วิ่งไม่หยุด: 2008-11-16

Saturday, November 22, 2008

DanShuei Fisherman's Wharf in Autumn

Activities/Actions:
Bike to DanShuei Fisherman's wharf, back to GuGong and Shilin before going home

Stat & Course condition:

Commute: Guandu to Danshui

Date: 11/22/2008
Start Time: 14:01:00
End Time: 15:06:00
Time Taken: 01:05:00
Route: GuanDu 2 DanShui
Total Distance: 7.15 mi.
Pace: 09:04 (avg)
Speed: 6.6 (mi/hr) (avg)

Danshui 2 Gugong

Date: 11/22/2008
Start Time: 17:00:00
End Time: 18:00:00
Time Taken: 01:00:00
Route: DanShui 2 GuGong
Total Distance: 14.63 mi.
Pace: 04:05 (avg)
Speed: 14.63 (mi/hr) (avg)

Commute: GuGong 2 Shilin

Date: 11/22/2008
Start Time: 19:36:00
End Time: 19:46:00
Time Taken: 00:10:00
Route: GuGong 2 Shilin
Total Distance: 2.10 mi.
Pace: 11:25 (avg)
Speed: 5.25 (mi/hr) (avg)

Commute: Shilin 2 home

Date: 11/22/2008
Start Time: 21:40:00
End Time: 22:18:00
Time Taken: 00:38:00
Route: home 2 shilin CKS
Total Distance: 9.00 mi.
Pace: 04:13 (avg)
Speed: 14.21 (mi/hr) (avg)

Note and reflections:

After the first visit to Fisherman's wharf by bus [An Adventure on Formosa] and the first fail attempt by bike [วิ่งไม่หยุด: April Runs], I determined to get there again by bike today! After departed from my walker gang [วิ่งไม่หยุด: Walking for a cause: walk for the blind], I biked to Danshuei MRT station and tried to find a way to the Wharf. Last time I got lost here, but this time I would drag my bike passing through the crowd at Danshuei Market. Along the way, I saw several cute shops, café and hotels such as a cute postcard shop pictured below. I arrived at the Wharf about an hour later and had a big ice cream!! I craved for it. The Wharf in Autumn was a nice place for clearing my clustered mind.

Enjoying my time there, listening to music and chat with people...

Around 5, I decided to bike to GuGong for a quick look at the museum and a music in Saturday Night at NPM program. Later, I joined a group of friends--Den, Jeab, Waan and Neung--for their shopping at Shilin. We were enjoying shopping and eating on the always-crowded streets for almost two hours. The girls got some clothes they wanted. Not being able to read (as well as speak) Chinese, I wanted to order Dou Hua from a picture. But the one we got is not the same as the one in the photo--What You See Is Not What You Got! After my stomach was satisfied, I left them, biking home on "my regular" Keelung River Biking trail.

Walking and biking completed my exercise today. Feel good!

Photos:

People enjoying a nice autumn weather long Danshuei River walkway.

A cute little postcard shop!

Fishing and sunshine on a bank of Danshuei River.

A yummy raisin ice cream cone at Fisherman's wharf.

Mother and daughter fishing under the twilight sky.

A view of Bali Port

Lovers, bikes and sunset

Saturday Night at NPM

Waan and Jeab on their shopping spree in Shilin

It must be good because of a long line.

Fruit ice

"Which one should I eat first, ice or chicken?"

Well, WYSINWYG!

Continue reading the rest...

Walking for a cause: walk for the blind

步步獻光明

Activities/Actions:
Walk 8K on 步步獻光明 http://www.orbis.org.tw/Default.aspx?cid=7759&lang=3

Stat:
8K walk started from GuanDu temple; Started 10a.

Walk Completion Certificate

Course condition:

The course along GuanDu Mangrove Park

Note and reflections:

Walking for a cause: walk for the blind. After warming up with rhythm led by a group on the stage, Wayne, Xiao Hao, Maji, Yan-Ru and I started our walk along the biking trail in Guandu Mangrove Park with other 500 or so walkers. Woken up by Wayne around 7a, I biked out around 7:15 and got to Guandu Temple at 8:10, eating some Mi Fen, and waiting until the gang showed up around 8:40. Various activities started around 9, including an appearance of a pretty Hong Kong actress, 袁詠儀 Anita Yuen.

