Kaohsiung in the News 高雄的新聞 (West 西) 2

There are 38 districts in Kaohsiung City.  The districts discussed here are all west of the Formosa Freeway (#3).  They're much more urban that districts east of the Formosa Freeway, have a much higher population density, and are generally less scenic. 高雄市分為38個行政區 。  這裡文章討論的行政區都位在福爾摩沙高速公路以西 ，  這些行政區和高速公路以東的行政區比較起來: 較熱鬧 、人口密度較高 、風景比較差。

1. Alian District 阿蓮區

1a. No recent news out of Alian.

2. Yanchao District 燕巢區

2a. A man fell to his death from a suspension bridge on the Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology campus.  The circumstances surrounding his fall have yet to be determined. 元旦驚傳噩耗 !  高雄男大生墜落校內吊橋身亡 (1)

3. Hunei District 湖內區

3a. A new apartment complex will be built in Hunei near Highway 1.  This complex's proximity to the Southern Technology Park is a selling point. 城安大未來  高科技S廊帶輕豪宅 (2)

4. Jiading District 茄萣區

4a. No recent news out of Jiading.

5. Luzhu District 路竹區

5a. Police were notified after a woman in Luzhu visited a local bank and tried to withdraw 1.2 million NT, thinking that the money would go to an interior design company.  The workers in the bank, suspecting fraud, called on the police to intervene.  The director of the Hunei Police Bureau urged people to be wary of similar scams. 警銀聯手戳破騙局  路竹警阻詐成功 (3)

6. Yongan District 永安區

6a. With the export of locally raised grouper to China blocked, many fish farmers in Yongan and other places are finding a market for grouper in local elementary schools.  As part of this trend the Xigang Community Cooperative, in cooperation with Xigang Elementary School, is working to help students understand the value of local fish and local fisheries. 從食魚教育認識海洋永續 , 新港國小攜手社區 "班班吃石斑"

7. Gangshan District 岡山區

7a. The Chaoyou Industrial Co., Ltd. was recognized by the Kaohsiung City Fire Department for its donation of 1000 fire alarms to residents of Kaohsiung. 岡山區善心企業回饋社會  捐贈住警器

8. Ciaotou District 橋頭區

8a. A skatepark was built under the Qingpu (Chingpu) MRT station.  The local government has been consulting with local skateboarders on how to improve the facility. 市長視察滑板族的新樂園  橋頭區青埔捷運站下方滑板場工程

9. Mituo District 彌陀區

9a. There was a blood drive in Mituo. 關懷弱勢年終送暖  彌陀光和幸福社區舉行捐血活動

10. Dzeguan District 梓官區

10a. There was a large fire in a screw factory in Dzeguan.  Oil stored inside the factory caught fire and firefighters had a difficult time dealing with the blaze. 高雄梓官區螺絲工廠火災  廠內大量油料起火狂然

11. Dashe District 大社區

11a. Farmers in Dashe recently competed to see who grew the best Indian jujubes (Chinese dates).  The fruit was judged by its appearance, weight, sweetness and taste.  The competition was sponsored by the Dashe Farmer's Association. 大社區蜜棗品質評鑑與推廣活動  林美綉奪冠

12. Daliao District 大寮區

12a. Residents of Daliao and Fangshan districts receive a subsidy proportionate to the amount of land in each district within 2 km of a local landfill.  Many residents argue that the amount of the subsidy and the method in which it's calculated is unfair, given that the landfill impacts different areas in different ways. 大寮鳳山12里等無掩埋場回饋金  新任里長不滿比例遭減

13. Nandze District 楠梓區

13a. Someone left what appeared to be an explosive at an area set aside for recyclables in Nandze.  The bomb squad cordoned off the area and later discovered that the "bomb" -- if it was indeed a bomb -- lacked both a timer and a primer.  Police are still investigating the matter, and it's unclear as to whether the "bomb" was intended for detonation, intended to scare people, or simply a case of a resident dumping something in an inappropriate place. 高市楠梓區驚見疑似爆裂物  通報防爆小組

14. Renwu District 仁武區

14. The Executive Yuan has approved the extension of the High Speed Rail (HSR) system south into Pingtung.  Residents of Renwu, previously worried that the new rail line would extend along the Houjing River through an area where flammable materials are stored, were informed that another route would be chosen.  Many greeted this news with a sense of relief. 高鐵延伸屏東改路線不經過台塑仁武廠  地方樂觀其成 (4)

