The bain-maries overflowing with turkey carvings, gravy in industrial proportions, the obligatory sides in groaning metal serving pans and the endless rows of pumpkin pie all signal the start of the Thanksgiving break at 4 pm on the Wednesday afternoon before our break at school. We’ve enjoyed a magnificently relaxing 4 day break of just chilling out, watching some cricket, eating out and in with a few side dishes of our own in the shape of surfing trips to the coast and walks in urban jungles. It was just the tonic to revive us for what will be a very hectic three weeks to finish this first semester.
I’m not really a big fan of the school’s turkey feast and Cass finds it anathema. We had a few beers on a glorious afternoon on our little balcony before I headed back to the big feast. I’d promised a couple of the boys that I would take part later in a trivia contest at a pub downtown, so I decided to go to the school show first. As all the family members of all the employees are also invited, it becomes a really huge affair. There are always heaps of people there I don’t know and kids racing around in packs in the waning sunlight looking for trouble! We had a good time and then taxied down to get ourselves thoroughly involved in all things trivial at the Brass Monkey later on, ending up with the second prize for the night. We hung around there till all hours before finally making a retreat in the safe knowledge that Thursday was not a work day…bliss!
Cass and I have been captured by the cricket this long weekend pretty much. Fitting little outings and jobs in and around it has been fun, especially the first few days when the Aussies were unexpectedly well on top in the game. Ashes cricket is always a salve to the heart for the cricket tragic. There’s nothing better we reckon that that first ball of the first test in an Ashes summer: and even better when we get the upper hand against the old enemy!
On Friday, we resisted the temptation to check out Taipei’s huge international floral exposition. It would have been the perfect time actually as a week day would lessen the crush of the weekend crowd and the weather was superb. It will be on for many many more months though we figured and we’ll hold it off for a “rainy day” (not literally!) Instead we started our day by doing some mundane banking (checking that bank cards would work in France) then had an early lunch at Din Tai Fung. That place was hopping even on a week day lunch and we were lucky to get a table!
Instead of tip-toeing through the tulips, Cass was keen to seek out her leather bag shop. She’d been checking out the high end stores for a few weeks to gauge prices and styles of the latest bags and after realizing the horrifying truth of their rarefied prices, opted instead to re-visit the little back alley bag shop where she has made a few purchases over the years. We got off the train at Chungshan and found our way to the shop, hiding away a dim alley with a huge security grill and a complete lack of signage hardly welcoming the passing trade. Old heads know the score though, and inside is an Aladdin’s Cave (so I’ve been told, it’s all wasted on me!)of leather bags of every shape, size, design and style. If it’s not there they’ll happily make it up for you too. After what seemed like hours, Cass made a very sensible selection and we escaped back to the metro. I raided an undies outlet store a few stops further down and now am able to chuck out some of my rag thin beauties that I’ve insisted on hanging on to for years: Cassy is delighted!
Surf chasing on Saturday was limited in success but a few mushy offerings at Jinshan at least got me in the water. Cass was entertained by the arrival of Dan and Nicky and family and they had a good old chat while I floundered in the stormy slush. I elected not to wear my spring suit and it was a little cooler than I expected so my stay was cut short a little! We waved them goodbye in their new van as they headed round the coast and we ate at the 7/11. These Taiwanese 7/11s really are an amazing concept. As Cass says quite often when we visit and they have yet another offering, “I really could live out iof the 7/11!” It’s true: our local 7/11 has now got an ATM, fax machine, toilets, a dining area, fruit and vegetables, a dedicated coffee shop area plus an unbelievable range of prepared foods and drinks along with grocery lines. You can even pay all your bills there!
On the way back up the mountain, we searched out a public hot spring area that Dan had told us about before. Wending our way up rutted mountain roads, we didn't find the springs, but we did find an idyllic spot with fresh rushing stream, crystal clear water pounding over boulders and nourishing larger than life greenery. We'll re-visit with a picnic lunch sometime soon!
Later today we re-visited our little urban jungle hill, perched atop of which is a temple with room upon room of Buddhas with long black beards. There are porcelain ones and metal ones, stone and concrete. There are some tiny golden ones encased in glass stacked one above each other in towers 10 feet high, each little cell named and lit from below. It is quite the sight!
Photos today will hopefully be of a noticeably improved quality: we bought a new camera, pretty much as I’m not keen to solely trust my experiment of camera phone to my trip to India. The phone’s 5mg camera is good, but you need a steadier hand then mine to produce best results. We bought a
Canon Ixus: it’s a beauty, and the photos look pretty good we think. Photos, me with my kiddies and in my room, Cass on the balcony and at Din Tai Fung, washing outside in the street in front of one of the ubiquitous home-spun hairdressers, the girls in the sun and our secret stream!
