One Year Anniversary -- and Some Pics Taken Walking Around

Februrary 2006 -- it's been a year since I opened this blog. More than 800 posts, thousands of visitors, many emails, many comments, much learning and laughter, so many new friends. I can't thank everyone enough.

On this ugly Saturday, which has ended a run of fabulous weather, we sat in and watched movies. My kids put on Troy, which we picked up used for NT$20, and I found it very restful, deeply enjoying the sleep I had during the movie. Alas! A cruel fate awakened me just as Achilles (Brad Pitt's head on my body), was slaying Hector. Shuddering, I ran off immediately to blog to retain what shreds of sanity and good taste I still possessed. They should really give you a card when you're born that says LIFE: SOME BLOGGING REQUIRED.

Anyway, been walking around in Taichung and Tanzi a lot lately. Here are some pics:



Watching this guy clean chicken in the street in front of his shop, I understood why there are so many vegetarians in Taiwan.


A funeral blocks a local street.


This is why you don't burn trash. Only a road and an embankment prevented a much larger fire.


Gardens like this are in every cleared space in Taiwan.


I caught this one on his way to someone's garden.


My daughter's school, a frequent target of my walks.


My son always brings one of our dogs along when we go pick up my daughter.


Found this fellow lurking in some bushes outside the school.


Here's my neighborhood, against the hills east of Taichung.


This idyllic country scene can be found right next to the main drag in Tanzi.


And here's the main drag in Tanzi: Chungshan Rd.


A neighborhood in Tanzi. Note the lack of yards and the cleanliness.


A small lane in Tanzi.



Farmers weight down the branches of the trees so that they will bend, making the fruit easier to pick.


The interior of a local temple.


This poor fellow had just been hit by a car. Dazed, he lay there while I took his picture. He was run over as I skedaddled out of the way of traffic when the light changed.


One of life's little pleasures: goodies from 85C, a cafe chain that will probably make severe inroads into Starbuck's grip on the upper end of the Taiwan fresh coffee market. The coffee is excellent and the cakes unparalleled, and the cost is about half of Starbucks.


When I was a kid I loved the neighborhood hobby shop, so I was delighted to stumble across this hobby store in central Taichung featuring thousands upon thousands of small plastic and hard rubber figurines from Japanese comic books, along with erotic and other figurines, as well as models and toys.


Another shot of the same shop.


A side street in downtown Taichung.


As Taiwan's economy has grown, more and more niche shops have appeared. This store specializes in cheerleader uniforms.


A side street in Taichung.


Anyone know the name of this flower in either Chinese or English? We want to plant some at our house.


This fellow was resting in front of a shop as I walked by.


Taichung Harbor Road, looking east toward the old downtown.

[Taiwan]