15. Dashu District 大樹區

15a. Dashu and nearby areas are experiencing a prolonged drought.  Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Qi-mai recently visited Dashu to inspect work related to a water purification plant there, and during his visit some residents showed up to protest the city's method of dealing with the water shortage.  Those protesting explained that some households in Dashu are still reliant on well water, and that the quality of water some residents receive from the local water utility is very poor. 高雄大樹逾百戶嘸自來水  水利署允協助

16. Zuoying District 左營區

16a. The owner of a combination roast duck/shrimp fishing business in Zuoying absconded from the property, claiming 7 million in debts and a great sense of shame.  The workers at this business have not received their pay. 高雄烤鴨店老闆跑路 ... 年菜烤鴨飛了  員工衰喊芭比Q了

17. Niaosong District 鳥松區

17a. No recent news out of Wusong.

18. Sanmin District 三民區

18a. There was a fire in a house in Sanmin District.  After putting out the fire local firefighters discovered a charred corpse on a living room sofa. 高雄三民區民宅也大火 !  火滅 後 "客廳沙發" 驚見1焦屍

19. Gushan District 鼓山區

19a. The cost of real estate in Kaohsiung keeps going up, and nowhere is this more evident than in Gushan District, the most expensive part of Kaohsiung to buy a house or an apartment.  The average cost of a property in this area is nearly double what it was 10 years ago.  As a result many current and prospective homeowners are borrowing large sums of money from local banks, 高雄房貸負擔揹十年來新高  鼓山區破千萬元 (5)

19b. The Gushan Police Station held a spring couplet calligraphy activity.  Money earned from the activity went to disadvantaged residents. 高雄鼓山警寒冬送暖新春揮毫

20. Qijin District 旗津區

20a. The Kaohsiung City Mayor visited Qijin District, where he distributed red envelopes in advance of the lunar new year.  While in Qijin the Mayor was asked about the by-election in Taipei, to which he replied "We're still waiting for the results."  旗津發紅包拜早年被問補選  陳其邁 : 靜待選局結果

21. Lingya District 苓雅區

21a. A fire broke out in a building in Lingya.  It was quickly extinguished and no one was hurt. 高雄苓雅區銀樓火警  10餘分鐘滅火未造成傷亡

21b. Police and the Environmental Protection Bureau were notified after a large pool of oil was found on a road in Lingya.  The oil was later cleaned up and the reason for the spill, the owner of a large truck who hadn't been properly maintaining the vehicle, faces a large fine. 高雄道路出現大片油漬  大貨車車主到案

22. Yancheng District 鹽埕區

22a. It probably comes as no surprise that the hotel business in Kaohsiung isn't doing well after two years of COVID.  The Breeze Hotel was foreclosed on in 2018 before it even opened, and this property has recently reentered foreclosure after a market reevaluation.  1天都沒有營業過 ! 鹽埕商旅養蚊5年再遭法拍

23. Qianjin District 前金區

23a. Two female police officers were applauded after they helped a motorist stranded in the middle of an intersection push his car out of the roadway. 駕駛嘸油  2正妹女警神救援助脫困

24. Xinxing District 新興區

24a. The exact details have yet to be confirmed, but according to witnesses the owner of a seafood restaurant in Xinxing attacked two drunken patrons in his restaurant.  The man, who is described in the article as "distraught," attacked one with a wine glass and another with a knife. 酒後爆衝突  高雄一海產店老闆拿菜刀砍傷酒客

25. Qianjhen District 前鎮區

25a. Kaohsiung City Councilmember Wu Ming-tse will host dinners for disadvantaged residents in Xiaogang and Qianjhen districts. 高市議員吳銘賜1/13起連3天在前鎮小港辦 "弱勢甘苦人尾牙"

26. Fengshan District 鳳山區

26a. There was a huge fire in an apartment building on Wenhua West Road in Fengshan.  No one was injured.

