Short walk

Weekends are very slow again, lately. For different reasons, not hard to understand. Today, though, I managed to go out and take a walk after lunch, using the short time I had before the Sun set, and I went to Yuanshan, in the northern part of Taipei. Since last Wednesday, the weather is almost as warm as during the summer and it feels really good to walk in the street. So, I took my camera and started taking pictures of more temples, with dragons and phoenix,



reddened clouds,

absurdly highly elevated freeways,

and red, of course, bridges.

Later, a quiet coffe near Shida, in a place with nice memories, putting some order in my ideas. The way things are, that is the best I can do.

Contract

A few days later than it ought to be, but still on time. Last Wednesday, I signed the renewal of my post-doctoral contract. For another year. So, I am assured to have that time to be here. And probably, more afterwards, but it will all depend on how many things I can do during this year. Right now, there are many and who knows if I will be able to stick to the plans.

Just keep on going.

November sky

The weather is colder and we had a day between sunny and some clouds. Another failed try on the personal side, but I expected it. A real pity.

The sunset, though, was spectacular. Really worth anything.

Special offers

Some of the newcomers are, or at least seemed to be, very fond of another Taiwanese habit, which is to collect the little stickers that you get when you buy more than a certain amount of stuff in some of the convenience stores. If you manage to get the little booklet where to attach them and you fill it inside the predetermined time, you may win any stupid thing they might offer, or some other product if they run out of it. I think the prize is not worth the effort required to get it done.

But, if you feel like it, there is another way, collecting the stickers you get if you buy some coffe in a 7-Eleven shop. If you get six, you get a free coffe (it reminds me of my time in Columbus).

Of course, I suspect that if you want something more elaborated than just plain coffee, maybe you need to collect twice that number. It does not matter, we must spend money.

Cups

I guess I have said it more than once: eating out in Taiwan is awfully cheap for people used to the prices in Europe. One must take into account the difference in wages, but in any case for about 2 euros you can have a nice dinner, and if it costs 5 or 6 it will be considered expensive by some. If we get to 10 euros, you can imagine. Of course, food in western style places, like pubs, is more expensive.

What is a little bit shocking, in comparison, is that some things are proportionately much more expensive, like imported beer or coffee, which I guess it has not been a product widely consumed in a place where people love tea. More or less, for the price of coffee, you can have dinner. Prices in places like Starbucks are more or less the same as in Europe or the US, but you can also find more affordable prices in some convenience stores.

I am not complaining, though, because there are many small cafès, european style, more or less expensive, but with a very nice ambience, particularly since smoking is not allowed anymore, relaxed and quiet —if the crowds of people with laptops are not too large— where I can stop and rest and see the flow of life, far from the usual rush of life in Taipei.


And during these days, when I am thinking how to revive this blog, and I cannot stop listening to Chris Isaak songs, where could I find a better place to pass the time?.

Asymmetry

Crabs in Pingtung's aquarium.

Wet

Today, a friend sent me this spectacular image of the state of the tropical storms on this side of the world.

On the West side of the map, there is the tropical storm Parma, which has more less taken a seat near the coast of the Philippines and it is moving very slowly. The forecasts say that it should be travelling in a SW-S direction, doing more harm to the poor Philippines I guess, and moving away from Taiwan. But while it remains where it is, we already had two days of non-stop rain; strong now, weak later, with some strong wind coming and going, and it seems that this will not change until Wednesday.

The other storm towards the East side of the map is the supertyphoon Melor, kind of scary seen in this way, which should be moving towards the North in the direction of Japan and would never reach us, but we will see.

In short, we will not have a drought here, but a lot of clothes and shoes to dry.

BT

A difficult weekend in my emotional side, because it seems that I will never learn, but I finally managed to solve two small problems, with udev and Bluetooth, that I had in my Slackware. Now, I can dowload and upload the pictures, and other files, from my cellphone via Bluetooth!. As a sample, a picture I took on my way to Kenting last May,

which also fits what I feel about some people right now.