Farewell Andrea

Hi All,

(The Worship Team at Bongos)

As some of you know, I (Queenie) am the Evening worship team leader at Grace Baptist Church. One of the team members Andrea, after working in Taiwan for sometime, is returning to her home in Singapore. She was a great servant to the worship team and we will miss her. We wish her Godspeed and pray for her future success in Singapore. Of course Paul and me will visit her sometime in Singapore as it is a great city.

We would like to say thankyou to Andrea for her faithful service and her fantastic contribution to the worship team. We will miss you, your singing and your keyboard playing skills and thanks for remembering the chords for "Make me a Servant"

To say goodbye to Andrea we all had a great meal in Bongos. It was a wonderful time for all. Some of the pictures are below.

(Rees, Juvelyn and Andrea)

(The Worship Team)

(Toasting Andrea)

(Hi Everyone)

These pictures and more can be found at the link below:

http://picasaweb.google.com/durbanbay/Worship_Team

Goodluck Andrea. We will be praying for you and will miss you.

God Bless
Queenie and Paul.

Restaurants: Pies in Taipei

Yes, its true, there are pies in Taipei!

(Paul and Simon at The Pot Pie Cafe)

I (Paul) have lived in Taipei for nearly 10 years. Queenie, with the exception of her years in Europe, has lived here her whole life. During this time we have never been able to find any decent pies (meat pies) in Taiwan. We both love pies! I (Paul) used to eat them all the time growing up and Queenie acquired a taste for them in England, when she lived there for a long time.

Although we both love the local Taiwanese cuisine, we sometimes long for a good meat pie. And although there is an abundance of excellent western restaurants, we have never been able to find decent pies. Starbucks used to sell some kind of chicken pie and sausage roll but both have disappeared from their menu. We once ate a Shepherd’s pie at the Shannon on Tunhwa North road, but that was a long time ago. In fact, our love for pies is so great that when we were in New Zealand in 2004 we nearly ate a pie with every meal.

So it was to our great delight that a pie shop has opened in Taipei! I (Paul) was walking home along Fuhsing South Road one night when I saw a new store, The Pot Pie Café had opened. Now, anybody who has spent any time in Taiwan knows that this may not necessarily mean they sell pies. Very often restaurant owners use cute names for effect. This however was different. They actually sold pies.

I (Paul) went there the first time by myself in late November when Queenie was working on a project. The restaurant was great. Of course Queenie and I went there again at the soonest opportunity, I took some colleagues there for dinner and even persuaded my (Paul) work to have their Christmas party there. We also had our New Year’s dinner there and have been back many times. We will continue to go back. The food and the service are excellent.

(Christina, Peter, Ava, Amanda and Paul at The Pot Pie Cafe)

(Christmas Party at The Pot Pie Cafe)

So, if you are in the mood for a meat pie, head down to The Pot Pie Café. They serve Cottage Pie, Shepherd’s Pie, Chicken Pie and meat pies in a crust. They also have a great English breakfast and fair portion of fish and chips. Simon, the young fearless leader, and the staff are friendly and attentive. The restaurant inside is warm and quaint. A decent set meal there will set you back NTD300. A pie on its own I think is around NTD180.

(The pies really look this good)

The contact details are below:

Address: No.325 Fusing South. Rd. Section 2,Taipei
Telephone: (02) 2736 0905

Website (all Chinese):
http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/potpiecafe/profile

You can also see the Taipei Times Review here:
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2008/01/25/2003398835

See our Taipei and Taiwan Travel Guide for more restaurant reviews

Happy New Year Everyone

Yeah yeah…I know we are a bit late with this one.

(Queenie and Rochelle Putting up the Christmas Tree)

So how did we celebrate?

Well December was as hectic as any festive season month we have known. We started our Christmas celebrations on December 8 when we had a whole bunch of people to our house for an early Christmas party. We had to do it that way because most of them were either booked or we were booked. Our niece Rochelle helped us put up the Christmas tree. Some early guests arrived and helped us finish our tree. More guests arrived before 4:00 pm and most of them were gone by 8:00 pm. Our good friends Eva and Peter kept us company with their precious daughter Christina.

(Rochelle and the gifts she wrapped)

Our next big event was having a family dinner at the Howard Plaza hotel. Queenie’s father came back from China and so on December 19 we all went to the Cantonese restaurant on the second floor and ate a lot of food. After that everyone came to our house to exchange gifts. Of course Rochelle was the most excited during this time and she got quite a few toys. Our other niece Charlene is still to young to appreciate these things but next year I am sure she will start.

