About Me

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Yilan, Taiwan
I just returned back to the States after 11 years in Taiwan with my daughter. Taiwan is an excellent base for us explore Asia, while living in relative (gun free) safety, while benefiting from a cheap and efficient national health care system. The people are amazing too. I have Taiwanese friendships that are 20 years old and I'm always making new ones! My coworker here in CO is from Taiwan.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Hallows Eve in Tainan


Z went to a costume party at Tin Pan Alley on Friday. I didn’t think we were going to make it, I drove to the Red Wolf Bar and had to call a friend for directions (other side of the park.) Z was getting angry at me for not getting there. Most of the kids were Taiwanese, a few were mixed. I met the co-owners who were all nice, attentive and welcoming. All the kids got a mango juice and a slice of pizza. I had a mango martini, it was shockingly strong. I was glad to know I was returning for the very adult version the following night. On Monday was the 31st and my friend Allen, their kids and some of our friends we had a Halloween party. He had me carve a pumpkin and we took too many photos of our kids dressed up.




The Saturday night before Halloween was party night. All the foreigner pubs and bars had their thing going on. I had Z stay at my friend Grace’s house and I went to Tin Pan alley with coworkers Gina, Lulu, and Carmen. I was the only one who dressed up. I originally wanted to be a superhero, but my homemade ghetto get up did not turn out the same as I envisioned it. (Red shorts, blue tights, blue shirt and my daughter’s red cape, with a silver mask.) So I changed into a sea green dress, borrowed Z’s wings, silver shoes and hair and hoped I passed for a fairy.

There was live reggae and I was soon on my feet and danced the night away, literally. I didn’t get home til late the next morning and was exhausted. I had an excessive amount of fun, too much fun. I was making up for the past three years of never going out. I have lived in Taiwan for over three years and never went to Tin Pan, and never have gone out dancing in Tainan before. Sad but true.

I saw some old friends and made some new ones (and maybe a couple of enemies.) I was dancing with some guy and I guess his Taiwanese gf wasn’t happy about the whole things, but it was all innocent. There was one foreigner with a hideously insulting costume. I was shocked, other people I met were shocked, he was beyond tasteless, he was a misogynist to say the least. By the end of the night, with maybe one beer too many I had crossed the line. I went up to him and told him, “if he didn’t change his flipping costume, I was going to take him (pointing) over behind the alley and beat him out of it.” Needless to say he changed. I’m not proud of my aggression, but some people go too far. If someone wears such a costume, they obviously are expecting some kind of reaction.

I am much too old for sleepless nights, but dancing to live reggae, was beyond bliss.

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