March 17th, 2024 – general update
Taipei, Taiwan
Super successful day today.
Side note – have had zero stress dreams since halfway into my trip down volunteering at the tea farm in Chiayi, but the last two nights have brought a few back. Random stuff, and I woke up each night at around 4am, tried recording what I remembered, and then went back to my lucid dreaming process asking “am I dreaming?”
10am Sundays means head to the English school and do “Bilingual Tai Chi for Health” class for 90 minutes. Every class is different, and a few new people there this morning. Peter is good at mixing things up, so good material for beginners as well as good review for the people who have been around. Good theoretical breakthroughs that will help us write the book we’re working on. The outline is set, the hard date for content finished is the end of March.
It was warmer today; walked back to the apartment, which is getting more complete by the day. Maurice is filling out details. We have a 3 in 1 washer and dryer now. And he bought a battery-powered beer dispenser, but I think we broke it last night, because it won’t stop trying to dispense beer, even if there’s none in it.
I went back to Ximen today, where the art murals were, to see them during the day. They’re even more impressive. There were pockets of people in costumes taking photos everywhere with the backdrops. This was influencer-country.
I kept walking toward the waterfront and found a new park, with some old park parts in it, and took some photos. I followed my nose to a new night market, and this one of course had its own vibe. I found some things there that were really inexpensive that I’ve been looking for. A pocket knife, some unlined, colored paper. I bought a chicken skewer satay stick from the market – it was, neutral. I came back around by the Longshan temple MRT entrance and found a bazaar in the basement. Fortune-tellers, massage places, energy healers, tea shops, religious items. Not necessarily tourist-traps either, but for people who use these ideas regularly. I bought a plain set of moonblocks, a tea pot, some loose leaf tea. Like I said, a hugely successful trip for not much money.
Back to the apartment and I can make tea. I have missed it. I told myself that green tea bags were fine. Jasmine even, for a little flavor. It’s a different universe brewing loose leaves though, especially with the ceremony of the small tea pot.
We have a new neighbor upstairs.
Tai chi lessons Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday. Thai dinner with Ting Ting Friday. Karaoke with Tom Tuesday.
Staying business. Learning. Progressing.
