Shaolai and Yuanzuei hike - June '10

Mihwa and I took a day to hike Yuanzuei (birds beak) from the backside, first "conquering" Shaolaishan which is a little higher but monumentally more mundane...with the exception of the gaunlet of snakes, wasps and bears you have to run. It was a foggy day that brought both cool and beauty.





a monstrous tree that required multiple images and some post production work to include here.

A new family member - May 2010

A friend from work asked if we were ready for a cat. Ailey has been all about the dogs these days but put that on hold until we repatriate.

Introducing #84, Billy Whiteshoes Johnson, born ~April 1, 2010.

Ailey's school activity - March 2010

Ailey's class presented this little song and dance to an apparently empty auditorium. Ailey makes a cameo, behind another kid, about halfway through.

Ailey knocks out some homework - March 2010

Very impressed with Ailey's progress with Chinese characters. She's still a little shy about speaking but her comprehension is solid, her pronunciation perfect and her reading and writing coming along quite well
























Ailey copying characters - stroke order is very important.


Ailey writes her diary. She had been doing this during the tutoring session after school but we changed the program up a bit so she does this at home now. Pretty impressive (the smaller box to the right is the bo-po-mo phonetic alphabet which Ailey had to learn as well).



And after a grueling day of school and homework, its time to kick back and relax with a game of Blockhead!
























And to celebrate the end of the day, some fireworks in our dining room. Cant remember the festival but the fireworks ran all day long culminating with a parade that ran down the street next to our apartment until 10pm. The fireworks seemed to be going off inside the apartment they were so close. We were pretty sick and tired of it all by the end of the day.

Yuanzuei (Birdsbeak) hike - April 2010

With a Nike holiday but no school day off, Mihwa and I took the opportunity to do this crazy hike about an hour and a half outside of Taichung. Mihwa had done the hike before but I had no idea what I was getting into. Pretty hairy! Sore as hell the day after.

The one way tunnel leading to the trailhead










I think the sign says "dont fall off the cliff."















2180m = 7150 feet



A little poetic license perhaps?









































Paperbag trees - in case you ever wondered where those came from.


Actually these are bags placed around the pear fruit to keep the birds and insects away. The trees are scaffolded to keep the branches, and fruit, close to the ground for easy picking. Very strange sight to see entire hillsides of trees covered in paper bags.