Nice!

March 27, 2012, Taipei

An excellent addition to the collection from Amanda:

Hello Kitty

March 14, 2012

Hello Kitty gate, Taipei Airport

I remember Sambo's restaurants.

March 13, 2012
Taipei

Amanda tells me that this  brand used to be called Blackmen toothpaste.

Xindian Metro Station.

March 13, 2012
Taipei

Waiting for some friends to join in a hot springs outing.

Amanda and Erica

March 12, 2012
Taipei

Amanda likes the color photo better.

Could be a Starbucks anywhere.

March 12, 2012
Taipei

Hand pulled noodles: poor photos edition.

The sign in front of the hand-pulled noodle restaurant looks impressive.  Perhaps too impressive you might ask.  But it is not hyperbole.  They pull and roll and cut and cook each bowl of noodles to order.

Unfortunately, it is not very camera friendly, as the kitchen is behind glass, with a lot of glare on it.

I went with the skinny noodles. 

Amanda chose the wide.

And a very satisfying bowl of broth and well stewed meat to accompany.

The birds must be angry here too.

March 11, 2012
Taipei

Collect enough grocery store points, throw in some cash, and you too can start collecting pieces of the tea set.

Hello Kitty girl and friend

March 10, 2012
Yuanlin

Taking the local train from Yuanlin to Taichung.

The two faces of soup girl or 800% delicious.

March 10, 2012
Yuanlin

Dinner last night at a dumpling restaurant.  They have a self service island, full of various condiments and sauces,  and a vat of all you can eat millet soup/porridge.  Several locals at our table reminded that it was free.  Our host ate 8  bowls himself.  I got the sense that each bowl was more satisfying than the last because of the price.  Regardless, a nice concept, a simple soup, that you can garnish as you wish with some dozen different ingredients (ginger, pickles, chili sauce, soy sauce, ...)

Side and rear deltoid work

March 9, 2012
Yuanlin

The retired master, working here on Amanda is using a wand made of (I think) a stack of rare earth super magnets, with both a rounded end and a somewhat pointed end. He has explained that the source of many problems can be found at the ligament to bone attachments and that acupuncture and acupressure don't address these points. He is using the wand in a light physical way to search for areas of discomfort, a sign of something needing attention. But once discovered the treatment then is mostly application of the magnetic field, which promotes circulation which allows the body to then better bring to bear its systems of healing and regeneration.

Morning propane delivery.

March 10, 2012
Yuanlin

Piped municipal gas doesn't appear to be Taiwanese thing. Amanda's parents' kitchen range also runs on one of these refillable tanks.

Cancer sticks

March 10, 2012
Yuanlin

Cigarette rack behind the 7 Eleven counter. All of the packs cost between 50 and 75 NT (new Taiwanese) dollars, about $2.

Breakfast

March 10, 2012
Yuanlin

Egg sandwiches and milk tea.

Rapt

March 8, 2012
Yuanlin

Watching the breakfast grill man at work.

Happy, friendly conductor.

March 7, 2012
Taichung to Yuanlin.

My smattering of Mandarin evokes lots of warmth.

Bullet train view

March 7, 2012
Bullet train from Taipei to Taichung.

Rice paddy farming.

The Claw! The Claw!

March 6, 2012
Taipei

Costume shop window down the block from Amanda's parents' place.

You gotta go where you gotta go, I guess.

March 5, 2012
Tapei

Been fighting a cold, but that didn't keep me from my appointed rounds.  I'm sure that the sidewalk tile layer would be thrilled with this retrofit.

Dessert

March 4, 2012
Taipei

After lunch yesterday we went for dessert. A slightly gelatinous, warm, sweetened soup made from the chain's proprietary blend of Chinese herbs. Like at the frozen yogurt store, you choose your toppings. I went with roasted peanuts and dried lognan (dragon eye fruit).