Photographic update

These are from the last THREE weekends, quite a variety of life and experiences.  We are tremendously blessed to even be here in the same city with Melissa.  We received an Anniversary cake and gift.

A bus trip with Melissa and some of her school staff

And a 2 family car trip that turned into a van trip because Melissa's car needs major repair that will likely turn into replacement..... It's much better travelling in one vehicle!!!

Donggang gates gold plated

And the boat that gets launched and burned every 3 years.  Okay and rebuilt.

Zoom in to see all of us.

And even more to see out various sea food that we bought at the market and then had it cooked at the end of the market.  The Taiwan Strait is jsut on the other side of the wind barrier.

My oyster and clam shells........................and below the Donggang bridge

Is it Jet lag or something else

This morning I woke at 5:30! I laid there…………..then I thought why am I awake? I laid there and prayed for about 85 people that came to mind, yeah at least 85. And I laid there……. around 6:50 I got up, I know because Colleen asked is that a 6 or an 8? So I spent a couple hours working on various quiet things. At 8:30 Colleen came down…..Melissa was off to work about 8.

We had a light breakfast as we had plans to go the soft opening of K Town diner. It was pretty good but they have a fair bit of learning to cook eggs enough, either runny, runny or hard cooked to beyond hard.

We then went to Dollars to buy some groceries... Familiar but yet much unfamiliar. What is pork floss anyway? And all those little round balls! And those long thick mushrooms that look like, well, uh, never mind but tough and rubbery no matter how they are cooked. All mushrooms in Taiwan seem to be rubbery, hmm, palates sure differ.

This evening Melissa’s private lesson had to cancel so we walk to the MRT and bought our ICard so we don’t have to have cash on hand and then rode to the next stop with the new Shin Kong Mitsukoshi store, it opened only a few days before we left last spring. Very nice and some floors VERY exclusive names, Harrod’s, and other’s I don’t recognize but sure looks like big $$$$$$. Colleen and Melissa did manage to find some grocery items they couldn’t do without. There really isn’t anything you can’t find here except maybe particular brands and there always seems to be that hint of sweet in things……..

January 17 musings

Listening to the quiet rrrrRRRRRrrrr of a scooter approaching and passing and occasionally hearing one sound like it’s going to rattle apart before it passes. Hearing the clamouring or maybe it’s the clicking, clanking and clunking of cars, trucks, vans, scooters, wide and narrow steel overhead doors, bicycles, tools, pipes, hammers and shoes makes walking in Kaohsiung a strange symphony.

Tonight Colleen made pan fried chicken breasts, broccoli with cheese sauce and salad so I got to clean up as Melissa stopped in after a full day of work as she went to her Chiropractor. Balancing the efforts and work!! Of course I was MSN chatting with a friend in Taipei while the cooking took place. Tomorrow Colleen may be ready for the afternoon market; today her brain was not quite ready to deal with the smells and sights. AND as we were walking back from the shopping center the girl from the (my) tea shop saw me and we exchanged recognizing smiles so I HAD to go get my iced tea even though it is a bit cool for it. Mmmmm and brr mixed together. She even asked if we were back from Canada. Well I’m pretty sure that was what she said……….

We are settling in

We had absolutely no catastrophes..........We arrived Friday night as scheduled.

We weren't able to see my nephew's wife in Denver because their little girl was sick. The Best Western in San Francisco was fantastic and we had a nice breakfast included. A funny thing was that the shuttle driver to the hotel was playing some Chinese music that sounded JUST LIKE one of the artists a Taiwanese friend sent me over this past year.  I hummed and smiled all the way!  We were only in SF for 12 hours so all we did was take the edge off the tiredness.


Oh the Taiwanese memories.  When we got to the hotel in Taipei I discovered not my heart, but my sleep shorts, were left in San Francisco. A comfortable bed and a great breakfast were included, scrambled eggs, boiled eggs, sausages, sliced ham, cooked cabbage, seasoned baby parsnips, toast and jam, Americano coffee (STRONG), and LOTS of mystery food.

We were honoured guests at a wedding banquet Sunday afternoon and even received a 40th Anniversary cake and marriage mugs. The handles are in the form of the Chinese character for Double happiness. Then in the evening Melissa treated us to an Anniversary supper at one of our favourite restaurants, The Bayou.  We did have a nice day and it was cool to hear "Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring" playing on the radio as we were driving home from dinner. That was the song that played when I walked down the aisle. Cool, eh!  Pictures will follow in a few days. 

We are both feeling the travel weariness and Colleen is fighting her cough valiantly. A few more days and all should be good.  

This morning we walked the the 3 blocks to McDonald's for breakfast because we didn't have coffee or want the iced coffee at the breakfast shop a block away.   It is an interesting comfort to hear the onslaught of car, scooter and truck traffic sounds and the familiar but completely NOT understood sounds.  And to get at the corner near the Hanshin Mall and remember (across the street, not at the door) it doesn't open for another hour!  So 7-11 here we come.  Eggs and bread so Colleen can craft Melissa's lunch!  Melissa will be spoiled......

Travelling

It was with sadness we left Jay, Julie, Alex and Gaby in Saskatoon but we are EXCITED to see Melissa.  Flights have been on time but we had to wrestle our bags to the hotel in San Francisco overnight.  My grandniece in Denver was sick so we didn't get to meet her and her mom.  The Best Western Grosvenor was nice and we had a great hot breakfast. too bad we were in the hotel less than 8 hours!

Colleen is fighting her sinus cold so we will have an early DR visit in Kaohsiung.....

So I have accessed wifi in Saskatoon, Denver, San Francisco and since we have almost 4 hours in Tokyo likely there too.   We are meeting Chester/Chris at the Taipei airport to pass along BABA gifts.

We board in about 20 minutes.   OH I see it has warmed a degree in Taipei.......it looks like it will be rainy and 17......................info only not GLOATING

All for now!!