I was rereading the last couple of posts and I realized that I had given short shrift to the biggest holiday of the year. Chinese New Year is a combination of Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year, your birthday and Spring Festival. It is a REALLY big deal -- hence the long vacation. Even the Post Office is closed for a week!
Like most holidays everywhere, a lot centers around food -- traditional foods served at the big dinner, and any kind of food colored orange because it is reminiscent of gold. This year is the Year of the Pig, one of the more propitious years in the lunar calendar. Everyone begins with the thought that this year will be better than last -- just like we do!
Children are the big beneficiaries of the celebrations. They receive "hung bao" red envelopes with cash inside. The amount, of course depends on family circumstances and the strength of the relationship between giver and receiver. It has to be a round number, however, 200 NT, not 300. I also stuck in some of the ubiquitous gold wrapped chocolate coin candies. I only gave small amounts since my adopted grandchildren are babies after all. My students will receive pretty much all of the money they will get this year -- hopefully enough to pay for their class trip next year.
The other interesting part of the New Year's celebration (besides the fireworks) is that everyone cleans everything and gets new whatevers at this time. Now a days that means your car in addition to your house so the lines at the car washes are amazing. Everyone gets new clothes, haircuts etc. and if your were planning on buying a new couch -- this is the time. It is also considered good luck to start things during this season -- jobs, new businesses, new babies (either born or conceived) -- all of which adds to the fireworks.
星期六, 2月 24, 2007
星期五, 2月 23, 2007
Hualien
The last part of the Chinese New Year vacation began with the celebration itself. This was a little anticlimactic as we had been built up for more. The big feast occurs on New Year's Eve and I was invited to the house of one of my teacher friends. I think she drew the short straw to entertain the foreignor by virtue of the fact that she was the only one around. The custom is to go to the "other side of the family" and that means leaving town.
Dinner was excellent with several traditional dishes. We did not make the 1000 dumplings that I recalled from earlier times because, I was told, they are a southern Chinese family and the custom is northern. It was all over pretty early but I was expecting a big fireworks display but there wasn't one. The fireworks have continued, though, all through the week.
I took the train to Hualien (6 1/2 hours standing on an overcrowded train) on the other side of the island and found out where everyone had gone. The place was mobbed making it almost impossible to find a hotel room. I ended up staying in a hostel and making the decision that I am getting too old for that route, no matter how nice it was.
There are several other teachers from the group over there and three of us, plus a wife and a daughter went to Taroko Gorge the following day. Considered the most scenic spot in Taiwan -- kind of like their Grand Canyon -- it was unfortunate that the weather was pretty nasty, cloudy, foggy and rainy. It was also jammed with people. I'm glad that I remember it from when it wasn't; it truly is a lovely spot.
The next day was Hualien day. It is an interesting mid-size city and very pretty there on the ocean with mountains all around. The major product is marble and the sidewalks are made of marble fragments set in concrete.
That night we went up to a town near Ilan and spent the night with the neat South African lady we had met on New Year's Eve in Taipei. She has been here for four years and has a lovely place.
To beat the crowds, I took the bus back which guarantees you a seat, I'd had about enough of standing on trains.
Dinner was excellent with several traditional dishes. We did not make the 1000 dumplings that I recalled from earlier times because, I was told, they are a southern Chinese family and the custom is northern. It was all over pretty early but I was expecting a big fireworks display but there wasn't one. The fireworks have continued, though, all through the week.
I took the train to Hualien (6 1/2 hours standing on an overcrowded train) on the other side of the island and found out where everyone had gone. The place was mobbed making it almost impossible to find a hotel room. I ended up staying in a hostel and making the decision that I am getting too old for that route, no matter how nice it was.
There are several other teachers from the group over there and three of us, plus a wife and a daughter went to Taroko Gorge the following day. Considered the most scenic spot in Taiwan -- kind of like their Grand Canyon -- it was unfortunate that the weather was pretty nasty, cloudy, foggy and rainy. It was also jammed with people. I'm glad that I remember it from when it wasn't; it truly is a lovely spot.
The next day was Hualien day. It is an interesting mid-size city and very pretty there on the ocean with mountains all around. The major product is marble and the sidewalks are made of marble fragments set in concrete.
That night we went up to a town near Ilan and spent the night with the neat South African lady we had met on New Year's Eve in Taipei. She has been here for four years and has a lovely place.
To beat the crowds, I took the bus back which guarantees you a seat, I'd had about enough of standing on trains.
Hualien
The last part of the Chinese New Year vacation began with the celebration itself. This was a little anticlimactic as we had been built up for more. The big feast occurs on New Year's Eve and I was invited to the house of one of my teacher friends. I think she drew the short straw to entertain the foreignor by virtue of the fact that she was the only one around. The custom is to go to the "other side of the family" and that means leaving town.
