Season's greetings!

Frankie was picked to represent her school in a province wide English competition, and she did not dissappoint. She came in third, behind kids of higher grades.

Therefore, we celebrated by taking her to our favorite hotel restaurant across the street, for some dim sum.... Taiwan does not celebrate X'mas, but this year, X'mas happens to fall on a weekend, therefore, we had a holiday. Frankie was in a school play......

Then we went to a local noodle shop downtown.....

Check out this bowl of noodles.........

Our new house is finally ready after months of interior decorating. We will be moving in just before New year. I'll have all the videos posted soon.

The Asian games

in Guanzhou this year, and I am there with Jimmy.

National anthem of China, just before the gold medal game between China and Korea, women's field hockey. China won in the shootout after tied 0-0 in overtime.

The main stadium.....

The entrance.......

In Dongguan, I'm staying at Dongtien garden, a very nice resort community and the price is right......

Visitors in October

Well, we had a busy October, with my brother Sam and his wife Irene visiting from Canada...

We visited Taroko national park, and by the grace of God, they left the morning on Oct 21, just a few hours before the landslide at Suhua highway which claimed the lives of 26 people......

Then my school mates from forty years ago, sixteen of them arrived and visited for two days

It was our 40th reunion.

Small city, big service.......

In a small town such as Hualien, which is similar in size and population as Victoria, I did not expect anything exceptional in the service and hospitality industry.
I was wrong.

Toyota dealership

Our Toyota dealer is simply awesome, something the Cdn dealers can learn and improve on. Here, they truly treat each customer as if he/she was the only customer.

In Canada, a simple oil change takes a whole day. You drop off the car in the morning, and pick it up in the afternoon. Well, we all know an oil change only takes a few minutes to do, why a whole day? In Hualien, when we book an appointment at 9am, they do the oil change at 9am! We have a coffee in their lounge, read a book, or surf the net, and car is ready in less than an hour, fully washed and touched up with paint, at the cost of an oil change. Now that is customer service.

Parkview Hotel

We've been in Hualien over a year now, but never patronized the Parkview Hotel, Hualien's 5 star resort. That is because local folks always say that it is too expensive. Well, I guess an all you can eat buffet lunch for $10 Cdn is a lot of money for most local folks because a take out lunch is only $2, but for us Canadians, that is a steal!

Also, for $10 Cdn, there is an all you can eat dim sum, served all day. And guess what? It is the best dim sum, unlike the two other hotels we tried before. We have given up hope that we could get some decent Cantonese style food here.......

Not just Cantonese, but Hong Kong style! All these just across from our new house.

Stella Marie Catholic school

In many ways, Frankie's school here in Hualien reminds me much of my old Catholic school in HK. Today, Frankie came in second in English composition, a competition which usually won by kids in higher grades. I guess its a bit of cheating, but when I think about it, being a native English speaker does not necessarily mean that you can write well. And Frankie writes very well, in Chinese also now. She injects some humour into her writing, which really stands out among the Chinese kids, because most Chinese kids write seriously, if not stoically.

Today is sports day at the school, and we attended. Nicely organized, and a beautiful day.

Here the kids sang the school song, and the National anthem......

The whole school works out to music.......

Here is Frankie running her leg of the relay. She is a good runner! What makes the relay special is that everyone in the class runs. Therefore, it is very exciting to watch as the lead changes all the time as some of the faster runners can make up lost ground in a hurry. It is also good for the kids because traditionally, only the best get picked to be in sports. Here, everyone participates.

As soon as the last race was over, it began to rain....lucky.

Clam bake

I love clams, especially the fresh clams here in Hualien.
No sand, easy to cook, no fat, high protein and low cholesterol.

One pound of clams costs about $3 cdn, and I usually buy 2 lbs, which makes a wonderful lunch by itself. I also love observing them while alive, as they are quite active when bathed in sea water, and can stay alive for quite a while before cooking them.

I have not seen this type of clams in Canada, as most clams in Canada are smaller, and usually quite sandy.

There are also local snails, or escargots if you will. But I don't know how to cook them.....

Typhoon Fanapi

9/17
Calm before the storm. Typhoon Fanapi should land in Hualien in 24 hours and we took the break to have a BBQ party......

9/19

Fanapi landed here at 8:40am local time, and the wind speed was 220km an hour. That is the takeoff speed of a 747!

Wind and rain died down considerably after the landing, but continues to be unstable for at least a day or two.........

9/20 The day after

Fanapi has left the island and currently landing at the China southcoast. I took my usual morning jog up to Meilun mountain but the debris was everywhere......quite a destruction. I guess this is the nature's way of recycling.....

Hualien being on the east coast had the strongest wind but little damage overall as the storm moves inland quickly. Most damages occur in the central and southern part of Taiwan as always, as the mountains trap the moisture and produce heavy heavy rainfall even after the storm has passed. I'm looking to play tennis today if the courts are not littered with fallen debris.....

Taiwan's president has mobilized its troops, over 20000 of them to aid during and after the storm. Most of them are in the south where mass flooding is taking place. Here in Hualien, the soldiers have been out cleaning up debris all day, and by late afternoon, it is hardly noticeable that a major storm landed 24 hours ago. My hat off to President Ma..........

Mission impossible: a new challenge

Friend of a friend has heard about my weight loss success, and has asked if he could get some help for his daughter. Ya Ping is 25 years old, and has been fighting obesity most of her life. She currently weighs a whopping 180 lbs, and wants to lose 60 lbs.

Whew!

That is a challenge for sure.

She is a very pretty girl, and upon losing 60 lbs, she could be a model. I hope that prospect is enough to drive her to reach her goal. I am glad to help, offering support along the way....

The fact that she had the courage to wear a bathing suit for our "before" and "after" file, shows great determination and committment. Lets wish her success......

A funeral

Feng Yi's grandma passed away last week, and we are attending her funeral in Chiayi today.
Due to traffic congestion, a normally six hour trip lasted nine hours......

Her grandma is 88 years old, prediseased by Feng Yi's mom and dad a few years ago. In this video, you will see the funeral possession from the chapel to the crematorium......

