Bussin' it (temporarily)

Blog entries two days in a row? 2012 must surely be an apocalyptic year.

My 2012 started out with a bang (and a backfire). On December 31st I was driving to work when my scooter suddenly died. I coasted to a stop in front of a gas station and asked the attendant if it would be OK to park my scooter there until I could get it later. I thought I would be late to work for sure; fortunately, a taxi came to get gas just a few minutes later, so I lucked out.

After work I walked back to the gas station, retrieved my scooter, and pushed it to a shop. I got it back this evening (Monday). I guess a piston was no good or misfiring or something (I'm definitely not a mechanic). Anyway, I'm on the road again.

While it was a bit inconvenient to be without my wheels for a couple of days, it was also nice in a way. Taking the bus is better for the environment, and walking to and from the bus stops provided some much needed exercise.

I was without a scooter for the first sixteen months in Taiwan. During that time I saw so much more of my neighborhood when I walked. I didn't have this gut I've developed, either. ☹

Today, along the 15 minute walk from the bus stop to my work, I took a couple of photos:

This is the river through Taoyuan City that heads to Nankan, where I live.

This flyer was posted in a community real estate bulletin board. I have no idea why George Bush is on it. Maybe because he's pointing up to the words 就在附近 (it's just close by)?

A new year

Well, it's certainly been awhile.

Ugh, I don't have the energy to catch up on the past six months or so since I've made a blog post. Too much Facebook.

However, to ring in the new year, I thought I'd post a couple of pictures.

Some gifts and souvenirs I've collected. I got the mahjong set in Vietnam; the tea set, mask screen, and kokeshi doll were gifts; and the blue vase was left in the apartment when I moved in.

A closeup of the kokeshi doll, a treasured Christmas gift from my friends in Taipei.

I took a long walk today; I definitely need the exercise. Along the route I took this shot of pampas grass, with the Tai Mall parking structure in the background. It's not meant to be creative or artistic. It's just a photo I wanted to take.