Die Laang Naweek

So een Vrydag in Oktober was dit Moon Festival en op 'n opvolgende Dinsdag was dit Taiwan se verjaarsdag(10/10). So die Government besluit toe om sommer Maandag ook af te gee mits ons die volgende Saterdag werk. Nee ek's jammer dis China, so daars geen keuse nie, dit is hoe dit was!!!

So ons besluit toe om 'n bus te huur en die pad af suide toe aan te durf. Laaste voorbereidings soos sjokolade koekies was tot laat nag in Shaun se woning gedoen.
Ons het soos een man besluit om vroeg op te staan en sou voor 5 uit die stad wees om die verkeer te mis.

Taiwan has a lot of traffic and during weekends like these everybody thinks that if they leave earlier they would miss it. The streets were already a mess on Thursday 5pm.

So here Shaun, Ya-Yun and myself are waiting for Audrey to meet us on the corner of.. whatever you won't know anyway.

Andre and Carolise helped getting us doped with caffeine as we had only but a little sleep.

We drove for about an hour or so and realised that we could go no further without filling up for the long mountain drive ahead. Thanks to Kitty who paid for all the gas by the way. So a breakfast pit stop it was until 7am because only then will that gas station open for business.

Luckily we didn't leave the city as planned otherwise it could have been a very long wait!!!

Die foto is op die bergpas wat net gery kan word teen 'n gemiddelde spoed van 30km/h - I shit you not!!! ek was mal en moeg terselfde tyd.

Berge Toe!

So die beplanning is om die eerste aand op die berge te gaan slaap. Ja! Kamp!!!
These are two more reasons why we were stopping, taking pictures and road tripping al the way up the mountain.

Ons moes weer stop vir lunch en toe deur ry kamp plaas toe. Jy kon nie bespreek nie en ons het nie geweet wat om te verwag nie.

Luckily the whole of Taiwan decided to go to the same camping place as us.
They were smart though they took a road that you would be able to drive 90km/h.
When we got there, kids were screaming, everybody had a happy spirit and the bathrooms were relatively clean...
We set up camp with no one in sight who we could pay to do it for us. While doing this intensive labour I started thinking where I read about unemployment being a problem in Taiwan. They should come to camping sites for jobs, I would have paid top dollar!!! Then I realised I don't read... Mmm... must have been high on fresh mountain air...

Op Berge en in Dale

We head down to the smallest and closest town for supplies as we prepared nothing except for a tin of cookies.

Had some dinner while Andre was welding something broken.(hence the glasses) Jakie 'O on the left keeps an eye out for any mistakes.

Back at the base we got ready to make a fire and listen to a bunch of kids screaming at the top of their lungs again. We are all teachers so we don't mind any screaming at all.
All kinds of smoke really got in Werner's eyes(right) this weekend. Andre(left) was enjoying yet another fruit tea. The cigarette in his hand is really one of those candy sticks.
To get the fire starting and the smoke out of our eyes we made some sparks. Audrey and I was the last to leave the fire and go to our little tent that was by now freezing cold.

My voete was heelnag koud en ek kon ontrekking van koffie sterk aanvoel. Tip of the Day: Camping is really something I suggest everybody tries at least once!


When the morning came, this was the view from out of our tent!!! The breathtaking scenery does make camping bearable... (the late morning only)

Ontmoet 'n paar vriende...

Uiteindelik na soveel dreigemente en dinge het dit gebeur... 'n braai op die woonstel se dak. Ja, OK, dit was bietjie winderig maar as ons almal dit miskyk... Dan was dit nice!!!

So op die Saterdagaand het almal van heine en verre gekom om die spesiale en geskiedkundige gebeurtenis te aanskou. Dis eers toe Audrey en familie aankom wat dinge behoorlik vlam gevat het!

Shaun en Andre was tog eerste by die party. Natuurlik uitgehonger om van die gades af weg te kom.

Andre, die een regs, probeer soos Moses lyk en het homself beperk tot 'n maksimum van 11 woorde per uur. Gunsteling drankie: vrugte tee...

Shaun, links, wou brandewyn hê maar vergeet konstant ons is in Taiwan.

Kort op hulle hakke was 'n nuwe toevoeging tot die familie. Die van der Westhuizens. 'n Gelukkig getroude paartjie, my ouderdom.

Anita was op wit wyn, en Jason op bier. Anita werk by my skool en Jason speel die kitaar. As jy hulle vra wie dra die broek in hulle huis, kan die entertainment rekord tye bereik.

