Happy New Year!

Welcome to 2010! Amazing isn't it? Its been now ten years since we witnessed the turn of the century.......Wishing you all the best in the new year, and blessings from far above.
Here is our friend Allen at his best, on stage, at one of four countdown centers in Taiwan. His new coif looks pretty good and he looks so young!

and the countdown to 2010......beautiful fireworks from Taipei 101, tallest building in the world. Amazingly, folks inside Taipei 101 did not feel the earthquake as the core of the world's tallest structure is insulated with a metal suspension which acts as an absorber, incredible technology!

Like father like son, Mark came on stage just after midnite to perform for his 粉丝......

Counting down the days....

2009 is just about over, and what a year this has been!
The more we know about Hualien, the more it feels like home, and I mean Victoria.
These two cities have much in common: both are similar in size and population, both are retirement towns, and both are islands in the Pacific. Only difference is the language, culture, and the weather.

Like the goose in Victoria, here in Hualien we have a similar trail for bikers, walkers and runners, which stretches 35km along the waterfront, and ends at a lake just outside of the city. The waterfront here is like Dallas road in Victoria, but longer.

Frankie and Rebecca loves biking here because there is no traffic allowed except bikes and pedestrians. After a bike ride, we can go beach combing, or just watching the waves crashing to shore.

It is hard to go hungry in Taiwan, as there are food vendors everywhere. Here we reward ourselves with some roasted yams, yum!

Ho ho ho!

Merry X'mas everyone.
This is my first X'mas in 38 years outside of Canada, and I did not know what to expect.
We have been too busy to feel homesick due to the fact that we had visitors from North America. We had friends here from Boston last week, and more friends from Vancouver this week.
Taiwan does not celebrate X'mas and Frankie had a full day in school today.
We did manage to arrange a potluck dinner with our neighbors and we had a great time.

Our landlord ordered a roast turkey from one of the better hotels in town, and then there was noodles, wild boar skin (very delicious), pumpkin pie, and Rebecca made sushi and sashimi. There was plenty of red wine (yellow tail), and fresh fruit. I played Santa (other guys are just too skinny) and handed out candies to the kids.

Frankie is no longer shy and plays with local kids at ease these days. Her speaking ability is about 90%, only periodically stumbled by words she does not understand. Her writing skill is improving by leaps and bounds as she can read most of the menus when we are at restaurants. Its only been four months since school started, so, we are very happy and very much encouraged by her progress. We must give her credit: she has never complained. She is also making many new friends which further boosts her confidence. For a while, kids were intimidated by her and mostly stays away because she speaks with an accent.....

I do have one wish. I wish that she would be more interested in tennis. We have the perfect weather here year round, and the tennis facility here in Hualien is first class. There are tennis classes everyday after school, with more on the weekends. There are also frequent tournaments for young people and there are some very good young players. There are currently a handful of young players at the professional level and some are playing in the majors, getting past to the round of 16s, quarter finals and so forth....Today's weather is overcast, about 23 C, ideal for an inter school tournament all weekend long. Typically Asian, parents all chipped in and provided food and beverages for all the players and spectators. What a great way to spend X'mas!

Frankie's school

Frankie goes to a Catholic school here in Hualien, and it reminds me very much of the primary school I went to in HK in almost all aspects. The Christmas decorations, the billboards, and even the statue of virgin Mary.......just like Bishop Walsh.

It gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling whenever I am in the school, bringing back many childhood memories. We were very poor growing up, but as dumb as I was, my happiest and warmest memories are those early school years. From as early as I can remember, I was fascinated and very much interested in English and Mandarin and I persued both dilligently. Little did I know that some day both languages would come in handy as they are the languages of both my adopted homes..............Is that fate?
See if you can spot Frankie from the photo at the top of the page........

Frankie's school (St Stella Marie) is one of the top schools in Hualien and in Taiwan. Both the primary and secondary schools have their students placing among the top in national competitions. It would be a bonus if Frankie can achieve academic excellence, but we will be very happy and proud if she just becomes proficient in the Chinese language and familiar with her ethnic background and culture.

6.8 earthquake hits Hualien!

A 6.8 earthquake is equivalent to eight atomic bombs going off at the same time, according to the seismologists. This quake is very close to the 921 quake which killed thousands in Taiwan. On Sep21, 1999, a 7.3 quake hit Taiwan and caused catastrophic destructions in many cities.
The epic center for today's quake was 25km from Hualien city, off the east coast, which is too darn close!
I was at home and at first I thought a bomb has gone off nearby. Our whole building began to shake violently and lasted about 30 seconds. I really thought it was going to collapse. There was no panic, in fact, it was eerily silent as everyone was in shock also. Nothing broke in our house, but there are many cracks on our concrete walls.
We are still feeling many after shocks and we could experience some very strong after shocks in the next few days. A tsunami warning has been issued and folks are advised to stay away from the coast. There are some down buildings, accidents, minor fires, and some injuries, but overall, we got lucky. A 6.8 quake could be quite destructive.
Frankie was sleeping over at her friend's place, and she said she wasn't scared. She just didn't know why there were white caps in her bath tub......

Folks who live in highrises had a pretty good shake, and may have to check their underwears...Imagine the diners at the top of Taipei 101? Quite a challenge to hold down those caviar and champagne while dining high in the sky when an earthquake hits.........

Despite all this, I actually slept quite well. I was quite calm and at ease during the quake. My only thought was: is this it? Is this how my life will end?

I had to pinch myself when I woke up just to make sure.......yes, it was scary, but nothing close to the turbulence which lasted a whole hour on the flight back from Cancun, after Jason's wedding. That was the worst mid air turbulence I ever experienced, it was like a freaking runaway roller coaster................

Out to lunch

Literally. Frankie took the morning off from school for her dental check up, and we went to lunch together. Btw, both Frankie and I are now eligible for Taiwan's national health care, and so, I cancelled our MSP in Canada and switched over. Total cost for the family of three of us here is $70Cdn per month, which includes all prescriptions, most dental, and TCM (traditional Chinese medicine).

We went to one of our many favorites. This noodle shop is quite far, about 15 min from us, but worth the drive. Everything is made fresh on premise, and the highlight is their "Taiwanese Fajita" as I call it.

It is a thin flour tortilla with green onions, deep fried, and then wrapped with thin sliced braised beef, cucumber, and a soy inspired sauce. Crispy and hot on the outside, tender and cool on the inside, it is paradise for the palate and fit for the prince and the pauper.

A star is born

A nice picture for a noodle commercial! Gee, it looks like Frankie.....It is Frankie.

A fish tale

Our family loves sashimi. Salmon and tuna are our favorite.
Today we had lunch again at Fisherman's wharf, and had some excellent sashimi the locals call "flag fish", which is supposed to be a type of swordfish. I thought it looked and tasted like tuna. But unlike the tuna sashimi we are accustomed to in Japanese restaurants, which are pale in color, these local sashimi is a deep red. Anyways, these "flag fishes" are fresh and they cut and clean them right at the store. What caught me off guard was the last time we were here, I saw them throwing the fish carcass away into the garbage, which includes the head, the whole fish bone with lots of meat on it, and the tail. I was drooling over it and the fisherman asked if I wanted it. Being Canadian and a little reserved, my automatic answer was no, but I was kicking myself on the way home, for turning down such an offer. That fish carcass would have made wonderful fish broth....
Anyways, I have another opportunity today, but the fisherman was saving this carcass along with two pieces of fish belly for his family. Finally, he said he wanted $50 for them. Deal. That is less than $2 Cdn. I felt guilty.



