Going Away BBQ

Well, it's hard to believe that I've been in Taiwan almost a year. Well, 11 months to be exact. It's a bitter sweet feeling for me. I have made some good friends and had many wonderful experiences. Spend a year anywhere and you are bound to leave some of yourself behind.

Some teachers from my school had a going away BBQ for me a couple of weeks ago. The table has holes cut into the middle where small grills fit. Everyone sits around the table and you just keep throwing food on the grill. We drank beer and ate for over four hours. A short list of the foods on the menu: sausage, beef, pork, oysters, fish, corn, peppers, mushrooms, and stuffed rice sausage. Instead of wrapping meat in bread they wrap food in romaine lettuce and top with veggies. Yummy!

How To Fight A Snake?

So, as you know from previous posts, there is a strong drinking culture in Taiwan. Occasionally, I have lunch with teachers, retired teachers, and other members of the community. A retired teacher is very fond of making me 'gambei', or finish my drink (that's why they drink beer out of shot glasses). In my circle of Taiwanese teachers he is known as the snake teacher. He is a small dragon, if you will, as he has influence and likes to assert his power when drinking. Well, I told a Taiwanese friend about my situation and she told me to 'gambei' him first and then 'gambei' him again and, just to make sure, hit him with a third to make sure he knows you're not playing. Well, last time we had lunch I tried it. He eyes were open with amazement when I hit him with the first 'gambei'. The second one he gave me a thumbs up. When I hit him with the third 'gambei' he waved me off. So, how do you fight a snake? You bite the snake first.

Where I live and Wuci

This is Wuci from the north

This is the Port of Taichung obelisk

on the edge of Wuci

Rice fields with cargo cranes in

the distance

A typical street in Wuci. The

traffic is mellow in Wuci by most

standards in Taiwan, but the

sidewalks are still overrun with

mopeds, cars, and merchandise

from the stores. You end up

walking in the street a lot.

This is the apartment building where

I live. Soon I will have the fourth

floor apartment with the balcony.

For now, I have a one room apartment

that faces the atrium so no window to the outside.