Best laid plans sometimes come unstuck and despite my last minute planning of addresses in Mandarin, the taxi driver seemed to be totally perplexed. The characters were correct, it was just that the specific address of building, lane and alley was unknown. In dribbling rain and through a foggy windscreen, he just needed to be directed all the way up to the lower slopes of “Section 7”, the leafy and glitzy area of our suburb on the way up to Yangminshan, one street at a time!

Cass and I were on our way up to Shaun and Katie’s place for a party to celebrate the end of his doctoral studies. He’s been at it for a good few years now so felt a sense of sweet relief when it was all done and dusted. He’s just finishing his first year as principal of the middle school as well, so it’s been a big year all round. We’ve had a lot to do with these two over the past 16 years and were pleased to get an invite to help celebrate another milestone. I worked team teaching with Katie for years, Shaun is one of our good Aussie mates who we share a beer with down at Uli’s from time to time and years back we headed down to Tasmania for their wedding. It was a good show and we had fun for a few hours at their place on an otherwise dreary Friday night. We even met another couple from Newcastle with a couple of kids at the school….small world isn’t it?!

We had our Saturday sleep-in interrupted by a mild cacophony, discordant trumpets blaring and drums ‘a beatin’. We’d been warily eyeing off the preparations in our local temple and park for a few weeks as we walked to and from school, but today was the day when things would really “light up”. There was a traffic jam of marching groups on the river road which skirts the pocket park and tennis court just opposite our place. After an initial pile-up, all seemed to get sorted pretty quickly, but as we were to ascertain shortly afterwards, this was the eye of the storm.

We wandered over to do the grocery shopping in the early afternoon only to be amazed at the scenes in the park behind the temple and tennis courts. Stages were being constructed, as well as tables and chairsbeing set up under huge tents for hundreds and hundreds of diners. There were gas bottles linked with snaking hoses to gargantuan cooking pots boiling awayvast quantities of vegetables and unidentified meats. An army of cooks and preparers were bustling under the canvas and seemed slightly bemused at the foreigners in their midst taking photos!

When dusk fell to early evening, however we were amazed when we returned from the cinema. Alien Covenant had nothing on the other-worldly scenes and sounds which greeted us in our little alley. Hordes of ample-stomached and scantily clad young men were chewing betel nut and chugging beers in the little pagoda opposite, with their souped up cars idling in the lane-way making further jams. The procession of floats and tributes flowed and eddied down the river road, all the while accompanied either by the strident traditional wailing or in-congruent beating rhythms of modern doof doof blasting out of strategically located speakers through the park.

The diners were being entertained by a woman shouting at ear-splitting volume into a mic who was extolling various men to get up and dance with her bikini clad partners, who were wandering up and down the table rows shaking ample bosom at various victims (none seemed game to do so at this early stage of the night). Wandering over to the temple proper and past the long lines of waiting deities and their attendants, each float was being welcomed into the courtyard with blasting music and raucous cheers. Dance troupes of young girls performed various set routines on yet another stage gracing the entrance to the temple proper, and each presentation was met with a further firing of crackers and a corresponding release of coloured ticker-tape, which showered down like confetti on the rapturous crowd.

I wandered out and around the back entrance and re-entered our alley for the stroll back home. All the excitement was miraculously over by about 10 p.m. and there was an orderly withdrawal of thousands of delirious worshipers. I just wonder what might have happened at a similar celebration elsewhere in the world: I’m certain it wouldn’t have been as calm as this!

As I mentioned, we did see the latest Alien movie on Saturday night, yet life was putting on its own even more amazing show for us when we returned! We ate a delicious meal at Thai Town with all our favourites and a really lazy day on Sunday, winding down from all the previous night’s excitement. 

Photos: Wal and Annie, me and Wal with the new "doctor", Aussie grapes(!), preparations in the park, cinema posing, Thai Town, temple antics.

Is there any soundtrack harder to erase from one's mind than that of the stage-play, "Oliver"? I'm shouting, "No!"

There's a little ditty They're singing in the city Espeshly when they've been On the gin Or the beer
See what I mean? Try to get that out of your head in a hurry! The trouble was, in fact, quite possibly the genesis of all the mind soundtracks, were precisely because Cass couldn't get on the gin or the beer all week long and all weekend as the makeup artisan par excellence was once again pressed into service for the annual middle school production.


Food, glorious food! Hot sausage and mustard! While we're in the mood, Cold jelly and custard!
Pease pudding and saveloys, What next is the question? Rich gentlemen have it boys,
Indigestion!
Despite the thespian's face artist(!) being banished to her backstage makeup room for hours on end this week, we still managed to feast on hot sausage and mustard (or at least I did!) We got some takeaway fare a few times during the period, but remarkably, Cass insisted on keeping up the cooking routine, partly I suspect because of just that: routine. She finds it quite comforting when she has the time to just potter around the kitchen and prepare the food for the coming few days.


