Cass and I checked out a new ramen shop just round the corner from us mid-week and it was pretty good. I did leave a little unfilled, so next time I'll order a couple of extras to round out the meal. This type of Japanese dish was the one I ate voraciously in my time in Japan, stopping in for lunch most days at a truck stop on the 82nd highway in Sakaki machi to get my big bowl of shoyu ramen. We'll be back to this new restaurant!
I had parent conferences on Thursday and Friday and Cassy will have hers at the end of this week. The parents at this school are, generally speaking, an absolute delight. I again experienced a very smooth experience, even though a number of my charges have significant learning deficits: the parents are just so incredibly supportive and not seeking to lay blame for any shortcomings their children might be exhibiting: refreshing!
We sliced through a press of humanity on Saturday evening and braved the MRT to get two trains downtown. The trains arrive almost nose to tail in peak hours, but still seem to fill up to overflowing as the platform at our local Mingde station swells and sways with a kaleidoscope of travelers in the few minutes between each train. Our tactic of walking way to the start of the platform to enter the first carriage often pays off with that rare jewel of a spare seat, but not when the sun fades on a Saturday evening and everyone decides it's time to trip the light fantastic!!
It's occasionally a slightly unpleasant claustrophobic experience, but never a dull one! The fashions and "individual looks" alone are a night's entertainment. Really, when did it become fashionable to wear knee-high patent boots with mini skirts trimmed in fake fur, teamed with a tartan shirt and a puffy jacket on top with what looks like a Rastafarian tea cosy on the head? Or, has there been a men's revolution which dictates that huge thick-framed glasses worn beneath a flowing fringe of hair and enough product to service a Hollywood awards night can be accompanied by skinny jeans, moccasins, a low-cut T-shirt and a shoulder handbag of patent vinyl is de rigueur? I know I sound like a silly old tool here, but honestly, some of this stuff has to be seen to be believed!
Aubergine at Zhongshao Rd was our destination and we had the usual excellent dining experience. Afterwards we soaked in some city pulse and wandered the lanes and alleys around this bustling heart of the eastern fringes of the city centre. "Hello Kitty" had its usual gaggle of giggling schoolgirls, while Sogo department store was ablaze with Chinese lanterns for a promotion. The streets are a cacophony of sound, excited chatter, the din of constant traffic, the occasional strident horn blast and a palpable buzz of life as people scuttle to various appointments and assignations. We dived into the safe haven of the MRT and threaded our way home through a further pulse of people, platforms, places and products. We went to Uniqlo on the way home and checked out their winter range and got some heat tech gear for Valerie for her upcoming adventure to France with Cass.
I had a real shock on Sunday as I descended the 1000 steps. A large family of macaque monkeys were wandering up and across the path guarded by a very muscular looking "big daddy". There were tiny babies, small offspring and some larger ones as well as a protective mother. Daddy grunted and warned me, so I stayed stock still until he moved a little off the path and indicated (I hoped) that it was OK to continue. It was adrenalin inducing, heart thumping stuff, as the monkeys have been documented as making vicious attacks on people on this very trail. There are clear signs advising what to do in an encounter, however, and I was very careful not to stare them down or make any sudden movements. All's well that ends well, and I tip-toed past big daddy as he watched me quite warily from about 3 metres away: I felt like he was a freight train being held back by a rubber band! Here's the video of the initial encounter.
We finished watching the TV series "Orange is the New Black" (pretty good), and now we're starting the science fiction cloning series "Orphan Black"...seems like a theme is starting! We also watched the movie "Prisoners" on the weekend (A-) which was gripping and suspenseful with quite graphic violence.
Photos: places as described, ramen shop, my room at lunch, Saturday night (including a box on display at Taipei Main Station from the National Palace Museum) and shots from the steps, including a new, granite sheathed house about 1/2 way up with a sensational city view!