A rather curious thing we discovered when we were in Berlin at Christmas time was their love and devotion to the electronic symbols on their pedestrian crossings. In fact, they have a whole shop devoted to the 'Ampelmann", the hatted green electronic walk symbol which came to fame in the divided Berlin "beyond the wall'. We bought a postcard and a magnet of this glowing hero as well as a beanie for me!
We've both always thought that the "Taipei Running Man" had it all over his rather static and staid German cousin, so as I was stopped at a traffic light this week, I took a photo, then a short video of the verdant and energetic helper. As the time starts to run out, the walking man starts to jog then run, before stopping and transforming to red. Much better than an East German relic: Taipei should promote this little guy! Link to video
My resident disabled citizen continues to make slow but steady progress from her fractured pelvis. She took a couple of baby steps unaided by crutch or support yesterday, but it hurt. She is able to fluff around in the kitchen (much to my great relief!) if I am able to transport goods around for her, such as crockery and glass and she is becoming my chief " folder" of the washing brought in. I'm even managing to find my way around the supermarket much better now after a few weeks of "total experience": I've been the assistant on hundreds of occasions, but until I was ultimately in charge of the finding and selecting, I have to admit that I took very little notice of exactly where everything was! After some major frustration, not helped by the complete disappearance of some items week to week, I am a lot better now!
Our system of transport with car, wheelchair and crutches is getting smoother and perhaps Cass will be able to move to a walking stick for some very minor excursions within a week or two. Subsequently, we spent a very quiet weekend indoors again, although I did venture out to get the shopping, some takeaway food and some hard wall fasteners for a little project I undertook on Sunday afternoon.
The walls in our dining room have been decorated by some exemplary shots of Newcastle taken by my sister Sue about ten years ago. Although we'll display them again, probably in the study, and the larger shots are still in pride-of-place on the lounge room walls, I felt it was time for a long overdue update. I've had lots of photos , signatures and memorabilia framed lately, so instead of them languishing in brown paper stacked against the study walls, I thought I'd do a "salon hang" on the two dining room walls. I've bought a bit of this stuff in bargain buys in online auctions, but some stuff was given to me, like the Kiss backstage passes from a colleague at school (her father's a rock promoter), while others we designed ourselves, like a collection of tickets to get into temples and shrines in Kyoto all framed up together. There are also dolls from a craft bazaar in Delhi along with various photos and autographs. It's an eclectic mix but defined by frame and colour similarities, it all worked pretty well in the end, as well as covering all the old holes, which was quite a trick!
So, we've had a minor decor facelift and my darling is beginning to gel together again, albeit very slowly. Life is good in the chicken roaster that is Taipei at the moment: another 34 degree day today! I'm reading the entertaining Jo Nesbo's The Bat, while Cass is re-reading Susan Cain's triumph, Quiet, in preparation for her first excursion out to Book Club this upcoming Friday. Photos: the "chair", some of my kiddies, the car getting its electronic window mechanism replaced and fitted (for $80!), Taipei's "ampelmann" and the new salon hang in the dining room.
