I mentioned we went to Ilan, which is much more country-like than Taipei. Apparently, they grow food there.
The green onion used in the Cong You Bing I tend to go on about only comes from Ilan, because it’s special. They also sell other vegetable matter and, whenever we’ve passed through Ilan in the past, my father-in-law stops to buy some black lumps in a bag. I really don’t know what they are, but I do know that they are special Ilan black lumps in a bag.
As we rounded the streets looking for that one shop that they always go to, a parking spot along the street became available, which my father-in-law immediately occupied. He waited with the car (and James, who was sleeping) while we went to the store to get the lumps.
We weren’t gone 5 minutes, and when we returned, a woman on a scooter with a PDA was writing up what looked to be a parking ticket for my father-in-law. He appeared to be arguing with her, although the conversation was far beyond my comprehension. There’s was lots of pointing at the white lines painted on the ground, and specifically at the front of my father-in-law’s car which was 2 inches over the white line.
She gave him the ticket and left.
Irene explained to me that it wasn’t a parking violation, but this was how they operate the pay-parking on the street. Why my father-in-law was arguing with her is beyond me.
Meanwhile, the parking woman just ignored this car, since he’s just double-parked, not actually occupying a pay parking-spot.