After twelve and a half years here in Taipei and our predilection for exploration in and beyond the city environs most weekends and holidays, it would be feasible to assume that we'd seen just about everything the place has to offer. However, not only has the city completely redesigned itself from the belching hulk it was when we first arrived, but it also continually re-invents and rejuvenates public spaces as demand from the population is ever louder for usable, friendly outside recreational areas.

The aforementioned Youbike system is just one example and, as I've commented, new stations are popping up like wildflowers on a Western Australian desert. The associated bike-ways are expanding and improving, and parks and open spaces are becoming more accessible: therefore, greatly in need of renovation as well.

One such site is Yuanshan Park, which was completely transformed a few years ago from an uninspiring, hot field of concrete with some straggly, tired looking bushes, into a wonderland of vertical gardens and carpets of exotic flowers for the International Floral Festival. In the last 18 months, it has been completely transformed yet again despite Cass and I being completely oblivious to the improvements as they took place a little away from our oft beaten path.

The crumbling soccer stadium had been re-purposed as an exhibition hall for the Floral Festival but had become so popular for other visiting shows that the city realized a need for other services. They have transformed the rear of the stadium (which used to host a skate-park where I broke my wrist!) into a vast indoor/outdoor eating and bar and relaxation area. There is a huge cantilevered roof soaring high above and out, giving an outdoor vibe but still protection from the weather.

Nestled underneath are all manner of al-fresco bars and restaurants and cafes, with trees and water features and wide open spaces sprinkled liberally between them. We went to the Three Lions Bar on Friday night to toast Trevor, a Kiwi who has worked at the school with us for years, but who is moving back to NZ next year. Trev was keen to show off his "find" and we were most impressed with the whole set-up. Prior to drinking at the Three Lions, he'd also taken us to another of his "secret spots": this one a hole-in-the-wall fried chicken joint, which would make Henny Penny blush with the freshness and lip smacking flavour it greeted us with.

Harking back to the outdoor space, one of the most amazing sections of the whole place was the toilet area. There was the biggest two-sided urinal I have ever seen, with walls of plants on either side screening the spot from passing eyes: it felt like a real "back to nature" experience, despite the dull roar of nearby Chung Shan traffic!

Cass and I ventured across to SOGO on Saturday afternoon for what is becoming our trademark "luncheon-dinner", where we combine two meals for the day at an odd hour, mainly to beat the Saturday evening dining crowds. The Thai restaurant at the top of the building has the most delectable roasted eggplant amongst other classic dishes! Of course we combined our trip with a little shopping where we checked out the early summer temptations from Uniqlo. I ended up getting a linen/cotton short sleeved shirt for work as well as two more T-shirts....they are so cheap, it's very hard to go away empty handed. We've read that Uniqlo is opening its first Australian store soon, but that the price point will be higher to match the "Australian consumer expectations"....I'm glad Taipei consumer expectations are so cutthroat!

Cass is struggling away with her latest book club selection, Silent House by Orhan Pamuk, but finds it rather a dirge. I, on the other hand, am delighting in the book Gurecki sent me for my birthday, yet another biography on Charles Manson, "His Life and Times". I have now read four books about this nutter: it's a compelling tale! Photos: painted train, Cassy's class arena, a fat cat(6 kg!), homeless in the underpass still have etiquette, outdoor urinal, plants and bars, the Thai restaurant and an indoor water feature.

It's an interesting experience arriving back at work after a week off. The mental strain of dealing with all those people, students and colleagues, is enervating! Cass also has had to deal with a sub teacher in for her close teaching partner so that has been an added strain after his father-in-law died unexpectedly last weekend. I've had a few laughs: my long-time companion, Chee Chee the monkey is still being farmed out to one of my students once in each 10 day cycle, and increasingly has morphed into an androgynous being, especially by some of the more independent minded girls. One of them made him a lovely wig this time after making him a dress in her previous babysitting stint. This monkey again travelled far and wide, this time going to Hawaii! Over the years this monkey has travelled more than we have (15 different countries by my rough count): perhaps in our next lives we'll come back as cute stuffed animals on class assignments in an international school!

Cassy has turned my birthday into something of an extravaganza this year and has stretched it out beyond the single day or weekend. She started by making me my favourite delicious banana cake and has bought me white bread for my toast and used some of our precious (dwindling) stock of Anchovette to go on it. We're devouring the cake as slowly as we can, yet I always seem to be delivered of an enormous slab while she has just a sliver!

