Last night, as part of the parade of dinners that precedes our departure, Johnny and his girlfriend Batrina (whose name will ever be “Britanica” to my mind) took us out to dinner. They took us to a Yakiniku place, complete with pit-style Japanese tables and, of course, taking your shoes off for dinner. Pit-style tables … Read more
It’s now less than 24 hours before we leave Taiwan and I should probably be packing…but I’m not. Irene is packing clothes right now and I’ve got a lot of gear to figure out where it goes…and to be sure I take everything I brought. As tomorrow will undoubtedly be consumed with farewells and last … Read more
While I was hiking today (more on that in another post) I saw a lot more “wildlife” than previously. There were lizards everywhere, and these two enormous bugs. (That’s a 58mm (2.3″) lens cap cover for size comparison.) The mantis seems content to let me photograph him, although I think he may have been eyeing … Read more
Report from Michelle’s class today: It’s not the language barrier. Today’s class was all in Chinese and Michelle still has to be the first to answer every question. (Correctly.) I was afraid she was responding faster than the other kids in her last class because it was in English and she had the natural language … Read more
One of the things that always surprises me about trails in Taiwan is that “lived in” feel they have. Instead of the feeling of complete solitude, no matter how trackless the wilderness, you’ll come across signs of habitation. Often they’ll be signs of regular habitation, but there’s no one around. Near the trail spur to … Read more
Michelle had class and a haircut scheduled for today, so I decided to take the “Taipei Metro’s Guide to Hiking and Cycling” and try to locate a good day hike from an MRT station. Last night as we were coming home, very late, from Danshui, Irene noticed that the outline of Taipei 101 looked blurred … Read more
There was nothing on the schedule today, so we had a “free day”. In the morning, we did some shopping back at the Breeze Center. There was no line at Mister Donut, so we picked up some of those awe-inspiring donuts that lead to lone lines just waiting around for their delicate taste. They kinda … Read more
There’s a little temple, four buildings down on the same street from my in-laws’ house. I’m not really sure of its exact purpose. In addition to the worship trappings, it’s mostly a room with desks, chairs and tables. During most of the day, old men sit around, chat and play cards. Just outside there’s a … Read more
Time is winding down now in Taiwan, at least for this visit. We’ve now reached the point where we have to pick and choose the activities that we wish to do before leaving. This trip was really all about the kids spending time with their grandparents, and in that respect it’s been a great success … Read more
While I was walking to Zhishan the other day I was looking at the shops along the streets. I don’t remember if I’ve mentioned it, but a large portion of the business you walk by are small, single-family businesses. Many of them are quite literally their homes, converted into storefronts. It’s a little unnerving to … Read more