Terrific Taiwan Part One ....

Continuing on with my posts about our latest overseas adventure ...

[you can read about my DS1 and DDIL1's 12 hour photo shoot photos and then the Pre-wedding rituals and ceremonies, the wedding itself and then the post-wedding shenanigans, if you follow any of these links]

.... Well, after all of the excitement of the wedding (and the karaoke) you would think that we would all have taken it quietly after that.  But no, not at all.  The next day, my DDIL's mother organised for us to visit a huge Buddhist monastery complex which was about an hour or two away.

So, the next morning, she turned up in a big bus (for about 10 or so of us) which happened to include a special facility - you guessed it!  Karaoke! - to take us all there.  DDIL loved the Karaoke (did I tell you that is how DS1 and she first met, at a Karaoke party), so it was Taiwanese singing all the way there and back - lol!

When we arrived, what was the first thing we saw in the bus parking area - the toilet facilities built to look like a bus!

The entire complex was only built a few years ago and is quite enormous.  These next few photos are just the entry way.

Of course, once we got inside, as Food and Eating are the other Taiwanese favourite pastimes apart from Karaoke, we had to stop for lunch  - $10 for an all you can eat vegetarian buffet prepared by the Buddhist monks.

Then it was off to explore all of the towers and to find the giant Buddha.

Stunning vista, isn't it?

There were also some gorgeous shops in the complex, selling these beautiful glass pieces.

[Updated: Quite a few people have asked me if we bought one of these lovely pieces of glassware (the blue one seems to be everyone's favourite).  Unfortunately, no, it was very expensive and also, TraderVic and I were worried about how we would get it home in one piece - so sorry, no new glassware is gracing my home, these days.]

Then, on the way home, we visited one of the oldest street markets in Taiwan.

Now, what you need to understand about Taiwanese street markets, is that unlike all of the other street markets I have visited during my travels in South-east Asia, the Street markets are all about the Food, there are not a lot of stalls selling trinkets  and other bits and bobs as you might expect to see.

These are glazed strawberries - absolutely delicious!

This stall holder is cooking quail eggs.

I hope that you have enjoyed this visit with me of Day Four of our time in Taiwan.

Stay tuned for further posts of our adventures over the next few weeks.

hugs, 

Post-Taiwanese wedding shenanigans.....

Continuing on with my posts about our latest adventure overseas ...

[you can read about my DS1 and DDIL1's 12 hour photo shoot photos and then the Pre-wedding rituals and ceremonies......  and then the wedding itself, if you follow any of these links]

...... but today I am going to tell you about the After Party - yes, TraderVic and I actually went to an Afer Party!  lol!

The wedding was over, all thirteen courses consumed, DDIL had worn many wedding gowns and hundreds of photos had been taken. So, do we all go and put our feet up?  No, this is Asia, what do we do?  We go to Karaoke!

Now, TraderVic and I have never ever performed Karaoke but it was so much fun!

However, I do have a confession to make.....

When we arrived in Taiwan on the Thursday morning, my back had gone out something shocking - I was in a lot of pain with it and had limited movement.  Despite going for a Chinese massage on the Friday, by Saturday morning, the day of the wedding, I could barely move.  I was actually in the shower, crying, I was in so much pain.

However, my Mum and Dad did not raise a quitter and, as they say, the show must go on and there was no way I was going to or could even consider missing the wedding, so popping three nurofen at a time, I went and got my hair done, got dressing in my finery and made it to the wedding on time.

Now, as you can see, I am looking very happy in the wedding photos, that is because once there, for some reason (quite unknown), I started drinking whiskey (must have been the pain meds as I am not a whiskey drinker - or maybe the fact that white wine is hard to get in Asia).  I can tell you, it helped relax my back immensely - as you can tell by the silly grin on my face!

Hang on, there is more confession to come.  As I said and as you can see above, in the evening, Karaoke was on the agenda.  There were over twenty of us, in the end, half DDIL's Taiwanese friends and half DS1's friends and us.  Now, if you have never been, Karaoke is WILD!