I'd had a football fest with some different drinking buddies on Friday night as Wal was away at his annual coaching tournament in Jakarta and managed to watch a good part of two AFL and two NRL games: too much football is never enough! They weren't all quite my cup of tea, so I was glad to have the football as a distraction to the conversation.

We went down to Macaroni Grill in Minsheng Rd downtown on Saturday night, ostensibly for "my" birthday, but mainly as Cassy had wanted to go last week yet we couldn't seem to fit it in. It was superb as usual and again, we had trouble (in fact we didn't!) tearing ourselves away from our previously identified favourites. We did demur on the lemon cake we usually have though, as we wanted to have another slice of banana cake when we got home.

On Sunday we went across to the "Wovie" cinema to see "The Grand Budapest Hotel". Wow, what a cinematic treat this turned out to be. It was awash with sumptuous sets, extravagant costuming and the cleverest, most engaging dialogue. The direction was seamless and the premise didn't overstay its welcome. It reminded us both a little bit of Tarantino's masterful "Inglourious Basterds" in its almost comic book style of cinematography and I had flashbacks of kids' movie "Hugo" as well, about the little kid living alone in Montparnasse railway station. Suffice to say, it was a thoroughly delightful experience and a perfect end to our weekend evening...we recommend it!

I encouraged Cass to take up an offer of another ad audition earlier in the week after her agent, Jo, recommended her for another spot, this time in an ad for Thermos. Her last ad played to a potential audience of 100s of millions in China after a brief run on TV here, so it's lots of fun. She was to play the part of an "older"(!) woman being wooed by a similarly mature man playing love songs on his guitar for her as they sat side-by-side on a park bench. She told me that she also had to "European" kiss him on each cheek after he played! She enjoyed the whole exciting vibe down in the studio and was quite looking forward to the ad if she made it through. The production house, however, decided at the last minute to change the script completely and not have any foreigners in the ad...the foibles of show business! Maybe next time...

I decadently went ahead and booked myself a personal day for my birthday and after a punishing start I've had a very lazy day, thanks very much. I got up early to do my yearly push up challenge: Cass says that I should do fewer each year as I get older, but I'm managing to do one more each time....I must admit the last few were very hard! Here it is.

Photos: the spiders are still pretty big in Taiwan...spotted in a classroom across the hall from mine. Chee Chee adorned with wig, Macaroni Grill and a close up of Cassy's earrings featuring a variety of stones: amethyst, ruby, tourmaline, topaz, diamonds and pearls!

The twisted concrete tentacles of Expressway 1 heading to Nantou were not only a feng shui master's worst nightmare, they were doing our head in as well. The GPS couldn't read the multiple roads and levels as they swept in and around, up and over each other slowly choking the will from the unsuspecting motorist as careering metal hurtled on either side, cascading in and out, appearing from nowhere and disappearing just as rapidly while we puttered along at a sedate 110 km/h!

Ah, the joys of motoring holidays along the expressways of Taiwan's west coast! Despite the fact that there are two mirror image massive arteries (the "1" and the "3") criss-crossing and intertwining their way down the conurbation of the western side of the island, despite the fact that five years of building extra fly-overs on the "1" which confuse the satellite navigation added four extra lanes, we were still caught in a maelstrom of metal juggernauting its way from city to city. Our destination, the polar opposite tranquility of Sun Moon Lake, couldn't come soon enough!

Our hotel was a jewel sparkling beside the Shuishe wharf, a shining landmark that could be seen everywhere we went around the circumference of the lake. Our second floor room had floor to ceiling windows in the main room and the bathroom framing the landscape, cantilevered as it was above the water drawing the eye inexorably over the water to the misted mountains on the far side of the lake. It was a Chinese watercolour burst into life! The room was king bedded for slumber, Hermes bathroom supplied for pampering and Evian watered to slake the thirst. It was pretty slick! After depositing the car in the central township car-park we got out and about in the wharf and the town to stretch the legs and free the tension of the octopus highway.