The following day was my (Paul) company’s Christmas party. We arranged the party at the Pot Pie Café on Fuhsing South Road (the only place in Taipei that sells real pies). We were about 20 people and, the restaurant being small, enabled us to book the whole restaurant out. The restaurant is new and so they were thrilled to have so much business in one night. We all ordered a lot of food and a few beers and we all had a really great time.

(Peter, Paul and James at Company Christmas Party)

Then on Friday, December 21, we all went off to watch Rochelle’s Christmas show at her kindergarten. The show was held in a park outside. An excellent venue but the kids simply cannot sing loud enough but they certainly did try hard. It seems that they all had fun. Queenie and I spent most of the time walking around the park with Charlene.

On Christmas Eve we all landed up participating in a new Christmas Eve tradition at Peter and Ava's house. We all went there to celebrate and dance around the Christmas tree singing Norwegian folk songs. Of course none of us knows how to speak Norwegian but we tried our best. Rochelle came with us but unfortunately I (uncle Paul) managed to bump her into a glass table and cut her lip. That was the end of the folk songs. Hopefully this year we can do more than one. Oh yes, Rochelle is fine.

(Meichi, Doren, Queenie and Taly)

Our Christmas Day itself we went with our Church friends to a buffet lunch at Le Louvre in the Howard Plaza hotel. Great restaurant and the company wasn’t bad either. Queenie and I also bought everyone a Christmas hat and made sure everyone wore their hat. It was a blast. Of course we had one hat short but the hotel were happy enough to lend us one so everyone got one in the end.

(Kathy, Paul, Roelf and Olga at the Howard Plaza)

Of course New Year’s Eve swung around faster than we could blink our eyes. Queenie and I spent our New Year’s eve in the Pot Pie Café. It was bitterly cold and the pies were very warming. On the way home one of our neighbors called us and invited us to his house so we went there for a few hours. Afterwards we went to the midnight service in the Church (as we always do). We then returned to our friends house party and landed up in bed at around 3:00 am.

On New Year’s Day we also hosted our traditional New Year party at our house. A lot of people came and we had some great food. The Pastor Jim’s wife Bobbie brought their traditional American New Year food to our house. Apparently on New Year’s Day in their part of the world they eat ham, salmon and black bean soup. Well, we had a lot of each. It was really great hanging out with all our friends and spending the New Year with them. After we never know where we will be next year.

Goodbye Doren

Sadly we had to say goodbye to Doren who is one of our wonderful friends here in Taiwan. She decided to return home to Cebu in the Philipinnes. We have known Doren and her Aunt Taly for nearly six years now and they have been wonderful and supportive friends through all our ups and downs. We will miss her but gives us a more compelling reason to visit Cebu (because the beaches are not sufficient reason). Of course we saw her off with a great big bang at our other friend’s Josephine’s house. It was honestly a great farewell.

(Doren's Farewell Party)

New Life

In December and January two of our close friends had little babies. Matt and Carol had a baby boy in early December called Daniel. Our friends in New Zealand Simon and Helen also had a boy called Henry. We are so pleased and happy for all of them and we wish those two babies a great life and future.

Future Hello’s:

We also learned that our old friend from Taipei, Pastor Dave and Terri Brown (and all four kids) are thinking about coming back to Taiwan. Of course this excites us and we look forward to seeing them back here if they can get back. They are hoping to start a Church and they do have some needs so if you are interested in supporting them then please check out their website: http://missions4taiwan.com/default.aspx


The Immediate Future:

Chinese will be upon us in a few weeks. We are looking forward to the break. Queenie and I will be traveling to London for two weeks to see my (Paul) mom. We will also see some other great friends there including Richard, Keziah and Noah and Ken. Queenie will possibly also start working for her new company soon. Hopefully it will all be smooth.

So everyone. Take care of yourselves and have a great and rewarding 2008.

Merry Christmas All

Hi All,

We just want to wish all our family and precious friends, both here in Taiwan and on distant shores, the merriest Christmas and the happiest New Year. We hope that the blessings of 2008 will be upon you all and those you love and that 2008 would be a wonderful year for you.

Thank you all for your friendship and care. We really do appreciate it.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Queenie and Paul

The Red Kitchen - A Great Steak House

Hi All,

We live in a great part of Taipei. We are very thankful for it. Around our neighborhood are many great and wonderful restuarants. And since we live behind the University, most of them are cheap as they are aimed at students. As a result we thought we could introduce a few of them to you.

