Spring has sprung or winter has waned or something like that. The cherry blossoms on the river walk and all around are bursting out of themselves for their brief, beautiful flurry of blossoming, shocking pink. The jackets of the citizenry have lost their puffiness and Mawson’s expeditionary team can no longer be seen head down trudging through the Antarctic conditions on Chung Shan North Road! There is definitely a renewed spring in the step of Taipei’s people this weekend as the mercury rocketed to nearly 30 degrees of full blinding heat after what seems like months of dreary rain and cold.
We each had a very social Friday night. Cass was entertained at one of her book club member’s houses for their monthly meeting and fine food and wine was shared along with checking out the rather impressive new digs. She lives just across the river from us, tucked away down a little alley, but the house is very unusual. It’s more like a town house, spread over three floors and luxurious in appointment and space. A great find, but no doubt it also comes at a premium in rent. I, on the other hand, decided to entertain a crew of guys on the balcony at home for a large portion of the night. Eventually, we had Gurecki, Wal and Shaun there and we took advantage of Cassy’s extended absence to make a nuisance of ourselves till quite late, watched some AFL and cricket then retired to one of the local bars for a few more beers.
I decided that my wispy thinning graying locks had reached my personal level of frustration this weekend and razored them all off. When I find myself contemplating buying a brush, it is definitely time for a change! That combined with the change in the weather seemed like just the two signs necessary to have my semi-annual hair-shave. Cass got hers cut last week, so I’ve actually been sporting the longer style for a little while.
We’ve had a decadent weekend relaxing and eating and perambulating in the restorative beams! Jakes for a late breakfast on Saturday and even though we had to endure some twittering schoolgirls (from our school!) at the table next to us, we ate a big long meal of all that really bad stuff, like eggs and pancakes all washed down with lots of coffee and juice. I was in such a good mood I even decided to go with Cass to do the food shopping. She was willing to let me come along “this time”, but I don’t think I’m going to get a regular invite: this is some sacrosanct private time I’ve interrupted by the looks! The walk through the park and across the quaint little Chinese bridge is whimsical, and the chatter of the old men mixed with the clatter of the tiny tiles as they play mahjong on the picnic tables is comforting. So many people were just out enjoying the sunshine: it was if everyone had emerged crawling and blinking from the damp chrysalis of their apartments after an endless succession of gloomy depressing weekends.
Gurecki was wifeless for the weekend as Himiko had gone to Japan for some family business, so we arranged to meet at the cinema to see the long awaited “True Grit” on Sunday morning. We all three are fans of the Coen brothers as directors, but Gurecki especially so. We’ve had many a long discussion about the merits of the whole quiver of movies strapped to their collective moniker, but this was really eagerly anticipated. It proved to actually be even better than our expectations, the script taut and incisive and the settings, scenery and costumes authentic and truly gritty! After farewelling the shy, bearded fellow we scootered to a little hole in the wall café we’d heard a rumour about and had a brunchy lunch in a beautifully decorated light splashed restaurant called “Brunch House”. We did a little cavorting in a park on the way back home, before settling in for a really relaxed afternoon and evening.
The rain is predicted to return tomorrow, but the sun continues to shine today as we’re imprisoned here in the big red brick institution. We have a visiting “guru” here this week to instruct us in the latest and greatest English language learning techniques, so a few after school meetings mean I’m desperate to get to the gym this afternoon. By the way, we met 31 years ago today…how old does that make you feel?!!! I’m reading some more Harlan Coben while Cass finishes off the millennium series. Photos: The bursting blossoms, Cass pretty in the pink, some interesting cereal flavour choices at the local supermarket, a shot of 500 million riders on the MRT last year (now, Newcastle, do you really think you need a light rail system for your ridership?!), haircut, lazy cats and park cavorting!
