Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Lovely evening



Tuesday 30 June 2009

Sun sets on a lovely evening in our fair city.

Monday, June 29, 2009

Electroshock Therapy



Monday 29 June 2009

Okay, so it's not really electroshock, so much as electricity therapy. I had been having a deep, dull pain in my heel for a while, and so finally went to see a doctor about it. (A crazy doctor, by the way. Wait, does that mean I let a mad doctor hook me up to electropads?) She thinks the heel pain is connected to my back, and so I have started physio-therapy to fix it. We'll see how it all goes.

This is my least favorite part, because it actually hurts. The other parts (stretching out my back, pulsing electricity on my back, cracking my back) are all quite pleasant.

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Busy Door


Sunday 28 June 2009

This city is so busy. Sometimes that makes it vibrant and energetic, and sometimes it overwhelms me.

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Sunny Flowers



Saturday 27 June 2009

Friday, June 26, 2009

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Art


Thursday 25 June 2009

And my manager still doesn't believe me that these art projects are too difficult for three-year-olds.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

San Sin



Wednesday 24 June 2009

This is a very small part of San Sin, a vocational high school where I am looking at performing our fall production of Midsummer Night's Dream. This picture doesn't really do it justice - if we do our play there, I hope to get a better one later.

But this is one corner of a school which has over 9,000 students. The side I was standing on has 11 stories. I mean, this school has more people than Romeo did when I was growing up. It was HUGE and a little intimidating. The principal is basically the mayor of a small town, having to organize all of this.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Buh Puh Muh Fuh


Tuesday 23 June 2009

In Taiwan, children learn how to pronounce Chinese characters using a kind of alphabet, which is called "buh puh muh fuh," after the first four consonants. It is not used in China at all. Children's books here have the characters in them, but then the buh puh muh fuh next to each character, so if they did not know that word, the can learn how to pronounce it. (Chinese characters are not phonetic at all - if you see a new word, you have no way to know its meaning or sound.)

This sign has buh puh muh fuh next to one of its characters, but it is not in a children's book. I figure that character must be very rare, and most people would not know it, so the restaurant decided to let everyone know how to say their name. Helpful, and something very distictly Taiwanese.

Monday, June 22, 2009

Buddha on a chair


Monday 22 June 2009

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Cloud heart



Sunday 21 June 2009

I don't know, now that I post this I'm not sure everyone will see it, but to me this little hole in the clouds looked exactly like a heart (on its side.)

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Shui



Saturday 20 June 2009

This character means water.

Friday, June 19, 2009

Two-tone 85


Friday 19 June 2009

This building is Kaohsiung's landmark, it alone defines our skyline.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Ominous clouds



Thursday 18 June 2009

A view of the storm from my laundry balcony.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Wreaths



Tuesday 16 June 2009

Outside a high school. I wish I could tell you more.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Temple in the road



Monday 15 June 2009

Yep, a temple right in the middle of the road - you drive around it, and the road joins up again behind. On HePing Road.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Cool tiles


Sunday 14 June 2009

A whole wall of tiny tiles. I really liked the color, like mother-of-pearl.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Wet red flowers



Saturday 13 June 2009

Another rainy day photo.

Friday, June 12, 2009

Jealous



Friday 12 June 2009

A gorgeous day today - it would have been such a perfect day to sit on the balcony with some hot cocoa listening to the rain. A wonderful rainy day wasted working and cleaning out the fridge.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Wet flowers


Thursday 11 June 2009

I love rainy rainy rainy rainy days.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Dark skies



Wednesday 10 June 2009

Mmmmm, I love the rainy spring here in Taiwan. It makes for such varied and brilliant skies.

Tuesday, June 09, 2009

Balls



Tuesday 9 June 2009

Our school has a ball pit in the play room upstairs. No, these kids aren't spoiled at all.

Monday, June 08, 2009

Baby Cookies


Monday 8 June 2009

My student Allen's little sister turned one month old, which here in Taiwan is the first milestone in a child's life. It is celebrated with cookies or cake for everyone!

I guess this comes from times when many children didn't survive their early days. Actually, there are a lot of rules and superstitions to do with first month. The mother cannot leave the house, wash her hair, cook (I don't think), and has to eat only very specific foods. Not all women follow all these rules anymore, but some still do, and giving gifts for a baby's one month birthday is always done.

Sunday, June 07, 2009

Fruit Stand



Saturday 7 June 2009

Saturday, June 06, 2009

Moon through the palms



Saturday 6 June 2009

Friday, June 05, 2009

Welcome bum


Friday 5 June 2009

This is the statue in our apartment building's courtyard. The entrance to the underground parking goes behind and under the courtyard, so that her bum is the sight that always welcomes me home.

Thursday, June 04, 2009

JianGong at Dusk



Thursday 4 June 2009

I told you I'm into cityscapes lately. I just live in such a great place for them.

Wednesday, June 03, 2009

Farrah's Hair



Wednesday 3 June 2009

Okay, baby-perming update. Remember back when I was appalled that someone would perm a three-year-old boy's hair? Well, it turns out that Eugene's baby sister, one-year-old Farrah, also got a perm.

Tuesday, June 02, 2009

Monday, June 01, 2009

Guang Hua



Monday 1 June 2009

I've been feeling the cityscape lately, I know. But the Plum Rains are finally here, and I just love this city in the rain.