,” he said. “We select and refine the eggs, we let them mature. it’s a job as im-portant as a winegrower who trans-forms his grape.”

Petrossian sources from a network of producers in southwestern France, but also in the United states, China and Bulgaria, working with them to improve the quality of the raw mate-rial.

“When we visit farms we can in-tervene on the number of fish, their food, the position of the pools, the moment at which they cull the eggs,” he said.

twelve years on, he claims the farmed result can match the origi-

Armen Petrossian poses in Paris

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by Emma Charlton

Caviar: the ultimate delicacy, from a farm near you?

nal.“it is extremely difficult – not to say

impossible – to tell the difference be-tween a very good farmed caviar and a wild one. at the top of the range, even a specialist would have a hard time telling which is which.”

Petrossian laments the fact not all caviar houses are transparent about the fact they are selling farmed eggs, however.

“the customer has to know what species he is buying.”

-- ‘We thought the fish was going to disappear’ --

Global production of farmed caviar has soared from 500 kilogrammes (1,100 pounds) in 1998 to 150 tonnes today – even as legal sales of wild caviar dwindled from 300 tonnes to close to zero.

Prices have also fallen, as expanding farms yield economies of scale, but even farmed, the delicacy remains out of range for all but the best-lined of pockets.

at Petrossian, for example, 30 grammes (one ounce) of the most af-fordable caviar – Baeri royal – will set you back 60 euros (80 dollars), while the same amount of Beluga royal, the rolls-royce of caviars, sells for

228 euros.angling to seduce a younger cli-

entele, Petrossian recently launched slightly lower priced formats like pressed caviar, caviar aperitif cubes or tiny caviar-on-the-go boxes.

“But it will never be a cheap prod-uct,” he admitted.

Wild sturgeon was taken under the protection of the UN Convention on international trade in Endangered species (CitEs) after a period of dangerous overfishing in the mid-1990s.

“Coming out of a time when you could get 30 years in the Gulag for fishing a sturgeon, when the russian

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state controlled production, two things happened: economic inter-est and the attraction of a forbidden fruit,” said Petrossian.

the caviar boom – also fuelled by the islamic revolution in iran – led prices to collapse as the market was flooded with product sell-ing for as little as 100 euros per kilogramme, against a minimum of 1,400 euros today.

“During the worst years, in 1993 to 1995, we thought the fish was going to disappear completely.”

But a decade on, Petrossian believes the CitEs effort has back-fired.

since 2002 the convention has required the five Caspian sea pro-ducer states – azerbaijan, iran, Kazakhstan, russia and turkmeni-stan – to agree a small, sustainable quota for exports of stocks of the fish eggs each year.

they have repeatedly failed to do, against a backdrop of regional wrangling and rivalries – and last year trade in Beluga caviar was halted altogether as they fell short of a deal.

this year the five agreed on a tiny quota – a total of three tonnes – but even that was rejected as unsustainable by the European Union.

meanwhile, sturgeon numbers in the Caspian are shrinking inexo-rably, lost to the black market.

“We should have got local fishermen to manage the stocks – since they would have had an economic interest in being good stewards,” argued Petrossian, who set up a non-governmental group, the inter-national Caviar importers association (iCia), to lobby for a different approach to the trade.

instead, by banning exports, he argues, the international communi-ty deprived local communities of any incentive to protect the fish.

“it is a failure of CitEs. We haven’t managed to stabilise world production and we did everything to destroy the mar-ket,” he said. aFPW

Caviar at the Armen Petrossian’s shop, the

world’s leading distributor of caviar, in Paris

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Question Categories to be covered are:

-all about Dogs.-all about Cats.

-all about Exotics.-all about pet

ownership.-all about nutrition.

We will be focusing on the following;

allergiesavian/Exotics

BehaviorBoarding

DentalDigestive system

DiseasesEars

Generalheart

hormoneshusbandry

medicationsmusculoskeletal

NeoplasiaNervous system

Nutritionreproductive system

respiratoryskin

surgerytravel

UrinaryVaccinations

ask the Vet - is a service that allows you to ask questions about your pets’ health and behavior. my goal is to help you, the pet owner, improve the knowledge of your pet’s everyday needs and health care in macau through a variety of pet services and veterinary resources that where never available to pet owners before.