Consider yourself at home. Consider yourself one of the family. We've taken to you so strong.
It's clear we're going to get along.
We had communication with both strands of the family at different points on the weekend and during the week as Mother's Day was celebrated. We'd sent some floral tributes to Valerie and Denise and were relieved to find that both sets arrived without any drama and were well received. It was great to have a chat with the mums and Denise had just enjoyed a super lunch prepared by her daughters and son-in-law which was a real treat as they set it all up at home for her, negating the need for an adventure further afield.


Who will buy my sweet red roses? Two blooms for a penny. Who will buy my sweet red roses?
Two blooms for a penny.
Cass was given her sweet red rose after the Saturday performance, but whether the makeup crew had left theirs behind deliberately or there were just extra left over we don't know. Regardless, Cassy arrived home with a bountiful bunch of red roses for narry a penny as she scooped up all that remained and saved them from a withering fate overnight. She felt like quite the prima donna!

Hang ev'rything! We'd risk life and limb To keep you in the swim Yes, we'd do anything...
Anything?!.......Anything for you.
It was far from this dramatic, but I finally found some time to go and spot some gold on my new gig next year. Current teacher, Lisa, was kind enough to let me sit in on her classes this week. She gave me a good outline of what she currently does with her EAL classes on Grade 8 and Grade 7 then I watched them in action and took part in a couple of activities. It was great to see the theory in practice and start to get a better idea about my new gig. She showered me with lots of extra novels and texts and URLs for programs so I'm going to have a lot of reading and preparation in the next couple of months!

You've got to pick-a-pocket or two You've got to pick-a-pocket or two, boys,
You've got to pick-a-pocket or two. 
I still feel slightly violated myself after being informed I will lose my underground carpark next school year, starting in August. I've been robbed! No, seriously, the fact of the matter is that we've been getting away with our own petty crime for a good decade or more. The system of school parking is meant to be for commuters who commute at least 4 days a week between home and school. We only occasionally use the car on one day of the weekend, so it is taking a valuable park from genuine commuters, many of whom have been on a lengthy waiting list for years. So, fair cop! Trouble is of course, that car parking is at a premium in this glitzy, leafy suburb and the price is correspondingly high. Nonetheless, I think I've found a spot which is pretty cheap, a few blocks away from home: is $2,000 a year cheap? Apparently for here, it is!

One boy, Boy for sale. He's going cheap. Only seven guineas.That -- or thereabouts. 
Not a boy, but two surfboards. Not for sale, but free. The surfboards are a fallout from the loss of the parking as they were stacked behind the car. I offered them on the school exchange this week and it looks like they're already snapped up. I'll keep a couple of favourites, but unfortunately these must go! 

Photos: boards, construction and makeup! 

Now finally, just to be really extremely annoying, cop this!......
Oom-pah-pah! Oom-pah-pah! That's how it goes, Oom-pah-pah! Oom-pah-pah! Ev'ryone knows.
They all suppose what they want to suppose...When they hear...oom-pah-pah!!

A small commotion in our laneway disturbed us from our reverie early on Saturday morning, the chatter of voices and the scratching of brooms along with trolleys being dragged along. A cute Taiwanese tradition is the local community volunteer clean-up group that descends periodically in a whirlwind of frenetic energy, before disappearing just as quickly. They're like a plague of locusts facing a crop of rich, fresh wheat: not a shred is left behind! A slightly sinister by-product is that if they discover anything untoward, like a bag of recyclables left around, or even worse, some errant garbage, they'll sift through the mess until they find some evidence of the dumper. They then confront the neigbourhood criminal with their evidence and castigate them roundly…luckily we’re very good citizens and haven’t received one of these sprays!

We re-visited a fantastic spot down in the south east of the city this weekend. The Songshan Cultural and Creative Park is a beautiful space, an oasis of calm and stylish design in the midst of one of the busiest areas of the city. Right outside its front gate, traffic whizzes along and elevated roadways host even more vehicles going hither and dither. It’s a nostalgic visit for us as, I’ve mentioned previously, the area has morphed into being since we used to visit the Living Mall so many years ago. The park virtually lies in its shadow.

Cobblestoned paths lead the way in past luxuriant stands of tropical palms and plants, weaving their way between temporary stalls and tents displaying all types of crafts and trinkets. The stalls have swollen in number and variety since we last visited. The old tobacco factory has been fully restored and sprawls across acres of land in the form of numerous large warehouses and an enormous double-storied administration block encasing an inner courtyard of paths, plantings and an impressive baroque, cascading fountain in its centre. Cass just loves the main building: it oozes style and space with little nods to art deco styling throughout. We had a great time wandering through later in the day.

