Monday, May 30, 2005
city wall gate 
Frustration can eat away at one who waits. Waiting for the surf to get better, waiting to get all those end-of-year tasks done, basically waiting to get home. When the end of May comes round, we expect to jump on a plane and fly away home, but this year we still have 9 days to wait. The uninspiring surf and general weather conditions have added to our frustration; even Virg’n Mary have gone a little strange, no doubt reacting to the general malaise that is palpable right now.
Helen bid for a whizzo camera package for me on Ebay, Australia last week, but wasn’t successful. I had not allowed enough money for her to win the bid, so I was a little disappointed (and frustrated!). Cass and I went down to the camera hub of downtown Taipei last Friday evening to price a few new ones of the type I was after. We were mesmerized by the streets of camera shops, all butted up against each other, all vying for that precious sale. We walked from one to another to another in great long rows down the street, pitting them against each other for the best price. I discovered that for just $100 more than I bid, I could get the package I wanted, brand new. The irony is that the camera I’ve been looking at has been superseded and in the blink of an eye, all the shops have only the new model available, which does not come with a water-housing accessory. This is what I really wanted and of course the one shop, which still had the older model, offered it for a higher price than the new model!
The Taiwanese are much like the Japanese in this regard: only the latest, greatest, smallest, most powerful of electronics will do: I just wished I knew what they did with all their “old” stuff!
I hummed and hawed over spending the money and in the end, didn’t buy anything….just another toy after all. We again noted how familiar we are with our city here; turn me around 3 times in the middle of Sydney and I wouldn’t know where I was, but here, we can scoot through a labyrinth of interconnecting subway terminals and emerge within steps of our destination. We treated ourselves a KFC dinner on the 4th floor high above the street overlooking a surging Friday night mass of scooters, buses, cars and pedestrians, all of whom jockeyed for position in that unobtrusive and peculiarly Asian way. The MRT purred all the way home and after we alighted at Mingde, we wended our way through the back streets home. Halfway there, we heard some chanting and spied a class of young kiddies, still in school uniform, crammed into a small room, gaining instruction in some subject or other. These cram schools suck the life out of these poor little beggars: 9 o’clock on a Friday night, these kids should be home having their dinner and watching some mindless TV. This mentality could be part of the reason some Asian students perform in such a stellar fashion at our schools and universities: we just can’t comprehend their drive to succeed and their work ethic.
We made several abortive attempts to find a semblance of a wave this week and weekend. Did I mention frustration? Best to leave that one alone. If you want a good laugh and want to see what we are reduced to here, check the Pointies for more information. To add to our frustration (did I mention frustration before?) we looked longingly at surf reports, stills and live web cams from back home as the surf went off like a cracker over the weekend.
One minor victory of sorts was had: yesterday, I finally ate some spring rolls from the tiny Vietnamese shop/stall about 5 minutes ride from our house, and they were pretty delicious! So what, I hear you say….. well, we don’t have a Vietnamese restaurant here and this tiny little hole is the cause for much celebration. When we get home we plan to eat Thai, Vietnamese, Indian, Chinese (?!), lots of “Modern Australian” and of course some BBQ sausages and Ridge Street hamburgers!! Can’t wait….
Photos are of the last surviving gate from the original city wall, right next to “camera alley” and the very impressive Grand Hotel.
Frustration can eat away at one who waits. Waiting for the surf to get better, waiting to get all those end-of-year tasks done, basically waiting to get home. When the end of May comes round, we expect to jump on a plane and fly away home, but this year we still have 9 days to wait. The uninspiring surf and general weather conditions have added to our frustration; even Virg’n Mary have gone a little strange, no doubt reacting to the general malaise that is palpable right now.
