Today was a day I haven't had in a long time. No work obligations, no outings with friends, no plans, me at home alone left to my own devices. The entire day has been a me day.
Every once in a while, it's good to have a me day. Nothing wrong with that.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Christmas trip (and a bit about Chiang Kai-shek)
Christmas Day.
It used to be a holiday here in Taiwan. It was known as Constitution Day, but this day was deliberately chosen as the day the Constitution was ratified (and thus subsequently set aside as an annual holiday) because Chiang Kai-shek and his wife were Christians.
Then along came Chen Shui-bian, who took it away.
OK, Chiang Kai-shek wasn't exactly a nice guy. He ran an authoritarian regime, imprisoned political opponents, and, like others with absolute power, was corrupt absolutely. Some even claim he killed people. But like it or not, he was the most prominent figure in Taiwan's history, and it can be argued that he did many good things for Taiwan despite his dictatorial status. And there are many in Taiwan who still like him.
So, Chen Shui-bian. He is Taiwan's current president. He is a man with a mission. Instead of concentrating his energies on governing Taiwan, he's hell-bent on destroying anything that's connected to Chiang Kai-shek. Under him, most statues of CKS have been taken down, many places have been renamed, and now, in the waning months of his final term, he has focused his sights on the final two prizes - sites which after all the recent changes, I thought even the DPP would have had the courtesy to preserve for the sake of history and tourism: the CKS Memorial and the CKS Mausoleum. Among the many casualties of Chen's obsession to rid Taiwan of all things CKS was any holiday that was connected to the former president. That included his birthday, and yes, Constitution Day. In other words, Christmas. Chen Shui-bian stole Christmas. He is the Grinch.
Anyway, to me, Christmas is sacred. I don't work on Christmas, and made this clear to my employers.
So for me, Christmas was a day off (but it was a day on for most people). So it was the perfect opportunity to bring Nick and Ginny out for a Christmas outing.
Nick (the kung fu/pita guy) is a Scottish-born, Nigeria-, Uganda- and Northern Ireland-raised, Canadian-educated aspiring writer. Ginny is a Taiwan-born, Argentina- and South Africa-raised, UK-educated dynamo, who aspires to be a US citizen but is not fond of the US. She's a perplexing mix of contradictions, who leaves a profound impression on anyone she meets.
Nick is a talker - he has the gift of the gab. Ginny is a talker too. Get them together, and watch the sparks and fireworks! They go at each other verbally, jousting and debating and confronting each other. Yet they remain amiable throughout. And it's difficult for a mellow fellow like me to get a word in edgewise. And that makes taking a trip with them anything but boring.
Oh yes, the trip. We decided to drive to Nanfang-ao, which is described in the latest Lonely Planet as a grubby fishing port.
And that's a pretty accurate description, though there's a lovely little Matsu temple there with intricately carved wood and stone, as well as a jade Matsu and gold Matsu. The harbor is jam packed with fishing boats in all states of repair, from barely seaworthy to brand spanking new. We noticed some Filipino workers - Filipinos are often hired by fishing boat operators on two-year contracts. And there's a fish market in town. We stopped at the market, and some Taiwanese guy came up to us and started chatting with us in Chinese, affecting a Sichuan accent and getting a kick out of us imitating it.
We were getting hungry. We decided to go half an hour south, along Provincial Highway 9 (the Highway of Death), to Nan-ao, a pleasant Aboriginal town (in fact, almost any place south of Suao has a significant Aboriginal population, being that the 19th century boundary between Chinese territory and tribal territory started at Suao). There's a great noodle shop there, which we always stop at when driving along Hwy 9.
Unfortunately, the noodle shop was closed - the guy who runs it was undergoing knee surgery, so his mother told us. But it seemed that all the restaurants in town were closed too...then it dawned on me: it's Christmas. And the Aborigines are Christians.
We took a drive through the aboriginal residential areas, which are always interesting. They're somewhat different in atmosphere from Chinese settlements. We also drove down to a harbor, but there wasn't much to see there.
Then back north - we stopped at Suao for a late lunch/early dinner. Stir fried lamb, shrimp, wild boar and birdsnest fern.
Then back to Taipei, through the Hsuehshan Tunnel, the second-longest tunnel in Asia. Dropped Nick and Ginny off at their respective homes and dropped the car off at our parking spot in Neihu.
On the bus home, the bus driver was dressed as Santa Claus.
Ho ho ho, Merry Christmas!
It used to be a holiday here in Taiwan. It was known as Constitution Day, but this day was deliberately chosen as the day the Constitution was ratified (and thus subsequently set aside as an annual holiday) because Chiang Kai-shek and his wife were Christians.
Then along came Chen Shui-bian, who took it away.
OK, Chiang Kai-shek wasn't exactly a nice guy. He ran an authoritarian regime, imprisoned political opponents, and, like others with absolute power, was corrupt absolutely. Some even claim he killed people. But like it or not, he was the most prominent figure in Taiwan's history, and it can be argued that he did many good things for Taiwan despite his dictatorial status. And there are many in Taiwan who still like him.
So, Chen Shui-bian. He is Taiwan's current president. He is a man with a mission. Instead of concentrating his energies on governing Taiwan, he's hell-bent on destroying anything that's connected to Chiang Kai-shek. Under him, most statues of CKS have been taken down, many places have been renamed, and now, in the waning months of his final term, he has focused his sights on the final two prizes - sites which after all the recent changes, I thought even the DPP would have had the courtesy to preserve for the sake of history and tourism: the CKS Memorial and the CKS Mausoleum. Among the many casualties of Chen's obsession to rid Taiwan of all things CKS was any holiday that was connected to the former president. That included his birthday, and yes, Constitution Day. In other words, Christmas. Chen Shui-bian stole Christmas. He is the Grinch.
Anyway, to me, Christmas is sacred. I don't work on Christmas, and made this clear to my employers.
So for me, Christmas was a day off (but it was a day on for most people). So it was the perfect opportunity to bring Nick and Ginny out for a Christmas outing.
Nick (the kung fu/pita guy) is a Scottish-born, Nigeria-, Uganda- and Northern Ireland-raised, Canadian-educated aspiring writer. Ginny is a Taiwan-born, Argentina- and South Africa-raised, UK-educated dynamo, who aspires to be a US citizen but is not fond of the US. She's a perplexing mix of contradictions, who leaves a profound impression on anyone she meets.
Nick is a talker - he has the gift of the gab. Ginny is a talker too. Get them together, and watch the sparks and fireworks! They go at each other verbally, jousting and debating and confronting each other. Yet they remain amiable throughout. And it's difficult for a mellow fellow like me to get a word in edgewise. And that makes taking a trip with them anything but boring.
Oh yes, the trip. We decided to drive to Nanfang-ao, which is described in the latest Lonely Planet as a grubby fishing port.
And that's a pretty accurate description, though there's a lovely little Matsu temple there with intricately carved wood and stone, as well as a jade Matsu and gold Matsu. The harbor is jam packed with fishing boats in all states of repair, from barely seaworthy to brand spanking new. We noticed some Filipino workers - Filipinos are often hired by fishing boat operators on two-year contracts. And there's a fish market in town. We stopped at the market, and some Taiwanese guy came up to us and started chatting with us in Chinese, affecting a Sichuan accent and getting a kick out of us imitating it.
We were getting hungry. We decided to go half an hour south, along Provincial Highway 9 (the Highway of Death), to Nan-ao, a pleasant Aboriginal town (in fact, almost any place south of Suao has a significant Aboriginal population, being that the 19th century boundary between Chinese territory and tribal territory started at Suao). There's a great noodle shop there, which we always stop at when driving along Hwy 9.
Unfortunately, the noodle shop was closed - the guy who runs it was undergoing knee surgery, so his mother told us. But it seemed that all the restaurants in town were closed too...then it dawned on me: it's Christmas. And the Aborigines are Christians.