Local fishermen call this a "flag fish" because it belongs to the swordfish family. But after some research on google, what we have here is in fact, tuna. Albacore tuna, or long fin tuna. There are also yellow fin and blue fin, but Albacore is abundant in Taiwan waters, and albacore is mostly used for canning, because the older and bigger fish is about 5 feet long and over 100 pounds. Due to the older age of these bigger fish, the oil content is very low thus the meat is white. These "white tuna" appeal to the western consumers more. Next time when you buy canned tuna, check out the labels, most of them are white tuna. Problem with that is, as you may have heard before, these bigger fish have higher contents of mercury and could be a health issue if eaten regularly in large quantities. Exactly how much we don't know, but the issue is enough to curb the appetite for canned tuna in recent years. However, younger and smaller fish have very low levels of mercury, and the meat is a deep red indicating a high oil content, which is extremely rich in omega 3. Salmon is also rich in omega 3 but most of the salmon available these days are farmed, which has a higher risk profile due to growth hormone.

Most of the tuna sashimi which are available in Japanese restaurants are pale in color, thus suggesting that these are bigger and older fishes, which are more abundant and cost effective. Here in Hualien, only the smaller fishes are sold as sashimi with the bigger fishes sold to wholesalers, which eventually make their way to the restaurants.

Here is a beautiful picture of the Albacore tuna.

Folks, I just had the best fish dinner ever. Rebecca panfried the two pieces of tuna belly, with nothing added to it but just a sprinkle of sea salt. Absolutely delicious! I had two bowls of rice with it. She put the head, the carcass, and the tail into the soup, and added tofu, cabbage, green onion and ginger. A little miso and a few ounces of rice wine later, and BINGO! The fish broth is a milky white nectar, and the aroma is heavenly.

I can't help but keep thinking, this is unbelievable. Local folks actually throw these things away everyday, and tons of them. They filet the body of the tuna for sashimi and the rest goes to the dump. The heads, the tails, the bellies, these are prized items in many parts of Asia and can fetch good money..................I gotta do more research.......

The other side of the mountain

Meilune mountain that is. We live right at the foot of Meilune San and yet, we have not been up to it until today. Because it is so close to home, we have been putting it off. Not anymore. We decided to hike it today and see what local folks like about this little mountain, about the size of Mt Tolmie in Victoria with similar elevation.
Weather today is ho hum....25 degree and partially cloudy, typical fall/winter weather on this tiny pacific island. Perfect weather for hiking......

We hiked up a little trail to the west side of the hill, and right in front of us is the magnificient Central mountain range of Taiwan which separates the west from the east. The tallest peak of this mountain range is over 10,000 feet and partially covered with snow in the winter. It is this incredible structure which separates Hualien and Taitung from the rest of Taiwan. This is what keeps Hualien so green, so beautiful, so clean, and so livable.

In the video below, that lone white building from a distance is the Meilune Hotel, actually it is called the Parkview hotel of Meilune. Our new home is just across from it two blocks from the ocean. Hualien's one and only golf course wraps around the hotel.

Half way down the other side of the mountain is a beautiful trail which opens up to some green space and it is a popular area of the park as local folks walk their dogs, hike, run, and bike their way around the trails. Local elderlies walk these trails early in the morning and young lovers are seen on the weekends doing their rendezvous......

Part of this mountain belongs to the military and off limit to the public. This is a very strategic spot for national defense as it is the highest point west of the Central mountain range and east of the Pacific. Despite the recently established relationship with the mainland, Taiwan is still very defensive and stands ready for any military threat from the communists.

Taiwan still has compulsory military service for its young male population, which is to be slowly switched over to an all volunteer military by 2014. This could be one of the reasons for any well to do Taiwanese families to emmigrate since becoming one of the Asian tigers.

Ouch!

Saw my serious accident in Hualien today. A bus full of tourists slammed into a small car and the passenger side was obliterated. However there was no signs of blood and did not seem like anyone was hurt. As I took the video, a cop approached me and asked if I was a witness. I said no, and he asked me to leave......thought I better not argue with him.

A pizza man

Taiwan is known for its street vendors, with many selling food items. Much of these are local flavors but today, I met the first caucasian street vendor in Hualien, and he sells pizza. Terry is from the US, has been living in Hualien for six years. He loves Taiwan, and Hualien is the best place in Taiwan according to him, so, he has settled here. Selling pizza five days a week is his full time job. He also teaches English part time to supplement his income. He makes his pizza from a homemade wood fired oven, and every order takes 20 minutes. Frankie tried it, and she said it is better than Pizza Hut, and its cheaper. Terry is quite fluent in Mandarin, and he plans to open a small shop to further expand his business.

Of most of the expats I have come across, they come to Taiwan to teach English, as a self supporting style of visiting a foreign land. Some fall in love with the country, the lifestyle, the culture, the food, and most importantly, falling in love with a Taiwanese girl, marries her, and settles down here.

H1N1 hits home!

Our daughter Frankie is diagnosed with H1N1 today.
That is the bad news.
Good news is that we caught it early, and it was diagnosed immediately, and she was put on Tamiflu right away. Doctor said that if her symptoms do not worsen, she should recover within a few days.

Her friend Bebe was diagnosed with the virus last Sunday, after they had a playdate on the weekend. Her condition was worse but she is improving. I caught a cold also on the way home from HK, but no symptoms of a flu, let alone H1N1.

So far our experience in medical treatment in Taiwan has been outstanding. Here is the timeline:

Frankie developed a fever last nite, less than 24 hours ago. She woke up with aches and pain, and a runny nose, and a slight fever. No school. All kids must take their own temperature each morning, and anyone with a fever is not allowed in class. We took her to a clinic down the street, and her temp was normal so no test could be done. We were told to bring her back immediately if the fever returns. At 3pm, her fever returned. Down to the clinic, doctor saw her rightaway, and did a swap test. Positive. Gave her Tamiflu, and reported to the authority. She must remain isolated with no contact with others, and wear a mask at all times. Doctor said that when the virus is treated within 48 hours, recovery is certain and speedy. It is less than 24 hours for us.

I had a similar experience a few months ago in Canada. I waited almost two hours in the clinic. Swap was sent to a lab in Vancouver, and I would only be informed if I tested positive. I was prescribed Tamiflu, but no pharmacy in town had any. Next day, I finally found one shoppers drugmart who had some.

The clinic here is also fully equiped with Xray, and has its own lab for bloodwork, therefore, results are known immediately and patients are treated without delay. And Taiwan has one of the best medical plans in the world, and also one of the most affordable. It costs us $60Cdn a month for our family of three, comparing to $108Cdn in Canada. The plan here also includes all prescriptions, and TCM (traditional Chinese medicine). What impresses me the most is the efficiency of the clinics, both in treatment and prognosis. When Frankie went for a check up after her broken bone last year in Victoria, we waited four hours. There was one doctor and he looked so tired that I thought he would pass out anytime.