Helen bid for a whizzo camera package for me on Ebay, Australia last week, but wasn’t successful. I had not allowed enough money for her to win the bid, so I was a little disappointed (and frustrated!). Cass and I went down to the camera hub of downtown Taipei last Friday evening to price a few new ones of the type I was after. We were mesmerized by the streets of camera shops, all butted up against each other, all vying for that precious sale. We walked from one to another to another in great long rows down the street, pitting them against each other for the best price. I discovered that for just $100 more than I bid, I could get the package I wanted, brand new. The irony is that the camera I’ve been looking at has been superseded and in the blink of an eye, all the shops have only the new model available, which does not come with a water-housing accessory. This is what I really wanted and of course the one shop, which still had the older model, offered it for a higher price than the new model!
The Taiwanese are much like the Japanese in this regard: only the latest, greatest, smallest, most powerful of electronics will do: I just wished I knew what they did with all their “old” stuff!
I hummed and hawed over spending the money and in the end, didn’t buy anything….just another toy after all. We again noted how familiar we are with our city here; turn me around 3 times in the middle of Sydney and I wouldn’t know where I was, but here, we can scoot through a labyrinth of interconnecting subway terminals and emerge within steps of our destination. We treated ourselves a KFC dinner on the 4th floor high above the street overlooking a surging Friday night mass of scooters, buses, cars and pedestrians, all of whom jockeyed for position in that unobtrusive and peculiarly Asian way. The MRT purred all the way home and after we alighted at Mingde, we wended our way through the back streets home. Halfway there, we heard some chanting and spied a class of young kiddies, still in school uniform, crammed into a small room, gaining instruction in some subject or other. These cram schools suck the life out of these poor little beggars: 9 o’clock on a Friday night, these kids should be home having their dinner and watching some mindless TV. This mentality could be part of the reason some Asian students perform in such a stellar fashion at our schools and universities: we just can’t comprehend their drive to succeed and their work ethic.
We made several abortive attempts to find a semblance of a wave this week and weekend. Did I mention frustration? Best to leave that one alone. If you want a good laugh and want to see what we are reduced to here, check the Pointies for more information. To add to our frustration (did I mention frustration before?) we looked longingly at surf reports, stills and live web cams from back home as the surf went off like a cracker over the weekend.
One minor victory of sorts was had: yesterday, I finally ate some spring rolls from the tiny Vietnamese shop/stall about 5 minutes ride from our house, and they were pretty delicious! So what, I hear you say….. well, we don’t have a Vietnamese restaurant here and this tiny little hole is the cause for much celebration. When we get home we plan to eat Thai, Vietnamese, Indian, Chinese (?!), lots of “Modern Australian” and of course some BBQ sausages and Ridge Street hamburgers!! Can’t wait….
Photos are of the last surviving gate from the original city wall, right next to “camera alley” and the very impressive Grand Hotel.
Monday, May 23, 2005
brunch
I won’t harp on again about sleepovers, but suffice to say, we did it and the kids had a ball and I got about 4 hours fitful sleep. That done on Friday night, I was pretty much a zombie on Saturday, but I roused myself in the early afternoon to take Cass and go to visit Sean in hospital. The poor little bugger had smashed into a hurdle at field day on Friday and did some major damage to his leg. He broke the tibia at the growth plate and dislocated his kneecap. Luckily there was no ligament/tendon damage, but he had surgery on Friday night, getting 3 screws inserted into his leg. As you can imagine he’s very uncomfortable, but Carl and Hiroko organized a private room for him and one or both of them has been with him non-stop. It’s been quite a strain on the whole family and travel plans back home are really in a state of flux at the moment. At this stage, they’re not sure if he can travel when school breaks up, but we’ll wait and see: hopefully everything will work out without too much hassle.
On Sunday, Cass went down to the Regent with a few friends from school to celebrate Kristin’s birthday. They had a tasty lunch at the smorgasbord there and whiled away a few hours. I went up to see Sean and joined the Lochrins watching the delayed telecast of the FA cup final. I arrived home in time to watch the Sunday football and enjoyed a kind of scrappy game. I had the Internet live scoring going on Saturday night and was so frustrated with the Knight’s game. Those poor men cannot take a trick at the moment. To get so close to winning every week must be quite soul destroying.