We took a drive through the aboriginal residential areas, which are always interesting. They're somewhat different in atmosphere from Chinese settlements. We also drove down to a harbor, but there wasn't much to see there.
Then back north - we stopped at Suao for a late lunch/early dinner. Stir fried lamb, shrimp, wild boar and birdsnest fern.
Then back to Taipei, through the Hsuehshan Tunnel, the second-longest tunnel in Asia. Dropped Nick and Ginny off at their respective homes and dropped the car off at our parking spot in Neihu.
On the bus home, the bus driver was dressed as Santa Claus.
Ho ho ho, Merry Christmas!
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Christmas Dinner
Last year Robert and Patty invited us to Christmas dinner with their friends Brian and Glory. Last year we had originally planned to go to Taidong with Nick and Clara, but the car broke down in the dismal cement-industry town of Heping, and we had to take the train back. So we went to the Christmas dinner instead.
Since then, it's become an annual event (yes, I know this is only the second time). This year, like last year, we picked up a roast turkey at the Howard Plaza Hotel, and drove to Taoyuan to Brian and Glory's house. They have two kids, who were anxious to open presents!
After we arrived, Glory entertained us with a drumming performance. She had been studying taigu, a style of Chinese drumming.
We then had a wonderful Christmas dinner with all the trimmings. To our delight, Brian had saved two bottles of Gluhkriek, a hearty Christmas beer that's served piping hot, kind of like a mulled beer.
But most exotic of all: Brian had a bottle of a Chinese liquor called "three penis wine", purportedly containing essence of turtle, snake and lizard penis. Of course, we had to try it. It had a rather spicy, peppy flavor. We felt like true men afterwards!
Then we retired to the drawing room, where we chatted. Glory took out her tarot cards and told our fortunes...she's into new agey type stuff.
Since then, it's become an annual event (yes, I know this is only the second time). This year, like last year, we picked up a roast turkey at the Howard Plaza Hotel, and drove to Taoyuan to Brian and Glory's house. They have two kids, who were anxious to open presents!
After we arrived, Glory entertained us with a drumming performance. She had been studying taigu, a style of Chinese drumming.
We then had a wonderful Christmas dinner with all the trimmings. To our delight, Brian had saved two bottles of Gluhkriek, a hearty Christmas beer that's served piping hot, kind of like a mulled beer.
But most exotic of all: Brian had a bottle of a Chinese liquor called "three penis wine", purportedly containing essence of turtle, snake and lizard penis. Of course, we had to try it. It had a rather spicy, peppy flavor. We felt like true men afterwards!
Then we retired to the drawing room, where we chatted. Glory took out her tarot cards and told our fortunes...she's into new agey type stuff.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Formosan Blue Magpie
Here's a photo of Taiwan's national bird: the Formosan Blue Magpie (Urocissa caerulea).
Taiwan is becoming a popular destination for birdwatchers.
Taiwan is becoming a popular destination for birdwatchers.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
The Quest for the Tonghou Trail
The goal of yesterday's hike was to go to the trailhead of the Tonghou Trail in the Yilan end. Robert and Trailhacker had hiked this trail once before, starting at the other end near Wulai.
Our efforts ended up being a comedy of errors.
It was me, Robert and Kate. We drove to Yilan and began searching for the trailhead. Only problem: we weren't sure where it was. Not to worry: it's a major national trail, so someone should know where it is. Right? Right.
We started our quest in Jiaoxi, a town famous for its hot springs. We went to the visitor center, where we should, in theory, be able to find information. However, the people at the center's information desk didn't know what we were talking about. They had never heard of this trail. Fortunately, there was a guy who claimed he knew. He gave us directions to a village named Shuanglianbi.
So we drove up there - making some wrong turns on the way due to poor road signage. Anyway, we finally arrived where we wanted to go: Shuanglianbi. We found a very nice little restaurant up there, where we stopped to take a look at the idyllic Taiwanese countryside.
We saw no trailhead in the vicinity, so we continued driving until we saw some cyclists, fully equipped with gear. Surely they would know. They pointed up the road, which we followed. It ended at a botanical park. This is a place we plan on going sometime; but it was not what we wanted at the time. We drove back and asked at another restaurant - a trout restaurant. The guy there claimed he knew - he said we had to follow the road back until we reached the first bridge, then turn left.
On the way back, we stopped once again at Shuanglianbi and asked at the restaurant. They had no idea. We called Trailhacker, a Taiwanese friend of ours who is also a hiking god. Surely he'd know - there's barely a trail in Taiwan he doesn't know. He said that the trail ended near a restaurant near the town of Longtan. We checked our map (admittedly not very detailed), and there was no town called Longtan on it. There was a Longtan lake, though.
OK, armed with sketchy and conflicting directions, we headed back down the mountain road. The first bridge we came to was back in an urban area. So we turned left and followed the road. After about 15 minutes, it dead-ended in a cemetery.
By that time it was already past lunchtime, so we stopped to picnic in the graveyard, having lunch in front of the tomb of a certain Mr. Chou.
We decided to go instead to the Paoma Trail - that way, at least we'd get some hiking in. As we drove along, we just happened to see a sign pointing toward Longtan. OK, the hunt was on. Now we were determined to find the elusive Tonghou trailhead. We followed some convoluted roads, and then arrived in Longtan. Hmmm, now we had to get some directions. We stopped at a police station: the police said "Yes, we know where it is. Sometimes we have to rescue hikers who are trapped up there. But you shouldn't go...it's getting late and it could be dangerous." They said to follow the road we were on, until we come to a chicken restaurant (that's the restaurant Trailhacker mentioned!). Then we have to turn right and go up the road.
So we followed the directions. After making another wrong turn due to poor signage, we found the restaurant! Then we drove up the road to the right - it was narrow and rough. Soon we found a signpost...the first sign with the words "Tonghou Trail" on it!! Kate was so happy she hugged the sign!
We were on the right track, finally! We continued driving, the road getting rougher and rougher, until it became a muddy dirt road that was too rough for Robert's car to handle. We parked the car. By then it was 3:00pm. We hiked from then on, 2 kilometers up the steep, muddy road, following the signs and making educated guesses when we came to unsigned forks in the road. And it all paid off - we finally (at 3:55pm) arrived at the trailhead!
We walked along the trail, which was really muddy, for about 15 minutes. It was starting to get dark, and the area was shrouded in mist.
Then we came to a part of the trail that was so muddy as to be impassable. So we went back down to the car. It was 5:00pm by the time we reached the car. In all, we managed to get about 2 hours of hiking in.
Afterwards, we drove to the seaside town of Daxi where we met Trailhacker (he lives in Daxi), and had a hearty dinner at one of our favorite seafood restaurants. The harbor-side fish market was closed, so we chose a fish from the restaurant's cooler. We had bonito, prepared in 3 different ways, and a side of birdsnest fern. As usual, Trailhacker gave us tons of useful information about hiking and outdoor activities in Taiwan.
Our efforts ended up being a comedy of errors.
It was me, Robert and Kate. We drove to Yilan and began searching for the trailhead. Only problem: we weren't sure where it was. Not to worry: it's a major national trail, so someone should know where it is. Right? Right.
We started our quest in Jiaoxi, a town famous for its hot springs. We went to the visitor center, where we should, in theory, be able to find information. However, the people at the center's information desk didn't know what we were talking about. They had never heard of this trail. Fortunately, there was a guy who claimed he knew. He gave us directions to a village named Shuanglianbi.
So we drove up there - making some wrong turns on the way due to poor road signage. Anyway, we finally arrived where we wanted to go: Shuanglianbi. We found a very nice little restaurant up there, where we stopped to take a look at the idyllic Taiwanese countryside.
We saw no trailhead in the vicinity, so we continued driving until we saw some cyclists, fully equipped with gear. Surely they would know. They pointed up the road, which we followed. It ended at a botanical park. This is a place we plan on going sometime; but it was not what we wanted at the time. We drove back and asked at another restaurant - a trout restaurant. The guy there claimed he knew - he said we had to follow the road back until we reached the first bridge, then turn left.
