Shun Dan Quai Luh

That's how you say Merry Christmas in Chinese. Phonetic translations are always difficult, but that's how I hear it.

I was in Taichung seeing some friends and bumming around Chung Yo mall this weekend. Most brands and chains are available at the big malls. I don't do much shopping there, but I like to walk around. The shopping malls are a nice place to walk. They're built high instead of wide so you ride the escalator a lot, but they're still a good place to wander around. The cities and towns in Taiwan don't really have sidewalks so it's quite tiresome to walk around outside. A band was playing in front of the mall. They're singing, "happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday, happy birthday, happy birthday Merry Christmas." Well, I've never heard it put quite like that before, but it works for me. Happy Birthday Dear Jesus!

The things I miss from home has moved into a new phase. I seem to have developed a craving for American food. Big Mac's to be exact. I've had three in one week. I used to like Big Mac's a lot when I was younger. Mom was a good mother. We didn't eat fast food very often so they were a treat. I have memories of being 6 or 7 and going to the McDonald's on Cass Avenue for a Big Mac. There was a play land at that McDonald's too. In any case, Big Mac's seem to be my comfort food at the moment.

Christmas In Taiwan

Well, it's Christmas eve in Taiwan. I just had some dinner and drinks with some teachers. I got a couple of CDs by Joanna Wang, a bottle of Tequilla, and some cycling gloves. Joanna Wang is a young singer, composer, and left handed guitar player with a sexy and mature voice. She sings in English and Taiwanese and covers some great songs like New York State of Mind, Tikiville, Vincent, and Rebel Rebel. I'm very thankful for how welcome people make me feel in Taiwan. Santa Clause even made a visit to the school today to pass out candy. It's amazing how little familiar things from home make me feel more comfortable. Little things I never paid much attention to while I was living in the United States have become vivid and clear. My time in Taiwan has really brought these things to the surface and solidified them for me. For this I am thankful too. What will be the little things that are solidified from Taiwan I wonder?

Tonight, while I was riding my bicycle home, I rode by the gymnasium. There was a dancing class inside that I could spy through the open doors. I smiled as I noticed a large group of people dancing alone with invisible partners to "Itsy Bitsy Bikini." Wiggily beautiful strangeness follows me wherever I go. Or, is that wiggily strangeness in my head waiting to look out? Does it matter?

A Picnic In Daija

I went on a picnic to Daija last weekend. It's a medium sized city north of Wuci. I went with six other families and a few tag-alongs. We drove up into the hills nearby and walked around a large park. This is a mural at the beginning of our journey. It tells the story about a general who dug a well with a sword.

This is the well that the general dug. That's a small part of our group around the well. As you can see. It's getting cold in Taiwan. It was cloudy and 14 degrees Celsius (57 degrees Fahrenheit). With high humidity and strong winds 57 degrees is bone chilling. I was wearing a down coat that I bought in Taichung but expected to wear in Colorado.



This is a pillar at a temple just above our parking area. I really like these detailed relief carvings.
A small oven next to a very big oven. These are for burning ghost money. Ghost money is fake money that you burn for your relatives that have passed on. It's like sending a care package to the other side. I've never seen a ghost oven as big as this one. The brick ovens usually have pictures of stories and fables on the outside.
A nicely trimmed tree that also makes a nice archway.
The Buddha looks over the well manicured gardens below.

A nice mosaic that surrounds the base of the Buddha.

After our walk in the park we went to a nearby high school to cook food. This high school was very large and had several buildings. It was like a small community college.
The student activity center was opened for our use. It was nice to get some shelter from the cold and wind. Some of the kids are playing dodge ball.
We had four different stoves going on the side of the student activity center.
This is blood rice. It's rice that's 'glued' together into blocks with, yes, blood. It's good to eat. The flavor is not strong.