Over the next few days, we made the most of our location and serenity to enjoy everything the small township had to offer. We strolled to our heart's content, circumnavigated the lake on pushbikes and ate at 6 star hotel restaurants. When we'd had enough, we were able to decadently retire to our hotel haven and watch the dexterous parking feats of the dozens of motor launches lolling in front, their jockeying and docking a thing of exemplary timing, skill and wonder.

Hiring two bikes for the day (at the princely sum of $5 each, all day, no deposit!) was a master-stroke, as we got to see the lake close up and through the different lenses the day proffered, from misty cloud drifts, to bright searing sun and back again to flecks of rain and fog that rolled in with a physical force. The bikes were geared correctly for the mainly flat paths, which were well built, maintained and engineered. The path was built out over water a lot of the time and snaked its way around the northern and western shores. When we got to a more precarious mountainous section, we even had to rush to the rescue of a poor old fellow who was trapped beneath his motor scooter after a fall: he wasn't real steady on his feet and we suspected he'd been on "the nut"!

Our boat trip later in the day was another classic; while I grabbed fleeting snatches of the Chinese commentary, it was pretty much a blur as we heard the history and significance of the miniscule but impossibly gorgeous Lalu island on the far side of the lake. Later on in our journey, after heading to and berthing at Ita Thao wharf, the message was all too clear: no more boat travel till the fog lifted and it certainly didn't look like happening anytime soon! After a half hour of waiting, we abandoned ship like most others and tried to find alternative transport to return. Eventually, with the help of the Visitor's Centre, we headed up through the touristy alleys to the main highway and caught a bus back to our wharf.....a great adventure as the bus had to stop on every other bend to let other buses pass by....memories of Taroko Gorge!

We didn't stay at the luxurious, six star Lalu for two reasons: one, they were fully booked on one night we wanted and two, we decided it was too expensive. If the meal we ate at their restaurant is any guide, the expense would have been worth it. During the day, we wandered up the hill to book our table then arrived in the early evening for what would prove to be an elegant and leisurely gourmet experience, where I must admit we felt more gourmand by its close! The seven course taste sensation was an experience for all the senses, the simple refined wooden furniture felt solid and luxurious, the smells wafting from  the open kitchen as well as the lake views from the screened windows enchanted. There was a hum of soft conversation and the flash and sear of cooking oils, but it was the tastes, oh the tastes that caressed us during our stay. One of the many(surprising) highlights was being served, along with our tender beef fillet, a whole head of roasted garlic with up to 15 plump cloves nestled within...Suffice to say, it was, as Cassy remarked as we savoured our bottle of Tyrell's Cabernet Sauvignon, "one of the best meals I've ever had."

On our way the next morning, the "closed for maintenance" sign on the ropeway gondola we hoped was not a presage for our return trip. As it turned out, it meant little other than we will need to make a return trip someday to try the ropeway and to sample the new "skyway" path being built on vertiginous platforms hugging the most inaccessible sections of the lake. The freeways, although still presenting their challenges on the way home, seemed calmer, possibly only because of our recent experience.

Cassy celebrated her birthday on Saturday and I gave her this book, which she seemed quite chuffed with, along with some earrings she designed herself and had Joe make. They are quite the work of art, but I might save a description till after I consult with her more closely on the details! We went to the slick "Saffron" on Sunday afternoon to celebrate and now, of course, we're back at school, and totally exhausted after our first day back!

For future reference, (mainly our own!) here are links to the slideshow, the dockside vid and the lookout video.

We're going on holidays tomorrow, driving to Sun Moon Lake for a few days. We've got a reasonably flash hotel booked right on the water's edge, but we decided to give the Lalu a miss as they insisted on charging more than $400 a night....we'll just go and eat in the restaurant instead I think! The car's all ready to go and I have our new eTag fitted in order to fly through the toll gates on the way.

We've enjoyed a relatively quiet weekend as we're getting ready to travel, but we got over to Chili's for a late lunch today after watching the mighty Knights demolish the Sharks with some Alex Mackinnon inspired adrenaline running through their bodies.

We also spotted the "Moop" again mid-week as well as the last flush of cherry blossoms on the river road, which Cassy decided to match with her "school ma'am's" outfit! Also featured is our favourite number 14 bike park in the basement of Shinkong Mitsukoshi.

I'll have lots about our holiday next week...

