The last 2 weeks

So, I've gotten a few complaints about me updating my blog more frequently and I s'pose I have been a little lax with the upkeep of it. I will endeavour to update it 2 times a week if I'm able, but life can get out of hand if you don't keep a firm grip sometimes.

Been up to some stuff. The alst 2 weeks have proved to be pretty busy actually. The 1st weekend in April was hectic but great. Friday night rolled around with no particular plan in mind 'cept attending a wine-tasting party. Earlier that week, I caught wind of rock festival happening down in Kenting, the most southern point in Taiwan. Hemming and hawing all day as to whether to go or not, I finally decided that it was something I just couldn't let pass me by. Once the decision to go had been made, we had to wait around until we could catch a bus, which we got on around 4:00am Saturday morning and 4 hours later we arrived in Kaohsiung, nearest city to Kenting. Caught yet another bus to get to Kenting and 2 hours later finally arrived @ our destination. You might already know this, but Taiwan isn't a large island by any stretch of the imagination. Taipei is in the northernmost part, while Kenting is @ the southernmost tip. This tip happens to lie within the Tropic of Cancer. I was amazed by the difference in temperature. It had been warm & overcase in Taipei, but summer was in full-effect ...it was very nice.

So, re-energized by the sun's loving embrace, I set off with Gus for the concert entrance in the Kenting National Park. I didn't have a lot of money as payday was after the weekend (always the case) but I wasn't too concerned as I thought I had read that the concert was free. Turns out, it wasn't and I spent the remainder of my cash on the entrance fee, trusting to Gus and the kindness of strangers to look after yours truly. Unconcerned with our plight, we checked out the scene. It wasn't too happening @ that point, and because we hadn't eaten and were hungover from beers the night before, we walked back into town to get some eats, a bathroom and hopefully a place to stay for the night. We managed to get the food and the bathroom, but no dice with the accomodations...2 outta 3 ain't bad tho. This is the part where the kindness of strangers kicks in. A friend of a friend, Bruce, was in Kenting for the weekend as well and we rang him up to hangout for the afternoon. Well, we went back to the concert and were there until 7:00 or so, then Bruce invited us back to his hotel room to get cleaned up and take a nap. We didn't end up spending the night, but not without a fight from Bruce...he even offered to pay for us to go to the rave party that night, but we drew the line there...still, my hat's off to dear ol' Bruce and we headed back to Taipei.

The rest of the weekend was spent sleeping and eating before the new week was upon us. When we we're thrown a curve ball. Tuesday was a public holiday known as Tombsweeping Day. It's a day where Taiwanese and Chinese people sweep out their ancestors' graves to get rid of stagnant chi, 'cos there's nothing worse than stagnant chi let me tell you...? I guess we could liken it to sprind cleaning. At any rate, Monday also happened to be payday, people were keen to go out so what are you gonna do? A bunch of us went out to B1, a place we haven't been to in a while, for some all-u-can-drink action. I don't know why, but just because it says "all-u-can-drink" on the sign doesn't mean one has to actually drink all one can, but we pretty much did just that. It was a good time tho, really broke up the humdrum of the work week, AND I got to break in my new camera by snapping loads o' pictures. Yes, it's true...I finally, finally bought a new camera, completing the list of lost items that I left in a taxi here in Taiwan last summer. It's a Fuji, it's small and silver, it has lots of settings, 5.2 megapixels, and I got it for supercheap. All in all, it amazing and be forewarned...many pictures to follow to make up for lost time:)

The rest of the week passed without much to note until the weekend came again. Hungout @ Corey's for most of Friday night having a good chat, then home to bed. Saturday, Leesh and I decided to get outta Taipei and headed northeast to Jioufen, an amazing mountain village on the east coast of Taiwan. We found an very cool house to rent which was truly authentic...it was all redone in a traditional style...i took some pics which i'm going to post on the picture website...It's hard to explain the appeal of Jioufen, but it's built on these mountains, and it has really unusual streets, a neat old night market, winding staircases, little alleys, good food, lanterns that seem to float in mid-air...you could honestly get away with saying it seems magical when you go there and not get your ass kicked for such a fruity description. All I know is, it's a cool way to spend a Saturday night. We got early the next morning for a guided tour which was a bit of a bust but again, it was cool 'cos i got some choice shots of the scenic hamlet and area. After lunch, just headed back home and relaxed.

Up + coming is next VISA run which happens to be next weekend. I made a decision and because it's only a 2-day trip I chose Macau. Don't know too much about really, 'cept that it's part of China and is the Asian equivalent of Las Vegas with all the accoutrements that come with the Nevada city, so I'll pack some Xtra shirts in case I gamble away the one off my back...jk.

So, that's pretty much all she wrote folks, but before I go I just wanted to give a shoutout to Sarrah Beth Malek who's birthday is on April 12th...Happy Birthday lady, hope you have a fantastic day! Alright, well that's 'nuff said for this time....until next time mes petits, au revoir.