On the way back, we stopped once again at Shuanglianbi and asked at the restaurant. They had no idea. We called Trailhacker, a Taiwanese friend of ours who is also a hiking god. Surely he'd know - there's barely a trail in Taiwan he doesn't know. He said that the trail ended near a restaurant near the town of Longtan. We checked our map (admittedly not very detailed), and there was no town called Longtan on it. There was a Longtan lake, though.
OK, armed with sketchy and conflicting directions, we headed back down the mountain road. The first bridge we came to was back in an urban area. So we turned left and followed the road. After about 15 minutes, it dead-ended in a cemetery.
By that time it was already past lunchtime, so we stopped to picnic in the graveyard, having lunch in front of the tomb of a certain Mr. Chou.
We decided to go instead to the Paoma Trail - that way, at least we'd get some hiking in. As we drove along, we just happened to see a sign pointing toward Longtan. OK, the hunt was on. Now we were determined to find the elusive Tonghou trailhead. We followed some convoluted roads, and then arrived in Longtan. Hmmm, now we had to get some directions. We stopped at a police station: the police said "Yes, we know where it is. Sometimes we have to rescue hikers who are trapped up there. But you shouldn't go...it's getting late and it could be dangerous." They said to follow the road we were on, until we come to a chicken restaurant (that's the restaurant Trailhacker mentioned!). Then we have to turn right and go up the road.
So we followed the directions. After making another wrong turn due to poor signage, we found the restaurant! Then we drove up the road to the right - it was narrow and rough. Soon we found a signpost...the first sign with the words "Tonghou Trail" on it!! Kate was so happy she hugged the sign!
We were on the right track, finally! We continued driving, the road getting rougher and rougher, until it became a muddy dirt road that was too rough for Robert's car to handle. We parked the car. By then it was 3:00pm. We hiked from then on, 2 kilometers up the steep, muddy road, following the signs and making educated guesses when we came to unsigned forks in the road. And it all paid off - we finally (at 3:55pm) arrived at the trailhead!
We walked along the trail, which was really muddy, for about 15 minutes. It was starting to get dark, and the area was shrouded in mist.
Then we came to a part of the trail that was so muddy as to be impassable. So we went back down to the car. It was 5:00pm by the time we reached the car. In all, we managed to get about 2 hours of hiking in.
Afterwards, we drove to the seaside town of Daxi where we met Trailhacker (he lives in Daxi), and had a hearty dinner at one of our favorite seafood restaurants. The harbor-side fish market was closed, so we chose a fish from the restaurant's cooler. We had bonito, prepared in 3 different ways, and a side of birdsnest fern. As usual, Trailhacker gave us tons of useful information about hiking and outdoor activities in Taiwan.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Daily grind
Well, I'm healthy again! My stomach problems appear to be gone (through there's still a little tenderness); the final coughing phase of my cold is dissipating.
And it's work as usual. Most of my cases lately have been "ren bu lai" (i.e. client chooses in advance not to show up in person to sit by me as I translate), which means I have flexibility in determining which order I do things in and when I arrive at the office. In the winter time, work starts at 10am, but depending on my case load I can come in at noon if I want, as long as the work gets done. This is one of the reasons I like my job - I've never been a morning person!
On the other hand, the advantage of "ren lai" cases (when the student comes to the office in person) is that I can directly ask questions to ensure that the intended meaning is expressed. I've found in my work that the writing abilities of local students tend to be terrible, and any clarification I can get from them helps a lot.
My biggest pet peeve at work is the "ren bul lai" client who suddenly and without warning decides to come anyway. Then whatever scheduling and prioritizing I've done for the day goes out the window. Expect me home late on such a day.
And it's work as usual. Most of my cases lately have been "ren bu lai" (i.e. client chooses in advance not to show up in person to sit by me as I translate), which means I have flexibility in determining which order I do things in and when I arrive at the office. In the winter time, work starts at 10am, but depending on my case load I can come in at noon if I want, as long as the work gets done. This is one of the reasons I like my job - I've never been a morning person!
On the other hand, the advantage of "ren lai" cases (when the student comes to the office in person) is that I can directly ask questions to ensure that the intended meaning is expressed. I've found in my work that the writing abilities of local students tend to be terrible, and any clarification I can get from them helps a lot.
My biggest pet peeve at work is the "ren bul lai" client who suddenly and without warning decides to come anyway. Then whatever scheduling and prioritizing I've done for the day goes out the window. Expect me home late on such a day.
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Cured! (I think)
Well, I've completed the course of my treatment, and all pain in my stomach is gone. My stomach feels normal; unfortunately one side-effect of the medication is stiff, sore muscles. But that's fading too, as I took my last pill 24 hours ago. Today I had my first real meal. And it had some spice in it. And...no stomach pain, even several hours later!
I felt well enough to go to the kung fu lessons I had been shirking for the last week. I'm taking a class in Wing Chun kung fu taught by Nick, a guy I've known for 15 years. Nick is a former colleague of mine in the translation business; now he's a freelance writer and amateur novelist, and he recently opened up a pita stand on Shida Road, which as I understand it has been doing very well.
Kung fu student and master:
I felt well enough to go to the kung fu lessons I had been shirking for the last week. I'm taking a class in Wing Chun kung fu taught by Nick, a guy I've known for 15 years. Nick is a former colleague of mine in the translation business; now he's a freelance writer and amateur novelist, and he recently opened up a pita stand on Shida Road, which as I understand it has been doing very well.
Kung fu student and master:
Friday, December 7, 2007
Recovering
I'm gradually recovering from the ulcer problem. The medication is working, I'm feeling little pain now. I'm eating simple things: digestive cookies, bread, bananas, porridge, water. No oils, spices, acids, dairy products or tough, fibrous foods.
I had to cancel my participation in tomorrow's Fred Fest, an exclusive, once-in-a-blue-moon event of fine dining and drinking that I had been looking forward to. I went last year, and was looking forward to it again.
One positive effect of this ailment: I'm making progress in my weight loss effort!
I had to cancel my participation in tomorrow's Fred Fest, an exclusive, once-in-a-blue-moon event of fine dining and drinking that I had been looking forward to. I went last year, and was looking forward to it again.
One positive effect of this ailment: I'm making progress in my weight loss effort!
Thursday, December 6, 2007
My first peptic ulcer! Woohoo!
Well, no sooner was I finally getting over that miserable cold, than I started experiencing pain in my stomach.
In the past, occasionally after eating too much, I would experience excruciating pain that would begin perhaps 2 hours after eating, and would subside after several hours. Kind of like having a rock in my stomach. This only happened once every several months, and I attributed it to indigestion.
In the last week and a half, I experienced this three times. The first two times, the pain went away after several hours of misery. The third time, the pain remained, keeping me awake all night and making it impossible for me to work during the day.
So I went to the doctor. The ER, as it was late evening. After questioning and examination, it was determined that I have a peptic ulcer, and I was given medication and advice about what to eat and to avoid during treatment. Total cost for the visit and meds: US$15.
Unfortunately, I didn't get anything for the pain. It got worse, and I couldn't sleep; I couldn't do anything - I was writhing in agony. I went back to the hospital; Kitty came with me this time. The doctor gave me additional exams, and then gave me a shot of painkiller. I don't know what it was, but it worked. The pain faded, and by the time I got home I was pain-free and could sleep. (Total cost for second visit: 33 US cents! Long live socialized medicine!) I slept like a baby. Now it's the next morning, and I can feel a dull pain again, but nowhere near the sharp, throbbing pain I felt yesterday.
I am on the road to recovery.
Being sick sucks. I look forward to being in full health again.
In the past, occasionally after eating too much, I would experience excruciating pain that would begin perhaps 2 hours after eating, and would subside after several hours. Kind of like having a rock in my stomach. This only happened once every several months, and I attributed it to indigestion.
