along the shipyard

We headed over to “A koo”, “A kim”, and ellie’s apartment today where we had breakfast. There is one item on the table that I keep looking at. It looks like toast with sliced mushrooms and melted cheese on top. Since I try everything here (including the on Saturday with ox intestine – which by the way is much better than the pig intestine I tried tonight), I bit into it – taking out of my mind any preconceived idea of what it may taste like. You know, how when you think something is going to be sweet, and it’s not at all and totally messes up your palate. Well, here in Asia, you have to erase all your sense of taste before biting into something. Anyhow, I was extremely delighted! A koo” is Jason’s mom’s brother, and he “invented” this…it was cranberry bread, with sliced banana’s on top with melted mozzarella cheese – I had 3 pieces…it wasn’t like Chinese food at all, so I HAD to get my fill when I could. To be quite honest…sometimes I get a little burned out and I crave that awful, bland, American style food.
From there, we go to “a bee”s where I can answer my mom’s worried emails, ride the horse machine (that’s all the $700 USD rage here in Taiwan), and “a bee” give us gifts. We haven’t gone over there yet, because supposedly his wife is a real pill. I met her and she seems fine to me. My own personal opinion is that it’s none of my business, and as a female, sometimes I don’t think it’s fair that he air’s their personal affairs to the family, and me ( a complete stranger ). She is not there to defend herself, and we don’t know the whole story…no one is always innocent in relationship strife’s. My assumption is that she feels less loved that his parents. Probably a little neglected and overlooked. Anyways……………….
From there to the warehouse where Jason’s uncle has a beer warehouse. I meet the 2 other sister’s of Ping Ping who work there. Jason and I hop on the scooter to get a bite to eat and a cup of coffee later. I get to look through some Taiwanese fashion magazines – which I absolutely love, a tie with Hong Kong. We also walk by the Film Archives, where they have 2 film projectors on display that are using Carbon Arc Lamps for the light…a Japanese design.
Back at the warehouse…we spend some time with the sisters, and now Ping Ping and her daughter, and Ping Ping’s daughter and some employees. “A bee” is supposed to pick us up at 5 but Ping Ping called him to tell him that Jason and I were doing stuff. Wow, how awesome of her…a couple of hours on our own, “a bee” has been so kind and I am so grateful, but I also wanted some time to just roam and do as we did for a little bit in China. We go around the Ports, I get to take some pictures, see some Taiwanese graffiti, go to an arcade – where we played some of our favorite games, and road around this carts that have an animal covering on them.
We head back a little after dark and then go to the office for some congee. From there, we get on to the scooters’, 4 total, 3 little kids doubling up with adults, sometimes 3 to a scooter. The gang of 4 head to the ferry to go across the island for seafood. How awesome it is to be winding through the streets on scooters like a local, feeling completely welcome to this wonderful country. Once on the island we are shown with wind power park and then on to dinner. I make faces and play with the 3 kids, even still communication is difficult. Mae Mae – Ping Ping’s daughter – is about 4 and is absolutely cute. She has a friend there around the same age and I can’t help but watch them the whole time…just too adorable for words. Head back, Jason takes a stop at the dentist at nearly 10 and “a bee” takes me home because we don’t know how long it will take. “A bee” drives MUCH faster than Jason does.
*sigh* now I feel like I am kind of up to date with this thing.