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:

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!

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.

Season's greetings!

I'm a tad late for season's greetings. Since coming to the possession of an iPhone, I've been posting mainly on weChat, and neglecting my blog here.
Well, Santa came to Hualien this year.......

We had Xmas dinner at a new bistro with some of our expat friends. I was given a Santa outfit as my BD present, so, no question asked, I knew I had a job to do on Xmas day. Not only I entertained my friends and family, other kids and young children came and good thing I had plenty of candy canes. Belching out hohoho as loud as I could, some kids actually got scared, they had never seen a Santa up close & personal. I enjoyed every moment of it. 

Dine like a prince, pay like a pauper!

One of the best western style restaurants in Hualien is the Prince restaurant & bakery. It is located next to a creek in downtown. Three of us had Caesar salad, a large pizza, a pasta, and French fries, and the bill was $20Cdn. A similar situation in Victoria would cost us at least three times that. But its not only the price, it is also the quality which makes eating out here a hell of a bargain. The pizza was cooked in a wood fired oven, pasta was al dente, Caesar salad had chicken and bacon in it with a creamy dressing, and the fries were crisp and golden brown with no grease at all. We also bought a light Cheesecake and a Tiramisu cake as shown in one of the photos, for a princely sum of $14cdn, together!
And the service is a cut above most others in Hualien, very attentive and polite, and very quick. Food arrived at our table only 10 minutes after ordering, and it was lunch hour! Highly recommended, for the price, value, quality and prompt service.