Dinner was excellent with several traditional dishes. We did not make the 1000 dumplings that I recalled from earlier times because, I was told, they are a southern Chinese family and the custom is northern. It was all over pretty early but I was expecting a big fireworks display but there wasn't one. The fireworks have continued, though, all through the week.
I took the train to Hualien (6 1/2 hours standing on an overcrowded train) on the other side of the island and found out where everyone had gone. The place was mobbed making it almost impossible to find a hotel room. I ended up staying in a hostel and making the decision that I am getting too old for that route, no matter how nice it was.
There are several other teachers from the group over there and three of us, plus a wife and a daughter went to Taroko Gorge the following day. Considered the most scenic spot in Taiwan -- kind of like their Grand Canyon -- it was unfortunate that the weather was pretty nasty, cloudy, foggy and rainy. It was also jammed with people. I'm glad that I remember it from when it wasn't; it truly is a lovely spot.
The next day was Hualien day. It is an interesting mid-size city and very pretty there on the ocean with mountains all around. The major product is marble and the sidewalks are made of marble fragments set in concrete.
That night we went up to a town near Ilan and spent the night with the neat South African lady we had met on New Year's Eve in Taipei. She has been here for four years and has a lovely place.
To beat the crowds, I took the bus back which guarantees you a seat, I'd had about enough of standing on trains.
Dinner was excellent with several traditional dishes. We did not make the 1000 dumplings that I recalled from earlier times because, I was told, they are a southern Chinese family and the custom is northern. It was all over pretty early but I was expecting a big fireworks display but there wasn't one. The fireworks have continued, though, all through the week.
I took the train to Hualien (6 1/2 hours standing on an overcrowded train) on the other side of the island and found out where everyone had gone. The place was mobbed making it almost impossible to find a hotel room. I ended up staying in a hostel and making the decision that I am getting too old for that route, no matter how nice it was.
There are several other teachers from the group over there and three of us, plus a wife and a daughter went to Taroko Gorge the following day. Considered the most scenic spot in Taiwan -- kind of like their Grand Canyon -- it was unfortunate that the weather was pretty nasty, cloudy, foggy and rainy. It was also jammed with people. I'm glad that I remember it from when it wasn't; it truly is a lovely spot.
The next day was Hualien day. It is an interesting mid-size city and very pretty there on the ocean with mountains all around. The major product is marble and the sidewalks are made of marble fragments set in concrete.
That night we went up to a town near Ilan and spent the night with the neat South African lady we had met on New Year's Eve in Taipei. She has been here for four years and has a lovely place.
To beat the crowds, I took the bus back which guarantees you a seat, I'd had about enough of standing on trains.
星期一, 2月 19, 2007
Bali
I am tempted to poatpone this entry until I figure out how to illustrate it -- yes, I now have a camera -- but I'm still just as low-tech so I haven't gotten that far. Can't put off Bali, though because it was so wonderful.
The decision to take this trip was made chiefly because of cost. There has been so many publicized disasters, both natural and man made, that the tourist industry has taken a huge hit. That means that great deals are available and the intrepid threesome decided that nothing too bad could happen in five days so off we went.
Trip didn't start well since heavy fog grounded us in Taipei for an extra two hours of what was supposed to be beach time but once we arrived, the weather was gorgeous. Though the sun is very hot, there are wonderful breezes all the time so it is always comfortable. The second thing you notice about Bali is how good it smells. Really, there are flowers everywhere, both growing and picked and both kinds are used everywhere for further decoration. Our hotel -- the Ramada Bintang Bali, uses bowls of floating rose petals about every 10 feet. The hotel was super in all ways, right on the beach, amazing huge pool, beautiful grounds, super staff, fabulous breakfast spread in the morning -- the whole place was great. We did have to be careful, though, because if we exceeded any of the things included in our package, we were quickly reminded that this was a 5-star resort. The first night we had dinner by the pool with entertainment in the form of Balinese dancers. That was pricey.
The next morning we went to a spa for a wonderful massage and milk and flower bath. It was quite a treatment -- foot bath with rose petals, 45 minute massage with warm oil, steam bath, rubbing with a milk based stuff -- felt like yoghurt and then a real bath in a tub with more rose petals. Really neat.
That afternoon we went for a drive to a town that is known for its artists but mostly it is a rather frantic market with people selling wonderful things but business is clearly slow and it makes them a little too aggressive.
The next day I went diving. This included a 2 hour drive through the mountains to get to the dive site and the country is indescribably beautiful. The diving was wonderful on a US Navy ship that went down in WWII. Lovely warm clear water, beautiful fish, some familiar, some not and some familiar but in different colors than I'm used to.
The last night we went to see the sunset on the west coast at a place where they have built a temple out on the rocks at the shore. Really lovely.
All in all, Bali is as wonderful as you have seen in movies and posters. It's interesting, beautiful, lots to do and see and, at the moment anyway, not crowded. We would have the beach virtually to ourselves and I was frequently the only one in the huge hotel pool. This is too bad for the locals but really nice for the traveller!