Pets have become a very important part of our families. in many cases they have be-come as much a part of our lives as children or grandchildren. and, in certain ways, just as complicated. think of all the questions raised by wanting a pet. Pet ownership has definitely become more complex. Everybody seems to have an opinion on what pet you should get and what being a good pet owner means. my goal is to answer your questions and try making things simpler for you. i want to give some of the basic information that will help you to raise a healthy, happy and family compatible pet. and, of course, have fun while you are doing it.

the ideas listed in this column come from many years of studying and practicing veter-inary medicine in south africa, australia, hong Kong and macau. and they are just that, my ideas and opinions. they are not meant to be all-encompassing or correct for every situation. Use this information as a tool, along with the advice from your veterinarian, to help you make the interaction between you and your pet a wonderful experience.

as far as i am concerned, there are two kinds of people; those who really love animals, and those who have never owned any. People who say they do not love pets have usually never owned one. and for those who say they hate them, well, let’s just not talk about them! the picture above is of a 150kg sea turtle at australia Zoo that i did abdominal surgery on after it ingested a ball of fishing line. indiscriminate and over fishing causes this to happen too often.

i hope this section helps you enjoy that perfect life with your pet. and i would love to hear the stories of how you came to own your particular pet and any interesting experi-ences you have had.

by Dr Ruan Du Toit Bester

Please send all your questions to globalveterinary@gmail.com

or mail to;Dr ruan Du toit Besterrua, D.r, L, P, marquest 2/F, Flat B,

Ponte 6a, macau sar.tel: +852 66706906

Kidney failure: treat your cat with care

I rECENtLY lost my cat to kidney failure and is unfor-tunately the most common condition i see in cats.Kidney failure in cats is a grim

diagnosis that is incurable, but the concerned pet owner can help make life more comfortable for his or her cat as it copes with the disease.Cats can live months or even years after diagnosis, so owners facing the reality of a cat with renal (kidney) fail-ure should understand the reasons behind and treatment of the disease.

Symptoms of Kidney Failure

When owners suspect kidney failure, the cat should be taken to the vet. the symptoms of kidney failure in-clude:

Excessive thirst/drinkingExcessive urinationLoss of energyLoss of appetiteExcessive licking of lipsVomitingWeight lossExcessive droolingDry, coarse coat of furOral ulcershalitosis (bad breath)

Chronic versus Acute

Cats may be diagnosed with either acute renal failure or chronic renal failure. Chronic kidney failure in cats is a long-term, progressive shut down of the kidneys, while acute kidney failure is abrupt and more quickly fatal. Chronic kidney failure is more often seen in older cats and may be attributed to a poor diet or a lifelong diet of only dry food (which lacks sufficient moisture to keep the cat properly hydrated over its lifespan). it may also be related to ge-netics, environmental stresses, high

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Kidney failure: treat your cat with care

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blood pressure, dental disease and low potassium levels. acute kidney failure can occur at any age and can be due to a blockage in the urinary tract, trauma, infection or ingestion of poison. Chronic kidney failure offers more hope for longer survival, but immedi-ate medical intervention may be able to save cats with acute kidney failure and, unlike with chronic kidney fail-ure, restore full function of the kidneys. however, the chances for survival are often slim.

Treatment

there is no cure for chronic kidney failure in cats, but some acute kidney failure cases can be cured. the best course of action for the concerned owner to take is to ensure that the cat’s remaining days are as pleasant as possible. Fresh water should al-ways be available; the owner of a cat with kidney failure may have to refill the bowl more than once a day. Keep-ing the cat’s weight up is essential to keeping the disease from progressing quickly; owners should feed their cats a specially formulated food with extra potassium. a vet may also recommend medication. Unless the vet recommends otherwise, regular shots and inoculations are no longer necessary in cats with kidney failure. the side effects that are harsh on those with kidney failure outweigh the potential benefits of the shots, which will no longer be as effective. the cat, who should be kept indoors for the remainder of its life, will not be as likely to endanger itself or others. there are steps that responsible own-ers can take to ensure that their cats’ remaining days are as comfortable possible. as treatment is not compli-cated or expensive, and survival may extend for months or years, kidney failure is one diagnosis that doesn’t always necessitate putting the cat to

sleep on discovery. Kidneys have a vital role in the life of cats. more frequent in older cats, the feline kidney dis-ease may affect younger cats with diet based mainly on dry foods. the cat kidney disease may also be a genetic condition. the cat renal disease cannot be treat-ed but can be manageable to delay the kidney failure.

