Tidbits from Taiwan

Well Ladies and Gentlemen, I'd like to wish you all a very merrily happy Chinese New Year, as it was indeed Chinese New Year not more than a week past. I know I have had a nasty habit of not keeping up with my blog entries in the weekly time schedule I had previously aspired. AND as it has been nearly a month since last word of myself, fear not, that habit remains...intact.

For the usual defense (I like the way this sounds more like a court hearing than a blog entry), I'd like to present the facts. I have been...sick. Yes, the more I got sick, the more I compelled my body to fight against the germs which might keep me in the bonds of my house, which might keep me away from the mountains, the festivals, the markets, and the fun fun fun -ness of Taiwan. So, since last I spoke of an exciting night at the movies, I developed a nasty soar throat, an overly annoying stuffy nose, and an unending hack of a cough.

That being said, that being about me being sick, being the coughing and the sickness...what I'd like to bring you all is, instead, a bunch of New Year's pictures and tales of what I have been doing instead of the travelling I so fantasized about.

I was able to hobble up the Muzha mountain once with some buds, which was nice and cozy. Same story there, more tea, more chess and a lot more rain. Many of my friends disappeared to Southern Taiwan where most people go during the Chinese New Year. So, I found out Taipei was...quite...not as exciting as I thought during this festival.

The night before New Years Day my family and I had a fantastic feast with all kinds of food, all presented at the shrine beforehand, and I received three miraculous Red Envelopes. Oh how deliciously wonderful. I won't tell you how much, but, more rice for me, I'll tell ya.

On New Years, I found myself, besides sick, swept up in a rush of very Asian looking people all holding burning incense to the sky and slowing moving in a circular pattern within the temple, visiting each deity and making with silent lips prayers for family, friends, security and shelter, and (perhaps the most popular) a good grade on the test of a son or daughter.

That day, with the rest of my family, we visited five temples, some with free incense to burn for prayer, the last two temples having free food...to eat for hunger. Interesting enough, among one specially thick throng of peoples, I laid eyes upon an aspiring mayor with his wife, passing out chocolate coins. You might come to think people really like chocolate in Taiwan if you saw the way they attacked the Mayor-to-Be, but its in fact the luck that comes with it. (Yes, Mayor Chocolate is Lucky...heh) Check the Photos.

I finally visited the Doctor after two and a half weeks being sick. You know those cartoon versions of Doctors with the strap around their head, the circular thing sticking up in the front of it, and the mask? Well, the cartoonists must have been from Taiwan. Very funny, really. So, I got some medicine (3 pills, 4 times a day...goodie) The amount of medicine I received is normal to few in Taiwan. I woke up the next morning at 5 am shivering from head to toe uncontrollably through three layers of jackets and bed covers, so I woke my parents (yes, 5am) and we went to the hospital again where they checked me again. Outcome, more sleep, more hot water, and take pills. So, I am still getting better.

Till next time, and remember, keep watching the skies.

hey kiddo miss you so much. updatesoon i'm still checking this thing and i gotta hear how the lil prtege is doing!!