Return To Tainan

Dinner on the veranda of King's Villa, Guanziling

It was our first time being back to Tainan since moving to Yilan. Did I miss it? Upon arrival at the highs-peed station we immediately noticed it smelled weird, and we (my daughter and I) got an immediate runny nose. At first my daughter was, "Oh lets move back to Tainan", but that didn't last long. We both found Tainan too bustling, crowded, congested. Is it Chinese New Year already? It seemed that way. Because our trip was so short and sweet we also didn't have anytime to visit with old friends which was a shame, as on Tuesday, I had to return to my daily private tutoring, a fantastic gig.

lunch at Basil Bistrot,Taipei

Being unemployed has it's benefits. I could have a 4 day weekend in Tainan. I decided to go back because Sunday there was a 6 hour Ashtanga introduction to the primary series, which would be a  refresher for me. I could practice with my old yogini gang and recommit myself to my practice again.

We left Friday noon for Taipei and decided to check out an exhibit at Galleria H after a quick bite at Basil, le Bistrot. We get excited about eating food we can't find in Yilan. In this case, open faced, filling sandwhiches on crusty bread. I got the salmon and sundried tomato and Z got a bacon and grilled chicken, we couldn't even finish our potato wedges. Both came with tons of mixed greens drizzled in balsamic vinegar and oil.

lunch at Basil Bistrot, Taipei

 The very small exhibit looks, "into the identification of races, genders and generations at a certain level. We intend to develop a set of clarified feminine writing logic through the works of these six artists and art groups. The ways of writing illustrate six different life stories, family memories and self-reflections after confronting some particular situations of races and genders." 

A Bangladeshi film of a woman marrying herself, Galleria H

My daughter embarrassed me and the curator, she was incredulous at the size of the exhibit, "This is it! It's so small!" I had wanted to see the probably more interesting Chini Gallery's exhibit of a Spanish artist's very Picasso-esque animal/human portraits, but we had to be in Tainan by a certain hour for AJ to pick us up at the high-speed station (he had a night class).

The next day we started hitting local used book stores and record shops. The whole record store scene was certainly a new part of Tainan life I hadn't seen before. By lunch time I had a bag of books and had to stop.

After lounging at AJ's big house in the East district listening to records, we drove to the nearest hot springs-- Guanziling at The King's Castle at the top of the hill. We had a light dinner there on the veranda and then went to the nearly empty pools bathing like royals. There were public outdoor baths with some inside public pools of different temperatures, a mud and massage room and some pools with steaming Chinese traditional medicinal herbs like mugwort. We ended our bathing with having our feet pecked and tickled by tiny fish and drove back to Yilan very relaxed.

Sunday was a my big day. I couldnt find the Jyoga studio at first, Google Map had me in the alley behind it, but when my friend told me the lime green building across from Starbucks, I couldn't miss it. The Ashtanga teacher  Rameshji (Ramsheesh Sheety ) is from Mysore and has studied under both Pattabhi Jois and BNS Iyengar since a teen. The event was organized by Kaosiung Yogi. He spent 2 hours just on the sun salutations, not even finishing Namaskara B when we had to break for lunch which was catered by my dear friends from Funkoo. After lunch while our food settled, my friend Tori Mitchell led us in some Yin hip openers and Farrah Furtado led a very relaxing Yoga Nidra. The last couple hours Rameshji returned to finish Namaskara B and some difficult poses upon request.

Stupid me asked him about which he expected me to be able to do. He literally was forcing me into a human pretzel (Garbha Pindasana), but at least I have some better idea how to get into it myself. Lubrication is key! Warm water or sweat, because my thighs are not skinny enough to do it without this. He also helped me with my Firefly balance (Tittibhasana).

All in all a wonderful day of yoga. It was invigorating to be near these newbies who were so passionate, most going towards their teacher certification and me who has been practicing on and off for years and basically lazy and taking what I know for granted, in comparison. I noticed all of us needede reminding to engag our Uddyana Bandas (the central energy meridian pulled in and upwards by abdominal muscles). I was definitely sore the next day! During my own personal Monday morning practice,   my flow was intuitive, it was so fluid, creative, dynamic, I just knew it was from the subtle effects of the previous day's Yoga Nidra practice.

We returned to Yilan, leaving Tainan after lunch on Monday, My daughter and I were both relieved to be back. It was colder, sure, but it seemed so fresh, our runny noses disappeared and Z was glad to be back to playing with her classmates and neighbors.

It seems like Yilan is home-- at least for now anyways.

A place to lay my head (or hang my art)

This past month my paintings have been taking themselves off my walls.  Ive had them up for three years and now the hooks (sticky tape ones) just aren't cutting it. I have been going through boxes of that sticky tape and they just wont stay. I don't think the canvases have been gaining weight. So Ive come to the conclusion that maybe its time to move.
Ive been at this apartment for 2 years, maybe more. I first came to Tainan and shared an apartment with Vicky and Megan, which was ok for a while (who wants a roommate with a 2 1/2 year old tantrum queen?).

The place I'm in now has its benefits, its close to work, (I literally get dressed at 820 and am out the door at 830 although I wake at 6), there is an awesome community garden across the street and I am often the recipient to friends' and neighbors all around year harvests, and its not congested around here. Id hate to live where all these 18 story giants are towering, rubbing shoulders with each other. I like space, I like having an open field overgrown with weeds and packs of stray dogs out my window. I like the old man who thinks he's a security guard; he watches my back, like when I didn't pay a bill sometime when I was out of the country, he hopped on his scooter and got me covered. I like living 2 minutes by bike from the beach or Anping. I have parks within walking distance.

 Now our apartment ain't paradise for sure. Its old, there are roaches, we sleep under mozzy nets, I doubt if its earthquake safe, and all our crap is starting to get crowded. Last Typhoon it flooded and I am on the 5th floor. Mostly its lack of storage space, winter clothes and blankets take up a lot of space and even though winter isn't so long here, one definitely needs coats, scarves, layers and layers of blankets and thick comforters. (Ok 60 F may seem comfortable to you, but after a while your sense of what is hot or cold definitely alters at the Tropic of Capricorn.)

Also my kitchen sucks, its small, cramped and I may be 5"2 but even I find the stove top fan too low. I hardly have room to cook, my sink is small and I get the feeling that living here is akin to camping (which I don't mind at all, but sometimes Id like the feeling that I wasn't camping). I am at the point where I don't mind cleaning the lizard crap I'm just so happy I have allies in my war against the roaches.

I need a space that is a large enough (but not too big), a sunny house or apartment with a view, and large closets. A view is very important. From my kitchen I have this little table and high stools and I can see over my high window to the port where the big ships dock on their way from or to Kaohsiung and the seas behind, but its such a sliver of sea. Id like a full on sunset view, like the apartment I covet on my bike ride along the river that flows out to the sea, you know the summer homes for the rich that have these incredible windows facing west. Anyway, one takes it for granted living in Colorado and being so close to sky (my cloud brethren) always being in some auspicious position to be apart of the day's passing. If I want to see the sunset here in Tainan I have to consciously make a plan, go to the beach, the old Anping port or a friend's house.

Could I muster the energy to move? I would have to ask friends and bribe them with beer and  pizza and I hate doing that. Having to box up alot of crap and move it and unpack and cleaning all the while, I wonder what will happen when October comes around and my lease is up.