One thing I noticed is that I don't see any Mercedes or Porsche outside the clinics, unlike the doctors parking lot at a Victoria hospital which could resemble the show room of an exotic car dealership........Will it be fair to say that doctors in Canada are grossly overpaid, thus resulting in poor service to the general public?

Unlike the old days when we had to boil the Chinese herbs for hours, nowadays, herbs are grinded to powder and taken with water. This eliminates waste and potential oxidation, and the pungent smell which could remain for hours when boiling Chinese herbs. I prefer TCM as much as possible because herbs have no side effects and do not cause drowsiness. Taiwan's medical plan affords us the choice of free prescription and TCM, which is a wonderful change from the third world treatment we have been getting as patients in the past decade or so in Canada.

A wedding and reunion

My old classmate Jackson Yiu from our primary school in Hong Kong invited me and many of our school chums to his son Danny's wedding, at the gorgeous Inter-continental overlooking the HK harbor and the star walk.

It was great to see some faces I have not seen for forty years, and our principal Mr Chan and his wife were also there. It was very memorable as we sang our school song together. Danny also attended Bishop Walsh as did many of our school mates's children.

We are so fortunate to have stayed in touch all thru these years, but it wasn't until internet and emails became available that we began to become organized. We are planning a 40th anniversary in 2010, including a side trip to Hualien.

Next day, I had lunch with Phil and Liang Yan, which looks like a great couple as both are tall and good looking. Both are also single. Its now up to them.....

It was cold in HK as well as all of China, as temperature dipped into the low teens. Glad I only stayed for two days. Coming home to Hualien, it was a balmy 24 degree...ah, back to paradise!

Holy Macau!

We took a day trip to Macau as we needed a day rest from golf, tennis, and badminton.
I have only been to this port city once before, and it is great to see it more in leisure time.

We visited the famous ruin again......

Also went back to the beautiful Venetian hotel....

Next day, we are back in Shenzhen to play the Pete Dye course at Mission Hills. I have not played a PD course for a long time, it was 1993 in Arizona I think. PD course could be a monster as the huge bunkers everywhere can swallow your balls and easy double bogies. I had a good day as I shot an 87. Nobody else could break 100........

Homeward bound

Not quite our ancestral home, but pretty close. Jiangmen is where most of our relatives live, and not far from the village where our grandpa Chan Sing left in 1910 as an eighteen year old boy searching for a better life in a foreign land called Canada.
I took a bus from Dongguan and it took 4 hours due to some traffic jams.

Arrived at the 5 star Yucca hotel, which is very grand and modern. But like most 5 star places in China, there are two basic fundamental issues which bug the hell out of me:

#1 - poor management. With all the money spent on the properties, you would think that they would hire the best and smartest management team, no. First class hotel but staff and crew are pretty raw, with most unable to speak a second language. In fact, many do not even speak Cantonese although this is Guangdong.

#2 - no smoking? Who cares....Like all public places in China, you may see "no smoking" signs but smokers don't give a damn, and I would say at least 80% of men smoke here. They smoke where and when they want, and in numbers. The grand hotel lobby with beautiful and fragrant floral arrangements is covered with a thick cloud of smoke and so are the elevators. Non smoking rooms have ash trays and the sickly smell of burnt nicotine........absolutely disgusting. Staff and management are too timid to ask the violators to butt out. On two separate occaissions, I had to confront these ignorant idiots lighting up in a non smoking section where we have breakfasts.

Our relative Wing Chan arranged a dinner with other relatives who all came except "ah loy" who is in Beijing visiting. Ah Gu looks, talks, and acts just like grandma, a real deja vu......

Now that I know the way around, I will bring the family to Jiangmen and to the village next time...........Jiangmen is a very nice city with many modern buildings, condos, and a new world class golf resort. Money is no object on some of these world class projects and they are very grand indeed, but the mentality and attitude of the people overall is still third world, and that won't change anytime soon.

Frankie's first exam

Folks, Frankie has the first exam of her life.
Here are the results:
Social study 83%
Math 93%
English 100% (no surprise there)
Needless to say, both Rebecca and I are simply thrilled, and very proud.
Both Social study and Math are in Chinese, and for a Canadian kid who did not know a single Chinese character just three months ago, this is a major accomplishment.
We were a bit concerned that Frankie may not be able to catch on but as long as she continues to work hard, her Chinese will only get better and studying will become easier.
We will update you, but for now, she deserves a visit to the Ocean park. She loves the rides.....

Under the banyan tree

Our friends took us to a local noodle shop today. Good thing they did, because we could have never found it. There was no sign, no phone number, definitely no reservations. The restaurant is an old hut under a big banyan tree. Appropriately, locals refer this popular joint as "under the banyan tree"......

Food is awesome, and fast. Despite the whole place being packed with about a hundred people, our food began arriving piping hot just 5 minutes after we ordered. The whole family works here. Current owner is the third generation, passed on from his grandpa who started this restaurant as a canteen for the local workers nearby. The factories and workers are long gone, but the eatery remains and it is a gold mine. The kids are now learning the trade and they will become the fourth generation to run this place in a few years.

The open kitchen is at the front of the restaurant, similar to the "da pai dang" of the old days. It is amazing how this tiny little kitchen could produce such a large volume of food everyday.

This place is opened for breakfast and lunch only, as they close down the place and the entire family goes home in the afternoon. These folks work hard, but manage to have a life at the same time. Imagine how much more money they can make if they open for dinner? But it is probably this "laissez faire" attitude which keeps four generations together in one happy place.

After lunch, we stopped at downtown so Frankie can visit an arcade. I love standing at a street corner and just watch the web of traffic flow. It is absolutely amazing to observe. As you can see in the video, so often someone either on a bike or scooter is within a millisecond of being hit by a car. Everything happens so fast, and yet it seems like slow motion. Just when you think the taxicab is going to cream that lady on the scooter, he pauses just long enough so that she speeds away, in such precision that it appears to have been rehearsed hundreds of times. What appears to be total chaos to the unfamiliar is actually synchonicity of a well lubed system which has no beginning and no ending. It just is.

How can something so physically intensed and yet so spiritual at the same time?

PS, have you noticed what is missing in this traffic video? Honking. Unlike mainland China, drivers here do not lean on their horns. They don't honk at all. No one gets upset when he is cut off, and no one goes berserk if someone runs a red light. They simply watch others at all time, and take decisive action to stay in control. Nobody plays traffic cops here, not even the traffic cops. I've made illegal U turns with the cops watching, but unless you hit someone, they don't bother you.

Happy Halloween!

Its the day of the Halloween, and its a Saturday. Like most weekends, we want to explore our community and the nearby towns. Today we are visiting a small farming town about 30 minutes from our home. It is a very old town with not one single tall building. There is one main street and on it, houses one ancient ice and ice cream store. In Hawaii, they have shaved ice, and in Taiwan, we have just simple ice. The ice is sweetened and you can add any toppings of over a dozen selections such as: tapioca, red or green beans in a paste, jello, fungus, etc etc....

