Hey there fan boys and true believers. I haven’t really been up on the posting, but I’ve been well. I’ll give you the highlights,
A few Fridays ago I cruised up the mountain by my place with the tent and tiki torches. I had this grand scheem of picking up Alia after work and taking her up for some wine and camping on the mountain top. Unfortunatly I forgot the flash light so I found my way up the path with a torch, slipping and falling on the wet leaves the whole way up. I got to the top, pitched the tent and looked at my torch. There was about an inch left to burn. I was already late, Alia was finnishing her Friday private touter, I had no money on my phone and I was sure I’d loose the path through the jungle/forest with no light, so I rushed back surfing the mud and moonlight. After the torch burned out I could still see a bit of the trail if I hunched over and held the embers low. I lost all light about ten meters from the end of the path. I was stoked to see my motorbike and when I got back it turned out Alia was singing with Scott and Ty so I wasn’t really late.
After they finnished practicing for Saturdays show we headed up and it was sweet. I had wanted to camp out on the mountain since I moved in it was good to finaly get around to it. My dreams of a bamboo treefort up there are still dreams. I haven’t been able to drum up support for the building team.
Alia and I watched the morning mists clear, ate a mango, took some pictures on her fancy new digital camera (mine were both in the shop) and strolled down. It was a little easier in the light when we could see the minor land slides that wiped out parts of the trail.
We went down to Tiachung ( a city in the middle of Taiwan) that night and alia sang with the Anglers. It’s so sweet to see/hear her singing. She harmonizes awesomely with the boys. On Sunday I went to Taipei to pick up my camera and then Monday it was back to the same old little kids. I think teaching English is the best job I’ve had but I’m ready for the break. It’s tough to stay patient and conjure up the engergy to be a clown, best buddy, dissaplanrean, and all that. I pretty much settle on dictator lately.
I spent a few nights that week help my friend Cloe set up for her photo show. Some friends own a bar and they have the upststairs as a gallery. It’s the same place Alia and I showed pics last year. The person who showed before her had painted it all black to this dark city scape kind of thing to hang his paintings on, so there were gobs and gobs of black paint on the tile floor to scrape off and about three coats of white paint to go on. I spent most of my time with the scraper in hand.
We got it clean and bright and Cloe had a great exhibition of shots she took in Sri Lanka last February. She was shooting a promotional video for and aid organization there and taking pictures as well. With the show she is trying to raise money for a woman to rebuild a factory. I’ll give you the lowdown. This woman lost her husband three months before the Tsunami but kept it running. It was totaly wiped out by the waves. Cloe onlly has to raise 2500 US to have it rebuilt and employing people. This woman and her employees really have nothing and are living off aid from the money people have sent there. The show did raise money but only about thousand US. Which is really small for a factory but it’s huge for them. So if you feel like you could help her out let me know. You would know exactly where the money is going and who it helps. just a thought for ya. I think we’re going to try and put together the last of the money ourselves.
The day after the show Alia and I had to fly to Hong Kong again to renew our visas. Yeah, last visa run! It was quick and easy. On sunday, I drove with some friends up the mountains to a water fall about 40 min from here. There has been lots of rain lately so it was thundering, but there was still room to swim behind it and chill.
Monday it was kids again and fianaly last weekend I drove out to the beach. It’s so nice cruising mountain roads in Taiwan. There are steep cliffs, full of vegetaion and it wasn’t so sunny so they were all misty and erie. It’s exactly the kind of things I pictured when I thought of China when I was a kid. We chilled on one beach most of the day then drove a little further south to Dasi beach where there was a party. The party was so-so. the music wasn’t great but they played it loud all night. It was good to hang out with people I hadn’t seen in a while though and the sunrise was gorgous so I can’t begruge the music because it’s what kept me up untill the sunrise swim. We drove back with a bit of rain but it wasn’t too heavy and now it’s Monday and kids again!
I’m a bit sad wrapping up my time in Taiwan but it’ll be great to be back in Canada this August and see all you fine people. Thanks for reading my notes. Hope it wasn’t too selfindulgent for ya,
