Tuesday 20 September 2011

Happy Birthday-- (~_~;)

I used to like birthdays.... Friends, Family and some new Toy....

Well.... That still seems to be the tradition but some how I felt more shy about it this year.... Maybe it's because of the people around me or just that I know I'm starting to get older.... I know I shouldn't be complaining but it just go's to show that I'm starting to get older when I spend a whole ¥3500 (about $45CDN) on a new scale for my birthday....




My birthday present for my self....



A new scale!!!!




And!!

It's pink!!!! Woo ooh!!!!


Rather the pink model was the only colour left at the store and it was marked 50% off from ¥7000... I think I got a good deal.

This year.... I'm hoping gain some health and shed some weight off.




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Location:Togane,Japan

Trip to Taiwan!!!

Hey everyone!!!! So it's been a few days now, but I just got back from my trip to Taiwan!

Taiwan was awesome! And the food was great!

I arrived in Taiwan on Thursday and when I got to the airport I pulled out my iPhone to download the maps to the hotel and set my GPS.

I didn't know this at the time but Taipei is connected together by a 3/4 line subway system connecting the major area of the city..

When I looked up the route via my iPhone I was given a much more local route....

Rather .... The non tourist route... I think?

When I got to the Airport Bus station I tried my best to speak Chinese, my iPhone Dictionary and use a map to ask for ticket.

After much confusion I was able to get a ticket.....

Long story short ... I was able to lookup the area the bus was headed and found out it was going the wrong way..... Taking it with a gran of salt, I went back to the counter and asked for my money back ( I love my Chinese dictionary)







(6:30am) Anyways.... I got on the local bus... Busy suits and students jumping on and off the bus







Hey look!! Huge fruit!!






(9:00) So we stopped at this small place to get some late breakfast and I try my best to speaking in Chinese and order some food.... Of course the whole menu was in Chinese and I could only make out a little.... I order some type of fried dumpling loaded with chives and a fried bread stick. Then I gave up with the menu and just pointed to a bowl of soup an elderly man was eating ... The cook said something in Chinese and I passed him $200 (Taiwanese Dollers). And he took $100 and gave me $30 back in change.....

Breakfast for two : TW$ 70 = CD$ 2.33 = ¥177. That was breakfast for two.... And it was awesome.






Later that day we meet up with a good friend of ours Kenken who uses to live in Victoria.. Then she took us to this awesome restaurant that was super busy... We waited 45 min (This is a weekday) to sit down but it was totally worth the wait.





Awesome dumplings !!!







The we wandered over to Taipei 101 one of the tallest buildings in the world!
Almost 510 metres tall!!!







Here we go!






Look at all those small people!!!!

Thanks Kenken!!!!!


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After walking all over in the heat, we wandered over to a bubble tea place....






(5:30) I just ordered bubble milk tea... But I got it MAN sized !!!! This thing is bigger then my face!!!






(7:30). Later in the day we set off to meet some other friends of ours for dinner and walk around night market!!





FRIENDS!! Yahoo, Aya, Rocky and Satoko!! Eating awesome food and some type of fried oysters with eggs.. Super good






Food he was soo good and really cheap... I would spend a whole day here alone!!







After all that walking today... We all went for a foot massage (expect for Rocky who was too shy)
..... It hurt...








While the girls were finishing up their massages Rocky, Yahoo and I walk over to a food stand and we bought some kind of Tofu....


STINKY TOFU!!!! It's like the blue cheese of Tofu's with a wicked strong taste.





Actually it didn't tasted that bad.... And it went well with Taiwanese beer although I don't think I could eat an entire bag by my self....



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The next morning we set off to see a 3 famous government building that represent Education, People and Philosophy






Although it was wicked hot it was an interesting place to go...





And every 45 min these guys change shifts and down a little performance... Which in the heat is a pretty brutal job.










Anyways .... The last day we went for Hot Pot ( a type of pot of soup were burner in placed in the centre of the table and as it boils you add different meats and veggies.)


Thanks Yahoo for treating!!!!!





Ok.... That was fun... But catching the last train home is tiring....

Tom

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Sunday 4 September 2011

Back in Victoria and Summer Work!

So I'm back in Canada well.. (as of three weeks ago) and I've been super busy... (Like always)

As I mentioned in my last post, I have been busy with a Group of students from Miyagi Gakuin (A University from up around Sendai Japan) . 

My job includes touring, entertaining, teaching (About Victoria) , taking care of admin matters and generally making sure everyone is having a good time!!

Thus, Over the last three week have been to almost every tourist attraction in town. Including Whale watching and Butchart Gardens and it has been a blast.  And rather tiring. This summer wasn't as busy as last summer with the Morioka - Victoria Project but it has been a lot of fun.



Dragon Boat

Volleyball

Riding the ferry


In other news, some of the Josai International students are in Victoria studying at Camosun College on a 海外研修(Oversea's Research) summer course.  I was able to bump into them and help them native head bands...

Almost complete
Meeting for Lunch with JIU students


Anyways,  This summer has been a busy one.... and I have to start heading back to Japan tomorrow... I hasn't left me much time with my family but " No rest for the wicked "

-Tom