Wings

Wings
Originally uploaded by zanmei east west.

Taken before going out last night - a fashionable up-do before heading out. Julio says this style is dual -function - not only useful for keeping hair back during serious work or showers, but is also a celebration of his roots. (?)

Yaletown Condo Life

So I am in Vancouver and really living the oatmeally yuppie life one might expect of someone in a Yaletown condo (even though it will only be for less than a week now). Take yesterday for example: The weather in Vancouver is absolutely unbelievable... beautiful and sunny - no rain (so I don't need to worry about whether this is one of those leaky condos or not).

I wake up and head to to the yoga studio across the street. Then I will come home for some yogurt with fruit and oatmeal (bought at Choices Organic supermarket). Then it's time to see who wants to meet for a drive or coffee or lunch. Joan, Wilma and Cynthia are up for it.

Late afternoon, I make my lazy way back to open the door to my new roomate screaming, "Meezan, come here... Come quickly." The emergency is that he has just completed cooking/creating some new kind of new pan-Caribbean-style chicken dish. Fantastic! (And he added chillis just for me... he insists Cuban food is not spicy!) I eat a bowlful over the sink and then get ready for an evening out with with Farheen. I call her and she is already at the Inferno with other friends. I put on my shoes - it's only 2 blocks away.

Sigh! I don't want to leave. Tony - you mind if I don't vacate your room? If you suddenly decide to leave Taiwan, let me know first and I'll think about moving out.

Pier at Deep Cove

Pier
Originally uploaded by zanmei east west.

Take a long walk... on a long pier.

With Cynthia, Jenny & Joan (photographer)

With Cynthia & Jenny
Originally uploaded by zanmei east west.

At Deep Cove just before lunch... Cynthia is crashing at Joan's house for the summer before heading home to Taiwan and Jenny drove up from Seattle. It was like a mini-Pearson Taiwan reunion (staff of 2001). Every one of us has already relieved ourselves of our office duties! So nice to be free...

Deep Cove

Deep Cove
Originally uploaded by zanmei east west.

Posting this late... Joan, Jenny, Cynthia and I went kayaking in Deep Cove. It was my first time and not as easy as everyone kept saying (in my humble opinion). I couldn't get the same speed as I can in a canoe... need someone to show me the most effective paddling technique.

In any case, it was very calming... peaceful!

People Watching

People Watching
Originally uploaded by zanmei east west.

Insignificant stars? There is no one crouching on the pavement here to take their picture with the "stars." No one seems to be bothering Spiderman either.

Hollywood

Hollywood
Originally uploaded by zanmei east west.

It is possible to find a quiet shady corner... even in Holleywood! We took a quiet moment coming down the stairs from new big tacky mall beside the Chinese Theatre. This was a short foray out of Arcadia (where it was like I never left Taipei... and Shelly and friends were able to revisit it). Sorry I have no pictures of us eating "danbing" and "jiao tsai he" at "Yonghe Dojang"! I will be back in LA (or rather Pasadena) on the 25th.

Bud

Bud
Originally uploaded by zanmei east west.

At the Huntington Botanical Garden... the Children's Garden

Odd Desert Plant

Odd Desert Plant
Originally uploaded by zanmei east west.

At the Huntington Botanical Garden... the Children's Garden

Water Lily - Yellow

Water Lily - Yellow
Originally uploaded by zanmei east west.

At the Huntington Botanical Garden... the Lily pond

Water Lily - White

Water Lily - White
Originally uploaded by zanmei east west.

At the Huntington Botanical Garden... the Lily pond

Shilin - View 1

Shilin Night Market
Originally uploaded by zanmei east west.

Shilin - View 3

First Whiff
Originally uploaded by zanmei east west.

Tammi thought it would be fun to get Leo to try stinky tofu! He was quite a good sport about the whole thing.

Shilin - View 2

Ghostly Cart
Originally uploaded by zanmei east west.

This is a Chinese Medicine cart located in front of a temple at the Shilin Night Market... I thought it looked a little ghostly.

Leo's Welcome Lunch

The usual fare
Originally uploaded by zanmei east west.

The last little while has been dominated by welcome and farewell feasts. When Leo arrived from the Philippines, the welcome lunch was so huge, he couldn't think straight enough to conduct his workshop afterwards. Ask Vicky Su for details re: resturant and menu... It is on Henyang Road between Huilin Jie and Ching Ching Nan Ru.

Shopkeeper in Pinghsi

Shopkeeper in Pinghsi
Originally uploaded by zanmei east west.

Pineapple, Guava, Sesame, Taro, Red bean, Coconut, Peanut, Chocolate... Ice cream bars in all the typical Taiwan flavors sold here. (Sky lantern souvenirs also for sale.)

Final Farewell

影像036.jpg
Originally uploaded by zanmei east west.

I mentioned in my last blog about the wedding-cake cubicle... but did I mention the "wallchart"? Tammi and Rita appear to have picked the most unfortunate photos of me they could find and made them into a memories wallchart! They wanted to add a ISBN! Thank goodness there wasn't time to apply.

Farewell Party Semi-finals

One week from this exact moment, I will have just tranferred planes in Hong Kong and be headed for LA. And to this moment, I still haven't arranged my documents for University next term, haven't packed, haven't bought the North America portions of my complicated ticket, etc etc. Not to mention that my work cubicle is still piled high with junk. I am still waiting for the shoemaker's elves to come and do their miraculously stuff.

Anyway, I have managed several rounds of farewell lunches and dinners with various colleagues: Come in to work to find my work station decorated like a wedding cake, been suprised by being made to lip sync Gloria Gaynor at KTV (oh, the horror) while wearing a tiara worthy of the ice capades, made to sit on ceramic horses at Taiwan landmarks, and be entertained by photos of myself doing all this amd more via PPT presentation at yet another farewell event. Where will defiately be nothing left to say or do when the time finally comes to say farewell.

Peace Park Prohibitions

Peace Park Prohibitions, originally uploaded by zanmei east west.

In case you had plans to move the Friday night poker party to the 228 Peace Park, please think again! It won't be very convenient if you can't bring your own private furniture... and if you can't gamble. Please note also, absolutely no urinating, and no washing and hanging up of laundry here. (PS. The park for gambling and clothes washing is the one by the courtyard beside the E-sun Bank.

tammi in the falls

tammi in the falls, originally uploaded by zanmei east west.

Tammi, our little rubber-faced girl (see below)is able to defeat gravity in an astonishing balancing act at Shifen falls, Taiwan.