Spring Scream

I want down to Kenting for Spring Scream again this year. You can see the photos here:

Spring Scream: Kenting April 2009

Kenting in January

My Chinese New Year break is rapidly winding down. I had a good time, but didn't do too much. One thing I did do was take a trip down to Kenting, on the South coast of Taiwan. Ariel, Luke, Mark and I took a bus down, and although the traffic kept us on the bus for hours, it was ultimately worth the trip.




We got off the bus across the street from our hotel. It was an older, well lived in place that none of us were impressed with, but we just dropped off our bags and went out. We walked down Kenting street in search of something to eat. Vendors line the busy street selling everything from seafood to ice cream to grilled corn and vegetables. We got a variety of stuff and some beers and went looking for the beach. We got there just before sunset, and I changed into my swim trunks and went swimming.

It was nice to be in the water, feeling the sand and surf and the last rays of sunlight. It's easy to forget sometimes how beautiful Taiwan is when I spend all my time in the city, so when I get to experience natural wonders like the ocean, it's refreshing to both body and mind.



We got another hour or so to spend on the beach the next day. As we rode home, we agreed that the trip's only flaw was that it was too short. We will definitely rturn soon.

I took many photos, which you can see here:

Kenting in January (1/2)

Kenting in January (2/2)

Historic Day

I stayed up late to watch President Obama's inauguration. He wasn't sworn in until almost one in the morning here, but I caught it on CNN's website. I must say I was impressed with the turnout in Washington. It was a grand affair.

His speech was pretty moving as well. Maybe it's because I'm an American abroad, so I'm not used to seeing such a powerful display of patriotism for my home country. I especially liked these quotes:

And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: Know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West: Know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

It's been tough traveling or living abroad as an American for the past several years. People who have a problem with the West often blame America, and people who blame America blame Bush and those who put him into office. I hope that Obama can renew the face of America for the world. Of course we will still need to be powerful or occasionally forceful, but I hope that we can also gain a reputation for being compassionate and progressive.

Another part of me wonders if Obama can really deliver all that he said yesterday. I think many people are so excited to have someone other than G.W. Bush in office that they think all of the problems and issues will be resolved and new ones won't crop up. "Hope" is a powerful word, and a good thing to have, but if it's squandered on hopless causes or leaders, then it can only end in disappointment.

What are your thoughts?

Also, check out this slide show. Like myself, countless American expatriates and people all over the world stopped what they were doing to watch the ceremony.

Free Taiwanese Dog

My Chinese tutor and friend, Iwen, is an avid dog lover. A yellow lab named Bebe, has recently come under her care. Another case of an abandoned dog in Linko, and an example of how older, bigger dogs are abandoned or abused when they are no longer cute and cuddly. Iwen has a few dogs like Bebe already, and would like to find her a new home. I told her I'd try to help her find someone who would want a dog that's on it's last chance.

Her description of the dog is as follows:

"She is 3-4 years old. She is not the most beautiful Labrador, but she is certainly kind, gentle, sweet, and friendly. We do wish to find a good home for her, a family to love her and care for her. She is NOT old, but she has been through too much pain, torture."

If anyone is interested, let me know via email or a phone call. Iwen will be able to pay for all of the travel and medical expenses involved (yes, even to the States) with getting this adorable dog into your loving home.

My Vacation

I'm finally getting around to writing about my Chinese New Year's trip to Thailand after a busy week back.

We decided to go to Thailand because it's close, easy, and our friends were all telling us that it's beautiful and warm, and lots of fun. We were not at all disappointed.

We planned the trip a couple of months in advance. By planned, of course, I mean we picked a destination (in this case, the peninsular paradise of Railay Beach) and bought a plane ticket. We would sort out all of the details about where to stay and what to do once we got there. A risky plan, considering tourism was at its peak this month, but it all worked out.

We got there at night, our longtail boat gliding over the water, huge crags looming in the moonlight. We could make out lots of lights and commotion on the water's edge-- these were the rasta bars and restaurants that we would later come to know and love. As our driver cut the boat's engine and we floated through the mangrove trees and onto the beach, we all knew that yes, we had made the right decision and that this place would actually be as good as it looked in the brochures.

The first night, we checked into the hotel that we had booked at the airport. It was nothing fancy, but it was convenient, and fairly cheap. We went looking for a bar to chill at and we found that there were many to choose from on our end of the beach. We had a good first night out.

The next day, we decided to get a lay of the land. Railay, as I said, is a peninsula surrounded by high limestone cliffs. These cliffs make it a very popular place for rock climbers, and we constantly saw 20-somethings walking around with ropes looking to get 'belayed', haw. The cliffs also spared Railay from any serious damage in the 2004 tsunami. In fact, my tour guide told me that 0 people died in Railay. The peninsula is basically divided into East and West beaches. We stayed on the East beach, where all the inexpensive bungalows and restaurants were. The East beach was nothing to look at, though. The sand was stony and the mangrove trees blocked the view. There were several paths going over the land to the West beach, maybe a 15 minute walk. There we could sit on wide, white sand and see the cliffs rising out of the turquoise sea and the bikini girls playing volleyball. Ahh, life was good.

We spent the first few days just warming our bones on the beach and filling our bellies with exotic curries. We were in no rush to do anything that required the use of our bodies or brains. Rock climbing? No thanks. Kayaking? Sounds good, maybe later.

