Week-end Jade Market and Flower Market

Saturday afternoon, we 3 ladies took a taxi to the week-end flower market and jade market. The Kreilings had not been since we went two Christmases ago. It is a place that I could stay and touch all day, but we were on a mission. We had seen painted lanterns from our taxi window a couple of weeks ago, and we wanted to get some spring lanterns. We started in the Jade market, which I may say is just overwhelming. C bought a long turquoise necklace, and C & A bought glass rings. I bought nothing, although I certainly touched alot! C bought some antique dishes. I fought off the urge, as once again, I'm just not sure how I could get them home. The flower market is still my favorite place, and I am in awe at all the varieties of orchids that are offered...large, small, miniatures, all colors... offered at such reasonable prices, I want one of everything. Then, of course, there are spring flowers in planters and garden starters and cut flowers for vases....on and on and on....C bought a bright pink hydrangea for her coffee table. We found the lanterns, and watched as the artist was painting the one I bought. C bought a large round one painted with peonies (you can see it in the picture) and another rectangle lantern with orange and yellow flowers.

The men joined us after their golf lessons and we headed for a downtown Ikat store, a decorator store we found in Tian Mu. We wanted to see if the downtown branch held more goodies, but found it just "OK." We may jump on the fast train to Kaohsiung next week to go to a couple of flagship stores...the high speed train AND shopping!

We ended up having a lunch of wontons in chili oil, beef noodle soup, and a small plate of chilled vegetables...all just outstanding. Next door we found Lulu's Bakery, where I bought small custards for dessert...custards that tasted just like cheesecake...YUM! Saturday night the kids and I watched "The Proposal," while K & C went downtown to their favorite sushi bar for daddy date night. We had a great chat with the Whitleys, and got caught up on the dances, baseball games, and college choices. GO RED AND BLACK!..a quote from A for her cousin Kara!

I took the noon train home to my dorm room...where it is getting chillier and chillier. I was able to go to the Tian Mu Pharmacy where I helped myself to new allergy meds, cough medicine, and two different kinds of antibiotics...and they are not fakes! No prescriptions required!

Pineapple season has started here, and they are to die for. K says mango season is even better! A short week here, and I will be headed back to the Ks for my "spring break" and Easter holiday. Everyone else will be sweeping the tombs, cleaning the burial plots, and paying respects to their deceased family members for the "Sweeping Tombs" holiday. Ch says many families have already started the process.

Enjoy the flowers!

A Happening on Campus

I teach for 3 hours in the morning and 3 hours in the afternoon on Tuesdays, with a short "lunch" break inbetween. When I emerged from my teaching cocoon, a tent city had started to spring up across the walkways and the quad. Wednesday morning, there was a giant archway replete with dolphins at the school's entry. Red and white striped tents were everywhere, students were directing traffic, and helping "exhibitors" set up their presentations. I saw Avon and the Army before I realized this was a job fair. One exhibitor had on a French maid's costume with thigh-high black stockings. I'm not sure what company or job she was recruiting for. It was a drizzly, cool day...hints of the cold front that blew in for the week-end. The temperature dropped 30 degrees, and we were all coughing again. The antibiotics just don't have a chance before another cold front comes in!

I took the slow train into the city on Friday morning for my regular hair and pedicure appointment. That's guaranteed to make anyone feel better. The Kreilings underwent a closet addition in the master bedroom this week. They were totally displaced for the week, and had to air out the varnish smell. The stainers put two pineapples in their new closet to make sure the smell went away (try that the next time you paint!). Yesterday K was able to put clothes into his new closet. They put away the mattresses they had been sleeping on, and everyone was back in their respective bedrooms. The 20 year old couch is gone for 2 weeks being recovered. The new zebra-striped leather couch table is due to be delivered sometime tonight. The bunnies are out, and spring has sprung at the Kreiling's apartment

C had a lasagna dinner planned, and A made brownies...all very healing! We watched "Crazy Heart" last night, a movie K brought back from his last trip to Shanghai. Loved it and the music!

