I’m a bussing man, I’ll admit it. In middle school I had a great bike and could ride all over town. Then, in high school, I had a car and could drive all over town. When I went to uni, I lived in the middle of a big city and didn’t need a car, so I sold it. Since then, I’ve been riding buses everywhere. They’re cheap and good for the environment; I can’t complain.

This weekend I went to CKS Memorial Hall and saw my first Taiwanese opera. I had expected powerful singing to dominate the performance, but instead there was plenty of dancing, staged swordplay, and elaborate costumes. Although I went mainly at someone else’s urging, I genuinely enjoyed myself. If you are in Taiwan and have a chance to see an opera, don’t miss it!

My life has slowed down to a pleasant pace. Almost every day I wake up, have breakfast at home, then head to Mr. Brown’s Coffeeshop. So, why Mr. Brown’s? Because it offers free internet. Throughout the day, I read, study, and work on the web, trying to build something successful. While it should be obvious, I thoroughly enjoy technology and travel. One of the things I plan to add to my list next is an MBA, although I want to achieve this goal with a little pizzazz.

In the morning, I packed and headed back to Peggy’s. I snacked throughout the day while Peggy baked banana bread. That night, my companion, Peggy’s family, and I went to a steak restaurant and enjoyed a generous meal. I was slightly too full by the end, but that is part of a big dinner. Later, I visited a night market held in a large parking lot and sampled a little more food. Once I became tired, I walked back to the car, returned to Peggy’s house, and quickly fell asleep. The next day, I would say goodbye and head back to Taipei with plenty of memories.

After a mediocre breakfast, we were on our way. Just a five-minute drive up the road, we reached the entrance to the hot spring, but a slow drive and a long hike (or climb!) still lay ahead. We parked and started getting ready. I was wearing sandals when it suddenly hit me: my hiking shoes were back at the hostel!

Waking up rather early, I walked back to the restaurant and ordered breakfast, another five-course meal. Soon I was packed, in the car, and on the road. Since we were driving through Jade Mountain National Park, there was almost no development. What a relief. We drove and drove, finally reaching the base of the mountain I was about to climb. I was under the impression that the mountain would not be cold, so I had brought only a sweater and a pair of shorts. Even at the base, I was cold, so I put on my trousers and hoped I would stay warm enough. Everybody else was wearing double-layered waterproof jackets, warm trousers, and large backpacks. Indeed, the two of us looked a bit out of place. Even though I got …

We were on the road by 8:00am, heading to the mountains. Still a little tired, I napped for part of the way, and sometime later we arrived at a roadside seafood restaurant. We met the rest of the “group,” twenty people in total. They brought out the food and we started eating. The plates were quickly empty, and I thought, “Hmm, still a little hungry.” Somebody joked, “OK, let’s go,” and everybody started laughing. What I did not know, or what had been lost in translation, was that we would be having something like ten courses.

Several months ago, I debated what to do during the Lunar New Year break. Should I fly somewhere or travel around Taiwan? Because everybody was trying to fly, ticket prices were triple their usual level. I was also likely to visit Tibet soon, so I needed to save money. One of my friends lived in southern Taiwan. I decided to make an adventure of it and join her, along with several other people, for a trip into the mountains.

It is Chinese New Year! Today is the 17th, the final day of the lunar year. Early in the morning, I packed some things from my apartment and gave it a quick clean, then returned and spent some time cleaning the dining room. The highlight came at dinnertime, when I sat down to a generous feast. There was plenty of seafood, including raw fish, which her mother knew I loved. She also bought me a few beers because she knew I didn’t care for rice wine. I had a bad experience in Zhongshan; ask Ian if you want the details.

My brother owns a coffee shop and a restaurant, which means there is plenty of coffee equipment around the house. One item is a waffle maker, which, as you know, I love. The main thing I did for my birthday was have waffles for dinner. They weren’t ordinary waffles, either, but waffles with Nutella. Now that’s a birthday dinner I can appreciate.