In the last week and a half, I experienced this three times. The first two times, the pain went away after several hours of misery. The third time, the pain remained, keeping me awake all night and making it impossible for me to work during the day.
So I went to the doctor. The ER, as it was late evening. After questioning and examination, it was determined that I have a peptic ulcer, and I was given medication and advice about what to eat and to avoid during treatment. Total cost for the visit and meds: US$15.
Unfortunately, I didn't get anything for the pain. It got worse, and I couldn't sleep; I couldn't do anything - I was writhing in agony. I went back to the hospital; Kitty came with me this time. The doctor gave me additional exams, and then gave me a shot of painkiller. I don't know what it was, but it worked. The pain faded, and by the time I got home I was pain-free and could sleep. (Total cost for second visit: 33 US cents! Long live socialized medicine!) I slept like a baby. Now it's the next morning, and I can feel a dull pain again, but nowhere near the sharp, throbbing pain I felt yesterday.
I am on the road to recovery.
Being sick sucks. I look forward to being in full health again.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
I'm finally starting to recover from a miserable, nasty cold that's lasted almost a week.
Despite my cold, last Saturday (Dec. 1), while Kitty was in Beijing on business (and had the camera with her, so I have no pictures of my own - please see Robert's Blog for pictures), I went on a long hike that had been in the plans for ages, waiting for the perfect time when there was ideal weather and various regulars were available. We had heard about this hike from Richard Saunders, author of an excellent series of books about hiking around Taipei. Plus we were familiar with the first couple of hours of the trail.
The hike started near Wulai, in the Red River Gorge area. This area is home to Jiajiuliao Creek, one of our favorite summer swimming spots. On the other end, the trail emerges in Xiongkong (Bear Hollow), near Full Moon Park outside of Sanxia. The entire trail is about 13 miles through the wilderness of Taiwan.
There were six of us in all: Robert (the organizer of the hike), Scott (whom we hadn't seen in over a year, as a new father of twins), Kate (who has been hiking with us for a few months now), Paul (a new guy, from Vancouver), and I met at the Xindian MRT station. The sixth hiker, Peter, met us at the trailhead after his morning swim. Peter is the most extreme outdoorsman of all of us: he regularly gets up at ungodly hours in the morning to go up to the mountains to swim, even in the dead of winter. Plus he always powers ahead of the rest of us on the trails, no matter how challenging they may be.
The trail starts out with a short but steep climb up some stairs, bringing us to a relatively wide, clear trail that was once a Japanese logging road. As we were walking along this trail, we came across a Taiwan habu - one of Taiwan's poisonous snakes. Fortunately it slithered into the bushes and was facing away from us. That's the fourth snake I've seen in as many weeks! Unusual!
Eventually we crossed several rickety bridges made of logs and twigs. On one hike, one of our members fell through; fortunately he wasn't hurt. Soon we came to the Aboriginal huts - two small wooden structures where people often come to relax, drink tea and bathe in the stream. In one of the huts there's a sleeping platform - perfect for people on long overnight hikes. An Aboriginal couple greeted us and the wife gave us gumdrops.
This was the furthest along the trail any of us had ever been. We made comments about the scene in Lord of the Rings when Sam Gamgee says he'd never been beyond a certain place in the Shire before.
We continued along the trail, which grew wilder as the kilometers passed. Yet the trail was always clear and never overgrown. Soon the trail showed a marked upward slope which seemed endless. At one point we were climbing up a relatively steep mountain side. But before too long we came to a mountain pass, where we stopped for a rest. From there, it was all downhill.
The trail on the other side went through some beautiful cedar forest, with birdsnest fern growing in the trees. Before long we came to Dabaoxi (Big Panther Creek), and had to cross it three or four times, taking our shoes and socks off and rolling up our pant legs as we waded across. At the widest crossing, we encountered a small hunting party of Aborigines who were carrying home-made spear guns. They easily forded the stream, greeting us as they passed by.
When we got to the trail on the other side, I saw the first piece of garbage on the ground in a long time: a sign that we were approaching the end of the hike. An hour later we came to the end of the trail, where it met a road. We followed the road to the town of Youmuli (Wooded Mile), where a bus can be caught. While there, we celebrated the end of our hike with some beers.
Then we went to a nearby hot spring resort where we soaked our weary bodies in pools of steaming water. Too bad Belgian Pie's wonderful Belgian restaurant is no longer open - that would have topped off the day perfectly!
What a day!
Despite my cold, last Saturday (Dec. 1), while Kitty was in Beijing on business (and had the camera with her, so I have no pictures of my own - please see Robert's Blog for pictures), I went on a long hike that had been in the plans for ages, waiting for the perfect time when there was ideal weather and various regulars were available. We had heard about this hike from Richard Saunders, author of an excellent series of books about hiking around Taipei. Plus we were familiar with the first couple of hours of the trail.
The hike started near Wulai, in the Red River Gorge area. This area is home to Jiajiuliao Creek, one of our favorite summer swimming spots. On the other end, the trail emerges in Xiongkong (Bear Hollow), near Full Moon Park outside of Sanxia. The entire trail is about 13 miles through the wilderness of Taiwan.
There were six of us in all: Robert (the organizer of the hike), Scott (whom we hadn't seen in over a year, as a new father of twins), Kate (who has been hiking with us for a few months now), Paul (a new guy, from Vancouver), and I met at the Xindian MRT station. The sixth hiker, Peter, met us at the trailhead after his morning swim. Peter is the most extreme outdoorsman of all of us: he regularly gets up at ungodly hours in the morning to go up to the mountains to swim, even in the dead of winter. Plus he always powers ahead of the rest of us on the trails, no matter how challenging they may be.
The trail starts out with a short but steep climb up some stairs, bringing us to a relatively wide, clear trail that was once a Japanese logging road. As we were walking along this trail, we came across a Taiwan habu - one of Taiwan's poisonous snakes. Fortunately it slithered into the bushes and was facing away from us. That's the fourth snake I've seen in as many weeks! Unusual!
Eventually we crossed several rickety bridges made of logs and twigs. On one hike, one of our members fell through; fortunately he wasn't hurt. Soon we came to the Aboriginal huts - two small wooden structures where people often come to relax, drink tea and bathe in the stream. In one of the huts there's a sleeping platform - perfect for people on long overnight hikes. An Aboriginal couple greeted us and the wife gave us gumdrops.
This was the furthest along the trail any of us had ever been. We made comments about the scene in Lord of the Rings when Sam Gamgee says he'd never been beyond a certain place in the Shire before.
We continued along the trail, which grew wilder as the kilometers passed. Yet the trail was always clear and never overgrown. Soon the trail showed a marked upward slope which seemed endless. At one point we were climbing up a relatively steep mountain side. But before too long we came to a mountain pass, where we stopped for a rest. From there, it was all downhill.
The trail on the other side went through some beautiful cedar forest, with birdsnest fern growing in the trees. Before long we came to Dabaoxi (Big Panther Creek), and had to cross it three or four times, taking our shoes and socks off and rolling up our pant legs as we waded across. At the widest crossing, we encountered a small hunting party of Aborigines who were carrying home-made spear guns. They easily forded the stream, greeting us as they passed by.
When we got to the trail on the other side, I saw the first piece of garbage on the ground in a long time: a sign that we were approaching the end of the hike. An hour later we came to the end of the trail, where it met a road. We followed the road to the town of Youmuli (Wooded Mile), where a bus can be caught. While there, we celebrated the end of our hike with some beers.
Then we went to a nearby hot spring resort where we soaked our weary bodies in pools of steaming water. Too bad Belgian Pie's wonderful Belgian restaurant is no longer open - that would have topped off the day perfectly!
What a day!
Monday, December 3, 2007
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Last Day in HK
Sunday Nov. 25
Today I slept in, resting my weary bones after an eventful four days, and preparing for the adventures of my final day.