The Pointy Hat boys have not had much to cheer about lately, but we did get a few little waves on Thursday at the Rocket. Lewy is writing an article about us for a magazine over here, so wanted to get a few photos of the “die-hards” who go out in all weathers and conditions. That dubious honour was given to Ross and me, so we had Lewy regaling us with all sorts of stories and gossip there and back: that guy can really talk! Some of the photos are featured on the Pointy Hat site so check them out here. The site has been very popular with our crew here and I noticed the other day that we’ve been put on the links page of another surfing page here in Taiwan, so I’m quite chuffed! This Thursday, there is an amazing spike in the swell predicted, so we’re all hoping for a bit more action. The only trouble is that I have a meeting scheduled after school, but I might just need to leave early, I think!
We got our 360 feedback last week as well, but I’ve taken an unusual tack with mine. This is a multiple feedback on our performance from 3 sources: the kids we teach, their parents and our colleagues. The trouble of course is that is done anonymously and there is great scope for some people to give you a massive serve, undeserving or not. It’s always great to read the good stuff, but a little disconcerting to read what the arrogant and cowardly have written. Cass received quite incredible grades and comments and hers is such a pleasure to read. I locked mine in the bottom draw of my desk without opening it! I’m sure it will be fine, but for the momentary thrill of reading a few nice comments, I’d prefer not to read any negative ones, hence my decision. If I can hold out, I think it’s been a very good decision. The ESL kid’s parents pay a huge fee over and above their tuition, so inevitably some take out this problem on me. I prefer not to read these, therefore my stance.
School is in that dizzy whirl at the moment: end-of-year parties back to back with divisions, departments, teams and whole school celebrations all vying for those precious few nights available at this time. We’re going to a big show at the American Club to farewell our wonderful superintendent, the lower and middle school each have a show, and I’m off to a team dinner on Thursday to farewell Blair and Chad etc etc. Just to add to this social frenzy, Cass and I are hosting a State of Origin party at our place when the game is televised live here at 5.30 our time on Wednesday.
Home soon…can hardly wait!
I won’t harp on again about sleepovers, but suffice to say, we did it and the kids had a ball and I got about 4 hours fitful sleep. That done on Friday night, I was pretty much a zombie on Saturday, but I roused myself in the early afternoon to take Cass and go to visit Sean in hospital. The poor little bugger had smashed into a hurdle at field day on Friday and did some major damage to his leg. He broke the tibia at the growth plate and dislocated his kneecap. Luckily there was no ligament/tendon damage, but he had surgery on Friday night, getting 3 screws inserted into his leg. As you can imagine he’s very uncomfortable, but Carl and Hiroko organized a private room for him and one or both of them has been with him non-stop. It’s been quite a strain on the whole family and travel plans back home are really in a state of flux at the moment. At this stage, they’re not sure if he can travel when school breaks up, but we’ll wait and see: hopefully everything will work out without too much hassle.
On Sunday, Cass went down to the Regent with a few friends from school to celebrate Kristin’s birthday. They had a tasty lunch at the smorgasbord there and whiled away a few hours. I went up to see Sean and joined the Lochrins watching the delayed telecast of the FA cup final. I arrived home in time to watch the Sunday football and enjoyed a kind of scrappy game. I had the Internet live scoring going on Saturday night and was so frustrated with the Knight’s game. Those poor men cannot take a trick at the moment. To get so close to winning every week must be quite soul destroying.
The Pointy Hat boys have not had much to cheer about lately, but we did get a few little waves on Thursday at the Rocket. Lewy is writing an article about us for a magazine over here, so wanted to get a few photos of the “die-hards” who go out in all weathers and conditions. That dubious honour was given to Ross and me, so we had Lewy regaling us with all sorts of stories and gossip there and back: that guy can really talk! Some of the photos are featured on the Pointy Hat site so check them out here. The site has been very popular with our crew here and I noticed the other day that we’ve been put on the links page of another surfing page here in Taiwan, so I’m quite chuffed! This Thursday, there is an amazing spike in the swell predicted, so we’re all hoping for a bit more action. The only trouble is that I have a meeting scheduled after school, but I might just need to leave early, I think!
