Taipei Life

Asia World was our destination on Saturday. A large shopping mall on Dunhua South Rd in the south eastern district of the city is about a half hour scooter ride, but thunder rumbled and groaned, and inky green storm cells were moving around the sky as we prepared to depart. We changed our minds and opted for an MRT trip, which was a bit of a pain on three different lines and lots of changing and “in-station” commuting. In a way, it was quite nostalgic for us as we’ve rarely visited this neck of the woods for about 5 years, as before that we were frequent visitors. Since we frequented the place, all sorts of big furniture stores have moved in, occupying whole floors. The Swedish styled “Piin” was one, Working House another, and I always get coerced into entering the seemingly never ending labyrinth called IKEA!

Cass was keen to get her mother a present for her birthday which was the purpose, ostensibly, for the trip. It was another stinking hot day as well and even though the storms threatened, the heat remained, and we were keen to get out of the house where we were bunkered in. Cass spent some hours (!) looking for stuff, but I decided that I’d spent far too much in the IKEA mice maze to enter a second time after she’d forgotten something, so amused myself looking at all the hi-tech toys in FNAC.

We wandered over the road to check out the Taipei Arena, a megalithic multi-purpose performance space that can host concerts as well as ice skating events. It is currently doing a very popular run of the Lion King and a performance was about to start, the uniformed ushers in military formation at every entrance preparing for the onslaught. We also checked out the incongruous ice skating rink attached to the arena: an antidote to the massive heat outside, it was very strange to see people rugged up skating on a full size rink in this city in high summer: what energy must be used to support this venture? Anyway, we must admit we filed it away for a possible future adventure…

After all this excitement, it was off to an early dinner at the Outback Steakhouse. We have eaten at the Hysin Yi branch, but this is the original branch that has been opened for a couple of years. We each got a beautifully cooked thick fillet and enjoyed being asked if we wanted “chips” with our meal: yes, please no fries! The Aussieness of the place is cute, although tempered by the fact that it is in fact and American chain: oh well, can’t have everything.

Today, Cass has been out a couple of times to get a few supplies, but I chose to stay in and watch the last gasps of the Olympic coverage before the bog closing ceremony tonight. I must admit that between the obvious interest the local stations had with the Beijing Olympics, streaming some content over the internet and downloading some torrents of Aussie stuff we missed, we got a pretty fair coverage this year, unlike Athens, where the technology was such that we hardly saw a thing. Wal gave me a ring a few hours back just as I sat to do this blog and encouraged me to join him on the 1000 steps, so I did it for a third time after a go on Wednesday afternoon. I think I can feel myself going up there at a slightly zippier pace, or perhaps I’m kidding myself! We certainly got back to the car park drenched in sweat today and it felt good to clear a few cobwebs away.

Friday night was the Board party at the Grand Hotel and although we’d originally decided not to attend, I was persuaded by a late phone cal from a few of the boys to go down for a while. It was quite spectacular with the huge, Chinese inspired hotel in the background and the big 50 metre pool below the terrace we were on. We met up at the Chung Shan Woo So bar before hand and pictured is Wal, Sean, Ivo and John with our little German mascot. Other photos are of the Taipei Arena and its huge screen, Cass in front of Asia World with purchases, shopping inside, me in front of the Roots store logos, ice rink and very strange T shirt logos in Taipei main station!