7-11 convenience or panacea?

Ok, what do you choose.

This is probably the best time post this; I'm overtired, had a bit of local clear liquid and can't sleep.  We learned this even before getting to Taiwan:  7-11 is omni-present.  I am not kidding.  The 7-11, which many of us have seen bought out, is, literally, dominant here.  I don't think you understand how present in a general lifestyle this chain... is everywhere.  A ratio I have come across a few times puts Taiwain as the per-capita champion of 7-11's and convenience stores in general above all nations.  I think the count is about per 1,700 people a 7-11 exists-that may not include the family marts or happy huts that are basically the same thing just a different name.   For those who are in my home town of Portsmouth, NH 26,000 aprox, there should be about 15 all-night get-all-you-need 7-11s, but I think there are only two.
7-11s are both for your midnight-later dude, but also for everyday.  It is amazing what I found, I mean wow, this is the juice I want, but why and yer-freaking-kidding-me it costs this much so no one has ever bought this, who will ever drink it, but someone must cuz they gotta make money.  People get everyday stuff from bathroom to breakfast, from juice to Juice.  Check it out.

Wow!  I have no idea about the rest.

And you can get the whole gambit of booze.  I mean, look at what is on the shelf.  It is kinda crazy.

One display, along with the rain-clad Taiwanese in blue in the background.

But of course, there is the late night food.  I am impressed to say, that even over here the chain still offers the same three-flavored turning dog machine.  And even if you have never eaten one, or all three, this is actually the the sausage flavors offered in all 7-11s in the states.

There is, of course, the other choices.

I've seen the water get refilled.  So, I do actually think this is not like the hot dog from '79, but I dunno.  Many actually "snack" from here, but that is my guess at what a snack is here.  I think most of this is actually vegetarian...

 Then there's....

Tea soaked eggs.  No, they are worse than pickled eggs.  Well, at least to me, but pickled never were all that good either.  Mainly too salty/briney for the buds.

It is a consumer culture, hell, its freakish home many things I normally use are made right here.  Doesn't make me wan to eat this stuff, but I will say for those show question my will or, you know, I did try a tea soaked egg, just not from a 7-11.

I can't leave you with that.  This is a call out to all those who said they will come-we WILL take you here-a beautiful Thai restaurant in Chiayi.  Built around a fish pond, most tables offer a totally chill view of the fish while munching and sipping.  It is blissful.

The pond is ringed on all sides by seats.  This is from our Sunday-lunch seat.  Six of us.

Right below your window.

Ok, ok, ok.....

Alright, late night, 12 hour ahead of most, I gotta go to bed.  Here's a quick lovely moment in the local park.

Night Market Chiayi

A week of finding treats and eats, oh yeah, and teaching, teaching, teaching.......

A typhoon, the second in a couple days, passed by our part of the island drenching but not hurting anything.  Day after any typhoon is blue and dramatic. Off our balcony.

Treat held by sweet.  Alright, too sappy.  Anyway, same view with a treat in hand-fresh fruit slushy, pineapple for Johanna and watermelon for me. I think I won the treat of the day today.  We trusted the stand, cause they had a picture of a camera crew filming them for a tv spot.  Didn't get sick, so I think we win win.

Things on the apartment scene are looking up.  A generous couple, Jean & Nicole, took me out to a bunch of places today, on their free time.  So should be soon, a great place for all to come hang at, maybe you soon, Nate & Elizabeth.  Anyway, nightmarkets.  Yes, they are everywhere.  Three in this small city (pop. 260,000, a bit bigger than Portland, Maine, and MUCH cheaper than Taipei).  The night market is a great place to find food, cheap stuff, shoes, shoes, shoes, tea, and puppies in cages (ugh, the love of dogs here is beautiful and very tragic at the same time; many strays, in packs, but people still keep buying puppies.  We are going to donate and maybe volunteer for an organization that is aiming to help neuter, spay and educate).  The streets or areas they are held are cordoned off from cars, but watch out for scooters (motorbikes as they say, but have only seen three real cycles here so far), they go everywhere.  I found a couple great sure fire spots on the market in main town for eats, veggie rolls and fried rice.

These people know me now.  She's got onions, scallions, cabbage, sprouts and carrots in a central steamer (the circular thing in the middle) and rolls it into a big roll with other good stuff.

Fried mushrooms, need I say more.

The front of a different night market, by our hotel.

We've started taking Chinese lesson at the University, but I will, for many for months if not forever, make people laugh at my terrible pronunciation.  However, I can now ask for no meat, or be more specific, kind of a general specific if you know what I mean, about what is in the thing I am about to eat.  I am Johanna's food checker.  Whether you speak the lingo or not, miming or just plain saying Xie, Xie, (shay, shay) with your hands in prayer and a little bow, improves your chances.  People don't mind their pictures taken and even surprise me with their willingness to actively participate.  At a tea stand I just wanted a shot of their little blessing stand, and look what got not only plopped in front of me, but then quickly tossed on me...

Everyone has some spiritual/religion/familial blessing in front of their places.

This one just set it right in front of my lens.  Was a bit nervous whether it was gonna bite, but she solved that for me.

I would like to say this was taken right after the little girl just plunked it on my arm, but this was about my initial response.  Notice the ever present, mainly useless, book of Mandarin Chinese in my hand.

So here's one for the gals.