This is the first time for me to attend a traditional Chinese funeral, very different indeed. This next video shows the chambers of the crematoriums, there were six in total. Each corpse inside the coffin has a number, and must wait in line for the chambers. There were about ten waiting when we got there. It was a hot day, not the best day to be next to the incinerators. The smoke and fumes were just too much, so we left early. Her offsprings went back later in the afternoon to receive the ashes kept inside an urn, and the urn is placed at the memorial tower within the property which is government owned. This next video shows the chambers....

There was a lunch after the funeral, and we stayed an extra night so that we didn't have to rush home. Next day on the way home, we stopped in Lugang, an old harbor town which is very quaint and has historical values. The old town in this video was built during the Ching dynasty over 130 years ago, and has been preserved under government designation. It was a time capsule.....

An old European style mansion is now a museum, and we spent two hours inside. It was awesome. It is similar to Victoria's Craigdarroch castle. It housed a local baron and his family. He was one of the early Chinese settlers here in Taiwan, arriving from mainland China 150 years ago.

It was an excellent side trip. We arrived home six hours later.

To sir with love

Teacher Pan invited us to a summer feast at his home. He had a mini banquet with three tables set up on his front lawn. This is a common event in Taiwan due to the nice warm evenings. Some wedding banquets take place on the streets with full catering, amazing.
Anyways, we met some of his students from the past, who keep in touch with him and come to dinner often, now with their own children. Many stories of course, much like our get togethers in HK with old school chums. Very special indeed.

Another teacher, my brother in law Robert, became a Christian this weekend, being baptized at his church. We were invited to attend....

Here is another day in paradise........

Weigh a minute......

With over two months of eating and drinking in indulgence, my weight was 170 when I arrived home in Taiwan one week ago, gaining 10 lbs during my vacation in Canada. However, that did not cause a panic as I am now quite confident of managing my weight, given the favorable conditions around me. In Canada, conditions are not favorable for effective weight management as the generally cool climate does not allow enough sweating. A thoroughly good sweat daily requires constant hydration, which is an effective method of elevating the level of metabolism.

Although I was confident that I could lose the 10 lbs I gained while I was abroad, what I did not expect was how I could so so quickly, and not only losing what I gained, but more than I gained. Yes, 14 lbs in one week. Amazing but true. I am now at my lightest since I started my weight loss program early this year, from 201 lbs to 156 lbs, a total loss of 45 lbs. Ideally, I would like to be around 150 before year end.......

With that out of the way, its time to go shopping and stock up the fridge......

Although we eat mostly vegetarian, we do enjoy having varieties, particularly fresh local seafood. Veggies and fruits are abundant here, and dirt cheap. Hualien is not for everyone, but for folks like myself who loves eating and yet be able to manage our weight and stay healthy, this is truly paradise..........

Home again!

Although I've lived in Canada most of my life, I feel that I am "home" when I return to Asia.
After spending summer in Canada visiting family and friends, its time to come home.....

First thing we did was to check on the progress of our new home, a block from the ocean and across from the Parkview Hotel and Hualien's one and only golf course.

Building is there, just waiting for some permits and then the crew from Taipei will come and start the interior.

Being away all summer, we missed the summer concerts here in Hualien, sponsored by the state government and free to all. This weekend is the last chance and we met up with friends to catch an evening of music, fun, and food. Unlike North America, outdoor concerts here are very civilized: volunteers supply plastic chairs, thousands of them so folks don't have to stand for hours. No worries of being thirsty or hungry: food and beverage vendors have everything you will need, from noodles to fried chicken, french fries to fresh fruits, roasted squid to raw sea urchins, fresh squeezed juices to Taiwan beer. What is interesting is that nobody got drunk.....Imagine serving beer outdoors in the public in Canada??????

The concert itself is beyond my expectations. The stage is extravagantly beautiful. The lighting is first class. Sound is awesome with five jumbo screens.

There was a thunderstorm at the beginning of the concert, and guess what? Volunteers distributed thousands of rain suits to the crowd so no one got soaked, and everyone stayed!! Rain lasted about 30 minutes, and it was really strange sitting there in pouring rain listening to music with thousands others. The tropical rain is so warm, and it was actually a good thing, because it cooled the evening down........

Some of the artists were first class entertainers, and popular local stars. I even know some of the songs. Warm up acts included mostly indigenous folks with songs and dance, and when my favorite "Gao Shan Qing" played, I was so excited that I messed up the video, but the music was clear........

Concert itself lasted about 3 hours, warm up acts were there all afternoon......My guesstimate is that the crowd was over ten thousand with visitors from Malaysia, Hong Kong and the mainland...Our friend in one of the videos is Michael, who was born and raised in Sooke! He now lives and works in Taipei and comes to Hualien often. He is one quarter Chinese and three quarters caucasian, but speaks Mandarin very well. He is good friend of Lisen, who succumbed to Cancer two months ago.....Lisen's two daughters spent a few years in the US, are friends of Frankie as they play together often.

After the concert ended, we were treated to a most fantastic fireworks show....

Fireworks literally exploded over our heads! The gunpowder smell and debris showered us, and we had to walk away to a distance.......the sound and brilliant colors were overwhelming, I have never experienced fireworks so close, except one time in Phuket where they had fireworks off the beach directly over our heads......Ten minutes of non stop fire power was one heck of a show, what a way to end a concert and an awesome evening in warm tropical weather.......glad to be home!

Sleepless in Seattle

Before coming home to Hualien, we took a trip to Seattle...

After the duck ride on Lake Union, we went to the Seattle Needle....

Supper at P.F. Chang's China bistro, surprisingly good!

Then some sightseeing the next day, with stops at the art and music museums, Pike place market, Pioneer Square.........

Today, we are packing and ready to come home, leaving Victoria tomorrow morning, and arriving Hualien on 8/27.

Around town

Victoria has an old Chinatown, dating back to the 1860s....

Victoria has many golf courses, and today, we played at the Bear Mountain which has 36 holes designed by Jack Nicklaus. The view is incredible, you can see all of Victoria at the top of the mountain. This is also where the Canadian Skins game is.

After the game, we have some cool drinks at the bar.......

Frankie goes camping.....