The Youbike phenomenon is surging with such pace that a new station seems to open up every week. There are now stations ringed around our place and new ones have just opened up at our closest MRT stops of Mingde and Zhishan. A quick check of the online, real time availability and we made a beeline for Zhishan as the others around were quickly being depleted.

It was no wonder: our Sunday was just one of those perfect days that not only entice you into them, but continue to pamper you when you're surrounded by all they have to offer. The sun was bright and intense, but not searing, there were a few striated clouds etched across the sky for interest and a breeze that promised relief for our return journey as it fanned our faces and buffeted our bodies on the way downriver.

We were joined by similar sunseeking citizens on the riverside bike paths all the way along. There was an eclectic mix of vehicles with family groups on matching sets of bikes, all branded alike and like Russian dolls lined up, each person a slightly more miniature version of the one before. There were carbon fibre, lighter-than-air numbers purring past at great velocity, the riders encased in riotous spandex and space age sunglasses. Daytrippers like us were clunking along on Youbikes or other rentals from the riverside banks of cycles. Riders were wiggling wildly on their first time experiences, some were escaping the heat under highway overpasses with a drink, and others lounged on the grass verge watching the baseball and rugby games that entertained along the way.

We had a wonderful time on the ride and finally decided to turn around and head back when faced with a great long uninspiring wall of concrete on the northern bank of the Keelung River at Neihu. We spotted all sorts of items of interest along the way, including a dedicated legal graffiti wall, and  an apartment building that Cassy was quite taken with, with its wide floor to ceiling windows and river views. There was even a new river dam with an associated "fish ladder" (an ingenious device we'd never seen before which allows fish to negotiate different levels in a river that has been artificially altered by humans), and all manner of people at a dizzying array of activities! On the way back, a well meaning new "friend" decided to befriend us for a spell and although we thought we'd shaken him, he caught us again a little further down the track. People here just have such beautiful natures: he was trying out his English and seemed genuinely concerned about whether we could negotiate Taipei to look for restaurants etc. We assured him we were fine and he pedalled off quite happily then to meet up with his cycling buddy!

So a great day on Sunday was icing on the weekend's cake as we had also had a very enjoyable Saturday, again savouring the delightful fare at Din Tai Fung. I had the special chili version of the shrimp and pork wontons and I probably won't have them again: they were delicious, but crazy hot! I think I'll stick with the chicken xiao long bao from now on. We also got two plates of the cabbage since a waitress unfortunately mentioned that the original has been cooked in a pork broth, Cassy now has to get the vegetarian version. Who would have thought they'd be a non-vegetarian version of boiled cabbage?!

We've got another week of work before our spring break, which we're really looking forward to (the break that is, not the work!). We were supposed to be going to Bangkok for an annual conference on Wednesday night, but we decided to pull out due to the ongoing political tension and violent protests over there. It will probably be fine, but we think we'll wait till things simmer down a little more.

Photos: Din Tai Fung dishes, bike path shots and a cute doorway in the backstreets near home.

 We were jettisoned from yet another new, busy MRT station with a wash of sun-seeking humanity just before the 101 stop at XinYi Anhe, and were suitably impressed by the teams of cleaners scrubbing, disinfecting and polishing everything in sight, including the quirky steel, surfboard inspired seats on the platform. We'd caught the new XinYi line late Saturday morning to get out in the beautiful sunshine and mild temps and soak up a bit of downtown flurry.

Woolloomooloo is not just an inner Sydney harbourside suburb, but a cafe in inner city Taipei that has a very cool Aussie industrial vibe. The open plan downstairs was full, so we were directed to the second floor where double roller doors were fully opened to the street and the sun was spilling in patches onto a balcony bookended by vertical gardens on opposite walls. The walls were a dirty grey and the steel art works with yellow wool mimicked hazard road signs cleverly. Tiny downlights encased in upturned duralex drinking glasses dangled from unadorned leads , and we were ushered to a long, blond wood, communal table. The wait staff were laid back and even had (and understood) the Aussie vernacular, so for a very rare moment, we could fully relax with our ordering and just "let it flow". It's amazing how wonderful it is not to worry about clipping your words or phrases in English, or have to form up some Mandarin phrases: so relaxing!

