The Lunar New Year (The Year of the Dog) seemed to splutter and falter a little this year, a cartridge of spirit-scaring firecrackers that failed to properly ignite, at least from our perspective. Normally the neighbourhood is literally rocking, windows being zapped and cracked by errant missiles, cheering and shouting at all times of the day and evening, as well as family groups wandering the streets and parks zombie-like, seeking sunshine, and some relief from some intense days of "special and delicious foods" and family togetherness.
There was, of course, some of the latter, and the more I think of it, the more in evidence it actually was. The real situation was almost certainly that we were not out and about amongst it all as we'd normally be. Our CNY break played out rather pitifully as Cass was struck by a flu like condition which progressed to her sinuses from the very first day of the break until the last, almost perfectly (or imperfectly!) timed.
One thing that was a bonus for both of us was the chance to catch up, guilt free, on some lost sleep as well as recover from quite a hectic Christmas holiday. Despite the fact that Cass was disappointed in falling ill over the break, she was thankful it didn't happen in Europe a few weeks back, as we were out and about in a busy schedule each and every day. This time, we didn't have any firm plans and had nothing to cancel or worry about, so we took the opportunity to enjoy the apartment, the cats and catch up on rest and pastimes in a rather decadent fashion. Cass would sleep in late, rally for some late breakfast and then toddle back off to bed for a long afternoon nap before surfacing again for a short evening stint.
In between times, we made countless visits to the ear, nose and throat specialists for ministrations and drug supplies, sourced some food items for dinners and read books and watched TV series. It was a fairly uneventful week!
Twice during the break I strapped on my walking shoes and headed up the mountains for some fresh air and exercise, leaving my sleeping beauty behind to continue her recovery. On Wednesday, I walked through the backstreets of our area and marveled at the newly remodeled path and park through to the supermarket in Mingde Road: it's now quite the Grand Boulevard! I picked my way through the hospital grounds of Cheng Shin before negotiating the labyrinthine Veteran's General Hospital grounds on my way to the back track to Dog's Head Mountain, passing all sorts of outer wards and a subway tunnel along the way. The walk up the mountain is paved and cut in steps, and on a gradient so steep that I was huffing and puffing by the time I reached the top. The sandstone outcrop at the peak is very impressive: I just wish that one day I might get it to myself to enjoy. As it was, despite the fact I didn't encounter a soul on the way up, it was populated with lounging couples and other conquering climbers, most of whom, like me, whipped out their phones to take a commemorative photograph!
I headed down the off-side of the mountain, which I'd never done before, and it gave another interesting perspective to the hill and the back areas of the hospital: seems like all the neurologically challenged folk are catered for in the quiet shadows and calm vibes of the forest and mountain, a pretty good choice.
Yesterday, I completed my more regular challenge of the 1400 steps leading from the staging point at the top of Chung Shan North Rd all the way up to the forest trail of the Formosan macaque troop, who were, mercifully, not in evidence. The slow moving train of family walkers grinding its way up the steps probably encouraged the monkeys to take solace in the deeper foliage: the groups were languid and annoying, stopping short at odd moments in the middle of the steps and/or shouting and jabbering all sorts of nonsense to one another, whether there was a fellow walker passing by them at that time or not! Not to mind, I enjoyed my cooling draught at the bottom before arriving home much refreshed and energized to find a slightly more "with it" Cassy, just starting to recover, of course, just in time to go to work again on Monday!
Photos: trail shots as well as the ingenious way a 7/11 dealt with the blow-out of its ducted air-conditioning....just get giant plastic bags to catch the water and keep trading! Also the hospital's food court offers at least 25 different food outlets, while Cass got out of the house near the end of the break to do some food shopping via the new "Grand Boulevard".