1. Injecting Fluidsto make the task of the kidneys easier, fluids may be injected under the skin of the cat that is suffering from feline kidney disease. these are also known as subcutaneous injections. this pro-cedure must be performed every day. For better results, the injections may be associated with drug treatment.in less severe cases, the injection may be performed at home. the injection of fluids can postpone the renal failure, provided it is administrated during the entire life of your pet. if your cat has a chronic renal failure, he will need to get treatment within a hospital, where he can be kept under supervision. i usually prefer to treat all CrF and arF in hosp. it just has a bigger effect on the flushing of the kidneys.

2. DrugsDrugs are an alternative to the injec-tion of fluids as a solution to manage the feline kidney disease. Phosphate binders can help in preventing kidney failure and extend the life of the sick cat. however, kidney medication must

be supported by a proper diet. Dys-functional kidneys in cats can lead to anemia, nausea, high blood pressure and a build-up of toxins in the blood. additional drugs will be needed to treat or manage these conditions.

3. DietChanges in the diet are not sufficient to manage the feline kidney disease, but associated with medication can give good results. the cat’s diet should be poor in protein, sodium and phos-phorous compounds.the cat’s diet should also contain a lot of wet foods to keep your pet hydrated. the dry foods can worsen your pet’s condition, as these reduce the absorp-tion of liquids. Keep a bowl with fresh water for your cat at all times.You will be able to find cat food spe-cially made for felines with kidney dis-ease. these foods need prescription.the feline kidney disease has no cure and is a fatal condition. Fluid injections, drugs and a proper diet are a few options to help your cat cope with the disease.Diagnosing your cat in time is impor-tant, so pay attention to the kidney disease symptoms. symptoms of kid-ney disease include permanent thirst, frequent urination, weight loss and vomiting. an early detection of renal dysfunction can significantly extend your pet’s life and avoid renal failure for as long as possible.

Hope this helps. Till next week

Dr Ruan

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Weekend Times

Offbeat

Mogadishu’s ‘first tourist’

China uncovers 2,400-year-old soup

Putin turf grass on sale in RussiaTurf grass with the image of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and the slogan “Get Ready for the 2018 WC” is available for purchase on the Russian Internet.Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the Moskovsky Komsomolets tabloid that he was looking into the report, but the Russian prime minister never authorised for his use of the image.The paper said the bags of seeds were probably put on sale immediately after Russia last week was awarded the rights to stage the 2018 World Cup – a campaign spearheaded by the sports-loving Putin.

Chinese archaeologists believe they have discovered a 2,400-year-old pot of soup, sealed in a bronze cooking-vessel and dug up near the ancient capital of Xian, state press said Monday.“It’s the first discovery of bone soup in Chinese archaeological history,” the Global Times quoted Liu Daiyun of the Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology as saying.“The discovery will play an important role in studying the eating habits and culture of the Warring States Period (475-221 BC).”The soup and bones were discovered in a small, sealed bronze vessel in a tomb being excavated to make way for the extension of the airport in Xian, home to the country’s famed ancient terracotta warriors, the report said.The liquid and bones in the vessel had turned green due to the oxidation of the bronze, it said. Scientists were expected to conduct further tests to confirm the liquid was indeed soup and to identify the ingredients.Archaeologists also dug up another bronze pot that contained an odourless liquid believed to be wine in the tomb, which could belong to either a member of the land-owning class or a military officer, the report said.Xian, a city that served as China’s ancient capital for over 1,100 years, is famed for the terracotta army at the burial site of Qin Shihuang, who presided over the unification of China in 221 BC and declared himself the first emperor.

