things native and exotic

Lots of adventures were had this past weekend. And, some pictures were taken to document the fun, but they have not yet been downloaded (nor, for that matter, uploaded). So, please read on. We'll feed your picture habit soon.

Saturday morning, Binbin lobbied for rides on the bus and choo-choo both. So, we made use of both to travel into central Taipei to visit Guma 姑媽 and Gudie 姑爹, De-nin's paternal aunt and uncle. They have taken up temporary residence near the Botanical Garden beside the National History Museum and so, when the rain stopped, we all went for a stroll. As usual, Binbin wasn't so sure about entering an unfamiliar home inhabited by unfamiliar people. But, he was eventually won over by Gudie's screen saver, which projected fantastic animated renditions of mechanical drawings by Leonardo da Vinci.

In the evening, we met up with Aron and Chelsey and headed over to yet another unfamiliar home with unfamiliar faces. This time, since Aron shu-shu seemed okay with going in, Binbin bravely ventured forth. He soon scampered all over place, up and down stairs, on and off sofas, offering freshly popped popcorn to one and all. As an extra bonus, he got to watch "Laputa" projected on a four foot wide screen!

Sunday adventures were undertaken with Yigong and Yipo, who drove us to the playground in Xin Beitou. Though Binbin went up and down the slides dozens of times, he couldn't get enough. But, he is almost always willing to visit someplace new, and so he gladly walked over to the library and "read" some books in the children's area before becoming fussier and fussier. Fussiness disappeared by finding a pond filled with tadpoles and a few fish. We tried to feed them sempei, but those rice crackers seemed only to draw waterbugs our way.

After a short rest and lunch at home...we did what many, perhaps too many Taipei families do on Sunday: we went to Costco. Binbin was happy as punch riding in the shopping cart, which we filled with our exotic needs: flour tortillas, imported avocados, Special K cereal, and Canadian bacon. Evening found the three of us staring zombie-like at the TV, eating fresh guacamole and chips. A happy ending to a busy weekend.