We got our 360 feedback last week as well, but I’ve taken an unusual tack with mine. This is a multiple feedback on our performance from 3 sources: the kids we teach, their parents and our colleagues. The trouble of course is that is done anonymously and there is great scope for some people to give you a massive serve, undeserving or not. It’s always great to read the good stuff, but a little disconcerting to read what the arrogant and cowardly have written. Cass received quite incredible grades and comments and hers is such a pleasure to read. I locked mine in the bottom draw of my desk without opening it! I’m sure it will be fine, but for the momentary thrill of reading a few nice comments, I’d prefer not to read any negative ones, hence my decision. If I can hold out, I think it’s been a very good decision. The ESL kid’s parents pay a huge fee over and above their tuition, so inevitably some take out this problem on me. I prefer not to read these, therefore my stance.
School is in that dizzy whirl at the moment: end-of-year parties back to back with divisions, departments, teams and whole school celebrations all vying for those precious few nights available at this time. We’re going to a big show at the American Club to farewell our wonderful superintendent, the lower and middle school each have a show, and I’m off to a team dinner on Thursday to farewell Blair and Chad etc etc. Just to add to this social frenzy, Cass and I are hosting a State of Origin party at our place when the game is televised live here at 5.30 our time on Wednesday.
Home soon…can hardly wait!
Sunday, May 15, 2005
virgy
It’s quite astounding just how much water can dump from the sky in the space of a week. It has absolutely teemed here and it has affected nearly everything we had planned to do. The previously mentioned grade 3 camp was one example. After waiting in vain for some of the parent volunteers to actually volunteer to do some hard work, as expected, I loaded the bus with the help of the drivers. Great tubs of food and drink, along with excessive baggage for an overnight trip was passed, heaved, slid and hauled into every last spot on one of the last surviving big yellow buses. The rain was tumbling down when we left and by the time the kids were disgorged at the top of the mountain, it had really set in. We arrived to the news that some of the cabins were flooded and others had an ant infestation and armed with this information, the fact that all our activities were outdoors and dependant on fine weather, we abandoned the trip. We tried to cheer the kids up with a few activities that day and converted the defrosting slabs of meat and veggies into a BBQ for the kids the next day.
Trouble is, of course, that even though we’d said it would be impossible to reschedule, that is exactly what we’re doing, looking to the Thursday and Friday of this week to do it all again. If it continues to rain, we’ll make do with a sleepover in the library; nothing at all to do with the original educational aims of the camp and a complete waste of everyone’s time if you ask me, but the kids will love it!
Cass has worn her “crappy” shoes to work a few times this week to wade through the rivers that just cannot drain away here, forming powerful, gushing torrents across strangely cambered pathways. She changes into her good shoes when we get to school. The air is thick with a clingy dew and the slightest physical exertion drapes a clammy sheen all over your body. We get the occasional window when the monsoonal rain stops just long enough to do something (like get to the supermarket) before it just unleashes another attack from nowhere.
The surf has not been an appealing option either, not because of the rain, but a continuing lack of swell that has got all of us very frustrated. Carl and Ross and I went and had a few beers on Friday to celebrate both Gurecki’s and Raj’s birthdays, and the “quiet night” ended up being very long, but great fun. Needless to say, after many months with barely a beer passing my lips, Saturday’s hangover was rather intense! The small weed-like plant that refuses to die out on our balcony was a real personality compared to me that day and perhaps achieved a bit more movement. I think it looked a little healthier as well, which is a sad testament as it is a filthy, sorry-looking wizened and alien little life form (much like I felt).
Cass has spent some of the weekend tapping out some responses addressing her own professionalism as part of our school wide evaluation process. She needs to justify her work in terms of 15 teaching standards, quite a confronting prospect when you’re an Australian, as the need to exceed the standard seems necessary for a lot of them. I’m sure many of our colleagues are very happy drawing the long bow and praising their magnificent achievements, but it seems a little unnatural for us. Ah well, when in Rome and all that!