We ended up whiling away a great chunk of the afternoon there eating delicious pizzas and pastas, sipping red wine and then eventually finishing off with mouthwatering desserts and coffees. Not our preferred seating arrangement, the communal table ended up OK, adding a sense of city to the mix and we had to raise our voices at times to communicate above the general din which had a comforting, exciting hum with a background of Triple J streaming live. The floor to ceiling fridges downstairs were bulging with Aussie wines and beers, the coffees hissed and steamed under gleaming chromed machines as baristas chatted and buzzed : it was really quite a treat! Yet one more thing I can tick off a list of things I miss from back home: the list is dwindling...

I had the address of a furniture store that happened to be tucked away in a back alley not far from Woolloomooloo, so we retrained for a couple of stops before emerging from yet another new station for us. GPS on the phone directed us down a few lanes and alleys before we found the place closed for renovations for a week: what were the chances! We spoke to a girl in the dust cloud, above the whining circular saws, and she confirmed they'd re-open by Wednesday. We'll definitely go back as we want to check out their designer chairs for a possible purchase to replace the four dining chairs we have at home. Our current ones look pretty good, but they're a shoddy design and are uncomfortable.

We'd ordered the bread for the week at Wendel's on the way downtown, so we detrained at Zhishan to pick up the goods before wandering home in the early evening. Much to Cassy's horror, I bought some squid balls and some soft boiled eggs at the 7/11 on the way home to serve as my supper: she thinks I've turned local!

Football season in both codes has started in earnest, so I've been organising the re-start of the footy tipping comps. Personally, I shouldn't have bothered as I am 0/4 in the AFL tipping so far! The Knights turned in an insipid performance on Sunday against the Raiders and we were frustrated as we watched. Apart from that little disappointment, we enjoyed a magic weekend: it's a fillip for the soul to get some rays, and have sunshine and clear days buoy the spirits. Even a return to work this morning did little to dampen our enthusiasm: I'm back walking and hoping not to tear my calf muscle again...baby steps!

Photos:  a group of my kids with their set book in the lower school library's comfy seats, teapots on display in the library, cute kids on the MRT, Woolloomooloo, XinYi buildings, subway entrance, and lanterns at our local community hall. Cass is reading The Burgess Boys and I'm reading The Hard Way.

I've heard these stories about old people getting injuries tripping over pebbles, opening a can of baked beans or even bending down to tie their shoelaces. My young then middle aged body has been just fine, thanks very much, managing to navigate its way through all sorts of mild physical challenges and others of some particular rigour. In fact, I've had quite a superior air when hearing about these relatively young folk (younger than me!), succumbing to all sorts of strange injuries. Well, I'm very sad to report that March, 2014 will go down in history as the month my erstwhile trustworthy physical embodiment showed some scary signs of aging and refusal to bounce back immediately from a setback.

I severely tore my calf muscle a couple of weeks ago, so decided, with due consideration to my age and stage that I would do all the right things to rehabilitate it. I was launching off my back leg a flurry of punches onto the heavy bag  in the gym, a new initiative Wal and I were trying, where we were doing very high intensity, short rounds. After days of RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation), I gingerly took some steps and after a couple of weeks of careful graduations, was able to step out fairly normally. Along the way of course, I'd steadily been increasing my rehabilitation stretches etc.

Suffice to say, the leg was feeling so good that I didn't treat it with cotton wool care when descending a small set of steps on Friday and I felt a tear and searing pain flare through my right calf again in the exact same place! Oh, the frustration!I'll now have to map out and implement the exact same course of action for another month or so, this time remembering that just because it feels OK, doesn't mean it is cured.

A return to cold rainy weather and my total lack of mobility meant our weekend was as quiet as a mouse's footsteps. My darling was dutiful in her replacement of ice packs and running errands and I suspect her trips out to buy pizza, do the shopping and have a stroll on the river path were as much about alleviating the boredom as stretching her legs. The first round of the NRL couldn't have arrived at a better time, and I managed to watch part, if not all, of every single game! The new rules, while not overtly ground-breaking or shocking have meant yet another increase in the speed of the game, and the gladiators definitely tired later in all the games I watched. I suppose they'll just become even fitter and stronger to compensate....

Cass accepted an invitation to go to the cinema with her friends Kristin and Darby on Sunday night and again it was quite fortuitous, as it was a movie I wouldn't be particularly enamoured of attending. They went to see the Oscar nominated, "August: Osage County" and reported it to be excellent as well as star studded. Benedict Cumberbatch (who we've seen recently as a very British Sherlock Holmes) was almost unrecognizable and Meryl Streep played her usual triumphal role.