What a great weekend to go camping! My brother Sam and his wife invited us along, and while Rebecca and I lodged overnight in a nearby motel, Frankie and grandma slept in the trailer.

But what caught our eyes was the camper his friend Glen has: it is a motorbus converted into a mobile home, nearly 500 sq ft of living space on board, with all the amenities of home.

The next day, we visited the world renowned Cathedral Grove national park, which houses the old growth forest with some of the oldest trees on the island.

We returned home the next day and Frankie went to work at picking blackberries from grandma's yard. Harvest comes early on the westcoast as fruits are ripening by late July and early August.

Frankie's cousin Jessica and her husband Matt taught Frankie how to make blackberry jam, and we brought home a jar of this wonderful homemade concoction.

A Canadian wedding

A beautiful Canadian summer day for a wedding!

The groom, Eric is a pro golfer, born in US to Taiwanese parents. The bride, Melissa is a daughter of our good friends Jennifer and Whyte, here in Victoria.

A classic!

When I moved to Taiwan in 2009, I left my beloved vehicle to my brother Barry. I bought it in 1990 and had it for 20 years. Thru years of neglect, it needed a lot of TLC.......

Well, one year later, Barry had brought this 1984 Porsche 928 back to showroom condition! It is simply gorgeous. No details have been overlooked. It drives just like when it was a baby, and looks brand spanking new. Porsche stopped production on the 928 many years ago, and a nice set of wheels like this is definitely a collector's item.

I'm glad it stayed in the family and what a job Barry did!

Beautiful Victoria, city of gardens.

That is correct. Victoria is called "city of gardens" for our world famous Buchart Garden, and the distinctive floral landscape lining every street in this English influenced town named after Queen Victoria. I don't know why my grandpa picked this city as a permanent residence, but he sure made an excellent choice.

Victoria is at the southern tip of Vancouver Island, named after George Vancouver who was supposed to be the discoverer of this Pacific island, about the size of Taiwan. Climate is moderate with single digits in the winter and reaching the teens in the summer. Its generally cool, breezy, and misty. Best months are July, August and September with day time temperature in the 20s. Victoria had the largest Chinatown in Canada at one time due to the arrivals of laborers from China in the 1800s, all of them landing here first before being sent to various parts of BC to fulfill their obligations. My grandpa was one of them who came here in 1910 at the age of 18.

O Canada!

This is my first update since coming home to Canada.
We just celebrated our national birthday, but the weather has been dismal so far. I miss the heat of Taiwan. Its between 10 and 18C here most days and that is worse than winter in Hualien! Its great to see mom, relatives and friends. Its also great to play music with our band again.

So far I am maintaining my weight loss, although I have gained 2 to 3 lbs since coming home, which is expected. I sweat much less here, eat more, and sleep more.

Homeward bound

Like Forrest Gump would say: I'm going home to see mama....
I'm leaving on a jet plane, midnite tonite. This message and video is for my mama....

The most rewarding part of a workout is the food after, and here in Hualien, we have some most excellent vegetarian food, which is ideal after exercise.

Leaving Hualien soon...

We are going back to Canada to spend summer, so we have a few days left here and friends are saying goodbye.
We invited two of Frankie's school mates to lunch.....

Then I took Frankie and two other friends to Ocean Park for some R&R....

With the weather so nice here, it is a real pleasure to go downtown on the weekends to rub shoulders with the locals. For such a small town, Hualien really comes alive in the evening as the balmy climate is very inducive to outdoor crowds.....

Frankie was craving for a steak tonite, so I took her to Hualien's best, and also most expensive. Food is very good, and the steaks are North American style, charbroiled to perfection. There is a choice of USDA and Australian beef. I like USDA better, the Aussie steaks are quite gamey and slightly chewy. This is my first steak since my weight loss program. It was nice, but I really do not miss it. In fact, my 10 oz steak dinner with two jumbo Canadian oysters sat in my stomach for two days. How do I know that? I purposely weighed myself before and after dinner, and my weight increased by 3 pounds. That happens too after a vegetarian buffett, but the glaring difference is: by bedtime, those 3 pounds from a vegetarian meal is gone; but with the steak dinner, those 3 pounds stayed with me until three days later....isn't that amazing? Think what the meats will do sitting in our stomach for a few days....yes, toxic waste is right!

Our friends treated us to Brunch today, a farewell gathering so to speak. We have formed a very cordial relationship with our new found friends, and we will miss them for over two months.....They took us to a vegetarian buffet and it was awesome. The variety, texture and taste is beyond what most folks think is possible without meats.

Mission accomplished, part two.

Well folks, losing all those weight means nothing unless my bloodwork improves. I was prescribed Lipitor a year ago but I refused to take it, clinging to the hope that I could lose weight......thus lowering my cholesterol and improving other vital functions of the internal organs. I took a bloodtest on 12/30 just before I began my weight loss program, and the numbers were scary. I was not surprised because I had similar disastrous numbers from my family doctor in Victoria for the past two years. I was told to go on medication but I was on denial. I was damn lucky that I did not suffer a heart attack or stroke during all that time, I could have.
So, after losing 40 lbs, how much effect will it have on my bloodwork?

I got my report today and here are the numbers:
Triglyceride - 47 now, 133 before, normal is 30-150.
Total cholesterol - 183 now, 264 before, normal is 0-200.
Blood sugar - 78 now, 96 before, normal is 60-100.
Uric acid - 5.9 now, 7.1 before, normal is 3.0-7.0.

An amazing and very drastic improvement, with all numbers now well within a safe normal range. I am a happy guy.
Six months ago, this was just a dream.......but dreams do come true sometimes.

Mission impossible? - mission accomplished!

What I thought was mission impossible four months ago is now mission accomplished. My dream goal of losing 40 lbs before summer is now reality. Today I weighed in at 159.5 lbs, a total loss of 41.5 lbs since Jan this year.

Here I am, accepting my gift for the weight loss challenge program from Mr Chau. Now the real work begins to maintain my weight at current level, which is a tougher task than the weight loss itself. I know. Been there, done that myself.