Love at first sight? Wel hulle het mekaar 'n week geken toe trou hulle!!!

Audrey links en Lisa regs, was laat. Hulle het darem gebel. Louise het hulle seker opgehou...

Mmm... wat om te sê?

Audrey sukkel met my nuwe hi-tech tool en Lisa is "into her gadgets."

Audrey drink bier, Lisa drink coolers.

Audrey het Windows. Lisa het alles van Apple.

Die aand is nog jonk...

Soos almal ingesttle het op die dak, die vuurtjie wat brand, die kersie wat sy lig gee, het ons gou die eerste topic van die aand behandel: Skool en die dommes wat daar werk. My stories is altyd oor klagtes, Anita s'n oor stout kinders, Louise (links op die foto) oor haar hoof en Audrey,Shaun en Andre oor hulle nuwe verwikkelinge. Lisa was heel happy...

Regs: Louise en ek. En soos ek. Sy gaan nou terug Kaap toe einde Oktober. Soos ek ook wil.
Ons drink saam bier en julle moet ons hoor saam praat. Dis morsig!!!

Louise moet altyd vroeg loop want sy moet leer, soos ek ook altyd mos maar maak - sien dieselfde!

Shaun het besluit om die braai te behartig - Op een voorwaarde natuurlik - Hy vat net nie verantwoordelikheid nie - Na die 3de "order" van die "peanut gallery" af het hy maar besluit om totaal en al oor te neem. Andre(Moses) heel links, is reeds oor sy kwota woorde vir die uur.
Ek lig maar.

Die vleisies was mooi en Jason en Anita kon nie hulle kwyl inhou nie. Nee hulle kyk sommer vir die liggies of die firecrackers, want dis mos nou weer Moon Festival tyd dan word daar dinge op roosters gegooi in Taiwan wat beter is om nie te sien nie. Morsig!!!
Ek en Louise besig om met crackers te speel. - En dan weer ons wat bang is die crackers speel met ons...
Dit was nou nice. Dis jammer ons moet weer werk Maandag... Maar moenie bekommerd wees nie die week het net 4 dae en ek vat montlik 5 dae af... en heel moontlik permanent af...

Garbage???

Well most of you will be asking: "So how is it living in Taiwan?" or "What have you been doing?" and the answer to that would be... Well you just watch it yourself and decide. Here's what we have to put up with everyday of the week. There's no place like home!!!



En as julle gedink het dit gaan maar stil-stil hier - kyk die video...

Back From Holiday!

So I am back home. Taiwan that is. After 4 weeks of travelling with my mom. I met her in Hong Kong where we stayed for 4 days. Jewelery, gemstones and a lot more female accessories. And don't forget RIO PEARLS.
We did see the other islands around Hong Kong from afar.











But that's honestly all you need after walking miles and miles from the one shop to the other. Here I am at Ocean World enjoying a well deserved rest after strolling through an amazing amusement park with breathtaking sites, beautiful exhibits and waiting times of an average of 25 minutes per ride/exhibit. Oh yes I am the red jellyfish on the right hand side...

After Hong Kong we went to Singapore for 2 and a half days to wander around the so called clean wonder. Blah!!! Lies all lies I tell you. There's litter like anywhere else in the world. This was low season!!!

In the back of the 2 huge people in the picture, you'll see Madonna's left bra cup also named after a smelly fruit called Durian. We were taking the city tour as it was the cheapest way to see something and yet that was expensive too. Very very very very Expensive!!!

Singapore and Malaysia

One thing about Singapore was their gardens, parks, animal attractions and basically any empty piece of land that was beautified by flowers and trees and orchids if you want. We met up With Josanne and her Mom. Tannie Hannelie en Moeder loop met oohs en aahs deur die orgidee tuin.



We also went to the zoo which was pretty impressive. Had breakfast with the Urangutangs and a few other creatures that was totally unasked for. Just ask yourself do you really want to look at a snake (constrictor) whilst having pancakes???
An Urangutang with her young and Yes we are on the right hand side again...



We also attended an animal show where some of the seals, monkeys and yet again snakes were trained to entertain the masses. Josanne never made it on a picture as she was constantly taking them. Jammer man - volgende keer...



This is a video of a multilingual parrot that was entertaining us at the Jurong Bird Park. It's counting to ten and was able to count and sing songs in Chinese as well.