The first thing I did after checking out of the hostel (a rather Spartan place, but it had everything I needed, for a low price), was to go to find the Noonday Gun. It's a long-standing tradition that the gun is fired at noon to mark the time. There are various legends that accompany the origins of the tradition. Anyway, the Noonday Gun is by a busy waterfront highway, opposite the Excelsior Hotel. Last time I was in the area, I couldn't for the life of me find how to get across without walking a kilometer in either direction to an overpass. Then a couple months ago I heard rumors of a tunnel that goes under the highway.
So I went to the Excelsior Hotel and asked the concierge. Instead of explaining how to get to it, she took me outside and showed me. She pointed to two doors on the opposite side of the alley, at the northern end, and said "Take the right one and follow the signs". Well, the signs brought me along a convoluted serious of stairs and tunnels that was reminiscent of that scene in This Is Spinal Tap, when the band gets lost trying to find the stage. There was one place where the sign said to go straight ahead. Straight ahead there was a choice of two directions! I took the wrong one, and then came to a sign saying to go back. OK, it's the other one. (Hong Kong signage is notorious for leading you somewhere and then not telling you where to go next when you come to a junction!) Anyway, soon I was at the Gun.
Here's a video I took!
There's a Noel Coward song that goes: "In Hong Kong they strike a gong and fire off a noonday gun". Well, turns out they actually ring a bell and fire off a noonday gun.
After that I went to Times Square for another Ben & Jerry's (flavor: Chocolate Therapy), before heading up to the Hong Kong Cemetery with the aim of taking pictures until the charge ran out in my camera. And that's exactly what I did.
After that, I went to a noodle shop I frequent - it's across from the World Trade Centre shopping complex at the end of Jaffe Street. I ordered fried noodles in Cantonese (chau min), and the waitress was delighted...she told me I spoke good Cantonese (she called it chung man - "Chinese"), and then babbled away something I could barely understand.
I'm quite proficient in Mandarin Chinese, and had little trouble getting around Hong Kong and Macau using English and Mandarin. And the written form poses few problems, with the exception of a few colloquial words. Cantonese is quite a different language from Mandarin: think Italian vs. Portuguese. There are regular phonetic rules through which a Cantonese word can be converted quite accurately into its Mandarin cognate perhaps 70% of the time (the reverse direction is much lower because Cantonese preserves many features of Middle Chinese that Mandarin lost over the centuries), but there's also a different grammar, as well as quite a few vocabulary differences. So this made it hard for me to understand. OK, enough language geekery...
Finally, it was getting late, and it came time for me to go back to the airport. A quick train ride to the airport, an easy check-in, a short flight, a short bus ride, and I was home in Taiwan.
Today I slept in, resting my weary bones after an eventful four days, and preparing for the adventures of my final day.
The first thing I did after checking out of the hostel (a rather Spartan place, but it had everything I needed, for a low price), was to go to find the Noonday Gun. It's a long-standing tradition that the gun is fired at noon to mark the time. There are various legends that accompany the origins of the tradition. Anyway, the Noonday Gun is by a busy waterfront highway, opposite the Excelsior Hotel. Last time I was in the area, I couldn't for the life of me find how to get across without walking a kilometer in either direction to an overpass. Then a couple months ago I heard rumors of a tunnel that goes under the highway.
So I went to the Excelsior Hotel and asked the concierge. Instead of explaining how to get to it, she took me outside and showed me. She pointed to two doors on the opposite side of the alley, at the northern end, and said "Take the right one and follow the signs". Well, the signs brought me along a convoluted serious of stairs and tunnels that was reminiscent of that scene in This Is Spinal Tap, when the band gets lost trying to find the stage. There was one place where the sign said to go straight ahead. Straight ahead there was a choice of two directions! I took the wrong one, and then came to a sign saying to go back. OK, it's the other one. (Hong Kong signage is notorious for leading you somewhere and then not telling you where to go next when you come to a junction!) Anyway, soon I was at the Gun.
Here's a video I took!
There's a Noel Coward song that goes: "In Hong Kong they strike a gong and fire off a noonday gun". Well, turns out they actually ring a bell and fire off a noonday gun.
After that I went to Times Square for another Ben & Jerry's (flavor: Chocolate Therapy), before heading up to the Hong Kong Cemetery with the aim of taking pictures until the charge ran out in my camera. And that's exactly what I did.
After that, I went to a noodle shop I frequent - it's across from the World Trade Centre shopping complex at the end of Jaffe Street. I ordered fried noodles in Cantonese (chau min), and the waitress was delighted...she told me I spoke good Cantonese (she called it chung man - "Chinese"), and then babbled away something I could barely understand.
I'm quite proficient in Mandarin Chinese, and had little trouble getting around Hong Kong and Macau using English and Mandarin. And the written form poses few problems, with the exception of a few colloquial words. Cantonese is quite a different language from Mandarin: think Italian vs. Portuguese. There are regular phonetic rules through which a Cantonese word can be converted quite accurately into its Mandarin cognate perhaps 70% of the time (the reverse direction is much lower because Cantonese preserves many features of Middle Chinese that Mandarin lost over the centuries), but there's also a different grammar, as well as quite a few vocabulary differences. So this made it hard for me to understand. OK, enough language geekery...
Finally, it was getting late, and it came time for me to go back to the airport. A quick train ride to the airport, an easy check-in, a short flight, a short bus ride, and I was home in Taiwan.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Hiking the Dragon Back Trail
Saturday Nov. 24
Today I indulged in another passion of mine: hiking. I took the MTR (Hong Kong's subway) to Chai Wan, the last stop on the Island Line. From there, I walked up the hill to the trailhead. The way up just happens to pass several cemeteries, so I stopped briefly there to take some photos.
In the following photo, which I took from a pavilion at the top of the road, four cemeteries are visible. The fifth, Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery, is hidden behind the green hill (the closer one) to the right.
Up the road, I came to a T-junction, and turned left. At the corner, by the entrance to a road leading to a prison, is an entrance to Shek O Country Park:
As you can see, it's of the stairway to heaven form that's common in the Chinese-speaking world. Fortunately, this stairway was relatively short. It brought me to a road, which I followed past a barrier blocking motorized traffic from entering. Soon after that, I arrived at the true trailhead of the Dragon Back Trail. There were garbage cans and port-a-potties there, as well as a detailed map.
The first minute or so of the walk is on a paved path, but then we reach a dirt path, and the trek into Hong Kong's wilderness begins.
The trail is not difficult. It's relatively wide and even, with few serious ups or downs. For the most part, it resembles the above photo. In fact, it reminds me a lot of hiking in the San Francisco Bay Area.
After about 45 minutes I arrived at a junction. The Dragon Back Trail went up to the left. Finally, there was some climbing to do. The trail passes through thickets of Gordonia (a relative of the tea plant).
Soon I encountered a group of locals who were paragliding:
Ten minutes later, I reached the top of Shek O Peak:
...where I was afforded a commanding view of the southern side of Hong Kong Island. Unfortunately, the afternoon sun made picture taking impossible.
It only took me an hour to complete the trek (from the place with the port-a-potties). Going back took 45 minutes. It was much shorter than I had imagined, but it was a great way to spend an afternoon.
After getting back to Causeway Bay, I indulged in yet another passion of mine:
Today I indulged in another passion of mine: hiking. I took the MTR (Hong Kong's subway) to Chai Wan, the last stop on the Island Line. From there, I walked up the hill to the trailhead. The way up just happens to pass several cemeteries, so I stopped briefly there to take some photos.
In the following photo, which I took from a pavilion at the top of the road, four cemeteries are visible. The fifth, Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery, is hidden behind the green hill (the closer one) to the right.
Up the road, I came to a T-junction, and turned left. At the corner, by the entrance to a road leading to a prison, is an entrance to Shek O Country Park:
As you can see, it's of the stairway to heaven form that's common in the Chinese-speaking world. Fortunately, this stairway was relatively short. It brought me to a road, which I followed past a barrier blocking motorized traffic from entering. Soon after that, I arrived at the true trailhead of the Dragon Back Trail. There were garbage cans and port-a-potties there, as well as a detailed map.