The sun on the bright sky and cool breeze made the walk joyful. Various tales were told as I got to know Maji and Yan-Ru. After the first kilometer, we had to blind ourselves to experience a life without a sight. Wayne was leading me and Xiao Hao as we were walking in darkness for about a kilometer (actually, I was not totally blinded because of my glasses underneath the blind mask). Even though I had been biking on this trail many times, walking slowly and enjoying the scenery made a whole different experience. Often, many of bikers did get mad because we crowded the way. However, they should be appreciated for this activity.

We made our way passing the 2.5 kilometer post and continued to the 4th kilometer just a little pass 11 o’clock. The sun has been high up on the sky with his intense ray shinning down. By the time we were heading back, many people had been gone—only few people were walking with us. I had an idea to entertain the volunteers who were staffing the trail. I asked one in Mandarin whether he wanted to do running competition with me. He gave a weird response, “No”. For the next two groups, I asked them “Guess, where do you think I came from?” in Mandarin and Taiwanese, respectively (Wayne and Xiao Hao taught me how to say). They were guessing Japan, Hong Kong, Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam but not Thailand. My Taiwanese pronunciation was not good, so I talked to a girl in Mandarin, telling her that I am a “Tai Wan Ren.” She quickly replied that I am a “Pian Ren” (a liar).

We made it back to get our certificate around 12:30. Wayne had to leave for his tutoring, so the rest of us stayed for lunch. Maji worked for a semiconductor company that has many Thai workers, so he knows many Thai words. I asked him whether he knows any bad Thai words; he said he did not want to know because he did not want to upset the workers [he is a good supervisor]. After the lunch, I tried to ask Xiao Hao to hike Yangmingshan with me but he denied. So, I walked them back to GuanDu MRT Station and continued my way to DanShuei [วิ่งไม่หยุด: DanShuei Fisherman's Wharf in Autumn].

It was a good walk for a great cause: for blind kids. Thanks Xiao Hao for getting us to join the activity since the mid October!

Photos:

Warming up before the walk.

"Put your hands up and clap!" Wayne and Xiao Hao!

Maji and Yan-Ru after the warm-up!

I am going to the walk on my dad's shoulder.

Mr. Eye showing us a way.

Wayne leading the way!
(credit: Wayne)

Wayne and I in a stimulus conversation.

A cute couple

We had made the halfway, and about to turn back

We will walk back in blind.
(credit: Wayne)

Continue reading the rest...

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

headphones broken at the other end!

The headphones [วิ่งไม่หยุด: Sennheiser PMX 70 Sport] were broken at one end [วิ่งไม่หยุด: headphones gone bad ]. Now, it is broken at the other end near the 3.5 mm jack with the same symptom: broken plastic wrap. Yu-Shiang helped wrap it up with clear tap again. It looks ugly but it will work alright. I hope. How come it seems that the inner wires were shortened (by cold weather?)?!

Continue reading the rest...

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Bike to Shilin

Activities/Actions:
Biked to Shilin Presidential Residence.

Course condition:
Very nice and clear sky!

Note and reflections:

Crysanthemums are blossoming everywhere in Shilin Presidential Residence Park as well as crowd of people are covering all most all areas of the park. I stumbled into this scene on my way biking up to Yangmingshan. The plan of hiking Yangmingshan with Arnold and Waan has been canceled this morning due to a chance of rain, but since Waan was out at Kunyang, she decided to follow her mind to Yangmingshan alone. Around 2p seeing a bright clear sky, I set out for biking, aiming at Yangmingshan but being attracted by the crowd in front of the park. After notifying Waan that I will not see her on the top of the mountains, I focused my canon on these beautiful flowers.

Many families take their kids, dogs and even pigs out to enjoy a nice afternoon in the park entertaining by various activities and varieties of flowers. Thus, the park feels small because of the crowd. I stayed for awhile until Nong Waan came to meet at the festival. Later, we went to find something to eat at Shilin Night Market before going back home.

Photos: