fun at our feet

We do a lot of sanbu 散步 (strolling) in our neighborhood. And sometimes, we find that fun things are near at hand, or at foot. "See!" says Binbin.

Sightseeing

Yigong and Yipo took us on a couple of outings during the New Year holiday. The first was to Linkou Temple just after the first of the year. Under a cloudy sky, vendors did their best to promote a festive and carnivalesque atmosphere. The sputtering rain did not stop crowds from coming with their prayers and offerings of flowers, incense, and plastic wrapped chocolate wafer cookies (Guanyin must have a sweet tooth). Binbin brought home a shiny dolphinn balloon that Yigong and Yipo bought for him.





Later in the week, Yigong caught a cold and so he couldn't come with us to the wharf at Danshui. Binbin was feeling under the weather most of the time and sat in the stroller. But he perked up when Jack did circles around the entrance to little pavilion.

what we read

We all have our books, and here is what we are reading:

Binbin is into:

"My Little Red Toolbox" (see pics below)
Spot's visit to the farm (in Chinese) with recorded animal and other sounds
Toddler books on animals and on vehicles, in a flashcard format (Chinese)
Flotsom (no words, but we bought the Chinese version at Chengpin bookstore). Binbin's favorite picture is the one with aliens

De-nin is reading:
Alfred Gell's "Anthropology of Art"
"Grand View" exhibition catalogue of Song-dynasty painting and calligraphy

Jack is reading
Aaron Stalnacker "Overcoming Our Evil"
Xunzi "Xunzi"
"Into the Rising Sun"

games

Various games of skill and chance abound in Taipei. Over the new year holiday, we taught our friends Aron and Chelsey how to use their mah-johng set. Binbin patiently took his turn drawing tiles, but at times he preferred the shuffling part. Our neighbor, Mr. Chen, has recently been teaching Jack how to play Chinese chess (xiangqi), and was surprised when Jack evened the count to one win apiece. Jack also brought home the pieces for weiqi, dozens of round, plastic black and white discs, and Binbin's latest "game" is scattering those all around the living room. Last night, he and Xuanxuan used our brooms to "clean up."

As we walk through our neighborhood, we also encounter carnival booth games: manipulate the mechanical claw to capture a toy, or see how many baskets you can make in three minutes. Lights flash and music blares, fueling the excitement. Some of these kinds of games can also be found at "Love to Shop" (愛買).

foodies

One of the great pleasures of living in Taipei is the food! And, despite Binbin's allergies, he does get to enjoy some of it. If you've been reading our blog, you already know that Binbin loves fruit jello (guodong) and Yakuit (a yogurt drink) and that Jack's standard breakfast is warm milk tea (wen naicha) and egg pancake (danbing). We found Binbin-safe bread at Yamazaki, and we recently switched from "High class white bread" to a thick slice "English bread." We all love eating the fresh tropical fruits: mountain apples (lianwu), papayas, fuji apples, and giant tangerines are some of our current favorites. Jack indulges from time to time in the Taiwanese version of the bento box lunch (biandang). Every now and then Yidie and Yima drop by with steamed buns (baozi) of various flavors. De-nin treats herself to pineapple-shape pastries and to nougat candies (niuzhatang).

We once had a take-out dinner from this place, effectively Peking Duck in a Truck, Mobile Meal on Wheels. It makes a stop every friday at the guozhai (the government housing projects that we live in), but this was a holiday special (February 28th is a national holiday).



And finally, our local Starbuck's workers feed our habit for chocolate lava cake. Yum yum! More pictures to come soon.

post pig fest

We had a very long week off work during the new year’s holiday. Binbin’s fever (and our worries) lasted a week. Beginning on Friday, his temperature fell, his energy returned, and his parents heaved a sigh of relief. That day, we went out for a long morning stroll to the traditional market. On our return, we ran into Xuanxuan and her mother. Binbin and Xuanxuan ran around our development, trying out all the mechanical kiddie cars.




We made plans to go out together after Binbin’s afternoon nap. The nap never happened. So off we all went to the Chiang Kaishek Memorial. The two kiddies watched the changing of the guards atop their father’s shoulders and subsequently ran around the memorial park grounds with much gleeful abandon.





The weather was beautiful, and not too many people were around. The latter was probably due to the electrical outage in the parking garage. We braved our way through the darkly lit underground.

We had an early start Saturday morning, since Binbin crashed out before 7 pm the night before. We did our usual wandering about our neighborhood. In the afternoon, we went up to Tianmu to have a visit with Larry the Turtle. Then, Aron and Chelsey showed us what is probably *the* best playground to date. Here, Binbin clambers up sets to use the cement slide.



Sunday, too, started off with our wanderings about Dazhi and some grocery shopping. In the mid-afternoon, Binbin took the bus with mom (whom he has taken to calling Ma-meee) to the National Palace Museum garden. Here he sits atop a stone lion just outside the entrance.




Today (Monday) marks a rude return to routine. School for Binbin and work for everyone else.

Around Taipei 101

It's Tuesday, also known as chusan 初三, or the third day of the new year, and we decided to take an outing to the city government area. Ten years ago, there was nothing out here. Now, it's home to Taipei 101, the world's tallest building (at present). Lots of shopping malls are connected by a second-floor, open skyway. So we took a little stroll along to see what we could see.



The world's tallest building on a misty morning.



