Funny you say that about the seaweed - i remember we discussed before how the sea doesn't seem to have a sea smell here, and we worked it out that the smell is basically rotting seaweed, and we don't have much seaweed in Taiwan.

Then the other day i was driving along 11 and a couple of times i thought i did actually get a good strong whiff of the sea. I was surprised, and even doubted it, but your post about the seaweed explains it. Was it seaweed or kelp?

Whatever, i wonder why it suddenly appeared - there weren't particularly big seas recently - and what's the connection with jumu? Does that kind of wood actually float? Some woods don't. I know jumu is hard and heavy. Maybe it is being 'upwelled' from the bottom along with the seaweed in one of these underwater typhoons.

Check out this ocean imaging video on the global currents - looks like a moving van gogh painting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=0B1xYBRQ3qE