Duncan Arrives

A new teacher has arrived in Yuanlin! He had a few days in Yuanlin before heading to Taipei for training. So on Friday night we decided to head for Tony's BBQ where lots of people were planning to meet. No-one was there, the place was full of locals and we were hungry. So we drove back to my apartment, revised our plans and headed with renewed optimism for Bert's Restaurant. A longish drive, but good calzones and and fitting place to get drunk. We duly got rat-arsed, Katie being the number 1 piss head and me not far behind.

After finishing a bottle of vodka and numerous beers we decided to leave. We had driven on scooters, but this was looking quite unlikely considering Katie’s inability to stop flopping about on the floor.

Anyway I didn't want to leave the scooters, so Kate and Katie got a taxi leaving Duncan and I to ride scooters. I think his first time. We drove back but suddenly he stopped being in my wing mirror and I turned around. Kate's scooter had just stopped, no noise, no dripping liquid, just lost power and stopped. Weird. We spent ages pushing and kick starting it to no avail. Got tired of that, so we left it and drove back on mine.

At about 3:00am or 4:00am I drove Ducan home, when we arrived we realised that getting in was impossible without a key... Doh!! So we drove back to my apartment where we crashed out until we got woken up at some ungodly hour by a loudspeaker advert on a truck!

This was Duncan's first night out with us!

Did someone just guff?


Duncan and I.


Kaite and Kate look pretty together.


Duncan and Kate get chinkalicious.


Oh no..... Bad idea!!!


Lots of booze plus Katie equals funny floppy girl!


MC

Easter Afternoon in Changhua

Easter came and it was the right time to get all the teachers together for a luncheon. A pleasant afternoon lapsed into the evening with drink and wonderful buffet food. My favourite were the homemade fairy cakes, with, might I add, JC and "crosses" on them!

Here are some of the people I snapped.

This crazy cat is Kate, from New Zealand!


Pascal and I listen.


Happy chappy geezer!


The two lovely ladies pose together.


Stu, you're so silly with the melon on your head.


Andy catches acute melongitis.


Jarnie, who made all the lovely food with Stu.


Rea looking cute.


MC

My Brother Came to Visit.

For one week at the start of April my brother, Pete, came for a holiday in Taiwan. I rented a car and subsequently drove around Taiwan with Pete, Kate and Katie. Kate and Katie left after four days because they had to teach in Yuanlin.

We visited the following places:

• Lukang
• Sun Moon Lake
• Dongpu
• Tatachia
• Alishan
• Kaoshiung
• Pingtung
• The East Coast
• Hualien
• Taroko Gorge
• Chinjing Farm

Almost a complete circle of southern Taiwan, going through the mountains. We had a wonderful time and saw some amazing sights. Taiwan is so beautiful and I'm glad to have seen so much of it now. I was very happy to see my brother and actually share some of what I do out here! He even got to see one of my lessons! I think Pete is now looking to come back to Asia for some more action, maybe China, which coincidentally is where Kate and I are heading in June of this year.

Pete gets his first taste of milk tea with jen-ju balls.


We head for Lukang and discover a ceremony with flagellation at the Matsu Temple.


We're all shocked by the men whipping themselves and spitting alcohol on their bleeding backs! A man died doing this when the spiked ball went into his head.


We find ourselves in Neil's Bar reading Pete's excellent Chinese phrase book.


At night we show Pete the night-market. Not keen on the stinky tofu! We play a Chinese game and suck at it.


Went to the night market and met a vender who wanted to take a group photo.


We have a go at throwing baseballs at a grid to win prizes, I suck!


The "Beast" got me around Taiwan with no more trouble than over filled brake fluid, but the brakes did stop working for a short time!


The gang in a bandesque pose.


Adorable.


Looking cool in Sun Moon Lake.


The eye, the eye is coming.


Sun Moon Lake Temple from above.


Pete kisses the dragon.


The gold ball wasn't that heavy.


No, it's definitely that way.


Dongpu Spa Hotel in the mountains.


Pete forgets you need water to swim!


We stop at the top of Tatachia to look at the Fucing Tree (Couple Tree).


We get to Tatachia and relax with a beer in the sun.


The sun starts to set.


The London tourist spots us and comes over for a beer!


Oooh, he loves the beer!


Awesome sunset.


We get to Alishan in the evening and by morning we are up and watching the sun rise again.


Cold but looking a little burnt from earlier...


I want to be this cool!


Teacher Coyle inspects the "Water running uphill" and surmises it's not going up at all! It's a trick of the eye. But we don't have the heart to tell the locals.


We past the spot where the Tropic of Cancer passes...neat.


Pete and I visit a real bat cave but Robin is out....hahaha


This is a mini Toroko Gorge, it's amazing because you're looking from the top.


Pete holds the scale model that looks remarkably like the memorial to workers who died and built the road around the Gorge.


The tunnel entrance to the memorial.


After the mighty Gorge we head over the mountains some more, these ones are green!


In Chinjing Farm Pete begrudgingly stays in a youth hostel, for NT$300 or 5 pounds each!


Heading down from Chingjing Farm we spot this loan tourist in need of a lift. Anyway I take him back to Yuanlin where we head straight for the bars.


MC