Happy Birthday Russ!

The blog from the other side. 

We were lucky to celebrate Russ's 29th birthday in Taiwan. Of course, since it was Russ's birthday and we are in Taiwan we had to go to a restaurant that truly celebrated the culture of the beautiful historical country that we live in: Le Ble D'or. Yes, a German/French/American cuisine restaurant is where we were found on July 28th 2015. Russ and I saw found this restaurant a couple of months ago, an interesting Bavarian restaurant that we knew we had to come back to enjoy a pint or two. 

The joy and uniqueness of this country is that it has all the appeal and culture of an older country and the accessibility of our western modern countries. So Russ and I were ready for our Bavarian experience. When we got there though, we realized it was actually Hawaii day in this German restaurant (because that happens every other week in these types of restaurants) - another great thing about Taiwan: themed days.

Russ still got his 1L German beer and enjoyed it very much.

 I had the traditional Louisiana jambalaya while Russ went back to his roots and had a lovely** seafood pasta. We had a fun night out for Russ's 29th birthday. To top it off, through hand gestures and a bit of explanation i was able to tell the server that it was Russ's birthday. We were surprised with a lovely serenade from the house singer. 

It was a fun filled adventure for Russ's birthday and I hope that we have many more German/Hawaiian filled experiences to come.

** as lovely as one can get for a pasta in Taiwan

BONUS:

Please enjoy the following pictures of our birthday boy enjoying his time in Taiwan.

Russ discovering land for the first time.

Russ being over the moon happy about all the hats that are around him. 

This is Banao. Russ loves Banao. Banao appreicates Russ. I am happy for both of them.

If Russ ever leaves me for food, it would be the Xiao Long Bao he is having in this picture (I would be okay with it too, its that amazing!). 

We are in an airport. Sharon is buying sandwiches. Our days in Taiwan are down to one and I will post more on final thoughts when I am back at my computer in a month or so. Our travels will take us to Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Japan.

Here's our flight to Singapore! More later!

Typhoon Soudelor

It was a sleepless night as Typhoon Soudelor smashed into Taiwan. Most of the damage took place along the east coast towns of Hualien and Su'ao, but that's not to say we didn't get hit hard in Taipei.

They had been calling for this Typhoon to come for 2 days now, but it took its time hitting land. By nightfall on Friday night, the rain came down in horizontal waves and the winds had picked up to be as strong as 200 km/h. 

The wind was enough to keep us awake, but the fear of destruction, possible power outages, and the intercom going off at 5:00 am 3 times were the biggest culprits of our sleeplessness.

We could hear things crashing outside but because our window faces another building, we had no actual idea what was going on in the outside world... until the morning...



...this is what the wind did around our building last night...

...first the trees.

...then the signs and scooters...

...then the mailboxes!

As you can see, we got some strong wind but not any flooding, so that is good. The only major damage came from signs and trees, all of the buildings in Taipei stayed in tact. Just staying inside today, planning for our departure next week, and waiting for the city to calm down. Until the next typhoon!

- RS=T

The Back of Sharon's Head

Hey All,

Apologies for the lack of posting. Starting in July we both had a change of work schedules and a change of apartments, so we've been pretty busy adjusting. It's a rainy Sunday so I am posting 4 pictures showing mini adventures Sharon and I have been on lately. 

There are a million things to explore in this city so we checked out the Grand Hotel: a swanky hotel and one of the big attractions in Taipei. We were underdressed and overwhelmed. Here's the back of Sharon's head as she admires artwork in the main foyer.

A few nights later Sharon and I decided to go for a bike ride. We were at Da'an Park (the equivalent to NY's Central Park or Toronto's High Park. After that we biked towards Taipei 101. Here is the back of Sharon's head on this bike ride.

A few days later we wanted pizza. Pizza is SCARCE in Taiwan, and when it is available it's very expensive (~$30 CAD for a medium/large pizza). Needless to say, we haven't had it since we've arrived (other than the odd slice scavenged at work after a child's birthday party). We decided to scratch our pizza itch so we went online to order. After 2 HOURS of trying to figure out how to order it online, Sharon and I went downstairs to our friendly doorman to try and help us. He knows zero english but is super helpful. Here is the back of Sharon's head with the back of his head trying to figure out the Pizza Hut ordering system online. 

At the end of the day, we didn't end up ordering because they wouldn't let us order just 1 large pizza. So, we ended up walking to McDonalds and watching Survivorman.

A few days after that, Sharon and I decided to go on the gondola and purchase some tea. The best part of being up here is the serenity you feel as you travel above the trees. Here is the back of Sharon's head as she looks out at the forest below and Taipei 101 in the distance.

-RS=T

Breakfast

Saturday morning and Sharon's at work. Today I am eating chicken wings from Thursday and pineapple, corn on the cob style. I will finish with a mango when Sharon comes home.

- RS=T

Golden Waterfalls

Heading towards the coast, we stopped at "The Golden Waterfalls". The name serves a double purpose: 

1) in the early 1900s the Japanese discovered that this area was rich with valuable rocks and minerals (including gold) and turned this into a mining area

2) The mines are all but shut down at this point but there is still tonnes of iron and other minerals in the water, turning this waterfall a goldish colour. 

It was a cool day trip, here are some photos. 

I believe this is what Mars looks like.

Check out the layers of rock supporting this bridge and abandoned building.

We walked to the ocean and checked out this amazing sandstone rock face by the port.

From the port we saw a ruined Japanese factory. Apart from the shuttle bus, this was an amazing view of an abandoned Japanese factory in the mountains.

We will end with my favourite shot of the day:

- RS=T

Fun Times with Debi

We had a great time showing Cassie's mom Debi around Taipei. What we can take from this is that the best nights are those loosely planned with an open mind. Just like this guy's t-shirt.

We knew the night at the market was going to be great when the oyster guy gave us 9 for $100NT. We held no prisoners.

Hot soup on a hot night!

Look. At. The. Size. Of. This. Shrimp. (Ranging from $300-$1000NT)
*note: my fingers are average human sized!

We went into a photo booth but it wasn't accepting our money... so we took our own photo!

Mother and daughter hitting dingers

HOMERUN!!!

Shooting hoops at the arcade! (From Left to Right: Jeremy Lin, Steph Curry, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Dikembe Mutombo. Photo Credit: Charles Barkley)

And finally, no night in Taipei would be complete without couples in matching outfits. Fantastic days!

- RS=T

Modern Toilet

Welp. We've finally gone.

One of Taipei's "crowning" attractions, which just so happens to be right outside our front door, is this poop themed restaurant. This place is so loaded with tacky charm and Asian flare that we couldn't possibly not post about it. Here's Byron and I waiting outside the restaurant, without even a crossword.

 As we walk in, there are tonnes of fun toys kids can play with and buy, like these for example. 

Here is the sink in the washroom

And some art which I call "regret, ponder, relief"

Here's a look at a menu

Here's a picture of my delicious curry!

Here we are about to eat our meals served in toilet bowls. Cassie's mom Debi spent a week visiting with us, it was great having her around and showing her the sights (and smells)

Very real stuff

Dessert

Overall, twas a great experience filled with love, laughter, and joy. 

- RS=T