So the first six months of my stay in Taiwan have come and gone...NOW for the countdown for the last six months. And slap bang in the middle of my countdown comes CHINESE NEW YEAR...
As awesome as all my colleagues have been during my stay in Taiwan during Chinese New Year I was blessed by being part of formal traditional, less formal and simple casual New Year celebrations. And may I add it was an absolute honor to be part of it all.
The 2014 Chinese Lunar New Year is celebrated from January 21 - February 14, big days on the western calender from the day I celebrate my birth to the day we celebrate love...
So friend and colleague Cindy invites me to celebrate a traditional Chinese New year with her husband, two sons and big family. It was a evening filled with games, delicious food and fireworks. The fireworks were loud, just the way I like it, I almost ended up with the dog under the table:-0 all while Cindy got the lucky end of the draw and won an enormous Plasma HD TV, and during all that more than one ENORMOUS prawn made it's way on my plate.
We went to worship at the temple up the road, such a special tradition to end the old year and to start a new year full of promise.
A big thank you to Cindy and her family's generous hospitality.
Fireworks, too close for my comfort.
Cindy, Grandmother and Husband with their TV.
Massive Prawn...no jokes.
Lining up.
At the temple.
Cindy's two boys.
After a good night's rest I was off to celebrate New Year with my chauffeur, colleague and good friend Eva. Very excited to take part in some Taiwanese cooking and meeting her family of whom I have heard so much, and boy what a honor and priviledge it was.
First I was picked up from train station by Eva on motorcycle...very hard mental picture, but she seems to dot the Taiwan scooter thing...
So after meeting younger brother Cloud, already on Cloud no 9, busy cooking and Meow Meow the cat...non excistend either behind piano or under bed....I'm still trying to figure out who was more afraid of whom afterwich Eva and I got stuck into a workshop of making dumplings...
And it was simply awesome getting stuck into filling, folding, tucking, and pressing.
Cloud cooking up a storm...hahaha...watch out thyphoon warning!
Eva demonstrating...
...the perfect dumpling.
My turn to nip and tuck...
...stretch and pull.
Now that's what I call a SEXY dumpling!
Eva cooking those perfectly sexy dumplings.
The older and wiser generation arrived and it was such a privilege to meet Eva's parents, we all sat down around a table moaning and groaning under the mass of food prepared. And what a feast we had...Eva's father was intrigued, fascinated and amused by me sampling dumplings with a knife and fork, and a big thank you to Eva for going out and buying a knife and fork especially for me!
The table is set for a feast.
Delicious seafood
Yummy Pork Belly...
We went for a stroll around the Metropolitan park to walk off our full bellies, after wich we returned home and had a good jamming session on the violin and guitar, accompanied by mind blowing Japanese "wine".
Eva still have it...
S s S s TRONG wine
An enormous Thank you to Eva, Cloud no 9, Smiley, Serious Dad, Adorable Mother and last but not least Meow Meow for opening their home and hearts by making me part of your New Year
celebrations.
After being treated with my favorite breakfast on Lunar New Years morning Eva and I launched ourselves off to Tainan to meet up with colleague Terry for the best food Tainan have to offer...unfortunatly the best was closed for a well deserved break over New Year so we settle for a HOT hot pot restaurant.
To work up an appetite we visit the Black Bridge Sausage Museum...Jip home of the famous Taiwan sausage, and Terry made me take note that it was in Tainan...I was just happy that they were open!!
Sausage, Wurst, Wors, Banger...you name it they have it...
...in all shapes and sizes.
Terry and I in the sausage king's kitchen.
Posing with a tall worsie.
A very merry HOT hot pot.
M o n k e y b o y.
I had Tooooo much Ice Cream for dessert.
After lunch we took a brave step towards Anping Old Street....busy, bustling and crowded...loving every minute!
Busy and Crowded:-)
Me ... naturally could not stay away from the games and we had to try our hand at some games hoping to win a big soft Terry Teddy Bear...unfortunatly we only came out with smalls...
Time for some serious fun...
Tainan sunset.
A big thank you to Math Duo Eva and Terry for showing me in and around Tainan.
Tainan is such a special city I had to come back for a visit during a "tweede lunar nuwe jaar" visit. Located right next to the ocean, the Dutch and VOC moulded it with history dating back to 1602...50 years before Jan van Riebeeck docked in beautiful Cape Town and started South Africa off in exactly the same way. Throughout Anping you can obeserve the old Fort Zeelandia complete with VOC emblem on staircase and the very very old Anping Fort.
Artillery wall Protecting Anping Harbor
Posing at the Fort Zeelandia...so Dutch;-)
Fort Zeelandia with VOC emblem proudly on staircase.
Watch your step to the Anping Fort
Outside wall of the Anping Fort...historically beautiful.
The one and only simple thing about Tainan is...The Ocean and sand and for the first time in months I was able to sink my feet into salt water and enjoy a half hour of small waves lapping out on a beach...pure bliss.
After which I was treated to a traditional Anping Bean Jelly.
Splllllllllllaaaaaaashhhhhhhhhhhh.
Anping Bean Jelly
I had a fire cracker of a Chinese New Year and would once again like to thank Cindy, Eva, Terry and Sauwei for making it so memorable.
New Years Greetings
Mariza
xxx
