happy year of the rat! can’t say that i’ve done much to celebrate the lunar new year in the past, but if it means good food and quality time with friends, i’m in.

this was actually taken at a festival in singapore.

following ruth around.

just got back from a little under a week in taiwan. spent most of the time in hsinchu where audrey’s family lives. ate, explored, ate, played with the dogs, ate, walked around to find new places to eat, ate, and shopped a little. lots of in-house family time since most of the stores shut down. it was cold as balls (had to wear 5 layers and a scarf indoors!) but a real treat of a trip. especially getting to see all the new year treats and festivities (REAL fireworks!).

walking around the streets of hsin chu.

a good majority of the people ride scooters. i wish l.a. was as scooter friendly. it could only help the horrific commutes.

cold and rainy night.

inside one of the many cramped stores that are scattered in the city.

yummy fatty pork dinner! (courtesy of terry liu).

i also got to visit a small town on a windy hill called jiu fen just north of taipei. the rainy, misty weather added to the already charming alleyways and store fronts. it was pretty crowded from all the people visiting for the new year, but fun nonetheless. some really inspirational asian-alley spots.

looking up the windy road right before the entrance to the walkway.

lots of people, small walkway, umbrellas at eye level. oof.

audrey keeping dry.

inside a 100 year old teahouse for a quick breather and some hot tea.

itching for tea.

serving plate with the traditional cherry blossom stick.

pano outside of the teahouse.

the next city i got to see was badu which wasn’t too far from hsin chu. some more treats and temples. oh and a guy puffing glue out of a bag. that was pretty interesting to see (though frowned upon by my company at the time).

right before entering the promenade.

yummy treats. not sure what these are called (anyone know?) but they’re like pancakes with red bean inside.

didn’t get to try this but i thought it was neat how he made it.

cute truck!

back to hsin chu to shoot off some fireworks. the great thing about the home of fireworks is that it’s the home of fireworks. you can actually buy some cheap, loud, explosive goodies on the street. we spent a good 2 days just blowing shit up in the back yard. much to the dog’s disapproval. i also saw a bunch of little kids shooting off bottle rockets. something you wouldn’t see in the states. actually, there is a bunch of shit that won’t fly in the states that i’ve seen here so i’m going to start a collection of ‘STWF’ (in america). if you’ve got anything to contribute by all means send it my way and i’ll put it up.

stwf – fireworks sold all over the city. bottle rockets, roman candles, and more.

i’m the smiling sucker who gets to light this puppy.

the beautiful aftermath all over the yard. really something spectacular. the explosion scared the shit out of audrey and i, though her dad was surprisingly unaffected!

our bottle rocket assault on the neighbors!

spent a day in taipei shopping and eating with some family friends. i had some of the best sushi i’ve ever had that night. i’m going to blame the sake for my not remembering to get the name or a business card, but it was tucked away in some back alley. supposedly they import a lot of their fish each day directly from japan. everything tasted incredible from the taro root to the clawless lobster, to the kobe shabu shabu. i’ll get the name of the place and post it later. really. really. good. i can’t emphasize it enough.

amaebi is one of my favorite dishes. this one came out whole with the head attached, then once we ate the body they took the heads and deep fried them so we could eat those too. cha ching!

sea urchin and… mackarel?

red snapper split in two.

clawless lobster. yum, cool, yum!, cool!, yumcoolyum.!.,!.!

various cucumbers and roots. really refreshing.

the aftermath.

a local coffee chain in taiwan is 85°. starbucks competition. half the price, just as tasty with some clever innovations.

the menu. an americano is about 35NT which is a little over 1USD$.

sealed top on the take away cup so you don’t burn yourself.

looking down on the streets of taipei.

and speaking of innovations. i wish that there were more timers on traffic lights in the states. if you’re going to have to wait, it makes more sense to know how long you’re going to have to wait for. singapore has a similar ‘minutes remaining’ system for the metro (mrt). you always know how far a train is from arriving. very convenient.

from all that i’ve seen, taiwan is a great place. friendly people, lots of culture, proper transportation, and great food. the fruit is some of the best in the world (so i hear). i really indulged and encourage you to do the same if you go.

my favorite buddha fruit! but with a twist. this is some genetic experiment that results in a sweeter fruit with more flesh and less seeds.

speechless.

I’m amazed you didn’t blow the house up.

sooooo jealous! that looks like an amazing trip.