Today’s photos are quite an unusual mix. As we’ve been cloistered indoors for the majority of the week, I snuck out to take a photo of the rising river levels and misty backdrop just over the way. Cass was cooking some spaghetti sauce for tomorrow night and I decided she was worthy fodder for my lens (even though she is horrified I’m including it!). Thirdly, the ever-inquisitive Virg.After this tirade against the bucketing rains, I actually hope it rains just a little longer……….one night’s sleep in the library will be a much better outcome than sloshing around a paddock by day and spending the night with a damp, tired wriggle of little kiddies!
It’s quite astounding just how much water can dump from the sky in the space of a week. It has absolutely teemed here and it has affected nearly everything we had planned to do. The previously mentioned grade 3 camp was one example. After waiting in vain for some of the parent volunteers to actually volunteer to do some hard work, as expected, I loaded the bus with the help of the drivers. Great tubs of food and drink, along with excessive baggage for an overnight trip was passed, heaved, slid and hauled into every last spot on one of the last surviving big yellow buses. The rain was tumbling down when we left and by the time the kids were disgorged at the top of the mountain, it had really set in. We arrived to the news that some of the cabins were flooded and others had an ant infestation and armed with this information, the fact that all our activities were outdoors and dependant on fine weather, we abandoned the trip. We tried to cheer the kids up with a few activities that day and converted the defrosting slabs of meat and veggies into a BBQ for the kids the next day.
Trouble is, of course, that even though we’d said it would be impossible to reschedule, that is exactly what we’re doing, looking to the Thursday and Friday of this week to do it all again. If it continues to rain, we’ll make do with a sleepover in the library; nothing at all to do with the original educational aims of the camp and a complete waste of everyone’s time if you ask me, but the kids will love it!
Cass has worn her “crappy” shoes to work a few times this week to wade through the rivers that just cannot drain away here, forming powerful, gushing torrents across strangely cambered pathways. She changes into her good shoes when we get to school. The air is thick with a clingy dew and the slightest physical exertion drapes a clammy sheen all over your body. We get the occasional window when the monsoonal rain stops just long enough to do something (like get to the supermarket) before it just unleashes another attack from nowhere.
The surf has not been an appealing option either, not because of the rain, but a continuing lack of swell that has got all of us very frustrated. Carl and Ross and I went and had a few beers on Friday to celebrate both Gurecki’s and Raj’s birthdays, and the “quiet night” ended up being very long, but great fun. Needless to say, after many months with barely a beer passing my lips, Saturday’s hangover was rather intense! The small weed-like plant that refuses to die out on our balcony was a real personality compared to me that day and perhaps achieved a bit more movement. I think it looked a little healthier as well, which is a sad testament as it is a filthy, sorry-looking wizened and alien little life form (much like I felt).
Cass has spent some of the weekend tapping out some responses addressing her own professionalism as part of our school wide evaluation process. She needs to justify her work in terms of 15 teaching standards, quite a confronting prospect when you’re an Australian, as the need to exceed the standard seems necessary for a lot of them. I’m sure many of our colleagues are very happy drawing the long bow and praising their magnificent achievements, but it seems a little unnatural for us. Ah well, when in Rome and all that!
Today’s photos are quite an unusual mix. As we’ve been cloistered indoors for the majority of the week, I snuck out to take a photo of the rising river levels and misty backdrop just over the way. Cass was cooking some spaghetti sauce for tomorrow night and I decided she was worthy fodder for my lens (even though she is horrified I’m including it!). Thirdly, the ever-inquisitive Virg.After this tirade against the bucketing rains, I actually hope it rains just a little longer……….one night’s sleep in the library will be a much better outcome than sloshing around a paddock by day and spending the night with a damp, tired wriggle of little kiddies!
Monday, May 09, 2005
hard to believe!
We’ve just been drowning in a sea of work this week. Admissions tests have created a few mountains of pain on my desk at school and though it is anathema to me, I even went in on the weekend, did some work there and brought some papers home! This is not good! Memories of Grammar test and report time came flooding back and it was an unpleasant memory to say the least. Cass was a great support to me and read out endless lists of numbers while I graded the papers.
