outside Bird 

ains, ross and cass

Cassy’s favourite restaurant here in Taipei city has opened a new branch, quite unbelievably; just 4 minutes walk from our front door. We used to make a death defying 40-minute scooter ride to the Living Mall and travel to the 11th floor to the Bird, Taipei restaurant. It is delicious and authentic Thai food in great surroundings, complete with chirping canaries. The Tienmu branch is bereft of live birds, but the ambiance is still relaxed and intimate. Hidden away in an alley off Chung Shan Rd, Ross and Ainsley invited us to join them on Saturday night. We had a delicious feast and a couple of beers each before we moved on about 9.30 with the thought that we’d meet up the road at a bed shop of all places. R&A had been looking at buying a new bed and we mentioned that there was a new bed shop near our place. We all had a bit of fun and the girl in the shop was most bemused when I asked her to take the shot of us trying out the King size. They’re pretty interested in the King and I had to try to dampen Cassy’s enthusiasm to buy a new one for us. The best line I had was “But what about the sheets?” which caused her to think about the practicalities of replacing all our linen, especially when only pure cotton Sheridan will do!

Shopping can be pretty interesting here in Taipei, even to an avowed non-shopper such as myself. An outlet called Best Buy just a few doors down from school has some unbelievable bargains at the moment. I was a little skeptical when I first heard but I am totally convinced of the value now. I just purchased a Quiksilver tracksuit, with zip up jacket with hood; embroided emblems, top quality and a matching embroidered T-shirt for an incredible price. To make this even more incredible is the fact that they’re currently having a two for one sale, so I got another whole set the same for free! I choose a different colour, but apart from that they’re identical. I certainly got shopping fever in that place and had to restrain myself from buying more stuff…. it was amazing. I sent Cass down there after school with 1000NT(about $40), so it will be interesting to see what she comes home with.

Surfing has been on Friday evening and again on Sunday and it has been cold enough to freeze the extremities into numbness and give an ice cream head to anyone stupid enough to be in the water, wind and rain for more than half an hour. Of course, we have done just that, achieving the shakes that can only be cured by a piping hot super strength shower when we get home. This is a segue to the other event through the week: the installation of a water pump which can deliver water so hard and fast that there is a danger that a close stream of water could peel the skin from your body. We had told Mr. Lee that our water pressure had become so low that we didn’t get more than a dribble when we turned the hot water on. He got a guy to come and fix that, but decided that we needed a pump as well. The result is a little switch in the kitchen, which produces a power shower that momentarily lifts the showerhead from its holder and exfoliates anything game to come near it! I can tell you, it’s a welcome addition after some extreme freezer surfing.

We’ve been delighted to get some emails this week from Mum, Chris and Val, Thurza and Sue, all telling us little bits and pieces of their daily lives, a most welcome and delightful distraction from the cold here and the hectic push of the new term between Christmas and Chinese New Year which is coming at the end of this week. Beds are all the rage at the moment as Carl has just ordered and taken possession of a new mattress and is preparing to receive some visitors soon in the shape of Telstra Tony and his wife who will stay for a few days during their Asian tour.

We’ve enjoyed seeing Lleyton throw his body around, chasing down anything that moves these two weeks at the Australian Open. The commentators on Star Sports here have been flabbergasted at his endurance and “ticker”; he’s been a real little Aussie champion. I thought he might be a bit shy of weddings after Aussie Kim but I see that he is now engaged to the soapie star……….I hope he knows what he’s doing!!
We’re off to the Thai restaurant with Chad and Cathy on Friday night before meeting the Fockers which should be great and then Chinese New year beckons with a search for the great white whale of Taiwan: the perfect mystery wave out near CKS airport. The search will be on in earnest…………..

