With the typhoon upon us, I have some time to blog some other minor things around here. The next few posts actually should have been done awhile ago, but, well, you know.
Jo, Jo's long time friend Ginger, Jo's new friend Ah-Bao (nickname) and I celebrated a belated Zhong Qiu Jie or Mid - Autumn Festival by having a Taiwanese BBQ at Ah-Bao's coffee shop (Jo befriended Ah Bao since she drank so much coffee there, which is great since now she gets cheaper coffee!).
It was relaxed and tasty with lots of meat and vegies. It is a tradition now to BBQ during this festival since it is a full moon and usually perfect weather to BBQ at night - not too hot or cold. Also, it is the vernal equinox, which starts to have days getting shorter and nights longer.
Anyway, just a few pics - we were too busy eating!
Jeff & Jo
Well, we are yet again in the midst of another large typhoon.
So far, Taiwan has had 6 typhoons (hurricanes) come through here in the last 2-3 months. This is actually about par for the course during our Typhoon season, but with each one seemingly getting stronger and stronger it is kind of pissing off the locals.
And this typhoon is supposed to be the worst one yet - AND - it should be heading right up the west coast, which spells bad news for Taichung and Taipei. Usually, the 'Phoons' come on the east coast, hit the high mountains and are deflected up and out, taking a swipe at Hua Lien and Tai Dong (2 other cities on the east coast). But this time should be...interesting.I wonder if it will match the intensity of the typhoon I witnessed when I was here as an exchange student some....whoa - that was a LONG time ago - anyway, let's just say 'a long time ago.' I did not understand so much then about the power of typhoons and also did not have the obligatory cell phone or access to news as I do now.
I still remember that day, I woke up and went to work as usual and thought it strange that there were very few cars on the road, quite a few trees (actual trees) lying on the road, signs all over the place and rain that was going everyway but down. Oh, and did I mention that the wind seemed 'strong' to me as I was nearly blown off my motorycle abotu 3 times waiting for the light to turn green?
Ah, those naive days....
When I did fianlly make it to work, I found the doors locked and another foreigner waiting outside trying to stay a wee bit dry from the rain and deciding if he really wanted to go back home - since he rode a bicycle.....We both decided that this was what must be called a typhoon and we should go back home, hook up on pizza and cookies and relax.
It sort of worked out like that, except there was no pizza and most of the things in my apartment at that time got soaked (I did not close the windows).
Anyway, I learned later that that particular typhoon was the island's worst storm in decades.
We'll see how this one fares. Already Jo and I went to eat lunch and on the way back, we were both blown by the wind. Jo I can understand, but me? I am a big boy and even I had to rebalance myself as we walked home (me practically carrying Jo home). And the real storm will not be here til tonight!
But, on the bright side, maybe I can finally catch up on blogging more?
Jeff
ps. Well, about an hour after I posted this, Zak came downstairs and casually mentioned that a piece of his balcony roof broke off. Granted, this roof was a metal sheet that was put up many years ago and I was surprised that it lasted this long (especially after the last typhoon), but at least it is true that it seems much more powerful.....
This was when we tried to bungee the edge of the roof to the wall to keep it from shaking more.....
But it did not do much good and the thing crashed down. It looks terrible, but there was minimal damage to the waterfall, or the main structures. However, Zak's turtles were scared shellless and some of his nicely positioned rocks were scattered. Oh well, time to redo it.
All I can say now is that we farred a lot better than others; this was minor (but still kind of interesting).
Yes, with another typhoon coming, we had to cut our trip short. We had planned 3 days, but decided that a typhoon in the mountains (when we had to drive back down those wet slippery roads) would be asking too much from a merciful god. Now, a vengeful or bored god would love us to stay and roll the dice, but we wisely decided against it. But we had a great time the next day regardless of a little rain.
Very close to our accommodation was another scenic area called Cui Feng Lake and we decided to head there and hang out. We were so glad we did. It was even more beautiful than Tai Ping mountain.
This was the entrance to the 3-4 km path around a natural lake up in the mountains.
Wait, could it be? Non wooden plank paths?
Well, except for that section up ahead to help protect the muddy area the path this time was much more....natural, I guess, which made the whole experience even better (to me at least).
It was quiet and peaceful and we only saw 1 other couple on the path going the opposite way, which was great. Even though it was rainy, the mist made the woods seem etheral and the smells and sounds were fantastic. We even came upon one of the famed cedar trees, once harvested here and he was not only huge (the picture does not do justice), but he still smelled quite fragrant. Needless to say, we stopped here awhile and just relaxed a bit.
Well, Jo is maybe too relaxed...
Along the path, there were small signs telling you both scientific information of the area as well as those bordering on the philosophical. There were also flip signs with quizzes to see if you could recognize the specific plants or animals in the area. So both Jo and I learned a bit more about the area, which adds to people's awareness (I hope).
