What a devastating week for all in the Asia Pacific region. The shocking intensity of the Padang earthquake, the frightening tsunami that ripped through the low-lying Samoa and Tonga, Manila completely inundated by typhoon and flood and now super typhoon Parma bearing down monstrously on the top end of the Philippines and on its way to Taiwan.Weather here is already squally and raining, wind whipping up the tunnel-like streets and lanes with amazingly strong gusts, the scooter only just managing to stay upright. The full force of the typhoon will not be felt for at least two-three more days, but the prelude is bad enough. Why am I riding a scooter around in these conditions you may ask?
Today is the NRL grand final and I have been down to SOGO to get some wheat bread, over to Takashimaya to get some Crown Lagers (at criminally inflated prices I might add!), then to Papa Poulet for three whole rotisserie chickens. We’re planning to butter the bread, peel the chicken pieces from the bone and basically just let the boys indulge in an old fashioned medieval feast at half time. The chicken is delicious, the ceremony never grand so we thought this would be a slightly healthier alternative to buckets of KFC or pizzas. Of course, we’d love to have the unhealthiest, but best, food of all for a football game: some Aussie meat pies. The trouble is that all our sources have gone…we’ll hope they make a comeback somewhere, some time.
The game is on at 2pm Taiwan time, with the lead up from 1.30. So, come to Taiwan and you can have an old fashioned afternoon grand final time! We’re not sure who is coming, but the regular suspects will be here, including Shaun, Wol, Lewy and Gurecki. I expect Brandon will be here along with Terry and possibly Andrew V and Bondy as well. If they all turn up, we’ll be a bit squeezy. I’m writing this in the rather odd time of the very early afternoon, because I certainly won’t feel like it later.
Just to top off our natural disasters, we were woken to a rockin’ rollin’ earthquake last night about 1.30am. We waited while the building swayed and rolled and then let our beating hearts calm down before getting back to sleep. It was a 6.3 on the Richter and had its epicenter just ssw of Hualien, unusually on land this time instead of off the coast. Somehow it produced only slight damage…the buildings here don’t look much but they can certainly withstand a good shake.
Right, I have to get off to get the ice, then pack a few beers in it before the visitors arrive. I am reading the fantastic Aussie award winner, The Slap, and Cass has switched across to my Silk Riders. Photos: I’m determined to post some from this afternoon…I hope I remember to take some in all the excitement!
P.S. Well, it's a little after all the excitement, and of course we forgot to take any photos at all! I'll post a few tomorrow of my team and some kiddies just for a bit of colour....Melbourne wins...oh no!!