For anyone out there who also needs to shed a few pounds, my only advice is: keep it simple and stay disciplined. Don't try to re-invent the wheel. Just follow those who are successful at losing weight before you, and do what they do, and you too, will realize your dream in a few short months. Good luck.

Almost there.....

The days are getting warmer as we head into summer soon. Morning temperature is in the mid to high 20s, and by afternoon, in the low 30s. Evenings are very balmy with temp in the high 20s again. This summer, we will be back in Victoria enjoying the cool northwest breeze and skip the searing heat of Hualien.

I am ounces away from reaching my goal of 40 lb weight loss, as I continue my program and not let it slip away. Almost there folks..........

Frankie's 9th birthday

This is Frankie's first BD outside of Canada, and she has two different parties with two different groups of friends.

First party was on Saturday with our friends from Herbalife, and what a bunch of great people. These are friends first, business second.

Second party was on Sunday with her friends at a KTV. She calls them KTV divas.......Then we finished the day off at a local arcade, her preferred place to play.

Faces of Herbalife

On the left of the picture is Joe Loang, a 42 year old retired army officer. He retired early due to health reasons. He could hardly walk because his knees were so painful, from excess build up of uric acid. Since using Herbalife two months ago, his condition has steadily improved, now walking freely.
Fellow in glasses is Mr Chau.
He has been using Herablife for two years. He is now 78, but age analysis is 52. His bloodwork is now all normal, but not so two years ago when his cholesterol was sky high, matching his blood pressure, body fat, blood sugar, etc etc.....

At 78, Mr Chau has more hair than I do, and mostly black. He goes dancing every morning, and travels often when he is not at his eatery which is one of the oldest "xiao loang bow" shops in Hualien. This guy is only two years younger than my mom!!

And here is Frankie. I also started feeding Frankie the same nutritious breakfast on top of what she normally eats to ensure she has the proper nutrition everyday. Hopefully this will help rid her of her allergies and skin irritations.

And here is a sweaty guy after his daily morning hike and run. Currently my weight is down to 165 lbs, a loss of 36 lbs so far since Christmas. Four more pounds to go and my goal is achieved. I was hoping to do that before going to Victoria for the summer, and looks very promising right now. Next week, I will have my bloodwork, and that will be the moment of truth.

about Herbalife

Herbalife products are not the only health products and may not even be the best out there, but since I started using them five months ago, the results are obvious. Of course, no products alone can help us lose weight and maintain health, and Herbalife preaches that. For my friends and family who are interested in achieving their own goals of a healthy lifestyle, I will not re-invent the wheel, but share with you what works for me, and many others before me.
#1 - a balanced nutrition.
#2 - maintaining an acceptable level of body fat.
#3 - adequate intake of water daily. (actually, hourly)
#4 - plenty of rest (try to be asleep before 10pm)
#5 - adequate daily exercises.
That is it folks.
Simple, but not easy.
Herbalife helps me with a balanced nutrition everyday, and encourages me to drink between 5000 to 6000CC of water daily. I'm doing that, non stop since Jan 2010.
My body fat has come down dramatically, but can still go lower. I have six more lbs to lose to reach my goal of losing 40 lbs, and that should help.
I can sleep better and more, but I do fall asleep before 10pm everyday, almost.
I get three to four hours of exercise everyday, and sweating every minute of those three to four hours. Its a great way to rid of toxins in our bodies.

Above is the table which illustrates different levels of body fat for men and women.

When I began my program, my body fat was 33%, which was the second highest on the chart, and at that level, I was a prime candidate for either a heart attack, or stroke. Now five months later, my body fat is 23%, which is one heck of an improvement. I would like to be under 20%.

Some propaganda from Herbalife........

more propaganda.....but this is a true story. I've met this guy in person, and he is currently down to 90kg, freaking unbelievable!!! He is the poster boy of Taiwan herbalife.

and this could be my poster boy. Raymond is Nancy Hong's uncle in HK. He was shocked when he saw me from my recent trip to HK/China. I was about the same shape as he is now, and he wants to try to do what I have done. So I signed him up with Herbalife in HK, so that he has access to the same products I use, and if it works for him, he has a new business by doing the same for his friends.

Good luck Raymond.

Good to be home

After three glorious weeks in China/Hong Kong, it feels good to be home again. Its strange, having lived in Canada for 37 years and less than one year in Taiwan, when I think of home, I think of Taiwan. What I really missed is the clean air, blue sky, warm sunshine, friendly folks, my early morning hike and run in the mountain, my afternoon tennis, and most of all, the vegetarian food of Hualien.

I used to crave for the Cantonese dim sum, noodles, roast duck, and many other regional dishes of China when I visit HK/southern China, but this time, I was craving for the vegetarian dishes of Hualien. So, upon returning home, I paid my visit to our favorite Veggie restaurant. The two most important factors in deciding whether I like a certain food is flavour, and texture. Amazingly, this veggie restaurant has over 40 dishes of very flavorful plant based concoctions, and all with different texture. Following a strict buddhist guideline, no garlic or onion are used for flavouring, but ginger, hot peppers, basil, and cilantro are generously infused, sometimes as a combination, and sometimes alone, resulting in some very palatable experiences.

Another thing I missed while I was away was watching the take offs and landings of the F16s at the local airport which serves as a military airport also. I love the sound and the sight of the exhilarating acceleration at take offs, which only takes about 3 seconds before airborne. Landing is equally exciting as they flare about 30 feet above my head before touching down. Flying a small single engine plane cannot compare to an F16, but it does bring back beautiful memories. Flying solo for the first time is something I will never forget, the experience is up there with finishing my first and only marathon......and the three hole in ones.

Made in China

Met up with a few boys in China for some R & R these next two weeks....

here are more golfing videos....

The young and beautiful......Chinese women caddies. Very modest, most come from the inland provinces where job opportunties are scarce. Working at the golf courses, they make about $200US a month, room and board, which is very good at current standards.