First, however, we made a beeline for the new edifice behind the old, the Eslite Spectrum and its basement food court. We hoped that the “Australian Pie Pie” shop would still be there and it was! We tucked into some lavish servings of pies with accompanying mashed potato and vegetables. The slight nod to being in Taiwan was the iced tea that was part of the set, but unsweetened, it was the perfect liquid refreshment. Onwards and upwards, quite literally, the second floor bespoke arts area was great fun to re-visit. We wandered past hand crafted guitar nooks, fixed wheel bikes, glass blowing and pottery and were even invited to make our own silver jewelry in a fully kitted-out workshop!

We didn’t stumble across custom made furniture outlet Ruskasa which was rumoured to be housed within, but never mind, perhaps we’ll find another area to explore when I can locate it somewhere else! Strolling back to the warehouses, we were enticed inside by the earnest invitations of beautiful young hosts hovering near the doorways. Feeling very old and daggy due to the packed warehouses of overdressed, impossibly young and gorgeous uni students, we realized that we’d stumbled into the graduating design class of 2017 from Taipei University. Girls were tottering around in sparkling, gravity defying stilettos with swishing dresses, while the guys were doffing pork pie hats, wearing “ankle-freezer” skinny leg jeans and toting leather shoulder bags.

Oblivious to the old foreign dags in their midst, the youngies fawned over each other and exclaimed and giggled as they took a thousand selfies, so we judiciously exited stage left! We wandered back across to the relative calm of the old administration building to the Taiwan Design Museum and discovered a haven of chic creation and style. We wandered around for ages, exclaiming at the cool designs and innovative products. There was so much stuff I wanted, but in the end we resisted and walked away with just a few good memories.

We raced around as is our usual practice on the rest of the weekend, sourcing food for the week ahead, organizing our lives and relaxing with the strangely and newly attentive girls. After our favourite Maya Pizza refused to open at our preferred time (!), we sourced some from Pino. The main guy there is originally from Pizza Oggi and, judging by the taste and quality of his products, he has taken some of those authentic Italian secrets across with him. We’ll be back!

Photos: A flipped car on the main road when we walked to school earlier in the week….how did this happen?! Clean up crew in the lane-way and shots from the Cultural and Creative Park.

Far from being on their last legs, the idea of which seemed to be firmly planted in our minds, Virg'n Mary not only survived their latest general anesthetic, but seem to be positively radiant with health! It was with a generous dose of trepidation that we decided to continue our bi-annual tooth checkup for the girls. We know the complications from gingivitis could kill them, so we're keen to get this procedure done, despite the angst it brings to the patients and, more keenly, us!

Every two years we try to spirit the baskets into our small bathroom a few days prior and then prepare for the "operation" proper. Classes covered by colleagues if need be, we sprint for the car, navigate back home and then creep into the house. Stealthily breaching the girls' room, we manage to grab them and wrestle them into the baskets secreted away, before motoring over to Dr Yang's vet surgery for the all important blood tests. We race back to school while the little patients are tucked into their cages awaiting the injection.

Finally, the text comes through that the blood tests are fine and they can go ahead with the anesthetic. Cass then dropped in after work to see that they had survived their ordeal and were sitting milky eyed and doped out ready to spend the night under lock and key before being picked up the following morning. Not only did they survive, but as 13 year old seniors, their blood markers indicate they are in raging good health: these girls might live for a good few years yet!

Excited by this news, we wandered over in gorgeous sunshine early Saturday morning to collect the furry survivors with spring in the air and in our step. After a minimum of hissing and spitting at one another, they settled in to sleep the entire weekend away, lolling around on laps or cushions or beds or various other cozy nooks that were created for them wherever they chose to collapse! Cass was unsure about leaving the little lurching drunkards home alone, so we did a quick trip to the grocery shops before I went to Burger Ray's to source some takeaway: it was delicious! In fact, Cassy has gone right out there by declaring it the best veggie burger she has ever had! (see menu above for the Quinoa Mushroom Veggie Burger)

Sunday, impossibly, was even more exquisite than the day before. The temperature was mild, the sun beamed and the air crisp and cool. The combination meant t-shirts and shorts on the motor scooter, without even the hint of a chill. We doubled up on the European summery vibe by visiting one of our favourite suburban corners close by to soak up the day al fresco. Wide streets and footpaths, tree-lined and paved with cafes on three of the four corners, we chose a new one and "Ruelle" was quite a revelation. We each had a brain-bustingly strong coffee along with salads of smoked salmon and honey chicken respectively while sitting at a bar height metal strip table facing the street and the human passing parade. We could have stayed there all day!