What makes this shop so special is the cooling equipment. It was built over seventy years ago by the Japanese who occupied and ruled Taiwan for fifty years, from 1895 to 1945.

The coils and compressors are visible and they are huge comparing to today's technology. The owner of the shop has to maintain and rebuild on his own since the company who manufactured this outlandish piece of equipment has been long gone. I asked him why he has not switched over to modern refrigeration, and he simply said, people come from all over the world to see his strange looking dinosaur which runs like a charm, and it would be a shame to destroy such good history just for the sake of modernization. He has a good point. His place is jammed packed all day, even on a cooler day in late October. But what is also a nice surprise is that the ice made from this ancient equipment is very different, because it has a very smooth and fine texture to it, unlike the modern crushed ice which is rough and crunchy. I have very sensitive gums and normally when I eat something cold, my gum hurts. Not with this nearly century old ice. It does not have that freezing feeling upon contact with my mouth and gums. Weird.

We had a great time exploring this little quaint town, and look forward visiting others. Everyone is unique, and time stands still in most of them. Its like going back to my childhood when seeing places like this. Old farm equipments, rotary dial phones, phone booths!!! Old barber shops with the leather straps, coffee shops with booths and counters, open air restaurants, night markets, the list goes on........

For dinner, we went back to the organic beef farm. We first went there shortly after we arrived. But because we have been trying so many different restaurants, we have not been able to re-visit many of them. Good thing that eating out here is so reasonable, otherwise we could go broke. I have never tasted beef like this, it literally melts in your mouth and the meat has not been tenderized or processed in any shape or form. Thin strips of almost fat free beef come slightly marinated in a bowl, with a small chuck of beef fat which is used instead of cooking oil, in a pan with a small propane stove. We pan fried it ourselves for about two minutes, and we eat it with steamed rice. We spooned the juice (sauce) from the pan onto the rice and sprinkle some green onions and chopped cayenne pepper, man, it is as close to heaven as we can get........

After dinner, we went home and had our own little halloween party......Taiwanese people do not know and do not care for halloween. We only see a few signs about Halloween in some cafes and a couple of 7 elevens where ex pats hang out. Anyways, this is how we spent halloween, nothing like Canada, but a nice change.....

settling down

Its been four months since we arrived here in Hualien. We are getting to know the city, and we have picked an area where we want to live. There is a new development right across the Meilun hotel and golf course, and two blocks from the waterfront.
We went to the open house, and not wanting to be known as from out of town, I camouflaged myself with some local colors by wearing an aboriginal head band. Here I am looking like an Indian chief in this picture......

Then we were invited inside to view the building plans.....and guess what, the meeting room was called "MCC". Folks from Hong Kong are killing themselves laughing now.....MCC stands for "mone cha cha" in Cantonese, meaning "ain't got a clue"; a perfect place for a meeting!

All jokes aside, here is the site plan for our new home:

Our townhome is on lot D, which is directly across from the Parkview hotel and Hualien golf course, to the north of us. Then two blocks south is the Hualien harbor, and the Fisherman's wharf. There are eleven attached homes on lot D, and it is phase 4 of this sprawling development. There is a phase 5 to come, and that will be it.

Like most buildings here, they are steel and concrete, therefore, any changes must be done before concrete is poured. We were fortunate to have a deposit down before work began, so that we can customize our house the way we want it. Rebecca hired an interior designer to totally custom build the interior of 2800 sq ft. Total construction time will be about nine months, and the final cost should be near 12 million NT, which is $400k Cdn at today's exchange rate. Something similar in Victoria should cost at least double that.

Fisherman's wharf

Almost every coastal and port city in Asia now has a fisherman's wharf these days, as a major tourist attraction, as well as a local favorite spot to bring the family for some delicious and succulent locally fresh fruits of the sea. Well, Hualien is no exeption, and it has taken us a while to find it because it is literally hidden away. There is no advertising, no directions how to get there, just an old fashioned kind of fishing village nobody seems to notice. For generations, fishing is a way of life and life simply carries on....

Being a port city with the Pacific ocean at her doorstep, Hualien is blessed with abundance of clean air, clean water, and no sewage problems, and therefore, very high quality of seafood and fish.

What is different about Hualien's fisherman's wharf from most others, is that this one is very rustic and has very little developement around it. No high rise condos, no chintzy fake fountains, no tourists rip off mega stores, and definitely no "Hualien fisherman's wharf" T shirts. Just an old port with hundreds of old wooden fishing boats which appeared to be passed down from previous generations.

There are no fancy seafood restaurants here. In fact, there is only one indoor restaurant and it does not seat more than fifty people. But the seafood is very good and very fresh. The highlight is a local fish served sashimi style. It is very buttery similar to tuna belly but has a firm texture and very little fishy taste. Its heaven. There are also tuna, sword fish, and salmon sashimi filets you can buy and take home. Also fish balls made at the spot and they are DELICIOUS! A big bowl of rice noodles with fish balls and cilantro in a fish broth, right by the ocean, what more can I ask for???

And the price for the seafood feast? The eight of us, $100Cdn. In Hong Kong, three of us ate at Tun Mun and it was nearly $300Cdn. Why such a huge difference? Supply and demand I guess. In HK, you have eight million people eating seafood. Here in Hualien, there are 400,000 people. Bon appetit!

A brand new mall

Opened today in Hualien, and everyone in the city is here.
It is a very modern department store with a supermarket in the basement, plus a food court, with underground parking. There is only one other such complex here in Hualien. What we like about them is that underground parking is absolute paramount during hot summer months, because the inside of a car is hotter than an oven when parked outside. And when it rains, it pours here. It only take a few seconds to be soaked, therefore, parking outside sucks, and thus the reason we are buying a new house with a garage.

and the winner is........

趙又廷! 2009 金鐘影帝.....

Folks, what an incredible achievement for Mark in such a short time!
Allen and Daisy must be so proud, in fact, we saw a picture of a teary eyed Allen in a local newspaper.......Congratulations also for their decision to leave their comfortable environment in Victoria, and start all over in Taiwan in the entertainment industry.
Its funny but expected: a few years ago, if you mention 趙樹海, most folks remember him as the famous TV host. Today, when you mention 趙樹海, folks say, 他是趙又廷的爸爸....just the way it is. Allen, 您要加油!!!
Here is the link to the award announcement: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2Gd6C_Le4M
For those who read Chinese, here is more: http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=1083837&lang=tc_news

A villa for sale

We came across this villa which is being used as a B&B, a very nice property. Asking 400k Cdn, has an annual sales of 80k cdn. Therefore, after expenses, should still net 15%, which is a decent return. Here is the link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/djsony/sets/72157600913347200/show/

Excellent location. Its down the street from our condo, across from the tennis club, in the best part of Meilun. It is very unique because the outside walls of the building uses a blend of coral and cement, which gives it that whitewashed look similar to the Meditteranean villas.

Weekend outing

Its Saturday and we continue to explore Hualien.
We are back at Liyu lake where it held the "water dance" during the summer. The lake is very serene and the surroundings are quite isolated but still only 20 minutes from town.

