Wednesday we all went to the city of TsingHua, south of TaiChung, where I gave a talk. During my talk, Mary Jo sat in an office and read Middlemarch on the iPad. Then, after lunch, to Lukang which is an old port city. There we walked through some old streets, similar to the old Hutong area in central Beijing, and visited the Lukang folk museum. This museum is housed in a 19th century mansion, or more accurately, complex of buildings, owned by a wealthy family. Lots of this and that in the museum. The mansion was quite interesting.

Jerry is impressed and amused at Mary Jo's knowledge of Taiwanese food. Jerry talked about a certain breakfast dish, and Mary Jo remembered it and said she liked it very much. So, Wednesday morning we went to a "hole in the wall" eating place carved into the corner of a building. Open on the street side with heavy plastic sides, full of people, a lively scene. We had bowls of hot soy milk into which we dipped sticks of fried dough. The fried dough was lighter than that found at Ocean City or Myrtle Beach, and the combination was amazingly good. 

On Monday, Mary Jo mentioned a certain food that she remembered from her time in Taipei many years ago. The local grocery store did not have it. So, when we were at the university in TsingHua, someone gave Mary Jo a package of this item that had been purchased for us. We had it for dinner after our return from TsingHua and Lukang. It turned out to be some large rice balls with meat in the center and a gravy to be poured over the top. These are comfort foods that are a good contrast to the rather elaborate meals that we have been eating.

Thursday morning Mary Jo and i took a cab to the big Sogo department store, bought Jerry a small gift (place mats), and walked back to the apartment. At first view the urban scene is chaotic, a sensory overload. After a while the sights sort themselves out and our walk back helped us do this. The picture shows some ducks, getting ready for a Peking duck dinner.

We spent Saturday resting in the hotel, walking a little in the neighborhood, and shopping in the enormous Harbor City complex. This shopping complex is adjacent to the docking area for cruise ships and there were always several at the piers. The cruise ships, and the shopping arcade, seem to contain mostly Asian tourists while the shops sell well-known Western brands. Thus, an example of Asians buying Western designed goods (which may be manufactured in Asia). In the evening, a drink and light supper at the top of the Peninsula Hotel, adjacent to our hotel.

Sunday we were up at 4:30AM for a 5:15 bus to the airport for our flight to Taiwan. We were met at the Taipei airport by Jerry Shih, our host, driven to Taichung, and comfortably established in his apartment.Seventh floor, modern building, great Japanese toilet with heated seat and built in bidet with control panel. Jerry lives there by himself; his wife and kids are in Dallas. Napped, walked around the neighborhood. In the evening we went to a 'night market' where Mary Jo enjoyed some 'stinky tofu'.

Monday Jerry took us on an excursion, with Nai Hua (my former student), to Sun Moon Lake. This is a lake in the mountains, built during the Japanese occupation for hydroelectric power, later a retreat beloved by Chiang Kai Shek, and today a popular and beautiful tourist destination. Walked a bit on one of many trails, had lunch at fine restaurant in the lovely Lalu Hotel overlooking the lake. 

Yesterday we took the old Star Ferry across Victoria Harbor from Kowloon where we are staying to Hong Kong proper, and then took the 'peak tram' to near the top of Victoria Peak on Hong Kong. At the top is a park. We took a one hour walk that circles Victoria Peak. Nice paved trail, interesting foliage, very foggy off the mountain so the views were not great. Then lunch, and decided to walk back to the start of the tram. The way down was *very* steep, took over an hour and left us with rather wobbly legs. All told we went 5-6 miles. Then back to the ferry and Kowloon and a good nap before a late supper.

The Hong Kong side, at least near the water, is full of skyscrapers, overhead walkways, international businesses. The Kowloon side seems flatter, much shopping, restaurants, a nice waterfront park. Many people on both sides. One can buy a Rolex watch at one of the many Rolex stores, or a Rolex imitation from one of the many people standing on the street. We both read an article in the latest New Yorker on a fashion designer that runs the store Bottega Veneta. The store offers a hand bag for about $7,000. We went to a local Bottega Veneta store to have a look. Nice, well made, no logo on the outside of the bag, no sale. Dinner at a restaurant with a characteristic animated atmosphere.

Boarding the Cathy Pacific (CP) flight in LAX we walked through the luxurious pads in business class to join the huddled masses in the rear of the plane. But the seats in this 15 hour flight are comfortable with adequate leg room. Also one can have ramen noodles any time during the flight! I am a fan of CP.

My 15 hours were spent sleeping, listening to some music, reading the autobiography of Booker T Washington (I recommend it highly), standing and flexing some muscles, eating the offered meals plus ramen noodles, and composing this blog entry on our iPad. I also drew from memory a sketch of the Hong Kong skyline as seen from our soon-to-be room in Kowloon at the YMCA hotel where we will stay. If the sketch, composed of course using the iPad/brushes app, works out I will post it on the blog.

                                                                  Our airplane