27. Xiaogang District 小港區

27a. There was a traffic accident involving five vehicles.  A bus crossing a double yellow line was the cause. 高雄小港5車連環車禍  竟是中巴司機點菸肇禍

28. Linyuan District 林園區

28a. Some residents owning farmland in Linyuan (not a great place for farming, by the way) are still protesting the Kaohsiung City Government's plan to expropriate their land for an extension of the Kaohsiung MRT system.  Many of those facing the loss of their land are claiming that the action is unjust, illegal, and represents those in power exploiting the poor.  The Kaohsiung City Government is trying to reach a compromise with the residents, but emotions are running high. 林園區段徵收  高市府 : 反對者納入 (6)

Related Entries 相關的文章:

Tainan in the News 台南的新聞 (South 南) 2

Taiwan 101: Pointless Questions

Thoughts on the Last Election

Pingtung in the News 屏東的新聞 (South 南) 7

NOTE: I usually try for 30 news item per entry.  For the extra two I rolled dice to select which two districts got an extra news item.

1. This university has several branches in Kaohsiung.  I believe the suspension bridge is in the campus closest to Foguang Mountain, on the other side of a ridge from Dashu District.

2. Hunei is very far north, right across the city line from Tainan, and an apartment complex going up there is a slightly bigger deal.  The technology park is to the east of the development in Tainan City.

3. What's often most surprising about these cases of fraud (or attempted fraud) is how adamant the victims are that they aren't being defrauded.  I know this from personal experience.  A couple of my in-laws have been tricked out of their money in similar fashion.

4. A lot of people in Pingtung City, where the HSR stop would be located, or banking on that stop to revitalize their economy.  While I think that integrating Kaohsiung and Pingtung's transportation systems is the right thing to do, I doubt the return on the central government's investment is going to be as big as people in Pingtung City think.  How many people will want to get off the train in Pingtung City?  For what reason?  For how long?  There are plans for a science/industrial park in Pingtung City near the the HSR stop, but I don't think HSR + science park automatically means growth.

This is a complex issue, and I'm not doing it justice here, but there does seem to be a rush to just build something without thinking about whether it's worth building or not.

5. Will a larger proportion of homeowners in this area start defaulting on their mortgages?  If so we might see the real estate bubble finally burst.

6. Honestly, I think this is nonsense.  The benefit to residents in that area far outweighs the "property rights" of a few landowners.  The outraged landowners even brought British history and the U.S. Constitution into the argument, apparently unaware of the concept of eminent domain.

The Wind 風

They never tell you about the wind.  Up to a few months ago I only came here in the summer, when the sky is blue and the weather's hot, and I never thought about the wind unless I went to the beach and saw the red flags flying. 人們不會跟你說的是風有多強!  我以前都是夏天來恆春， 看到的是藍藍的天空 ， 感受到的是炎熱的天氣 ，在沙灘上偶爾看到代表風浪強的紅旗跟著風搖來搖去。

In the winter it's another story.  In the winter the wind is everywhere, and even in the confines of my house I can hear it shrieking through the trees, pushing things over, and making a nuisance of itself in other ways. 這裡的冬天完全不一樣 。  冬天的時候風無處不在， 連我在房子裡都能聽到風吹打樹木的聲音， 或是推倒其他東西的碰撞聲。

At night, when I'm trying to sleep, I can hear the wind raging against the walls of my house.  I take some comfort in the fact that this house was built long ago, and has withstood many such onslaughts, but just the same it's hard to ignore the fury of the wind.  I hear the metal shutters outside my bedroom window complain, I hear the window frames slap together, and I hear the groan of trees across the street.  The wind will not let anything be. 晚上睡覺時會聽到強風撞擊著房子的牆壁 ，  還好我住的舊房子頂住了多年的強風仍屹立不搖，  只會聽到外面的風聲而已 。  我會聽到窗戶外面鐵門的拍打聲、窗框＂咖咖咖＂的撞擊聲， 和外邊的樹枝樹葉摩擦搖晃的聲音。  風不會讓任何地表上的任何物品鬆口氣！ 

It's the same when I ride my bike to school.  Sometimes I have to think about what I'll wear each day, avoiding any loose clothing.  I often have to hold my hat upon my head as I ride out of the village, and when I near the big temple gate I have to bow down low, straining my legs against the force of the wind.  As I struggle forward I see bits of plants and plastic that the wind has sent hurtling across the road, each bit destined to land in some other place, far beyond my sight. 我騎單車到學校也一樣 ，  我有時候要考慮一下當天要穿什麼衣服 ， 不可以穿寬鬆的衣物 。  我從村子出發的時候要用手壓好我的帽子 ， 靠近廟的牌樓時要彎腰 ， 並用力踏單車的踏板 。  風那麼強大 ， 連路邊的雜草和塑膠垃圾都被吹到莫名其妙的遠處 。