After the lake, we went downtown for a bite to eat, and then hung out for a couple of hours people watching, visited a book store, had some Chinese dessert, and enjoying the balmy autumn evening.

The weekends are quite busy in Hualien because many come from Taipei and other parts of Taiwan, to escape the big cities. You can easily identify the out of towners as they are usually more fashionable. Folks here in Hualien are very down to earth, and mostly shorts & T shirts, which suits me fine. Since we landed in July, I have not worn long pants.

We are quite fortunate to meet the Pongs, as their two daughters and Frankie get along quite well, with sleep overs on the weekends. Most importantly, they get a chance to converse in English. We get stares everywhere we go with some folks asking where the kids take English classes to be able to speak so well.......

Here are some local young people doing hip hop at a town square....

Another discovery

There are so many restaurants here. We now have a few favorites but continue to search for new ones which are distinctively different. There is this kind of hippie place which we drive by almost everyday but somehow have not patronized. Today is the day.

My first impression is that we are back in Canada. The whole place is built on wood, which is highly unusual due to the humid weather, and the presence of termites. But upon a closer inspection, the woods are made from driftwood. According to Rebecca, driftwood is naturally treated by being in seawater for a long time, combined that with the high salt content in the wood makes it a natural deterrent to insect infestations.

The food here is distinctively different, but common with a local trend which emphasizes on all organic and locally fresh produce and meats. The presentation is first class, something I would expect from a five star hotel. The taste is decidely oriental, but with a western influence, and very unique. Portion is perfect: about four ounces of meat, one small bowl of multi grain rice, four different types of veggies, and a bowl of clear broth with some meat and melon. Instead of dessert, we are served a hot Chinese medicine tea which is bitter sweet, and to counter that, there is a small dish of natually sweet plum jello. And the cost? Under $20 Cdn for the two of us. This is by far the best discovery: top notch quality & healthy eating in a very clean and relaxed wooded cabin, with excellent but unobstrusive service.

Its quite big inside, with private rooms for small parties.......this place is three minutes drive from our condo.

Change is good

Making changes in our lives is not easy. We wonder what the outcome will be, and the hesitation often prevents us from making that decision. Moving to Asia from Canada is obviously one big decision, which changes our lives, and affect the lives of those close to us. But regardless of how this will turn out, we must learn to live in the "now". I often remind myself of this quote I read long ago: Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is mystery. Today is a gift, that is why it is called the present.
Anyways, enough BS, of all the changes which are happening in our new surroundings, what affects Frankie the most is what we are most concerned of. Yes, she misses her friends, her school, her playdates, and the easy lifestyle of Canada. One thing we have all noticed is that the kids in Canada are a lot happier, free spirited, and innocent. Kids here are a lot more serious, restrained, and more mature for their age. It would be perfect if somehow we can have a balance of the two. And living in both countries in different time frames may allow us to achieve that.
Take piano for example: in Canada, it is quite a challenge and often a struggle to get Frankie to practise. But since school started here, she takes her piano lessons at school, and she practises three times a week in a studio inside her school. Playing piano is no longer a hobby, a leisure, it now becomes part of her schooling. This provides a structure she badly needs, which is already showing positive results.....

This morning, I heard her playing the piano on her own will. Must be a lesson with the teacher today........

Grocery shopping

One of Frankie's favorite restaurants here is "I love sushi", which is located in Hualien's only indoor mall. After we ate, went grocery shopping at Carrefour, which is the largest supermarket chain here in Taiwan. It is similar to T&T in Vancouver, and if they don't have it, nobody will. Here we find lots of imported foods, such as pastas, sauces, Campbell soups, real Canadian maple syrup, pancake flour, skippy peanut butter, etc etc.....at a premium price of course.

Indoor shopping is the only way to go when it rains, because you are soaked in seconds if parking outdoors. Here is looking out at the rain from my office window.....

Folks here have no idea what "hydroplaning" is, and I see that often when rainwater begins to pool on the road and highways. What is even more amazing is that the rain does not stop folks on scooters, or even bicycles! They wrap themselves in plastic sheets and cut a hole for the face, and voila. If the rain is not heavy, some even hold an umbrella on one hand and steer the bike with another. You have to see to believe. I suppose looking from my point of view, it makes no sense. But if you have a family to feed and you have to go to work, and your only mode of transportation is a bike, then comes hell or high water, you just do it. Hualien city has no public transit. No buses. Taxis are busy on rainy days..........

TGIF again

Its Friday again. After lunch today, we took a stroll along the beachwalk, enjoying the warm sunshine and the tropical breeze......

Frankie continues her piano lessons here, with her new teacher at her school which she has lessons once a week. She also has access to the music studio in the school three times a week where she practises. She seems to enjoy that more than practising at home, which is fine with me.

In the evening, we were invited to Dr Pong's house for a hot pot dinner. He is 39 today. His lovely wife, Lisen, has breast cancer and has been in treatment for the past three years. So far, she is doing quite good, better than what the doctor had expected. She is a fighter and is determined to do all she can to lick the disease. A very brave lady indeed.

Fankie's school field trip

Today, Frankie's school has a field trip to see the stone sculpture festival at the local cultural centre. Rebecca and I, along with two other parents were volunteers to help out. It was fun......


Frankie is doing very well in school. She can now write many Chinese words and can read a lot of them. It is actually quite amazing watching her write, it is like drawing pictures! Still has a long way to go to catch up with other grade three kids, but both the teachers and we are very happy with her progress. School is now 8am to 5pm, with the last hour being extra so that she can do her homework at school with the teacher's help. Its a long day and she is exhausted when she comes home, never has a chance to be bored like she was in Canada. She does miss the easy life in Canada, the short days and short weeks in school, the lack of homework, the amount of play time.....but in the end, what is better for her? I think we made a good choice. She also misses her friends in Victoria, no doubt about that. But with emails and personal blogs, she is keeping in touch with a few who communicate with her frequently; and summer is just around the corner...

Tsunami!

Well, not quite. But its a great day to watch the waves at the beach as Typhoon Parma is helping to whip up some pretty angry waves. Some waves are coming in around 10 to 12 feet which could be ideal for surfers. For safety precautions, local coast guards have closed the beaches and are patrolling them.

Typhoon Parma is weakening and has been downgraded to a tropical storm, and the sky is clearing after two full days of downpour. Surprisingly, there are no reports of flooding in Hualien, although there is serious flooding up the coast about sixty miles in Yilan. Hualien has once again escaped the wrath of God......

Waking up to a typhoon

Back to reality today and it ain't pretty. Typhoon Parma is approaching Taiwan and ahead of it, we have a torrential down pour. Weather bureau is expecting 1100mm of rain in the next few days, that is over three feet of wawa coming our way. We live in Meilun which is a hilltop residential area, and should have no problems as the storm drains are capable of sucking all that liquid suhshine and funnelling it into the Pacific. Folks in low lying area, and those down south who are still recovering from Typhoon Morakot will have another nightmare stowed upon them.

Lets have a walk in the rain...

So far, the schools are open. I'll go wake Frankie up and find her some rain boots........But first, I'm going downstairs next door for some quick breakfast.

