17/09/2009 by paul.

When I got married to the lovely Jo, I knew there would be many things that would change in my life, and that I would be introduced to new things. One of these things is the game of Mah Jong. We’re not talking about a strange matching tile thing that you get with Windows, we are talking about a tactical game that is played over four rounds which is a cross-breed between Gin Rummy and dominoes. The tiles used look like this….

On the second row of tiles from the bottom you can see the characters for counting. These ‘character tiles’ used in the game are the same figures used for counting in Taiwan, China and other places. I asked Hsinte about Mah Jong. It is not really played in Taiwan because of its Chinese roots. During Chinese rule, gambling was forbidden, however, Mah Jong was allowed, despite the vast amounts of money that are often played for. So at the same time as Taiwanese people were arrested for gambling Chinese people were allowed to play Mah Jong. If this ‘double standard’ was not sufficient, Hsinte also told me about ‘political Mah Jong’. Bribery and corruption, like gambling were against the law, but Mah Jong was legal. So if you wished to bribe someone you would play Mah Jong, and play in such a way as to loose and in effect hand your money over to the opposition. Legal bribery - great….

I think I might now have a different image in my mind when I sit down to play Mah Jong with my inlaws on Boxing Day!

Hope you all have a wonderful day - there’ll be more about mine shortly.

P
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16/09/2009 by paul.

Well here I am sat writing in my room with the air con on full blast at 8pm and it still 27 C!!

I’ve had an amazing day. But first I must apoglise for my brief first message that made little sense - a small out-working of jetlag! I set off from Manchester at 3.30pm on Monday, flew to Heathrow, changed there for a flight to Hong Kong. The 11.5 hour flight was made slightly shorter by watching the film mamoth ‘Troy’. It was good but perhaps I’m biased because the other option was staring at a wall for 11 hours! Unfortunately when we got to Hong Kong there had beena typhoon, so the planes that were due to land had been circling for hours. We had to join the queue and were two hours late in landing. This meant I missed my connecting flight, but nothing that a kind chinese person couldn’t sort out. The PCT office in Taipei had kindly sent someone to pick me up - who hung around for a few hours until I showed up. He brought me along the freeway into Taipei city centre to Hsinte’s house. You can see both these place on the map below (I cant work out how to show it zoomed in, so you’ll have to do it!)

View Taiwan - Day 2 in a larger map

Hsinte’s flat is above the church and you can see the Taipei 101 building from the front door. I wrote some gobbledegoog on my blog and to Jo and then I went to sleep!

This morning we set off at 9am with a senior citizen group from the church. In a bizarre kind of way (which was also wonderful) we went to a local water company treatment plant (location on map!). After a short tour of the water we head back to the air conditioned office for fellowship. This included full four part hymn singing accepella, a Romanised Taiwanese reading of Luke 10 - the good samaritan, and a twenty minute sermon given by one of the members. The translation I was given sounded really good! After the fellowship we were given presents. I’m now the proud owner of a ‘make-your-own’ pen holder, a pen, some cake, some speciality bread (like 5 loaves worth - enough for 5000?), and some drugs for making iced tea. Yes they gave everyone that - apparently that’s hospitality. Well, in actual fact not quite all, because we then headed off into the Guanyinshin mountains (between water place and Bali) to a restaurant for lunch. It was big. Very big. There was chicken and mango soup, rice, noodles, oysters in soy-type sauce, beef, fish (from England apparently!), cabbage, red vegetable, more soup and then melon. Afterwards, a trip further North toward Bali and a stop off at a farm (on map) to pick up some fruit for the forthcoming festival - not before trying some - a bit like a big grapefruit. Apparently some cultural things don’t change - I kept being handed more food because I was the youngest! The views from the car in the trip were something else - just a shame I haven’t bought a camera yet - someday soon I will and then I can share pics too.

I spoke to someone wonderful people today, and I think there’ll be some more tomorrow at the PCT offices.

Saisiat

P
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15/09/2009 by paul.

Afternoon/evening/morning*

* delete as appropriate! I’m very confused as to what time it is where, especially what time it is here.

I’ve arrived.

My bag has arrived.

This is good.

The home where I am staying seems lovely, and the minister hsinte, has got a fun packed week ahead for us. Tomorrow is a pensioners trip out to some part of Taipei I not heard of before. Thursday is the PCT offices (and hopefully a helping hand with the extension of the visa beyond 90 days - prayers please!). Saturday there’s a long trip planned to North Eastern coast. I’ll post here when I got something useful to stay other than I’ve arrive.

Hope you’re all well

P
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12/09/2009 by paul.

Please ignore the pre-emptive title - it’s not my doing, honest!

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