Why is it WILD?  Well, apparently, the drink of choice at Karaoke is Vodka.  So, trying to blend in with the crowd (and relieve the pain in my back), I switched to Vodka as my tipple!  Well, I can tell you, I had a ball (as you can see from the photo above) and my back gave up being the ghost of Christmas Past and stopped hurting altogether - probably numb from all of the alcohol.

Luckily for me, everyone else was drinking vodka, too, so no one will remember my singing!  lol!

Anyway, after several hours of Karaoke, we eventually made our way back to the hotel to get some sleep for the next day's adventure. A great part about all of this was that I did not have a hangover the next morning, it was a turning point for my back (it steadily improved after that) and now have a newfound love for Karaoke!

So, that is my drunken confession.  Shh! Don't tell anyone.  lol!

hugs,  

Taiwanese Wedding - Part Two ......

... in my  earlier posts on our trip I showed you: some of my DS1 and DDIL1's 12 hour photo shoot photos and then the Pre-wedding rituals and ceremonies. Well, this post I will tell you about the actual wedding day.

This is the foyer outside the reception room in the hotel:

One thing I have learnt about Taiwanese weddings is that it is ALL about the PHOTOS!

Yes, that is broccoli that one of my DS1's friends is holding - it is the guys' equivalent of catching the bridal bouquet (I never quite got to the bottom of the significance of it, though).

Now, I must tell you a funny story.  When TraderVic and I first arrived in Taiwan, my DDIL's mother upon meeting TraderVic for the first time commented to her daughter that "He is a very handsome man", a compliment which TraderVic was happy to accept.  Well, at the wedding, when we were doing the rounds of the tables with the happy couple, when we arrived at the table of my DDIL's young girlfriends (all in their mid-twenties). Each and everyone, took one look at TraderVic in his navy suit, called out 007 (the new James Bond movie had just come out in Taiwan) and each one had to have a photo taken with TraderVic and put it on their FB page - lol!  Well, does TV have swelled head now! lol!  Although you must admit he does scrub up well.  Here he is, with me (on the right) and my DSister1.

... and, of course all about the FOOD!  A thirteen course banquet!

Believe it or not, this dish below is Frog ovaries!

Well, that is all for now, this post has taken me a few days to write (I always find it takes ages to get the photos together), but I am eager to get it posted online.

Have a Happy Friday everyone, 

hugs, 

Taiwanese wedding... Part One

... in my earlier post on our trip I showed you  some of my DS1 and DDIL1's 12 hour photo shoot photos.  Well, this post I will tell you about the pre-wedding day ceremonies that took place.

The day before the wedding, there were a number of traditional rituals and ceremonies which had to take place, all presided over by one of the family matriarchs who was there to ensure that all was done properly.

TraderVic and I, along with my DSister1 and several of DS1's friends, were staying at the hotel, the Chateau de Chine, where the wedding was to take place the next day. We were all picked up by various family members to be taken to DDIL1's house where the first of the ceremonies were to take place.

When we arrived, our DIL was waiting up in her bedroom (in her white wedding dress) for her groom to win his way to her.  However, he and all of us were not yet allowed inside the house. DS1 had to perform a number of tasks successfully - the Heng Tai challenge-  just to be allowed in the house to speak to her parents.  If he failed these tasks he was then "punished".

In this task the boys had to create a shape with their bodies, post it to FB and get 20 likes in ten minutes for DS1 to be able to move to the next task.

The "punishments" were all fun things he had to do as well!

Eventually he made it into the house where our DDIL's parents were waiting.

Then, DS1 performed a few more tasks and punishments but finally managed to make it up the stairs to where his bride was waiting.  He got down on one knee and proposed to her again - luckily she said "Yes!"

Then it was back in the cars, back to the hotel (which represented DS1's home), DDIL had to walk through fire to get into the building and then there were lots more photo ops and then the tea ceremony.  Sorry, there are no pictures of that, as TraderVic and I were the centre of this piece of the action. Our DIL had to serve us ceremonially serve us tea and give us ritual gifts of rice and bean.

It was all very beautiful and moving, with even more excitement to come as the wedding banquet was to be the next day!

That is all for now, 

hugs,