BBQ party

We are invited to a friend's BBQ today, as it is Taiwan's tradition during the Mid autumn festival. As soon as you walk down the street, you can smell the enticing aroma everywhere. What makes it smell so heavenly is the fact that most Taiwanese still BBQ the old fashion way, and that is using charcoal instead of gas or propane. It takes longer, but when the dripping fat from the marinated meat hits the red hot charcoal, you hear the sizzle and the wonderfully delicious smell rushes up your nostrils, enough to bring the staunchest vegetarian to her knees..... grab a few cold beer and some French red, and we'll have a party, all nite long........

中秋節

今天是中秋節，這裡的傳統，在台灣，是燒烤，和煙火。
Mid autumn festival here in Taiwan has a tradition of BBQ and fireworks.
Of course, there are mooncakes and pomelos also.


We went to a local beach park where there is a night market, as well as many fireworks vendors.

Rebecca and Frankie are shooting Roman candles off the beach, lots of fun....

The night market is full of food vendors, and some are quite good. Here I am eating an oyster pancake while some guy is singing his heart out in an open karaoke. You've got to have balls singing in front of hundreds of total strangers......The temperature is perfect, in the mid 20s in the evening and high 20s during the day. It should stay this way until Dec and Jan when temperature can drop to the mid teens, and that is considered cold here.

Here is Rebecca enjoying some local fried squid....

Fireworks here are a lot cheaper than Canada, well, what else is new.......we bought 12 Roman candles, 3 spinners, a big bag of giant sparklers, all for $16 Cdn. In Victoria during Halloween, that would cost about $100. Anyways, we took home some leftovers and fired them off our roof top. Rebecca was deeply worried because there is a military compound across from us, and wondered if they would fire back at us. War games, anyone?

Hualien real estate

We are starting to look at some local properties, and here is a new development which tickles our fancy....http://ez104.com.tw/castle/pic.html

Here is one I really like, a seaside villa with a swimming pool: http://www.yes319.com/038/showobj.php?t=HD&A1=038&A2=0927167090&A3=0927167090&A4=368

and what a view! There are some really nice homes. A modest townhome in a nice area costs about $250k cdn, and a country villa costs $400k and up. Property tax is very low, almost non existent. Relative to other parts of Taiwan, Hualien real estate is very undervalued.

Room with a view

Chinese cities have undergone a sea change in the last decade....

gone are the days when intersections are jammed with bicycles with folks in Mao jackets. Even scooters are seldom seen these days, replaced by modern vehicles equipped with air con.....gone are the low rise traditional housing, replaced by high rise condos and office towers.......gone are the folks on flip flops, now with nike sport shoes for young men, ultra high heels for the ladies, and hush puppies for the rising middle class yuppies; also gone are the food vendors on street corners, replaced by American fast food joints and Hong Kong style cafes......

A little R & R

This week I'm in Hong Kong/Guangdong for some R & R. Two months in Taiwan has been great, but I'm dying for some real Cantonese food. The trip over was nice except that I caught another Typhoon head on. It was pretty rocky landing in HK as the typhoon was upgraded. Driving on the highway was scary also as we hydro planed twice. Lucky no other car was in the way....
Flying from Hualien to Taipei took 30 minutes and a very pleasant experience as we watched the magnificient scenery. Then I took a bus from Sungshan airport to Taoyuan Airport which took another 30 minutes. Flight to HK was 1.5 hours, and the whole trip costs under $300 Cdn, returned.

Weather is clearing today and I'll have lunch in HK with friends......then a date with Suzie Wong in Wanchai............................a bar made famous in the movie "the world of Suzie Wong"

featuring the gorgeous & glamorous Nancy Kwan.

Those who have been to the "Pearl of the Orient" can recognize these next two pictures. Truly magnificient...

Those who were born or have lived in HK may want to visit this link: http://www.pbase.com/anubis_photo/hong_kong_70s__80s

My golfing buddies

Here are some pictures from the golfing trip to Shenzhen, China in 2007 & 2008...

Our captain Joe who has done a great job in booking rooms, tee times, arranging transportation, and the unenviable task of feeding a group of grown men three times a day.....

Our next group trip is Nov this year and we have a few new bloods....looking forward to it.

Bring lots of cash and bring your A game gentlemen......

Happy birthday bro!

Happy birthday to my brother Sam, and here is a picture from many moons ago.....

and the most recent picture at his daughter's wedding which we missed......

What a wonderful setting! And what a beautiful couple........wishing you the best.

TGIF

Its Friday and Frankie has finished most of her homework, therefore, she gets to pick a restaurant...

Hualien is full of surprises, and most are quite pleasant. Today Alex and I play at a different location due to a tournament at our club. I drove by this place many times, but the courts are well hidden from the road. What a spot! Its right on a top of a hill, looking over the ocean and a lagoon on the east side, and a perfect view of the majestic mountain range to the west side.

It was very hot today. I thought the summer heat was over, but today it returned with a vengeance. We played at 8am and the mercury has already hit 35C, which is 95F. I can't say that I am getting used to the heat, because how can anyone get used to living inside an oven? But I do prefer this heat over the cold and damp weather of the Pacific Northwest. The dry and cracked skin at the bottom of my feet are now all gone, replaced by a silky smooth layer which no amount of oil or cream could do living in the artificially heated boxes of Canada. Also disappeared is the dry flaky and itchy skin all over my limbs. The humidity here is an instant cure. Goodbye skin creams and goodbye Oil of Olay.......Another plus for this tropical heat is the fact that we dry our clothes in the sun instead of using a dryer. It only takes half a day to dry and our clothes smell and feel great. I guess many people don't realize that the chemicals such as "bounce" we throw in the dryers could cause many allergies, not just topically but also to our bronchial system. I have always wondered why as kids growing up in Hong Kong, we never had any skin allergy problems; not until we have lived in Canada for a few years.

One negative about the tropical humidity is the slowness in healing wounds. Frankie's scraped knees would have formed scabs within two or three days in the dry Canadian climate, but it has taken well over a week here and her wounds are still pinkish and tender........think I'll try a blow dryer on her knees........

Friday chit chat

Well folks, we survived the summer tropical heat of Asia! During July and August, the day time temperature averaged about 35c, with highs over 40c some days. This week, I have noticed a sharp change as day time temp drops to about 30c, with a cool breeze off the ocean, it is absolutely perfect. In fact, we have the windows open and the air con off all day. We finally received our electricity bill, and for the first two months, it is almost $500Cdn. I was actually expecting more, because we have our air con on in all rooms 24/7. This compares with our hydro bill in Canada for the two coldest months of Jan/Feb.
Frankie is enjoying the new challenge at school, and spends about two hours doing homework after school everyday. Therefore, she is fully occupied during the week and never complained being bored like she did in Canada.
Typically, she rises at 7am, has breakfast, and arrives at school at 8am.
School is out at 4pm, and she spends the next two hours doing homework.
Then we have supper at home, and then a shower.
She is then free by 7pm, and we have some quality time together.
Bed time is 9pm, and she sleeps like a log for ten straight hours.
On the weekends, we do some sightseeing and search for new places to visit. She also has play dates with her friends.
We are establishing a routine and life is good so far.