The wind.  Occasionally it's a perfect day, with the sun shining just as brightly as it does in the summer, but then the wind reasserts itself, reentering the towns and villages with a vengeance.  We'll have a moment of peace, only to have that moment disturbed by overturned scooters, lost umbrellas and scattered items of clothing. 那個風 !  偶爾天氣很好  ，像夏天一般艷陽高照 。 可是風會突然復活 ， 火大地回到各鄉村裡 。  只有一下子的平靜 ， 下一刻就是倒了的機車 、 不見了雨傘和找不到衣服的情景。 

There are times when I'm angry at the wind.  "There are things I want to do today," I protest, "But you're making them difficult." 我有時候跟風生氣 :  "我今天有想做的事 !" 我抗議 ! "你讓那些事變得難以達成 !"

There are times when I'm almost at peace with the wind.  "Rage on!" I yell, "I will not fall off my bike today!  I will press forward!" 我有時候可以接受強風的挑戰。  "來啊 !" 我大聲罵風 ， "我今天不會掉下腳踏車 !  我會一直往前走 !"

There are even times when I like the wind.  I'll be at home, in the midst of my cats, drinking a beer or watching a movie, and the sound of the wind's passage will make the inside of a living room seem more special, and more secure. 我有時候喜歡風 。  那是我在家跟貓咪一起坐在沙發上喝啤酒或看電影的時候 。 風在外面呼嘯的聲音讓客廳顯得更溫暖 ， 更牢固 。

The wind, the wind, the wind.  When will it stop?  When will another season arrive, so that I can go back to all my swimming and beachgoing, hiking and lazing in the sun?  None can say with certainty, but most of us are hoping that day comes soon. 風 、 風 、 風 !  風什麼時候會停下來 ?  下一個季節快到了嗎 ?  我很想游泳 ，很想到沙灘上， 很想去爬山 ， 也很想去曬太陽 。  沒有人可以肯定的說出那個時間， 但我們都希望那天早日到來。

They never tell you about the wind, but then again why would they?  The wind is a thing they'd like to forget, and not a thing to carry around in your thoughts on summer days.  The wind will disappear in the summer, when the sky is blue and the weather's hot, and at that time we won't think about the wind unless we go to the beach, and see the red flags flying. 沒有人會跟你說風的強大 ，為什麼要說呢 ?  他們都不要把風放在心上 ， 沒有必要在夏天想到 。  夏天的天空很藍 ， 天氣很熱 ， 只有去到沙灘看到紅色的旗子才會想到 。

But maybe the wind has other plans.  Only the wind can say. 也許風有其他的計畫 ， 那只有風可說 。

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Random Thoughts at the End of the Semester

Welcome back everyone, it's time for another round of "Random Thoughts," in which I try to amuse myself (if not others) with musings on various topics until the end of the semester.  As I type this first paragraph it's January 9, and I have exactly nine more days of work to go.

January 9

1. My wife went with our younger daughter to Taipei last Saturday morning, so it was just the cats and I all weekend.  My wife and younger daughter are visiting family up north, and also scouting hotels where my daughter might work next summer.  I had to work last Saturday so I wasn't able to go.

I watched four movies over the course of Saturday evening and all of Sunday, all of them from the 70s.  I watched a couple Russ Meyer movies (Supervixens and Up!), neither of which I liked, Operation Daybreak, a WWII film starring Timothy Bottoms and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother, which Gene Wilder wrote, directed and starred in.

Russ Meyer movies are all basically excuses for boobies, but they have a huge cult following and I feel like not seeing them and claiming to know a thing or two about 70s movies is weird.  For those who take them seriously, Russ Meyer movies can seem extremely misogynistic, but my chief complaint about them is that they're boring and don't make a lot of sense.  In this respect Up! is far worse than Supervixens, but both movies are still bad.

Operation Daybreak is a solid movie.  It's a bit slow in the beginning, but after the assassination attempt it gets very interesting.  I was surprised at how much I liked the Gene Wilder movie.  I've found him very annoying in other things, but Adventures is pretty funny.

Besides watching movies and drinking beer in my living room I rode my bike to Nanwan.  Along the way I followed some strange roads up into the hills and also around Longluan Lake.  I think I'm starting to get a feel for the geography of this area, how development is taking place, and how to adjust to the weather.  The wind was very strong for most of my ride south, but coming back north was relatively easy.