the taste in Tassie 

more from tassie wedding

I’ll admit it. We’re an insular, self-sustaining couple who don’t pay enough heed to our family or friends most of the time, but we’re grateful that they’re willing to persevere and continue to make the effort that we, invariably, do not. The catalyst for this soul bearing admission is our wonderful friends Chad and Cathy. Chad organized a meal out with Cathy, us and Doug and Jerri, Cathy’s parents, on Friday night. We, of course, could have done this on myriad other occasions, but partly through a learned inertia or just plain laziness, we have not. Anyway, enough self-flagellation! What a fantastic night we had! We went to “Le Casanova”, a relatively new Moroccan/French restaurant right here in Tienmu, off the Tien Mu North Rd and right from the moment we walked in, we knew it would be sensational. There was an unmistakable waft of spice in the air, just a touch of hint of flavours to come and beautifully set tables bordered on one side by plump, exotic looking cushions. The owner/operators have done a superb job in decorating the place in authentic style and after a couple of beers and the first couple of our 5 courses; we were whisked away from Taiwan to “restaurant anywhere”. We enjoyed the mouthwatering food, indulged in some Moroccan specials, like Tanjines, a glazed conical shaped pot in which food was slow cooked for 14 hours to be presented as the tenderest of meats bathing in the most sensuous of sauces. Calamari as the best I’ve ever tasted, Moroccan salads bearing a resemblance in look and taste to a patty of richly flavoured salsa dip, all with the freshest of ingredients. Crème Brulee or flambé banana for dessert was followed by Moroccan coffee, served in a small, hand-hammered silver teapot and hand etched glass cups. We enjoyed lovely relaxed conversation; Cathy’s parents are kind and loving people, we can understand so much better now why she’s so delightful. Meanwhile, Jerri had slipped out to pick up the cinema tickets that Cathy had booked. A great service online as I’ve mentioned before, the only drawback, a necessity to pick up the tickets ½ an hour before the show starts.

Full of hearty cuisine, just right for a mild winter’s night, we then taxied down to Warner Village to watch the very enjoyable “Shall We Dance”. This is a re-make of an excellent Japanese movie of the mid-90s of the same name, which I used to show my students of Japanese back home. I hope a few of them see this most recent version, as Hollywood has been amazingly faithful to the original. I had to pinch myself a few times, especially in the non-speaking scenes, as the setting, lighting and cinematography were not just close, but exactly the same. The Japanese version was a touch unresolved at the end, but this version flicked through the characters’ current circumstances and it worked quite well. It was a delightful evening and started off an excellent weekend.

We’ve also enjoyed a terrific full coverage of the Australian Open on Star Sports. We both really like Lleyton Hewitt; that Mcenroe-esque sense of outrage and the fighting spirit he displays overrides any misgivings we have about the constant “come ons” etc. He has really bulked up, the added muscle seem to give him a certain gravitas that was lacking a few years ago. ABC Asia Pacific gives us some highlights of the cricket, although full coverage of these games is something I really miss. If they covered the one dayers and a few tests, why, I don’t know if we’d ever have to come home!

The lacklustre quality of the surf over here, however, always reminds me of greener pastures (or bluer, cleaner pools!) back home. We traveled to Jinshan on both Saturday and Sunday and although we got a few waves early on Saturday before the wind turned, the hour-long trip each way hardly seemed worth it. Sunday was smaller and blown out and the few degrees drop in temperature didn’t help make it more appealing. Carl and Tobes were out on Sunday as well, so we had a good chat and a laugh at least. Tobes is an affable American who’s taught at the school for many years and he is married to a Taiwanese woman. He has an amazing van all decked out with the latest and greatest, making our dented rusty Corona look that much more pathetic. Brian has just recently built a house here as well, so he’s a real long-term prospect, if not forever.

I have another stupefyingly dull 3 hours of my course to look forward to tonight (Monday) after an hour and a half meeting straight after school. I have one more session after tonight (next Monday) and then an online course and a final project to get my next 3 credit points. We have a break for Chinese New Year in just two more weeks. This is a chance to seek out a fabled and mysterious wave somewhere out near CKS airport and perhaps take another trip to the east coast………….we’ll wait and see.

I didn't take any photos this week, so a couple more from Tassie.

sheridan, twin doll and me 

my twin doll

Right back into full action this week and I have another Master’s class tonight before presenting a 2 hour overview of the school ESL program to the whole school PTA tomorrow morning. I have a 30 slide PowerPoint, but they’ll need to be masses of fill in between, so I hope I can fill the time. There’s always question time at the end from the floor, so that should take some time, even if it means fielding queries on all topics from all divisions of the school’s parent population, usually with their own personal agenda.
Cass has been flat out as well and led a contingent of students to the local Chinese school the other day as a mini exchange. She was the only teacher from our school and was shocked to be greeted by the principal and executive and feted as a celebrity around the campus. After a million photos, she was also mortified to be videoed on numerous occasions as well. Her kids did a fantastic job with songs, readings and culture quizzes, but she hopes the school has the right idea: it was meant as a one-off, but went so well that the teachers up there are hinting at return visits. Anyway, after a presentation of a certificate for her work, she brought the kids back via Starbucks as a reward for their excellent showing.