The first minute or so of the walk is on a paved path, but then we reach a dirt path, and the trek into Hong Kong's wilderness begins.
The trail is not difficult. It's relatively wide and even, with few serious ups or downs. For the most part, it resembles the above photo. In fact, it reminds me a lot of hiking in the San Francisco Bay Area.
After about 45 minutes I arrived at a junction. The Dragon Back Trail went up to the left. Finally, there was some climbing to do. The trail passes through thickets of Gordonia (a relative of the tea plant).
Soon I encountered a group of locals who were paragliding:
Ten minutes later, I reached the top of Shek O Peak:
...where I was afforded a commanding view of the southern side of Hong Kong Island. Unfortunately, the afternoon sun made picture taking impossible.
It only took me an hour to complete the trek (from the place with the port-a-potties). Going back took 45 minutes. It was much shorter than I had imagined, but it was a great way to spend an afternoon.
After getting back to Causeway Bay, I indulged in yet another passion of mine:
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Friday Nov. 23
A perfect for a day trip to the former Portuguese colony of Macau. Before Hong Kong took to the fore in the mid 19th century, Macau was the major foreign center of trade in coastal China. Its relative openness in comparison to China made it a major draw for merchants, mariners and missionaries. Now it's taken a backseat to its younger cousin to the east, but it attracts people from around East Asia in droves as one of the few places around here where gambling is legal. If there's one thing the Chinese love, it's gambling! And with casinos like Sands well established, The Venetian opening up recently, and the MGM Grand under construction (looking like a giant plant growing in the middle of the city and which will be visible for miles), the gambling... uh... gaming industry will keep growing there.
But I didn't go to gamble. I went to see some sights, eat some food and... yes, visit some cemeteries. At the ferry terminal in Hong Kong I was surprised to find that the price of the ferry to Macau had gone down. Something to do with lower tax rates. But this is a welcome change in a city where prices seem to keep going up. I took this ferry:
Then I took Bus 10 to Senado Square:
and then walked to the ruins of Sao Paulo Cathedral, Macau's foremost landmark:
And then to the historic Old Protestant Cemetery, which has some famous burials, most notably, Robert Morrison, the first Protestant missionary to China.
Then I walked to the Kun Iam (Guanyin) Temple, but on the way I stopped by this great little noodle shop I stumbled across during my previous visit.
While there I rested my weary bones and enjoyed a delicious bowl of beef noodle soup... very different from the kind available in Taiwan. Then I walked to the Kun Iam Temple.
The temple is dedicated to Guanyin, the bodhisattva of compassion.
The temple happens to be by a couple more cemeteries, including the New Protestant Cemetery, which opened for burials when the old one was closed for burials in the 1850s. While here, I found I had missed seven graves in my previous cemetery transcription effort a year and a half ago.
It was getting late, so I charted my next route on the map. I was close enough to the ferry terminal that I could walk there! And not only that, but according to the map, the route would pass by another cemetery I hadn't been aware of: the Macau Islamic Cemetery. Unfortunately, it was Friday, and close to the time of evening prayers, and since the cemetery is on the grounds of a mosque, I would not have been allowed in. But when I reached the waterfront, I found I could actually see the cemetery from the promenade.
Then I went to the terminal and returned to Hong Kong.
Later, I got together with a guy who used to live in Taiwan... he's good friends with many people I know and is a major contributor on a forum I frequent. We had some drinks and chats in the bar district of Wanchai, where I was afforded an up-close view of the seedier side of life in Hong Kong. Very interesting indeed!
A perfect for a day trip to the former Portuguese colony of Macau. Before Hong Kong took to the fore in the mid 19th century, Macau was the major foreign center of trade in coastal China. Its relative openness in comparison to China made it a major draw for merchants, mariners and missionaries. Now it's taken a backseat to its younger cousin to the east, but it attracts people from around East Asia in droves as one of the few places around here where gambling is legal. If there's one thing the Chinese love, it's gambling! And with casinos like Sands well established, The Venetian opening up recently, and the MGM Grand under construction (looking like a giant plant growing in the middle of the city and which will be visible for miles), the gambling... uh... gaming industry will keep growing there.
But I didn't go to gamble. I went to see some sights, eat some food and... yes, visit some cemeteries. At the ferry terminal in Hong Kong I was surprised to find that the price of the ferry to Macau had gone down. Something to do with lower tax rates. But this is a welcome change in a city where prices seem to keep going up. I took this ferry:
Then I took Bus 10 to Senado Square:
and then walked to the ruins of Sao Paulo Cathedral, Macau's foremost landmark:
And then to the historic Old Protestant Cemetery, which has some famous burials, most notably, Robert Morrison, the first Protestant missionary to China.
Then I walked to the Kun Iam (Guanyin) Temple, but on the way I stopped by this great little noodle shop I stumbled across during my previous visit.
While there I rested my weary bones and enjoyed a delicious bowl of beef noodle soup... very different from the kind available in Taiwan. Then I walked to the Kun Iam Temple.
The temple is dedicated to Guanyin, the bodhisattva of compassion.
The temple happens to be by a couple more cemeteries, including the New Protestant Cemetery, which opened for burials when the old one was closed for burials in the 1850s. While here, I found I had missed seven graves in my previous cemetery transcription effort a year and a half ago.
It was getting late, so I charted my next route on the map. I was close enough to the ferry terminal that I could walk there! And not only that, but according to the map, the route would pass by another cemetery I hadn't been aware of: the Macau Islamic Cemetery. Unfortunately, it was Friday, and close to the time of evening prayers, and since the cemetery is on the grounds of a mosque, I would not have been allowed in. But when I reached the waterfront, I found I could actually see the cemetery from the promenade.
Then I went to the terminal and returned to Hong Kong.
Later, I got together with a guy who used to live in Taiwan... he's good friends with many people I know and is a major contributor on a forum I frequent. We had some drinks and chats in the bar district of Wanchai, where I was afforded an up-close view of the seedier side of life in Hong Kong. Very interesting indeed!
Friday, November 23, 2007
Closer afield
Thanksgiving Day! But in Hong Kong, it's just another ordinary day.
Today I decided to explore destinations closer to where I'm staying, a cheap (for Causeway Bay) hostel which has... free wireless Internet! Imagine that!
I started out at the Jewish Cemetery, in Happy Valley.
It's a serene place, hidden behind a group of highrise apartments.
The entrance is literally (yes, literally) straddled by a Chinese Buddhist high school, and you can easily pass it by without knowing there's a Jewish cemetery back there.
There are probably several hundred graves there, all records of the history of the Jewish community in Hong Kong. Apparently it's still being used for burials, as there are some very recent dates on some stones.
After this, I went down the road to the Hindu Temple, behind which is a Hindu cemetery. Very small, and accessible only by a step flight of stairs behind the temple complex.
Then I visited the Parsee Cemetery, followed by the historic Hong Kong Cemetery. I spent a couple hours there photographing. Then, bypassing the Catholic and Muslim Cemeteries for today (all the above-mentioned cemeteries are close to each other, forming a line from south to north in Happy Valley), I went for some Ben & Jerry's ice cream!
This was followed by a somewhat convoluted trip to what is perhaps the most beautiful, atmospheric and otherworldly cemetery in Hong Kong: the Pok Fu Lam Cemetery. Almost all the graves are Chinese. They are on terraces, which hug the steep curving contours of the hillside, and the place is crisscrossed with a complex network of stairs.
Today I decided to explore destinations closer to where I'm staying, a cheap (for Causeway Bay) hostel which has... free wireless Internet! Imagine that!
I started out at the Jewish Cemetery, in Happy Valley.
It's a serene place, hidden behind a group of highrise apartments.