Nanwan was empty by the way.  I got there just before noon, and for most of my stay there wasn't a single person in sight aside from myself and the three women working at the Cowboy Bar & Grill.  I had a burger and a Coke, and after a short chat with the owner about the weather and the lack of customers I headed home.

And may the good Lord bless the girl at the bar who asked the owner if I was single.  She was shot down immediately ("He has a wife and kids.") but it did my heart good to hear it.  I turn 48 years old next Saturday, and it's nice to know that someone was interested.  I wasn't looking for that kind of attention, but it felt good to be noticed.

I only have two classes today, both in the afternoon.  From today every class I have will be the last class of the semester, and that's a great feeling.  I still don't know what next week's schedule will be, but if I have any classes they'll be remedial classes and I won't be taking them that seriously.  The students with the wherewithal to do so are going on a camping trip in Tainan for three days, and if I'm teaching anyone it'll be the few kids without resources to go camping.

I'll probably be reading this evening.  I'm 1/4 through The Best Science & Nature Writing of 2021.  COVID, COVID and more COVID.  I'm almost through the part that's explicitly about COVID, and hopefully the rest of the book is more interesting.

2. Oh yeah, I had my observation last Friday and it went well.  Everyone here seems happy with me so far.  As a result of that observation, my wife finding a job in Manzhou, and inquiries regarding going back to work in Taitung, I've decided to stay in Hengchun next year.  This decision isn't set in stone or anything, but barring some unforeseeable circumstance I should be in the same place, at the same times, next school year.

January 10

1. Starbucks and McDonald's aren't special for me anymore.  Back when I lived in Fangliao the nearest Starbucks and McDonald's were 25 minutes away by car, and even when I lived in Taitung getting to those two places involved some effort.  Now?  McDonald's and Starbucks are right on my way to school, and as a result I don't enjoy either place as much as I used to.

I had McDonald's for breakfast today.  Going to that restaurant before 7 is kind of annoying.  You can't order a latte off of the computer before 7, and if you try to do so you get a message that tells you lattes aren't available.  It matters not that you're placing an order at 6:59.  Not a great difficulty in my life, but definitely irritating.

2. Had three classes at the elementary school this morning.  The kids were very hyper, but other than that the classes were fine.  We played Jeopardy! online, read out of the textbook and wrote sentences for a bit.  Tomorrow's three classes will be my last there this semester.  I won't see them again until February.

3. After work I'm going to try to run to Guanshan.  In case anyone in Taitung is reading this, there's another Guanshan in Hengchun.  The Guanshan in Hengchun is a small town atop a hill.  There's an overlook there that many tourists visit on New Year's Eve, and the view up and down the coast from that point is impressive.

January 11

1. Last day of classes at the elementary school this semester.  Toward the end of the last class the "co-teacher" and I got to talking about department stores in Kaohsiung.  Apparently her favorite is the Hanshen Department Store near the Athletic Stadium MRT stop, though we agreed that it's a terrible place to eat lunch.  According to her that department store has the best selection of perfumes.

2. I still have two more classes at the junior high school this afternoon.  I'm fairly certain that 703 will be terrible, and that 706 will be much better.  The last time I had 703 they locked one of their classmates on the deck just before class, and the classmate trapped on the deck was using a dustpan to try to break the door open.

3. My wife and daughter returned from Taipei last night, and after I went running we drove down to the Kenting night market looking for dinner.  The stall selling fish and chips was closed and there wasn't much open.  I ended up eating soup dumplings, French fries, fried pork and a "meat ball" (肉球) that made me very sick.  On the plus side I found some of the Lithuanian IPA I love at the Hi-Life.

4. Today the powers that be decided that yes, I'm going with the students on the camping trip in Tainan.  I am OK with this decision because a) I won't be responsible for anyone's behavior and b) it's better than sitting in an office for three days.  Once I get back from the camping trip I'll be driving to Taitung, where I'll spend Chinese New Year in our apartment.

5. I've decided that for my birthday this Saturday I'd like to be in Kaohsiung.  I don't have any clear plan as yet, but I'd like to go to a nice restaurant that has a decent beer selection.  There are a couple bars/restaurants near Pier 2 that I'm considering, but I don't want to make any decisions until Friday.  BeerTalk doesn't have the best food but it's a fun place to sit.  There's also a cool Japanese restaurant we recently discovered on the other side of the port, closer to the 85 Skytower.

