As the end of the academic year looms large, it becomes increasingly difficult to separate a hectic work and social life. The work piece demands report writing, project grading and dealing with slightly fractious kiddies while the social calendar is increasingly inked in on the weekends and leaking inexorably back to Thursday or even Wednesday as people strive to fit in a last "going away party" or dinner or catch-up. I went to something three nights in a row this weekend and Cass had her last book club meeting of the year as well.
Just down the road in Shilin, close to the petrol station, is an increasingly chic little street which leads to the temple "with the white goats". On this strip is an amazing golf cafe which has installed some very hi tech state of the art video golf technology. Real clubs are swung and balls are hit against a screen while a sensor on the ground picks up the exact nuance of every shot. The virtual ball then flies to the correct part of the course you hit it to, and on it goes again. Depending on your position, the ground will tilt and elevate to simulate your exact lie: it is quite freaky and the golfers tell me it is scarily accurate, at least for the long game. This was our social engagement on Thursday afternoon as the golfers prepared for the big divisional championship on the weekend.
Friday saw a meeting of the Polish Nation Intellectual Forum and the golfers wisely sensed their performance may well be affected by too large an intake, so we had a pretty quiet but longish night. The following day, I met them down at Patio 84 for what we hoped would be celebratory drinks: as it turned out, John, Wal, Dave and Gurecki failed to convert all their opportunities this year and the upper school team pipped them. They were fine with the result, but Brandon enjoyed rubbing it in just a little too much!! Anyway, it was pretty funny to see and hear the banter as the stories from the day became ever more fanciful as the night rolled on!
Cassy's book group picked their books for the coming year and it is an eclectic mix sprinkled with prize winners and old favourites and the authors and subject matter spread well over a large number of continents. They are even going to add a couple of translated Taiwanese novels to their selection this year! As usual, the culinary skills of the hostess were to the fore and Paige excelled herself with dish after dish which the "girls" consumed with great relish. I even scored some takeaway lemon muffins the next day: if they were any indication of the quality of the rest of the food on the night, they had their taste buds massaged and caressed.
Cassy's faithful deep red briefcase which we bought in the alleys of Nimes over a decade ago has finally succumbed to an everday work regime. It probably would have survived longer, but the extra strains of a laptop in the last few years saw its lock mechanism and associated flap pretty much just wear out. She has bought a jazzy new number from Yves St Laurent that will do the trick, as it has room for her school stuff as well as laptop and grading, yet could also double as a large handbag if necessary.
Earler in the week, the annual cacophony emanating from the temple just around the corner, erupted in typical fashion, discordant whining of traditional instruments just an entree to a main meal of the most jack-hammering, jarring, ear-splitting din one could possibly imagine! If it lasted just a few minutes it would have been vaguely more bearable, but it went for hours! I've described the scenes at the temple in these pages before: young men whip themselves into a delirium, partly induced by beer and beetle nut and partly from the sheer pandemonium ensuing from the dancing, marching, drumming and fireworks. The brave or the silly amongst them then rake steel forks along the tops of their tongues till blood flows freely, the glistening expectorant then furiously jettisoned towards the baying crowd......Great fun!!!
I'll write another entry next weekend, then might put this baby to sleep for its (and my) annual hiatus: my brain will be officially switched off in just two weeks' time. Photos: the golf boys resplendent in their uniforms, curious sights abound on the streets: this time, huge bottles of curing fruits. A shot I took in the rain at Camp Taiwan a few weeks back, Cass in the temple park with part of the marching paraphernalia (note the bag!), various gods and dragons awaiting storage for another year and a last shot which I've shamelessly stolen from the internet. This last shot features the "Moon Bridge" at Dahu Park, Neihu....seems like an outing destination for next year, don't you think? Also, check the video above for just a tiny taste of the "tongue lashing festival" fireworks!