Chinese New year’s Eve went off with a bang as usual round our neighborhood. I mean this quite literally, as our proximity to the “dyke” (as Cassy’s American friend calls it!) means that lots and lots of fireworks are set off very close to us. Virg’n Mary variously cowered and ran through most of the night: the poor little buggers didn’t know what was going on, even though I thought, as local Taiwanese, they might have some inkling!This entry will have a fair few food reports, which is becoming an increasingly regular event here on this blog. Perhaps it is that we are becoming more attuned to what we are eating or perhaps it is that we are eating more….I prefer to think that it is the fact that as winter adds a little chill to the air at night, a bit of comfort in the shape and taste of food is always welcome. How come then, I’m going to talk about a couple of lunches? Never mind, here we go! Cass had some super delicious authentic Italian home cooking through the week. She was invited up to her colleague Robin’s house, who is Italian and was fed the best Italian she’s ever had in Taipei (“anywhere!”, she said.)
We were keen to see Clint Eastwood’s companion piece to “Flags of our Fathers” which was an excellent movie. The weekend cinema guide indicated it was on but it is of not much use to us here. I might be able to get a vague idea of what is going on, but Cass wouldn’t. Here in Taipei, we’re under the tyranny of the “unintelligible foreign film syndrome.” While English speaking films are simply sub-titled in Chinese and provide no inconvenience for us, any non-English film provides lots of difficulties. Either the sub-titles are only in Chinese, or they are overlaid on the English titles, making them impossible to read. Suffice to say, we had to forgo the Japanese language “Letters from Iwo Jima” and instead settled for the rather insipid “Music and Lyrics” instead. Listed as a “chick flick” by one reviewer was bad enough, but I nearly said “no” when I read it was also a “romcom” which is apparently short for romantic comedy. The self crowned king of the genre, Mr. Grant, played a fairly predictable foil for the pleasant Drew Barrymore. The opening scene, where Grant performs as a member of a Wham like 80s band was hilarious and the highlight of the whole film: enough said!
Thai Town in the top of the opposite tower of the twin Mitsukoshi towers got the nod for a late lunch/early dinner. It was surprisingly tasty, but neither of us could really tell if it was the cooking or the fact that we were ready to eat the belly out of a low flying duck at that late stage of the afternoon! In hindsight, I think it actually was pretty good and we shall return.
Today we had great plans to head for the beach, but as can happen with plans wholly contingent upon the weather conditions, we didn’t make it. The wind and rain started and the swell could be described as small at best. I spoke to both Carl and Dan about prospects and we all decided that we’d hold off and have another look tomorrow. The added problem, of course is that all married Chinese daughters are expected to go back home for a few days starting today and the freeways (where we might have traveled East) would be chock-a-block. Instead, we walked up to school where I preceded to bash the heavy bag and the speedball for about 16 rounds while Cass read her book. Cassy had a little go at the speedball and the bag and I must apologize that I didn’t have the camera with me to record the historic event!
Later on we walked over to the basement Takashimaya food court, where we had delicious toasted Panini, Cass with smoked salmon and me with Bratwurst sausage. By the time we’d walked back home through the relative “ghost town” (again, because of Chinese New Year), we were ready for a cup of tea and a relaxing movie. I put on Apocalypto, and relaxing it definitely was not! Brutal, sickening in parts, but ultimately finely filmed and crafted: very entertaining.
Photos: Cass burning the midnight oil “grading papers” (that’s “marking essays” in Australian speak!), Cassy illegally in the men’s locker room at school! The two of us outside the change rooms, and Cassy sitting in a quite packed Takashimaya food court.