Left LAX at 3:35 PM on the way to Taipei, Taiwan. Flew in an EVA Air 747-400a in Deluxe Class, was about $100 more round trip, but the seats were extra wide with footrests, so the 14 hour flight out was very comfortable. We flew up the coast to Alaska over the Bering Straits, down the coast by Russia, Japan and finally to Taiwan. The reason for the route over is to avoid the Jet Stream, they need to be above it to avoid 200 mph head winds.
Arrived at Chiang Kai-Shek International airport at 9:50 PM, we lose a day due to the International Date Line. We get through Immigration and Customs with no problems. Carries parents John and Mei are waiting for us. We get the bags in the car and head for home, it's night time so not much to be seen on the drive home. Home is in the town of Chutung, in Hsinchu county. We are south west of Taipei. Hsinchu is the silicon valley of Taiwan, HP, Intel, Phillips and many other electronic companies make their home there.
Got to bed about 12:30 AM, after unpacking and meeting Carries brother Meng-Ling. I'd already met Carries younger sister Ting, and her parents when they came over for the wedding. It is also unseasonable cold so Carries parents break out some extra clothing for us, woolen long johns, and an electric blanket. They build using concrete and bricks for the walls, and either tile or wood for the floors, so the bedroom was very cold for the first couple of nights.
There are some single family dwellings, but for the most part the building are built with adjoining walls. Carries parents shop/home is in the middle of about 5 buildings, the buildings are about 20' wide. The first floor from the front back is the shop (plumbing and electrical), stairs up to second floor, small family room, kitchen, more stairs up w/bathroom, and a storage room all the way in back. Second floor is parents bedroom, big living room, stairs, study, laundry/bath, Tings bedroom, stairs, grandpa's bedroom and bath. Third floor is a semi-covered balcony for drying clothes and green plant, old family shrine room (this has been moved to the 4th floor), stairs, big bedroom, stairs, Carries and my bedroom and bath. The 4th floor is open balcony set back from the lower floor, family shrine, stairs, spare bedroom/bath. On top of this all is a 5th floor with the water tank and a small garden area. Water pressure is low so there is an auxiliary pump that moves the water to a tank on the roof. From there gravity provides the pressure for the home.
I'm up before Carrie, so I grab the camera and take a short walk about the neighborhood. I find a bunch of shops some that I don't know like Hi-Life which is a convenience store, but many that I do know like 7-11, Circle-K (which they call an OK), McDonalds, and a Dominos pizza shop. During the time in Taiwan, I also found Pizza Hut, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Swensons, and Wendys. Got back to the house and the confusion begins for me as I start meeting family members. I meet Carries older sister (Rai-In or Da Geae which is older sister), her husband (Maunshin Lin or Gefou, this means brother in law, his English name is Peter), and their son (Yichi). There are so many aunts, uncles (as opposed to English which use just Aunt and Uncle there is a multitude of words for aunt and uncle depending on age relative to each other and whether on the mother or fathers side), cousins, and nephews that my head feels like it going to explode. We start getting ready for the new year even though new years eve isn't till tomorrow. We go to various temples within walking distance of the house to make offerings to the Gods for the new year.
Other Quick Shops
Meet some more aunts, uncles, cousins, and nephews. Food preparation is under way, the key here is excess, you need to have food left over into the new year to guarantee abundance in the new year. All the cousins know we have no fireworks in California, and so they all went out and got a bunch of different ones. We're all adults but there is something about fireworks that brings out the kid in us all. We're on the roof (flat made to be walked on) of the house, lighting off fireworks and laughing like children. Of course since Brandy, Cognac, or Whiskey is used for toasting (plus other alcohol), it was fairly easy to get drunk without realizing it. Drinking toasts for all sorts of things was the standard operating procedure. A-gong (paternal grandfather) is very practiced at making toasts, so he drank all us youngsters under the table.
We drive up to the Temple of the Kitchen (Stove) God, there is only one temple for the Kitchen God in all of Taiwan. Lunch and dinner are at various uncles and aunts homes.
Uncles and Auntie's home for lunch and dinner. Stopped by the second oldest house in Taiwan. Went to Hsinchu for the night market. As opposed to here in the US where the sidewalks roll up at 5:00 PM, it's just getting started in Taiwan, and goes to the wee hours of the morning. Food, clothing, and other stuff is all available in the night market. The food is ready to eat either there or to go.
I don't remember, I was hung over, and I have no pictures for this day. Though probably went to an aunts or uncles house for lunch and a different relative for dinner. Probably had too much to drink as everyone was toasting everyone else.
