Typhoon vs Hurricane

The 18th typhoon alert in Asia this Summer on September 28, 2011

After viewing the forecast of super Hurricane Irene just about to make landfall in New York's Long Island broadcasted on the CBS Evening News, August 28, 2011 (EDT). Which I watched on my cell phone in Taiwan (local time, one day ahead of the US).

I sent a short email to S reminding her to sit tight until hurricane moved on. S, she is a six-footer fashion model friend of mine current home-based in New York City. In the meantime, another tropical Typhoon well bigger than "Irene" was expected to hit Taiwan any time soon.

Days after, I received S's email saying "Hurricane Irene wasn't anything compared to what we have in Asia. :p"

That is so true! I almost forget S is from Asia and I must agree with her. Not that I am saying that Irene was a joke. But typhoons (tropical cyclones) occurring in the western Pacific or Indian oceans are causing so much damage.

Today's skies in Taipei (Taiwan) look so much like sunny South California's.

Alabaster clouds glide on Kona (deep Tanzanite) blue backdrop. It is very rare in here and indicating a typhoon (tropical storm) coming in. Sadly, the local perpetual polluted and dense haze rely on tropical typhoons to sweep/suck away, all year round. The stronger the greater effect. Despite all that, it is a perfect day for a long walk and a good book in the countryside. What more can you expect from such a beautiful day?

Note: a typhoon is just what people call a hurricane in the pacific. Both hurricanes and typhoons are tropical cyclones. Hurricanes are a bit more specifically defined than typhoons.
The American Heritage dictionary defines a hurricane as a severe tropical cyclone originating in the equatorial regions of the Atlantic Ocean or Caribbean Sea, traveling north, northwest, or northeast from its point of origin, and usually involving heavy rains. The same source describes a typhoon as a tropical cyclone occurring in the western Pacific or Indian oceans.

Let it all go for punctuating the end of what needs to die in order to start and embrace anew.