Guo tie

We had another group meeting today. One of those that finish so late. For once, I remembered and went back to the tradition that Chen Chou and I started of buying what they call here guo tie for dinner.

They are a kind of fried dumplings, that with a sauce, spicy or not according to your tastes, are very good. We also used to have some soy milk too. I was introduced to them a few days after I arrived, but it had been a couple of months since the last time I had them. There is a restaurant not far from here, in the Gongguan night market, that makes them and it has not been difficult to be understood. It was something very simple to say, of course, but I am amazed every time that I try to say something and people understand me.

Old smells

It has been several months since I smelled it. The use of illegal drugs in Taiwan is seriously forbidden. Drug trafficking can be punished with the death penalty. I don't know about the use, but I have not seen anything in all these months. Of course, I don't care about them, but I know some people who I doubt if they can last long enough without rolling some herbs and burning them.

That's why I was so surprised this evening, when I walked by a car with the engine on and a man inside waiting for somebody, to smell the smoke that was coming out the window. That guy was not really smoking tobacco. And maybe it is because I am not used to it, but it seemed to be very well loaded.

Wandering

Numbers fascinate me. Today would not be a special day, if it wasn't five years today since I packed my bags and I took a plane to Columbus (OH, as they say). A nice number, it's worth it to stop for a second. Five years travelling around the world. Nothing special, I know: three continents, four countries, look for an apartment, buy everything... It often seems to me as if it was longer than that, but it's only five years. If I compare them to the previous five, quite a lot of changes and new things I have had to do.


The question is, what have I learned from it?. Or, what have I left behind, what have I found. Many things, I guess, good and bad. Meeting people, saying too many good-byes. At least, it was not boring. And it is still going.

Colors

I went to buy some food this morning. It was about time too, because the fridge was almost empty and I didn't go yesterday. Looking for some fruit, I would have never said that this was a pear, if not for the shape.

I do not think I had ever seen pears of this color: red crimson according to the label. But they are pears indeed. With a more than acceptable taste and the consistency that I like.

Window bars

This could be a typical image of many streets and alleys of Taiwan.

Window bars in the facades of buildings. Not only in the lower floors, but almost in all of them. The more modern buildings don't have them, but they are very frequent in the rest of them. I also saw many in Lanzhou, in China. I don't really know why, but apart from the tiled facades, the bars in balconies and windows are one of the first things I saw in the cities around here. Not quite beautiful, but you get used to them. In time, you even begin distinguishing different styles and some are very nice. A little like balconies in Barcelona.

Kuàizi

I cannot remember who said it, probably one of those pompous charlatan journalists that are in radio-talks or write in some newspaper, but he was shocked to think about the day when all the chinese use toilet-paper and how that would impact the trees, etc. Well, he probably did not care at all, he had to vent the typical personal obsessions of these kind of people. And anyway, they probably do already. But I am sure he never even imagined the amount of wood that is used to make all the single-use chopsticks that you get in many restaurants and take-aways. If we multiply that for, I guess, a large part of Eastern Asia, the number must be frightening. Many places do have chopsticks that can be cleaned and used again, but not on many others. It is probably cheaper for them.


Weeks ago, somebody explained that it is a big problem and the Taiwanese government is trying to convince people to reduce that expense and promotes the use of multi-use chopsticks. I have seen a lot of people that carry small detachable chopsticks, use them for eating and then put them back in the bag. There are of all kinds and colors; some with very attractive designs. I guess I will end up doing the same. It is much more convenient in the long run.

Repair shops and karaokes

I have seen in many of the cities that it looks like different parts are dedicated to different kind of businesses. For instance, some areas in Taipei are full of western shops or big department stores; other are swarming with official buildings. Around where I live, and close to the campus, there are many (small or very small) car o scooter repair shops or, in my street, many karaokes.


At the beginning, when I still couldn't understand what the signs meant, I was thinking that, from they way they looked like, some of them might be, let's say, places of doubtful reputation. Problems of coming from where I com from. I do not know if they are or not, the sign outside reads karaoke. In Chinese way, where the 'ra' syllable is pronounced 'la'. Some clichés are partially right. With the mix of Japanese and Chinese speakers that I can observe, it is very funny to check the opposing trends of both groups when it is time to pronounce those sounds.

After the Storm

This morning, I could finally take the picture of this tree felled by the typhoon just in front of Shida

with all the mess of wires that it took away with it.

At least, it can be seen that the typhoon did something. I would say that it also tore down one of the tall trees (are they cedar trees?) than line the street that leads to my office building, because there is the broken stump of a tree that I did not remember, and the cut pieces of the trunk on the other side of the street. But I am not sure, maybe it was only sick. Quite a long tree, nonetheless.

It is a pity that I can't understand the TV news, because I am sure that there were many juicy incidents. I was told yesterday about a coach that was toppled by the wind in the middle of the freeway, and about thirty people injured as a result.

The news are... that another one could be coming!. It does not look probable now, but you never know.