Like this for instance, this area is called the White Tree Forest. The trees are all white since they have died but since they are so high up in the mountains, they can not decompose and break down as quickly as others might. The white is the natural color of their heartwood, or under the bark wood.
Next, we came upon an area completely covered in moss. It was a huge area and instead of a wooden path or a natural path, they constructed two planks that you shuffled along on.
The air was very fresh here and just breathing in was very relaxing.
However, there was thing that was starting to bother Jo. This was supposed to be a path around the lake and we had not caught a glimpse of it anywhere. Well, Jo starting to get impatient and frustrated and started to yell at the poor trees and wanted to find some frogs to kick. Don't be fooled by that seeminly inocculous smile!
I tried to placate here and offered to hold her for a picture to calm her down....
....But she just kept whining and complaining and I could not stand it.
So I threw her over the edge.
Ok, I managed a second of regret and eventually climbed down to rescue her, but it seemed that her bad mood only increased for some reason....
It was a long walk to the exit, but as we were getting close to the end, we both sensed something. Jo sensed that the lake was close and I sensed that I was hungry.
Turns out we were both right.
But this was not good enough for Jo! Too much fog. So she yelled a bit more at the fog to get out of the way.
That's better....
And that is or trip to Tai Ping Mountain and Cui Feng Lake.
We had another outing into the beauty of Taiwan's mountains recently and it was much needed. Coming out of my summer hibernation has drained me physically, mentally and spiritually and we both needed to get back into the flow of things. Well, that is my thinking anyway - Jo just wanted to get out of the damn house and go out (seeing how she hates to stay indoors for more than 30 minutes at a time....).
So we planned a trip (ok, JO planned it) to Tai Ping Mountain, which could be translated as Pacific Mountain, since the Pacific Ocean is Tai Ping Yang. I asked if we could see the Pacific Ocean from there and Jo responded: "No, you can't." I tried to argue that calling it Pacific Mountain was strange then, but Jo mentioned that it is just a name and had no meaning. I almost took the bait and started to argue more, but she quickly changed the subject: "Look out! There's a bus coming!" Normally, this would not be an earth shattering announcement, but when the curvy mountain road only fits about half of a bus on good sections, you find yourself taking emergency precautions, swearving out of the way while wiping the persperation that is lining your eyes.
But that is a WHOLE other story....(see below)
Anyway, we made it up to the mountain after a 6 hour drive (2 hours the way the crow flies) and it was great. Below are some pictures of the event with some commentary.
As usual, enjoy!
This is Jo's victory salute after the drive to our accomodation on Tai Ping Mountain. We have an agreement: she drives the mountain roads and I drive the highway sections and in this case it was about even driving time.
But I do have to admit, I really don't like the way Jo drives. I get antsy, nervous and impatient. Now, I know that is not cool, but before you say any more, I will say she drives too fast! Especially on the mountain roads. I feel so ashamed! I wanted to be a race car driver when I was about 8 years old, but I realize that I am so happy I am not. You see, she hates those boring flat spaces some of us mortals call highways and loves the sickening, cutback mountain-y, death-defying, oh-my-god-we-are-going-to-die, curves where you have to drive on the other lane (of a 1.5 lane path - I loath to use the term 'road') just to keep from turning the car 90 degrees on each turn.
I seriously had to close my eyes on some parts of this trip (and many others, unfortunately). I found that when I drive on a Taiwanese mountain road, I tend to think about little things that drive Jo crazy like: my life, her life, another car hurtling down on us, that bus that just ran us off the road, that fact that beyond a 2 foot high barrier there is a looooooong drop down....things like that.
But that is not what she (or many other Taiwanese drivers think about), oh no. She is too busy figuring out the more important details, like: calculating the centimeters from the edge of the cliff needed to make the turn neater, the amount of gas needed to gun her god awful lil' car past that oil tanker passing him when he doesn't seem to want anyone to pass, when to break with ample precision so that the back wheels don't lock up when that OTHER crazy driver who already wanted to make HIS turn neater comes onto our lane, or how to adjust the stereo to find a better song - which - you know, takes a little while, while looking up at the road once every - oh, 10-20 seconds....
You know, the important stuff.I will casually hint at the 'discussions' that we have gotten into over her or my driving, which ultimately led us to declare our battle lines: Me - Ol' boring highway. Her - Anything windy and hilly or bumpy (and in the city as well, but that is another story). With these agreements, we have gotten along fine, but she still does not get it when she says, "Isn't it beautiful?" (when we are driving up these wonderful mountains) and I respond: "I hope so!" through closed eyes....
So, I heartily respect the race car driver of the family - Jo, and her lil' Herbie unmountainy car. Let's have another picture of the driver, shall we:
I was actually kissing the ground before I was forced to take this picture.....
This is right after I cleaned up my heaving mess and tearfully looked up and saw the temperature was a wee bit cooler than in the city: 23 degrees. It thankfully got down to 17 degrees at night and I was in heaven...but then I remembered we had to leave the next day and I got dry heaves again, knowing we had to go on the same road back with all those other crazies in the background.....but ah, I digress....