The 5 star hotel I stay at costs me about $70 a nite, which is expensive from local standard, but well worth it to me, because I use their recreational facilities everyday. I manage to run 10k every morning at under 50 minutes, which is a real surprise since I have not run this kind of distance, and certainly not at this speed, for a very long time........Some of my friends ask how I could lose so much weight so fast. Well, the answer my friends, is all about nutrition and calories. My Herbalife breakfast supplies me with my whole day's nutrition at about 100 calories. And as you can see from the video, running a 10k burns up 550 calories, therefore, I have effectively wiped out 450 calories from existing inventory (fat build up). Add a sensible lunch and a light dinner, and some tennis in between, and my whole day's calorie intake will be less than what it burns, which is the only way to a healthy weight loss. I am truly grateful to Yueling and Herbalife who has been my major support on this life changing journey.

Went to Hong Kong to pick up some Herbalife products for some of my friends, who are very much interested in losing a few pounds like I have.

Then I met Mr Bean at the hotel who wanted to play tennis. Actually, Mike is from SanFrancisco, but a dead ringer for the British comic. Decent tennis player also, had some great single matches with him.

50th anniversary

Yes, Frankie's school is celebrating its 50th anniversary, and there was an open house this weekend. The school was started by a French nun, a missionary who came to Taiwan 50 years ago.

Frankie was a volunteer and helped with raising money by selling pop corn. The task did not last long as there was just too much fun to be tied down to a job.......great day, great weather, and great fun.

Tsu Chi Foundation 慈濟基金會

Hualien is the birthplace of one of the most significant foundations in the world. Tsu Chi Foundation : http://www.tzuchi.org/ was started single handely by a buddhist nun here in Hualien nearly 50 years ago. It has grown into a huge organization with offices, staff, and volunteers all over the world. It has established its four missions: charity, medicine, education, and culture. Tsu Chi volunteers are always one of the firsts to reach global disaster areas offering assistance, food, water, and aids. The first time I came across them was the very next day after the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, in Victoria where volunteers in blue uniforms were on the street corners collecting donations.

The auditorium and education center is absolutely magnificient. It was designed by the master herself who is a nun and has no architectural background. It is simply amazing. This is one of the "must sees" in Hualien.

My cousin's wedding

Actually, it is Rebecca's cousin's wedding.

It is a two day event with the first wedding banquet in Chiayi, the groom's home; and then the second wedding banquet at the bride's home in Pingtung.

We left Hualien Friday noon and arrived at our hotel in Chiayi in the evening, a seven hour road trip.

Hotel is very nice and the price is right. Frankie is happy as long as she has her own bed...

Because the couple is already living together and away in Kaoshiung, it is symbolic to follow the Chinese custom of bringing the bride home, therefore, the groom's party drove two hours to Pingtung to pick up the bridal party and brought them to the groom's family home in Chiayi. Frankie was the "door girl" who opened the door for the bride and received a nice "red envelope". Easy money she said.....

Then it was the wedding banquet........

Followed the next day with another banquet at the bride's hometown hosted by her family......

Weight watcher

Left picture on 12/31 at 201 lbs. Right picture on 3/31 at 171 lbs. So far so good, as I lost 30 lbs in three months.

Most importantly, my body fat and organ fat continue to drop, now at acceptable levels. Age analysis is a big surprise, as I went from 71 three months ago to now 47. That is most incredible as the computer does not know my actual age, only with the data collected. A difference of 24 years!!! This is the most motivating factor as I continue to return to health and fitness.

Thankyou for your support.

Going green....

There is a significant percentage of Taiwanese people who are vegetarians. Even for non vegetarians, they often have vegetarian meals for either religious or health reasons. Therefore, it isn't difficult to find vegetarian restaurants here. However, most of them are not health conscious. Trying to compete with non vegetarian establishments, many of these so called vegetarian places rely heavily on MSG, artificial flavoring, coloring, and oils; resulting in very salty, greasy, and rich tasting food which can actually cause health problems. Upon the recommendation of the vegetarian community, we visited a veggie buffet restaurant today, and it is a gem.

This place is very clean, well staffed, and very organized. They use organic foods as much as possible. They also use olive oil ( I can taste it in the noodles), and low sodium sea salt. Most importantly, they use low heat cooking on all their foods. As we know, high heat cooking causes oils to burn and produces carcinogen which causes cancer.......But what good is it if the food is tasteless as many so called organic restaurants tend to serve boring crap such as alfafa sprouts and multi grain bread........

Not here. Every dish tastes great and different. We have to stop before we over eat. We bought a book of twenty meal tickets for around $100Cdn, therefore, each meal costs $5. Excellent healthy food at superb value, only in Hualien.

After lunch, I had some time to kill before playing tennis, and since I had not touched a club for months, I went to the driving range to see if my lighter body has any effects on my golf swing.

Yes! As you can see from my finish, I have a much fuller follow thru with a nice body turn which I did not have before. This adds a bit of distance but most importantly, a cleaner contact and a straighter ball flight.

Take a hike!

Yes we did. This is the first time for Frankie to hike up Meilun mountain, which is similar to Mount Doug in Victoria. Its a beautiful Saturday morning and her tennis class is cancelled today due to a tournament, so we took the opportunity and spend some quality time together. Temp is a perfect 25C, but we still managed to work up a sweat. This is where I hike and run everyday for an hour.

There is a beautiful deck at the top of the mountain where folks rest, exercise, take pictures, play music, and some paint. You can see Hualien city below, with mountains to the west and ocean to the east.



Frankie loves nature, and she helps me see things which I normally am too blind to see. Like little butterflies resting on tree leaves, little flowers among the bushes, insects dangling among tree limbs, and some caught in the spider webs..........she also loves sketching, as she carries a pad of papers and pencil in her pouch, and draws sketches of things which she finds interesting.

Here is her quick sketch of a cat........

Food as medicine 山藥--瘦身好幫手

Chinese medicine is more about prevention than cure, and many food items are actually medicine. Here in Taiwan, we are blessed with rich soil, warm climate, plenty of sunshine and moisture, which all combine to provide an ideal growing environment, all year round. When I go to the local markets, I often come across things I am not familiar with. One of those things is 山藥, a traditional Chinese herb medicine which I have seen in dried form, but never fresh....

山藥 is a root vegetable, which resembles somewhat like a potato. The one on the left is imported from mainland China, while the one on the right is a local Taiwanese grown. It so happens it looks exactly like the island of Taiwan.