One of our favourite restaurants is the Red Kitchen. The Red Kitchen is a brillian family run steak house with probably the best customer service in Taipei. Pei Lei is the young lady who runs the front end of the store. Her brother is in charge of the kitchen and the restuarant is owned by their father. Sometimes the grandmother is there too to help out at the cash register.


(Pei Lei at the Red Kitchen)

They sell all kinds of steak that are very resonably priced. We normally get the minature steaks which are around NTD380. They also sell T-bone steaks but if you don't like rare steaks you really need to tell them to cook it well. Aside from that glitch, the steaks are about as good as any you can get in Taipei. They also sell some chicken dishes and fish dishes for those who don't like red meat.


(Minature Steaks)

Coupled with the steaks is the usual salad bar. Although the salad bar is not as big as some of the other ones we have seen, the salads are always very fresh and the variety sufficient. The salad bar with he normal drinks are included in the price of the food.


(Salad From the Salad Bar)

Good steaks in Taipei are hard to find at reasonable prices. One half of this couple being South African meant that we usually had to fork out quite a lot of money for a decent steak. The Red Kitchen opened around the beginning of 2006 and has been a rip roaring success. It is usually about three quarters full. There is enough seating for about 40 ~ 50 people so it is small and quaint although not quiet.

We used to go there once a week but the food was too much so now we have scaled it back to once every three or four weeks. I think we have taken most of our friends there at least once and many of them agree that the steaks aren't bad at all. We also do go there with Queenie's family quite often so we are really big fans of the restaurant.



(Lu Mama, Queenie and Rochelle at the Red Kitchen)

So if you are in the mood for a steak and have a big enough appetite, I recommend you get over to the Red Kitchen, you probably won't be disappointed. The address AND telephone number are below:

No. 1, Alley 2, Lane 118
Hoping East Road, Section 2

Tel.: (02) 2377-6186

It is quite close to the corner of Hoping East Road, Section 2 and Fuhsing South Road. They are open for lunch between 11:30am and 2:30pm and for dinner they are open between 5:00pm and 9:30pm.

See our Taipei and Taiwan Travel Guide for more restaurant reviews

Christmas has Started in Taipei

Hi All,

(Queenie, Paul and Rochelle at the Tree Lighting Ceremony)

The Tree Lighting Ceremony

On Friday night, after my (Paul's) final exam, we took my niece to the tree lighing ceremony outside the Far East Hotel on Tunhwa South Road. Every Christmas the Far Eastern Group will have light a big Christmas tree and some christmas lights that hang out over the trees on Tunhwa South Road. The ceremony is usually led by the head of the group.

A few years ago Queenie's parents' Church had brought over a choir from Malawi and they were the star attraction. This year though they had a special performance from some kindergarten children, a childrens choir and a string quartet.

The Far Eastern Chairman also made us aware of the group's charitable work with a project for amandoned Children in Taipei. Far Eastern Group donated NTD1,000,000 to an organization that helps these Children. They also donated NTD1,000,000 to World Vision and another charity group (we forgot the name).

The Christmas Story

What really touched us was that the Christmas story of Jesus was told. One of Chiang Kai Shek's old pastors (who is now 80 and used to Pastor the Chinese congregation at our Church) was on hand to tell the whole Christmas story in Chinese. Most of the people in Taiwan have never heard the story and think Christmas is some commercial gimmick with no real roots. So it was great for them to hear the story of Christmas.

The Lamest Father Christmas Ever

Now, as a rule, we try not to be negative about performances. We also really do appreciate Far Eastern Group trying to bring a little of the Christmas spirit and festivities to Taiwan, but really, next time get a person who can act like a Father Christmas, and not dress some lame duck corporate executive in a Father Christmas suit! The guy didn't have a clue as to what he was doing. He arrived on the stage with some fairly lame "ho ho ho's" and then proceeded to give a very uninspiring talk of about two-minutes and then left the stage. Ten minutes later he came back onto the stage, just as lamely, and started to give out some sweets!

Next year the really do need a Father Christmas who will take the stage and dominate the crowd. Maybe even get the crowd going with a few Christmas Carols ("we wish you a merry Christmas" which everyone in Taipei knows) and a few more hearty "ho ho ho's".

Christmas Has Started

So the Christmas lights outside the Far Eastern Hotel have been turned on and Christmas in Taipei has started. We will put our tree up soon and hopefully have a great festive season with everyone. Christmas is not a holiday in Taiwan, so we will have to take leave on the day.

May God bless you all and keep you safe during this Christmas season

God Bless Everyone
Queenie and Paul

UPDATE: SOUTH AFRICA TRAVELOG ADDED

Hi All,

I finally added the South Africa Travelog. You can see the slide show and the table of contents below:

• Travelog: Return to SA - A Pictorial
• China Travelog -- A pictorial
  

Enjoy.

