Cassy finished her parent conferences on Friday and set a new record – 47 interviews (only one no-show). What was especially demanding was that she saw 32 lots on Thursday – was a bit of a veggie on Friday… All pretty good but the usual sprinkling of complete nuts: the kid is getting an A but they ask, “What can he/she do to improve?” or (her other favourite) a completely brain-dead kid is getting a B by dint of sheer hard slog, and they aren’t happy with that!!!! She felt like saying to them: “Do the words gene and pool mean anything to you????”
No grading for Cassy this weekend so she was really looking forward to a relaxing time. Friday evening began with her treat to watch the French channel (tv5): “Questions pour un champion” game show; and later, 2 episodes of “Les Bleus’ (a cop show about a group of rookie cops – very soapie but beautiful French and perfect fodder for a Friday night she reckons.) I went and had a few ales with the usual suspects, Sean dropped in as well but couldn’t stay long as he was hosting Katie’s parents who are here for a new baby visitation.

After a good sleep in on Saturday, we tripped off to the beach. It was great just walking across the road to the car (but that convenience came back to bite us on Sunday) and we headed off on a particularly beautiful morning. As we wound our way up the Yangminshan mountain road, the air was clear, sun shone and a dusting of cloud just drifted across the top of the peaks. Sometimes this indicates foul weather on the other side, but Wuthering Heights scenes quickly cleared up as we dropped down the mountain on the other side. We met up with Dan and family at Jinshan and I had an unreal surf! My new board is still all dinged up and unfixed (slack me!), but the newish fish worked really well on some strong 3-4 foot groundswell. Dan and I each got some real beauties and we managed to wear ourselves out over a couple of hours of quite solid wave action. Cass enjoyed chatting to Nicky on the shoreline and watching their two little kids cavorting around. They have a very relaxed and unusual parenting style which we’ve always found really refreshing: the kids get a few bumps and bruises, but they learn by experience and are very robust now, even though they’re still quite young. After a hearty 7-11 meal of dumplings for me (I think I really am turning a little Chinese) and a salmon “onigiri” for Cass (is she turning Japanese?!) we got back to Tienmu, found a park on the river road and got home. Later on Saturday evening, we had a pleasant meal at the Royal Host (New Zealand steak!) and had a wander down to the Eslite to look for an Italian phrasebook for Cass to study before Christmas. They didn’t have much, so we resolved to head downtown on Sunday.

Another sleep in (that surfing really tires you out!) and then I headed off up the stairs in some stifling heat. It was a massive effort to keep up my pretty sharp pace today and I was totally soaked and dripping with sweat by the time I got back. Showered and ready, we headed off to the car to drive downtown, thinking we’d increase our carbon footprint a touch today and abandon the MRT for the car. The battery was dead flat!! Saturday’s winding mountain road dictates that lights are on, but I’d forgotten to turn them off. The worst part about this is how I’ll jump start the car: plenty of car folk can help, but they’ll block a one way road, and the leads might not reach if we park side –by-side…..have to figure that out tomorrow.

The trip downtown was very successful. The MRT was relatively calm for a Sunday, the crush bearable and Taipei 101 is always exciting. Having just lost its mantle as the world’s tallest building to some gross Dubai monstrosity; it is still very slick and impressive. We had Turkish at Doner Kebab for lunch then scoured Page One bookshop for our Italy stuff. We eventually struggled out weighed down with guides for Rome, Florence and Venice as well as a cute little phrasebook. No excuses now! Home to watch the Aussies and Kiwis in the World Cup via streaming internet beamed onto the TV and audio and we feel we’ve had an exceptionally full (and mildly exhausting!) weekend. Photos: Cass with store window bizarre Christmas reindeer! Strange wine signs, Cassy sneaking in and out of Cartier at 101)!!, books in Page One, me holding a menu at the Royal Host, and Cassy avoiding a photo at same venue!

It was with an extremely keen sense of trepidation that I edged the super powerful brand new Triumph from the Grand Palace’s carpark into the usual stream of scooters, buses and cars. Weaving slowly past the crowd then heading up the hill away from them, I relaxed into the bike’s seat a little more. My feet were on the pegs set back from the engine on an angle, my arms set down on the handle bars with pressure. It was not uncomfortable, but immediately brought back long forgotten feelings of being wrapped into the cocoon of the Ducati’s frame all those years ago. Hearing the engine purr as I teased the clutch and throttle into a second gear change, I jigged back in the seat, gripped the ergonomically designed tank between my legs and gave a little twitch to the accelerator. The Harley’s low down guttural torque is one thing: a full on bucking bronco that nearly rips arms out of sockets is another: I was off up the hill into Yangminshan with a hot trail of zinging engine screams behind me, hooting to myself wildly and unable to wipe a spreading grin from my face. So this is what it’s like to ride a proper motorbike in Taiwan!

