Friday was, for me, relaxing, having given my second and last lecture on Thursday. There was a dinner afterwards at a fancy restaurant with Western-style food. Friday evening Jerry, Nai Hua, and another former student, Lu, took us to dinner. A warm occasion as we all said our goodbyes. Today (Saturday) we take the train to Taipei, for the next phase of our trip.

In Taichung, and I think in other cities, a garbage truck drives around picking up trash from buildings on a daily basis. The truck plays a tune that I hear frequently as it passes near. The tune has a pleasant, plaintive quality but is mildly annoying after being heard for the nth time.

There are many small neighborhood temples scattered throughout Taichung; perhaps one for each district, according to our host Jerry. There are even one or two on the University campus. I think this is the case also in Taipei and other cities, perhaps throughout the country. These temples are places where someone can come to make a wish, pray if that is the right word, get a glimpse of the future. There is an image of some perhaps fierce-looking god, and various small dishes of food, and some other items. The temple is the size of a small house, open at the front, perhaps with some stairs leading up, and open to the public. According to Jerry these temples are funded by gifts from the neighborhood.

(Later) The bullet train from Taichung to Taipei was exactly on time and very smooth. From the window one saw towns, some mountains, small farms with a crazy quilt of rice fields. According to an sign in the carriage, the train reached the speed of 285 km/hr = 177 mph.