While we're in Kaohsiung I'd also like to visit the Eslite Bookstore in the FE 21 Department Store.  They don't have the best selection of books but I'll take what I can get.  If I have time maybe I can also find a used bookstore in the area.  If I recall correctly there used to be one near the Kaohsiung Train Station.

January 12

1. I'm spending the morning in the office because the students are taking their third semester test.  I am at peace with this development.

2. They're building something BIG behind my junior high school.  No idea what it is, but the hole they've dug is huge.  I went to the gate used by the workers to access the site but couldn't find that green sign that explains what the construction project is.

This construction project is right next to the Hengchun City Wall, a historical relic dating back to the Qing Dynasty.  Looking down at the big hole from the third floor, I couldn't help but wonder how many construction projects in Taiwan have uncovered bones or other archaeological finds that they either didn't recognize or which they quickly covered up.  Would there be an incentive to "overlook" such finds?  In this particular case I doubt it. -- the Hengchun Municipality Office is in charge of the project, and they seem to value such discoveries.  But would a private company be so forthcoming on finding something of historical/archaeological value?  I'm not sure.

3. While I was busy doing nothing this morning I called my dad in the States.  According to him my cousin has "given up teaching" in exchange for an administrative job in downtown Seattle (?).  I get it.  Teaching in the States isn't an easy thing now, marked as it is by both a strange lack of leadership and a lack of trust in individual teachers.  They ask for so much and give so little back.

4. Last night I watched 1976's At the Earth's Core, a hilariously bad science fiction movie starring Doug McClure and Peter Cushing.  It's a combination of Journey to the Center of the Earth, The Time Machine and a Japanese monster movie.  I loved the moog sound effects and the the flying rubber dinosaurs.

5. I'm really not sure if I'll be able to endure 1+ week of half days in the office.  After Chinese New Year I'll have to come back and sit here for a while, a thing I didn't have to do before because previous principals just let me go during the winter and summer vacations.  I plan on taking three days off during that time, but even so the prospect of sitting in this room for that long is daunting.

January 13

1. The bureaucratic aspect of my junior high school really irritates me.  I have to take three work days (公假) off next week to attend the school camping trip.  Why is this necessary?  Who is it helping?

2. Walked over to where they're doing the construction this morning.  It will be a "folk song hall."  Honestly, it's not like the old folk song hall was that popular to begin with.  Just building a park would have been better.

3. We're going to see Avatar 2 tomorrow.  I'm not that excited about it, but we couldn't think of much else to do before dinner.  We'll be spending the night at the mom-in-law's in Qiaotou, and the next day we'll be driving back.  For Saturday dinner I've decided on one of the seafood restaurants near The Drafthouse.

4. I'm finding this school very annoying today.  I feel like I'm surrounded by people who've been institutionalized, and who are institutionalizing others in turn.  "Socialization" some might call it, but even socialization isn't always good (or worthwhile).  I often resent the authoritarian way things are done here, and even though they seem to value my expertise my opinions don't always seem to matter.

Or maybe I'm just annoyed because T, one the teachers I find myself avoiding, asked me if I'll be in the office after Chinese New Year.  This was annoying for not one but two reasons: the first being the general fact of sitting in this office for so long, and the second being the idea of her seeking me out when I'm trapped here.  I REALLY don't want to have any discussions with her about my class next semester.  I don't think her input has much value, and she can be extremely overbearing at times.

January 16

Forgot to write here yesterday.  

In the morning the school held a running activity.  We ran from the gate behind the school to a temple gate at the bottom of a hill about 2 km away.  This activity turned out to be the best part of yesterday.  I was told I finished in the top 10, which for a guy who just turned 48 isn't bad.

Today I'll be joining the seventh and eighth grade students on their camping trip in Tainan.  I've never been to the place they're going, and I'm interested to see what that part of Tainan looks like.  I was told the place where we're camping is very famous.

My birthday?  After driving to Kaohsiung we went to Good Rolling, a burger place really close to the 85 Skytower.  Best burgers I've ever had in Kaohsiung.  After that we went to the Eslite Bookstore in the FE 21, where I bought some books.  We then saw Avatar: The Way of Water.  We ended the day with dinner at a Japanese barbecue place near the Aozidi MRT Station.  All in all a good birthday.

We'll see how today goes.  Hopefully it won't be miserable.  I keep having to remind myself that Chinese New Year is on the other side of the next three days.

January 17

School camping trip in Tainan.

January 18

School camping trip in Tainan.

January 19

School camping trip in Tainan.