Poor ankles

My poor ankles.
The right one is swollen, iced and wrapped up from getting sprained this morning.
The left one has holes and cuts in it from slipping in the bathroom the other day.

Poor things.

I'm a zombie. So glad I'm finally off, but not so glad that the next few days will be shuttling and walking all around Shenzhen on an injured ankle and tired spirit and a fatigued body.

I need rest. Forget the dishes. I'm going to bed.

Running on reserve

After a six-day run, they asked me to come in to work today. I'm all out of energy and can't focus anymore, but I only have three more days. I think I can do it. I must. I must. I must. Focus. Focus. Focus. No complaining. I will stop saying I'm tired.

Just when I needed my flat most, I have no water there and have to commute between Danshui and Taipei. I've been getting a ride from Mom, Dad and Daniel, but I think I'll just bite the bullet, drive and pay for parking so they won't have to suffer with me.

THREE MORE DAYS.

Sweet potato man

At half past midnight, when I was sound asleep, came this SMS from my sweet potato:

米雪辣！白天很唐突的來電...抱歉！記得妳的第一眼映像猶在...雙眼明亮，嬌媚！個子小小的。當我注視妳時，妳深遂雙眼，讓人動心...超美！心意一股的想妳也與我相同獲得能令人幸福的法華經！想妳是否幸福？期望妳人生路途都是滿滿幸福善緣，能接遞每一刻喜悅，倘若辛苦時分來臨，仍有志者相助，或許這些全是無關之語，但仍希望妳生命能是最幸福，每一刻...地瓜

If only single guys would write me such nice letters...

No water

When I got home after work, I turned on the water for just a little bit to wet my hands. I then soaped up and turned the tap back on to rinse it off. And there was no water. I tried another sink. No water there either. My hands all covered in soap, I tissued it all off and then called my landlady's mom. She said there's nothing wrong with the water service, but there's a notice by the lift that says the water tower was being repaired and the water will come back on in three days. Three days!! My landlady's mom invited me over to shower at their place. It was very nice of her, but I didn't want to bother her family. Plus, people were about to deliver the washer and dryer Mom and Dad purchased for me (Thank you, Mom and Dad!!) and I needed to attend to them. What a great day to get a washer installed.

I suppose I missed the notice because I'm always in a hurry on the way out in the mornings and too tired to see when I come home at night.

So I called Mom and she just laughed and said "take a taxi and come home." So now I am home in Danshui. I guess I'll be getting a ride from Dad for the next few days. Lucky me!

Brian and I had a visitor

Grandma!

We had dinner together last Wednesday at Shanghai Shanghai (紅豆食府), and she came over to see the flat afterwards.

It was so nice to see her. It had been an entire year!

Reporting from Chiang Kai Shek Memorial

Photos from an embedded advertising story promoting FTV's actors and drama, "愛."

This was at the NCC festival which took place at Chiang Kai Shek Memorial.

Hard-working actors. Unfortunately, more than hard work is required for success.









Roy is such a nice guy. He's like a little brother to me. He's been saying that he wants to become a reporter, so yesterday, I let him do one of the easy reports. It turned out well. Maybe we'll try again soon.

Dinner with UCI alumni

Vivian, Ipin, Greg, Kevin and I had okonomiyaki and monjayaki Sunday evening.





Not quite tasty, and not quite like what we had in Tokyo. But I suppose interesting enough for people really curious about Japanese pop culture.

I miss the monja outings with Yuko and the gang in Tokyo. I can't remember the taste very well, but memories of the fun are still fresh in my head.

Goofing around during lunch

Organic and absolutely delicious yellow pimentos from Amy and Takeki.



Goofing around with Mr Tree.



Lunch pieced together with love from Mom (the apple, half of which I shared with Abby), Abby (the fresh date), Amy & Takeki (pimento) and my landlady's mother (taro cake). It was quite healthy, too. But also SO COLD!

Date

Someone asked me for a date today - the guy on the corner who bakes and sells sweet potatoes with this wife and baby daughter.

He asked, "can I ask you to come to the sutra reading with me sometime?"
This guy wears no shirt all year round, except for when he is reading a sutra.

I said, "no thank you."
He asked, "then can I take you out sometime?"

I declined. I'm not being too picky, am I?

Boy, I'm glad I started steaming my own sweet potatoes.

Daniel and his fish

He really loves fish. Live fish AND cooked fish.



This was from dinner with Daniel and Quyen at 立花 (Rikka) near my flat. It was the first time we were there, and probably also the last time.

President's son and daughter-in-law have a baby

Chen Ruijing had a baby girl at 12h17 Tuesday, and I was there from 13h45 to 19h30 that day. The reporting went pretty well, and I felt more comfortable and confident. But I must say, standing in 8 cm stiletto heels for six hours in the cold was not exactly comfortable.



In Judy Collection top to bottom.



Cameraman Roy



Reporting live from National University Hospital on Tuesday.
Other news crews



I wasn't about to sit on the ground with them



A big thank you to 蝦仁哥 ("Shrimp," our driver) for the hot chocolate

Reporting from the zoo

Reporting live from the Taipei Zoo last Sunday afternoon.


It sure was cold.

Here's the story for the evening news.

107L10M1 生2+ 動物禦寒 1800
這波冷氣團真的滿冷的,您知道[動物]是怎麼禦寒的嗎?動物園貼心的準備麻布袋,紅毛猩猩
把布袋當成衣服來保暖,有的動物怕冷,乾脆躲起洞裡去,透過鏡頭，帶您到木柵動物園，一
塊來看看
##

啊～恩，好睏好睏～
披著麻布袋，紅毛猩猩歐吉桑打瞌睡
小猩猩呢，在一旁耍牛仔，抓著麻布袋甩來甩去
玩累了，乾脆打開，鑽進去，睡個懶覺
這麻布袋，其實不只是玩具，是動物園幫牠們準備的禦寒工具之一

木柵動物園動物組組長 趙明杰
紅毛猩猩從熱帶來
婆羅洲 蘇門答臘
當初在規劃場地的時候
我們有考慮到台灣的氣候比較冷
所以我們做一些熱水管經過地板面

冷颼颼的，松鼠猴乾脆窩在樹洞裡，反過來和參觀的民眾對望
台灣獼猴呢，三五個好朋友擠一擠，暖和又溫馨

民視記者 翁郁容
我們現在來到爬蟲館
這邊有黃頭陸龜和紅腿陸龜

木柵動物園動物組組長 趙明杰
兩爬這些不是恆溫的動物
生理活動是受外界天候的影響
像這樣的寒流的狀況
我們裡頭一定會開一些保溫的設施
像有保溫燈 甚至還有保溫墊

離燈泡最遠，看起來神勇不怕冷的烏龜，原來腳底下藏著暖盤喔!

貼心的保暖設施，天氣再冷，這些動物都不怕

民視新聞 翁郁容 蔡明政 SNG小組 台北報導

Special announcement

Friends and family, please email me for the special announcement.

Yasukuni

After paying respect to the gods, off to the food vendors we go!


たこ焼き~



We have to look good even while waiting in line



We have to look busy even while waiting for customers



Mother or sister? Sometimes I forget.



Look what I've got and you haven't



Why the Japanese population is in rapid decline

New year's wishes

増上寺

Giving thanks for a wonderful 2006 and praying for a good 2007.


With Mama and Pearl



Grandma's friends



Tokyo Tower in the background



Heading home with good luck and bags full of lucky charms



Outside the convenience store with Pearl, looking nicely coordinated in neon-colored, puffy technical wear