When Mike Spencer Bown disembarked from his flight in Mogadishu this week and described himself as a tourist, Somali immigration officials thought the Canadian man was either mad or a spy.“They tried four times to put me back on the plane to get rid of me but I shouted and played tricks until the plane left without me,” the 41-year-old told an AFP correspondent in Mogadishu on his hotel’s roof terrace.Somali officials then tried to hand him over to the African Union military force in Mogadishu, refusing to believe that he was in the city for pleasure.“We have never seen people like this man,” Omar Mohamed, an immigration official, said Friday. “He said he was a tourist, we couldn’t believe him. But later on we found he was serious.”“That makes him the first person to come to Mogadishu only for tourism but unfortunately this is not the right time,” he added.The world traveller claims to have visited 160 countries since he sold his business in Indonesia years ago and he had yet to tick Somalia – which has been devastated by a brutal civil conflict for almost 20 years – off his list.Mogadishu is one of the world’s most dangerous capitals, a place where no foreigner can survive very long without heavy protection, but Bown said he had hoped to see Somalia’s beaches and landscapes.Somalia used to attract some visitors before it plunged into chaos following the 1991 ouster of former president Mohamed Siad Barre.Mogadishu’s Italian architecture and tree-lined avenues were renowned but

the city is now a field of ruins where life is cheap.“Even though I was told not go beyond the gate of the hotel for security reasons, I still found Somalia an interesting place with funny people,” the backpacker said.“Everyone I met kept laughing whenever they heard the word tourist,” he said.

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This Day in History

On 18 December 1941, Japanese troops landed in Hong Kong and a slaughter started.Earlier, a week of air raids over Hong Kong, then British crown colony, was followed up on December 17 with a visit paid by Japanese envoys to Sir Mark Young, the British governor of Hong Kong. The envoys’ message was simple: The British garrison there should simply surrender to the Japanese—resistance was futile. The envoys were sent home with the following retort: “The governor and commander in chief of Hong Kong declines absolutely to enter

Japan invades Hong Kong

In 1972, also on this day, President Richard Nixon an-nounces the beginning of a massive bombing campaign of North Vietnam for nearly two weeks, following the breakdown of peace talks on December 13.The North Vietnamese and American negotiators had traded charges and countercharges as to who was to blame on the talks and retaliatory bombings of North Vietnam were ordered by Nixon. Beginning on Decem-ber 18, American B-52s and fighter-bombers dropped over 20,000 tons of bombs on the cities of Hanoi and Haiphong. The United States lost 15 of its giant B-52s and 11 other aircraft during the attacks. North Vietnam claimed that over 1,600 civilians were killed.The bombings continued until December 29, at which time the North Vietnamese agreed to resume the talks. A few weeks later, the final Paris Peace Treaty was signed and the Vietnam War came to a close, ending the US role in a conflict that seriously damaged the domestic Cold War consensus among the American public. The impact of the so-called “Christmas Bombings” on the final agreement was difficult to assess. Some histo-rians have argued that the bombings forced the North Vietnamese back to the negotiating table. Others have

into negotiations for the surrender of Hong Kong...”The first wave of Japanese troops landed with artillery fire for cover and a “Take no prisoners,” order from their commander. Upon overrunning a volunteer antiaircraft battery, the Japanese invaders roped together the captured soldiers and proceeded to bayonet them to death. Even those who offered no resistance, such as the Royal Medical Corps, were led up a hill and killed.The Japanese quickly took control of key reservoirs, threatening the British and Chinese inhabitants with a slow death by thirst. The Brits finally surrendered control of Hong Kong on Christmas Day.

“Christmas Bombing” of North Vietnam

suggested that the at-tacks had little impact, beyond the additional death and destruction they caused. Even the chief US negotiator, Henry Kissinger, was report-ed to have said, “We bombed the North Vietnamese into ac-cepting our conces-sions. The chief impact may have been in convinc-ing America’s South Vietnamese allies, who were highly sus-picious of the draft treaty worked out in October 1972, that the United States would not desert them. In any event, the final treaty did not include any important changes from the October draft.