After some research, here are some of the medicinal value: 山藥可健脾胃, 補虛贏, 益腎氣, 止瀉痢, 強筋骨, 化痰涎, 潤皮毛, 除寒熱邪氣久服耳聰目明, 輕身不饑延年.

一般人熟悉的山藥, 經過研究, 效用有抗菌, 抗氧化, 抑制癌細胞, 調節生殖系統, 曾強免疫力. 蔡新聲表示, 山藥完全沒有毒性, 可當成三餐主食, 而不像馬鈴薯, 芋頭會令人發胖.

山藥含有的熱量少，營養多，而且其能增加飽腹感，達到瘦身的目的，故在瘦身期間可作為主食食用，或者作為輔食.

Here is more: http://www.aptcm.com/aptcm/medinfo.nsf/ByUNID/4B7E7C2F9849B77448256FFF0013580D?opendocument

Now that my focus is on health, I continue to search for foods which are nutritional and have medicinal values, instead of just loading up with fats and carbs.

Down with the pounds!

Move over, Richard Simmons!

The big difference between working out in Canada and Taiwan is the outside tempertaure. In Victoria, the average temp is 10C while it is 25C here. Therefore, I have never sweated so much before. Here, every inch of my body sweats, and every pore works overtime squeezing out the liquid waste and toxins out of this fat body. The feeling is incredible when I am absolutely drenched with perspiration.......
I start the day off with a Herbalife breakfast shake at the breakfast bar, conveniently located below our condo. Yue Ling is the owner, and also my nutrition advisor. She keeps track of my progress, and makes a diary of my weight, body fat, organ fat, bone mass, muscle mass, age analysis, and metabolic capacity.

Today, my weight is down to 176lbs, a total loss of 25lbs so far since Christmas. Better news is that my body fat and organ fat continue to drop, and my age analysis is, hear this: 50!!!!! I had a body of a 71 year old when I started this program, and now I am younger than my actual age.....

Sure, nutrition alone could not achieve all this, exercise is still a very vital part of a healthy life style. Clean air, good rest, and frequent massages also help, a lot......

Here I am, after my morning hike and run............

Frankie doing homework

Frankie spends about 2 to 3 hours on homework every night. Same work may only take an hour for other kids, but Chinese is a foreign language for Frankie. Here she is doing Chinese proverbs and she uses the internet to find the answers, pretty cool I think. Even I did not think of that.....

Linguine with fresh clams

Well folks, I have lost over 20 lbs now, but the more weight I lose, the more I eat. At least it seems that way. Living in Hualien is a dream come true: there are abundance of fresh local veggies, fruits and produce, and bountiful of local fresh fish and shellfish. Seafood and veggies are my favorite foods.......

Among many local shell fish, there is one type of clam which truly stands out. It is called 海瓜子, you can read more about it here: http://www.hudong.com/wiki/%E6%B5%B7%E7%93%9C%E5%AD%90.

If you don't read Chinese, simply have the page translated at
Google:http://translate.google.com/#zh-CNen

These clams are so delicious, and so useful in cooking. They are low in fat and cholesterol, but high in protein. It only takes a minute to cook, and the broth is delicious by simply adding a few slices of fresh ginger. I use the clam meat for pastas, salads, and lately I've been making a type of Cioppino, which is a tomato based fish and seafood stew which is very popular among Italians and Portugese people.
Today's lunch was Linguine with fresh clams, and it was perfect. My mid day meal is my biggest and best meal of the day, as I try to eat lightly at dinner time while continuing with an Herbalife shake for breakfast.

The turning point of my (mid) life

As some of you may already know, one of the reasons for us to relocate to Taiwan was simply to provide a chance for Frankie to learn the Chinese language and culture, which is not something she can easily do in Canada. Another reason is for Rebecca to go back to her roots, a chance to be "home" again. There is also one other reason, and that is for me to get fit again. Its much easier to get up and go for a run when its 25C outside which is the average temperature here in Hualien. I find the cold and damp weather on the Canadian west coast wearing me out as we go from one heated box to another at least eight months of a year.
But instead of becoming fit, I was becoming fatter. There are so much new and different tasting food here and you all know how much I love eating. By Christmas, my weight ballooned to just over 200 pounds. I could see myself digging my own grave, eating myself to death sooner or later. I could not face my self in the mirror anymore. In fact, I could not see my own toes when standing up!!! Guess what else I could not see when standing up? OK, that is not funny.....
So, I said to myself, you better smarten up and get fit again, or else all that I have worked for will mean nothing if I don't live long enough to enjoy it. But where and how can I start?
It so happened that a breakfast bar opened in one of the commercial spaces below us in the same building, and the owner is an Herbalife distributor. Rebecca and I had some success with Herbalife products before in Canada, but we did not persist and it was time wasted. So, I began having an Herbalife shake for breakfast every morning in this breakfast bar, instead of my regular noodles, buns, soya milk, congee, dim sum etc etc. What is good about Herbalife is that I don't need to change my diet too much, in fact, I don't diet at all. I start with a shake every morning, and drink between 4000 to 6000cc water everyday, and have a normal lunch and normal dinner. If I'm hungry before bed, I'll have another shake. The shake provides plenty of vitamins and minerals, and the large amount of water flushes out the toxins and the fats in my body. Before Herbalife, 4000 to 6000cc water was my weekly intake! Years and years of dehydration alone can send people to their premature death. I think this is the single most important thing anyone can do to improve their health without doing anything else.
Of course, along with regular exercises, fresh air, and good rest, my weight has nowhere to go but down.

I often go to the Herbalife meetings although I have no plan to become involved yet. Often they have very good speakers and it is very inspirational to be there. The first video shows the poster boy of Taiwan Herbalife. This guy lost over 200lbs using the products, absolutely amazing! He went from the death bed to a pedestal as almost everyone in Taiwan has seen his "before and after" pictures.

Next up was a 78 year old woman, who had the typical maladies of an aging person and has become healthier after using the products. She no longer needs a cane and her medications have been reduced. I think our mom can benefit from this, but one needs to be disciplined and has the true desire to become healthy to be successful.