There are a few things which I really like about life in Hualien.
Smoke free - like Canada, smoking is banned in all indoors, and people actually obey the signs! Not like in China where people really don't give a damn. Overall, people smoke less here as I hardly smell any smoke everywhere we go.
Easy access - to food & shopping, to tennis, to golf, and to many parks. We live in Mei-lun, which is a hill top residential area at the center of Hualien, within minutes to downtown, ocean, and mountains.
Casual and carefree living - the clothes we packed from Canada sit in the boxes, as the only things I need are: T shirts, shorts, sandals, and hats.
Friendly folks - people in Hualien are very down to earth and pleasant. Unlike most Asian cities, people here greet one another with smiles, even if they are strangers. Everywhere I go, I hear: Jiao an, ni hau, fuan yin gwong lin......
Massages - awesome body rub downs, including shampoos, facials, reflexology, and total body care, for a fraction what it costs in Canada.
Food - need I say more? Variety, quality and price. Outstanding.

Gotta go, trying a wonton noodle shop for lunch today........

There you have it. My daily routine is either tennis or golf in the morning, followed by lunch with wife at noon, at a different restaurant everyday. Then I take a short nap after lunch, and then a visit to either a barber shop for a shampoo and shave, or an appointment with a masseuse.....evening at home with the family, and we usually eat at home on school nites, and out with friends on weekends.

A little accident

Over the weekend, Frankie had a play date with her friends and they went biking around the neighborhood, on their own. An hour later, she came home with both knees badly scraped. Yes, road rash folks, and its painful. We had plenty of those in our boyhood days, but kids nowadays seldom suffer such pain because in these modern times, kids spend more time indoors than kids forty years ago. I'm very proud of Frankie, as she hardly cried. I don't know whether this is good or bad, because holding back the tears will have a price to pay down the road. Yes? No?



And a little accident does not prevent from helping with housework.....It seems that Frankie has matured quite a bit since moving here, perhaps its the Asian influence?

Crocodile dundee again

My friend Alex invited us to lunch at his farm again, and this time we brought Frankie because she wanted to meet the "snake man". True to form, Alex went up to the mountains in the morning and caught the deadliest snake of all. This little native snake to Taiwanese mountains will kill a grown man within five steps after he is bitten. Most poisonous snakes' venom attack the nervous system and victims have some crucial time to get help, but this little sucker's venom attacks the muscular system and therefore, a victim is paralyzed within seconds and has no chance to survive. This is a prized catch for Alex, because according to him, the most poisonous snakes are the best to make snake wine with. Frankie trembled with goose bumps when she saw the snake bathed in sake.........

Alex's wife is not thrilled at all about his wilderness adventure, fearing that one mistake one day and her husband will not come home from the mountains. I asked Alex why he does what he does, and he said it is because he enjoys the challenge. I asked him if he is ever afraid, and he said yes. But in order to conquer and overcome fear, he must challenge fear and the only way to do that is by becoming the victor, and not the victim. What a guy.......My wife warned me not to ever go into the mountains with him, you kidding? I freak upon the sight of a cockroach.......

First week in school

Frankie survived her first week in her first Chinese school. She has homework every nite, which normally should take an hour to do. But because writing Chinese characters is a first, she takes about two hours to complete. Actually, we are pleasantly surprised that she finds this new task interesting, and so far have not complained. It is extra hard for her because she jumped right in to grade three.........

Our friend 趙樹海

Speaking of TV programs, some of you asked how Allen (Chao) is doing. I have not seen him yet, but we did email each other, and when I go to Taipei, I'll call him up. But how Allen is doing is not a major concern, it is how Mark is doing. In Canada, we had no idea how popular he has become. Here in Taiwan, he is hot hot hot. I see him on TV, commercials, pictures everywhere. What surprises me is the wide audience he has and appeals to. He definitely has the potential to become a mega star, not just in Taiwan, but across Asia as he is still young.


Here is a recent picture of 趙又廷

and you can watch him on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0rSPCJbUcQ

and the popular TV show: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62mGh3cDa88

I think Allen and Daisy should be very proud........I'm happy for them.

Foreigners in Taiwan

Foreigners are not very common in Taiwan, definitely not like Hong Kong which is a lot more international. But those who do like Taiwan and live in Taiwan do manage to speak Mandarin effectively, and some very well. One of the TV shows I enjoy watching is called "Foreign brides". Every week the show features women who are new residents of Taiwan whose spouses are local Taiwanese. It amazes me that after only a few short years, some of these ladies speak almost perfect Mandarin. This show invites other women newcomers to appear on TV and there is a number to call. I wonder when they will have a same program for "Foreign husbands"?

The show itself is very interesting. Each week they talk about the nuances, pet peeves, likes and dislikes, and their overall experiences in their new chosen homes. I can relate to that.

If you think they speak effectively, wait until you hear them sing......

Taroko national park

Last day of summer today for kids and we finally made it to the world famous Taroko gorge. It is literally in our backyard as it is only a thirty minutes drive from our house. This national park is ranked right up there with the Yosemite NP, which speaks volume. This place attracts a lot of foreigners as they come to hike and bike. Also there is an international marathon here every November. The 42 km course wraps around the entire mountainous road with spectacular sights and sounds. I only wished the clock could rewind ten years when I was fit for such a task......
First video is the ranger station...

then the beauty unfolds....

In this video, we stand over a platform which has a 500 feet vertical drop to the canyon below. Great spot for bungee jumping. My hands were sweaty when I leaned over with my camera......

In this next video, we spotted a cave behind a boulder which swallows flying in and out of. Chinese people love the swallow's nest (燕窩) and I can see why it is so expensive. It is extremely dangerous to climb and hang over a sheer cliff in order to get to the nests, people often die doing this.

Judging from the caves and available water within these mountains, I imagine wild lives are abundant here.

I was hoping to walk across this suspension bridge to see the other side of the mountain, but the sign says.......permits only. So, rather than going out on a limb and risk falling off the mountain, we decided to get back on the road again.........

You know the saying "there is light at the end of a tunnel"? It hit me cold when I turned around while following my family along the caved road. Yes, I saw the light at the end of the tunnel, and it was bright! It was really weird, a sense of deja vu, and also a sense of enlightenment....kinda spirtual, and kinda spooky.....notice I did not say anything, I was speechless. I just stopped filming and kept walking, seizing the moment, for what, I have not a clue......I spaced out for a moment but snapped out of it fast when a bus honked and I nearly stumbled onto its path. Perhaps seeing the light was a forewarning that I was about to "become" the light! Just not my time yet I guess.

It ain't difficult to feel some what spirtual up here because a lot of Chiang's soldiers died here blasting and building this road. Right after the corner of where I saw the light, we came upon a memorial for the dead.........

What a day. Now back to the future......

Philosophical Differences

The following was forwarded to me, and I say, right on!