Obviously the highlight of the week/weekend for me was the ride on Greg’s new Triumph. He has been agonizing over this possible purchase for ages, but finally bit the bullet after months of research. The bike is absolutely outstanding in every way, but the realization that he firstly has not arranged any insurance, and secondly, I sensed he was going to ask me if I wanted to take it for a spin, was a little shocking! He knows I can ride a big bike of course, and I had spent many months discussing pros and cons with him and getting lots of vicarious pleasure from the whole adventure. We arranged to meet up out at the Grand Palace, and he initially took me for a white knuckle ride up the hill as a pillion. I got a first hint of its enormous power and acceleration when I nearly got flipped off the back when he gave it a bit of juice half way up! Back down to the carpark, I was very hesitant to accept, but agreed to take it for a little spin in the carpark: that was it of course, so I had to get up the hill after that!

We, yes we, went up the steps and along the monkey trail today, right to the end. I am still recovering from my sickness, so was keen to do my first bit of exercise for over a week, and Cass wanted to come along and try the steps. Both days of the weekend have been absolutely stunning weather wise, almost without fault. Full sun but with a touch of breeze, late 20s in temperature and not too humid, it was a great match today for a walk in the mountains. Cass had forgotten the steepness and unrelenting length of the steps, but she handled it very well and after we’d got our breath back at the top of the steps, we really enjoyed strolling the entire length of the trail. Eventually we passed the outdoor chicken restaurant of the free range chickens wandering around oblivious to their fate, but this time, a couple of piglets looked like they might have been starting their “fattening up” journey as well! We stopped by and checked out a beautiful example of Japanese brick housing from the colonial rule days, and we checked out a few different things on the way back down. I was pleased that she came along today, so now she can picture where I go when I set off often through the week. Cass is quite keen to go up again every now and then on the weekend, so we’ll gradually warm up to a few bigger and different routes both up and back down.

Cassy was stoked to get all her memoirs graded this past week: its quite a gargantuan undertaking, one which I try to change every year as it just seems to huge, but it always remains the same! She has parent conferences coming up at the end of the week, a time of the year neither of us particularly enjoys. I had mine on Thursday and Friday and they all went quite well, after which we headed off the Qiyan WooSo bar for a few beers. This turned into quite a party as not only Clarky turned up from Singapore (he was here watching his daughter play in a tournament) with Lewy, but Johnsy showed up fresh from his triumphs as a finisher (top 300) at the recent Hawaiian Ironman Triathlon World Championships. I had a good chat to him and got to secretly re-live some glory days from 11 years ago when I finished the Ironman in Australia. His achievement was really quite amazing: apart from qualifying for Hawaii and finishing way up in the field, he also has dealt with some very serious heart problems….amazing!
Photos: lots of bike stuff, lots of steps stuff, Japanese house and two little pigs.

We've just finished our "ten ten" break, an extended weekend, and didn't we need it! It has been a weekend of two parts, one where we relaxed, went on a few adventures and had fun, and the second half one of wallowing in that peculiar self misery that sickness brings!

We lazed around and luxuriated in our day off on Thursday to a large extent and I eventually went down to the bank to send some money home as the exchange rate was just spectacular. (It got better, but I didn't think it possibly could). After a walk there and back, I decided that I'd done enough exercise for the morning and settled in to watch the Australians play India in the first test. Cass and I enjoyed the day's play, but thought we had better arrest our sloth and made plans to catch the MRT downtown. The Taipei main subway station is an annex of the Taipei Main Station and the main station was an amazing hive of activity on Thursday night. A crazy long line of patient inter-city commuters were lined up for the new High Speed Rail which jettisons people down the west coast and into the arms of family before they have time to say, "Ten ten". We weaved through this throng and eventually found the new Breeze Centre on the second floor of the huge station. It goes right around the whole square, but fortuitously, we landed smack bang in front of Sababa, which was where we wanted to go. A Turkish/pida cafe that we have eaten at many times before in other locations, was the drawcard. It is a food court, but the most incredible one I have seen. Clean and new and slick, it was well patronised and was buzzing with people on their way here and there. We ate, walked around a bit, visited all manner of shops then hopped on the MRT home again!

Friday was beach day, and we had vague notions of joining up with Tobes and Gary at Fulong. In the end, we made the fateful decision to head to the Rocket. I had read an article some time back in the local English language newspaper about the high levels of bacteria present at certain beach breaks, especially during heavy rains, and especially near a river outlet. Guess what? There was heavy rain, lots of rubbish on the beach and a steady flow of water pouring out into the ocean from the hills. Did I remember? No! The surf was pretty good, but Cass didn't have much fun in the rain (we didn't know: it was bright, sunny and not a cloud in the sky in Tienmu when we left and when we returned!). After returning home, within hours, I had a cough and a sore throat developing.

It's turned into a very angry beast and I'm absolutely weaker than water. Cass has had to put up with my pathetic patient routine for a couple of days and I've done little else than lie on the lounge and have lots of snoozes. I went out for a walk around the park this afternoon with Cass, told her I had to go back, then slept , exhausted for two hours!