Weekend Times

30

The Born Loser by Chip Sansom

SudokuEasy Easy +

Medium Hard

Canal Macau

TV

Cinema

Saturday Sunday

Cineteatro

10:50 Dougie in Disguise11:00 The Three Bears11:30 Detective Bogey12:00 Sandokan the Tiger of Roars Again12:30 Cooking13:00 TDM News (Repeted)13:30 News at 24H (RTPi) Delayed Broadcast14:30 Soap Opera18:45 Contest19:30 Documentary in Portuguese20:00 TDM Talk Show20:30 Main News, Financial & Weather Report21:00 Variety23:00 TDM News00:00 FIFA Club World Cup Final (Live)02:00 Main News, Financial & Weather Report (Repeted)02:30 RTPi Live03:00 Spanish League: Espanyol vs Barcelona (Live)05:00 RTPi Live

11:00 Sunday Mass12:00 Documentary in Portuguese12:30 Cooking13:00 TDM News (Repeted)13:30 News at 24H (RTPi) Delayed Broadcast14:30 Soap Opera17:00 Jazz Music17:50 Competition18:45 Contest19:30 Modern Music20:00 TDM Interview20:30 Main News, Financial & Weather Report21:15 Documentary in Portuguese22:15 That 70’ Show Sr.422:30 Steam Cells & Miracles23:00 TDM News23:30 TDM Talk Show (Repeted)00:00 Non-Daily Portuguese News00:30 Non-Daily Portuguese News01:00 Main News, Financial & Weather Report (Repeted)01:30 RTPi Live

Harry Potterand the Deathly Hollows Part 1

As Harry races against time and evil to destroy the Horcruxes, he uncovers the existence of three most powerful objects in the wizarding world: the Deathly Hallows.

Room 3Metal Fight Beyblade the Movie2:30/4:00/5:30/7:30pmDirector: Kunihisa SugishimaLanguage: Cantonese (Chinese subtitles)Duration:111 min

Room 1 Harry Potterand the Deathly Hollows Part 12:15/4:45/7:15/9:45pmStarring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert GrintDirector: David YatesLanguage: English (Chinese subtitles)Duration: 146 min

Room 3The Social Network9:30pmStarring: Jesse Eisenberg, Justin TimberlakeDirector: David FincherLanguage: French (English and Chinese subtitles)Duration: 120 min

Room 2 The Chronicles of NarniaThe voyage of the Dawn Treader2:30/4:30/7:30/9:30pmStarring: Ben Barnes, Skandar Keynes, Georgie HenleyDirector: Michael AptedLanguage: English (Chinese subtitles)Duration: 115 min

The Chronicles of NarniaThe voyage of the Dawn Treader

Lucy and Edmund Pevensie return to Narnia with their cousin Eustace where they meet up with Prince Caspian for a trip across the sea aboard the royal ship The Dawn Treader. Along the way they encounter dragons, dwarves, merfolk, and a band of lost warriors before reaching the edge of the world.

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The Born Loser by Chip Sansom

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Press Playby MC LA

POsT-grunge

Familea miranda – dramones (Bcore disc, 2010)

POWer POP

The keys – Fire inside (see monkey do monkey, 2010)

there was a band in the nineties who did ok by mim-icking the Beatles and they were called Oasis, although i’m not sure that the unpretentious tag would stick quite so easily in their case! the Keys are extremely re-freshing, highly entertaining and merits some serious attention. in their former guise as murry the hump, the Keys recorded 3 sessions for John Peel, signed to too Pure, were lauded by the NmE for their ‘glorious jangle-pop’, counted Joe strummer, Keith allen and Damien hirst among their biggest fans and were the “best new band in Britain” according to alex James and Daman albarn.the Keys’ new album ‘Fire inside’ was self produced and recorded with the help of producer Charlie Francis (r.E.m, the high Llamas) at their own studio shared with local comrades El Goodo.‘Fire inside’ shows the Keys’ progression as an act, they’re still informed by their classic 60s pop influences but now each piece is more melodic and subtle; swirled with psychedelic patterns. informed by cult legends like 13th floor Elevators, the Velvet Underground and the Jesus and mary Chain, at the same time recording with a personal warmth and experimentalism reminiscent of modern artists like Panda Bear, animal Collective and spiritualized bandleader Jason Pearce.

