Ok...no one forget where we live.Grace re-fuels with soymilk before her flight to TaiwanOur new home for the next 7 days. It's kinda tall...Our living room and kitchen.Nancy's grand parents' placeNancy and Grace at CKS stationThe DaVinci code seemed pretty big in Taipei. I guess they didn't read the reviews.Names of the people to be prayed for.The wooden fish (No, you don't eat it. You play it).The Buddha preps for his interview.Nancy used to play this in the monastery.Deep in meditation. None of my screams could disturb him...This little fellow stood guard at the alter.So peaceful...So much food on sticks! How can I possibly choose only 4 or 5?!Surprisingly, there's no MSG in MSGPWell, the Power Puff Girl movie had to be a hit somewhere, but I'm guessing this was the only place.I'm sooo glad this wasn't our car.The first official breakfast in Taiwan.Temple for the local fishermen's god.For the typical Taiwanese woman, this is a shortcut. For Chris, it's a window.Just what the hell am I supposed to do with that sink on the toilet??!Nancy and her nai nai (grandma).Nancy and her ye ye (grandpa)Young grandpaYoung grandmaNancy and Grace await the next train. (BTW, those are *homes* next to the track).Chris is too cool to look at the camera.One of many "night markets"So many shoes, how can I choose just 4 or 5??The fruit here was amazing.One of four opposing egg and oyster stands.It was nice to get a little elbow room here.This is probably the largest sausage I've ever seen (other than deli meats)Zou Dou Fu (stinky tofu). There's nothing like it (unless you count raw sewage).He asked me if I wanted my corn "hot". I said yes...Kimchee soup noodle. Hey... isn't that Korean?Breakfast at a roadside rice-roll standChris overlooking the gardens at the National MuseumChris at the National MuseumGrace and Bruce Li. No... not Bruce *Lee*.We stopped for a quick soak at a hot spring...Nancy awaits her lunch.We ordered fresh fish for lunch....really fresh.Apparently word of our seafood lunch spread quicklyThe first of "fish three ways"The second of "fish three ways"The third of "fish three ways"These are what hot springs look like before you build up a restaurant and bath house around them.Overlooking the springs.This is about as much of an action shot as you can get of Chris.Japanese temple markerSo many stairs.We approach Taipei 101 (apparently inspired by too much leftover Chinese takeout).Taipei 101 is a lot more Star Trekky on the inside than the outside.There's also a 6 story shopping mall in Taipei 101.Is that corn soup on the menu at Mickey-D's?I've never been so scared of propane in my life...Our host provided a vegetarian dinner (as I comforted her relived dog)This Buddha's face is actually carved into the rock, not out of it.While it take two to tango, it takes a man to mango.The living room.One of the only places to really build parks is under light rail tracks.We decided to hike on probably the worst day possible (right after the typhoon left. It was hot and humid).Grace, Nancy and Cho JiuPhotographer Chris pauses for a moment to have *his* picture taken.Why are there so many *stairs* here?You can see Taipei 101 from many places in Taipei.Cho Jiu made vegetarian sandwiches for us. Mine's a fruit salad sandwich. (Tasty!)Taipei 101 (again).A butterfly pauses for a bite to eat (or drink. I don't really know what they do).Grace poses at our lunch stop during our hike.The Tale of the Blue Lizard. No.. wait... that's the blue tail of the lizard.These guys are massive and constantly moving. I lucked out in getting this shot.Another local temple on the way back from our hike.Cho Jiu explains how to get your fortune told.Nancy decides to give it a try.Ooo she got number 31! Is that auspicious?Eh...it might be auspicious if either of use could read Chinese that well.Heading back down from our hike, Chris pauses by the fake bamboo railing.Nancy wonder's what's taking Chris so long. *Click*Chris doesn't really loom over Cho Jiu and Grace that much, he's just standing uphill.Nancy wandering through scenic... eh... I don't know where the hell we are anymore.mmmmm... custard cakesNancy and Cho JiuChris and Nancy on a bridge that was christened by having 100 couples married more than 50 years cross it opening day.Nancy and Cho Jiu.The bridge is a cable suspension bridge and bounces when you walk across.Men practice for dragon boat races below.A private resedence nestled in the hillside.A tea house overlooks the river.A view of the gate at Chang Kai Shek monument.CKS National Theatre.The square at CKS monument (that's the monument