We are all off running errands today, but we hope to get to the Jade market where we think we saw spring lanterns. K wants to visit the ABC tea store for green tea. The sun is shining and the temp may reach the 70s today...what more could I want? My spring break starts next Wednesday. We get Friday off to celebrate the University's 21st anniversary, and the following week is "Sweeping Tombs" holiday. I waited too long to book an out of town ticket (it turns out the European school is having a two week holiday at the same time), so I will be back to take on Taipei's museums for the week. The Ks may be glad when I finally have to go back to "work!"

"Springtime" at YZU

The art students created a happening next to the walkway leading to the center of campus. The schizoid weather and bad air from Mainland China threatened to take it down last week-end, but still it survives, if in a somewhat beat-up state. I quite enjoyed being surprised by it on my morning walk to work. The landscapers have been working overtime to plant lillies and hydrangeas. The potted plants are in full bloom, thanks to the rainy, cool weather. I frankly am in need of sunshine on a regular basis.

The Kreilings came to my rescue last Monday when they arrived with love, hugs, and antibiotics. I had the honor of showing them my dorm room, my office, and the YZU campus before we walked to our local shopping center. Ch found new tennis shoes, but that's all we bought. Ch, A, and I just had to have the McChicken special at our local McDonald's, and K found his way to the local Starbuck's. C found sushi at Carrefour's, and we ended the day sitting at the outside tables before their 7 PM slow train back to the big city. I think we all had fun...they got to "travel" on their spring break to see where Gram hangs out, and I got to entertain my first guests to the campus.

The Start of TAS Middle School Spirit Week

TAS Gala

TAS Spring Ball and Middle School Spirit Week

The Spring Gala was very fun...excellent dinner, excellent wines, excellent friends. I am going to upload what few pictures I have with apologies. K,C, and I never had an official picture taken...thus, I have no picture of me in my first long dress since Senior Prom. Oh well....

I did buy a lovely picture (don't ask me how I will get it home, but I love it. I'm hoping Adra will use it until I figure out how I will get it home). I also bought silk bedding and a Franz teapot. I've already invited all the people who have helped me to the Kreiling's home to share the bottles of wine that were mine. I believe Al says "don't tip when you are tipsy." To that I will add don't bid when you have been drinking free libations. K & C had the winning bid for a week's stay in Las Vegas, a very, very nice trip for their family and all of their new friends...new friends who turned up after they had the winning bid. The band that played is made up of TAS teachers, and is very popular wherever they play. In fact, they are so good that some neighbhoods don't want them playing at the local restaurants because so many people turn up...gets way to noisy!

I had another TM when my local bank card ended up on the table while I was paying for my auction items. When I said "I think that is mine," the ladies said "Oh no, we will take care of it." Silly me...it was mine. Fortunately, it stayed locked in the Hyatt vault over the week-end, and I was able to pick it up Monday morning at TAS when I picked up my auction items. I was a wreck after waiting for it for over 5 weeks. World traveler strikes again...

The second set of pictures is Ch getting ready for TAS Middle School Spirit Week. The first day all 7th graders were supposed to wear read. The mohawk was his idea, and I think it got sprayed red when he got to school. He and his friends Patrick and Lucas were going to dress alike on "Twin Day"...make that Triplet Day in his case. C was going to the last day assembly when the MS kids try to blow out the gym with spirit!

I paid for my fun week-end with a terrible cold, cough, and fever that lasted all week. I didn't miss any work, but surely collapsed inbetween. The Kreilings are coming to my rescue tomorrow on the slow train from Taipei. They are finding me some Z-packs, and will bring them down tomorrow afternoon on the Kids' first spring break day. Now that's an exciting holiday...taking meds to Gram. What would I do without them????? I had a few TMs trying to round up meds in Neili, to no avail, so I'm glad they are able to come down and see where I live and work. This is old hat to C who helped me so much when I moved in.

Onward and upward...another two weeks and it will be my spring break! I tried to go to Phuket, but I could only fly through Bangkok, and there are too many demonstrations going on right now. I tried to get to Kota Kinabalu, but everything was booked up. I will just stay in Taipei and hit all the museums...and maybe get to the lily fields and the hot springs. We shall see. I am already booking my Beijing trip after missing out on spring break...nothing like planning ahead.

St. Augustine Square in Macau