Taipei Life

We’ve had a really low key weekend, mainly because the infamous middle school camp rapidly approaches. Continuing sapping heat has not helped us to get out and about the real de-motivator is Cassy’s appointment with kids and colleagues for 5 days of 24 hour a day “fun”. Even though it is quite bearable when she is there, it is always exhausting. The Grade 8 version of camp is pretty much back-to-basics after a couple of years of resort/hotel type stays away, the Grade 8s get down and dirty and about as rough as this fairly pampered  group could handle. Cass is an old hand at all the activities and leads some very vigorous hikes that the kids have trouble completing, so she tends to get very tired (especially after doing it twice!). Her innovation last year of starting another activity based on Newcastle’s own 24 hour shoot out, where small groups make an in-camera movie using various obligatory props will be a go again. It is a great activity for both the supervisors and the kids and has an added benefit. The instant communication, camera savvy generation can gaze lovingly upon themselves each night as the movies are replayed for the entire assembled throng!

I had Book Club on Friday night and we went to our traditional haunt, The Red Hut. It was good fun, and although our new members didn’t turn up and one was missing, we had the usual rollicking time and plenty of tall and true tales were told and heard. Curbside drinking Taiwan beers from cans till the Hut opens is a tradition all its own and a quirky Taiwan one. Where else do you think you could drink and guffaw in a public park before being moved on rather quickly? Gotta love Taiwan.

We had another of our occasional weekend meals which I’ll call “lundinner” for want of a better word. We’ve found we can enjoy a meal at one of the popular Tienmu restaurants in mid-afternoon without a crowd and getting instant service and not running into a thousand colleagues and students. Off to Takashimaya on the way home to get some cans of Sanitarium Rediburger for the vegetarian brigade (including Cass) on camp. After the food service guy at school couldn’t source the vegi patties, I rang KGB burgers downtown and they assured me they could do it, just needed to ring back with a price. They rang back and said they couldn’t do it at all, so we felt obligated to try to find a replacement. I even eat this stuff, so I reckon it will be fine!

In between footy finals, I ducked out to scale the intimidating 1000 steps of the Tienmu Gu Dao today. I’ve been nursing my chalky knee for a while, and just sticking to the treadmill most days. Let me tell you, despite me reassuring myself that the treadmill on a steep incline and a reasonable speed replicated the stairs….I was WRONG! I was in bad shape by the half way mark and had to slow off my usual pace to make it to the top. A good three minutes slower than usual, I was a lather of sweat and shaky legged by the top. I wandered along the path for a while at the top before heading back down. It was scorching!

Meanwhile, back home, Cass has been researching all the hotels for her trip to France at Christmas. Who knew there were that many options in Nante and Bordeaux, let alone Paris! She has been working very hard, but has narrowed the options down considerably.

I’ve got a new phone, an HTC Wildfire, one of the so-called Iphone 4 “killers” . Made by a Taiwanese company, this thing is red hot. It can do all the iphone can, but has the added feature which I needed of a superb camera. The 5mp camera is great (check the photos today), but playing flash video and using Google’s Android platform makes my iPod Touch even seem a little clunky: I never thought I’d say that! Anyway, as I play with it more through the week I’ll discover heaps more about it…the GPS locator is already freaking me out….sorry, weird tech nerd voices are speaking to me. Check out this link if you’re interested. So, Cass off to camp and I am hoping to be a good carer for Virg’n Mary this week. Photos are various shots from the trail: lots of signs, northern Taipei in a heat/smog haze from ½ way down.