in the distance).Nancy attempts to explain how big this place is...Even Chris looks small in this place.CKS memorial.A look back at the CKS Concert Hall from the top of the monument.Another look back from the top...Inside the CKS memorial.Nancy and the man himself...The ceiling inside CKS memorialChanging of the guard... or are the practicing for the Dance Dance Revolution tournament?Traditional bridge over a pond outside the CKS TheatreNancy and Cho Jiu take a breakCKS memorial through the treesCKS National TheatreCKS NT (man.. I'm getting lazy with the whole typing thing...)Roof detail of CKS NT (no, those aren't Chinese lemmings)Fancy joinery under the roof of CKS NTWhen they have gatherings in the square, this huge-ass serving platter can hold enought rice to feed 10000 people. ^_^Longshan temple gate. Probably the most famous temple in Taipei (it has it's own train stop).Longshan temple marker.Cho Jiu and Nancy inside the temple gate.Nancy and Chris inside the temple gate.The details here are amazing.This is where the cukoo comes out every hour, on the hour. ^_^Students give their offering to the god of learning hoping for better test scoresA student's offering. (Apparently they take the food back after praying. Sucker!)Guan Yin Bodhisatva is radiant in the distance...Not being able to get enough pollution on the streets, Chris pauses by the insense burner to inhale some much needed carcinogensTemple inner courtyard.A monk with a monk keychain rides the escalator out of the train station. It's like looking at a fractal.Cho Jiu's house in Jingmei.Jingmei night market.Jingmei night market in the other direction.This dessert stand offers many topping for their shaved ice.A competitor across the way offers more toppings. Wow!Apparently the Chinese are trying to start a sino-nazi movement with their "White Utopia" brand of underpants. ^_^Daikon plush toys. This was so funny I almost fell over.Nancy finally gets her ji dan gao after years of dreaming...Ji dan gao being made.Chris tries mi swahng (thick soup noodle with oysters).Nancy's not sure what to make of this bamboo shoot on a stickGrilled cabbage on a stick! What an age we live in!That's a lot of mi swahngMi swahng: Kid-Tested, Nancy-ApprovedThousand layer pancake with egg and basil (and a whole bunch of other stuff that I don't even *know* what it is!)Just like the bag says... fresh!Taiwanese oily rice with sauce... very tasty!Apparently dogs aren't allowed to pee in the park in Taiwan.Nancy pauses in the doorway in case an earthquake happens by...In case we had any doubt, the bag reassures us that the food is delicious!Breakfast on day... eh.. I've lost count.Not really...it's another thousand layer pancake. Chinese pizza comes from Pizza Hut and has corn or taro on it.These are some good lychees!Chris is at the head of the class at Tsu Chi's 40-year anniversary exhibition.Tsu Chi (the Taiwanese version of the Red Cross, but much more kick-ass) broadcasts on 13 different satellites worldwideTsu Chi's "Passage of Time" at their Taipei headquarters.A large display of the teacher hangs in the country's largest digital studio at Tsu Chi's Taipei HQ.A picture of a picture of CKS square (remember the earlier pics?) filled with people celebrating Tsu Chi's TV network debutJackie (our host) holds up a shirt that her frugal father continued to patch until it was unwearable.Tsu Chi uses modern images for their bodhisatvas. These ones are carved from recycled styrofoam.Chris preps for his moment of fame...Grace and JackieIs that Chris Gaeden, Anchorman?It is! Everyone quiet down... he's about to give a report!The locals can't believe their luck and snap a few pics of a white man reading the news in Taiwan!You always wondered, but now you know: We all wear shorts behind the news desk (if anything at all).The teleprompter was broken, so I had to read from this sheet of paper taped to the bottom of the camera.Ok! Ok! So it wasn't real...Chris gives a shot out to his fans....but at least *I* have a copy...The Simulation Chamber doesn't seem so bright now that Chris isn't in it. Maybe it was the glow from his white legs...Out in front of Tsu Chi's main doors, a lotus leaf holds up the rest of the building.Even Nancy couldn't explain what the hell this was (but I found it very QQ and tasty).Nancy checks out what I'd look like with lotus root goatee.A huge mural (that's 1/2 or 1/4 inch tiles people) looks over the prayer hall in Tsu Chi's Taipei Hospital.As you can see, it's pretty big.Row's of custom designed chairs line the hall.Look at the amazing detail in the