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.