Don't Bring Your Mom Sour Fruit

I took a morning ride with a teacher last week. We rode about 24 km up into the mountains near Wuci. Before climbing into the mountains we took a break at a temple. Like temples all over the country there is an oven for burning ghost money. Ghost money is fake money that is burned as an offering to relatives who have died. Anyway, there is a picture on the side of the oven of a man being stopped by two robbers. The man has two baskets of fruit. One is filled with red fruit and the other is filled with green fruit. The man was planning on bringing the green fruit, which is sour fruit, to his mother and keeping the red fruit, the sweet fruit, for himself. I'm not sure how the robbers get involved, but I gather that the morale is don't bring your mother sour fruit. This is a very popular story and the teacher tells me that he tells this story to his kids.

An Elaborate Facade

This an elaborate facade that was constructed in a parking lot in Wuci. It was up for the weekend and I think it has something to do with a local temple. There were a lot of fireworks this weekend too. It's quite elaborate, colorful, and dynamic. I'm guessing that each scene is a parable or story. It was very windy, as it is most days in Wuci in the winter, so the sound is not so good.

Eating Bread At Basketball

So, I play basketball with some teachers a few times a week. Before coming to Taiwan I haven't played basketball since gym class in high school. I have a good eye for the open man and I'm okay on the boards, but my shot needs some work. I also need to work on dribbling and driving to the net. Well, after several weeks I can say that I am improving a lot. I have a really good hook shot, but sometimes my shot still falls short. Yesterday, after making a sweet one-handed hook, I missed the rim twice in a row. A teacher said, "Oh, you are eating bread." I looked puzzled until another teacher explained, "You shoot an air ball."

A Day Trip To Tainan

This is a small mall in Tainan. I wonder where Kenny is?


This is a koi pond at Chikan Tower. There were two ponds on the grounds and well manicured gardens.




This is the turtle wall at Chikan Tower.


This is another view of the koi pond. You can see a little pathway that winds around and climbs the rocks.

Chikan Tower is dedicated to the God of Literature and Education. I saw many young people at the Tower hoping so get some good ju ju for their exams.
This is the God of Literature and Education. He looks like an intimidating teacher with his pen raised and ready to mark papers.
This is a view of the front tower. This site is unique in that you can walk all of the grounds and the inside of the towers too.


At first I thought this was some kind of fish god, but it is actually a fish food dispenser. Put in $10 NT (about .35 USD) and you get a plastic tube with fish food. I put in some money and the fish started swimming around when they heard the tube clanking out of the slot. They looked well fed.


This is the beach on the edge of Tainan. Although I live in a port town, this was the first time I have seen the ocean since coming to Taiwan. The beach was nice too, but no swimming.
A view of downtown Tainan from the beach area.
A nice garden near the 'Merchant House' in the old section of the city.

Caffe Terry in Taichung

This is Caffe Terry in Taichung. The owner is a cycling enthusiast and graphic designer. He offers many kinds of coffees, liquor, and a small food menu. I was introduced to Caffe Terry by a Taiwanese friend a few months ago and I've been hooked ever since.

This is the outside of the cafe. There is seating on the patio and, as you can see, there are more bicycles and art...two things I love. There is also a small swing that is just out of the picture to the left.

This is a cycling jersey that Terry designed and sells in his shop. The motto on the back of the jersey is "Enjoy Your Life". I sent one home to a friend and I got one for myself.
This is the front of the jersey. It has coffee spelled in 18 languages. It will be great if I ever decide to bike around the world.

Shopping In Taipei 101

I hitched a ride with a Taiwanese friend to Taipei. She was going on business so I did some shopping around the Taipei 101. It's a very affluent area with high-end stores. I didn't buy much since I was looking for more uniquely Taiwan gifts. I didn't come to Taiwan to pick up a Cartier. Anyway, it was nice to walk around and look at the Christmas decorations.




This is outside the NY Mall. It's was more my price range, but nothing very unique.
This is the tree outside of Taipei 101. Courtesy of Tiffany and Co.
This is a view from the top of Taipei 101. I don't know what the building is in this picture. I could still feel the building sway despite the 660 ton dampening ball near the top. It's the second tallest building in the world, but it does have the world's fastest elevator at 50 feet per second. It also has an outdoor observation deck. Coool.
I don't know what this building is either.
Taipei moving up into the surrounding mountains.