I know MLM and network marketing has a bad rap, but these products and most importantly, the daily support from the Herbalife folks play a major role as the turning point of my mid life. I am very thankful for that.

another day in paradise.....

We have had a handful of cold days all thru the winter season here, with temperature dipping down to 15C, otherwise the average temp is 24C which is really nice. Day time temp starts to heat up again, reaching 30C in the past few days.

All of the steel and concrete are in place in our new house, and it is time to pick out some tiles for the floors, bathrooms, kitchen, and the patio.

We picked up Frankie from school and went to a local Italian style restaurant for dinner......This is one of our favorite places because the pasta is very good and the curry is awesome. Portions are just right so I don't over eat.

Then we watched TV together as Frankie has already finished her homework. One of our favorite programs is the "sisters club", which is a show about foreign brides and their often hilarious experiences living in Taiwan. Most of them speak amazingly good Mandarin....

Before and after

on the left corner, our competitor from Fatsville, weighing in at 201 lbs. And on the right corner, our challenger from Slimcity, weighing in at 181 lbs.......

Here we are folks, two months and 20 lbs, with 20 more to go.

Most importantly, my body fat and organ fat have been reduced. Also, my age analysis went from 71 years to now 53 years. If I keep this up, I can actually turn back the clock and have a body younger than my actual age soon.......my wife will like that......

Rained out

Weather has been good these past few days after Chinese new year. Sunny and warm with day's high near 30C. It is perfect for those early morning work outs as I hike, walk, and run for an hour every morning at the nearby Meilun mountain. Then after lunch, I head out to the club and pick up a game with local players and manage to play 4 to 5 sets in about three hours. Some singles and some doubles.

Today we got rained out after playing 5 sets, so we got lucky. Its time to go home anyways. I hardly play any golf these days as it is much more difficult finding golfing buddies around here. But to be honest, I don't miss golf. I don't watch golf and I don't follow golf at all. I guess Tiger and I do have something in common these days. We are both taking a break from golf.

I am really enjoying getting fit again, and I am playing the best tennis ever. But playing in the heat is a real challenge as I have to change shirts every set, and constantly hydrating. I have never perspired so much in my life, and it feels great.

West meets East

Today we have friends visiting Hualien and we decided on some Hakka food, served in a tucked away restaurant deep in the mountains about an hour drive. The setting was serene and the food fantastic. Michael is studying for his PhD in London, currently doing research in Taiwan. His lady friend Jennifer is visiting from Germany where she works, and Mark, our Canadian friend has returned to Hualien for an interview as an English teacher. Incidently, Michael lived in Victoria as a child and his sister still lives in Sooke, talk about a small world.

This is the last day of the New year holiday and school starts tomorrow. Hualien is becoming quiet again as most visitors are leaving town to return to their places of origin as work and school resumes.

Bon appetit

We have been eating at home 90% of the time these days, taking advantage of the local market nearby, where we go daily to shop for fresh fish, veggies and fruits. Its good to cook everything from scratch. Tonite, we have a four course dinner, starting with pasta, then fish, then veggies, and then some fish soup. Yum yum....

Noisy new year.....

Here in Taiwan, Chinese new year is very festive as everywhere we go, we see incense burning and lots of firecrackers during the day, and fireworks light up the sky at night. Firecrackers were banned in Hong Kong after the 1967 riot, so my only childhood memory of playing with firecrackers was when I was Frankie's age. Needless to say, it was the highlight of the new year for us kids, it was a blast! Its a strange feeling to experience that again, it brings back a lot of memories which have been buried or suppressed over the years. Memories I have forgotten totally, some good and some bad.

Rebecca and Frankie spent ten days at her aunt's house in Chiayi on the west coast, which is about six hours train ride from Hualien. They are now home as we spent a quiet new year together. Most businesses are closed for three days but due to the economic downturn of the past two years, many of them stay open all thru the holidays, trying to cash in on the extra business generated from tourists. Holidays and long weekends are popular time for folks from Taipei flooding into Hualien looking for some fresh air, peace and quiet. The B&Bs are sold out and the restaurants which are open have line ups. Owners are happy, no holiday pay and no overtime here........A typical non clerical worker here in Taiwan works six days a week and 12 hours a day. Some service industry personnels such as barbers and hairdressers work 14 hours a day with two days off a month, yes, a month. There is no tipping except for some five star establishments, and the average wage is 15000 to 20000NT a month, which is $500 to $700 Cdn. Rebecca's brother, a high school teacher, earns 50000NT a month, which is $1700 Cdn. Canadian teachers make three times that.

It ain't so quiet these past few days as firecrackers and powerful fireworks fill the air with thick smell of gun powder and the noise of a battlefield. Our neighbors next door was playing with fireworks tonite, and they are more like mini missiles than Roman candles. In Canada, they would be arrested for messing around with explosives so close to buildings.........Good thing most buildings are steel and concrete here.

恭喜發財! Gong hay fat choy

In two days, the year of the tiger will begin, and I wish everyone to be healthy and strong, like a tiger. Here is a clip with Frankie practising her lion dance skills.....

Also, Frankie has started her tennis lessons this week. We have a resident coach here at the tennis club, and he has been working with young players, developing junior players from local schools. Tennis lessons are two hours each session, everyday during school holidays, and every Saturday and Sunday.

I'm losing it....

Enough is enough.

I stepped on the scale just before Christmas, and it said 201. Yes folks, all that good food finally tipped my weight over 200 pounds! This is just too much for a guy who ran a marathon just a few years ago....so, my new year resolution is to lose 40 pounds before summer. Weight is not my only concern. Cholesterol, blood sugar, body fat, organ fat........all have to be reduced. According to the data from my blood and urine analysis, my real age was 71.

That was a shocker folks. It meant that I could suffer a heart attack, a stroke, or develope cancer at any time. Or simply drop dead any day. Not good.

I started my own weight loss program in January, which is a combination of daily exercise, eating less and eating the right things, and most importantly, drinking plenty of water.

Well, how did the first month go?

Top picture was before, and bottom picture is today.

So far, I have lost 12 pounds, and all my blood work has improved. Age analysis says I am now 56. I have turned back the clock 15 years!

