Running Horse Trail
Grandfather took us on a little hike up 跑馬古道 (Running Horse Trail). This is a historical trail that was a trade route that brought goods from Taipei to YiLan. Unfortunately, getting to the entrance required a steep hike, and the kids were spent after half an hour of climbing. Grandfather soldiered on, while we took a break. Christine was able to dig out an old bar of chocolate which instantly perked up the spirits of the young ones. Maybe next time, we will get to walk on the historic trail itself.
Selena Takes Us to Nan-Fang Aou Beach
這次春節的假放得出奇的長，但多半在下雨，到了假期尾聲了，天這才晴起. 小妹珊珊本來打算回新竹了，卻也抵擋不了艷陽的熱情呼喚，用她的小Yaris帶我們去了南方澳海邊. 說來真是好笑，這大概是我第一次踏上南方澳的沙灘耶！珊珊說這個情人灣是她最喜歡的海邊了!...
At the Park with Kids and IPhone 4S Camera
It took some getting used to, but I am slowly getting used to the iPhone 4S camera and teased out some more interesting pictures this time. Just another day at the park with the kids when Christine was off buying some meats and vegetables at the market.
2012 Chinese New Years in Nantou
Nantou for 2012 New Years. Grandma, in her 80′s, hasn’t missed a beat with yet another outstanding New Year’s dinner with 3 different soups, 2 different pork, 3 different seafood, a duck, and some vegetable dishes. All of us were stuffed to the brim with good food. Big Aunt took us to a Mochi factory where you can sample an infinite amount of sweets. The kids went wild with their appetites. We also went to the hottest Pineapple Cake Factory in Taiwan. They give out free samples of their cakes. It is reported that they give out 7,000 cakes in a single day, and sell up to 30,000 cakes on the peak days!
Settling into Taiwan
Despite my protestations and Apple bandwagon foot-dragging, Christine got an iPhone 4S for me. My ancient 3G has slowed to a crawl from IOS updates, and now has been commissioned as an iTouch for Arden. Oddly, I have found the iPhone eco-system comforting as it unifies life experiences no matter where in the world you are. We have been taking some quick photos with the phone camera, and it seems to be much improved experience overall; however, it is still many leagues away from the performance of a standard compact camera. I am still quite awkward holding the phone and taking pictures with it, causing many of the pictures to be slightly blurry. Christine has much more stable hands and is able to capture much sharper images. I am definitely looking...
Winter Reno with a Gang of Kids
We’ve known Maria, Steven, Dominic, and Michelle for some years now, and our kids have gone from infant to toddler in around the same time. We head out to Reno for a quick weekend get-away. None of us really gambles, so this was just mostly a trip to get some fresh air and watch the kids play in the snow. Each of the couples had two kids, one boy and one girl. Maria and Steven had Caden and Cailey. Dominic and Michelle had Kendrick and Isabella. We had a total of 6 adults and 6 kids wherever we went. Luckily, the kids all got along fantastically, and we were able to navigate our way through Reno without much problems. We were even able to explore and find some good eats in the Reno area. Prior to this trip, we only knew about a kick-ass soup...