I set off to school this morning early, with a firm plan to prioritize my jobs and then methodically and quickly attack them one by one. This afternoon I’m pondering why I don’t do this more often! My desk is polished clean, revealing a panorama of Merewether beach that I haven’t seen for months and the task list, while not completed, has certainly diminished. I wasn’t going to write at all this week, morosely thinking that I had far too much to do. Not only can I write, but a heavy weight seems to have been lifted off my shoulders….I must do the same thing for the next few days. One reason to get things done has been the looming and distasteful prospect of going on the annual 3rd grade camp this Thursday and Friday. Although just two days and a night, most of the team hate it with a passion and I find it quite the worst time of the year. We have cabins of a fashion, but they’re stinky, little, non-ventilated holes and sharing with another adult who you barely know and a fidget of squirming over-stimulated little kiddies is definitely not my preferred accommodation! I’ve never been a camper and I think this experience over the last 4 years has completely cured me of the vague, fleeting and romantic visions I have of this pursuit. Give me my own bed, or at least my own room, any time you like!
I could wallow in misery for the remainder of this letter, but, as always, it is certainly all relative. Taking a reality check, both Cass and I often comment that the worst days at work here probably equate to an average day in our previous working lives. Talking generally about lives, we sometimes find ourselves marveling at the distinct two lives we lead. Our Newcastle life is as far removed from our Taipei life as it could possibly be. We have a group of close friends here whom we know well and enjoy, yet it’s great to arrive back in Newcastle every six months or so and people have barely noticed you have gone. When we think of what we’ve done and where we’ve been in those intervening months, it boggles the mind. Our home here, with cats and friends and work and play is becoming more real for us than our time back home: people expect us to be here, while we get a stronger impression each time we’re back in Australia that we’re just visiting. Weird eh? However, that doesn’t mean we’re not coming back!! We often talk about our return and what we’ll do etc………..it’s why we’re here.
The Pointy Hat Surf Club is going from strength to strength! The boys have embraced the concept and we’re having a lot of fun with it. If you haven’t seen it yet, or want an update check this out. We got some fantastic surf on Saturday, sandwiched between a flat Friday and Sunday. The surf is so fickle here; I suppose that’s why we drive the winding mountain road for an hour each way as often as we can…..just in case it’s going off! The Pointy Hat boys are meeting at Aaron’s tomorrow night where they will be presented with their hat. Ross and I nearly gave a street seller in Jinshan the other day a heart attack when we bought a dozen of them!
Well, just four more blogs before I have a couple of months off. Cass and I can nearly taste that Ridge Street burger and that Australian Chinese food!!
We’ve just been drowning in a sea of work this week. Admissions tests have created a few mountains of pain on my desk at school and though it is anathema to me, I even went in on the weekend, did some work there and brought some papers home! This is not good! Memories of Grammar test and report time came flooding back and it was an unpleasant memory to say the least. Cass was a great support to me and read out endless lists of numbers while I graded the papers.
I set off to school this morning early, with a firm plan to prioritize my jobs and then methodically and quickly attack them one by one. This afternoon I’m pondering why I don’t do this more often! My desk is polished clean, revealing a panorama of Merewether beach that I haven’t seen for months and the task list, while not completed, has certainly diminished. I wasn’t going to write at all this week, morosely thinking that I had far too much to do. Not only can I write, but a heavy weight seems to have been lifted off my shoulders….I must do the same thing for the next few days. One reason to get things done has been the looming and distasteful prospect of going on the annual 3rd grade camp this Thursday and Friday. Although just two days and a night, most of the team hate it with a passion and I find it quite the worst time of the year. We have cabins of a fashion, but they’re stinky, little, non-ventilated holes and sharing with another adult who you barely know and a fidget of squirming over-stimulated little kiddies is definitely not my preferred accommodation! I’ve never been a camper and I think this experience over the last 4 years has completely cured me of the vague, fleeting and romantic visions I have of this pursuit. Give me my own bed, or at least my own room, any time you like!