The entrance is literally (yes, literally) straddled by a Chinese Buddhist high school, and you can easily pass it by without knowing there's a Jewish cemetery back there.There are probably several hundred graves there, all records of the history of the Jewish community in Hong Kong. Apparently it's still being used for burials, as there are some very recent dates on some stones.
After this, I went down the road to the Hindu Temple, behind which is a Hindu cemetery. Very small, and accessible only by a step flight of stairs behind the temple complex.
Then I visited the Parsee Cemetery, followed by the historic Hong Kong Cemetery. I spent a couple hours there photographing. Then, bypassing the Catholic and Muslim Cemeteries for today (all the above-mentioned cemeteries are close to each other, forming a line from south to north in Happy Valley), I went for some Ben & Jerry's ice cream!
This was followed by a somewhat convoluted trip to what is perhaps the most beautiful, atmospheric and otherworldly cemetery in Hong Kong: the Pok Fu Lam Cemetery. Almost all the graves are Chinese. They are on terraces, which hug the steep curving contours of the hillside, and the place is crisscrossed with a complex network of stairs.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Traversing Hong Kong
Hello from Hong Kong!It never cases to amaze me how much this place reminds me of San Francisco... Chinatown, that is. And I'm not kidding. The sounds, the smells, the hilliness next to the sea - it's the same.
Pictured to the left are Hong Kong's tallest building IFC 2 (right) and Jardine House (left), which used to be Hong Kong's tallest building. Between them, in the foreground, is The Cenotaph.
Today I decided to get all the outlying spots on my itinerary done with so I can concentrate on areas closer to where I'm staying. I literally traversed Hong Hong, going to the town of Stanley in the far south of Hong Kong island, and then to Fanling, way north near the border with mainland China.
The bus to Stanley passes some amazing scenery as it winds its way along narrow mountain roads. A group of retired American ladies was on the same bus, and I overheard some of their comments. They were on a month-long tour through China, and one woman remarked the bus ride alone was worth the money they paid for the entire tour. Now, I wouldn't put it quite like that, but it is a nice ride.
In Stanley, I visited Stanley Military Cemetery...
...followed by a stroll around the famed Stanley Market. In the early afternoon, I took the KCR to Fanling, then a HK$30 (about US$4) taxi ride to Gallant Garden, a cemetery reserved for permanent burials of civil servants killed in the line of duty. Between them I made a number of other stops, including St. John's Cathedral in Central (close to the Peak Tram building), which has one grave -- that of a WWII soldier. I also visited Lei Cheng Uk, a Han Dynasty tomb in Cheung Sha Wan. Nobody knows who was buried there, but it's an interesting archaeological site (and admission is free).
Unlike my previous few visits to Hong Kong, the air is refreshingly clean and clear. I hope this trend continues - it makes for good photos.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Hong Kong, were I come!
Hong Kong!
Why am I going? Many reasons. I like Hong Kong, and haven't been there for a year. Though I've been several times, it's never been long enough to do all the things I want to do there. This time I'll be able to spend my time in leisure, going from place to place at my own pace.
What is my mission? I have a few: I'd like to see the Big Buddha at Lantau, I'd like to see Aberdeen in the evening as the Jumbo floating restaurant lights up. I'd like to hike a section of the Dragon Back Trail. And of course, I'm going to have some Ben & Jerry's ice cream (not available in Taiwan).
But one thing I'm also going to do also is indulge myself in a hobby I have developed over the past few years. Yes, I have a confession to make.
Hi, my name's Chris, and I'm a graver.
What is graving? Essentially, it's cemetery research: visiting cemeteries, taking photos, transcribing data, searching for graves of famous people, and so on. It even includes re-discovering long-lost cemeteries, preserving condemned or deteriorating cemeteries, and making hard-to-find information about obscure cemeteries findable online. I'm a volunteer cemetery researcher for Find A Grave, an online database of burials built entirely by volunteers, whose goal is to enable people to search for the graves of relatives and friends, locate the graves of celebrities, see full transcriptions of cemeteries, and leave flowers in honor of the dearly departed. It's a hobby that grew out of my fascination for genealogy and family history. Who knows, the grave records I submit may be those of someone's long-lost relatives.
Why Hong Kong for graving? Because with its colonial past, it's a graver's paradise. Thousands of Westerners, mostly British, many Portuguese, and more from other places around the world, are buried in Hong Kong. And a wide variety of cemeteries: Jewish, Catholic, Protestant, Hindu, Parsee, Muslim, Chinese and two World War II military cemeteries.
Why am I going? Many reasons. I like Hong Kong, and haven't been there for a year. Though I've been several times, it's never been long enough to do all the things I want to do there. This time I'll be able to spend my time in leisure, going from place to place at my own pace.
What is my mission? I have a few: I'd like to see the Big Buddha at Lantau, I'd like to see Aberdeen in the evening as the Jumbo floating restaurant lights up. I'd like to hike a section of the Dragon Back Trail. And of course, I'm going to have some Ben & Jerry's ice cream (not available in Taiwan).
But one thing I'm also going to do also is indulge myself in a hobby I have developed over the past few years. Yes, I have a confession to make.
Hi, my name's Chris, and I'm a graver.
What is graving? Essentially, it's cemetery research: visiting cemeteries, taking photos, transcribing data, searching for graves of famous people, and so on. It even includes re-discovering long-lost cemeteries, preserving condemned or deteriorating cemeteries, and making hard-to-find information about obscure cemeteries findable online. I'm a volunteer cemetery researcher for Find A Grave, an online database of burials built entirely by volunteers, whose goal is to enable people to search for the graves of relatives and friends, locate the graves of celebrities, see full transcriptions of cemeteries, and leave flowers in honor of the dearly departed. It's a hobby that grew out of my fascination for genealogy and family history. Who knows, the grave records I submit may be those of someone's long-lost relatives.
Why Hong Kong for graving? Because with its colonial past, it's a graver's paradise. Thousands of Westerners, mostly British, many Portuguese, and more from other places around the world, are buried in Hong Kong. And a wide variety of cemeteries: Jewish, Catholic, Protestant, Hindu, Parsee, Muslim, Chinese and two World War II military cemeteries.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Of Fairies and Snakes
Yesterday we (Kitty, Robert, Kate and I) went on a night hike up Fairy's Footprint, a hill in the middle of urban Taipei, in the Jingmei (= "fairview") area. It's called "Fairy's Footprint" because of a large rock near the top, which has indentations said to resemble the footprints of a fairy. I guess it takes a lot of imagination to see them...
The hill is covered with vegetation and crisscrossed with trails, and also has a temple near the summit. It's not a difficult hike at all - after about 20 minutes hiking up stone steps, paved paths and boardwalks, you reach the top, where there's a spectacular view of the city. As it was night, I didn't bring my camera along. But we sat at the top for about an hour, chatting, drinking beer and admiring the view.
While sitting there, I saw something moving in the sky - at first I thought it was a plane - three or four lights streaking along the sky together. But then two of the lights separated before the whole thing suddenly vanished. It must have been a meteorite burning up in the atmosphere. It might well have been a Leonid, since it's that time of year.
Then we decided it was getting late, so we began the descent on the south side of the hill. Kitty and I took the fore. The path is lit in parts, but there are still dark areas. Then behind us I heard Robert yell something out. We looked back and his flashlight was pointed at a snake that had crossed the path. Kitty and I had apparently walked right over it! On closer inspection we saw it was a bamboo viper (Trimeresurus stejnegeri), a poisonous species. It was a juvenile. It didn't seem agitated; it just slithered into the bushes.
Here's a picture of an adult bamboo viper I took a couple years ago:
.
It's rare to see snakes in November in Taiwan. But so far this month we've seen an adult cobra (a story for another blog entry), a baby cobra, and a juvenile bamboo viper.
The hill is covered with vegetation and crisscrossed with trails, and also has a temple near the summit. It's not a difficult hike at all - after about 20 minutes hiking up stone steps, paved paths and boardwalks, you reach the top, where there's a spectacular view of the city. As it was night, I didn't bring my camera along. But we sat at the top for about an hour, chatting, drinking beer and admiring the view.