I asked my friend's little girl what she wanted to be when she grows up. She said she wanted to be Prime Minister of Canada some day. Both of her parents, NDP supporters, were standing there, so I asked her, "If you were Prime Minister what would be the first thing you would do?" She replied, "I'd give food and houses to all the homeless people." Her parents beamed, and said, "Welcome to the NDP Party!" "Wow...what a worthy goal!" I told her. I continued, "But you don't have to wait until you're Prime Minister to do that. You can come over to my house, mow the lawn, pull weeds, and sweep my yard, and I'll pay you $50. Then I'll take you over to the grocery store where the homeless guy hangs out. You can give him the $50 to use toward food and a new house." She thought that over for a few seconds, then she looked me straight in the eye and asked, "Why doesn't the homeless guy come over and do the work, and you can just pay him the $50?" I smiled and said, "Welcome to the Conservative Party." Her parents still aren't speaking to me.

No parking fines in Hualien

One of the things I don't miss about Victoria is the parking tickets. I'm sure I'm not the only person who has some beef about parking fines. Hualien has a good system. There are no meters. No expired parking. No fines. No problems. The commissionairs issue you a ticket which has a time line and if that ticket is full, you get a new one.

As you can see, its $20NT an hour, which is 70 cents Cdn, and you pay for whatever time you use. Never a fine. Will that work in Victoria? I don't see why not.

花蓮水舞

Every summer in July and August, Hualien stages an evening show of aboriginal dance, music, and light show in a spectacular lake side setting. Hualien is very rich in aboriginal culture as 30% of the population here is indigenous. We caught the last show of the summer as school starts next week and summer holiday is officially over. The show is free, so is the half hour tour bus ride to and from the show.....what a deal.

On weekends, there are fireworks....

The native people here blend in quite well with Chinese people and there are many mixed bloods. They have no resentment against Chinese, but still do against Japanese because during the 50 years of Japanese occupation of Taiwan, aboriginals were treated badly. The costumes, the colors, remind me very much of native Polynesians. Here are the links for better presentation of the water dance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jduSb9kWyfM&feature=related

Think something like this will be embraced in Victoria? Inner harbor will be a perfect venue, except, you guessed it, parking problems.....How about Elk lake? A celebration of the aboriginal culture could become a new tourist draw and may add more to the tourism industry.......

School starts

This week is Frankie's last summer camp, as regular school starts next Monday. School hours are 7:45am to 4pm daily, but she will stay until 5pm so that she gets help with her homework. Teachers here work very long hours, as they are at school before 7:30am and most stay until after 5pm to help those students who need extra help.

Here she is with her new school uniform...

I don't know if you can see from the pictures, but she is quite dark from playing outside. She signed up for basketball at school and guess what, she was the only girl basketball player. I say, go for it! Anything a boy can do, a girl can do equally good or better......

Dumbwaiter

Not a derogative aimed at lousy service personnels. A dumbwaiter is a service elevator designed to deliver food and stuff for different floors, often found in large restaurants with separate floors such as those in Asia.

A very busy noodle shop with a limited menu. As you can see, the menu is on the wall...

Remember, these are new Taiwan dollars (NT). One loonie buys 30 NT right now. Ten bucks Cdn feeds a family of three in a decent restaurant here. Yes, there are expensive places here too: remember our dinner at Pizza Hut for $80US?........hm.......

My friend Alex Pan

I met Alex the first week, at the tennis courts as I picked up a game with him. We've been playing almost everyday, and playing singles with him is a real workout. He is eight years senior of me, but he is fit. We are pretty even and everyday is a battle as we play two sets in about two hours in the sizzling heat. I drink at least a gallon (4.5 liter) of water a day here, comparing to an average of one liter in Canada, if that. Alex invited us to lunch today at his country home, about 20 minutes outside of Hualien. It reminds me of 新界 in the old Hong Kong......

Alex is an English teacher at a local high school, but a very colorful fellow as he grew up very poor and spent his youth as a soldier in Chiang Kai Shek's army. I call him Chinese crocodile dundee as he goes deep in the mountains to catch poisonous snakes to make "snake wine". Crazy bugger.....

He also spent some time in Scotland where he picked up the habit of scotch and cigar. Whyte Cheung will really enjoy his company, and most of you too. His statue and mannerism reminds me very much of John Mah, even the way he wears and wipes his glasses, and the way he laughs, darn!

After lunch and a bottle of scotch later (I seldom drink scotch, so you have to pardon my language in the videos as I was high as a kite), Alex shows us his acre of land where he raises his own chicken, escargots, and veggies. He also brings home boulders from the mountains, where he has a workshop to cut and polish these rocks into beautiful gems. Because you need running water when cutting stones, he often gets electricuted when the water touches his grinder. No big deal he says, just a shock. One time his grinder slipped and he cut his vein on his wrist with blood pouring out. Being a distance from a nearby hospital, he stitched the open wound with pins to stop the bleeding. The doctor jokingly told him to go home as he was already stitched.....what a guy!

Upon leaving after a three hour lunch, his beautiful and very youthful wife invites us back for supper. I can hardly wait....but I'll need some help with the scotch, are you listening Mr Cheung?

Dim sum

There are two dim sum restaurants here and we visited one of them yesterday.
Most of the stuff are very good, pretty close to the real thing, and the price? $80 Cdn for the eight of us, not cheap.

Ocean Park in Hualien

Remember the Farglory hotel at the beginning of the blog? The hotel was built to serve out of town guests who come to the marine theme park, and we are visiting this theme park today before school starts tomorrow for Frankie.

There are two parts to the theme park: a marine related aquatic park with aquariums, sealion pool, dolphin pool, and a rip off souvenir shop of course. Then there is the theme park with disney style rides, all included in the ticket price, about $40US for a family of three. Not bad at all.

First we visit some marine life. Here is a pool of stingrays and sharks in an open tank!

And here in this tank are some beautiful lobsters, I'm getting hungry by the minute...

More tropical fish....brilliant colors!

After a little education on marine life, its time to let the hair down and ride the wind......

The view from this cliff side park is magnificient. We can see the Pacific ocean far beyond the horizon on a clear day which is almost everyday. Today was sunny with temp between 35 and 40 celcius.

Here is the dolphin show. This aquatic stadium is only about a nine iron from the ocean, which from where we are sitting, seems seamless because we cannot see where the pool ends and where the ocean begins......These poor dolphins are only 100 meters from freedom, but I guess its better here than being served up as mahi mahi somehwere........really getting hungry now...

So we went to Pizza Hut because the kids wanted pizza. Get this: pizza and pasta for the eight of us costed $80US, which ain't bad. But we could have a beautiful gourmet dinner for half that price in a Hualien style bistro. My wife and I had a big argument about this. When I was told that the pizza/pasta buffet would cost $10US a head at the door, I was ready to leave. No way I was paying a princely sum for junk food. But being typically Asian, she wanted to be polite and stayed. Suddenly it dawned on me that this is a cultural conflict: having lived in North America most of my life, I have learned to be an individual, where I am free to speak my mind and act on it without concerns to others. Asian culture shuns that. Here is an example: in an American restaurant, if something is not right, we complain and the problem gets corrected. Nothing personal and no hard feelings. In a Chinese restaurant, if you don't like something, don't say anything. Just don't go back. If you complain, you don't "give face" and they take it very personal. Guess I better learn to become more Asian again......