A game of dice to be played by patient shoppers and a man dressed as an imperial deity. An "8" wins you a lucky money envelope, which may have inside a restaurant gift certificate, or a coupon for a PSP or other goodies.

lucky money

Binbin spent a bit of his lucky money from various grand-aunties and grandmother on...what else...toys! He was at least briefly entranced by a wooden puzzle of sea creatures with metal buttons. It came with a magnet fishing pole for catching fish, clam, turtle, and other species. He has also been throwing balls into an assemblage of plastic half-pipes and tubing, and striking a new kitty-shaped xylophone.

Tricycling

The tricycle that Yima and Yidie bought for Binbin arrived in the middle of last week. It features a squeaky penguin at the front. Behind, an extended handle allows parent to dictate direction. Binbin recently conceded to sitting on his tricycle. He occasionally will steer, and he is still learning about the whole pedaling thing. Sometimes, it’s just faster to get up and run.

government mandated parking

More construction machines could be found at Yelute before the New Year holiday. Sadly the government regulations call for about a dozen parking spaces at the preschool. The green lawn had to be partially sacrificed to pavement. The children don't seem to mind too much, as the pavement makes for good running, but it's a lot more work for the teachers who prefer to have the kids on the lawn.

Binbin's buddy Miles chases after him and the net-ball (Aussies and Kiwis will recognize that sport).

Pig Business

Gongxi facai 恭喜發財! Happy Year of the Pig!

New Year’s Eve was spent with friends Aron and Chelsey, playing majiang. We had some visits back and forth with Xuanxuan jiejie across the hall, too. After our socializing and after the sunset, the fire-crackers and fireworks began as folks made haste to scare the evil spirits away. The noise lasting long into the night. Either the sporadic explosions or his cold caused Binbin to wake up midway through the night and crawl into our bed. Morning came too quickly.

New Year’s Day, Binbin was the happy recipient of much lucky money this year, and after visiting with the Tao family, he went to Miramar to spend of bit his take. We were surprised to see that many businesses no longer close for the new year holiday, and for good reasons. Taipei residents and their extended family filled the shopping malls. We had never seen Miramar quite so crowded. Binbin paid for his new toys and we headed home for some relief from claustrophobia. It’s never that crowded in Maine!

weekend routine

Our weekends typically involve seeing family and friends and accomplishing a few household tasks. Saturday afternoon, Yima 姨媽 and Yidie 姨爹 stopped by the apartment. They wanted to buy a tricycle for Binbin, and they found one at our local Carrefour 家樂福. Here, Binbin tries out the floor model.




Sunday morning started with a walk over to Starbucks where we set up our Mac to video call Nainai 奶奶 and Yeye 爺爺. At the same time, Binbin enjoys a treat, a cherry flavored "pop."




Afterward, we headed over to the traditional market. This morning, Binbin was excited about the live fish in these bright plastic tubs.



On our way home, we found another playground next to a temple. So, we had to check that out.



In the afternoon, Xuanxuan 萱萱 jiejie 姐姐 and her parents, our neighbors on the tenth floor came over and we all decided to go to the playground at the grade school. Xuanxuan and Binbin are quite fond of each other, and here, she has taken the role of older sister, pushing Binibn's stroller on our way home.

many legged friends

On Friday, Binbin was excited to show us the Japanese fighting beetles at school, one in a blue plastic cage, one in a pink plastic cage. Like Binbin, these critters like to eat fruit gelatin 果凍.




This morning (Saturday), we went to visit our friends, Chelsey and Aron, who recent ly moved from the projects to Tianmu 天母. They brought with them several fish and Larry, a turtle, who captured Binbin's curiosity. Larry, who seems to prefer hiding in cool corners around the patio and apartment, patiently endured Binbin's attentions. Binbin eventually was brave enough to help turn Larry onto his belly.




We walked a bit in Chelsey and Aron's new neighborhood to get to Zhishan 芝山 park. A very nice path took us through the kind of semi-tropical vegetation that once covered Taipei. Here, Binbin pushes his own stroller. He's adamant about maintaining complete control when he's "driving."

A day in Dazhi

It's another day in Dazhi filled with all sorts of activities. Binbin was given a backpack and school uniform by his preschool. He doesn't really have any interest in wearing the uniform, and since it's way too big they haven't made him put it on in school. However, he recently showed interest in wearing his backpack to school. As you can see it too is a little big for a 2 year old. He wore it for about a minute and then it fell off. He congratulaed himself on the effort.


After school Binbin invited one of the neighbors on our floor to come over and play. He seems to have a thing for slightly older women. Jiejie (which just means older sister in Chinese for you non-speakers) has been over a couple times and Binbin has been over to play at her place which is absolutely chock full of toys. As you can see, Binbin believes more in parallel play, as they call it, than interactive play. However, the older woman seems to enjoy his company and they had a great time.


Finally, after a long day of school and play, Binbin got to play with water, one of his all-time favorite past-times these days. He's become very hydrophilic. Fortunately, the standard Taiwanese bathroom is completely tiled on floor and walls and has a big drain in the center. Binbin splashes and splishes to his heart's content. Usually it's a struggle to get him to come out of the tub.

Saturday morning trip to Danshui 淡水

On Saturday morning we all took a trip out to the mouth of the big river that runs through Taibei. The place is called Danshui. It's got a long boardwalk with anything from wild games and food stalls to high end tea houses and little parks for sitting and fishing or watching the water. Binbin had a great time, though he fell asleep on the walk back down the boardwalk.



There are also some very interesting cultural aspects to Taibei and places like Danshui. Here we have a traditional small pagoda for burning spirit money for the ancestors right out in front of a bright and load games stall for kids. It's an interesting combination to be standing between the two.