The decision to take this trip was made chiefly because of cost. There has been so many publicized disasters, both natural and man made, that the tourist industry has taken a huge hit. That means that great deals are available and the intrepid threesome decided that nothing too bad could happen in five days so off we went.
Trip didn't start well since heavy fog grounded us in Taipei for an extra two hours of what was supposed to be beach time but once we arrived, the weather was gorgeous. Though the sun is very hot, there are wonderful breezes all the time so it is always comfortable. The second thing you notice about Bali is how good it smells. Really, there are flowers everywhere, both growing and picked and both kinds are used everywhere for further decoration. Our hotel -- the Ramada Bintang Bali, uses bowls of floating rose petals about every 10 feet. The hotel was super in all ways, right on the beach, amazing huge pool, beautiful grounds, super staff, fabulous breakfast spread in the morning -- the whole place was great. We did have to be careful, though, because if we exceeded any of the things included in our package, we were quickly reminded that this was a 5-star resort. The first night we had dinner by the pool with entertainment in the form of Balinese dancers. That was pricey.
The next morning we went to a spa for a wonderful massage and milk and flower bath. It was quite a treatment -- foot bath with rose petals, 45 minute massage with warm oil, steam bath, rubbing with a milk based stuff -- felt like yoghurt and then a real bath in a tub with more rose petals. Really neat.
That afternoon we went for a drive to a town that is known for its artists but mostly it is a rather frantic market with people selling wonderful things but business is clearly slow and it makes them a little too aggressive.
The next day I went diving. This included a 2 hour drive through the mountains to get to the dive site and the country is indescribably beautiful. The diving was wonderful on a US Navy ship that went down in WWII. Lovely warm clear water, beautiful fish, some familiar, some not and some familiar but in different colors than I'm used to.
The last night we went to see the sunset on the west coast at a place where they have built a temple out on the rocks at the shore. Really lovely.
All in all, Bali is as wonderful as you have seen in movies and posters. It's interesting, beautiful, lots to do and see and, at the moment anyway, not crowded. We would have the beach virtually to ourselves and I was frequently the only one in the huge hotel pool. This is too bad for the locals but really nice for the traveller!
星期日, 2月 18, 2007
Chinese New Year
Alright, alright, I'm back. The reason I have been so busy, and the reason that I have so much to tell, is that this is a combination of Winter School Break and Chinese New Year holiday so that we get almost a month off! The only rub is that they periodically schedule meetings or other events to get us back to school to break it up. All in all, though, it has been great.
In reverse chronological order, I'll start with the description of the Chinese New Year celebration. The Year of the Pig began with the feast on the eve -- Feb.18. I was invited to the home of one of the teachers that I know from school. I had the feeling that she had "drawn the short straw" and I realized why. Chinese New Year is traditionally spent with the other side of the family. It appears that most of my friends "other sides" are in other places in Taiwan. In fact that seems to be true for most of my town -- the place seems deserted.
The dinner was very nice but did not include the making of 1000 dumplings which I remember from other new year's dinners. I was told that that is a northern tradition and this family is from the south. So we just ate a lot, then went home.
I was expecting a huge fireworks show that night since I can see them almost every night from my unobstructed 7th floor window. Turns out they were not until Sunday night. We had also been warned that everything would be closed but that also did not happen. My town looked pretty much as it always does on Sunday morning.
Everything is decorated, though, with red ad gold streamers so it looks very festive. Also everyone gets new clothes, haircuts, etc. to start the new year so everyone looks sharp.
Children are given small red envelopes with money inside and sometimes chocolate coins wrapped in gold paper. I had 4 all made up to give to my favorite little ones but -- of course -- they all left town.
In reverse chronological order, I'll start with the description of the Chinese New Year celebration. The Year of the Pig began with the feast on the eve -- Feb.18. I was invited to the home of one of the teachers that I know from school. I had the feeling that she had "drawn the short straw" and I realized why. Chinese New Year is traditionally spent with the other side of the family. It appears that most of my friends "other sides" are in other places in Taiwan. In fact that seems to be true for most of my town -- the place seems deserted.
The dinner was very nice but did not include the making of 1000 dumplings which I remember from other new year's dinners. I was told that that is a northern tradition and this family is from the south. So we just ate a lot, then went home.
I was expecting a huge fireworks show that night since I can see them almost every night from my unobstructed 7th floor window. Turns out they were not until Sunday night. We had also been warned that everything would be closed but that also did not happen. My town looked pretty much as it always does on Sunday morning.
Everything is decorated, though, with red ad gold streamers so it looks very festive. Also everyone gets new clothes, haircuts, etc. to start the new year so everyone looks sharp.
Children are given small red envelopes with money inside and sometimes chocolate coins wrapped in gold paper. I had 4 all made up to give to my favorite little ones but -- of course -- they all left town.
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