The AFL grand final has become the zenith of the football season here in Taipei for the expat community in Tienmu at least. While my heart still pulses with red and blue liquid pride and passion for the Knights (who were vanquished later that day), this one-off event certainly resonates with our small crew of die-hard supporters.
At the old Green Bar before the sun crosses the yardarm, drinking specially-imported-for-the-day Toohey's Dry beer stubbies and chowing down on pies and hamburgers....wait, were we still actually in Taipei? The half time prizes and brickbats were served up with their usual dose of pomp and ceremony by yours truly and the also-rans mewed excuses while some of the winners humbly accepted their envelopes while others crowed their credentials for all and sundry to hear. I raced through the speeches in order to hear "Hunters and Collectors" pump out some tunes, including my favourite, "Do You see What I See". Crazy shouts were entered into that became far too unwieldy to manage later into the evening, tall tales were told and there was even a reprise of a push-up challenge from last year when I had to again stave off the effects of far too many beers to flick aside the precocious challenges of a much younger colleague...no problem!
Cass has continued her remarkable recovery form her bone breaking exploits of 5 weeks back. After luxuriating in the physical and mental holiday from the horrors of Grade 8 camp at the provincial and spartan Fulong camp grounds, Cassy has travelled to work today on the back of the scooter, her trusty and flashy red walking stick just taking a little extra weight off her injured leg. I'll be interested to hear how she fared today: it's a hard ask after a solid 9 days off to return with all guns blazing. We met for lunch and she was OK, so fingers crossed.
We did some marathon watching of Breaking Bad over the weekend and we're ready for the big finale that screened in the US overnight (this morning our time). It's not often that there is so much hype around a TV show, but the quality of this series makes it a standout: it's vicious, mind-blowing, pulls zero punches and makes no nods to "Hollywood" story lines, yet because of this, it has become a must watch show. We're looking forward to gorging on the double episode finale tonight as soon as I (ahem!) "retrieve it" from cyberspace upon our return home.
Well, the much discussed "hiatus" has floated its dreaded cast over our still-warm football season corpses, and we'll be awaiting the start of the cricket season in November before we can throw off this awful shroud once again. Hopefully the time will fly. I might have to actually get out and have a surf or few! Now my darling is well on the road to recovery, we'll be able to resume our Taipei adventures with a bit more gusto I suspect!
I'm still reading "The Bat" (Nesbo) as well as the next chapter in the Braggett antecedents great Hunter adventure, this time the swashbuckling raconteur, pub-owner, horse trainer and colourful racing identity, Thomas Braggett, eldest son of the convict made good, William Braggett. Cass is reading something on Kristin's Kindle, but I've been unable to keep up with her insatiable hunger for the written word this past week. Photo: my shopping has improved, but taking a photo of the old rice packet was a better way of finding another one! Cass with rakish stick this afternoon and the latest addition to park furniture, poop scoopin' bags!