I could wallow in misery for the remainder of this letter, but, as always, it is certainly all relative. Taking a reality check, both Cass and I often comment that the worst days at work here probably equate to an average day in our previous working lives. Talking generally about lives, we sometimes find ourselves marveling at the distinct two lives we lead. Our Newcastle life is as far removed from our Taipei life as it could possibly be. We have a group of close friends here whom we know well and enjoy, yet it’s great to arrive back in Newcastle every six months or so and people have barely noticed you have gone. When we think of what we’ve done and where we’ve been in those intervening months, it boggles the mind. Our home here, with cats and friends and work and play is becoming more real for us than our time back home: people expect us to be here, while we get a stronger impression each time we’re back in Australia that we’re just visiting. Weird eh? However, that doesn’t mean we’re not coming back!! We often talk about our return and what we’ll do etc………..it’s why we’re here.
The Pointy Hat Surf Club is going from strength to strength! The boys have embraced the concept and we’re having a lot of fun with it. If you haven’t seen it yet, or want an update check this out. We got some fantastic surf on Saturday, sandwiched between a flat Friday and Sunday. The surf is so fickle here; I suppose that’s why we drive the winding mountain road for an hour each way as often as we can…..just in case it’s going off! The Pointy Hat boys are meeting at Aaron’s tomorrow night where they will be presented with their hat. Ross and I nearly gave a street seller in Jinshan the other day a heart attack when we bought a dozen of them!
Well, just four more blogs before I have a couple of months off. Cass and I can nearly taste that Ridge Street burger and that Australian Chinese food!!
Sunday, May 01, 2005
floats
A heat haze has descended on Taipei this weekend and breathing is like standing a little to close to a barbeque and getting that super heated blast of air down your lungs. The breeze has been pretty strong, but unusually for Taiwan it hasn’t had that heavy humidity we’re so used to. If we were home in this heat, I’d expect to hear about bushfires springing up everywhere and energy usage spiking as air conditioners buzzed along day and night.
Ironically, many people were out today observing a quaint religious festival, which we see quite often. On special days of religious significance, people can be seen burning huge wads of fake money in small metal tins, either in the street or on their balconies. In today’s heat, it was particularly bizarre. Small shops and businesses also lay a table on the footpath full of juicy fruits and other fare to appease the gods and, if they’re lucky, get to burn some incense sticks as a parade passes.
We had some first hand experience this morning of one such festival as a cacophony of noise with the occasional booming of what sounded like cannons blasted across the creek from the temple beyond! The musical instruments of choice are very loud drums and a peculiar Chinese instrument, which produces a very unpleasant, strident and discordant noise. When all played in unison with no apparent conducting, it is a terrible sound. Seemingly quite soothing to the local ear, all this noise then travels around the neighbourhood on a convoy of garishly decorated small trucks and quite amazing floats. The floats look like moving versions of the tacky, brightly coloured and lit sideshow attractions at the show back home. They are adorned on top by brightly painted figures on some kind of mechanical wheel, dancing like dervishes atop their traveling platforms.
I got caught up in all these festivities when I went to get some sandwiches for lunch and took all the shots here while waiting for the police to clear the road. After this strange cultural interlude, I escaped back home, pulled the curtains, fired up the air conditioner and settled in to watch the Wets vs. St. George game on telly. It was pretty strange experiencing two completely different worlds on the same day! We followed the heartbreaking Knight’s loss on the internet scoreboard and I rang Mum ½ way through to wish her bon voyage for her trip on Tuesday. We’re still managing to keep up with lots of little local events courtesy of our regular clippings from the Herald sent by Mum, our regular weekend reading rarely disturbed.
Cass and I went to “Bird” Thai restaurant last night and enjoyed our meal immensely. It’s certainly the best Thai food I’ve tasted, except perhaps for the little beach restaurant near Pattaya, Thailand, but I suppose my feelings may have been influenced a touch by the sand between my toes and the vision of the setting sun over crystal waters as I ate! We’ve heard a rumour that Bird might be closing down due to inconsistent trade: we passionately hope it’s just that, a rumour!
