Sunday, December 14, 2014

Love is in the air......

Allen's second son Mark, got married two weeks ago in Taipei and along with many good friends from Canada, we attended the beautiful wedding at le Meridien. Mark was just ten years old when we first met him, and now one of the most sought after male actors in Asia. His lovely bride does not fare any worse, as she is probably the most popular actress in China and becoming well known outside of China as well. What a perfect couple! Most important is, the fact that they truly love and want each other. What a perfect bridge between the mainland and Taiwan also!
Here are some pictures from the wedding......













Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Summer of 2014

Again, this summer I went home to Victoria to see mom and family, and friends. Frankie has summer school in Hualien and therefore, stayed behind with Rebecca. Mom is now 85 but with medications, she is actually holding up quite well. She even cooks and makes soups for me!
Secret Asian men was back in Chinatown this summer jamming, and good to see all band members healthy and in good spirits.
Boys at Beacon hill are hitting those yellow balls fast and hard. Had a few singles with Henry and I finally have the upper hand. Weight training does pay off, adding more power to my game.
I stopped in HK and flew to Chengdu to stay with an old friend and saw a different part of China. Boy, do they love playing mah jong or what! It is everywhere.
Here are some pictures and videos I shot:







Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Moving up!

Whoa, its been a while since I updated this blog! Much has happened, moving to a new condo is top of the list. The townhouse was nice, but up and down the stairs all day was not fun, and despite having a total area of 2800 sq ft, the real living space is about half as we seldom used the basement or the top floor. So, a change was needed and we found a rental on the 12th floor of a building just down the street. Well managed and quiet, the monthly rent is only 10000NT, which is just over $300US. So, we spent a small fortune on renovation to make it more livable.......
Here are some before pictures:




As you can see, just a hole in the wall, so I hired an interior decorator and $30000US later.....









a complete makeover, with some of our old furniture, and lots of colours. And don't forget the view, from every room.....



Yes, the central mountain range and the city view, and directly below us is the par5 and par3 of Hualien golf club. Fortunately we are high enough above the golf course so when some hackers shank, our windows are safe. Feels like I am on vacation, everyday!

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

The new Fisherman's Wharf

is finally open for business after sitting empty for nearly six years!
It is now a beautiful landmark with restaurants and shops downstairs, and B&Bs upstairs.
It has a gorgeous view of the Pacific and the quaint harbour, and it is only 5 minutes from our house.
Fresh locally caught yellow and blue fin tunas are autioned off the wharf everyday, and we often come here for the sashimi and fish ball soup.








Seared salmon sushi and seafood salad. Yesterday was a perfect spring day with brilliant sunshine and 27C. Sitting on the sundeck with views of the harbour and ocean with a tropical breeze, can we say "paradise" again? This spot is destined to be a hot tourists attraction, so I want to enjoy every moment before the secret is out and the crowd is in. 

Moving on.....

After living in our new townhouse for three years, we are moving into a condo for various reasons.
#1 - one floor living is superior to living on 4 floors, hiking up & downstairs all day is a real pain in the ass.
#2 - the awesome view from a highrise condo is a breath of fresh air, everyday. Now we can really appreciate the daily sunrise and sunset, the mountains and the golf course below us.
#3 - zero maintenance.
#4 - 24/7 security with underground parking which is wonderful during the hot months.
#5 - no mosquitoes. Them pests simply do not fly that high.










As you can see, the view is magnificient. However, the interior needs a lot of work as it was a rental and has been neglected. We have a budget of a million NT to redesign and decorate this 1500 sq ft, 3 bed & 2 bath condo. Should be ready to move in by April.