We went to see Ocean’s 12 on Saturday night to celebrate our 17th wedding anniversary and then tried to eat at the new “Chilis” outlet at the Tienmu Warner Village complex. After we were informed it would be a 2 hour wait for a table, we decided that we’d retreat to our beloved Café India round the corner from our place for a quiet and excellent meal. It was a little low key this year after the great drama of last year, when I plopped a basketful of hissing, spitting kittens on Cassy’s lap in the evening. It’s hard to believe these little street cats have been with us for a year and how Cassy’s own brand of spoiling them has taken effect. They now luxuriate on her cast off wool jumpers with their own covering quilt in their baskets and are just starting to relax near the blow heater. They will sit on her lap or stretch full length beside her on the lounge but they haven’t quite got the idea of the sheepskin: it seems to be an item to be attacked and killed judging by the great tufts of wool they pull from it if left to their own devices. It’s been so icy cold in the last week that they’ve even sat on me a few times!

This segue to the weather is appropriate as we are experiencing the harshest cold that we’ve had in our 3 ½ years here. Quite insanely, Ross and I have been for a surf on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday and I’ve caught a grand total of 7 waves. It has been quite a reasonable size with lots of power but the biting wind has played havoc with quality. We’ve been shaking with cold a good 20 minutes after getting changed and sitting in the car with the heater on full bore, so you can imagine the extent of the freezing conditions. Officially, it’s been about 12 degrees, but with high humidity and scything wind it has felt much colder. Cassy would have worn her long coat to work today if some slacko had pulled down the suitcase from the top of the wardrobe to retrieve it!

My pictures today were taken by my third graders, which explains the strange quality (!), but have a look at Sheridan and her new doll. My Twin Doll is sent after the company receives a photo of the child and you can order matching doll and child clothing………I’ve seen it all now! She’s a great kid and after I expressed interest in seeing the doll she brought it and herself dressed alike the next day. The close up is me and another student, a very friendly little girl who calls me “Braggett” for some reason….maybe I don’t deserve a title in her opinion.
Great to hear from Thurza and Cassy’s parents this week ….we’re already relying on our email to get a taste of our “other world”.

do I always look this old?( don't answer!) 

Lil's excited (so are Mum and Grandma!) 

tassie wedding 

Katie and Cass 

the boys

Watching Gilly crack another ton then going over for a surf for the 3rd time that day. The sun beats a warm full body tattoo that will fade before my second day back at work and kiddies scream with delight at the lip of the Ladies Baths. Millions of little crystals sparkle on the water while the girls at Swell café just call out the customer’s first names to come and get their espresso and pannini. Little (and not so little!) nephews and nieces delight in their Christmas experience and the oldies eat some fine food and are merry. Friends and family have us over for the most mouthwatering BBQs and a bunch of old farts from uni days meet to discuss the world and their lives 22 years after we first met.
A big black motorbike that feels impossibly heavy and powerful just keeps asking for more speed and turn, leaning back in the seat and listening to that signature purr.
Sailors on maxi yachts in a full spinnaker run up the Derwent greeted by the diners at The Taste at Salamanca look exhausted and elated at the same time. Peeling great chunks from a juicy full salmon at a beautiful couple’s wedding in a Tasmanian vineyard, perfect day drifting into elegant night.

Great memories of our holiday back in Newcs and beyond, but not quite as special as the miracle back here. Despite being the Taipei foreigner’s close playground not one of our faculty or wider community were caught in the tsunami. The hallway talk all points to the three week break as saving many lives, the Americans choosing to go home instead as the longer time let them cope with their jet lag a little better and the Antipodeans seeing this break as a perfect opportunity to experience a real summer. Other international schools in this region did not come off unscathed: this tragedy has hit many with losses of teachers, parents and kids.

Virg’s stomach seems to have doubled in size: she must have done nothing else but eat for three weeks, while Mary has obviously been more restrained, still cutting a sleek figure. The girls have been incredibly attentive and have not stopped purring since we arrived home. We’re already enslaved again to the computer for all our contact needs and I must say, I haven’t really missed it. It’s been decadent to get the Herald each day and watch the news on telly, not to mention the titillating reality shows which have become even more bizarre since our last trip. Outback Jack, Wife Swap and Holiday Swap wouldn’t normally be viewing of choice, but when you’ve been starved of such fare…..all I can say is that even though deeply disturbing, it was also strangely compelling!

After a few short hours sleep on Sunday, we taught a full day then I went back to school from 6 till 9pm for the next installment of my new Master’s course, and yes, I did get the “noddies” and drop off for a few minutes! Ah well, all in the search of knowledge and educational fulfillment (or is that credit points and more money?!)

A few more shots than usual today, not of something vaguely exotic but reminders of a great trip home. See you in 5 months!

barbie of champions