Earlier in the day, Ross and Carl and I went in a vain search for a rideable wave at every surf spot we know on the northern tip of the island. We were very frustrated, but had a bit of fun by buying some “pointy hats” at a local stall in Jinshan town to help promote the new site I’ve established, The Pointy Hat Surf Club. It’s an upmarket blogger, with photos of course, but also links. I’ve been practicing my rudimentary HTML skills to enter these links on the site and so far, so good. If you haven’t had a chance to see it, check out the site at http://pointyhat.blogspot.com/ …it’s just for fun. Lots and lots of work coming up this week for both Cass and me, not quite as bad as the fast fading memory of Grammar end-of-year stress, but close enough!
A heat haze has descended on Taipei this weekend and breathing is like standing a little to close to a barbeque and getting that super heated blast of air down your lungs. The breeze has been pretty strong, but unusually for Taiwan it hasn’t had that heavy humidity we’re so used to. If we were home in this heat, I’d expect to hear about bushfires springing up everywhere and energy usage spiking as air conditioners buzzed along day and night.
Ironically, many people were out today observing a quaint religious festival, which we see quite often. On special days of religious significance, people can be seen burning huge wads of fake money in small metal tins, either in the street or on their balconies. In today’s heat, it was particularly bizarre. Small shops and businesses also lay a table on the footpath full of juicy fruits and other fare to appease the gods and, if they’re lucky, get to burn some incense sticks as a parade passes.
We had some first hand experience this morning of one such festival as a cacophony of noise with the occasional booming of what sounded like cannons blasted across the creek from the temple beyond! The musical instruments of choice are very loud drums and a peculiar Chinese instrument, which produces a very unpleasant, strident and discordant noise. When all played in unison with no apparent conducting, it is a terrible sound. Seemingly quite soothing to the local ear, all this noise then travels around the neighbourhood on a convoy of garishly decorated small trucks and quite amazing floats. The floats look like moving versions of the tacky, brightly coloured and lit sideshow attractions at the show back home. They are adorned on top by brightly painted figures on some kind of mechanical wheel, dancing like dervishes atop their traveling platforms.
I got caught up in all these festivities when I went to get some sandwiches for lunch and took all the shots here while waiting for the police to clear the road. After this strange cultural interlude, I escaped back home, pulled the curtains, fired up the air conditioner and settled in to watch the Wets vs. St. George game on telly. It was pretty strange experiencing two completely different worlds on the same day! We followed the heartbreaking Knight’s loss on the internet scoreboard and I rang Mum ½ way through to wish her bon voyage for her trip on Tuesday. We’re still managing to keep up with lots of little local events courtesy of our regular clippings from the Herald sent by Mum, our regular weekend reading rarely disturbed.
Cass and I went to “Bird” Thai restaurant last night and enjoyed our meal immensely. It’s certainly the best Thai food I’ve tasted, except perhaps for the little beach restaurant near Pattaya, Thailand, but I suppose my feelings may have been influenced a touch by the sand between my toes and the vision of the setting sun over crystal waters as I ate! We’ve heard a rumour that Bird might be closing down due to inconsistent trade: we passionately hope it’s just that, a rumour!
Earlier in the day, Ross and Carl and I went in a vain search for a rideable wave at every surf spot we know on the northern tip of the island. We were very frustrated, but had a bit of fun by buying some “pointy hats” at a local stall in Jinshan town to help promote the new site I’ve established, The Pointy Hat Surf Club. It’s an upmarket blogger, with photos of course, but also links. I’ve been practicing my rudimentary HTML skills to enter these links on the site and so far, so good. If you haven’t had a chance to see it, check out the site at http://pointyhat.blogspot.com/ …it’s just for fun. Lots and lots of work coming up this week for both Cass and me, not quite as bad as the fast fading memory of Grammar end-of-year stress, but close enough!
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