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Published: September 16th 2007
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I don't Know How Level Crossing Train Accidents Happen...
There is an alarm bell that sounds in plenty of time, and a barricade that comes down. I'm always really careful around trains, even with the seemingly-excessive precautions. Lao-puo called me this morning from the station to see if I could ask someone what was going on, because her train did not arrive. Bin, my friend one of the math teachers, took my phone and got Lao-puo to put a Chinese speaker on to the blower. It turns out that there was an accident, just a few minutes ago, at a level crossing at the edge of town, with multiple fatalities. It’s astonishing to me that such an accident could happen, at a crossing with bells and lights and a barricade that comes down, but there you have it. Trains run on the left here, Japanese style, a holdover from the colonial period (or the occupation, depending on one’s historical perspective).
We have a nice long weekend coming, because January 1st is a statutory holiday here as well. I have a short another short week in January because of exams, so this is almost like the flextime I used to enjoy so much. There will also be a month of paid leave in February, but I will be working part of that time at an “English camp” in the city. I will get three hots and a cot,
Lao-puo, at our Favourite Dim Sum Place
We often say, "Let's go out for Chinese" and we are never disappointed. Lao-puo like Japanese cuisine too, and I am becoming partial to Korean dishings-up. and I can take Lao-puo with me so we can have evenings free in Hualien.
We have no immediate plans for New Year’s Eve, but doubtless something will present itself.
Now it is Monday (New Year’s Day), and 2006 (95) has come and gone. We had another smashing long weekend in Hualien City, the highlights of which were a Korean BBQ and hot pot supper (all you can eat for the equivalent of fourteen Canadian dollars), and a hotel room overlooking the ocean for thirty-five Canadian dollars. The Korean place was called the Ko Ri Ya, even though “south Korea” is “Nan Han” in Mandarin. The Ko Ri Ya will be just the ticket for when it starts to really get cold, because there is a lovely big charcoal brazier in the middle of each table.
We dressed like Inuit for the run into town on Saturday morning, because it was so cold and wet. It warmed up shortly after we got there, and this morning (New Year’s Day) we could have worn shorts and sandals. I didn’t even need a jacket for the run home.
I was never much in the machismo department, but my
Not Exactly a Harley or a Goldwing...
...but we sure have a lot of fun on our little scooter! motorbike is getting a bit ridiculous. I chose powder blue because I knew that Lao-puo would like the colour, I put a big pink and green lotus blossom decal on the front fairing, and now I have little green mittens over the handle grips to keep my fingers warm. It’s not really cold enough to need gloves, so a lot of people use the mittens that attach over the grips. At least mine are plain green, and don’t have teddy bears on them, or Betty Boops, or Hello Kitties. Even the guys have those.
There has been a big funeral for the last few days, at the end of our alley. The family has blocked off half of Jhonghua Lu with an enormous tent affair. Evidently the departed was a National Socialist, because there is a big swastika over the entrance to the tent. There are huge floral arrangements, bells and gongs and chants, and hooded mourners by the dozen. I wanted to drop by to pay my respects, but I was uncertain when refreshments might be served. The music and the chanting went on for days, and for hours each day. It was quite a change from the “Sweet By and By” and the “Amazing Grace” that we hear whenever anyone aboriginal hits the trail around here.
(Some of my readers might not know me very well. I know full well that the “swastika” is a Buddhist symbol for the footprint of a dove, and that I’m not as irreverent or as disrespectful as I seem. In fact, I pushed my motorbike past the funeral pavilion so the motor wouldn’t disturb them, and stopped to bow to the photograph of the departed and to the widow also.)
It is now the first workday of the New Year. A lovely pen and planning book, and a CD of love songs, appeared on my desk when I arrived.
Life is good. I say that a lot over here.
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