one more from Jingmei

I will just add that our old neighborhood is very much like it was compared to eight years ago, still more dogs wandering "free" than in Taibei, but now there are less cars and bikes parked in the back allies (due I am guessing to the new parking regulations) which actually makes the streets surrounding our old apartment much nicer. You can get a sense of this from the photo in this post; this is a picture of the noodle shop across from our old place, it is still there! In the past it would have been cluttered with parked cars and mopeds. Another change is the number of bicyclists, packs of well groomed families, I suspect the MRT has had the desired effect of moving people out of the rather dense city center to the suburbs. Even with all the bikes the traffic there is the same, and the streets are just as pedestrian unfriendly.

Our old stomping ground 景美, 8 years later

Chao doufu 臭豆腐

Yes, "stinky tofu" is well stinky but so very tasty. This is the deep fried kind, which I bought from the back of a little open-back trucks that comes and goes during the day near my home. This box of fried-to-order tofu, a pile of lightly pickled cabbage and carrots, all covered in a nice spicy sauce cost me about NT$65 about US $2.

Spring has sprung

Star fruit and Wax apples.

Kengding 墾丁

After a long blog-o-break, I am back. Here are some images from Southern Taiwan taken at Kending National Park

Luobo si bing 蘿蔔絲餅 and cong you dan bing 蔥油蛋餅

Yes, another food post, this is just indicative of what I am doing...other than my main task, all there is is food. These babies come from a little stand some distance from my place. They have four items:
Luobo si bing (shredded radish filled fried bread)(pictured)
Hongdou bing 紅豆餅 (red bean filled fried bread)
Cong you bing (diced onion flavored fried bread)
Cong you dan bing (diced onion flavored fried bread with a fried egg added)(pictured)

This place always has a huge line, it takes about 20 minuted to make it to the front but it is worth it. This palace is particularly good, the filling is well composed, the bread is airy, and it is nearly deep fried so it is very crispy on the out side but steamy bready underneath! Not to be eaten everyday but from time to time.

Sausages

Suddenly across the street from my door a sausage "shop" has opened. It is actually just in the garage of the building across from my door in the alley way. I am not sure if it is here for the long term or just especially for the up coming New Year in late January. I suspect the latter is the case.