While sitting there, I saw something moving in the sky - at first I thought it was a plane - three or four lights streaking along the sky together. But then two of the lights separated before the whole thing suddenly vanished. It must have been a meteorite burning up in the atmosphere. It might well have been a Leonid, since it's that time of year.
Then we decided it was getting late, so we began the descent on the south side of the hill. Kitty and I took the fore. The path is lit in parts, but there are still dark areas. Then behind us I heard Robert yell something out. We looked back and his flashlight was pointed at a snake that had crossed the path. Kitty and I had apparently walked right over it! On closer inspection we saw it was a bamboo viper (Trimeresurus stejnegeri), a poisonous species. It was a juvenile. It didn't seem agitated; it just slithered into the bushes.
Here's a picture of an adult bamboo viper I took a couple years ago:
.
It's rare to see snakes in November in Taiwan. But so far this month we've seen an adult cobra (a story for another blog entry), a baby cobra, and a juvenile bamboo viper.
Friday, November 16, 2007
Taiwan in pictures, part I
Most weekends, when the weather's good, I like to get out of the hustle and bustle of the city and enjoy some of the beautiful spots around Taiwan. We may go hiking in the mountains; we may go on a road trip down south or to the north coast; anything to get away and enjoy some of the unique things Taiwan has to offer.
So, what does Taiwan look like? Here are some pictures to tickle your imagination:
A vista on the Southern Cross-Island Highway.
Yinhedong (Milky Way Cave), a temple near
Maokong, on the periphery of Taipei.
Fairy Pool, near Wulai, on the Jiajiuliao Creek.
It's one of our favorite swimming holes.
A bizarre clash of cultures in Keelung.
This is just a tantalizing smattering of what Taiwan has to offer. More later.
So, what does Taiwan look like? Here are some pictures to tickle your imagination:
A vista on the Southern Cross-Island Highway.
Yinhedong (Milky Way Cave), a temple near
Maokong, on the periphery of Taipei.
Fairy Pool, near Wulai, on the Jiajiuliao Creek.
It's one of our favorite swimming holes.
A bizarre clash of cultures in Keelung.
This is just a tantalizing smattering of what Taiwan has to offer. More later.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Tourism in Taiwan
Taiwan is somewhat off the beaten tourist path. Most Westerners here are here to work; most tourists here are from Japan, Hong Kong and Korea, with a smattering from mainland China.
Taiwan has long been struggling with what to do to improve tourism. They've made some positive steps, such as allowing a 30-day visa-free stay to citizens of the major developed countries; they've improved the travel infrastructure, with the addition of Taipei's subway and the High Speed Rail; and Taiwan is a cleaner place than it was 18 years ago when I first visited - less garbage and air pollution. But it has a long way to go.
One main problem is the way Taiwan goes about promoting tourism to the West. They have trouble seeing things from the perspective of the Westerner, instead limiting their vision to what appeals to Taiwanese and Chinese.
Examples:
They promote "local specialties" too much, often to the exclusion of other points of interest. "This town is famous for its bull testicles - a long-standing tradition whose history has been traced back to its origins over five whole years ago (ever since the government encouraged each town to develop a specialty). During your visit here, be sure to stop by at Chen's House o' Balls and sample their famous dish, bull testicles simmered tenderly in squid ink. (By the way, there's bugger all else to see or do here - the only reason to come here is because it's famous for this dish.)"
They promote areas as being ideal destinations for wedding photography trips - something not part of Western culture. "The blue-and-white-painted wind generators give the area a Mediterranean feel - a perfect backdrop for your wedding photos."
They promote places that have been ruined by industry. "This area was once famous for its picturesque country lanes shaded with camphor trees and cascading Bougainvillea. Now it's home to the Sixth Naphtha Cracker Plant. Pictured below are its famed smokestacks. And while here, take time to admire the trees in the area, some of which are DECADES OLD!"
Their promotion of traditional culture leaves much to be desired. An exhibition of something billed as "traditional Aboriginal dance" may be accompanied by the thumping beat of synthesizer music while obviously Han Chinese dancers perform hyped-up gyrations while wearing Aboriginal costumes in Day-Glo hues. All the while, they will be emceed by a hip youngster grinning like the folks from Up With People while she forcefully urges audience participation.
Taiwan also suffers a bit from Singapore Syndrome: tearing down all the classic old buildings and quaint atmospheric neighborhoods to build highrises and ultramodern office buildings. We Westerners like cool, old, historic stuff.
Taiwan needs to promote its mountains (esp. hiking and camping), beaches, historical buildings, hot springs, islands - things that appeal to Westerners. It can also promote itself as a crossroads between Northeast and Southeast Asia: from here you can proceed south to the Philippines, then Sabah, and toward Singapore and/or Indonesia; or north to Hong Kong, Japan, Korea and China.
Taiwan, you need to think outside the xiangzi.
Taiwan has long been struggling with what to do to improve tourism. They've made some positive steps, such as allowing a 30-day visa-free stay to citizens of the major developed countries; they've improved the travel infrastructure, with the addition of Taipei's subway and the High Speed Rail; and Taiwan is a cleaner place than it was 18 years ago when I first visited - less garbage and air pollution. But it has a long way to go.
One main problem is the way Taiwan goes about promoting tourism to the West. They have trouble seeing things from the perspective of the Westerner, instead limiting their vision to what appeals to Taiwanese and Chinese.
Examples:
They promote "local specialties" too much, often to the exclusion of other points of interest. "This town is famous for its bull testicles - a long-standing tradition whose history has been traced back to its origins over five whole years ago (ever since the government encouraged each town to develop a specialty). During your visit here, be sure to stop by at Chen's House o' Balls and sample their famous dish, bull testicles simmered tenderly in squid ink. (By the way, there's bugger all else to see or do here - the only reason to come here is because it's famous for this dish.)"
They promote areas as being ideal destinations for wedding photography trips - something not part of Western culture. "The blue-and-white-painted wind generators give the area a Mediterranean feel - a perfect backdrop for your wedding photos."
They promote places that have been ruined by industry. "This area was once famous for its picturesque country lanes shaded with camphor trees and cascading Bougainvillea. Now it's home to the Sixth Naphtha Cracker Plant. Pictured below are its famed smokestacks. And while here, take time to admire the trees in the area, some of which are DECADES OLD!"
Their promotion of traditional culture leaves much to be desired. An exhibition of something billed as "traditional Aboriginal dance" may be accompanied by the thumping beat of synthesizer music while obviously Han Chinese dancers perform hyped-up gyrations while wearing Aboriginal costumes in Day-Glo hues. All the while, they will be emceed by a hip youngster grinning like the folks from Up With People while she forcefully urges audience participation.
Taiwan also suffers a bit from Singapore Syndrome: tearing down all the classic old buildings and quaint atmospheric neighborhoods to build highrises and ultramodern office buildings. We Westerners like cool, old, historic stuff.
Taiwan needs to promote its mountains (esp. hiking and camping), beaches, historical buildings, hot springs, islands - things that appeal to Westerners. It can also promote itself as a crossroads between Northeast and Southeast Asia: from here you can proceed south to the Philippines, then Sabah, and toward Singapore and/or Indonesia; or north to Hong Kong, Japan, Korea and China.
Taiwan, you need to think outside the xiangzi.
My first post
Welcome to my blog!
In this blog, there's no overarching theme other than, perhaps, my experiences living in Taiwan and traveling in Asia. But I won't limit it to that, and just may end up ranting or raving about other stuff completely unrelated to my experiences in this wondrous continent.
In this blog, there's no overarching theme other than, perhaps, my experiences living in Taiwan and traveling in Asia. But I won't limit it to that, and just may end up ranting or raving about other stuff completely unrelated to my experiences in this wondrous continent.
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