Bands like Familea miranda are not easy to find. the band was formed in Chile nine years ago, and arrived in Barcelona shortly after. they have been doing things their way since the very first minute. Following their own instincts (both ethical and artistic) through more than three hundred shows and five albums, Famil-ea miranda has faced challenges that would have many other bands abandon.“Dramones” is a new step in the evolution of this exciting band. the mirandas keep doing what made them a unique entity while moving towards new directions, writing songs that show strong inner dynamics. always in motion. sometimes building tension up; other times liberating it in a manner that resembles bands like hoover or Lïsabö. Bass and drums sound just like one big powerful instrument, providing an excellent musical landscape for musical exploration. “Dramones” has a very rich produc-tion, sounding powerful and full of details at once. the use of an open range of instruments like trumpets, melodicas, whistles, cellos, hand clapping, etc… demonstrates that this band has a lot of imagination in the studio. they add all these elements with-out compromising their distinctive, fiery post-punk personality. Familea miranda exemplifies the great, exciting moment of the spanish post-hardcore scene.

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POsT-grunge

Familea miranda – dramones (Bcore disc, 2010)

indie POP Pascal PinOn– Pascal Pinon (morr music, 2010)the fact that you’re dealing with a bunch of 16-year-old teenage girls is way too evident to merely dismiss it as some kind of “additional cuteness”. Yet, the songs presented by icelandic twin sisters Jófrídur and Ásthildur and their band mates halla and Kristín are certainly that: they’re cute. to record this album, the twins borrowed a house in a small town called Vogar and recorded the self-titled album with only one microphone. the main impact on the twin’s music may be a certain shyness when faced with the thin walls of their bedroom. You’ll find a very special record. a twee mixture out of acoustic neofolk and low-fi pop: an enjoyable jour-ney through what it’s like being a teenager.the album was independently released in iceland, earning them a nomi-nation for “Newcomer of the Year” at last year’s icelandic music awards, and has now been picked up by morr music for an international release.

alT-cOunTry OVer The rhine – The long surrender (great speckled dog, 2011)

Back in may, Over the rhine holed up in Joe henry’s Garfield house studio to record their latest record. the Long surrender, the new studio album from the southern Ohio-based husband-and-wife team of multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Linford Det-weiler and vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Karin Bergquist, other-wise known as Over the rhine, is something rare and wondrous — an intimate epic. the fan-funded record, to be released Janu-ary 11, 2011 on Otr’s own Great speckled Dog label (named for the couple’s Great Dane, Elroy), marks 20 years since their 1991 debut. it’s the bountiful result of a collaboration between the couple and Joe henry, whose songs they’ve long admired. the Long surrender will be released on January 11, 2011.

indie POP rachel gOOdrich – rachel goodrich (yellow Bear, 2011)hailing from miami Florida, rachel Goodrich arrived on the scene with her 2008 debut album tinker toys, which turned the heads of some notable press outlets for it’s upbeat, addicting, and eclectic version of vaudeville-inspired indie pop. in a city shock full of djs and electronic artists, rachel captures a different part of her hometown’s sunny ele-ments to create music that truly stands out from the rest of the pack. the New York times which dubbed her as a “queen of the miami indie rock scene,” and her music has already been featured in the showtime tV series Weeds, the mtV show my Life as Liz, and a national Crayola advertising campaign.rachel Goodrich is putting the finishing touches on her second full-length album, rachel Goodrich, which will be released on February 21st, 2011 on her own Yellow Bear records imprint. Joining the fray this time is Grammy winning producer Greg Wells, who has worked with the likes of rufus Wainwright, Weezer, Katy Perry, timbaland, Jamie Cullum, and many more. the 11-song full-length album will be accompanied by a handful of spring tour dates as well.

Weekend Times

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Making wish come true…Master craftsman Sumikazu Nakata, President of the Gunma Daruma Manufacters Association putting the finishing touches on a daruma doll, a symbol of good luck, at a crafts shop in Takasaki city, Gunma province, Japan.Daruma dolls which have been locally made for 200 years are popular among Japanese politicians and business people who paint the right eye of the doll black when making a wish and when the wish comes true paints the left eye. End of the year is the busiest time for the doll makers, as people rush to make New Year wishes to overcome Japan’s lingering recession blues

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Weekend Times

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