Reluctantly, we scootered onward, motors zinging and traffic whumphing along huge multi-laned roadways before pelting through the long, noisy Dazhi Tunnel through to Dazhi and Neihu. Emerging again into the sunshine on the other side of the mountains, a little like a quiescent pupa emerging into a bright new world, this one full of glass and steel, towering and gleaming architectural marvels housing slick restaurants, shops and galleries. We headed for Double Square Gallery for their latest exhibition.

Chen Wan-Jen's take on the world seems deceptively simple, yet cleverly delineated. We took in his mesmerizing video installations, two of which filled the cavernous spaces in which they were housed. There was an entree of a video wall that was interesting (see video above, or here) as well. Suitably stimulated, we motored on towards Tiding Interchange and the back blocks of Neihu en-route to the gigantic flea market called Aphrodite, housed in a huge space in section 6 of MinQuan East Road. We'd been here quite recently and Cass had spotted some old, etched glass wine glasses that she wanted to get. Luckily for us, they were still sitting in the same spot on the shelf, so we scooped up all seven available and made our little purchase. The shop guy did a beautiful job individually wrapping each piece then boxing them up, so the bumpy scooter ride all the way back to Tienmu could be attempted without the risk of a shattering experience!

Arriving back in the melted butter glow of the early evening, still so lovely, we felt relaxed and satisfied. Our cats were soundly sleeping, luxuriating in the still warm but waning sun, and we were all set to settle in for a relaxing evening and prepare for the week ahead. Photos: curious sights at the temple close by (why are these puppets' eyes covered?), Youbikes, blossom, coin machines, Burger Ray menu and Sunday outing shots.

One of my great friends and colleagues here at school, Karen, is an accomplished and published poet (3 volumes now) of some renown. Her poetry reading soiree down at local tea shop, Smith and Hsu, late in the week was an interesting and unusual distraction from the regular weekly work grind. Karen has had more of her fair share of tragedy and heartbreak in her life, and while it no doubt provides plenty of fodder for her poetic juices, she's had nearly a decade of quite shattering events. She performed with aplomb and she rose in my esteem yet again: how she copes with the outpouring of such raw emotion and the way she transforms it into soaring verse quite astounds me.

I was delighted to join up with regular mate Wal and visitor, Trev for round two of our catch-up on Friday night down at the re-vamped Uli's. Trev is a unique character and extremely entertaining and full of life. He and Marg taught here for decades before their retirement a few years back. Trev, however, pulled the pin on working life three years before Marg, so had the chance to fill his days with further discoveries in Taipei and immediate surrounds. He did a great job: not only does he know nearly every lane-way and alley in the city but he's sniffed out many golden little "holes-in-the-wall" where you can source cheap and tasty local fare for a tiny outlay. He has also developed rich and varied cultural interests, including bonsai cultivation and playing the erhu! Despite being a decade and a half older than me, he's also got the energy of a much younger man....we get exhausted just listening to him!

The weather turned back a notch on Saturday with an incessant dribbling spit of rain accompanying a surprising cool and biting wind. We pounced on a break in the rain to scamper across the park and river to our little basement supermarket and dashed around to procure the weekly goods. Cass always comments at the end of the week that "someone has managed to eat that fridge-full of food again!" and she's always quite right: it seems impossible when we return laden, that the supplies could run out in such a short period. Cass transforms them into exotic dishes, we eat 'em, and the visit to the supermarket looms all too quickly!

On Sunday, the day was slightly more hospitable to be traveling out and about yet still a niggling wind nipped and worried, so we decided to visit the cinema in the early afternoon after a relaxing morning pottering around the house. Many of the Tienmu citizenry seemed to be like-minded as we only just snuck into the basement car-park at Shinkong Mitsukoshi before the "full" signed blinked a neon warning to incoming traffic. The movie "Get Out" was lauded to us by our online go-to site, Metacritic. It got such an exceptional rating that we felt quite compelled to go and see it, despite it seeming to be outside our usual comfortable genre band. It was a genre-blending, spine-tingling, fingernail-scraping roller-coaster ride, flipping from mystery to humour to drama to terror and back again, time after time! We were quite captivated and found the experience a little draining: we needed to go home, have a little lie down on the lounge, sip a cup of tea and debrief afterwards!

On the home front, we've been inconvenienced by a bit of a first world problem. Taiwanese apartments are invariably supplied by gas hot water via individual little gas heaters that are positioned on our back balconies and just fire up when the water is turned on. Great, energy efficient system all round but ours stopped working on the weekend, necessitating a few days of Japanese style bucket ladling, soaping up, then bucket ladling off. Cass has found it a bit confronting, but I'm quite enjoying the nostalgia trip: I bathed like this for a couple of years in Japan, onsen style! We're expecting a repairman this afternoon, much to someone's relief!

I've finished the amazing Blitzed, and am now reading an authorized history of the SAS. Cass is reading the third in the Ferrante series and really enjoying it. Photos: poetry reading, Trev and some durians!