This is a small stand, they go on for blocks.  If it can be ripped off, they have it.

Couldn't help it, there are so many adds with westerners in them.  Here's my take.

Well, there's a small night market shot.  We've also found a couple decent bars, a great vegetarian and Thai (capital wow) restaurant.  Many interesting tastes, a fab noodle place, but only Jeremy eats there, hot pork pepper sesame noodles, mmmmm.  Well, I'm a little melancholy, listened to Bob Dylan's "It's not Dark Yet" three times.  Time to get a bit of life in me tonight.  I'll leave you with two shots, a fond memory from Maine and a class of 1st grade piranhas I teach.  Can you guess which two are the hellions?...

From left to right, the front row, and please feel free to laugh, Wiwi, Jeremy, Hanson, next row, Tina, Frank, Cherry, Mina, last row, Candy, Steven and Daniel.

Cranky Hotel Guest and Relief

A happy Labor day to you all.  Hope the BBQ fires were stoked with friends and fine food.  It is coming up on Moon Festival time and Taiwanese love to BBQ-there's a lot more on the grill than franks and burger though.  A bit more on that later.  Ok, I've been a bit on the "wrong side of the bed" lately.  We have been making strides into getting our own place, sorry no photos on the places but I promise to take the camera to all future possibilities.  Unfortunately my drooges, your dear author was almost all set with hearth and home, when the rug was pulled out from under us; a great, I mean GREAT by Taiwanese standards, apartment was in our grasp when the owner decided to mention to us it was on the market and we would have to be prepared to let people walk through whenever she needed.  NO GO!  Anyway we are still staying in a hotel.  Getting a bit old, here's why.

This is the shower, and through that door to the right is the loo.  After you shower the whole bathroom floor is wet for hours.  We don't have a mop and bucket yet.

Right after you shower comes the shave.

This is the major draw back for me.  In fact THE thing that many a stinky apartment has been crossed off my list.  Hopefully soon.  However, there are some funky little things about the hotel, like all of Taiwan, that just catches my eye.  The lighting in the hall has an odd art deco kind of feel, gives is a kind of Blade-Runner type feel to the place-this country makes me think of that film a lot.

Pardon the low light grain of the shot, I need to get a tripod.

Wild light, huh?  Those are actually glass.

And right across the street from us in a parking lot is one of the four night markets in the town.

Off the balcony, look to the left behind the trees is the market.

My next blah blah blah will be a series of shots from one of the other more interesting night markets.  For now though we are getting ready to go to our first day of Chinese lessons, Hao, which means anything from good to great.  We are still applying for all the paperwork as well to get licenses, working papers, etc.

Just before our chest x-rays, guess they don't want any TB in Taiwan.  Although they have dengi fever.  Glad to hear my lungs are all clear.  Nice shmocks huh?  Yeah, that is a label on my hand, us expats get labeled all the time.

Things are truckin along.  We have taken a couple days to ourselves, here's a quick blink of how we shot out of town only to come across, to our sheer joy, a restaurant that offered western food that was actually great-risotto and napoleon pasta.

Yay!

This place rocks, it is nestled on a curvy mountain road in a hot springs village.  Any visitor will get the opportunity to try the fare overlooking the gorgeous valley.

I've got to get on the go, jump in my shower room and scrub.

Yes all social networks now have a whole new meaning-they speak English, and get idioms.

We are well and all will be better soon.  Photos of night markets, a series on riding a "motorcycle", what the Taiwanese call scooters, and more single short shots about running in the city of Chiayi (remember Ja-yeey), on an island that has earthquakes, typhoons and I hope to experience, great surfing waves.  I'll leave you with this little shot just to put you in one of those "this means what..." moments.  Till next time...

What happened to Mickey?  Chinese Mob?  This was all that was left, and right behind us was a beautiful Daoist Temple. 

Buddhist Monastery

Entrance to monastery at Guanziling

We've been very excited about exploring this part of the world so on our first weekend here we took our rented motorscooter for a little trip into the mountains south of the city of Chiayi to the village of Guanziling. There is a beautiful Buddhist monastery with a community of 200 nuns. The entrance gate itself is colorful and detailed and then you step up to the first temple.

Colorful detail at temple gate

bat design detail

at the altar

Every inch of this temple is elaborately decorated with colorful paintings and gold work. People were visiting and lighting incense and some were using wooden chips to throw on the ground to seek answers in their lives. One of the 200 Buddhist nuns who lived in this monastic community spoke English and talked with us for awhile about Buddhist belief and the practices of the people who were visiting the temple. Walking out the back of the temple led into a courtyard surrounded by another temple and the living quarters of the nuns. In the other temple they were chanting a repetitive and very peaceful prayer. I could feel the pressures of everyday life lifting away in this quiet mountain retreat.

Guanyin, goddess of mercy

We left the temple as the thunderclouds rolled over the mountains. As we road the bike further up the road we passed waterfalls gushing down the steep rocky sides of the mountains. The road eventually led to an area of hotsprings. Many commercial spas have claimed the hotsprings and spa staff stand out by the road trying to lure you in. We were too wet and hungry to participate but we'll be back. We did find a great restaurant with English on the menu and excellent food (Mountain Guanzihling County Diner). Riding back down the mountain the rain had let up a little and a rainbow had come out. And Jeremy took this beautiful shot of the setting sun.