I've downloaded "The Burgess Boys" for Cassy's Kindle, and I'm still savouring the plentiful delights of "W is for Wasted". A dearth of photographs is a graphic representation of my exciting weekend! (I have included a photo from Cassy's book club from last week. I also added a shot of a photo I had framed to give Dan for his 40th birthday: a big day at Nan Ao when I snapped two legropes!)

BTW, I neither have a kangaroo growing from my head nor Cassy a skier exiting from her mouth - it's the vagaries of poorly framed selfies!

So, individually and as a partnership, we got crazy social this past weekend. Cass got herself out and about with different people on Friday, Saturday and Sunday while I was only slightly more circumspect, staying out on Friday and Sunday. Our Sunday outing was our shared experience so, I'll start off with that.

Mild apologies to our tiny quorem of readers for not posting yesterday, but I do have an excuse which I'll expand upon later. We were a little surprised to get a call late in the week from one of our colleagues inviting us over for a Sunday luncheon get-together with assorted other invitees. Not usually our preferred kettle of fish, it was impossible to say no when the invitation was phrased with no "get-out" clause! As it turned out, it was a delightful afternoon and we were especially honoured being "first time guests". This did mean, however, that we were peppered with questions and we reluctantly ended up being the focus of most conversation as the older friends had their time in the sun many times before! The vegetarian lasagna was scrumptious, the company convivial and the atmosphere relaxed: we even managed a glass of red wine before we wandered the few short blocks home.

I was out at the newly renovated Patio 84, (which in turn was the slightly renovated and re-named Green Bar) with Shaun and Wol with an extended entourage of Dave, John, Jim and Andreas in tow. We ended up having a great time in the not wildly different, but certainly cleaner and updated bar. The Stella Artois beer on tap was amply sampled and we had sore heads in the morning. While I was there, Cass was at Rhonda's place enjoying her signature chicken enchiladas with the book club. They had a great night as well and coming on top of two days of enervating parent conferences for Cass (all 85 of them!!), we managed a very late morning sleep-in on Saturday!

Cass was out and about again on Saturday night with her good friend, Kristin, when they took in the excellent movie, "Philomena" before dining at one of their favourite restaurants, the Tienmu branch of Sonentor. Afterwards, Cass shopped vicariously as Kristin bought all sorts of make-up goodies at Takashimaya, before they each wandered home via the Shi Dong and the river park. Again, what a brilliant place this is where you can wander around at any time of the day and night, in any part of the city, and still feel safe, relaxed and unthreatened.

Cass was at Takashimaya getting a manicure mid-week while I was at home nursing/icing a badly torn calf muscle on my right leg. Wol and I attack the heavy bag at least twice a week after school, but this week, despite an extended (and what I considered very adequate) warm-up, I launched into a barrage of punches off my back leg only to feel the muscle tear. I hobbled around all week, but it is slowly healing: my first "old man injury"...frustrating!!

I was unable to write the blog yesterday as I was due in a multiple hour session with the dentist. A previous root canal and crown had fractured requiring a tooth's removal and I was getting an implant. Suffice to say (of course) it's proved anything but straight forward, so my mouth full of stitches and some strange foreign object drilled into my skull is only just the start. The most traumatic thing about the whole process was entering the dentist's surgery to find two nurses and the dentist, all fully gowned, masked, gloved, hatted and armoured against what I could only presume was the upcoming slaughterhouse scene at which I was the bovine offering! It probably was as bad as I imagined, but mercifully they had de-gowned and cleaned up before deigning to peel my full body covering from me and remove the Ku Klux Clan hood from my head. Oh, the horror, the horror!!

Anyway, after a few weeks of having very quiet and relaxed ends to the working week, we have certainly made up for it this week! Despite the surfeit of socializing, neither of us remembered to wield the camera, so shots are extras from last week, an interesting pre-school nearby and one of the silent army of CCTV cameras in Taipei's streets (apparently littered with more per capita than anywhere else in the world....big brother!!)

I'm reading W is for Wasted by Sue Grafton...reading Kinsey Millhone mysteries is like putting on a comfy pair of slippers!