As our trip to Malaysia was very short, the pictures were not all that impressive. Here we climbed like a million (not sure of the actual number) steps to the BATU caves. A natural piece of rock just standing out in the middle of the city. As you can see they have made it a religious place of - whatever. Apart from that Kuala Lumpur was about the Petronas towers which was closed on the Monday when we were there. Some nice architecture complimented the busy streets full of markets selling exactly the same things you'll get in Hong Kong and Singapore. The only difference is that they will try to sell it to you for 10 times the actual value as you are a tourist and you are willing to pay for it. Even when I told them not to quote me the American price, things were just not that cheap. We did manage to walk through about 176 shops owned by Indians selling.... wait for it..... Silk fabrics and all kinds of kakkies. So now sis is getting a wedding dress straight out of the east.

Phuket - Thailand

Phuket het ons vergas vir 5 dae. Believe me we needed the rest...
And what better place to take a break from shopping than an island in South East Asia.

Here we are at FantaSea Island. On our way to watch an award winning show in the Elephant Castle.




The next day was lying in the sun, get massages, foot therapy and getting really "psyched" for our trip to the James Bond Island by long tail boat. (that means noisy and wet)

The wheather throughout our holiday was cloudy with sunny patches here and there.












Even the small places where we went had flea markets with people begging to buy something at again American prices. To them there is no difference between westerners - if you can afford to be there - you can buy a shark tooth necklace for 1000baths - (R200) - if you really want it you can get them down to R15, but you're so tired negotiating all the time that it's better to go without than to go through the whole rickmarole of not being cheated out of your well earned holiday pocket money.

We also took a ride in the canoes on the wide open ocean. Some pleaces we had to lie down flat to be able to get through some narrow and low hanging openings.

Snorkel on "The Beach"

Just a day later and we took on very rough seas. The speedboat took 30 minutes longer than usual to get us to what must be one of God's most beautiful creations. Due to the rough seas we couldn't enter the Lagoon where they made the movie THE BEACH but even where we swam was absolutely fantastic.





Then of course we both snorkeled for the first time in our lives. If you haven't done it before... DO IT!!!!!

Next thing on the list of many, was to go elephant trekking, ox cart riding, watching the process of rubber being produced and sitting down for a baby elephant show. By the looks of it, my mom doesn't like sitting on an elephant. What do you think? I am there too. Yes, the elephant is the one at the bottom of the picture.


BANGKOK

A modern day Sodom and Gomorrah was just the thing we needed to end our trip. Well ready for some more shopping, negotiating and sightseeing, Bangkok is the city with a lot of temples and no good hearted people to be found. Maybe we were just not looking at the right places. Here we are riding the famous TUK-TUK's motorcycle taxi's to get around town.



The city is dirty, our accomodation was poor, even the general service we got everywhere was just terrible!!! BUT when it comes down to getting bargains at the wide variety of markets, this is where you want to be.

Here we are looking for yet another product that can be used for the wedding...

Home Sweet Home - Vir my altans

Back in the Taiwan for 8 days we went to see the tallest building in the world. Some other nice places in Taipei and of course we had to look at some wedding gown designs. Taipei 101 is really impressive and you can go up to the 89th floor in less than 39 seconds. That is at a speed of about 17m/s. With Taiwan's pollution the view from above was limited, yet fun.

Here at the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial we had a nice time in the parks with their large Koi ponds and beautiful gardens. Of course we had to take another million steps up to the top where soldiers guards a big statue of the old man. They look like mannequins as they don't move at all during their duty.













Closer to home, Chunglhi, we had to take a ride with my official ride in Taiwan. For those of you who always wanted to see me on the scooter, here is a double dose of pure pleasure.

Ever since school has begun nothing much has happened. Moeder is terug in SA en ek werk tot Desember dan kom ek troue toe... Sien julle daar!!!

Storms Voor die Stilte

Die stilte voor die storm... Wel in die geval was dit die storm voor die stilte, maar dis uiteindelik VAKANSIE!!!!!!!!!!! So as mamma haar mooi gedra kan die vakansie 'n baie stil een wees vol rustigheid en min winkels... (OK OK weet die winkel ding gaan nie gebeur nie.)

Within the past few weeks, Sonya has moved her stuff in, Izelle has tried to move her stuff out because she is leaving Taiwan. She did not pass the test though. We had to go to Good bye dinners, Thank you dinners etc.








This is the van Sonya hired for her stuff. (It's not a lot she said - still arriving with 3 taxi loads later that week.) The best of all is: She's accumulated all of this in 6 months!!!

Thelma came to visit for a weekend, Josann and Audrey moved in for the last week of school. The house is currently in an absolute mess. I have less than 24 hours to get it ready for mommy dearest's visit, and of course my new house mate.