"beware of poisonous snakes"

this morning i visited my grandfather for the last time (in taoyuan, about an hour away) then liou-ayi drove me around in the rain visiting tiger head mountain (a sign read in chinese, "beware of poisonous snakes," which only made me want to stay even longer) and some chinese temples before treating me to lunch in a fancy restaurant situated in an amazing classical chinese garden. she dropped me off in downtown taoyuan where i roamed around a bit before catching a bus back to taipei. unfortunately i rode the wrong bus, because it took a long time to get back to the city, but we did pass many glass-walled betel nut booths, housing scantily-clad betel nut girls busy serving customers driving by in their cars/trucks (no photos, don't ask).

statue above taoyuan

fortune sticks

fortune wedges

tian yuan restaurant

liou ayi reading newspaper

donation roster

taoyuan temple dragon details

corner temple

taiwanese biker chick

motorcycling commuters

ximending sunset

local tourists

returning to ximending, i had some beef noodle soup for dinner at some hidden place in an alley (i guess i haven't outgrown eating at the shadiest spots in every town i visit), before logging in at colanet to check my e-mail, surrounded by teenage boys screaming at their multi-user fantasy games.

not sure where i'm going next. been running around the past few days, i'd love to just spend a day doing nothing. just the weekend left before i leave taiwan. maybe i'll ride the MRT for the rest of the evening, air-conditioned comfort, good people watching, and an opportunity to write in my journal, the analog version of the weblog.

j.lo is playing over the intercom. time to dance.

jingmei night market

pachinko for kids