mural. I still can't get over that they did this with tiles.This is a mural at the main entrance of the hospital.A detail of the entrance mural.A broader perspective of the prayer hall.This was done by Nancy's grand-godmother when she was 11.Nancy and her grand-godmother (Shou-Hsin)...and her mailbox. ^_^Shou-Hsin and Grace visit as I struggle to understand any word that they're saying.Nancy's a swinger!Shou-Hsin's brush collection.The loading of the brush...When she asked us what we wanted her do write, we decided on the charater for "love."A closeup of her son at work.Her son carves stamps.Shou-Hsin readys her stamp.I think we're wearing her out...The finished product.Hsin signs a book of her works for us, "Chris and Tien Tien: Two treasures"Nancy's enjoying the moment.Durian at the night market. This one could have been better (some would argue that there's no way durian could ever be better unNancy enters a narrow clothing shop.This might be the pinkest building I've ever seen.The night life at Shih Men DingOverwhelming color at this vegetable stand.Chris is starting to blend in with the locals.It's not the ice cream that's making me smile......it's the fact that the only person in this bra shop is the guy reading his thick textbook.We finally found a movie theatre, but that would be a monumental wast of time when there's so much food to try!I think this is a coffee shop.Chris gives his approval of this "large" beer....I think Nancy would say it's a "huge" beer.Usually the pitchers come with just one handle. Two must mean it's for drinking straight.There's now way in hell I'm riding the bus here.A street vendor wraps up a veggie bao dzi for us.Here's what we got. It was tasty.No way! 7-eleven sells tea eggs?? Sweet!They also sell their own brand of flan. Why can't we get this stuff in the US?Grace smiles over our last breakfast.Nancy demonstrates the proper way to eat xiao long bao (little dragon buns).Lou bou gao is part of this complete breakfast. (daikon cake)Nancy poses by a "traditional" door.Eh... shouldn't that be on some ice or something?Mein mein everywhere... this noodle stand makes me wish that we cooked at least one of our meals at home.Nice rack! (of steamers)Nancy seems abnormally pleased with her selection.Grace picks out a squash that's hard to find in the USThe view from our pad.Nancy orders a strawberry wine marinated sausage (it was tasty).Seeing this picture makes me wish I'd tried these quail egg skewers.This softserve ice cream is served in a plastic toilet as a gimmick....which apparently worked on Nancy.Nancy and Grace at Dan ShuiNancy and Chris (also at Dan Shui)mmmmm.... gelatinous meat pies that I don't know the name ofA van makes its way through the crowd at the Dan Shui marketFried durian??! Talk about heaty. I could only bring myself to eat half of each one.Nancy is most pleased with her selection of custard filled cake (shaped like a fish)Looking down from the 12th floor of a department store in Taipei. The food court is on the B1 level & 6-11 is parkingThe entrance to the food court at the department store.In case Tony the Tiger isn't an International icon for Frosted Flake, this store has the Chinese and English boxes.We finally found really good durian.Nancy shows her exuberance at the find.Tiny Zhong Zi were brought by a visiting guest.These small zhong zi were made with ground rice and seemed much more dense.Nancy and Grace stand in one of the few open parks (this is right outside our place)Chris and Nancy show their happiness.Nancy awaits the crosswalkOn the train back to Jingmei.Cho Jiu and Nancy and Cho Jiu's houseWa Gwei and it's various seasoningsThe finished product...Cho Jiu, Chris and DoreamonCho Jiu seizes the moment and pets Chris' hairy arm while she still has the chance.Cho Jiu and her brother.Map of the metro (it's really nice)Nancy finishes her babu.Bar Beer: for when you feel like going to a bar but can only make it to the 7-eleven.Beware Dr. Milken!Korean Kimchee potato chips? I'm writing to my congressman to find out why I can't get these here!Why not make it a day-spa and pet store too? Well.. I guess the sign can only fit so much.Pagoda in the Airport... is that like the song "Mirror in the bathroom?"We flew on one of these to get home.This is the kind of airport food that everyone should be able to get.Seriously...why can't I get ramen and pork knuckle in OAK airport?Last view from the plane to prove we were here.Happy to be returning to the land of salad and burritos. ^_^Our final approach...The flight was much shorter than I thought it would be.