Yes, I am extremely motivated. 28 pounds to go...............

And the trips to the gym are really paying off.....

From Canada, eh...

Today I met a fellow Canadian visiting here in Hualien. Mark is from Saskatoon. After spending four months in Siberia (not kidding), Mark decided to try somewhere warmer. Mark is multi lingual, speaks Russian and German fluently. He wants to stay in Taiwan for at least one year, and he needs to supplement his income, therefore, he is eager to take any positions to teach either English, German, or Russian. Anyone reading my blog knows of any language school who is hiring or someone needing a private tutor, please let me know and I will put you in touch with Mark. He especially likes the gentle climate and the warm people here around Hualien......

Winter holiday

This year, kids in Taiwan enjoy a five week winter holiday, the longest in history due to Chinese New Year being a little late. There were plans to go somewhere, but you know my wife, a procrastinator......Meanwhile, Frankie goes to the market in the morning with me to shop for some fresh meats and veggies for lunch.

The fish head from the above video comes from a local fish called "man bor", which is a very strange looking fish. Also, its texture is nothing like fish, its more squid like.

With temperature around 27, we went to the beach........

The F16s put on quite a show over the water sometimes....

I was invited to have lunch at a local farm. There are many "farm" restaurants like this all over Hualien. Taiwanese people are going green in a big way, with no indoor smoking already in place a few years now. There is a new law now even prohibiting smoking while walking and when riding a scooter on city streets. Organic produce, veggies, and meats are everywhere. Therefore, countryside farm hotels (B&Bs) and restaurants are springing up like wild mushrooms in the past few years as demand for cleaner air and quieter lifestyle is becoming a major trend.

Hualien reminds me of Victoria forty years ago: low density, low crime rate, low property values, low taxes, and low profile.

Frankie's mid term

Frankie just finished her mid term exam this week and the result is in.
She placed 31st among the 40 students in her class.
That does not seem like much, but is actually quite remarkable, because all subjects except English are in Chinese. I feel sorry for the nine kids........

She also won an award and a cash prize.

Both Rebecca and I were quite concerned that if Frankie has trouble at school, not being able to catch up, that we may have to return to Canada rather than risking of her hating her new environment. So far, we do not see any signs of that, and she is actually quite happy despite three hours of homework every night.
Frankie will have four weeks off starting next week, due to the winter holiday and Chinese new year happening together. We will be travelling somewhere, looking at some options right now. She deserves a break.
Options are: Disneyland in HK, trip to Tokyo, and trip to Kinmen which is Rebecca's hometown. Kinmen is a little Taiwanese island off the China south coast of Xiamen.

Monday Monday.....

It was a great weekend with fantabulous weather.
Its now Monday morning and Frankie is off to school. She goes from 8am to 5pm, which is a long day considering in Canada, school is 9am to 2:45pm. Mind you, a typical work day here is 10 to 12 hours for most folks, and six days a week.......so, the long hours for kids is preparing them for later on in life.

After dropping Frankie off to school, I'm free to do what I enjoy doing.

Hey Frank, if you are watching this, I want you to know I miss my Tuesdays and Fridays playing with you folks. My backhand is improving, so watch out! I'll be back in Victoria in June for the summer. Weather here is perfect for tennis year round. Brilliant sunshine today with temp near 26C, and this is middle of winter!!

I have not touched a club since my trip to China in Nov, so I decided to hit some balls at the range.....first video is warming up with an 8 iron...

then a few hits with my rusty, I mean trusty 3 wood......see that white building at the end of the range? That is Parkview Hotel, and I'm aiming at the 10th floor window........our new house is right across from the hotel.

I have never looked at my own swing from this angle. Darn! A bit of Lee Trevino follow thru I see........same body shape too!

A large bucket later, everything seems to click. Guess I better quit while the going is good......Hey Tiger, better watch it, this is what you will look like in twenty years if you don't watch your diet.

Life is a beach......

Yes indeed. The beach here goes for miles and miles along the east coast of Hualien, and is becoming a favorite spot for us on the weekends. We've had a few days of cold weather here with temperature down to 17C, and although that may sound like a heatwave for you folks in Victoria........The sun is out today and it is hot, with the mercury up around 27C, so to the beach we went.

There is currently a proposal by a developer to build a resort on this beach, which I think is long overdue. It is such a prime location and the setting is so spectacular, and yet, it sits here quietly for centuries au naturel. I would really like to see something like a Farglory property here, who owns the Ocean Park a few minutes from here. A world class golf course, tennis, pools, water sports, restaurants, bars, may be even a casino......

Some local folks are organizing a campaign to oppose this deal, because they want the place as is. Sounds like Victoria.....

Sure, nobody wants a cash cow here, and folks are concerned about noise, pollution, traffic, etc etc....which is understandable. However, harmony can be achieved and retained and nature does not have to be sacrificed.

Frankie and I are feasting on BBQ fresh squid, and washing it down with some fresh squeezed OJ. There are many vendors here at the beach and no one goes hungry or thirsty. Time to jump back on the bikes...........

Playing tourists & playing with fire

We are taking advantage of the three day weekend to do some more sightseeing around Hualien.
Today we went to the township of Fenglin, an old Hakka habitat with Japanese influence. Fenglin was a major tobacco and sugar cane plantation until recently.

Then we went up the mountain to a very popular restaurant, tucked right onto the side of a forest....

Frankie loves the koi pond..........you can hear her speaking Mandarin, and she speaks mostly Chinese now. In Canada, she seldom spoke Chinese in the public, not wanting to be different. Now in Taiwan, she seldom speaks English in the public for the same reason.

and a sea of flowers......

Time to head back into the city for some nourishment, we decided to go to a night market by the beach.........

After dinner, Frankie wanted to play with fireworks. The beach is just steps from the night market, and there are many fireworks vendors here with some awesome firepower. The beach is a great place for fireworks as we plant the explosives in the sand.

There are hundreds of people out here, some playing and some watching......we spent about $50Cdn and we have enough explosives to blow up half of the town.

Frankie at first was quite afraid of the exploding type of fireworks, but after a while, she loves it. Its great to see joy in a child......