We did eventually get around to doing some stuff. One day we rented kayaks for a couple hours and explored the rocky coastline. Another day we took a boat to the nearby city of Ao Nang, looking for entertainment. We found it to be dirty and bland, too much like Taiwan. We opted for the more scenic views. Our last two days we spent taking tours. The first tour was an afternoon island hopping tour. We went to four islands, including one inhabited by thieving monkeys, and one called Chicken Head Island, where we donned snorkel masks and looked at the tropical fish. It was like swimming in the aquarium at my dentist's office. The water was that clear, and the fish were that colorful.

The second tour we took was an all day trek around the Krabi Provence of Thailand. We went to a hot spring, a crystal limestone pool, and to a rubber plantation (how exciting.) We also went to a temple on a mountain. Luke and Mike decided to be real men and take the 1200-something stone steps to the top of the mountain and visit the big golden Buddha. Will and I took the easier route up 300 steps to see a 1,000 year old tree. We also saw some monkeys humping.

Our last stop on this tour was an elephant trekking place, where we got on these big Pacific Pachyderms and headed out into the jungle. Actually, we just took a short 40 minute loop up a road and through some ditches, but I still felt like Indiana Jones. We also got to feed the elephants and that made me happy as hell.

We headed home the next day, and were treated to a week of rainy, cold, miserable weather. Still, looking at these photos makes me a bit warmer.


Joe's Photos:

Thailand - February 2008

Mike's Photos

Luke's Photos: 1 2 3 4 5 6 (some overlap with mine, but different captions)

Krazy Krabi

We're having an awesome time here. Perfect weather, sandy beautiful beaches, good food, cheap massages, and so far no dengue fever (but a bit of mild food poisoning.)

I'll upload a bit of a travel narrative, plus a whole mess of photos, when I return to Taiwan on Monday. Until then:

Thai Bound.

Just three more days until my Chinese New Year's vacation, and it can't come soon enough. The weather here in Linko is dreadful, it's been cold and rainy all week. I have had enough of work lately, and I've had enough of sitting around in my apartment because I don't want to drive my motorcycle through the rain or wind.

So in three days, Luke, Mike, Willie and I will be getting on a jet and flying here:



One picture's all you get until I get back, but a quick Google Image Search for 'Krabi, Thailand' or 'Railay Beach' will yield similarly astonishing views. Yes, I'll be relaxin' to the maxin' on the beach, beer and book in hand, and watching the waves. Maybe I'll head to Pei Pei Island for a day, or ride an elephant. I don't know, but I'm sure as hell going to relax and enjoy myself.

Last Weekend

Here are some photos from last weekend. I had a good time. No plans for this weekend. Anyone in Taiwan reading this should let me know what's happening. I'd like to stay in Taipei, but I could be persuaded to travel (Kaohsiung, Taijung.)









Luke and his new friend

Leofoo Village

Yay, I got the net back up and running. Now I can watch more YouTube videos of people falling off ladders or finding leprechauns in trees or other such nonsense.

Last weekend, out branch took a trip to Leofoo Village Theme Park. Getting up at 7am on a Saturday is something I don't usually do, so I had to have been fairly curious to drag my ass down to school and get on a bus that early. The ride there was foreboding-- the bus we took came with an 'entertainer', a guy that told (supposedly offensive) jokes in Mandarin, and led the group in some KTV (karaoke.) I was planning on sleeping another hour.

When we got there, it was still too early to go in, so we mulled around the parking lot for a while before going in.



The original plan was to stick with the people from our branch. That all went right out the window when they made a beeline for the park's wettest water ride. Being that it was a chilly (by Taiwan standards) November day, and that it was not even 9 in the a.m., Luke and I ducked out of the line at the last minute (sorry Betty, Christina) and went to find Mike and Will, our friends from the Yingge branch.

We explored the park's four themed areas: Wild West, African Safari, South Pacific, and Persian Castle. I think my favorite was Wild West. Not only did it feature the park's only legitimate big steel coaster, the Screaming Condor, but it also held the Wild West show, which I will describe later. Will is a Texan, and he said the Wild West section of the town was literally identical to the small, Asian populated theme park town that he grew up in.

Anyways, the rides were all pretty standard stuff, there were thrill rides, a few kiddy rides, a big swinging ship ride, a free fall ride, and a nominal number of coasters. There were some interactive rides, and even a Budweiser Keg ride.



This ride almost made me vomit:



The zoo was pretty good. There were camel rides for NT$50, and there was a bicycle that you could peddle along a track over the monkey cages, and the bike itself looked like a baboon! Awesome!



Before we left, we went to the Wild West show. I couldn't understand it, since my Mandarin is still in its infancy, but I suspect that the real Wild West didn't have quite so many flamingos or parrots. I didn't take pictures of it, but imagine a big theatre with old west themed building facades as the backdrop, and a Taiwanese guy in a safari hat hearding flamingos, dogs, and parrots around a stage. That was the show in a nutshell.

We went for some dinner at a flower garden after the park, and that was the end of an interesting day out.

You can see the rest of the photos here:

Leofoo Village Trip 11-25-07

Moon Festival

A couple weeks ago was moon festival, and I'm just now getting around to writing about it. Moon Festival or Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated all over the Chinese speaking world by grilling out, getting the day off, and eating moon cakes and pomelos (like grapefruits.)

Since we got a four day weekend, Luke and I joined some friends in Puli for a weekend of camping. We took a bus down and camped from Sunday to Tuesday. Our guide for our excursions was Yuri Bradley Human (a.k.a. Y B Human?) a South African expat that we found to be quite eccentric. He took us on a hike up the middle of a river, kayaking on Sun Moon Lake, and paragliding from our campsite. You can see the photos here, and I'll add more as I get them.