Paul and Queenie

Getting 100% for my Exams!

Hi All,



Okay so this week I (Paul) am writing two exams for a course I am doing. One of the modules is really tough and I have pulled out quite a few hairs. A friend of mine suggested the following:

Dear Paul

If you really don't want to read books you can eat below food can help you to get a perfect score....100%. Wow ha ha ))))))))))))

Anyway

Good luck to you~

Your perfect friend ^_________^
V

So now you all know what to do! Eat a chicken legs and some boiled eggs and you should be good!

Well now, after suggesting that to my classmates, one of them suggested a bottle of Tsingtao and two meatballs (see below) would, in his words, "have the same effect"! So your choice!



Anyway, whichever one works for you, good luck

Paul

Mimi Passed Away

Dear All,

Our cat Mimi passed away on November 9, 2007. She fought a brave but futile fight against both polycystic kidney disorder and diabetes. She was a wonderful friend and daughter to Queenie for 14 years and to me for 8 years.



Queenie was with her at the end. Here is what she wrote:

last moment with mimi

I told her that mami and dadi loves her very much and I spend a few moment with her alone. She is very very weak and very light while I am holding her after one week staying in the hospital. This time, the hospital nurse keep her quite clean. She has tried her best to open the eyes to see me, and she tried to say hello to me. She wouldn't raise her voice.

I thank her for these 14 years life with me and I told her it is OK to sleep and stay in the heaven, and watch her for the final injection. I have singed the " amazing grace" to her, and ask her to remember mami has played piano and sing the songs to her just like before.


She actually resists for another injection, her body just refuse for any of the pain. her spirit is gone right after the injection, and she left this world with eye open. I watch her with tear and she left with peace.

I am pleased that my mother and brother has come with me, they make sure the last payment and everything is done properly

She has been a great friend and great daughter for us, and I hope to see her in heaven.

Thank you for loving her so much.

Mimi -- R.I.P November 9, 2007

Friends: Mashed Lit

Please consider visiting my friend Richard's blog, Mashed Lit. You can see it here:

http://mashedlit.blogspot.com/

Richards describes the blog as:

a hack writer cobbling fictions together from other people's written words? Or a textual dj remixing to find textures not originally envisioned? You choose.

I assure you that this website will be a thought provoking experience and encourage you to visit regularly. Richard will also be serializing and online novel early next year. We will keep you posted.

Congratulations Whitney!

(Whitney with her book in Eslite Bookstore on Hsin Yi Road, Taipei)

One of our friends in Taipei, Whitney Dilley, has completed and published a book on the work of Ang Lee, one of Taiwan's pre-eminent movie directors famous for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Brokeback Mountain. The book was a long time in the writing and has finaly been published. We are very excited for her. We know how long it took and how much effort she put into writing this book.

The book, The Cinema of Ang Lee: The Other Side of the Screen,has received excellent editorial reviews on Amazon.com. Chris Berry, Goldsmiths College, University of London said:

"The first major study of a director who deserves much more attention ... Essential reading for any scholar of either contemporary Chinese or American film."

And, Ian Haydn Smith, editor of The Cinema of China and South East Asia said:

"An excellent and incisive overview of the career of one of contemporary cinema's most fascinating and acclaimed figures. As passionate as it is erudite, this is a welcome volume for both film students and those with an interest in the director's work."

If you are interested, you can buy the book from Amazon by following this link: Amazon.com: The Cinema of Ang Lee: The Other Side of the Screen

Dad in the East 4: A Grand Tour

Hi All,

(Sunset from the top of 101)

On the third day after their arrival, we took Dad and Yvonne on the usual tourist circuit. We started out at the Chiang Kai Shek memorial hall, headed out to Yong Kang street to eat sushi, went across to Sun Yat Sen Memorial, walked through Hsin Yi district, went to the top of 101 and finished the day off with a steak in our favorite steak restaurant.

Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall

(Chiang Kai Shek Memorial)

On the bus to Chiang Kai Shek memorial hall an old Chinese lady got on board. She was incredibly friendly and very excited to meet some foreigners. She couldn’t speak any English, and since Queenie was in the back of the bus, I (Paul) turned into the official translator. The lady was a Christian and very excited to learn that we too are Christians. In the end all she wanted to do was hug Yvonne and she felt they were sisters.