Saturday and Sunday have been indoor moping around days: lots of cricket, DVDs and sleeping. At least Cass has been able to get a good slab of grading done while I've been down for the count. (I'm sure she was thrilled with that).

Photos: me holding Virg up for the camera before a steps walk, shots of the gleaming food court at Taipei main, a vegetarian restaurant that doesn't quite get it(!) and a shot showing me surfing in the background and a disease filled waterway sluicing its way through rubbish in the foreground!

Well, it’s anathema for either one of us to cheer manly in any game, least of all a grand final, but when the Melbourne Storm was the alternative, we cheered the Sea eagles home to a most famous “Eagle rock”! What a game. We were all anticipating a close game after all Melbourne’s well documented dramas with the judiciary and offialdom over the past fortnight and Manly’s slow and methodical power end to the season but… who could possibly imagine that Manly would obliterate that oft quoted fanciful score line of 38-0 to East over St. George in 1975? I for one, had no idea it would happen, and as Wayne would know, I’ve often quoted the 38-0 mantra for his edification as the Eastern Suburbs of 1975 were my team of choice before the Knights entered the comp in 1988.

We had a hard core crew around here today, one which has been pretty solid fr the last 7 years. Wal, Gurecki, Lewy, O’Rourke were the mainstays of those years and they all joined Cass and me again. Brandon joined us this year, a great addition, as a sports fan and fairly new AL fan he has real passion for all Australian sports. The American accents and the occasional rather naïve observation were the norm, but who really cares? When you have Victorians and Tasmanians and a couple of North Americans in the crowd, it becomes the norm. Shaun turned up, which we all really appreciated to keep the tradition going, even though his second daughter, born just last week, has kept him fairly sleepless the majority of the time. He made it till half-time, had a can of Asahi, then beat a retreat back round the corner with eyes hanging down his cheeks and dark circles that would make Leo Sayer proud.

A few of us ventured round the corner to Uli’s German Bratwurst House to have a couple of micro brews to further analyse the game. This twilight game was just the ticket here as the Aussie 5pm start translated to 2 pm here with daylight savings kicking in the eastern states just a few hours before kickoff. It was just like the old days: a 2 pm start! Wonderful, all done and dusted by 7 pm, back home to write the blog. Just like the old days as I said, but I don’t think I’d be writing a “blog” in the old days. We’ve had an extremely social weekend, culminating in the hosting of the grand final today, but it all began on Friday night.

Cass had her post camp party on Friday with her middle school colleagues down at Alleycats. It was a bit strange, as they hadn’t actually attended the camp, postponed by typhoon Sinlaku a few weeks back. She managed to glean all sorts of gossip and information which kept me entertained most of the day on Saturday, with lots of, “Hey, guess what so and so said?” and, “You’ll never believe what so and so did…”. I was ensconced at Diamond Tony’s with the usual suspects and didn’t get anything! We were keen to have a quiet Friday and no one was really keen to go and have a drink, but one of our American colleagues bailed Wal up in the hall late in the day Friday to ask if he and Braggett and Gurecki were keen for a drink. We thought we’d better go as Grande is a great guy and rarely up for a get-together, but as it turned out, he didn’t show! We ended up discussing all the world’s problems as usual, but we won’t miss the opportunity to give it to him deluxe on Monday!

On Saturday night, Cass and I went down to KGB (Kiwi Gourmet Burger) to sample again their “Kiwi Mate”, a burger you could get on any corner back home, but rather special over here. A burger here does not have tomato, pineapple and especially beetroot as staples, so it’s a little slice of heaven. Saturday night is always a people watching experience on the heaving, packed Taipei mass rapid transit system, and didn’t surprise again. After a 30 minute trip down, eating and 30 minute trip back in the seething mass of humanity on a Taipei weekend night, we were a bit tired, but still committed to a party at Lewy’s place.

Robin and Chris worked here in Taipei for years before moving down to Singapore a couple of years ago. Chris was Cassy’s team leader (a role she now takes on) and Robin worked in the lower school with me. It was great to catch up with them amongst lots of our current colleagues and also DJ, who with wife Catherine had moved from curriculum director here to the volatile political hotbed of Myanmar to be superintendent of a leading Hong Kong school this year. Everyone loves DJ: the guy is charismatic, intelligent and principled. It was great to catch up with all concerned before we scootered home along the river road and flopped into bed ready for the big day today.

Taipei…still serving up an eclectic mix of entertainment and life experiences! Photos. Cass caught by an intrepid photographer on the MRT going downtown, the cats luxuriating on the shoebox yet again, and the boys taking in a historic and exciting NRL grand final. Also featured, a shot I took through a window on the way back from the train staion: 8pm Staurday night, poor little kiddies getting drilled within an inch of thier lives at the "Join Young Enrichment Academy"... maybe that's why Asian kids are acing all those world achievement tests!