Around the Island for Chinese New Year 2010 (part 1)

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Our first chance to travel since the trip to the Philippines in June came at Chinese New Year. Many get a week off during this time of year. Luckily for us, Rob, our good friend from the Thailand days, came to the island, and a week later, his brother joined us.

We did some stuff. It was fun. The weather was lame, but the silver lining was that it ended up forcing us to some places we wouldn't have gone otherwise. We ended up with a great day at the Taroko Gorge and we all drank like cats at Claire's command in Taitung.

We're splitting this blog into three or four parts because there are a lot of pictures. Also, we haven't been very active in posting, so this will make it really seem like we're back!!

In all seriousness though, we'll be doing some retroactive posts to cover the past year in Taiwan a little better. Our time here is quickly drawing to a close, so it'll be fun for us to take a trip down memory lane.

This blog covers Rob's first days with us in Chiayi City. We were still working, and he was our houseboy who didn't understand what houseboys are supposed to do. Part two will be Kenting (with Claire's B-day).

I'll add captions to many of the pics and let that tell the story.

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Photos

Lookin' Good ChiaYi
A rare moment of very clear skies taken from our roof

Foodtime
Our first meal with Rob was Thai food, cause we last saw him in Thailand. This was not that meal. This is a different meal.

Rob
Children trust him

Waaaaay after June Bar
We went to Players...It's on the other side of the tracks.

Our weird club buddy...
who we befriended and followed to the club

尷尬
Dance fever in a club that had 10 people in it...all night

Chinese New Year's Eve Dinner
This was at our friend Marvis' family's house. They own a kindergarten, and we had dinner in one of the rooms. The most important thing to get out of this picture is the fact that you have just met Pinky (and her husband)!!

Dinner
The Chinese New Year really goes on for about 14 days or so. The first dinner...I forgot. Family visits different family members on different days. Google it if you really want to know.

Family
This is Marvis' cousins, their baby, her grandpa, Aunt and mom

One of two tables
You gotta love lazy susans. A lot of the food prepared has significance. What was significant to me was that we could eat it. I had pig leg...again. It's really just like sucking fat, skin and cartilage of Porky Pigs severed arm. Delicious!!

Red Envelopes
and a baby. When you are working/earning age you have to give a red envelope filled with cash to younger family members. You will get them from your elders. M dog's parents were nice enough to give us some too (of course we did bring them a tree)

Just before the fight
can you believe the audacity of this kid. Trying to jack my red envelope!! I knocked that baby into the year of the Ox!

Ok...
The baby is really cute

Tea Time
Marvis' dad making tea Taiwan style. Taiwan has some really great tea. Oolong mountain tea is their specialty.

Tea
and fruit

Learning to play...
Mah-Jong. It's like gin only way cooler

Mah-jong
This was the beginning of a week long addiction for all of us

Partner
We all had a partner helping play our first hands

Comments

[Judy]

Chinese New Year
Great to see the "blog" active again. Enjoyed the pics and the captions. Looking forward to seeing your next padventure!