I was just reminded that dinner was at home and all the relatives came over. Played Mahjong with the tutelage of one of the uncles (he's a real master at the game). During new years games are a real important part, Mahjong and a form of poker (5 card stud with the 2 thru 8 missing). Also had played Ping-Pong and watched Karaoke while relatives sang in previous nights.
Went to Taipei to see the National Palace Museum. On display are amazing examples of all sorts of art from Chinas past. Only a small part is on display, you can purchase different books for the various sections that have pictures of the items. They also have reproductions on sale, plus many other items. Went into downtown Taipei for lunch. Came home had dinner at a relatives house.
On my first day in Taiwan, I got some hurried pictures of the Lion Dance as it went by on the street. This morning I had advanced notice that a group would be coming to the shop to do the Lion dance. So I got the camera and waited for them to arrive, they arrived and I started taking pictures. The Lion Dance is to bring good luck and a bunch of other good things to the household. After the dance is done a string of firecrackers is let off.
Spent the rest of the day sightseeing, we went to Chiang Kai-Shek tomb. It is set in a beautiful park like setting with paths, Koi pond, and lake. The military police are all around, as it is also a military barracks. The tomb is a building with a front gate, a central courtyard and the tomb all the way in back. You walk around the outskirts of the courtyard to the black marble sarcophagus, bow to show reverence, and walk around the outskirts of the courtyard back to the front gate.
There is a dam that has an amusement park and park that we stopped at. The dam was not overflowing the day we were there, but when it does it's suppose to be spectacular. We stopped for dinner in an area of the dam that is famous for fish dinners. They have tanks that the fish are in. You select your fish, give them your table number and you wait. Then the food starts coming, they prepare four different dishes from you fish you selected. The running joke is that sometimes the fishes head shrinks during cooking (you actually get a smaller fish).
We drove south to Taichung to the Taiwan Folk Village. This is a display of homes from different time periods in Taiwan's history. All the homes are furnished in the time period they represent. They have a mall type gift shop, where every thing from food, curios, and furniture are available for purchase.
Went to another temple. Thank you dinner for the family for the Wedding gifts. There was a drinking battle going on (youngster vs. elders), of course us youngsters were cheating, we were cutting the brandy with tea so we did not get as drunk.
Note: While it may appear a lot of drinking was done (it was), it's only confined to holidays and special occasions (like my arrival in Taiwan).I don't remember I was hung over and I have no pictures for this day. Pretty much the same as January 30.
We went to visit an aunt and uncle. Also drove to the coast to look at the ocean. There is also a huge fish market here.
Went to Taipei with Aunt Jenni, and we visited a famous temple. They had a display of new carvings going into a new temple. Also some antique pieces. We went back to the fish market.
Went to dinner with my sister-in-laws coworkers at friends at the Lakeshore Hotel. The Maitre D' was a real kiss-ass shook my hand, but didn't shake the hands of the Chinese men in our dinner party. Had stopped before dinner at a little roadside stand for some sausages. These are BBQed, and eaten with raw garlic. So it was bite garlic, bite sausage … The vendors also make a game of buying the sausage, you roll dice so it's possible to win or loss the number sausages ordered. I had more fun at the roadside stand than the restaurant, because she was not fazed that an Anglo had stopped at the stand.
Note: While I didn't like the Maitre D's attitude, the food here is really good. I had a steak and it was one of the best I've had in Taiwan. Followed by Alex's Cafe in Peitou. Check my current travelogue or my restaurant list for more information.
Visited more family, and did some shopping. Had a farewell dinner, finished off a bottle of brandy, about a case of beer (between 4 of us), and went to have a family portrait taken. Went to a parking lot to set off the last of the fireworks.
Had a farewell lunch at the restaurant owned by an aunt and uncle. It's a seafood place, all the food is very good. Bags are placed in 2 cars for the trip to the airport. Have more bags going back than coming over.
Stopped at an uncles house on the way to the airport, he's a machinist who adapts machines for automation and minimal human intervention. Left the uncles house bound for the airport. Did some last minute shopping, and got ready for the flight. The good byes were very emotional, there wasn't a dry eye in the group (well Yichi didn't understand what was going on). We headed towards the gate. Left Taipei at 6:50 PM on the way to LAX. The flight is 10 hours due to the Jet Stream, we ride it back as a tail wind (100-200 MPH extra). Also the flight is more direct. We arrive at LAX at 2:10 PM, so we arrive before we left. Got home showed off the pictures we took, and went to bed after a very long day.
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