Life in Lotus Land, Chapter 41: Hemispherical Inversion

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When we were living in Taiwan, I wrote my blog predominantly for western people who had never been to Taiwan and wanted to see the place, or for those who had lived there and longed to return, or for those who were simply curious about an Asian place to which relatively few had gone. As a bonus, some of the local people found it interesting to see how a foreigner perceived their lives and their routines.

Logic tells me that the same thing must be true in reverse.

So.

Here goes. I'm going to write about Canada, for a predominantly Asian readership.

First on the order of business, of course, was to visit my parents. Things are as well as can be expected, given their health problems and the number of birthdays each of them has had.

Xiao Bai and Toby, our four-footed New Canadians, are adjusting well. I don't know if Dofu (back home now after two years of Dog Nirvana on a nearby farm) is too thrilled with the increased competition for our affections.

We went to the mainland last weekend, for my cousin's wedding in his rural property in Langley, near Vancouver. We seem to have to drive for long distances around Vancouver, and there is no convenient train service or MRT or city buses or inexpensive taxis as in Taipei. Many families have a car per adult, and regular gasoline is NTD 41 per litre.

The ferry ride between the mainland and Vancouver Island is very beautiful, and very expensive.

However, I must stop complaining about the prices and enjoy the beauty of my home.

Since my last entry, I have found a job. I will be working as an agent for a large recruiting company in Vancouver, finding English teachers for Taiwan, Korea, and China. It is very pleasant to work from my home, from a ground level office with computer and fax machine and telephone. No more getting up early, to get the 0600 train from Hualien to Guangfu! The work is perfect for me--how else can I send people off for exciting adventures, and get paid for it?

I am also teaching English again, over the Internet to students in Korea. Because of the time difference, I am finished work by 0700.

Our home is very quiet, located near a little creek and hiking trails in the mountains. It is very enjoyable to exercise the dogs in the forest.

My life is very good in Canada, but I miss my other home so far away across the vast ocean--and I miss my dear friends and colleagues and students too.

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Photos

The Daughter of my Oldest Closest Friend
Janice, Jason, and their children Alyssa and Dustin. It was so good to see them.

Cousin Gilbert and Debbie Getting Married
Sometimes, and depending on the weather, Canadians choose to be married outdoors and even at home. Gilbert and Debbie got married in their garden.

Maybe you met my cousin Bob when...
...he came out to Guangfu JHS. This is his brother David.

Bob and Dave's Sister Cathy...
...and her husband Joe.

Gilbert and Debbie Cutting the Wedding Cake.
There is a foolish Canadian custom for the bride and groom to smear cake on each other's faces. I was glad that Gil and Debbie did not do so.

Like Many Canadians...
..this lady cannot speak Chinese.

We asked someone to take a picture of us.
It was a good wedding. I ate too much and drank too much and laughed until my stomach hurt. My stomach ache had nothing to do with the eating and drinking, of course!

Horseshoe Bay, and our ride home.
It is a really beautiful trip across the water.