Chiang Kai Shek memorial is grand. Two identical buildings, the National Theater on the right and the National concert hall on the left, flank the memorial. The wide-open space in the front of the hall is also impressive. There were the students practicing their mass dance maneuvers, and the sun was really bright. We watched the students for a long while, walked through the gardens and the parks and went to the museum at the bottom of the memorial.

(Dad and Chiang Kai Shek's Car)

Sadly the memorial hall was being renovated so we could not go up the steps or inside and we could not watch the changing of the guards. Dad and Yvonne enjoyed walking through the museum, which outlines Chiang Kai Shek’s life and contribution to Taiwan. Unfortunately his name is becoming a divisive figure in the Taiwan political landscape and there are moves afoot to change the name of the memorial to Freedom Hall.

The Sushi Express

After spending some time in the museum, we walked up Hsin Yi road to Yong Kang Street where we stopped off in the Sushi Express for lunch. Now although Dad and Yvonne had been real troopers about the food, I think they were starting to long for some good old western fair. Dad’s theory about sushi is that it is a small piece of fish on a big portion of rice only and that when you have a drink, the liquid swells up the rice to make you feel full. But after an hour and a bathroom break you will feel hungry again! We had a good debate about sushi and the need to try different foods but in the end we promised them steak for dinner.

During the meal Yvonne decided to walk around outside and to look at the neighborhood. Unfortunately, as she was doing this she slipped and fell and grazed herself quite badly. She was surprised at how quickly people around her came to her aid. Taiwanese people are like that. Whenever we are in distress they help.

I (Paul) remember the first day I came to Taiwan. I was still trying to find my hostel. I walked into the train station to get directions. The lady I asked couldn’t speak English but I did have the address in Chinese. Within the blink of an eye she grabbed one of my bags, indicated I should follow her, and was gone. She walked me, and my bag all the way to the hostel.

Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall

(Sun Yat Sen Memorial)

So after we patched up Yvonne’s knee we jumped into the taxi and headed off to Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall. Once again there is a big garden outside the hall and we spent a considerable time walking around there. Dad of course found a bunch of people to talk to. In this case it was a group of teenage girls. I (Paul) wasn’t with them so I couldn’t translate and Dad said they couldn’t speak English. No matter, Dad still felt great that they tried to communicate with him.

(Dad and his new friends)


(Dad and the Philosopher)

I managed to get a good rest on the island in the middle of the lake. I just lay down on one of the benches and waited for Dad and Yvonne to finish their meanderings through the garden. The gardens are big and they both love the vegetation. It was good for me to relax there. Our lives are always busy and to find moments in time when there is nothing to do is like finding the only pearl in a million oysters.

We finally went into the hall and quite coincidentally ran into the changing of the guards. As it is in most countries the changing of the guards is an impressive routine. This one lasted for ten minutes (approximately) and I am always amazed when I see how they twirl those heavy rifles with one hand. I often think the guards’ wrists will snap off, but of course they never do.

We then meandered across the Hsin Yi district, through the department stores, to 101. On the way we stopped to price some of the clothes and a golf shirt for a man in one shop cost around NTD15,000 (USD500). Fairly expensive but that is the Hsin Yi district for you. Actually I am always amazed at the number of such high-end department stores in Taipei and by the fact that they can survive since they are all so expensive.

101

(101 Reaching for the Sky)

The top of 101 is always exciting. I love going up there and just sitting down and watching the city below. It makes me feel quite at home and reminds me of my first night in Taipei (December 22, 1998) when I went to the top of the Shin Kong Mitsukoshi building, which was then the tallest building in town. The views from 101 are spectacular. The sky was clear enough that we could see the ocean near Tamsui.

(Looking out to Tamsui)


(View from the top of 101)

We also decided to pay the extra money to go onto the outdoor viewing deck. The first time we went there was with Luis, a friend we knew from China. On that occasion there was quite a wind. On the other occasions we have been on the viewing deck the wind was not nearly as strong. Of course there are long, narrow bars with narrow gaps dissuading people from suicide attempts and security guards walking around to make sure no one is trying to jump.

After walking around for some time, we went to watch the movie that shows the building of 101 and then returned to the indoor viewing deck to watch the sunset and the night-lights. Being summer we had to wait quite a long time but eventually the sun did go down and we got to see the spectacle that is Taipei by night.

A Final Culture Shock

We ended the day by shopping in Jason’s, a western specialty store and then going over to the Red Kitchen for a good steak. This was the final cultural adjustment my poor father had to make. They served warm beer in small glasses with ice-cubes. I think I have never seen Dad so shocked at the desecration of beer…The perils of travel I tell you!That’s it folks,

Until the next time,

Queenie and Paul