This is our view from our room. It may not be much to most of you who already live near woods, but to a city dweller like me now (sigh) I so miss seeing trees from my window. I used to have that at my old house in Connecticut, in my apartment in Northhampton, and in my apartment in Seattle, but it has been many years since I have seen open mountain air and trees from my window. This was indeed refreshing. While in the room to sleep, I went shirtless with shorts while Jo was bundled up in about 25 coats and 14 pants under the covers. Yes, our temperature tolerances are quite different as well, but yes, that is ANOTHER story.....
These are some pics after we started exploring around a bit in the area. I always say that Taiwan is so damn beautiful and it is true, even though the cities are super ugly and messy. It is such a strong dichotomy and I am pissed for not going out more, but I hope that some of you will sympathize with the ordeal it takes to get OUT of the city and INTO the beauty here. But Jo and I have agreed that when I am the passenger, I will keep my blindfold on and talk to her about nice things while at least 2 of my nine lives vanish along the mountain road....Geez! Am I a wuss or what!? Sigh! Anyway, so much beauty here....sometimes so hard to see....
These are of course the obligatory "us" shots.
Me looking more relaxed and Jo trying to take flight. At first, she put her arms out straight and I said: "Honey, you look like Jesus, maybe wave them a bit more....That's better..."
This was at the top of our climb to one of the main mountain paths (we had to walk up many stairs to get to this temple - where you give blessings that you actually made it up here in one piece and then put in an insence stick - please notice that only three had come up here in once piece recently - which keeps the mountain clinics and surgeons doing brisk business....).
After we put in our insence sticks we continued onto the main section path, which was not really a forest path, but a wooden walkway through the forest. This is for many people who do not really like walking around muddy and bumpy paths and while I was grumbling at the 'un-nature like' aspect of steps and walkways, I gave my moaning a break to actually get into the relaxing feeling here and appreciate the forest around us.
Although I kept thinking of one of my favorite (and first) science fiction stories I read about when I was a kid: "A Sound of Thunder" by Ray Bradbury, where time traveler / hunters go back in time to the dinosaurs to shoot them just before they naturally die. The people have to walk on a special walkway so they do not disturb anything around them but one person does and kills a butterfly. This sets in motion a change of events so that when the travelers head home, their world has changed. Bradbury also helped popularize the phrase "butterfly effect" even though he did not come up wth the theory.Anyway, as we walked around the short path (again, for most Taiwanese city dwellers anything over a 30 min forest walk is enough), I kept reverting back to that short story.
I was happy to find this unused path and mentioned to Jo that this type of path was much better (even though it went nowhere. Her eyebrow cocking suggested another response as well...
This is a cool sign that was actually poetry and I was impressed. In most parks and forests here, it is quite a scientific feeling, which while not negative at all, kinds of leaves you feeling a bit dry (I mean who really cares about the international names - Latin - of most trees and plants?). So most of the signs you see are telling you what it is in a very dry language (in English and Chinese). However, this park was different; there were various poems like this around as well as reminders to 'soak in the beauty of the forest' and 'just sit down and listen to the forest hum.'
The person translating had a flair for the poetic and philosophic (which is quite unique in such a practical place as Taiwan), but he or she had to translate it from the original Chinese, so that was comforting as well. The caretakers of this park did really care for their environment here, which was refreshing as well. Don't get me started on how many beautiful parks here are ruined by trash and ignorant or idiotic people doing stupid things. Thankfully, this park ranks high on the respect factor.
After our litlle walk, we had a wonderful dinner - much better than we were both expecting - which again, made this place go up in our ranking and then headed over to walk around more in the failing light. So this is the view of one of the guesthouses at night before the typhoon came.
Didn't mention that before, did I? Whoops! Well, there is a part 2 to continue...
THANK GOD!
It is cooling down ever so slightly now that Fall technically "should" be here. I say should since I am still sweating and wearing as minimal clothing as possible at home (which is why I usually shun the web cam....).
But this is good news for Jo and I since we are waking up a bit. For those of you who do not live in a tropical place, just consider similar effects as hibernation in the winter is what many people succumb to here in the summer. Of course AC's are busy destroying the environment and most people don't go out of their air conditioned cars, offices, and homes, but since we are trying not to use so much AC power, our (nice and big) fans can only do so much. Thus, my own energy systems have been drained, not wanting to do too much of anything except work (since summer is the busiest season for teaching here) computer meditating (gaming or surfing) or drinking cool drinks with Jo.
This is also why my last post was about 10 years ago. But that is ok, you aren't really reading this thing, right?
Anyway, so we look forward to the day that I will actually need a second layer (called a coat) to drive to work and may - just may - have goosebumps if I leave the windows open in the bathroom when I gotta go. I can only hope for those days, sigh...
Cooling off,
Jeff & Jo
